There are two main options for the device of floors: the filling method based on a screed made of mortar (cement-sand) and bulk using prefabricated structures. The second method is used less often, but differs in the economy of production. Consider a method of installing a bulk floor using the products of the leader in this market - the German company Knauf.
Products of Knauf
This German company is widely known in the market and for many years has been distinguished by the excellent quality of its building materials. The list of its products includes gypsum plasterboard and gypsum sheets, tongue-and-groove plates, liquid building mixes. Especially widespread in our country are bulk floors "Knauf".
Knauf floors, floor elements
The products of this segment include “Knauf” -superlist (ordinary and moisture resistant) and “Knauf” floor elements. Gypsum fiber "Knauf" -superlist is a high-quality, environmentally friendly and fireproof material. It has good sound and heat insulating properties. The dimensions of the sheet are 250x120 with a thickness of 1 or 1.25 cm. It is used as a compensating layer with a backfill thickness of less than 15 cm if the Knauf floors are performed.
Floor elements are made of moisture resistant "Knauf" -superlist. At the same time, two sheets with dimensions of 120x60x1 cm are glued together. As a result, the floor element is 1200x600x20mm Knauf - a sheet with folds around the entire perimeter 5 cm wide.
The floor construction "Knauf" consists of a layer of film, a layer of expanded clay and the actual elements of the floor. Performing work on the floor device has the following advantages:
• short terms;
• exclusion of "dirty" work;
• obtained perfectly flat floor base with convenient placement of all communications.
For laying the floor “Knauf” is suitable not only a flat surface, but also an uneven base with defects covered by a layer of bulk.
Advantages of Knauf Floors
• Perfect flatness of the base of the floor.
• Hypoallergenic materials.
• Lack of creaks and breaks during the whole period of its operation.
• Ready to use the floor immediately after installation.
• Excellent soundproofing (compared to cement screed or bulk floors);
• Inability to fill the neighbors, since water is not used during operation.
• Low thermal conductivity of Knauf floors.
• High speed of work.
• Ability to alternately arrange floors in different rooms on the same level.
• Possibility of any floor covering (for example, parquet).
• The ability to install electric underfloor heating (it is impossible to arrange water heated floors).
DIY flooring
There is no problem in arranging Knauf floors yourself. Floor elements, the necessary materials and tools must be purchased and step by step follow the simple instructions:
• prepare the surface;
• lay a vapor and moisture insulation layer and a sound insulation layer;
• fill up expanded clay;
• lay the Knauf floor elements, their installation is quite simple, it is enough to fix with screws and glue;
• finish the floor.
Laying the floor elements "Knauf"
When preparing the surface, if repairs are made, the old coating, dust and construction debris should be removed, and all cracks and holes in the base should be covered with alabaster or gypsum mortar. If there are wires, they must be placed in the corrugation and pressed to the floor (the expanded clay layer above the corrugation should exceed 2 cm).
When installing a vapor and moisture insulation layer using a level, it is necessary to mark the upper level of expanded clay backfill (from two to six centimeters depending on the unevenness of the base) along the walls, plus 2 cm for the thickness of the floor elements. A film (with an overlap of more than 20 cm) is laid on the base of the floor with a run above the affixed level and is attached with construction tape. For a concrete base, it is better to use a vapor barrier material (200 micron plastic film can be used), for a wooden one - bitumen paper or glassine.
When arranging sound insulation along the perimeter of the entire room along the walls, sound-insulating material with a thickness of 1 and a width of 10 cm is attached, self-adhesive or simple, fastened with ordinary tape.
When filling expanded clay, the main thing is to level the surface of the layer with a rule and avoid the formation of voids. To do this, pre-arrange parallel to each other profiles with a pitch of not more than 150 cm at the previously marked height on the marks on the walls. The desired height is obtained by placing boards or the remains of plates under them. For the stability of the profiles, their fulcrum should be located at least 70 cm. If the expanded clay layer is more than 6 cm, then an additional layer of plates should be laid. After leveling the layer with a rule, the profile is removed along with the supports, and the remaining voids are filled with expanded clay, leveled, and the entire layer is rammed. Moving along the laid layer should be laying under the feet squares of plywood sheets.
With a flat surface of the base, instead of filling expanded clay, sheets of extruded polystyrene foam or other heat-insulating materials with edge banding along the walls are used.
We finish arranging the Knauf floors. It is better to stack floor elements from the door. When laying the first row, the folds of sheets adjacent to the walls are cut off. Subsequent rows are stacked with offset joints. In this case, the folds are glued with PVA glue and fixed with self-tapping screws 15 cm from each other.