Plaster-based self-leveling floor

Gypsum self-leveling floor: which is better, composition

Gypsum is used in the construction and decoration of rooms with ancient times. Mentions about him can be found in historical documents that were dated to the 4th century BC. The material of natural origin is widely used even in our time, despite the fact that there are many new products of synthetic origin. Such a mineral is found even in the composition of building mixtures for a gypsum self-leveling floor.

It is the self-leveling floor that can serve to create a perfectly flat base surface, on which laminate, carpet, parquet or other decorative type covering will be laid.

They are made from special building mixtures that will correct such floor imperfections as drops, cracks and irregularities.

After the addition of water, the composition begins to harden, and therefore the installation process of the self-leveling floor will not take much time.

Self-leveling floor - what is it

Such a design is preferred for its excellent advantages over analogues, such as:

• No need to use specialized equipment. For uniform distribution of the composition, only a rule is required, and if it is not there, you can use spatulas for the self-leveling floor (squeegees) and beacons-benchmarks.
• Fast and easy process of creating flooring compound.

  Manufacturers usually place instructions on how to prepare the solution on the package.

• Saving money and time for leveling the floor. In order to exclude leaks, you only need to close up the joints of walls, floors, and even cracks.

So, let's consider what such floors are.

What can be self-leveling floors?

Mounting types of self-leveling floor mixtures are selected depending on where and for what purpose it will be used.

Taking into account such criteria, it is required to produce compositions for external and internal types of work, as well as universal ones. Self-leveling floors can be very different in composition:

• Gypsum, which is applied in a very thin layer (less than 4 cm).
• Cement-gypsum, in which the layer thickness is from 4 to 6 cm. They are able to quickly harden, but at the same time remain very durable.
• Made of high-strength cement, which is used to create a high-quality screed, and its thickness is from 2 to 10 cm.

Self-leveling gypsum-type floors are much cheaper than cement. Due to their affordability, they are popular among those who carry out repair work with their own hands. There are other differences between these types of materials.

1. The resistance to moisture from a gypsum-type floor is much less than that of a cement one. For this reason, in rooms with a high level of humidity, it is recommended to fill with a cement mixture.

2. Gypsum-based floors are much smoother than cement floors and are not prone to cracking. This helps make it more suitable for installing topcoats.
3. A self-leveling floor made of plaster is much easier to dismantle, and it also lends itself better to processing, for example, grinding.

Now let's talk about the parameters.

Details

Properties and composition of the floor based on the gypsum mixture

The composition of the plaster-type self-leveling floor is quite complex.

The installation work will be successful if you follow certain rules. First of all, this will be due to the fact that the composition will cure very quickly, and a number of actions are required in a short time in order to create a strong and even flooring.

Please note that self-leveling floor mixes may include specially modified gypsum that has a higher strength level. It will start to cure 6 minutes after being mixed with water. In this case, the mixture may begin to expand by about 1%.

The material has excellent heat-saving qualities, and from an environmental point of view, such a natural material is completely safe.

Below are the options for a plaster-based self-leveling floor. In addition to gypsum, the mixture contains the following components:

• Hardener.
• Fine dry sand.
• Foam absorbers that help improve the strength of the building material by preventing air bubbles.

• Dry adhesive for connecting particles in a mixture with each other.
• Plasticizers and pigments that help make the solution more plastic.

After purchase, it is recommended to apply the mixture until the expiration date, which, as a rule, is not more than 1 year. After this period, the composition may become unusable, and the flooring, which is made of it, will not correspond to the characteristics declared by the manufacturers. The bag with the mixture must be stored in a dry place.

Advantages and disadvantages of a self-leveling floor

Gypsum mixtures for mounting a self-leveling floor are excellent in that:

• Have the full natural environmentally friendly composition, and you can also use it in medical and children's organizations.
• Easy to apply - the technician has the opportunity to choose a manual or mechanized installation method.
• Cures quickly, minimizing repair time.
• Can be self-leveling after applying the mortar to the floor base.

Yes, there are enough pluses.

But keep in mind that there are also disadvantages:

• Awful combination with a tile finish. The adhesive for the tile base will release moisture to the plaster layer, and then the tile will begin to fall off.
• A small thickness of the gypsum layer, which is not recommended to be more than 3 cm.
• The terrible resistance of the floor to moisture, and this makes it undesirable to use it in bathrooms, kitchens and sanitary facilities.

As you can see, such floors are terribly combined with tiled floors.

What else is important to consider?

The best mixtures

There is a large selection of gypsum-type mixtures on the building materials market at the moment with different qualities to create a self-leveling floor. Preference should be given to popular and well-proven manufacturing companies.

Material consumption

Compositions for self-leveling gypsum floor, as a rule, are packaged in packages with a weight of 10-40 kg. In order to make a layer of screed with a thickness of 1 mm per 1 square meter of the base, you need from 1.4 to 1.

9 kg of the composition. It is recommended to make the flooring no thinner than 2 mm and no thicker than 10 cm. The production of a thick coating must be performed in several stages, and in this case, it is important to thoroughly dry the previous one before applying a new layer.

Preparatory stage of the material

Preparation works will include removal of debris and various types of dirt, as well as the removal of various stains with solvents, and crack sealing with a quick-drying agent. In the role of the latter, an epoxy type of putty can be used.

The plank floor needs to be repaired before pouring - replace the worn-out floorboards, tighten the fasteners, fill the cracks with a sealant or joiner's glue, which is mixed in equal volume with sawdust. Next, a layer of waterproofing is laid on the wood base. But the concrete floor needs to be repaired according to the existing rules, and cover with waterproofing only when arranging a floating floor. Experts recommend that before purchasing liquid leveling agents and finishing compositions, if they are poured onto a prepared base without a primary device of the base layer, read the instructions, and also find out whether the purchased composition is compatible with the base that you want to process.

Please note that a weak base or one that cannot be cleaned from bitumen / oil stains should be torn with insulating material - for example, a thin polyethylene film (100 microns thick).

Waterproofing will be very useful when laying self-leveling floors on a surface that has increased absorption properties. Make sure the floor is completely dry before pouring.

Step-by-step installation instructions

To create a gypsum self-leveling self-leveling floor, proceed as follows:

1. Prepare the base.
2. The tape must be installed around the entire perimeter of the room.
3. Unfold the polyethylene tape "skirt" that protects against leaks, and leave backing paper on top.

4. Pour 6.5 liters of clean water into the container.
5. Put the contents of the bag in there.
6. Mix everything with a construction mixer until smooth.
7. Pour the ready-made mortar from the far corner in the room.

8. Distribute and add a new portion of the mixture to the center and closer to the entrance. Drying time is 6 hours.

Now let's look at a few nuances.

Filling rules.A smooth and high-strength plaster floor of a self-leveling type will turn out if you follow these rules during its installation work:

• Making a screed in a room with an area of ​​more than 9 square meters needs to be divided into several stages, filling each time in a small separate area.

• It is important to constantly monitor layer-by-layer uniformity by benchmarks or by means of a building level.
• In order to make a solution, it is required to use pure tap water.
• It is required to fit in 1/2 hour in order to carry out all the measures for pouring a quickly drying coating.
• After the needle-type roller, the screed must be processed again with the rule in order to align, guided by the building level or benchmarks.
• Use a respirator, goggles and gloves when working.

Please note that the temperature inside the room in which the gypsum self-leveling floor is being installed should not be less than +5 degrees.

Setting and drying the plaster floor. In order to obtain a perfectly strong and even surface of a self-leveling gypsum floor, on which cracks will not appear, it is necessary to provide for this time the following conditions:

• No floor heating and drafts.
• The temperature of the base must be more than +5 degrees.
• The humidity level must be from 65%.

• The air temperature should be + 20… + 25 degrees.

The solution will begin to set in 1/2 hour after application and consists in compaction and hardening of the composition. This process lasts up to 4 hours, and after the screed will receive additional strength. Now you know which self-leveling floor is better (plaster or cement). The coating will gain the required strength only during the drying time, and lasts 1 week.

During this time, excess moisture will evaporate from the material. You can check if the floor is dry enough with a paper towel, which you want to cover with plastic wrap. If the napkin is not wet in 24 hours, then the screed can be considered well dried.

Recently, it has become more and more popular to make so-called 3D floors, and they are a topcoat, which consists of a film with an image applied to it, which is coated on top with a layer of colorless polymer with a hardener. Such a decorative, effective coating may well be applied to a plaster screed.

You will learn more about how to do this in the video.

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