Concrete floors are capable of undergoing high loads. That is why they quite often act as the main unit of construction of multi-storey buildings. Laying slabs is a fairly simple task, but the features of the material make adjustments to the process of installing the floor. Today, several technologies are known that can be used when laying floors on concrete floors. About them and will be discussed below.
Creating a screed on a concrete slab
The installation of the floor on a concrete slab may involve the use of technology when the surface is poured with mortar. It can be prepared using cement, sand and water. In some cases, a special mixture is used for this purpose. At the first stage, the plate is inspected for defects. This will let you know which areas should be given more attention. Apply a primer to the surface with a brush or roller. It is better to use a deep penetration composition.
After the base has dried, you can proceed to pouring the screed. Its layer should not be very thick. The task is to hide defects and smooth the surface. After a day, the screed will dry out a little, at this point it should be covered with a dense film. Canvases in this case should go to the walls by 15 cm.
How to make the floor level
Across the entire area, wooden slats or metal profiles are installed that will serve as lighthouses. When installing the floor on a concrete slab, the next step is to set the laser level in the corner of the room.
Its light rays determine the contour of the upper floor level. It is on this mark that a fine finish is carried out. Lighthouses should be located throughout the area. Strong threads are pulled from opposite walls, the fastening of which is carried out by self-tapping screws. Lighthouses can be fixed with screed or gypsum mixture.
Insulation of the floor and filling the finish layer
Do-it - yourself insulation of concrete floors using the described technology involves the use of expanded clay. It does not provide for the need for protection with a film, which distinguishes the material from porous thermal insulation. Then you can start laying the main screed. It should be dense, and its thickness usually varies from 5 to 15 cm.
A rule is used to form a flat floor. They lay it on the lighthouses and stretch it on themselves. The excess solution will be against the wall and fill in the bumps. After the solution has dried, the beacons are removed, and the resulting gaps are filled with the solution. Finishing is done on a completely dry surface.
The choice of material for insulation of concrete floors
In the market of building materials today there are a wide range of insulation materials. Among others, it is necessary to highlight mineral wool, which is moisture resistant, as well as environmentally friendly. With its help, sound insulation of the floor can also be made, because the material has a fibrous structure, so the layers do not let noise and heat through them.
Fibers do not absorb moisture, but mineral wool passes it, so during operation it can begin to spin. If you want to carry out the installation of the floor on a concrete slab with insulation, mineral wool can only be used if the system will assume the presence of a lag. Additionally, in this case, steam and waterproofing should be used.
The use of extruded polystyrene and foam glass
Extruded polystyrene foam and polystyrene are able to protect the house from heat loss. These materials provide vapor and moisture impermeability, are characterized by high rigidity and are not deformed if the concrete floor is insulated using such canvases.
Among the shortcomings, the ability to release toxic substances and fragility into the external environment should be highlighted. In the domestic market, foam glass is a relatively new material. It does not allow heat and moisture to pass through and perfectly conducts steam. Foam glass is environmentally safe and durable. However, it is fragile, therefore, its installation can only be carried out under the raised floor.
Features of concrete slab insulation
The installation of the floor on a concrete slab may involve laying insulation. If the building is old, and there is a covering on the floor, then it must be completely removed. The surface is leveled, for this hollows can be covered with expanded clay or other loose material.
At the next stage, a skinny layer of screed is laid, the purpose of which is to fix the bulk material in place. After the prepared layer gains strength, you can begin to lay waterproofing. A plastic film or waterproof membrane is suitable for this. Laying of cloths must be overlapped, and glue adhesive joints with tape. The material should be brought to the wall surface by 15 cm.
Methodology
The installation of the floor on a concrete slab in the next step involves the installation of thermal insulation. When it was decided to use polyurethane foam as it, it is necessary to purchase material in the form of cylinders with foam in order to spray onto a prepared base. If you decide to choose a foam, then it should be laid on a special glue. Waterproofing is spread on the insulation layer. The joints of the insulation material and the waterproof layer should not coincide.
The hydrobarrier does not strengthen, it should only be glued with tape. On the resulting "pie" you can lay a wet or semi-dry screed, which will act as a rough finish and the basis for a decorative coating. Additionally, you can protect the floor from the cold with a thin sheet of polyurethane foam, carpet or linoleum.
Wooden floor on concrete floor
If you decide to implement the device of a wooden floor on a concrete base, then you can prefer a technology that involves the use of lag. Such structures are most often used in wooden houses or apartments. The advantages are undeniable, they are expressed in giving the floor noise and heat insulating properties. Using the lag, you can level any foundation, while in this case, engineering communications are usually located under the floor.
If you decide to resort to this kind of flooring technology, it is important to know whether it is worth attaching the logs to the concrete floor. Opponents of this approach emphasize that such a procedure destroys the screed, and the joints of the base and lag form the sound transmission bridges. Supporters of rigid fixation note that the deformation of wooden beams nullifies all efforts to repair.
In fact, soundproofing is a moot point. Rigid structures transmit sound, but to exclude such an effect, a heater with soundproofing properties is laid between the lags. If you nevertheless decided to resort to the technology of installing a wooden floor on a concrete floor, then at the first stage all garbage is removed from the room, cracks are erased, and the protrusions are knocked down.
Next, waterproofing is applied, because the wood needs to be protected from moisture. To do this, use:
- penetrating compounds;
- hydrophobic mastics;
- roll materials;
- thick film.
When the device is installed on the concrete slab in the apartment, it is necessary to stock up on fasteners and substrates to raise the log. When choosing a substrate, you must be guided by the recommendation that the material should be rigid. Over time, it should not sag in order to prevent the occurrence of backlash at the fulcrum. You can use pieces of plywood and thin boards for this. But visiting a hardware store, you can purchase special plastic substrates.
Laying the lag is perpendicular to the sunlight falling from the window. The distance between the bars should depend on the thickness of the rough coating. The stronger and thicker the sheets, the farther the lags can be from each other. Usually this parameter varies from 40 to 50 cm. The extreme bars should be 3 cm away from the wall, everything else will depend on the width of the room.
System mount
After assembling the battens, the horizontal plane must be checked using the building level. Foamed polyethylene, linoleum or ruberoid is placed under the supports. These materials will act as shock absorbers and provide additional waterproofing of the tree. After the lag system is ready, it will remain fixed to the floor. Fasteners can be provided in one of three ways:
- anchor fasteners;
- galvanized corners and dowels;
- self-tapping screws.
Laying linoleum on a concrete floor
The installation of the floor on a concrete foundation slab may involve the use of linoleum. At the first stage, a foundation is prepared, on the quality of which the life of the finish coating will depend. It is important to exclude hollows and protrusions that will help cause linoleum wear. If the height differences exceed 2 mm per square meter, then the troughs are putty and the protrusions are eliminated by knocking. After this, a new floor screed is performed, for this usually cement or concrete mortar, as well as bulk mixtures, are used.
Before laying linoleum on a concrete floor, it is important to cover the film, and then - insulation material. When laying the finish layer in the room, the temperature must be maintained at not lower than +18 ° C, while the humidity should not exceed 68%.
On each side when cutting linoleum should remain 10 cm. If there are seams, then they need to be placed in the direction of light from the windows, so they will be less noticeable. You can lay linoleum without gluing, with glue or mastic, as well as using adhesive tape. The most effective and time-consuming technology will be the use of glue or mastic. For large areas, this technique is the only true one.
The choice of substrate for the laminate
The substrate for the laminate on the concrete floor must be selected by you before starting work. As it can be used natural materials that are available in sheets or rolls. In this case, we are talking about the cork layer, which provides excellent sound and heat insulation. However, this material requires the need for perfect alignment. Such a substrate for a laminate on a concrete floor should be laid on a dense plastic film, and the surface must first be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
Among the artificial materials, Isolon, which is a foamed polyethylene, should be distinguished. It may have a foil surface that effectively reflects heat inside the room. Additional sound insulation of the floor is also provided with the help of "Polyform". This substrate is similar in characteristics to Isolon, but has a lower cost.
Instead of a conclusion: a heated floor on a concrete screed
It is necessary to lay the thermal insulation on the rough screed before laying the warm floor. As her usual cork substrate or polypropylene is used. At the next stage, a damper tape is laid, only after that you can proceed with the installation of elements of warm floors.
If the system is based on water pipes, their installation is carried out with a certain distance in the range from 10 to 30 cm. The pipes are fastened with fixing profiles that are fixed to the surface with screws and dowels. When a warm floor is installed on a concrete screed, the next step is to lay a metal mesh, only then you should start pouring the screed. The temperature in the room during this work should be positive. Concreting must begin from the far corner of the room, ending the process at the door.