Floor leveler or self-leveling floor. Self-leveling floor mixtures: which ones are better? Self-leveling floor mixtures: which ones are better, reviews, tips for choosing

Today you can get perfectly smooth floors in your apartment without the help of professionals. This article provides step-by-step instruction filling with mixture for leveling. Following it, you can independently level the floor in the house.

So what is a leveler? The bulk of leveling agents in stores are sold in the form of a dry bulk mixture, packaged in bags various volumes. Self-leveling mixtures are produced on cement, polymer-cement, gypsum and polymer-gypsum bases. Used as a solvent for mixtures pure water.

There are two types of leveling mixtures:

levelers for rough leveling;
levelers for final leveling.

The first, rough layer may be the only one, but more often it is covered with a second layer, which is the finishing layer, it allows you to make the leveled surface of the floor smooth.

Basic levelers with coarse fraction components allow you to quickly level the surface relative to pre-prepared markings. Final alignment smoothes out roughness from coarse-grained components of the previous layer, so a thickness of a leveler of several millimeters will be sufficient.

Beginning of work

Floor repairs are carried out after all work on the ceiling, if any, has been completed.

While working, make sure that you and your assistants follow basic safety precautions.

To avoid short circuits and other accidents, de-energize the wiring in the room.
All work should be performed with safety glasses, and it is also recommended to wear a hat.
When using cement-based mixtures, remember that it reacts alkaline with water.
Use rubber gloves when working with such mixtures.
A respirator will prevent harmful dust from entering the Airways. Use a serviceable tool and only for its intended purpose.
Doors and windows in the room must be tightly closed.
About two weeks should pass from the time the foundation is prepared.
The recommended indoor temperature is within +10 - +25 oC, and relative humidity- less than 95%. Avoid drafts in the first 1-2 days after pouring.
You should familiarize yourself with the recommendations of the mixture manufacturer to obtain the maximum quality of the work performed.

Step-by-step instructions for filling a floor with leveler

The base for pouring should be carefully prepared - the final quality largely depends on this. The entire base is completely cleaned of dirt, grease, and easily peelable elements. Fill cracks and large defects with repair mortar.

Install beacons to control the evenness of the surface: not large rooms Self-tapping screws screwed to a level can handle this; in large rooms it is better to use metal profiles.

A damper tape needs to be installed around the perimeter - it will dampen the deformations that inevitably occur at the junction of the wall and the floor. It is especially important to perform this procedure in a new home.

A clean, uniform surface is primed. A primer is needed to reduce the rate of moisture outflow from the leveling layer into the base. For these purposes, there is a special primer for pouring floors, but you can get by with a universal acrylic primer for water based. A dispersion primer will improve the adhesion of the solution to the surface and prevent the formation air bubbles, will help to avoid rapid absorption of water from the leveler.

Dry absorbent surfaces, such as concrete, are recommended to be treated with primer 2-3 times for better effect. For more difficult conditions, special elastic primers are designed, primers with enhanced adhesion for surfaces that do not absorb moisture well. The primer composition must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. A primer is required before applying each layer of leveler.

The evenness of the surface depends on the quality of the marking. The floor level is determined relative to the markings, which are carried out using a water level. To do this, the first arbitrary mark or mark is made at some distance from the lower level. The perimeter marking begins from this mark. It's better to do it together.

One person places the first flask to the mark, the second takes another flask and uses it to mark the marks on other walls, these marks will be at the same level as the first mark. By connecting the marks with a horizontal line, you will get a perfectly flat projection of your floor relative to the horizontal level.

It is necessary to measure the distance from the line to the base in order to determine the lowest and highest angle, and, therefore, find out the thickness of the fill. Having determined the highest angle and made a small indent upward, taking into account the future filling layer, also mark this distance along the entire perimeter.

By connecting these marks with a horizontal line, you will receive a clear guideline for installing guide profiles, which will serve as floor level guidelines throughout the entire area of the room. In this way the floor level is set. At the highest point, the thickness of the leveling layer will be minimal, at the lowest point – maximum. Manufacturers recommend applying the leveler in a layer of 2 to 5 centimeters, but in some cases the filling thickness is too large, so the leveler must be applied in several layers.

Beacons (profiles or self-tapping screws) can be leveled without preliminary marking, but this will make it much more difficult to obtain a flat surface. A laser level will help speed up the process. The distance between the beacons should not be wider than the tool used for control (level, rule). Placing beacons is one of the most time-consuming and painstaking stages, but it must be performed with maximum precision.

The marking and preparation of the beacon system has been completed, and the surface has been primed. Now you can begin the main process - pouring. You can do it alone, but it is more convenient to work in pairs.

Into container required size Clean water is poured in, then the dry leveler is slowly poured out. During the process, it is necessary to stir the solution. For this, a drill with a special attachment is used, mixing is performed at low speeds. The purpose of mixing is to obtain a homogeneous, high-quality mass without dry lumps or clots. The leveler for the base layer is made thicker. Excess water leads to foaming of the mixture, which reduces the mechanical strength of the leveler, and delamination of the material may begin when the leveler dries.

The thoroughly mixed solution is laid out on the base, evenly filling the space level with the beacons. Since the solution is quite thick, it does not spread easily on its own. It must be manually distributed over the surface, usually using a spatula or a flat board. By moving it along the beacon, you can distribute the mixture perfectly according to the level.

To get rid of air layers and bubbles in the thickness of the leveler, use a roller with needles. The suitability of the solution for work remains for about half an hour from the moment of dissolution with water. Markings made in advance can be used as technological zones for pouring. This is convenient when working on areas larger than 20 m2. Such zones can be filled one by one.

The poured leveler is given time to dry, but it should not be allowed to quick drying. Avoid drafts, and if the indoor air is too dry, cover the surface with plastic. Drying of the leveler should be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. To avoid mistakes, you should familiarize yourself with the composition and instructions for working with the selected leveler in advance.

The finishing leveler is used in two cases: if a perfectly smooth floor surface is required and if initially the base of the floor is quite level and there is no large difference in heights. They work with the finishing leveler in the same way as with the rough leveler, but it is diluted to a higher level. liquid state, which adds several nuances to the work.

For example, a liquid leveler requires a more thorough primer, and in some cases even waterproofing (for example, in conditions multi-storey building, there is a risk of “flooding” the neighbors below).

The base for the finishing leveler is prepared similarly to the first case. There should be no dust, dirt or flaking elements; the clean surface must be thoroughly primed. Beacons are not needed for the finishing leveler, since the liquid solution itself spreads to a perfectly smooth state. That is why such floors are called self-leveling. Levelers of this type are applied thin layer, a thickness of a few millimeters is sufficient, but some solutions can be poured in a layer of up to 3 centimeters. The temperature of the solution, as in the first case, should not be lower than +10 degrees.

The liquid leveler is poured onto the base or onto the rough layer of the leveler and leveled with a spatula or other tool over the surface.

It is important to divide the area into zones that you can fill in about 15 minutes. Each zone should be filled to the required level at a time, without process interruptions. This is the only way to achieve it good quality and durability. The finishing layer must also be protected from drafts and rapid drying. Drying is carried out according to the instructions on the solution packaging.

Bottom line

You can level the floor in your apartment by pouring a leveler yourself. The most difficult stage is the preparation and installation of beacons. Filling is technologically accessible to everyone and does not require special skills or complex tools.

The result is a beautiful, flat floor without distortions relative to the horizontal level. If you plan to lay laminate, parquet or other floor coverings, you can get by with a base layer of leveler. If the smoothness of the floor is your main criterion, you must use a finishing leveler.

Filled floors can be used with “warm floor” systems, but this is another topic that has its own technological nuances.

Have you decided to lay the floor with laminate or tiles? But are you faced with the problem that the base surface is far from ideal? This is where floor levelers come to the rescue.

Types of levelers

All leveling mixtures are divided into two types:

cement,
plaster.

This type is used for leveling floors in any premises: public, residential, industrial, and is also suitable for outdoor work. The thickness of the material layer can be from 2 to 50 millimeters. The cement leveler dries quite quickly, so subsequent installation of the floor covering will not take long. It is worth noting that the composition becomes stronger when it takes moisture from the air, so the cement leveler is ideal for rooms with high humidity.

Gypsum mixtures

Such compositions are used in rooms with low or medium humidity levels. Gypsum does not tolerate water well - it absorbs it, thereby increasing its volume and losing its shape. This type of leveler can be laid in a layer of 20 to 100 millimeters. True, the drying of a composition of such thickness will be quite slow. Since gypsum is environmentally friendly pure material, mixtures from it are used in the renovation of residential premises. The composition also has good thermal insulation properties.

How to choose the right leveler

A universal composition is suitable for a concrete base. But, if the surface has cracks or bumps, then it is better to treat it first. To do this, you can use different strengthening compounds.

For parquet, laminate, ceramic tiles It is better to use levelers for complex bases. These compounds have more high level clutches, resistant to changes in humidity.

For heated floors, there are mixtures for heated floors. These compounds are specially made elastic so that they do not deform or deteriorate due to temperature changes. Gypsum levelers initially have good flexibility.

Prices cement compositions slightly higher than plaster ones. But the first ones are more universal.

Manufacturers of floor levelers

On domestic market There are many brands of leveling agents, but the most high-quality and popular are the following compositions: “Vetonit”, “Yunis”, Bergauf, “Ivsil”, “Volma”, “Horizon”, “Nivelirom”, “Osnovit”, Knauf, Ceresit, “Starateli” .

The Russian company produces high-quality floor mixtures. They can be used without preparing the base. The compositions are used for both residential and office premises. Advantages of the "Prospector" levelers:

harden quickly - hardening time from 4 to 48 hours;
economical - 15 kg of solution is needed per 1 m2;
durable and strong.

Another important advantage of this company’s products is the price - it is very low.

The compositions of this company not only level the floor surface, but also give it high strength. All levelers from this company have a viscous consistency, so they can be used without pre-treatment base, which significantly saves both time and financial costs for repairs. Ceresit products are quite expensive.

Famous all over the world German company manufactures high quality products. Its floor levelers provide a truly flat and smooth surface that is resistant to cracking and shrinkage. The hardening time of the mixture is about 1.5-2 hours. True, the price of Knauf products is higher than that of levelers from Russian manufacturers.

The company produces compounds based on cement based. They are used to level floors in both residential and office premises. The company also produces a leveler for heated floors, which has good elasticity. "Scorline" produces its mixtures for manual and mechanized method application. Product prices are affordable.

Most types of apartment renovation involve manipulation of the floor. Whatever new coating is planned, it will most likely need a leveled surface. What and how is it better to level a not-too-flat floor? Special formulations of the new generation will help cope with this.

These are high-quality mixtures that have the ability to harden quickly. Reliably filling all existing cracks, they quickly and evenly cover the surface being treated. For their working qualities they received a unique name - self-leveling.

They are also called floor levelers. When filling of a minimum thickness is required, it is most rational to use this particular product.

Why do you need to level the floor?

Carrying out a variety of repair work often requires removing the floor covering. Nude concrete base most often it does not please with its appearance - it is rarely perfectly smooth.

Modern floor finishing materials look beautiful and respectable, but a smooth and even base is one of the main conditions for high-quality installation.

The installation of a cement screed will help solve the existing problem. It is convenient to use a self-leveling floor leveler for this purpose - a special new product.

One of the undoubted advantages of the composition is its ability to harden quickly: after just a few hours, you can walk on freshly treated floors.

Another name for the material is self-leveling floor. All floor leveling compounds have excellent fluidity and can contain different fractions. Accordingly, they differ in their purpose. For heated floors, for example, you need to purchase a special type of self-leveling floor.

Self-leveling leveler - application

If significant damage to the floor is not observed, and the difference in height is not so large, it would be most rational to use this particular remedy. It has the following quality characteristics:

Types of levelers for pouring floors

To know which composition is suitable for specific case, you should familiarize yourself with the classification of available ones. They consist of various components, and depending on this they are divided into:

If the room where you plan to install the heated floor is dry enough, then a leveler for gypsum base.

IN industrial premises It is advisable to use a cement leveling mixture. According to their purpose, all levelers are divided into different types:

Before you go to the hardware store, you need to study the surface of the base in order to understand how many layers it will require.

In the best case, just one thin layer of self-leveling compound is sufficient. But more often you have to purchase two types of levelers - coarse grinding for rough finishing and finer grinding for finishing.

Choosing a self-leveling mixture for the floor

The construction market offers a fairly wide range of floor leveling mixtures.

It is quite difficult to immediately decide which one you need. How not to make a mistake with your choice? To do this you need:

The price of the product is directly related to the amount of plasticizers present in the mass.

The more of them in the composition, the better the resulting surface will be. And vice versa.

It's time overhaul floors, and a new coating requires a flat surface. New generation mixtures will help prepare the base. These are special quick-hardening compounds. They fill all the cracks in the concrete and fill the entire floor area evenly and smoothly. They are called self-leveling mixtures or floor levelers. Such mixtures are an ideal solution when you need to fill a floor of minimal thickness.

Floor leveler - what is it?

The task of leveling the floor has to be solved when repair work when the old floor covering is removed and all the unevenness of the concrete base is revealed. What is a floor leveler? Modern flooring looks very attractive and durable, but one of the conditions for its installation is a level base. Using a screed on a concrete base will help you get out of this situation with minimal loss of time. And new special mixtures are used for this - self-leveling floor leveler.

The main advantage is that self-leveling flooring compounds harden quickly, literally in 2-5 hours, and you can already walk on them.

There is also a second name for the mixture, which the manufacturer calls based on the composition of the materials - self-leveling floor. Essentially, these are floor leveling compounds that have good fluidity, depending on the composition of the fractions. Therefore, there are many names and purposes. For example, when pouring heated floors, it is important to choose a special self-leveling floor.

When the question is whether it is better to choose a floor leveler or a self-leveling floor, it is important to pay attention to the minimum thickness of the screed indicated on the bag. When on big construction markets or in the store Leroy Merlin When buying a leveler or self-leveling floor, it is important to know in advance what the minimum and maximum floor level differences are. This will help you save a lot and buy a rough and finishing self-leveling floor.

Use of levelers or self-leveling floors

Once the concrete subfloor is freely accessible, many problems are discovered. Each of them has its own type of leveler. Actually, based on this, all levelers are divided into two main groups:

for roughing;
for final finishing.

Based on the task, you need to choose a leveler for the floor. They are different both in composition and properties. The main difference is the minimum thickness of the floor fill.

Rough leveler

To eliminate significant defects - deep pits, rough chips and height differences with the main floor surface, coarse levelers are used. Such dry mixtures have a larger fraction. After the dry mixture has been diluted with water, the floor leveler is ready to be applied in a thick layer.

With the help of such a floor leveler it will not be possible to reduce the level of the floor drop to<0>

The base component in starting levelers is most often cement. It provides the necessary strength and grip. Recommended for alignment with the main surface. A coarse leveler is not able to lay down evenly and smoothly if used as a base layer.

Before applying the main layer of leveler, the starting layer must be completely dry.

Finishing leveler

Due to the fact that the starting leveler has a larger filler, it will not provide an even and smooth base. For this purpose, there is a finishing leveler with a finer fraction of materials.

The main advantage of finishing mixtures is that after mixing with water they are more homogeneous in composition. After on concrete surface After laying this mixture, the floor surface turns out even and smooth. What cannot be achieved with starting mixtures.

The composition of the “finishing” floor leveler is more complex than the starting leveler, using mineral and polymer additives and has a number of advantages:

more elastic;
perfectly smooth floor;
has increased strength;
increased resistance to physical influences.

In practice, most often, finishing floor levelers are used immediately. They perfectly fill minor defects and level differences. After leveling the floor in this way, you can safely do it.

It is necessary to mention that when choosing a leveler, you need to know that it differs in its properties. For the residential premises of the apartment, ordinary mixtures are used, and in the premises of bathrooms, showers and kitchens it is planned to use special levelers. They contain special polymer components that are not capable of allowing water to pass through. Therefore, when pouring floors in wet rooms, this factor must be taken into account.

pros

In addition to the fact that the levelers are easy to prepare and use, the floor leveler has a number of advantages:

Dries in a few hours.
You can move on the fresh coating immediately after drying.
Easy to use.
Virtually no shrinkage combined with high wear resistance.
The minimum thickness is only 2 mm.
The solution can be poured over an insulating film.

Minuses

Before pouring, the floor surface should be free of cracks and dust and have slight differences.
Improper preparation of the floor for pouring may require dismantling the entire coating.
The responsibility and sufficient skills of the invited workers cause a high cost.

For installation of coatings on wooden floor or on plywood, a self-leveling solution is not used, in such cases it is better to use.

What is the best floor leveler to choose?

For different tasks When leveling the floor, there are also different floor levelers on sale. The price depends on the manufacturer and the composition of the mixture.

The line of compounds from the Knauf plant in Krasnogorsk is represented by the “Knauf Boden” series

Knauf Boden

If the room has a deviation from the plane from 2 mm to 15 mm, Knauf Boden 15 in packs of 25 kg at a price of 500 rubles is suitable. If the differences are more than 22 mm to 80 mm, then a Knauf Boden 30 bag weighing 40 kg costs 420 rubles.

The Knauf company is a leader in the production of leveling mixtures. Their composition is dominated by high-strength gypsum with modifiers. And to improve adhesion to the surface it is added quartz sand the smallest fraction. This is a self-leveling floor plaster Knauf Boden 25 layer thickness from 10 mm to 35 mm bag 25 - 40 kg cost from 400 rub.

Gypsum screed "Knauf Boden 25" is intended for high-quality leveling of floor surfaces and the installation of thin-layer heated screeds up to 35 mm thick.

As you know, gypsum is a natural product and has long been used in construction as a heat-insulating material. Self-leveling mixtures based on gypsum are used for fairly thick screeds when installing heated floors. Floor levelers “Finish” on a gypsum base, despite their advantages, fast drying, must still be laid on a prepared and dry base.

Advice! For areas filled with the mixture exceeding 20 m², provide expansion joints.

The Vetonit mixture is good, but it costs a lot more and is slightly inferior to Knauf Boden in quality. The price of one bag depends on the composition of the materials used, but on average from 500 rubles. per bag.

They already contain the necessary additives for the screed, with high performance. Thanks to special additives, the base is smooth and quickly ready for use. The only negative is that it is impossible to give the desired color to the composition.

The main advantages of Vetonit cement-acrylic compositions:

minimal shrinkage during installation;
possibility of use for screeding;
can be used on any basis – dry or wet;
there are no cracks in the frost when the coating is used;
compatibility with underfloor heating systems;
possibility of walking after 4 hours;
minimum period from installation to operation.

But there are also disadvantages: it is the most expensive in its line.

The top three are mixtures from the Horizon company. The products are packaged in 25 kg bags from 180 rubles per bag.

Types of mixtures for floor screed Horizon

The composition is predominantly a cement-sand mixture. It is used for installing “warm floor” structures, with a maximum permissible thickness of 10 cm. They fit well on the surface paints and varnishes. Suitable for finishing fill floors

Almost all manufacturers sell polymer mixtures based on:

epoxy resins;
polyurethane.

Main advantages of polymers:

have increased strength;
able to withstand vibration and heavy loads, such as in industrial and warehouse environments;
easily tolerated sharp changes temperatures;
the texture of the leveler is smooth, like glass;
at correct execution long service life.

Leveler consumption for the floor for each manufacturer is calculated based on the mixture per 1 m² with a layer height of 10 mm - 20 kg.

Basic options to choose from

Before going to the store to buy, you need to make a choice of a floor leveler in advance. To do this, you need to answer several questions:

What will be the humidity in the room?
For what rooms are future floors being made - for the bedroom or for the bathroom or kitchen?
For what type of work – leveling or finishing?
Nature of the foundation?
What should the floor be like in the end: with anti-slip, noise-absorbing or thermal insulation effects?
Is it planned decorative finishing gender?

We use a self-leveling mixture

After all the necessary materials have been purchased, you need to take care of additional accessories:

notched spatula;
needle roller with a long handle;
mixer;
container;
bucket.

Before installing the screed, it is necessary to prepare the base. Delete old paint, dust and oil stains. Prepare the solution correctly and apply it to the prepared base by hand or machine. Before filling the floors with leveler, be sure to prime the base of the floor well! The result should be a dust-free base ready for pouring. Clean and dry, without wide cracks.

Before filling the floor with leveler, the mixture is kept indoors at a temperature of 10-30°C.

It is not difficult to prepare a self-leveling floor leveler. Simply add water to the mixture, following the included instructions, and carefully mix with a construction mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes and you can start working.

the mixture is poured from the container onto the finished base;
air bubbles on the surface are removed with a needle roller;
waiting for the mixture to dry.

If you cook it right away a large number of mixture, it is likely that the entire mixture will not be used immediately, but will dry out in the container. This is due to the fact that literally after 1-2 hours the solution hardens.

Any type of construction or repair requires compliance with some unshakable rules, the main requirements of which are quality and control at all stages. Impossible to do good repair without observing basic dimensions and tolerances. Modern materials will be of great help in ensuring all the required values.

For a perfectly flat and reliable floor, there are many options, one of which is the use of a self-leveling leveler. How to properly fill such material, calculate consumption and a brief overview of existing mixtures - all the information is in our article.

Construction stores have in their arsenal several ready-made mixtures for leveling the floor. The cost and composition may vary depending on the manufacturer and the “promotion” of the brand. To do right choice You can turn to a sales consultant for help, who usually has a complete understanding of the range of his products.

Advantages of finished material

Good strength and performance characteristics.
Perfectly flat surface.
Fast installation.
Possibility to fill yourself.
Rapid hardening of the composition.
The finished floor covering can be installed directly on the self-leveling floor.

The video talks about which self-leveling floor leveler is better:

The composition of ready-made mixtures includes cement, fractional materials (crushed stone, gravel or sand), as well as special polymer additives, which ensure the amazing plasticity of the material. If you purchase goods online, it is better to first read the opinions of experts on construction forums. There are two main types of floor levelers: starting and finishing.

You can find out which self-leveling self-leveling floor is better here from the article.

How to fill a floor

The starting (rough) leveler is a coarser mixture with fairly large inclusions. It is perfect for rough-filling the floor, firmly bonding the structure together into one continuous monolithic layer. Before installing the starting leveler, it is necessary to clean the surface as thoroughly as possible, remove grease, small debris and foreign inclusions. Self-leveling floor screed is one of the components of success during renovation or construction.

The strength and durability of the applied layer directly depends on the quality of the preparatory work. Also, before pouring, it is necessary to carefully prime the surface to avoid absorption of the liquid in the composition. It is usually recommended to apply the primer coat at least twice.

The video shows how to fill the floor:

To fill the floor yourself you will need:

Ready mixture.
Sufficient capacity.
Primer (preferably acrylic).
Waterproofing material.
Lighthouses.
Drill with mixer attachment.
Spatula, usually (at least two meters).

The solution is prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions. Using a mixer attachment on a drill at minimum speed, you can easily obtain a homogeneous mixture. In order to avoid the penetration of water from the outside, it is advisable to lay a layer of waterproofing material on the prepared surface.

The prepared solution must be used within half an hour (for some brands this time is increased to 50 minutes), after which the mixture loses its properties and is unsuitable for further use.

After the work has been done, you will definitely need tile adhesive, but which adhesive for floor tiles the best one can be read in the article. It is also useful to know which tile adhesive is best to use on the floor leveler in the bathroom.

To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to start with small volumes, gradually increasing the amount of solution to the most convenient one. Carrying out the work requires certain temperature regime. You should not be hired at temperatures below +10º C. Special beacons are installed on the prepared surface to facilitate the work of pouring and leveling the floor level.

The video shows the features of applying floor coverings:

Nuances of proper installation

It is better to start from the far corner, gradually moving towards the exit.
You should not leave “tracks”; the surface must be filled in one time, otherwise there is a high risk of getting a non-uniform and poor-quality layer.
The mixture dries out quite quickly, so a helper may be needed in large areas.
It is necessary to strictly observe the proportions: a lack or excess of water can lead to poor hardening of the mixture.
It is necessary to fill the floor exactly to the level of the installed beacons, periodically checking their location.
For better distribution of the mixture, you can use a special notched trowel.
The maximum possible thickness of the starting and finishing coating is indicated in the instructions; this indicator must not be violated, because the result may be a poor-quality surface and defective workmanship.
After the starting coating has completely hardened, a thin layer of finishing leveler is applied.
The consistency of the solution is quite liquid, so the leveler will literally spread itself over the prepared floor.
The thickness of the finishing layer is several millimeters, so it will be so important to maintain the flatness of the surface. This is done in order to avoid the accumulation of all the solution in one corner.
The finishing layer of leveler will give the surface additional smoothness and completeness. It will eliminate possible flaws in the first layer and allow you to prepare the floor as efficiently as possible before installing the final floor covering. On the Internet you can find a large amount of materials and special adhesives, which will be useful after the procedures with the floor, for example glue tile prospector, standard technical characteristics of which can be found in the article.

In the video - self-leveling floor leveler Vetonit:

Although the work does not require specialized skills, the best option will fill the floor for the first time after consulting a specialist builder. On extreme case You can turn to the Internet for help and watch a video tutorial on correct use self-leveling mixtures.

How to make the mixture yourself

Unfortunately, it is not possible to achieve similar characteristics using conventional cement screed. Cement mortar fits worse on the surface, may crack if the proportions are not respected or under external influences (temperature, insufficient humidity). The concrete layer will take much longer to dry and will have to be leveled manually. Despite the rather significant inconveniences, this option is still often used in construction. Its cost will be much lower than the finished mixture, so cement - sand mortar popular as a more budget-friendly screed. Learn more about dry construction mixtures Russia can be found in the article.

Preparation of the mixture requires compliance with all proportions, as well as thorough kneading and distribution of the finished solution. Cement and fine sifted river or quarry sand are taken in a ratio of one to three.

After necessary components mixed, you can gradually add water, also thoroughly kneading the mixture. The consistency of the finished solution is like thick sour cream. To ensure greater plasticity, you can add a commercial plasticizer. After pouring the floor, it is necessary to ensure comfortable conditions, in which there will be no room for sudden changes in temperature and humidity; if necessary, you can moisten them a little upper layer until completely dry. Depending on the thickness of the coating, this may take from a couple of days to several weeks. It is assumed that it is necessary to lay some kind of coating on the self-leveling floor using tile adhesive on drywall, which you can read about in the article.

Also read about what tile adhesive for heated floors can be used to complete work with self-leveling coating.

The video shows how to make a self-leveling floor leveler with your own hands:

Review of the best brands

Despite many years of experience in using such material, it is quite difficult to choose the best manufacturers. This is primarily due to fierce competition in the construction market. Over time, many proven companies begin to be more negligent in the production of such mixtures, while newcomers, on the contrary, leap ahead thanks to a successful marketing campaign and certified product quality. An overview of the most popular self-leveling ready-mixes is given below along with the estimated cost. Ready-made self-leveling mixtures:

Which leveler or self-leveling floor is better to choose?

It's time for a major floor renovation, and a new coating requires a flat surface. New generation mixtures will help prepare the base. These are special quick-hardening compounds. They fill all the cracks in the concrete and fill the entire floor area evenly and smoothly. They are called self-leveling mixtures or floor levelers. Such mixtures are an ideal solution when you need to fill a floor of minimal thickness.

Floor leveler - what is it?

The task of leveling the floor has to be solved during renovation work, when the old floor covering is removed and all the unevenness of the concrete base is revealed. What is a floor leveler? Modern flooring looks very attractive and durable, but one of the conditions for its installation is a level base. Using a screed on a concrete base will help you get out of this situation with minimal loss of time. And new special mixtures are used for this - self-leveling floor leveler.

The main advantage is that self-leveling flooring compounds harden quickly, literally in 2-5 hours, and you can already walk on them.

When the question is whether it is better to choose a floor leveler or a self-leveling floor, it is important to pay attention to the minimum thickness of the screed indicated on the bag. When you buy a leveler or self-leveling floor at large construction markets or in a Leroy Merlin store, it is important to know in advance what the minimum and maximum floor level differences are. This will help you save a lot and buy a rough and finishing self-leveling floor.

Use of levelers or self-leveling floors

Once the concrete subfloor is freely accessible, many problems are discovered. Each of them has its own type of leveler. Actually, based on this, all levelers are divided into two main groups:

for roughing;
for final finishing.

Based on the task, you need to choose a leveler for the floor. They are different both in composition and properties. The main difference is the minimum thickness of the floor fill.

Rough leveler

With the help of such a floor leveler it will not be possible to reduce the level of the floor drop to

Before applying the main layer of leveler, the starting layer must be completely dry.

Finishing leveler

Due to the fact that the starting leveler has a larger filler, it will not provide an even and smooth base. For this purpose, there is a finishing leveler with a finer fraction of materials.

The main advantage of finishing mixtures is that after mixing with water they are more homogeneous in composition. After such a mixture is laid on a concrete surface, the floor surface becomes even and smooth. What cannot be achieved with starting mixtures.

The composition of the “finishing” floor leveler is more complex than the starting leveler, using mineral and polymer additives and has a number of advantages:

more elastic;
perfectly smooth floor;
has increased strength;
increased resistance to physical influences.

In practice, most often, finishing floor levelers are used immediately. They perfectly fill minor defects and level differences. After leveling the floor in this way, you can safely make self-leveling 3D floors.

pros

In addition to the fact that the levelers are easy to prepare and use, the floor leveler has a number of advantages:

Dries in a few hours.
You can move on the fresh coating immediately after drying.
Easy to use.
Virtually no shrinkage combined with high wear resistance.
The minimum thickness is only 2 mm.
The solution can be poured over an insulating film.

Minuses

Before pouring, the floor surface should be free of cracks and dust and have slight differences.
Improper preparation of the floor for pouring may require dismantling the entire coating.
The responsibility and sufficient skills of the invited workers cause a high cost.

Self-leveling mortar is not used for laying coverings on wooden floors or plywood; in such cases, it is better to use a dry floor screed.

What is the best floor leveler to choose?

For different tasks when leveling the floor, there are different floor levelers on sale. The price depends on the manufacturer and the composition of the mixture.

The line of compounds from the Knauf plant in Krasnogorsk is represented by the “Knauf Boden” series

Knauf Boden

The Knauf company is a leader in the production of leveling mixtures. Their composition is dominated by high-strength gypsum with modifiers. And to improve adhesion to the surface, quartz sand of the smallest fraction is added. This is a self-leveling gypsum floor Knauf Boden 25 layer thickness from 10 mm to 35 mm bag 25 - 40 kg cost from 400 rubles.

Gypsum screed "Knauf Boden 25" is intended for high-quality leveling of floor surfaces and the installation of thin-layer heated screeds up to 35 mm thick.

Advice! For areas filled with the mixture exceeding 20 m², provide expansion joints.

They already contain the necessary additives for screed, with high performance. Thanks to special additives, the base is smooth and quickly ready for use. The only negative is that it is impossible to give the desired color to the composition.

The main advantages of Vetonit cement-acrylic compositions:

minimal shrinkage during installation;
possibility of use for screeding;
can be used on any basis – dry or wet;
there are no cracks in the frost when the coating is used;
compatibility with underfloor heating systems;
possibility of walking after 4 hours;
minimum period from installation to operation.

But there are also disadvantages: it is the most expensive in its line.

The top three are mixtures from the Horizon company. The products are packaged in 25 kg bags from 180 rubles per bag.

Types of mixtures for floor screed Horizon

The composition is predominantly a cement-sand mixture. It is used for installing “warm floor” structures, with a maximum permissible thickness of 10 cm. Paints and varnishes adhere well to the surface. Also suitable for finishing floors.

Almost all manufacturers sell polymer mixtures based on:

Main advantages of polymers:

have increased strength;
able to withstand vibration and heavy loads, such as in industrial and warehouse environments;
easily tolerates sudden temperature changes;
the texture of the leveler is smooth, like glass;
If done correctly, long service life.

Leveler consumption for the floor for each manufacturer is calculated based on the mixture per 1 m² with a layer height of 10 mm - 20 kg.

Basic options to choose from

Before going to the store to buy, you need to make a choice of a floor leveler in advance. To do this, you need to answer several questions:

What will be the humidity in the room?
For what rooms are future floors being made - for the bedroom or for the bathroom or kitchen?
For what type of work – leveling or finishing?
Nature of the foundation?
What should the floor be like in the end: with anti-slip, noise-absorbing or thermal insulation effects?
Are there plans to decorate the floor?

We use a self-leveling mixture

After all the necessary materials have been purchased, you need to take care of additional accessories:

notched spatula;
needle roller with a long handle;
mixer;
container;
bucket.

Before installing the screed, it is necessary to prepare the base. Remove old paint, dust and oil stains. Prepare the solution correctly and apply it to the prepared base by hand or machine. Before filling the floors with leveler, be sure to prime the base of the floor well! The result should be a dust-free base ready for pouring. Clean and dry, without wide cracks.

Before filling the floor with leveler, the mixture is kept indoors at a temperature of 10-30°C.

the mixture is poured from the container onto the finished base;
air bubbles on the surface are removed with a needle roller;
waiting for the mixture to dry.

If you prepare a large amount of the mixture at once, it is likely that the entire mixture will not be used immediately, but will dry out in the container. This is due to the fact that literally after 1-2 hours the solution hardens.

After pouring, the floors are protected from direct sunlight and drafts. No additional sanding or leveling is required.

If the whole process seems complicated, it is possible to hire workers to lay the floor leveler. The price of floor leveling is 200 rubles/m² (without material) and from 400 rubles/m² (with material).

Choosing a self-leveling floor leveler - which mixture is better and how to fill it correctly

When the time comes for renovation, the question inevitably arises: what to do with the floor? The floor is the part of the room that the eye first falls on. Therefore, it must be perfectly even. Previously, the surface was leveled using a cement-sand screed. This method is still used today, but not so often. Floor leveling mixtures come to the fore. Self-leveling material is convenient to use because it is already sold in finished form. Not all floor mixtures are created equal, however. Let's try to understand the types of self-leveling mixtures and which leveler is better.

Types of levelers

Dry mixtures for leveling floors are divided into two types according to composition:

The use of one or another composition depends on how thick the leveling layer should be, and on functional purpose premises.

Cement-based floor mixtures can be called universal, since they can be used to level the floor in any room. In this case, the maximum thickness of the screed can be 50 mm. The composition of the leveling agent may differ from one manufacturer to another. So, if the composition contains microfibers, then additional reinforcement is not required when installing the screed.

Anhydride mixtures are used in rooms where there is no high humidity. This is due to the fact that gypsum, which absorbs moisture well, swells and increases in volume. This may have a negative impact on finishing coating floors The advantage of anhydride compositions can be considered maximum thickness screeds up to 100 mm and plasticity.

Types of mixtures by purpose

Levelers differ in purpose:

Starting - when a self-leveling composition replaces a cement-sand screed.
Corrective – when it is necessary to level an existing screed or base slab that has minor defects.
Finishing – to obtain a perfectly flat surface.

In addition, there are levelers designed to restore wood floors. They contain special fibers that increase the adhesion of the mixture to wood.

Product selection

You can purchase floor leveling mixtures at any hardware store. There is a wide range of self-leveling compounds for concrete and wood floors on the market, and sometimes it is difficult to decide which one is better.

What should you pay attention to and what should you consider before making a purchase?

Determine the nature of the room. Thus, anhydride leveler is not suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, bathhouses and other “wet” rooms. Therefore, cement-based mixtures should be chosen.
Study the composition (indicated on the packaging). If the grain size exceeds 1.5 mm, then the mixture is intended for ordinary concrete screed. The mixture can be called self-leveling only when the fraction size is no more than 0.8 mm.
Study the technical specifications. In addition to dry mixtures, there are also semi-dry mixtures. When kneading, they look fragile and crumbly, but on the second day after pouring they acquire normal look monolith dark gray.

Preparation of a self-leveling mixture - the finished solution looks like thick gray sour cream of uniform consistency

Look at the permissible thickness of one layer of screed. As a rule, the layer created using a leveler does not exceed 30 mm. If the package indicates a value of 50-80 mm, then this is a regular cement-sand mixture, which contains polymers, but they are needed only to thicken the solution and nothing more.
Check the expiration date of the mixture. Each composition has an expiration date. Usually it ranges from six months to a year, subject to storage conditions. Using leveler with expired suitability will not allow obtaining a high-quality foundation.

Materials have different quality and, accordingly, different costs. The price of self-leveling mixtures is influenced by the number of plasticizers in its composition: the fewer there are, the cheaper it is and, as a result, the result is lower in quality.
Manufacturers, as a rule, indicate the service life of leveling compounds. Most often it is 50 years. However, if you try, you can find mixtures with a lifespan of 30 years. Their cost will be much lower, thus saving money.

Features of pouring leveler

The process of pouring a floor using a self-leveling mixture consists of three steps:

Preparation of the base;
Preparation of the solution;
Filling the floor with leveler.

To prepare concrete or wooden base, you need to properly clean it from dirt, dust and debris. If there are any on the surface greasy spots, residual glue, paint, all this should be removed. The cleaner the surface, the better adhesion. After cleaning the base, it should be treated with an acrylic-based primer. It is recommended to prime a wooden floor twice.

When the primer has dried, install the beacons and proceed to mixing the solution. The dry mixture is added to the water in small portions according to the instructions. The quantity depends on the area of the site that is planned to be filled in one go. The resulting solution should be homogeneous, which can be achieved using a construction mixer or a drill with a special attachment.

It is better to pour coarse leveler starting from the corner of the room. The space should be filled evenly. You can spread the solution using a notched trowel. Then, using a needle roller, remove any air bubbles that form in the mixture.

After the entire floor surface has been filled, the screed level is leveled throughout the room and the finishing leveler is applied. It should have a liquid consistency. Therefore, at the very beginning of work with a wooden or concrete base, you should take care of additional waterproofing.

It is very convenient to work with self-leveling compounds, since they themselves spread evenly, filling the horizontal surface. In addition, compared to cement-sand screeds, they dry quickly and do not crack over time. The advantage of floor leveling mixtures is their high frost resistance, so they can be used in unheated rooms. Leave your comments: tell us about your experience or share your opinion about the article!

Filling the floor with leveler

Today you can get perfectly smooth floors in your apartment without the help of professionals. This article provides step-by-step instructions for pouring the leveling mixture. Following it, you can independently level the floor in the house.

Filling the floor with leveler

General information about levelers

So what is a leveler? The bulk of leveling agents in stores are sold in the form of a dry bulk mixture, packaged in bags of various sizes. Self-leveling mixtures are produced on cement, polymer-cement, gypsum and polymer-gypsum bases. Pure water is used as a solvent for mixtures.

There are two types of leveling mixtures:

levelers for rough leveling;
levelers for final leveling.

The first, rough layer may be the only one, but more often it is covered with a second layer, which is the finishing layer, it allows you to make the leveled surface of the floor smooth.

Basic levelers with coarse fraction components allow you to quickly level the surface relative to pre-prepared markings. The final leveling smooths out the roughness from the coarse-grained components of the previous layer, so a leveler thickness of several millimeters will be sufficient.

Beginning of work

Floor repairs are carried out after all work on the ceiling, if any, has been completed.

While working, make sure that you and your assistants follow basic safety precautions.

To avoid short circuits and other accidents, de-energize the wiring in the room.
All work should be performed with safety glasses, and it is also recommended to wear a hat.
When using cement-based mixtures, remember that it reacts alkaline with water.
Use rubber gloves when working with such mixtures.
A respirator will prevent harmful dust from entering your respiratory tract. Use a serviceable tool and only for its intended purpose.
Doors and windows in the room must be tightly closed.
About two weeks should pass from the time the foundation is prepared.
The recommended indoor temperature is between +10 - +25 oC, and the relative humidity is less than 95%. Avoid drafts in the first 1-2 days after pouring.
You should familiarize yourself with the recommendations of the mixture manufacturer to obtain the maximum quality of the work performed.

Step-by-step instructions for filling a floor with leveler

1. Surface preparation and priming

Surface preparation and priming

Beacons are installed to control the evenness of the surface: in small rooms, self-tapping screws screwed to a level can handle this; in large rooms it is better to use metal profiles.

A clean, uniform surface is primed. A primer is needed to reduce the rate of moisture outflow from the leveling layer into the base. For these purposes, there is a special primer for pouring floors, but you can also get by with a universal water-based acrylic primer. A dispersion primer will improve the adhesion of the solution to the surface, prevent the formation of air bubbles, and help avoid rapid absorption of water from the leveler.

2. Determining the floor level

Determining floor level

How to make markings using a hydraulic level

Placing beacons is one of the most time-consuming and painstaking stages, but it must be performed with maximum precision

3. Preparation and use of the solution

Preparation and use of the solution

Clean water is poured into a container of the required size, then the dry leveler is slowly poured out. During the process, it is necessary to stir the solution. For this, a drill with a special attachment is used, mixing is performed at low speeds. The purpose of mixing is to obtain a homogeneous, high-quality mass without dry lumps or clots. The leveler for the base layer is made thicker. Excess water leads to foaming of the mixture, which reduces the mechanical strength of the leveler, and delamination of the material may begin when the leveler dries.

To get rid of air layers and bubbles in the thickness of the leveler, use a roller with needles

The poured leveler is given time to dry, but it should not dry too quickly. Avoid drafts, and if the indoor air is too dry, cover the surface with plastic. Drying of the leveler should be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. To avoid mistakes, you should familiarize yourself with the composition and instructions for working with the selected leveler in advance.

4. Finishing leveler

The finishing leveler is used in two cases: if a perfectly smooth floor surface is required and if initially the base of the floor is quite level and there is no large difference in heights. They work with the finishing leveler in the same way as with the rough leveler, but it is diluted to a more liquid state, which adds several nuances to the work.

For example, a liquid leveler requires a more thorough primer, and in some cases even waterproofing (for example, in a multi-story building, there is a risk of “flooding” the neighbors below).

The base for the finishing leveler is prepared similarly to the first case. There should be no dust, dirt or flaking elements; the clean surface must be thoroughly primed. Beacons are not needed for the finishing leveler, since the liquid solution itself spreads to a perfectly smooth state. That is why such floors are called self-leveling. Levelers of this type are applied in a thin layer, a thickness of several millimeters is sufficient, but some solutions can be poured in a layer of up to 3 centimeters. The temperature of the solution, as in the first case, should not be lower than +10 degrees.

The liquid leveler is poured onto the base or onto the rough layer of the leveler and leveled with a spatula or other tool over the surface.

It is important to divide the area into zones that you can fill in about 15 minutes. Each zone should be filled to the required level at a time, without process interruptions. This is the only way to achieve good quality and durability. The finishing layer must also be protected from drafts and rapid drying. Drying is carried out according to the instructions on the solution packaging.

Filling the floor with leveler

Filled floors can be used with “warm floor” systems, but this is another topic that has its own technological nuances.

Which self-leveling floor leveler is better?

A complete renovation includes replacing the flooring. Inevitable transformations pose a logical task for consumers: to decide which self-leveling floor leveler is better? Traditional option cement-sand screed was indispensable a couple of decades ago. Nowadays people turn to him in case of serious damage to the floor. Leveling the base with plywood, chipboard or OSB material is best used for wooden surface. But subsequent finishing in the form of parquet or laminate requires a perfectly flat base base. Therefore, choosing a suitable self-leveling leveler for the floor is a responsible task; its competent solution guarantees a long service life of the floor covering.

What kind of levelers there are, in what conditions they are applicable and what properties they have, we will look in detail.

Advantageous aspects of application

If the floor in the room has a slight difference in horizontal level and does not contain significant damage, better material for processing, you are unlikely to choose a self-leveling leveler. The leveler has the following characteristics:

Rapid hardening of the mortar compared to cement-sand screed. Depending on the thickness of the coating, the composition of the mixture, the manufacturer and environmental conditions, the process lasts from 8 to 48 hours.
After hardening, the leveler forms a durable surface that is resistant to water. Such a floor is not afraid of flooding from above; the screed with a self-leveling mixture will not allow moisture to pass to the lower floor.
The surface of the floor, made using a leveler, has an ideal smooth texture. No further coatings required for installation additional use substrates.
Self-leveling mortar is not susceptible to cracking over time due to maintaining a certain degree of ductility.
Can be used in rooms not equipped with heating.

The weight of the self-leveling composition is significantly lower than the DSP, so even a thick layer does not create excess load on the floor.

All these properties make the use of levelers popular when repairing floors.

Types of levelers

To determine which floor leveler is best to purchase, you need to familiarize yourself with their classification. Depending on the components they are:

Gypsum or anhydrite. They are lightweight and relatively low cost. Among the advantages, plasticity and the possibility of forming a layer up to 100 mm thick are also noted. However, when choosing, you should take into account the inadmissibility of their use in conditions of high humidity (up to 80%)
Cement mortars. Their versatility ensures the possibility of use in any conditions without regard to humidity levels. The permissible layer thickness is 60 mm. A self-leveling leveler with a cement base is less plastic, has more weight compared to gypsum compounds and is less well distributed over the floor surface.

For a dry room where it is planned to install a heated floor, it is optimal to choose a gypsum leveler; finishing of industrial spaces is carried out exclusively with a cement self-leveling mixture. Depending on the purpose, levelers are:

Starters. This is a kind of replacement for the DSP. Their area of expertise is rough floor processing, which requires subsequent finishing with materials with a finer fraction. Among the popular coarse levelers, the leading brands are Hercules, Stromix, Plitonit R1, Volma.
Manufacturers offer special self-leveling mixtures to eliminate minor floor imperfections or correct existing screed.
To get the maximum smooth surface Self-leveling finishing levelers are produced for floors. In some cases, they serve as the final layer and do not require covering with hard material in the form of laminate or parquet. For creating original interior The finishing layer is complemented with an individual pattern or interesting ornament.
There are self-leveling mortars designed to restore wood subfloors. The special fibers included in the products help increase adhesion and provide high-quality screed for the wooden base.

Nuances of choice

When studying a wide range of floor levelers, it is sometimes difficult to immediately determine which self-leveling solution is better. So, your actions:

Determine the factors affecting the coating. Anhydrite self-leveling mixture is not suitable for bathrooms, kitchens or other rooms with high humidity. Here it is better to finish with a cement composition.
Examine the components of the leveler. If the grain size is greater than 1.5 mm, then the result will be standard concrete screed. The mixture becomes self-leveling if the fraction size is no more than 0.8 mm.
Acquainted with technical characteristics. In addition to dry ones, there are also semi-dry compositions that differ in structure when mixing the solution. After they are completely dry appearance becomes similar to dry mixtures.
Pay attention to the permissible thickness of 1 layer. Typically, the layer formed using a leveler does not exceed 3 cm. With a value of 5-8 cm, you are holding in your hands a regular DSP containing polymers, the purpose of which is to accelerate the hardening process of the solution.
Given the same parameters, give preference to levelers designed for finishing heated floors. This will increase the level of insulation in the room.
It is better not to purchase a self-leveling leveler that has expired. It may lose its properties, and the subfloor will be of poor quality.
If you want to create a durable, wear-resistant surface, it is better to opt for two-component polyurethane compounds.

The price of the product is determined by the number of plasticizers in the self-leveling mixture, their high content ensures the formation of a high-quality floor surface and vice versa.

Flow calculation

A coarse leveler with a layer thickness of 1 mm is consumed in the amount of 2-2.5 kg per 1 m 2.
For the finishing mixture, the figure is 1.5-1.7 kg per 1 m2 with a millimeter layer.
On average, the consumption of self-leveling mortar with a layer of 1 cm is 20 kg per square meter.

Review of manufacturers

The building materials market is saturated with a huge range of floor levelers various manufacturers. Among them, you can find high-quality self-leveling mixture not only from famous brands, but also from unfamiliar companies. Good recommendations received trade Bergauf brands, Volma, Plitonit.

Bergauf offers consumers a choice of:

Cement-based starting leveler. Self-leveling mortar is characterized by high plasticity, resistance to cracks, no shrinkage, and is ideally suited for the design of heated floors.
A self-leveling high-strength leveler based on cement. Provides easy leveling, allows you to create a layer of up to 5 cm at a time, has high strength and crack resistance.
A quick-hardening self-leveling floor that can be applied manually or using a machine.
Self-leveling leveler, complete hardening within 4-8 hours.
Other mixtures for various purposes.

Volma brand products deserve attention. Fill deep cracks better leveler Volma Rough, Volma-level-Express will allow you to create the perfect finishing layer.

A high-quality self-leveling floor is obtained with the IVSIL TIIE-ROD leveler and the composition “Starateli” Thick. Newcomers to the market of self-leveling compounds “Plitonit” also receive multiple positive reviews.

Proper selection of leveler will ensure high-quality repairs and long-term operation of the floor without additional interventions.