How to level a wooden floor with your own hands quickly and efficiently? How to level a wooden floor with your own hands: technology for leveling an old floor without tearing off the boards Level a wooden floor with a screed

Wooden floors can look very attractive and beautiful, and they retain heat well. However, a significant drawback is the frequent and easy subsidence and formation of cracks on it. Only special treatment methods help to cope with these problems and prevent their occurrence in the future.

Peculiarities

The need to level a wooden floor is often driven not only by the desire to make it more aesthetically pleasing, but also to improve the comfort of life. It is very inconvenient and sometimes unsafe to walk through rooms where different parts of the floor have different heights. It should also not be forgotten that Improving the properties of the floor extends its service life and makes it possible to resort to major repairs less often, spend less money on replacing damaged boards and planks. All hard floors have a clear design scheme, and if it is violated, it will not perform its functions. Wear and tear are accelerating sharply, and in the near future you will need to again solve the problem of arranging a new flooring.

You can level the floor different ways, but they should be chosen not for simplicity or convenience, but for practicality in specific circumstances. Laying plywood is often practiced, but similar results can be achieved using putties based on PVA glue and self-leveling mixtures. Very strong distortions in the geometry of the floor in a house or apartment will have to be eliminated by creating logs.

It happens that removing the previous coating is very difficult or even impossible without completely destroying the structure. Then you need to leave them in place and level the floor with a plane or grinding machines. This situation most often arises in private homes, since even if wooden floors are made in apartments, they are much more advanced.

Grinding inevitably generates a huge amount of dust, so special measures must be taken to prevent it from getting into the neighboring rooms, did not damage furniture or other valuable property.

Laying sheet materials

A crooked floor can be corrected using plywood sheets, and the simplest method does not require joists at all. The perimeter of the walls is framed with bosses (they will allow you to maintain a gap of 20 mm without constantly picking up a tape measure). Between sheets of plywood intervals of 0.3-0.8 cm should be left, so that at the first slight movement or increase in temperature the rough layer is not deformed. The sheets should be placed staggered; all subsequent sheets are shifted by half compared to their predecessors.

It is imperative to secure the sheets with self-tapping screws, and it is best to immediately make holes in the right places. With another method, the perimeter of the room is filled with logs, resulting in the appearance strip base. The spacing and spacing are done according to the same principles, but be sure to first lay out the sheets without securing them, and just look at the result. This will make it clear whether there is enough material and whether its dimensions are correctly estimated. All those blocks that must be applied in the next step are numbered.

The transverse jumpers need to be secured with self-tapping screws, then the installation of the joists and supports is checked for evenness, after which the frame is attached to the base. Now you can lay and fasten plywood, and laminate or linoleum on top of it. Plywood can also be laid on top of point supports “coats”.

The size of each block is determined by how uneven the floor is in this room. You need to place pads more often, since their reliability is less than that of joists. The basic scheme of actions is the same, the difference is expressed only in geometry. When a leveler (grinding machine) is used to correct individual defects Be sure to wear gloves and a respirator for maximum protection.

If parquet is to be laid on top and the joists are creaking, professionals often recommend filling them with a screed containing expanded clay. This solution is suitable no matter how insulated your home is. As an option, you can make a screed under sheet materials on top of an insulating or soundproofing layer. There is nothing as a lining under the main layer of the floor better than plywood, and chipboard, and even OSB inevitably lose to it. When using a slab, it is impossible to use it, like plywood, as a front covering in extreme cases.

Chipboards have a very important advantage– they are noticeably cheaper and allow, despite the cost-effectiveness of the design, to make it as convenient and high-quality as possible. Work begins with fastening the products to the beams, the cross-section of which may not be significant, only 30 mm. Each beam is leveled horizontally and fixed to the old foundations. After 800 mm they are attached to the boards using self-tapping screws. If you make the interval longer, the coating may bend.

For chipboard, the mandatory compensation distance from the walls is 20 - 30 mm. The panels are laid staggered, shifting them by 0.4 m (not strictly), and mutually adjacent sheets can only be shifted in the middle of the beam, otherwise sagging will occur.

If you use a tongue-and-groove variety of slabs, you can avoid making any gaps and form a monolithic layer.

Screed

Leveling with screeds is a very old technique, but still quite effective. Professionals believe that expanded clay is no less suitable for this than cement-sand mortar. Moreover, similar solution turns out to be lighter and reduces the specific load on the floors. Even in private houses this is very important, but there is no question of apartments. To prepare the solution, take part M400 category Portland cement, three parts sand and eight parts expanded clay. The beacons are placed 0.5-0.6 m from each other, and enough mortar is poured over them to create a screed of 80-100 mm.

To make the base even, you will have to cover it first with polyethylene, wrapping the ends of the film onto the wall just above the expected thickness of the layer. The material is laid overlapping, and all its borders are covered with construction tape for maximum strength. A reinforcing masonry mesh (raised 30–40 mm above the base) must be used. There should be two layers, the solution must be compacted and its outer surface leveled. If you don’t want to prepare the screed yourself, use one of the standard expanded clay concrete mixtures, which are not too difficult to find on sale.

Sanding and putty are more advanced than pouring; they will help cope with minor deformations, but if you want to eliminate major defects, you will still have to use sheet materials.

Always first analyze the actual condition of the floor and its base, and only then choose a method for forming a tension structure.

Mixtures

Self-leveling mixtures are better than regular screeds in that they spread by themselves and form a layer of the same thickness. There is no need to make any effort, you just need to strictly follow the technology. The slightest irregularities and depressions will be covered. But a very uneven floor cannot be corrected in this way, because highest height pouring the mixture – 20 mm. If there are more defects, you will have to use logs.

Floor levelers are divided into two key groups: the first is intended for rough finishing, and the second is for finishing, allowing you to lay any kind of coating. The basic properties are imparted by gypsum or cement, to which mineral and polymer components are added to guarantee increased mechanical resistance. It is easy to recognize a coarse leveler; it is always a mixture with large grains, and the fraction determines how thick a layer of the mixture can be applied to a sagging floor without fear of cracking.

The final mixtures become more plastic upon contact with water and can be easily distinguished by their accelerated spreading. First, the surface is cleaned and sanded, then a primer is applied to the subfloor (preferably compounds that are not afraid of moisture and can penetrate deeply). Then waterproofing (polyethylene) is applied, covered with a reinforcing mesh (fixed as carefully as possible), and only then the final mixture is poured. To smooth out differences and remove air from the layer, use studded rollers. How long you need to wait for the result depends on the specific composition used.

Leveling with self-leveling mixtures allows you to avoid using beacons and save a lot of time.

But on the other hand, a problem may be a lack of experience or poor knowledge about a specific drug. After all, if you violate the basic rules of its use, the expensive product will be wasted pointlessly.

Mastic (rubber, bitumen or polymer) is most often used if there is no need for finishing coverings. In addition to leveling the wood, it allows you to focus on its color, relief, and shine. Improves protection from penetration of moisture and sunlight, and from mechanical defects. An alternative is often to use putty, which is made homemade from PVA and sawdust. The resulting composition is very cheap and at the same time very durable, capable of filling absolutely all the cracks and unnecessary gaps of old floors.

Please note that when laying laminate, such a solution does not guarantee the required strength, so you will have to put sheet materials on top. Most often, the filling is done several times, but they wait until the previous layer dries.

It is advisable to place the front sheet layer on top of the rough coating, screwing it to the base using self-tapping screws. They will help strengthen areas that are not tightly adjacent to the joists.

Before you start pouring any mixture, prepare your tools. You will definitely need a cooking container required composition, as well as a hammer drill or drill with mixing attachments. Using a notched trowel up to 100 mm long, roll out the layer until it is even and thin. The size of the spatula teeth must correspond to the size of the layer being processed. Single large gaps It would be correct to fill it with polyurethane foam, and not resort to other methods of leveling, and do not refuse to fill it.

Looping

The putty helps to cope with minor unevenness; the composition of the mixture is just sawdust and polyvinyl acetate glue. The work costs will be relatively small, and the created base allows you to lay laminate, linoleum and even the best varieties parquet There is no need for lags and others auxiliary structures, which makes the work process much easier.

They begin by removing the existing coating and thoroughly cleaning it from all contaminants. Next, the surface will need to be sanded, and all those boards that sag under load or creak will need to be reinforced with self-tapping screws. They do the same with lags; then they nail down slats that will act as beacons. Only after all these steps can you apply the putty and level it using the rule.

The applied composition will dry in approximately 48 hours; Once you are convinced of this, you can begin the next work.

Using a plane, it is easy to remove a slab, a depression that has appeared somewhere locally. If the board is concave, instead of tooling, elastic putties, sealants or pastes based on a combination of PVA and wood flour are used. Please note that processed mechanically substrates must be protected with varnishes or enamels from further destruction.

Sanding works well only if the floor has not dried out, is not swollen, or has not been invaded by wood-gnawing beetles. If any of these problems exist, the damaged areas will need to be either replaced or repaired. Not only surface grinders, but also drum parquet sanders help to quickly carry out processing. But in hard to reach places It is more correct to use hand cycles or angle grinders; their characteristics in such cases are invaluable.

The liquid separator, sometimes used instead of films, should not form an oily crust. Therefore, when choosing it in preparation for scraping or another method of leveling the floor, you need to make sure that the substance will be well absorbed.

Despite the impressive list of advantages, wood covering over time requires repair work. Cracks may appear, and the boards begin to sag and deform. Of course, this does not happen in a year, or in two. But sooner or later you will have to decide how to level the coating.

Especially if it is planned. This finishing layer requires level base, which can be achieved in several ways. We will look at all this below.

Why is it necessary to level the floor?

Many people are interested in the question not of how to level a wooden floor, but why it is necessary. We hasten to assure you that this is extremely important stage laying a new coating, which also extends the life of the main floor. All cracks, irregularities, and deformations negatively affect the general view and on the final coating. It doesn’t matter whether it’s carpet or ceramic tile. In any case, troubles cannot be avoided. For example, linoleum in places where the floorboards are curved will fray and crack, and the laminate will immediately begin to creak and the joints, accordingly, will not adhere securely to each other.

Methods for leveling the floor.

So, if you don’t know how to level a laminate wooden floor, then it’s worth learning the basic methods that are actively used today. It is worth noting that the choice depends on the initial state of the base.

Looping;

Self-leveling mixtures;

Floor putty;

Laying plywood sheets.

In order to understand how to level a wooden floor under tiles, and in what cases each option is used, we will consider all the methods separately.

Looping.

We can say that this is the most labor-intensive method of leveling, but it is also the most effective. It is suitable if there are no plans to lay a new coating, and the design is limited to varnishing or painting the renewed floor.

There are two methods of scraping, performed manually and mechanically. In the first case, a manual scraper is used, and in the second, a scraping machine is used. Manual method is already outdated and does not justify the labor and time costs at all, so we will consider the mechanical method.

Tools for work:

The most important thing is to take care of your own health, so buy the following things:

a respirator that will protect your lungs from dust;

headphones that isolate you from noise (and the level is very high);

gloves or thick mittens necessary to reduce vibration from the device.

Preparing the room:

Be sure to remove all furniture, curtains, and paintings. This way you will protect things from fine dust. You can cover the shelves with film, securing the edges with tape. The doorway is covered with film, and the windows, on the contrary, are opened to allow the dust to ventilate.

Coating preparation:

If the floorboards are in good condition, partial replacement will not be necessary. In this case, carefully inspect the floor. If the heads of nails or screws are on the surface, then it is necessary to recess them into the floor to a sufficiently large depth. Without doing this, you will inevitably damage the equipment.

Floor scraping:

We start working from the corner, moving around the room like a snake. For this we use a coarse-grained tape. This is how we remove the first layer.

You will still need a manual scraper for processing the floor in hard-to-reach places - near the walls. At the end of the work, you need to vacuum it, but wait a bit, allowing the dust to settle. Before varnishing or painting, the floor is wiped with a cloth soaked in white spirit.

Self-leveling mixtures:

If you are looking for a way to level a wooden floor under a laminate, then the previous option will not suit you. In this case, the work will be more labor-intensive, but you will get the proper basis for finishing coating. It is worth noting that this method is also suitable for further installation tiles

Let's take a closer look at the process of leveling the floor.

Preparing the base.

We make all spring elements motionless, for which we use self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws.

The hats, as with scraping, are deepened into the floor.

We thoroughly sand the base, removing any remaining paint, dirt, or varnish.

All obvious cracks and voids are filled with acrylic putty or the same mixture, but in a thicker consistency.

After the composition has dried, the floor is primed in several layers with a moisture-proof primer, which ensures reliable adhesion of the mixture to the base.

A polystyrene foam seam is created near the walls, after which the floor level can be determined.

Pouring the mixture.

Before starting to pour the mixture, we staple the reinforcing mesh onto the base. All joints are connected with an overlap of about 5 cm.

Prepare the mixture according to the instructions, mixing it using a drill with an attachment. Leave the solution for 10-15 minutes and stir again. Now you can begin the actual installation.

Pour the mixture in parts, leveling it over the entire surface with a roller.

Using a spatula, rule or rubber mop, spread the mixture over the coating.

Drying of the solution is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Some tips:

Follow all the rules indicated on the packaging of the mixture. The specified thermal conditions must be maintained throughout the entire period of laying the solution and drying it.

Be careful when preparing the mixture. Excess water can cause delamination when the coating dries, while too little water can cause it to dry too quickly and be unable to distribute evenly.

If it is planned to raise the floor level, then pouring is carried out in two passes. That is, it is undesirable to immediately lay a thick layer.

Floor putty.

This option is not particularly suitable if you are deciding how to level a wooden floor under tiles. But for linoleum or carpet this is the ideal way.

Putty mixtures based on sawdust and PVA are becoming increasingly popular. With their help, you can level a fairly large area of wood. At the same time, the cost of materials is low, and this makes repairs also economically profitable.

Procedure:

Beacon slats are placed on the cleaned surface according to the level;

the space between them is filled with a mixture with the consistency of “thick sour cream”;

To prevent the sawdust from drawing water out of the glue, it is advisable to moisten them in advance and then squeeze them out a little;

if a thick layer of putty is required, then form the coating in layers of 1-2 cm. In this case, each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has dried;

We check the result with a level, and if necessary, fill the uneven areas with the same mixture.

Laying plywood sheets

This is one of the most popular ways to correct uneven wood floors. But first you need to decide how to level a wooden floor under plywood.

Everything is quite simple here. Damaged floorboards are screwed with self-tapping screws to the base or joists. If the deformation is too great, then such boards are replaced with new ones.

Next, you need to install beacons - self-tapping screws that are screwed into a certain height in squares of 20-30 cm. Moreover, the thicker the plywood, the less frequently beacons are installed. After this, we lay the logs in the form of strips of plywood and secure them with self-tapping screws.

Preparation of plywood sheets:

It is advisable to pre-cut the sheets into squares with a side of 60cm. It is worth noting that before purchasing sheets, it is advisable to inspect them. If delamination is detected at the ends of the workpieces, then such material is not suitable for work. If a defect is detected at the installation site, the sheets are replaced with new ones.

Laying plywood sheets:

We install the finished squares on the formed log grid, taking into account the location of the plywood joints, since they should fall on the logs. It is highly desirable that brickwork with offset sheets, which is necessary to avoid the intersection of four seams. Each plywood sheet is secured with self-tapping screws with a countersunk head.

If you mark the joints with chalk in advance, you will significantly save time and effort during installation.

With this leveling, you can get a smooth subfloor that is suitable for further installation of any finishing coating.

By adhering to clear rules, you will not have any questions about how to level a wooden floor or how to correct any defects. The whole process is not very complicated, but it requires some labor.

The flooring in the rooms of a house or apartment can be different. However, owners always want its surface to have an attractive appearance. Many people choose to install wood flooring in their home. This coating looks beautiful, is environmentally friendly, durable, and durable. But sooner or later you have to carry out repair work. One of the most popular problems is leveling a wooden floor. For many, and especially for beginners, this is a real headache. However, in reality everything is not so complicated. How can I do that? Do I need to disassemble the boards down to the base? Next, we will consider how and what is the best way to level a wooden floor.

General information

Experts recommend working with at least two people. But you can level a wooden floor with your own hands and alone. No special knowledge is required for this. It is enough to be careful and follow some simple rules.

Elimination of minor irregularities

If the floor in the house is slightly uneven, then this situation can be corrected with a minimum of materials and tools. If surface treatment of the boards is required, they will need to be removed, planed and re-laid. This option is considered quite long and labor-intensive. But at the same time it is relatively inexpensive. You can use a sanding machine to level the coating. This method has its drawbacks. Firstly, this is a rather “dirty” option, since a lot of dust remains after work. In addition, before starting processing, you should recess the heads of nails and screws deeper into the boards so that they do not damage the tool. Minor defects can be eliminated using acrylic putty. This process does not require any special skills. Any novice craftsman can do the floor treatment on his own.

Repairing cracks

To treat boards with such defects, a special mixture is used, including sawdust, putty and varnish. With its help, you can eliminate depressions and cracks in wood, as well as nests of insects that destroy it. Before starting work, treatment areas should be cleaned and degreased. After the mixture has dried, the surface should be sanded and varnished.

Special solutions

Very often it is necessary to level a wooden floor under a laminate. The first step is to find out how strong the deviation is at the base. If the distortion is small, then you can use leveling mixtures for wooden floors. This solution is evenly distributed over the base. However, experts recommend using these mixtures when differences are no more than 1-2 cm. They are also effective when you need to seal small depressions and recesses in the base. The cost of such materials is quite high. But, as practice shows, they do their job perfectly.

Application of the solution

Before leveling wooden floors, they must be cleaned. Water is added to the solution in the required amount and mixed. It is better to apply the mixture together: one prepares, the other levels the floor. Beacons must be installed first. The solution must be poured into the far corner of the room. With help long spatula or a squeegee should level it. Next, the solution is rolled with a roller (needle-shaped). Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the junctions of various batches. These areas need to be treated with a spatula. Use hard bristled rollers to remove air bubbles. After the solution has hardened, when you can walk on it freely, expansion joints are made using a grinder. They are sealed with elastic material.

How to level an old wooden floor?

What to do if the base has very large differences? It often happens that the wooden floor in the middle of the room collapses, but on the contrary, it rises near the walls. In these cases, as a rule, the previous coating is removed. But it is often quite difficult to disassemble a wooden floor. In addition, after this work, all doors will become higher. We'll have to fix this too. But if the differences are very large, then dismantling is impossible.

First stage

You need to take a laser level. This tool is very useful when carrying out repair work. The level should be placed at the highest point of the base. After switching on, a line will appear (along the entire perimeter). It will be used to level the wooden floor. Marks should be made with chalk or pencil. Then you need to make beacons. They can be used as guides for plasterboard sheets. The advantage of these elements is their evenness. They should be laid out on the floor at approximately a distance of 60-80 cm. In this case, their upper part should coincide with the line that is marked along the perimeter. To check this, you need to take a flat narrow board or plywood and mounting level. You can adjust the guides by placing boards or plywood under them.

Alternative option

If there is no opportunity or desire to use laser level, you can resort to another method. In this case, you also need to find the highest point of the base near the wall. From it you should measure 5-6 cm up and put a mark. After this, you should take a straight long strip or guide and attach it parallel to the floor along the wall. Using the mounting level you need to adjust the height. Next, the mark is placed with opposite side on the wall. Dots must be placed along the entire perimeter. Next, you should take a rope or cord and stretch it from the mark located on one side of the room to the one located on the opposite wall - crosswise. It's good if the rope doesn't touch the floor. If the cord touches the surface, then all marks should be raised by 2-3 cm.

Second phase

It is advisable to attach the guides to the floor. This can be done using self-tapping screws. Next, between the guides it is poured mortar. The layer should be uniform. Next you should use the rule. Using this tool, the mixture is leveled. Quite a lot of solution can go away.

Using DSP

Leveling a wooden floor can be done without mortars. For this, cement bonded particle boards are used. Before leveling wooden floors, they must be prepared. The work, as usual, includes cleaning the base. During preparatory stage a line is also drawn along the perimeter. To level a wooden floor using DSP, you need to lay boards on the base - instead of guides. They should be laid level with the perimeter line. Pieces of plywood are placed under the boards. The base must be secured. The same screws are used for this. Next, the DSP is laid on the boards. The sheets are pre-cut taking into account the area of the room. DSPs are attached to the boards using self-tapping screws. The cracks are covered with rotband. The quality of installation is checked by the installation level.

How to level a wooden floor with plywood?

The use of this material is rightfully considered the fastest and in a simple way arrangement of the foundation. In this way, you can level a wooden floor under linoleum. What are the advantages of this base? Plywood is considered an indispensable material. It has relatively low weight, flexibility, hardness, and resistance to stress. Due to the perpendicular placement of adjacent layers, plywood is highly durable in all directions. To reduce work time, you can choose large sheets. This is especially true on large areas. The undoubted advantage of dry screed is the small financial investment.

Technology

Before leveling wooden floors, it is necessary, as stated above, to assess the condition of the surface and determine the level of its deviation from the norm. A two-meter level is used to measure the base. In the corners of the room, you should mark points, find the centers where the floor and walls meet and the middle of the room. Next, you need to divide the base into so-called segments and examine each section. If the deformation of the floorboards is uniform and the height level has a difference of 5 mm, the plywood can be attached directly to wooden base. If the differences are more than one, but less than eight centimeters, then a sheathing should be made. Experts recommend creating strip or point supports.

Preparatory work

The plywood is kept indoors for several days. This ensures the same humidity as the room. Subsequently, this will avoid deformation of the material after installation. If the room is heated regularly, then the sheets are installed on edge. The material is kept in this position for at least two days. If work is carried out in a heated room, the edges of the sheets are moistened with water at room temperature.

Trying on material

Before leveling wooden floors, the sheets should be adjusted to the size of the room. When cutting the material, it is necessary to take into account the width of the damper seams. There should be a gap of 1 cm near the walls, and 3-4 mm between the workpieces. If these gaps are not present, the material may become deformed due to changes in temperature and humidity. After cutting is completed, the ends should be checked for delamination and defects. If there are damaged sheets, it is better to replace them. Next, you need to lay the material in the order in which it will be fixed. All sheets should be numbered. It is also necessary to note the places where the logs will be placed. This is done by focusing on the joints between the sheets. The connections should fall on the center of the joists.

Base

Leveling logs are also made of plywood. Their width should be 3-4 cm. The logs are laid according to the marks made in advance. If a gap forms between the floor and the strips, then pieces of plywood should be laid that are suitable in size. The surfaces must first be lubricated with glue. The joists are attached to the floor using self-tapping screws. Additionally, glue is used during the installation process. Horizontal placement is determined using a level. The evenness of the subsequent coating will depend on how carefully the lag is attached. A sealant should be placed between them.

Fastening sheets

After installing the logs, you can proceed directly to laying the plywood. The sheets are attached in order, in accordance with the indicated numbers. Before laying, the material should be treated with an antiseptic. The plywood is attached using self-tapping screws with plastic dowels. To avoid damaging the sheets with hammer blows, holes should be drilled in the places where the screws are screwed in according to the diameter of the dowels.

Final processing

The finishing work will depend on the type of material that is planned to be laid on top. For example, if it is carpet, then the surface is varnished in several layers. Before laying the laminate, the base is sanded and treated protective compounds. If there is parquet on top, a special noise-absorbing underlay is laid on the surface.

Finally

Using the above technologies, you can quickly and easily level a wooden floor with any differences. If the work is carried out carefully, you can obtain, among other things, a strong and durable foundation. The coating laid on plywood will last for more than one year. In addition, the material will act as additional thermal insulation.

In order to determine how uneven the floor is, you need to determine the floor marks in all corners, in the middle of the walls and in the middle of the room (if the room is very large or the floor is very uneven, then more marks are needed). The easiest way to do this is with a two-meter building level. with different measuring instruments, used for this purpose, are set out separately.

If the floor marks are at the same height

(plus or minus 5 mm doesn’t count, but it all depends on how demanding you are; you can’t even count a difference of 1-1.5 cm), which means the floor is flat. And if the height differences do not exceed 2-3 mm, then such a floor does not need to be leveled with sheet materials at all.

You can putty such a floor 1-2 times with acrylic putty or acrylic sealant. The main advantage of acrylic putties is their high plasticity; even if the boards sag a little when walking on the floor, the putty will not collapse. If the amount of work is not large, then it will do acrylic sealant sold in syringes under construction gun. Floors must be treated with a suitable primer before applying putty to improve adhesion to the boards. It will look something like this:

Download more full version This video is available, video size is 60 MB, wmv format.

In this case, it was necessary to level about 1.5 m2 of floor. For large volumes it is better to buy acrylic putty for wooden floors in buckets, however, the principle of applying putty will not change. By the way, in this way you can level floors for painting and even for varnish, for example, parquet floors (of course, if they are in good enough condition), but then you will need a tinted sealant. However, buying tinted sealant to match the color of wood is now a small problem, although the choice of colors is not very large and they cost much more than white acrylic sealant, but still.

Before laying linoleum or carpet, it is advisable to sand the putty surface.

The main disadvantage of acrylic putty is low strength. Therefore, instead of acrylic putties or sealants, you can use putty mixed with PVA glue.

If the thickness of the applied layer does not exceed 1-2 mm, then you can use finishing gypsum putty mixed with PVA glue. If the applied layer is thicker, you can use gypsum starting putty mixed with PVA glue or sawdust mixed with PVA glue. The main disadvantages of this method: it is very difficult to immediately apply the putty in an even layer due to the extreme stickiness of the putty (PVA is a very good glue), so the putty surface will have to be sanded for a long time to obtain an even surface.

2.1. The thicker the layer of sealant or putty, the longer it will take to dry. therefore, if the floor unevenness is more than 3 mm and there are many of them, then you can’t do without screeding or laying sheet materials. How linoleum was laid on the floor, previously leveled with putty, can be seen separately.

On an old wooden floor you can lay plywood 8-20 mm thick, or chipboard, OSB, MDF. You can also use gypsum fiber sheets . In this case, the top of the wave will serve as a support (like a lag) for the new floor covering. With a board width of 10-20 cm and uniform distribution

waves of plywood thickness of 8-10 mm are quite enough. If there are waves on the boards through one board or the width of the boards is more than 20 cm, then it is better to use thicker plywood (in the picture below). Picture 1

. Easy leveling of wooden floors.

Sometimes, if the old wooden floor is relatively level, but there are small "pits", then you can try to level the floor with plywood using polyurethane foam. I myself have not leveled the floors this way, so I included a description of this method in a separate article.

If the height differences at the floor marks do not satisfy you, then you will have to tinker here. It is necessary to make a support for the new foundation at one mark. You can do this in 2 ways:

2.2. Tape support - mini logs made of timber.

This method is good if you need to equalize the height difference from 3 to 10 cm. However, to ensure that the timber is at the same height, wooden pads of different thicknesses are used - slabs. Typically, slabs are made from plywood of different thicknesses, but they can also be made from short bars using an ax or chisel. Where we are talking about millimeters, roofing felt or any other thin waterproof material is used. The distance between mini-lags depends on the thickness of the sheet material and, in principle, requires engineering calculation , but as practice shows, for plywood with a thickness of 12-14 mm and for chipboard, OSB with a thickness of 16-18 mm, the maximum distance between mini-lags is 35-40 cm. For plywood with a thickness of 16-18 mm and for OSB with a thickness of 20-24 mm, the maximum distance between mini-lags 50 cm. This logical series can be continued further, but laying thicker sheet materials is difficult even with two people, and the load on the floor will again increase, it’s good if the floor is reinforced concrete or metal beams, but increase the load by wooden beams need to be careful. For large differences in height it is convenient to use timber different sections, where the height difference is small, a beam of a smaller cross-section is used, but it also needs to be fastened to the floor boards more often; then a beam of a larger cross-section is used.

Figure 2. Leveling wooden floors using mini-lags.

Mini-lags can be attached both across the boards (in the picture above) and along (in the picture below). Here it is important to accurately mark the sheets (determine the locations for the holes) so as not to drill extra holes.

For clarity, photographs 1 and 2 show the transition from an old wooden floor to a new coating in doorway. The floor was leveled with waterproof plywood, with scaffold supports in places, mainly on mini-lags made of bars of different sections, the total height difference of the old floor was more than 6 cm. Self-tapping screws before gluing the tiles PVC company LG were puttied twice with tinted acrylic sealant:

Photo 1. View from the corridor. (increase)

Photo 2. View from the room

2.3. Point support - shabby.

This method is suitable if the height differences are not very large. Point support less reliable than tape, so blocks need to be placed under sheet materials more often, so that a mesh with a cell size of 30-35 cm is obtained for plywood with a thickness of 12-14 mm and for chipboard, OSB with a thickness of 16-18 mm. For plywood with a thickness of 16-18 mm and for OSB with a thickness of 20-24 mm, the cell size is 40-45 cm.

Of course, with both a strip support and a point one, you can make more distance between the supports, but in this case the new floor will be too susceptible to dynamic deformations; in other words, it can sag when jumping and dancing, and even when walking.

After the base of the floor is leveled, lay the finishing coating on it, be it parquet, linoleum, carpet, PVC tiles, fast, easy and pleasant. Just don’t forget about underground ventilation. To do this, in one of the corners (where the old ventilation was), after laying the finishing coating, a hole is drilled and a small ventilation grill is installed.

If the difference in height of the old wooden floor is more than 8-10 cm (and this happens), then it is better to remove some of the boards and replace them with sheet material.

The floor can be leveled with a “wet” screed.

But only if you are absolutely sure of the strength of the wooden floor, for example, if the floors were immediately made for screed, or if these are wooden floors according to reinforced concrete floor, with lags on brick pillars, while the logs and the distance between the logs and the thickness of the floorboards are selected in such a way as to ensure minimal deflection of the floors under design loads. The fact is that cement screeds work well in compression and much worse in tension; this can lead to the fact that the cement screed is wooden floor the ceramic tiles glued to such a screed will collapse or peel off. To level wooden floors, special dry mixtures with plasticizers and fillers are used to provide the screed with maximum strength and elasticity, as an example - Vetonit 3300. This screed is applied in a layer of no more than 1 cm; before applying the screed, a reinforcing fiberglass mesh is packed onto the wooden floors and the floors are primed. If the floor unevenness exceeds 1 cm, then such a screed will not help. Theoretically, it is possible to make a regular one on a wooden floor. cement screed 5-7 cm thick with a metal reinforcing mesh, in this case the load on the floor will immediately increase by 75-100 kg/m2, so before making such a screed, you must first check bearing capacity ceilings To protect the wood from the effects of water from the screed, a plastic film is laid on the wooden floor.

But in any case, regardless of the leveling method, we must not forget about the ventilation system for wooden floors so that the floors do not rot. The underground space must be ventilated. Previously, to do this, they drilled a hole in a board with a diameter of about 50 mm in one of the corners of the room and stuffed it on top. decorative grille, or did ventilation duct in the wall and nailed the decorative lattice to the wall. Such lattices look something like this:

Figure 3. Ventilation grates for wooden floors.

If you had similar gratings on the floor or wall, then do not rush to cover them up or cover them with wallpaper.

In general, old wooden floors, with cracks, paint stains, knots, chips, gouges and other defects - this is incredibly cool and super stylish, now more and more people are tired of straight lines modern design, they want perfectly smooth and smooth screed lay down parquet board, stylized as old, time-warped wooden floors. This pleasure is not cheap, so before you sew up wooden floors, think about whether you need it?

Questions about leveling a wooden floor for laying laminate, as well as a recipe putty mixture from Ruslan I brought it to .

Wooden floor, despite the appearance of many other modern options, remains at the top of popularity. It is widely used not only in old houses, but also in new buildings, as it is warm and durable. However, over time, under the influence of many factors, it may begin to sag on one or more sides. And as a result of this, serious level differences occur.

On such a surface, the furniture stands crookedly, and the doors in the cabinets do not close due to the resulting distortions. Creaking floorboards become inevitable. In addition, gaps form between the boards, which negatively affects both the appearance of the floor and its insulating qualities. Therefore, sooner or later, all owners have a question about how to install a wooden floor, making it more stable, warmer, more comfortable for walking and more beautiful in appearance.

Basic ways to level a wooden floor

Dismantling and reassembling plank flooring is a complex, lengthy, labor-intensive and dirty process, which can be difficult to decide on. However, it is often impossible to do without it - if the floor boards are rotten, sagging, or there are signs of mold or mildew on them. In this case, there is nowhere to go - it is required complete replacement wooden flooring. If the boards are strong, well connected to each other, but there is a serious difference in the horizontal plane or in certain areas of the floor, then you can do without opening the boardwalk. Under favorable circumstances, superficial leveling measures are used.

Depending on the nature of the irregularities that appeared on the wooden floor during the period of its operation, the method of their removal is selected.

There are several methods applicable to leveling board coverings:

Looping.
Local alignment of a specific area.
Self-leveling compounds.
Alignment with lags.
Leveling with pads.

To determine which method would be better suited For specific case, you must first measure the differences in the floor surface using a laser or a regular building level with a length of at least 2000 mm. The permissible amount of unevenness that can be tolerated (unless, of course, creaks appear) should not exceed 2 mm per linear meter of the base.

What to do if the floor is smooth, but begins to creak?

There is definitely something wrong with him. It is necessary to conduct an audit to identify the cause of the unpleasant sounds. Well, then - by applying certain techniques, which are described in detail in a special article on our portal.

How to do the leveling yourself?

Local leveling of the floor surface

It happens that irregularities are local in nature, that is, they are located only in certain areas of the floor. Alignment of boards protruding above the main plane can be done using a plane or hand grinder. Of course, in these areas you should inspect the heads of fasteners - nails or screws. They should not interfere with leveling, that is, if necessary, either deepen them into the thickness of the board, or even temporarily unscrew them.

If, on the contrary, concave small areas, then they are raised to the general surface level. This process can be done using oil or acrylic wood putty, or a self-made composition of small sawdust and PVA glue.

The repair compound is applied to the depression and spread over the surface using a spatula. With this alignment, the edges of the recess, located at the same level as the main plane of the floor, will serve as beacons for this alignment. After the putty mass has dried, it is cleaned with a grinding machine.

The methods discussed above are good only in cases where the board covering is being prepared for painting or under its cladding. plywood sheets. If the floors are being prepared for varnishing while preserving the natural color and texture of the wood, then you will have to sand the entire surface.

Wood floor scraping

The scraping method is used in cases where it is necessary to free the floors from the old coating or the top darkened or damaged layer of wood. In addition, if the deformation of the surface and its differences in height are no more than 10 mm, then the floors can also be leveled using a scraping machine. This method is quite noisy, but fast, since short term allows you to renew the plank covering, preparing it for further finishing.

It’s not difficult to carry out this process yourself, but the equipment is expensive, and hardly anyone will purchase it for a one-time task. Therefore, if you decide to level and clean the floor yourself, it is best to rent the device for a certain period.

When choosing this processing method, you should take into account the thickness of the floorboard. And also that after leveling, the height from the surface to the connecting lock of the tongue-and-groove board should be at least 4÷5 mm. That is, you will have to act very carefully and carefully.

To carry out scraping, in addition to the scraping machine, it is necessary to prepare the following auxiliary materials and devices:

A set of abrasive attachments with grains of different fractions - circles and tapes. Don't buy too much Supplies. The best option would be to consult with specialists when renting a car, explaining the characteristics of the board covering. In addition, you can purchase several nozzles with different numbers and test them in practice experimentally.

Disposable sawdust bags.
Facilities personal protection- gloves, respirator and construction glasses.

Before starting work, it is necessary to inspect the surface of the boardwalk. It must be dry and clean. The gap between the floorboards should be no more than 5 mm. In addition, metal elements such as nail heads or self-tapping screws should not come to the surface. They should be deepened into the wood 1.5÷2 mm below the thickness of the layer expected to be removed.

The scraping machine must be prepared for work by first installing attachments with large grains on it and adjusting the clamping force of the device using a special screw.

The first stage of cleaning is carried out along the fibers. You need to move slowly, without sudden jerks, but also without long periods of downtime in one place. The car should run smoothly.

Having cleaned one strip of coating, the next one should be started by moving the device by ⅔, that is, by ⅓ capturing the previous one, just processed. As the abrasive layer of the nozzle wears out, it must be replaced with a new one.

Having treated the entire surface of the floor with a coarse-grain nozzle, you can proceed to sanding the boardwalk, installing an abrasive belt with a fraction of at least P240. This attachment will help make your floors perfectly smooth.

Next, the wood is treated with an antiseptic primer or tinting stain. After which the surface is puttied, cleaned and covered with varnish, wax, oil or painted in the chosen color.

If the differences in the surface are more significant, then to level it you will have to resort to more labor-intensive methods.

Leveling planks with dry screed

Necessary materials

This method of leveling the surface is suitable for both plank flooring and. When choosing this method of tidying up the floor, it is necessary to take into account the height of the ceiling of the room and the magnitude of the differences in the surface.

To arrange a dry screed you will need the following materials:

Dry expanded clay, perlite or silicate-slag mixture of fine fraction, specially designed for dry screed. An excellent option for this material would be the composition of the Knauf company. Good reviews The material of the Belarusian production “Kompevit” also deserves.

Standard backfill packaging is bags with a capacity of 40 liters. The required quantity is calculated based on the floor area and the thickness of the proposed leveling backfill. The thickness cannot be less than 20 (or better - 30) mm. It is undesirable to make it more than 60, maximum 80 mm. If on base floor there is a significant level imbalance from the horizontal, then this is also taken into account.

Covering sheet material- these are ready-made floor elements (EF), made from gypsum fiber boards. Such EPs are equipped with specially designed locking lamellas, which speed up installation and make the coating neat. In addition to this material, waterproof plywood or particle boards can be used to cover the backfill. However, the best option would still be gypsum fiber EP, which have optimal characteristics for flooring:

— Thickness 20 mm. (Two layers of 10 mm each. The layers are placed and connected with an offset, which is what forms the interlocking connection 50 mm wide).

— Standard linear dimensions of the EP are 600×1200.

Other floor elements are also on sale, in particular with dimensions of 500×1500×20 mm, that is, with an aspect ratio of 1:3.

Floor elements are purchased depending on the area of the room. A 15% reserve is made, since, firstly, there will be waste during cutting. And secondly, on those elements that will be laid away from the walls, the locking lamella must be cut off from the side adjacent to the wall.

Damper tape for installation along the wall around the perimeter of the entire room. Purchased according to the length of the perimeter of the room with a small margin.
Waterproofing material for laying on the surface of the base for backfilling. For wooden floors, glassine, thick paper with bitumen impregnation or roofing felt. You can also use polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 200 microns. Purchased based on floor area with a 15% margin.
Metal profile for placing temporary beacons.
Glue for mutual fixation of plates along the lines of interlocking connections. High-quality PVA glue is quite suitable.
Self-tapping screws. Optimal – special screws for GVL (GVVL), which are distinguished by a double-start thread and have a self-countersinking head.