How to level a wooden floor - an overview of home repair methods. wood floor leveling wood floor leveling tool

When planning a major overhaul in a house or apartment, you have to take into account many different aspects. And laying a new flooring is one of the central issues that needs to be addressed. To put in a new flooring in an old house or apartment wooden floors, quite often they have to be completely dismantled. But sometimes it is not necessary to do this at all, you can level the wooden floor, and then put a laminate, tile or linoleum on it. Modern advances in construction technologies make it easy to level the wooden floor with your own hands.

Wood is a material that requires regular maintenance, but over time it still warps, cracks, dries out and sags. In order for the wooden floor to look perfect, it is leveled, after which any floor covering is applied. Leveling will remove various irregularities in the wooden base, which may adversely affect the new flooring. This applies to both hard flooring (laminate, tile, parquet) and soft flooring (linoleum, carpet). To prevent this from happening, and the new flooring to be of high quality and durable, the wooden floor can be leveled in one of the following ways:

• floor scraping;
• use self-leveling compounds;
• using putty based on PVA glue;
• align with plywood sheets.

Scraping a wooden floor

This method of leveling a wooden floor is the simplest, but at the same time labor-intensive and effective. Floor scraping should be used if it is planned to use paints and varnishes as a floor covering.

The floor can be sanded by hand or with a special sanding machine. In the first case, you will have to scrape the entire surface with the help of a manual scraper, remove various irregularities. This approach is terribly time consuming and heavy. In order to carry out all work with minimal cost forces, you should use a scraping machine. A significant disadvantage of cycling is the presence of a huge amount of dust.

How to level a wooden floor with a sander:

- during scraping, a lot of dust is produced, therefore, the respiratory tract, hands, eyes, objects and surfaces should be protected from dust;

- remove any metal objects from the floor, with the help of a finisher and a hammer, drown all the nail heads into the tree, otherwise the knives can be damaged during scraping;

- we start scraping from any corner and, moving like a snake, we remove upper layer wood flooring;

- after the first layer has been removed throughout the room, it is necessary to carry out a small cleaning and putty all the cracks and cracks with putty;

- after waiting for the putty to dry completely, you can continue to scrape the floor;

Important! Leveling a wooden floor for paintwork can be considered complete when the surface is perfectly flat and without cracks. Hard-to-reach places and plinths will have to be scraped manually with a corner scraper.

- after cycling, the room must be thoroughly vacuumed;

- before applying varnish or paint, the surface of the wooden floor must be wiped with a lint-free cloth soaked in white spirit.

Leveling with self leveling compound

Leveling a wooden floor with a self-levelling compound: the base must not have large gaps and cracks

fill concrete screed has always been a success with builders as an easy and affordable way to level the floor. But in houses with wooden floors, this was unacceptable due to the large mass of concrete that had to be used. Thanks to modern technologies This issue has been solved. Self-leveling compounds allow you to level a wooden floor under linoleum, laminate or tile. After drying, the cement-adhesive composition will create an even, durable and sufficiently elastic coating with a low mass due to a layer of up to 20 mm. To do this, do the following:

- the floor surface is completely cleaned of the old floor covering;

- we drown the protruding nail heads, remove any metal objects;

- using a grinder or scraper, we partially remove the top layer;

- we fix all creaking and springy boards to the lags with the help of self-tapping screws;

- carefully vacuum and clean the floor from dust and dirt;

- putty all cracks and cracks, let dry completely;

Important! It is necessary to make the surface without wide cracks and cracks, otherwise the solution will go "nowhere".

- we impregnate the wooden floor with a deep penetration primer with moisture-proof properties, if it seems a little, you can lay a waterproofing membrane;

- we glue the joints of the walls and the floor with an overlap on the floor and walls, using double-sided tape, and glue a waterproofing membrane in the form of a strip on it;

- on the walls we mark the level to which the self-leveling mixture will be poured;

Important! The minimum filling thickness is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Beacons can be used as a level mark.

Scheme of pouring self-leveling mixture: insulating layers

- near the door we fix a wooden plank, the thickness of which corresponds to the fill level;

- we lay a reinforcing mesh on the floor surface and fix it to the floor with self-tapping screws or stapler brackets;

Now that the wooden floor is prepared, you can start pouring the mixture:

- add the mixture to a container with water and knead with a drill and a mixing nozzle;

Important! The mixture should be homogeneous and without lumps, prepared strictly according to the instructions.

Getting rid of bubbles in the self-levelling compound with a rubber roller

- pour the resulting mixture onto the prepared surface and use a special rubber roller with spikes to get rid of small bubbles;

- level the surface using a large spatula or rubber squeegee as a rule;

- now it remains to wait for the mixture to dry completely and prepare it for laying the floor covering.

Important! Drying of the self-levelling compound must be carried out strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Leveling a wooden floor with PVA putty

This alignment method is one of the most unusual and innovative. Putty is a mixture of sawdust and PVA glue, which, after hardening, becomes quite strong and difficult to process. And due to the availability and cheapness of the initial components, this putty is cost-effective. In fact, this putty resembles the well-known chipboard, with the difference that it is impossible to soften the board and fill all the bumps with it. The use of PVA-based putty allows you to level the wooden floor under a laminate or linoleum. You can use it to level a wooden floor as follows:

- clean the floor from the old coating and skins;

- bending and creaking boards are fixed to the lags with the help of self-tapping screws;

- stuffed on the floor wooden slats as lighthouses with a step of 35-50 cm.

Important! To get a flat surface, all the slats must be in the same plane; we use a level for alignment.

- we prepare putty from PVA glue and sawdust, knead to the consistency of thick sour cream.

Important! In order for the putty to dry gradually and not crack, the sawdust should be slightly wetted and squeezed out.

- using a spatula, fill the space between the slats with putty;

Important! Putty must be applied intermittently, in several layers, since after drying it shrinks slightly.

- after the last layer of putty has been applied, we level the floor plane using the rule and, if necessary, add putty;

- we wait for complete drying (about 2 days) and lay the floor covering.

Important! The disadvantage of putty based on PVA and sawdust is its insufficient strength for some floor coverings. To increase strength, it is recommended to lay sheets of plywood, chipboard or drywall.

How to level a wooden floor with plywood

You can also use plywood to level a wooden floor. Compliance with the technology will create a perfectly flat and durable floor. This method is usually chosen when it is necessary to level the wooden floor under linoleum or carpet. To get the best quality plywood base, a 4/4 grade or larger sheet should be used, the thickness should be at least 12 mm. Leveling a wooden floor with plywood is as follows:

— remove the old coating;

- install beacons from self-tapping screws. To do this, we screw them to the required height with a screwdriver all over the floor. We begin to screw in the corners, and form a square with sides of 20-30 cm;

- align the height of the self-tapping screws horizontally using a level;

Logs should form a grid of 35 * 35 cm squares

- we lay the logs in increments of 30-35 cm. For the logs themselves, we use plywood strips or sticks of various thicknesses;

- we fasten the logs to the floor with self-tapping screws or glue, if the logs sag a little, we put pieces of plywood or bars under them;

Important! The joists must be level with the horizon and firmly fixed. The result should be a dense grid of logs in the form of squares with sides of 30-35 cm.

- lay out the sheets of plywood and adjust them in such a way that the joints of the sheets fall on the logs;

Important! In order not to have to cut whole sheets of plywood, you can first lay them out on a bare floor and mark the borders of the sheet with a pencil. Then lay the logs according to these marks so that the plywood joints fall on the log.

Leveling the wooden floor with plywood: we fix the plywood sheets on the logs

- we fix the plywood to the logs with the help of self-tapping screws with countersunk heads;

Important! In order for the heads of the self-tapping screws not to push through the plywood, a sweat is made on the sheet with a drill.

- before laying the floor covering, you should walk along the surface of the plywood with a grinder, especially at the junction of the sheets;

Important! To give durability, plywood can be varnished and laid on top of the flooring. If a laminate is laid, then a cork or polyethylene foam is laid as a substrate on the plywood.

Modern building materials allow you to qualitatively and quickly level the wooden floor without partial or complete replacement. To do this is within the power of anyone who knows how to handle the tool and at least a little versed in the construction business. The main thing is to adhere to the technology and perform all stages of work with high quality. When leveling a wooden floor in one way or another, it should be remembered that at the end of the work the floor height will rise by a couple of centimeters, and you will have to cut the bottom of the door.

Sometimes the owners face the task of leveling the floor in wooden house. This happens for various reasons, but the main problem is the failure of the old floor. Dealing with the challenge is not that difficult. Arm yourself quality materials, a certain set of tools and, if necessary, ask for help from a specialist.

Determining the condition of the floor

To decide on a specific alignment method, you should evaluate the condition of the coating. The degree of damage is the main indicator of the need to dismantle the old wood and install new boards.

The first step is quite simple. It is necessary to slowly walk along and across the entire surface of the ceiling. It is important to carefully examine every centimeter of coverage. When walking, a large deflection of the boards may occur. This will show how much the wood has lost its original characteristics.

After that, proceed to the stage of gradual dismantling of the structure. First, you should remove only 2-3 boards and look at the state of the lag. The peculiarity of the supporting elements is that they eventually succumb to the harmful effects of moisture or mold. Factors act in a complex way, destroying the structure of wood. It will be necessary to level the wooden floor in a private house if the logs are damaged due to the fault of insects, which gradually make moves in the tree.

If, as a result of a thorough inspection, the owner does not find critical problems in the functioning of the boards and lag, the alignment process will be quick and will not require enormous costs. The option is possible only in the case of the integrity of the elements, the absence of rot, cracks, deflections and a characteristic creak.

Tools and materials

The preparatory stage plays an important role, since it is the defining criterion for the correct performance of the work. To start the recovery process, you will need a lot of tools. However, it all depends on the chosen alignment method.

The main tools in the fight against uneven floors:

• hammer;
• chisel;
• mount;
• Bulgarian;
• Sander;
• vacuum cleaner;
• self-tapping screws.

Floor materials can also be varied. The most common are backfills and special sheet elements for covering the old floor.

Alignment Methods

There are several standard alignment methods that are used by wizards. Each of them offers either a minor surface treatment or a rather complex process of creating a new surface.

Among the most common methods are:

• cycling;
• lag adjustment;
• laying plywood;
• putty;
• self leveling tools.

Leveling the floor is not difficult, but doing it with your own hands, without the help of a partner, will be problematic.

Cycling

With minimal damage, the easiest way is to use a scraper machine. The difficulty lies only in the fact that the equipment is professional and only experienced craftsmen have it. You will have to rent a car or use an electric planer.

Initially, the surface should be prepared. It is necessary to remove all unnecessary objects and elements of the old floor from the room. Skirting boards need to be dismantled and sweep debris. If the nail heads protrude above the surface, using a hammer, all fasteners are carefully clogged. When the overlapping parts move away, it is required to additionally fix them with screws so that the structure does not have to be opened.

Important! Working with scraper equipment involves the use of a respirator to protect the respiratory tract and headphones.

Having reached the opposite corner, the equipment is carefully turned around and the reverse movement begins. It is best to process the plank floor in small strips. The smaller the processing width, the more carefully the work will be done.

The next stage is the sealing of all small cracks that are found when removing the top layer. To qualitatively hide such gaps, use a special acrylic-based putty. Critically important point- matching the shade of the floor. The grout material must be applied in a small layer and carefully leveled with a rubber spatula.

The last stage includes surface cleaning and treatment with a special primer. Sometimes varnishes are used.

Log adjustment

The method is effective only when the differences between the boards are too large. A rather laborious work is being done to dismantle the ceiling. Distinctive feature method is that after the adjustment, the floor may be slightly higher than the previous figure. Visually it will give the impression that the ceiling has become lower.

The position of the entire base structure is regulated by means of anchor bolts. Mounting materials are often already installed in the joists. Often you have to deal with old floors where there are no adjusting parts.

After installing the anchors, it is necessary to carefully set the logs so that the plane of the new floor is perfectly flat.

The last step is to re-mount the boards. All damaged samples should be replaced with new boards. Masters recommend treating the elements with antiseptic agents to increase the life of the floor.

plywood laying

You can level the floor under the laminate without a screed using plywood. The material is used in different situations. Most often, plywood is used to level waves, as well as serious overlap slopes that form over time. The method allows you to even out differences in the range of 3–10 cm. The new floor can serve as the basis for laying the laminate.

The first step is to mark the entire floor. Level gauges are used to complete the task. Devices help to calculate the optimal value, taking into account the thickness of the plywood.

The best option would be to install new logs that will perform a supporting function. To protect materials from moisture, the base of the floor must be covered with insulating material.

Logs should be located under the plywood in continuous rows with a certain step. Fastening is done with nails. If differences were noticed during installation, the level can be corrected with linings. Elements for strength are glued to the lags.

The process of leveling a wooden floor under a laminate involves laying plywood in squares of a certain size. Each element of the floor is equipped with attachment points. To do this, pre-drill holes with a clearly defined diameter. This is done so as not to damage the logs during installation.

First, an extreme square is installed, then gradually move along the wall. To make the work in the future simple, the screws need to be sunk a little in the wood. Plotai is drilled in plywood with a depth of 1-2 mm. It is important to follow the joints, which should not match.

putty

The method of puttying the base has become widespread. The method is used if it is necessary to level the wooden floor without tearing the boards. This is the easiest way to economically restore a wooden coating with your own hands. The advantage is that the material can be leveled as a separate section of the floor, as well as the entire floor.

There is also a drawback - quite often the restoration does not end with puttying. Sometimes plywood is required to create a solid foundation.

Putty is a fairly simple composition, which includes sawdust and PVA glue. The method belongs to folk tricks, therefore it is not used by professionals.

Step-by-step creation of putty:

1. The sawdust is soaked in water.
2. They squeeze well.
3. Glue is added.
4. The components are thoroughly mixed.

It is necessary to apply putty in a small amount. After spreading over the surface, the composition must dry. The last step is sanding the floor.

If the method is ineffective, you can use dry filling, which are sold in specialized stores.

Self-leveling compounds

The compositions are a liquid based on gypsum or cement, to which a finely dispersed filler and various impurities are added to promote uniform distribution and rapid solidification of the solution. Mixes are sometimes called levels or levelers.

Self-levelling mortars are used absolutely on all surfaces and in all rooms. The mixture is used as a base on which any type of finish coat.

Self-levelling compounds have a number of distinctive qualities that distinguish them noticeably from other materials:

• the surface hardens during the day;
• high level of noise and heat insulation;
• are not a source of dust;
• light weight;
• resistant to high mechanical stress;
• do not burn;
• the surface does not sag over time;
• do not need additional reinforcement;
• low cost.

The method does not need additional smoothing and guarantees an absolutely even coating. Self-leveling compound and high penetrating power. With its help, you can fill the most hard-to-reach cracks and recesses.

You can level the old floor from the boards in a variety of ways. After creating a perfectly flat surface, you can begin the process of laying the laminate.

The material is characterized by its versatility and durability. However, it must be installed correctly.

There are three popular methods for installing laminate flooring:

1. Beskleyeva.

Having correctly completed all the work, you can be sure that the wooden floor will become perfectly smooth, various irregularities will disappear and will not affect the quality of the new coating.

How to determine the condition of a wooden floor in a house

Before laying laminate, parquet or linoleum, you should assess the condition of the wood floor and level it.

Before leveling the surface, the floor must be cleaned of residues concrete pavement, dust, etc. it is also necessary to eliminate all cracks, holes. Thanks to this, you will be able to prevent the flow of material and premature wear of the coating.

Alignment and adjustment can be done in any of these ways:

• Tsiklevka
• Self leveling compound
• Plywood
• Glue and sawdust

Only after analyzing the condition of the boards, you can choose the appropriate option. First of all, the boards should be examined for a predisposition to rot and the presence of insects. The main enemies of wood are insects that lay their eggs in it, destroying the organic structure of the material.

Moreover, insects, multiplying, can destroy a tree in a few years, turning it into crumbling dust. Boards should be treated with a special solution to get rid of bark beetles.

It is worth noting that the wooden floor does not have to be damaged, perhaps the boards just “led”. In such situations, the floor in the house remains strong, without insects and rot, but with some irregularities. You can lay laminate, but it will not last long.

How to level a wooden floor?

Cyclevka - the best option if the boards "led". This option only possible if the floor is horizontal. The advantage of scraping is that such a procedure will not only level, but also emphasize the structure of the tree, refreshing the cut.

The disadvantages of this method include the complexity of the process, the expensive rental of the scraper.

Cycling is necessary in a protective mask or respirator, overalls and headphones that will protect you from loud noise.

This processing includes the following steps:

• driving nails a couple of millimeters below the floor level
• dust protection for furniture
• machine processing
• putty (with the help of acrylic putty of the desired color, large cracks should be hidden)
• final processing by scraping machine

It is best to start from the far corner of the room. After graduation last stage dust should be collected with a vacuum cleaner and treated with a special solution. Now the floor is ready, it can be varnished or laminated.

Leveling wooden floors in the house

When leveling use plywood. Using it will allow you to correct small defects and significant horizontal deviations.

The following stages of plywood adjustment are provided:

• markings are made on the walls (a laser level is used)
• self-tapping screws are made "lighthouses"
• logs are attached with glue (plywood or timber is suitable)
• plywood sheets are laid (plywood is sawn into 4 parts)
• during the final laying, the plywood is fixed to the joists with countersunk screws

After completing the work, you should carefully inspect the attached plywood. Any damage and delamination of the material will lead to problems during the laying of the laminate or any other coating.

The following nuances should be taken into account here:

• In order for the chipboard to “get used” to the humidity of the room in which it will be located, bring the sheets into the room for several days
• Cables and communications can be hidden under plywood sheets
• Plywood can be used as a top coat or as a base for laying laminate, linoleum or carpet.
• If you have installed logs, then the level can be raised up to 10 cm

How else can you align

To level the boards, you can install plywood directly to the floor. The support in this case will be the “waves” of the boards and the highest points of the drops.

Proper alignment with plywood:

• Ideally, if the width of the boards is 10-12 cm. Then you will need a plywood board of about 10 mm
• Otherwise, you need to purchase plywood with a thickness of more than 10 mm

If the room has high humidity, then ordinary plywood will not work. To align the boards, you should choose a moisture-resistant material.

Sheets of plywood are attached directly to the floor with self-tapping screws. Seal the joints with acrylic sealant.

Adjustment with glue and sawdust

The most commonly used leveling method before laying laminate flooring is the use of sawdust and glue (putty method). The initial components are inexpensive, and the putty itself, after hardening, becomes strong, resistant to external influences. The mixture is prepared from sawdust and glue.

Leveling steps:

• installation of rails according to the level
• filling with sawdust the space between the slats (each layer is poured only after the previous one has completely dried)
• checking the surface with a level
• laying laminate after complete drying

Most often, this mixture dries out in two days. It is worth noting that for some coatings, sawdust and glue putty is not reliable enough, so it is better to lay plywood or other suitable material on top.

Self-leveling compound - a universal remedy for correcting the floor

In situations where defects need to be fixed not in order to cover it with varnish, but in order to lay another floor covering, self-leveling compound is one of the most convenient and practical ways. After processing, the floor will acquire a perfectly smooth surface, and all flaws and cracks will be eliminated.

Despite its name, leveling a floor with a self-levelling compound is a very complex process. Also, this method is one of the most expensive.

Solutions of this class consist of polymeric materials, which contributes to almost instant alignment and smoothing of the new coating.

Before proceeding with the leveling process, it is necessary to carefully prepare the surface. Fill should be done carefully and quickly.

The main phases of floor adjustment in this way:

• movable boards are fixed, nail heads are driven in
• the surface is cleaned
• primed
• walls are being prepared, the level is being determined
• lined with a special reinforced mesh(construction mesh is used for fixing) - this will allow you to extend the life of the coating
• the solution is poured onto the reinforced floor and processed with a studded rubber roller
• leveled with a smooth special brush
• the surface is dried

When using this method, it is worth remembering that the level of the floor will rise. This factor should be taken into account, especially if a laminate is subsequently laid on it.

Leveling a wooden floor with a cement screed

Experienced experts are of the opinion that if the wooden floor is strong enough or initially laid for subsequent leveling, a cement floor screed can be used.

This method will make a rough surface with large differences almost perfectly flat.

In order to level the old wooden floor with cement, you must:

• the surface of the wooden floor is covered with a waterproofing compound
• after the layer has dried, a plastic film or roofing material is laid. It will be right to do it with an overlap
• level measures the new surface
• lighthouses are laid out
• then prepare the cement mixture

Alignment in this case is not difficult: cement mortar superimposed on the beacons, then alignment is carried out towards the door with metal rails.

The subsequent layer of self-levelling compound will be applied easily.

However, there is a risk of breaking the base boards with a heavy cement mixture. In this case, you will have to remove the coating and refill the floor. Use further layers of foam or expanded clay.

Ensuring ventilation

Regardless of the leveling method, ventilation of the floor boards must be provided in advance. This will allow you to prevent the appearance of mold, fungus and various kinds of pests on the surface.

Previously, for these purposes, a hole was drilled on the surface, into which a decorative lattice was fixed.

As an option - to carry out ventilation to the wall and install a decorative grille there.

If during alignment you notice something similar - do not rush to cover it up or close it.

Leveling the floor without tearing the boards: how to choose the best way

Before you start leveling the floor, you need to decide which of the proposed options will be relevant and beneficial for you. This is determined based on the following criteria:

• Alignment capability
• The need for wood flooring
• Relatively low cost of good quality material
• The complexity of repair work

Leveling the wooden floor will make the log house reliable, durable and of high quality. After processing the wood in any of these ways, the floor will not sag, and the surface will be smooth and without cracks.

It is useful to watch a video describing all the stages and nuances of alignment before performing all the manipulations. wooden floors without breaking the board.

You can, of course, do all the work yourself. If you have weighed all the pros and cons, you can come to the conclusion that a specialist will make it both faster and better. In this case, the YouDo service will come to your aid, offering the services of professionals with extensive experience.

Ordering services from specialists

The leveling of wooden floors is evaluated based on several criteria:

• Is it necessary to dismantle the boards
• Application of floor insulation
• The presence of another waterproofing layer
• Cost of alignment material

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

Peculiarities

The need to level a wooden floor is often due not only to 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 around the rooms, different parts of the floor of which have different heights. Also, one should not forget that improving the properties of the floor prolongs its service life and allows less frequent use overhaul , 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 is rapidly accelerating, and in the near future you will need to solve the problem of arranging new flooring again.

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

It happens that the removal of the previous coating is very difficult or even impossible without the complete destruction of the structure. Then you need to leave them in place and level the floor with a planer or grinders. This situation most often occurs in a private dwelling, since if wooden floors are made in apartments, they are much more perfect.

When grinding, a huge amount of dust inevitably appears, so special measures must be taken so that it does not get into neighboring rooms, does not spoil furniture and other valuable property.

Laying sheet materials

A curved floor can be corrected using plywood sheets, and at the very easy way lags are not needed at all. The perimeter of the walls is framed with bosses (they will allow you to maintain a gap of 20 mm without taking a tape measure all the time). between plywood sheets intervals of 0.3-0.8 cm should be left, so that at the first slight movement or increase in temperature, the draft layer is not deformed. Sheets should be laid with a run, all the following ones are shifted by half compared to their predecessors.

It is imperative to fix the sheets with self-tapping screws, and it is best to immediately make holes in the right places. In another way, the perimeter of the room is filled with logs, as a result of which a tape base appears. The run-up and intervals are done according to the same principles, but be sure to first lay out the sheets without fastening them, and just look at the result. So it will become 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 must be fixed with self-tapping screws, then the evenness of the installation of the log and supports is verified, after which the frame is already attached to the base. Now you can lay and fasten plywood, and on top of it - a laminate or linoleum. Plywood can also be laid on top of the point supports "covens".

The size of each cob is determined by how uneven the floor in a given room is. You need to lay linings more often, since their reliability is less than that of lags. The basic scheme of actions is the same, the difference is expressed only in geometry. When a leveler (sanding machine) is used to correct individual defects be sure to wear gloves and a respirator for maximum protection.

If parquet is laid on top, and the logs creak, professionals often recommend filling them with expanded clay screed. This solution is suitable no matter how insulated your home is. Alternatively, you can make a screed under sheet materials over 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 her. Using a plate, it is impossible to use it, like plywood, as a front covering in a pinch.

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

For chipboard, the mandatory compensation indentation from the walls is 20 - 30 mm. They lay the panels with a run, 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 type of slab, you can not make 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, such a solution is 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 of the M400 category Portland cement for three parts of sand and eight parts of expanded clay. The beacons are placed 0.5-0.6 m apart, and the solution is poured over them so much that a screed of 80-100 mm is obtained.

To make the base even, you will have to cover it first with polyethylene, wrapping the ends of the film on the wall just above the expected layer thickness. The material is laid with an overlap, and all its borders are pasted over with construction tape for the highest strength. Be sure to use a reinforcing masonry mesh (raised 30 - 40 mm above the base). There should be two layers, the solution must be compacted and its outer surface leveled. If you do not 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 perfect than pouring, they will help to cope with minor deformations, but if you want to eliminate solid 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 the method of forming the tie-down structure.

Mixes

Self-leveling compounds are better than ordinary screeds in that they spread by themselves and form a layer of the same thickness. No effort is needed, it is only required to strictly observe the technology. The slightest bumps and depressions will be covered. But a very uneven floor cannot be corrected in this way, because the highest height of pouring the mixture - 20 mm. If there are more defects, you will have to use lags.

Floor levelers are divided into two key groups: the first is intended for rough finishing, and the second is for finishing, which allows any coating to be laid. The main properties are given by gypsum or cement, to which mineral and polymer components are added to guarantee increased mechanical resistance. It is not difficult to recognize a rough leveling agent, it is always a mixture with a large grain, 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, upon contact with water, become more plastic, they are easy to distinguish by accelerated spreading. First, the surface is cleaned and polished, then a primer is applied to the subfloor (preferably compounds that are not afraid of moisture and can penetrate deep). Then a waterproofing (polyethylene) is placed, covered with a reinforcing mesh (fixed as carefully as possible), and only then the final mixture is poured. To smooth out the differences, to eliminate air from the layer, use spiked rollers. How long you need to wait for the result depends on the specific composition used.

Leveling with self-leveling compounds allows you to abandon the use of beacons and save a lot of time.

But on the other hand, lack of experience or poor knowledge about a particular drug can become a problem. After all, if you violate the basic rules for its use, an expensive tool will be spent senselessly.

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

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

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

Before you start pouring any mixture, prepare the tool. You will definitely need a container for preparing the necessary composition, as well as a puncher or drill with mixing nozzles. With a notched trowel up to 100 mm long, roll out the layer to an even thin state. The size of the spatula teeth should correspond to the size of the treated layer. Single large gaps will be correctly filled mounting foam, and not resort to other methods of alignment, do not refuse to fill.

Tsiklevka

Putty helps to cope with minor irregularities, the composition of the mixture is just sawdust and polyvinyl acetate glue. The cost of work will be relatively small, and the base being created makes it possible to lay laminate, linoleum and even the best varieties parquet. There is no need for lags and other auxiliary structures, which greatly simplifies the course of work.

They begin with the removal of the existing coating and a thorough cleaning of all contaminants. Next, the surface will need to be sanded, and all those boards that bend under load or creak need to be reinforced with self-tapping screws. The same is done with lags; then they nail the slats, which will act as beacons. Only after all these actions can putty be applied and leveled using the rule.

The applied composition will dry in approximately 48 hours; After making sure of this, you can begin the following work.

Using a planer, 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 paste based on a combination of PVA with wood flour are used. Please note that mechanically processed bases must be protected with varnishes or enamels from further destruction.

Scraping works well only if the floor has not dried out, is not swollen, and has not been invaded by wood-gnawing beetles. If there is at least one of these problems, it is required to either replace or repair the damaged areas. Not only surface grinders, but also drum parquet grinders help to quickly process. But in hard-to-reach places it is more correct to use manual 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, choosing it in preparation for scraping or another way of leveling the floor, you need to make sure that the substance will be well absorbed.

Living in your own home is a great success. At the same time, this is a big responsibility.

Your home must be constantly maintained in order. This is especially true for buildings made of natural materials.

The tree is excellent in every way construction material, but it must be monitored and cared for.

And from time to time comes the turn of restoration work.

Any floor, no matter how excellent quality it was originally, tends to dry out, rot or change the angle of inclination. Complete - a rather time-consuming and expensive event. But walking on creaking, uneven floorboards is a dubious pleasure.

To extend the life of a wooden floor, high-quality materials are selected for it, specially processed, and properly laid. Those that have become uneven can be corrected and leveled. There are several different ways to do this.

Foundation Preliminary Inspection

First of all, we need to assess the scope of the upcoming work.

To do this, we need to see what condition the wood floor is in. We tear off one of the boards and carefully examine it from the inside for cracks, defects, rot, traces of insects or even rodents. If all this is present, it is better to replace the flooring.

If the removed fragment turned out to be intact and dry enough, then it is quite suitable for restoration work.

Also, the floor is visually inspected: how smooth it is. It will help to determine the degree of its deviation from the horizontal.

If its surface is fairly even, has a small number of subtle defects, it is easy to level it with the help of scraping or sanding.

If there are more than enough flaws, then it is better to use a self-leveling mixture or sheets of plywood.

Leveling a wooden floor

Scraping a wooden floor in a private house

Pre-sawdust is poured with water, then squeezed out: after this simple procedure, they will absorb less moisture from the adhesive itself. When the glue hardens, it becomes unusually strong. The advantages of this method also lie in the fact that the solution penetrates almost all the cracks, while at the same time insulating the floor.

Work order

To level the floor, do the following:

1. with the help of the building level, beacons are placed; instead of special products, ordinary wooden planks can be used;
2. the surface of the base is poured with the prepared mixture and carefully leveled. The layer is usually one to two centimeters thick. If there are large-scale defects, not one layer will be required, but two or more, each of which is applied only after the previous one has completely dried;
3. using the level, we determine the degree of evenness of the resulting base. If noticeable irregularities still remain, they are sealed with the same working solution.

When the alignment of the base is completed, you can proceed to the installation decorative coating:

• etc.

How to level the floor with plywood

The wooden floor is also leveled chipboard sheets or plywood.

Both materials are quite affordable, but the latter has the best strength indicators. Therefore, it is used for these purposes much more often.

The thickness of such material must be at least one centimeter.

How to properly level the floor with your own hands?

Work order

The sequence of work is as follows:

Next, the selected finish coat is laid on the plywood. It can be different -,. Often, a special substrate is laid under the plywood, which contributes to additional noise and heat insulation of the wooden floor.

Level the floor in an old house with a self-levelling compound

In perfectly smooth is one of the most original. A lot of effort to complete such a task will not be required, special skills too. But this method is mainly used in rooms with small height differences. In new buildings, experts do not recommend using it: shrinkage of a freshly made wooden coating may occur.

When choosing a mixture, be careful, pay attention to its purpose: for a wooden base!

Work order

Such a coating can dry up to two days. It is desirable to exclude the occurrence of drafts, as well as cover the applied composition with a film of polyethylene. It is permissible to proceed to the final finishing no earlier than after a couple of weeks.

Wooden house: how to level the floor logs

Adjusting the log is well suited to eliminate maximum height differences. What is this method?

The wooden covering is completely removed from the base log.

Screws of a special device are inserted directly into the logs: they can be unscrewed and screwed in less or more.

By such manipulations, the position of the lags themselves is regulated, respectively, the position of the boards also changes.

The use of this method leaves the possibility of high-quality insulation. Insulating material is placed between the lags, after which the removed boards are returned to their place. It turns out a completely flat floor, which is easy to adjust in the future. If suddenly, due to some unfavorable factors, it changes its slope, the regulators located in the lags will allow you to easily and quickly get rid of such a defect.

disadvantage this method is that the screws are quite expensive and will take time to install. If the house has low walls, then do not forget that when using this method, the floor will rise by about 10 cm, that is, it will seem even lower. But there are also undoubted advantages.

If there are screws

wooden buildings are often adversely affected by changes in humidity and temperature, which can affect the angle of the boards.

If screws are installed in the lags, then with their help you can quickly and easily adjust the base.

Of course, you will have to work hard on pre-installing the screws, but screwing in is not such a difficult process.

All of these methods are quite suitable for leveling the floor in a private house. In each case, take into account individual characteristics specific building and its foundation. Based on these data and the preferences of the owners, as well as on the intended finish, the optimally suitable method is selected.