How to cover the floors in an apartment. Replacing the wooden floor in the apartment with a concrete one. Dismantling of obsolete wood flooring

In old houses, where the floors were made of wood, the problem of squeaks and fragility of the coating occurs very often. The board will wear out, rot and dry out. Replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment looks rational. This can be done, including in old houses. The concrete floor has excellent strength, durability, it can be covered with laminate in full compliance with the technical requirements for this process.

Removing the old floor

Dismantling the old coating is the first step from which begins replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment. For this, standard tools are used: a sledgehammer, a crowbar, a crowbar.

Linoleum flooring is removed.
With the help of a tool, the coating is disassembled.
In the areas of entry of pipes and other communications, you should be especially careful.

After removing the old boards, access to the base is opened. In apartments, logs are laid on a reinforced concrete slab, often they are not even fixed. The space between them is filled with the remains of construction waste for sound insulation.

Everything needs to be removed. Garbage collection will require bags and a temporary storage area.

After the construction debris and dirt have been removed, the lags are evaluated. If the wood is in good condition, you can create a screed base over plywood or chipboard that will sit on the existing underlayment. But this will cause a rise in the floor level, so it is worth deciding which is better: to make a new coating on the logs, without insulation, or to remove the logs and form a layer of concrete over the floor slabs.

In practice, most apartment owners act according to the second option. The lags are dismantled. After that, you need to carefully assess the condition of the pipes - cold and hot water, sewage. If there is damage or signs of poor condition, the interfloor sector should be replaced immediately. Later, after the concrete floor has been created, the renovation will cause much more problems and time consuming.

Job List Evaluation

The slab freed from the floor, logs, construction debris and other dirt is examined. Level measurements are being made. A laser level will come in handy, which is used to determine the height difference and their character.

Several situations may arise:

the base is formed by several narrow slabs forming a “step”;
there is a trough-like shape or there is a bulge in the center of the room with a descent to the perimeter;
there is a uniform inclination of the base to one side or the other.

It is necessary not only to evaluate the work by the level of investment of funds, but also to plan as little screed weight as possible. For this, the concrete layer is made of a minimum thickness, placing it on a dump or lightweight mortar.

The procedure for assessing the work of the future floor with a large, from 70 mm difference in floor heights, looks like this:

the thickness of the concrete screed is 40-50 mm;
the rest of the space can be filled with class solution.

A cheaper way is to fill the rough surface with sand, but the mass of such a pillow will be significant. In practice, it is ideal to make a base of plywood, under which expanded clay is poured to level the level. This method of work gives at the same time a smooth, even surface under the screed, the rough filling has a low weight and provides some degree of additional sound insulation.

The base for the plywood screed can be made on logs from a small section bar. This is a convenient and fairly cheap way. The lags are laid along the floor, providing horizontal, while in the right places under them small supports are placed. After that, the free space is covered with expanded clay.

When filling the base with sand, it must be spilled with water and tamped thoroughly. It is not recommended to use a vibrating tool - neighbors below may have damage to the plaster finish or other troubles. After finishing the work, the sand should be allowed to dry for a couple of days.

The difference whether a wooden or concrete floor is located on the intermediate floor is in the mass of the coating. Although, not only in this. About this video:

A little about very old houses

In houses where there is no reinforced concrete interfloor overlap, there is one way to replace the wooden floor with a concrete screed: build a rough covering from plywood or chipboard. Some advise you to repair your existing wood floor or add additional flooring.

However, in practice, such work takes a lot of time, money, requires replacing destroyed areas, removing old paint and other coatings to assess the condition of the boards.

Therefore, proceed as follows:

all floor boards are removed;
in houses with overlapping beams or a metal profile between the floor and the ceiling of the lower floor, construction waste is poured for sound insulation. All this must be removed;
the state of the lag is assessed. If it is bad, they are removed. If good, the logs are cleaned, treated with anti-mold, antibacterial agents and fixed in such a way as to guarantee the evenness of the plywood or chipboard flooring.

The preparation of the base for the screed begins with filling expanded clay into the interfloor overlap on beams or I-beams. This layer will have a low weight and good sound insulation. Filling is done up to the upper level of the log. After that, plywood or chipboard is laid and act in the same way as in an apartment.

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

After the rough base for the screed is ready, they begin to create a waterproofing layer. For this, the following can be applied:

roofing material or glassine;
bitumen roll insulators based on fiberglass or fiberglass;
polymer film;
one-sided vapor-permeable membrane.

Before spreading the waterproofing roll, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. For this, the entire perimeter of the room is glued with a special construction tape. After that, it is coated with cold-type bitumen mastic. Some formulations will take time to dry, so you should warn your neighbors in advance about the need to tolerate an unpleasant smell.

After the mastic has hardened, the perimeter is glued with a damper construction tape 20 mm thick and a roll-up waterproofer can be spread. The strips of material are placed with an overlap of 10-15 cm, each next strip is on the previous one. Around the perimeter of the room, the waterproofer should be 10-15 cm on the walls.

The seams are processed as follows:

when using a polymer film, the area of the edge of the strip located on the previous one is glued with wide tape;
Roofing material and other bitumen-containing materials are thoroughly heated with a construction hairdryer along the joint zone and rolled with a roller for gluing.

It is not recommended to use materials of a floating class in an apartment. They require treatment with a kerosene burner, which can be a problem in limited space and ventilation.

Roll-up waterproofers on a self-adhesive basis will speed up the work. They are more expensive, but will significantly speed up your flooring.

After the waterproofer is laid, the insulation is placed on it. This stage of work is performed if a heated floor heating system is being built. In other cases, it is not necessary to use thermal insulation.

Reinforcement laying

classic, laying a steel mesh with a mesh size of 5 cm on the floor with a gap of 10 mm to a heater or waterproofing material;
using plastic reinforcing meshes;
adding special fibers to the solution.

An aluminum netting can also be placed inside the screed. But the leader in convenience and rationality is the method with the use of fibers. This will allow:

do not worry about the presence of a compensation gap to the waterproofer or insulation;
lay underfloor heating system inside the screed;
work at high speed.

Fibers for reinforcing the screed are affordable and can be used to ensure uniform strength of the concrete layer. But when constructing a floor not on a reinforced concrete floor slab, it is recommended to act in the classical way, using a reinforcing mesh.

Installation of beacons

Beacons on the floor on a prepared surface are easy to install: special profiles or a corner for decorating corners when plastering are placed on small mounds of plaster putty. The evenness of the surface formed by the upper points is checked using a long building level.

If the base is poorly prepared and there is a difference in levels in the hotel areas of the area, the height of the mounds from the putty varies. It is necessary to place beacons at a distance of 40-50 cm, directing them along a line from window to door. Parts cannot be moved until the putty has completely solidified and the beacons are securely fixed.

Solution preparation

If you want to replace the wooden floor with a concrete screed and at the same time worry less about the pressure on the floor, you can use ready-made building mixtures. For example, KREISEL 440, 441, MZ150, allowing you to create a layer up to 70 mm with a minimum of 35 mm. In this case, you do not need to stir the dry mixture - the composition is immediately ready for adding water.

The standard approach is to apply a classic cement-sand screed. To prepare it you will need:

1 part of cement grade m400;
3 parts of sifted building sand;
0.1 parts of lime dough, which acts as a plasticizer;
fibers for reinforcement in the amount recommended by the manufacturer.

Before mixing with water, the dry mixture must be thoroughly mixed until a uniformly colored composition is formed. After that, they begin to add liquid, continuing to stir until the consistency of thick sour cream is obtained.

Recommendation: for quick and high-quality work, you should prepare a large amount of dry mix in advance. As needed, you can quickly dilute it with water. If you measure out equal parts of the composition, it is easy to navigate the amount of liquid required and prepare the solution extremely quickly.

Screed laying

The screed is laid from the window or far wall to the door. The solution is laid out in large portions and leveled with a long rule along the beacons. There are no difficulties during work, you just need to act quickly so that the solution does not set and is easily smoothed. It is recommended to install the screed together. One is engaged in the preparation of the solution, the second is in its application.

Topcoat creation

In an apartment I want to achieve maximum strength and at the same time -. To do this, you can act in several ways:

sand the floor with sandpaper;
apply special polymer compounds or paint with concrete paint;
iron the surface of the screed after 3-4 days, when partial solidification occurs;
form a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

If you plan to lay tiles on the floor, you can do without additional surface development. For laminate or linoleum coverings, it is recommended to carry out. The most expensive self-leveling floor allows you not only to get a smooth and even surface, but also to create an effective final coating. For example, the popular 3D floor or graphics.

The question of creating the final coating should be considered in advance. The self-leveling floor will raise the overall level by about 30 mm, a similar situation with ceramic tiles. However, finalization can be seen as a secondary measure. As for the concrete floor itself, subject to the above rules and techniques, after complete drying in 2-3 weeks, you can create a very strong, durable coating for an acceptable cost of money and time.

How to replace old wood floors in your kitchen with alternative tiled floors

In some of the old apartments, it is still preserved, which is already creaking, failing, the owners are tired of the order. The best way out is to replace it with a tiled one. This coating is more practical, durable and modern.

The tile is very well suited for the kitchen, there are many types, shades, you can create many patterns with it. Considering that tiles are quite cheap and do not require a lot of skill to lay them on the floor, they are a good replacement for an outdated and partially damaged wood floor. There are several ways to do this.

Surface preparation for tiles without removing the wood covering

One way to replace the cover is to lay the tiles on a wooden floor. To ensure sufficient quality of the tiled flooring you need. It is not recommended to attach it to the old base. Such a coating will not last long. Therefore, a solid, rigid foundation must be created between it and the new surface.

But first you need to assess the condition of the wood flooring, and then proceed with the preparation of the base for the new floor.

Types of intermediate coatings

There are several ways to create a tile base.

Covering from liquid glass

Then comes a layer of latex, on which the masking net is laid, fixed with self-tapping screws.
After that, a solution is poured, consisting of two-fifths of liquid glass, the same amount of sand and one-fifth of water.
After drying, a primer is laid on this base.

Cement strainer

On a grid laid out on the floor, up to half a centimeter thick. You can use a special one. Such a screed makes the floor very heavier. It is not recommended to do it on a loosely fitted wooden base. You can also adopt a fiberglass mesh, secured with staples and a stapler or by pressing on it during the screed.
The dry mixture is stirred with water with a drill with a nozzle.
Then it is applied with a spatula, after drying, it is sanded.
Not earlier than a day later, in possible places of deformation, the leveled layer is cut, filling these seams with a special elastic mixture.

Dry screed

When using this technology, a coating of compressed gypsum with the addition of cellulose is laid on the waterproofing. This material is akin to drywall, but stronger than it.

In damp rooms, moisture-resistant modifications of the material are used, in addition to them, cement-bonded particle boards are used.

The plates are laid and fixed with self-tapping screws in a checkerboard pattern, making sure that their borders are not in one line. Moreover, they should not coincide with the cracks in the wooden covering.
The joints are filled with mastic or special glue.
Between the wall and this surface, gaps are made, sealed with polyurethane foam.
Then a special primer is applied to the prepared base.

Laying tiles on a prepared wooden floor

The general principle when laying tiles on any substrate is its needs. Taking into account the method of laying, the joining of elements to each other, the location, size of the plates and other factors, a detailed laying drawing is drawn up, thanks to which the amount of tiles and glue is calculated. This takes into account the fact that some of the materials will be cut off due to the observance of a certain pattern. In addition, a small amount of tiles should be kept in reserve in case of repairs.

It is important to decide where the installation will start from. In large rooms that are not cluttered with furniture, equipment and other things, it is better to lay the tiles from the center, while the pattern looks advantageous. In small rooms, only a small space near the door is usually free. Therefore, the pattern is selected exactly there, and in other places you can install tile trims.

In addition, it is necessary to decide on which option to lay the material - with or without seams. According to the second option, soft tiles are laid, since ceramic plates located in this way can peel off during deformation of the house. In addition, the slabs must not be brought closer to the walls than half a centimeter. It is best to fill this gap with a sealant.

To lay tiles on a wooden base, you need:

special glue;
drill with attachment - for mixing liquid mixtures;
notched trowel;
level;
rubber hammer.

During installation, the mixed adhesive is spread evenly under the first row of tiles with a spatula. Each of the tiles is applied with pressure and compacted with a hammer. At the intersections of the four tiles, plastic crosses are placed to keep the same seams. Each row is measured by a level.

Laying ceramic tiles (video)

Dismantling the wooden floor

A complete replacement of a wooden floor with a tiled one begins with the removal of the skirting board. To do this, you need: a nail puller and a screwdriver. PVC skirting boards are relatively easy to remove. Wooden skirting boards nailed to the floor are best removed from the corner. Use a screwdriver to pry the plank, then with a nail puller with a gasket placed under it to avoid damaging the walls, tear off the entire plinth.
Dismantling the boards is performed with the same nail puller, crowbar, pliers, or any saw or hacksaw. The boards are nailed to the logs. The first plank, located against the wall, is pried off with a nailer. The rest are removed with a crowbar, hammer and screwdriver. Pliers are used to pull out bent nails. It is easier to dismantle wood flooring with a circular saw. At the same time, cuts are made in the middle, pieces of boards are pryed off with a crowbar.
The main thing is not to get on the nail head. Boards, fixed with self-tapping screws, are first freed from fasteners with screwdrivers. After that, the logs are removed, sawing them, like the boards, in the middle. If they go to the next room, then near the threshold they are drilled and neatly broken off.
The insulation is also removed and it is checked whether it is suitable for reuse.

After dismantling the boardwalk, beacons are installed - guides that coincide with the horizontal markings along the perimeter of the walls, applied using a level.

Beacons are corners, tubes, bars on stands.

How to level a wooden floor (video)

Surface preparation and tiling

The space between the lighthouses is filled with expanded clay, not reaching their top by 5-10 cm. This is done so that the level of the new coating is in the same place as before.
Next, a liquid solution is poured, preventing expanded clay from floating up.
After waiting for the solution to dry completely, make a screed, starting from the window.
The finished surface hardens for almost a month. At the same time, they do not allow the top layer of the screed to dry out, spraying it with water as needed.

The tiles are laid on special glue.

The method of laying is similar to laying on a wooden base:

The glue is spread in a layer of 3 mm with a trowel, leveling with a notched trowel.
Then they lay the tiles, checking the correctness of this operation with the level.
Excess glue protruding in the seams is immediately removed, preventing it from drying out.
Plastic crosses are placed between the tiles.
After the glue is completely dry, rub a special grout between the tiles with a rubber spatula.
When the surface is completely dry, remove traces of the mixture with a damp cloth and install the skirting boards.

Replacing the wooden base

Dismantling the old coating is the first step from which begins replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment. For this, standard tools are used: a sledgehammer, a crowbar, a crowbar.

Linoleum flooring is removed.
With the help of a tool, the coating is disassembled.
In the areas of entry of pipes and other communications, you should be especially careful.

Everything needs to be removed. Garbage collection will require bags and a temporary storage area.

Dismantling the wooden floor

Job List Evaluation

Several situations may arise:

the base is formed by several narrow slabs forming a "step";
there is a trough-like shape or there is a bulge in the center of the room with a descent to the perimeter;
there is a uniform inclination of the base to one side or the other.

The procedure for assessing the work of the future floor with a large, from 70 mm difference in floor heights, looks like this:

the thickness of the concrete screed is 40-50 mm;
the rest of the space can be filled with a solution of expanded clay-concrete class.

The difference whether a wooden or concrete floor is located on the intermediate floor is in the mass of the coating. Although, not only in this. About this video:

A little about very old houses

However, in practice, such work takes a lot of time, money, requires replacing destroyed areas, removing old paint and other coatings to assess the condition of the boards.

Therefore, proceed as follows:

all floor boards are removed;
in houses with overlapping beams or a metal profile between the floor and the ceiling of the lower floor, construction waste is poured for sound insulation. All this must be removed;
the state of the lag is assessed. If it is bad, they are removed. If good, the logs are cleaned, treated with anti-mold, antibacterial agents and fixed in such a way as to guarantee the evenness of the plywood or chipboard flooring.

Screed base

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

After the rough base for the screed is ready, they begin to create a waterproofing layer. For this, the following can be applied:

roofing material or glassine;
bitumen roll insulators based on fiberglass or fiberglass;
polymer film;
one-sided vapor-permeable membrane.

The seams are processed as follows:

when using a polymer film, the area of the edge of the strip located on the previous one is glued with wide tape;
Roofing material and other bitumen-containing materials are thoroughly heated with a construction hairdryer along the joint zone and rolled with a roller for gluing.

It is not recommended to use materials of a floating class in an apartment. They require treatment with a kerosene burner, which can be a problem in limited space and ventilation.

Roll-up waterproofers on a self-adhesive basis will speed up the work. They are more expensive, but will significantly speed up your flooring.

Waterproofing concrete floor

Reinforcement laying

classic, laying a steel mesh with a mesh size of 5 cm on the floor with a gap of 10 mm to a heater or waterproofing material;
using plastic reinforcing meshes;
adding special fibers to the solution.

An aluminum netting can also be placed inside the screed. But the leader in convenience and rationality is the method with the use of fibers. This will allow:

do not worry about the presence of a compensation gap to the waterproofer or insulation;
lay underfloor heating system inside the screed;
work at high speed.

Mesh reinforcement

Installation of beacons

Solution preparation

The standard approach is to apply a classic cement-sand screed. To prepare it you will need:

1 part of cement grade m400;
3 parts of sifted building sand;
0.1 parts of lime dough, which acts as a plasticizer;
fibers for reinforcement in the amount recommended by the manufacturer.

Recommendation: for quick and high-quality work, you should prepare a large amount of dry mix in advance. As needed, you can quickly dilute it with water. If you measure out equal parts of the composition, it is easy to navigate the amount of liquid required and prepare the solution extremely quickly.

Screed laying

Topcoat creation

In the apartment, you want to achieve maximum strength and at the same time - the aesthetics of the concrete floor covering. To do this, you can act in several ways:

sand the floor with sandpaper;
apply special polymer compounds or paint with concrete paint;
iron the surface of the screed after 3-4 days, when partial solidification occurs;
form a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

If you plan to lay tiles on the floor, you can do without additional surface development. For laminate or linoleum coatings, ironing is recommended. The most expensive self-leveling floor allows you not only to get a smooth and even surface, but also to create an effective final coating. For example, the popular 3D floor or graphics.

Topcoat option

delaypol.com

Replacing the floor in the apartment: the intricacies of repair - School floor

Replacing the floor in an apartment with your own hands will significantly save your budget.

Moreover, understanding the intricacies of such a process will be useful even if you hire specialists for repairs.

Work is in full swing

Prerequisites

If the replacement of the old floor in the apartment was carried out in the next ten years, then so far there is no point in worrying about this. Unless you are already tired of its appearance, and the budget allows you to update the premises.

But in the case when the replacement of the floors in the apartment has not been carried out since the construction of the building, it is necessary to carefully check their condition and, if necessary, take measures.

Repair is urgently needed

Obvious external signs of the need for replacement are:

creak of boards;
sagging of floorboards;
the occurrence of cracks.

A closer inspection may reveal rotten or cracked boards.

Advice: on the old floor that has not been repaired, you should not lay linoleum or other decorative coating on top, because any new finishing layer will quickly deteriorate on the decayed rough layer.

Since all the prerequisites for repairing the base are present, then we will consider two ways to solve the problem:

Complete or partial replacement of the wood flooring.
Replacing the wooden floor with a concrete one in the apartment.

Installation work

Which method to choose depends on the degree of disrepair of the old floor and what kind of coating you are going to use in the future. Let's analyze them in more detail.

Wood floor restoration

Dismantling the surface

If, when examining the boards, you come to the conclusion that the base is quite in order, and only the upper floorboards have fallen into decay, then you can limit yourself only to repairing or replacing the boards.

The following instructions will help you with this:

We remove all traces of paint or varnish from the coating.

Tip: Use a sander to clean the boards, this will greatly improve the result and make your work easier.

We examine the boards for signs of decay, cracks and other deformations. All rejected products must be replaced with new ones.

External signs of decay

We examine the fastening of the floorboards to the joists. Old fastenings with nails should be secured for reliability with self-tapping screws.
With wood putty, we process all possible small cracks and grooves, leveling the surface as much as possible.
If the crack is more than five millimeters, we drive a specially prepared wooden wedge into it.
After finishing with putty, we go through it again with a grinder.
We carry out dry and wet cleaning of the premises.
We cover the floor with paint, varnish or any other desired coating.

Replacement of boards is over

If more than 50% of the covering material is unusable, feel free to remove and discard the entire covering. It will be more profitable to carry out a complete replacement of the boards. Moreover, today the manufacturer offers special products for such work with a tongue-and-groove, as shown in the figure:

Photo boards with tongue

This structure of the grooved board allows you to make the surface of the new floor without through gaps, which, of course, will significantly improve functionality and durability.

Replacing a wooden floor in an apartment with your own hands is quite simple. The use of quality dry wood and the correct execution of the work give you at least a ten-year guarantee on a new coating.

Preparation process

Two reasons can push you to decide on the complete removal of the tree and pouring concrete with your own hands:

Complete disrepair of the old coating, including the subfloor.
Desire to use expensive exterior coating material such as tiles, parquet, laminate and others.

The most basic in using this method is the ability to create a smooth and even surface. If you lack the skills, it might be worth considering hiring professionals for the job. Although the price of repairs will then be higher.

Filling can be done in three ways:

Use a prepared cement-sand mixture (DSP) for the screed.
Use leveling agents - dry cement mixture.
Make a "dry screed" with gypsum fiber sheets.

We will carry out preparatory work:

We remove absolutely all the old coating.
We remove all construction waste, freeing up the old screed or tile floor.
We put a plastic film as a moisture barrier.

Waterproofing in front of the screed

We glue the damper tape around the perimeter. It compensates for shrinkage of the coating and increases reliability.
We install beacons for the direction.
To level a particularly curved surface, cover it with expanded clay or sand.

An example of using expanded clay

In case of strengthening the reliability of the floor, we mount a steel mesh.

Reinforced mesh will enhance the strength of the concrete pavement

Ready mixes harden faster, up to 10 days, and even self-level. This makes the work much easier, but also increases the cost. Although if you do everything yourself and have already saved on hired work, then this is a completely profitable option.

The dry screed is quick, easy and clean. But it's expensive. The choice is yours.

The process of creating floors with a dry screed

Output

If the floors in it have not changed since the acquisition of the apartment, then this, most likely, must already be done. However, creaking boards probably remind of this.

Depending on your budget, you can choose different ways to replace the wooden floor in the apartment. You can carry out a partial replacement of boards and a complete one, you can generally change the tree to concrete and, again, using different methods. It all depends on your financial capabilities.

Ready for finishing

The video in this article will guide you through additional material.

One high-quality floor repair will save you from the constant squeak and fear of failing one day for 10-20 years. Make up your mind!

shkolapola.ru

How to replace wooden floors in an apartment with concrete, reasons and sequence of work

If a wooden floor is constantly exposed to dynamic loads, temperature changes and moisture, this will eventually lead to deformation and destruction. Then, in the best case, it will be necessary to repair the coating. But if the boards have undergone severe destruction and rotted, then there is only one way out - to replace the old coating with a new one.

Concrete becomes an alternative to the wooden floor in the apartment; its installation is carried out on an old screed or on a new one. Laying a concrete floor indoors requires the dismantling of the wooden covering and careful preparation of the old sub-base on which the screed is to be made.

Replacing a wooden floor is not an easy job, but it cannot be called overly difficult either. You can cope with this task on your own, if you have a desire. This work consists of a number of stages, each of them is important and determines the quality and service life of the future coating.

In addition, there are many more nuances that must be taken into account when removing the old coating and installing a new one. Much attention must be paid to the quality of the concrete base screed. In order for you to fully imagine the laboriousness of such work, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself in more detail with each stage of the repair to replace the old wooden floor with a new concrete coating.

Reasons for replacing the old floor with another floor material

The reasons for replacing wood flooring with concrete flooring are different, but the main ones are the following:

The wooden covering in the room does not meet the operational standards. Planks may not be able to withstand stress, even if they are in very good condition.
The condition of the wooden floors is too poor. There are large gaps between the floorboards, the wood rots and collapses, when walking on the floor, the floor emits unpleasant squeaks. These reasons most often force apartment owners to repair or completely dismantle the old base.

Old boards need to be replaced

The building is planned to be overhauled. In this case, many are replacing the flooring with a stronger base.

Replacing the flooring is a difficult job that requires special skills, so if you are not sure that you can repair or dismantle the old floor yourself and lay the concrete base, then it is better not to experiment, but immediately entrust these tasks to professionals. Because if you pour the concrete mortar incorrectly and make a poor-quality screed, this will negatively affect the quality of the future floor.

Why concrete floor?

Among all types of flooring, a concrete floor screed is chosen for a number of reasons:

high strength characteristics;
long operating time of the concrete screed;
reliability;
environmental friendliness;
the possibility of installation on a screed of any floor coverings: carpet, linoleum, laminate, parquet.
Low cost of the material, unlike other types of flooring.

There are many other advantages that a concrete floor screed has. You can talk about them for a long time, but even the advantages listed above are enough to understand that today it is the best alternative to a wooden floor in an apartment. But in order for such a floor to serve for a long time and become a reliable basis for the installation of floor material, it is worth adhering to the technology of its installation, and it consists of several stages.

Attention! When repairing and dismantling a wooden floor, it is recommended to use protective goggles and a respirator mask, because such work will entail a lot of dirt and dust, harmful to the eyes and lungs.

Dismantling the wooden floor

If you are interested in the question of whether it is possible to carry out repairs in the apartment with the replacement of wooden flooring with a concrete floor, the answer is yes. First, the wooden floor laid in the room is dismantled, this step will allow you to get to the lower floors. However, keep in mind that during dismantling, debris and dust are formed, and the work itself is noisy, so make repairs so as not to disturb your neighbors. It is better if there is an assistant who will help you to tear off the boards, take out the trash, make mortar, and so on.

Before proceeding with the repair and dismantling of the old coating, prepare the tool:

hammer;
saw;
axe;
nail puller.

Dismantling starts from any part of the room, but it is more convenient to act from the front door. If the wood flooring is in poor condition, you can leave only the whole elements and discard the rest. Good material will come in handy for some other purpose and ancillary operations.

Dismantling begins with removing the skirting boards. After that, they begin to remove the old coating and the rough flooring, which is located under the floor. If there is an old insulation, it is also removed, the base is thoroughly cleaned of debris.

Removing the old flooring

Concrete floor device

Now that the old coating has been removed, you can start installing the concrete floor.

Sequencing:

A waterproofing layer is installed.
Insulation is laid.
Installation of reinforcing mesh and damper tape is in progress.
This whole cake is poured with concrete. The solution layer is 10 - 12 centimeters.

Concrete floor arrangement diagram

The whole process of work includes several stages:

Installation of a waterproofing layer. In the role of waterproofing, bituminous hot mastic is used or a material with water-repellent properties is laid. If the water-repellent material is in a roll form, during installation, make sure that its edges protrude slightly above the floor level. Those places where individual sheets are connected to each other are coated with mastic.

Waterproofing layer

When the waterproofing is installed, a thermal insulation board is installed on top of it. Such a heat insulator will help save on screed creation, since it will require less mortar. In addition, such a step will improve the thermal insulation in the room and reduce heating costs. In addition, a plate heat insulator also improves sound insulation, which is important if you live in a multi-storey building.

Laying the insulation board

At the next stage of the repair, the reinforcing mesh is installed. For the convenience of laying it, you can use beacons, and use welding or wire to fix it. A damper tape is attached around the perimeter of the room.
Now it was the turn of the solution. First, a solution is prepared for a concrete screed, then it is laid out on the floor surface and leveled, starting from the middle to the corners of the room.

Pouring concrete floor

When the solution is evenly distributed over the surface of the base, it is left to dry. The term depends on the thickness of the layer.
After moisture comes out of the concrete, a screed is made from a self-leveling mixture on top. The repair of the floor has been completed, it remains only to lay the topcoat.

If the work is done correctly, as a result of the repair you will get a reliable concrete base for the installation of floor material. To better understand how floor replacement repairs are performed. and how to make a screed, watch the video presented here:

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How to replace a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment?

Sooner or later, it is necessary to replace the wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment located on the ground floor. This is primarily due to the increased humidity levels. This is especially true for houses that are built in climatic zones where heavy rains often occur. Over time, wooden boards begin to creak and sag, which gives the owners of the apartment great discomfort.

Tools and materials

The best option for sub-flooring in a ground-floor apartment is concrete.

He is not at all afraid of moisture and is quite resistant to all kinds of mechanical damage. In addition, if necessary, such a floor can be insulated without problems. But in order to get the job done quickly and efficiently, you should take care of the necessary tools. So, you will definitely need:

scrap and trowel, which will serve as a tool for the complete dismantling of the old cover from wooden logs;
slag, high quality cement, fine gravel, expanded clay and dry sand;
large container for solution and a bucket;
large meter and chalk for marking;
level;
large size plastic wrap;
materials for heat and waterproofing;
gloves, face shield and suit;
rule;
wooden stick for stirring the solution.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of cement for the formation of the concrete base of the floor. It is better not to spare money and spend money on a good brand of cement. So the floor will serve for a very long time, while not allowing the communications that will be laid to deteriorate.

Preparation of the base

Replacing a wooden floor in an apartment involves dismantling the old base. The wooden joists must be carefully dismantled. First, boards are removed that are completely rotten and destroyed. At the same time, one should not forget that if more than half of the coating is damaged, it is better to dismantle even a few of the remaining good boards. But if most of the subfloor is almost as good as new, good planks can be left. It is only recommended to further strengthen them.

After the lags are removed, you need to clean the room of debris. It is very important that the floor is free of not only large debris, but also dust. This is the only way to ensure the most durable adhesion of the cement to the base surface.

Now we need to take care of communications. So, if necessary, all pipes, cables and cords are immediately laid. If it is supposed to make a warm floor, then you should not lay it on the surface yet. This is done much later, before the final screed.

Now you need to lay out the initial base for the floor. First, fine gravel or crushed stone is poured in a layer of about 7-10 cm. After that, about 5-7 cm of sand is poured, everything is leveled using a long straight rule. Next, you can lay a layer of waterproofing, and then thermal insulation. There are 2 options here: use separate materials or buy an expensive film that will simultaneously protect from moisture and help keep the apartment warm.

It is strongly not recommended to use insulation coating materials. It is best to give preference to special films, having calculated the required area before buying. At the same time, the installation is carried out quite easily with your own hands, if you follow the diagram in the instructions.

Main fill

Now you need to make a concrete solution for pouring. It needs to be thick enough. Usually, sand and cement are taken in equal proportions, then a little water is added. In this case, the solution should be constantly stirred so as not to overflow the water.

It is necessary to make a layer of concrete about 10 cm. This thickness is considered optimal if the level of humidity in the apartment is high. This will greatly improve the microclimate. But if the ceilings in the apartment are low, which does not allow making the thickest screed possible, you can reduce the thickness to 6-7 cm.

After that, you should wait until the concrete has completely hardened, and then pour fine gravel onto the base of the floor and carefully level it over the entire surface. On top of the rubble, it is necessary to put a dense plastic wrap, which will serve as additional protection against moisture. And the floor will be warmer as a result.

Now you will need to lay out the slats on the floor. It is best to use ordinary long thin wooden planks for this. It is recommended to strictly maintain equal distances between them, and also to ensure that their ends are strictly adjacent to the walls along the perimeter. Above the slats, pull a cord along the walls, which will determine the maximum height of the final concrete screed. Ideally, the cord should stretch exactly over the slats on the floor.

It is necessary to knead a thick solution in a large container, and then gradually fill the strips between the slats with it. When one strip is half-filled with the solution, it is necessary to level the layer using a long flat board or a special rule, then proceed to the final filling, leveling everything again. It is recommended to pour the mortar at the very corners so that there are no voids as a result.

In this way, each strip is poured. When everything is ready, the solution will have time to set a little. And then you need to remove the slats and fill the remaining voids with a solution, again carefully distributing and leveling it. It is recommended to remove the strips gradually: after every 2 strips are filled, remove them one by one.

Now completely moisten the subfloor with a spray bottle and cover it with plastic wrap. This will ensure the fastest hardening of the concrete and at the same time fix it as much as possible. After the main layer has set, it remains only to apply a leveling thin screed.

The screed is also applied on wooden battens. But in this case, it is already recommended to use thinner boards. Everything is done in the same way as the main fill, while you only need to use a special composition, which is sold ready-made. It contains special polymers that will protect the floor for a long time. Drying of the final coat is about 4 weeks.

As a rule, it is recommended to replace a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment using the proposed method on the ground floor. Indeed, in other cases, it will not be possible to change the floor level by several layers of screed. But such a replacement of the wooden floor with concrete flooring will most reliably protect the room from dampness.

Replacing floors in a house or apartment is carried out for various reasons. The most common examples are the need to install sound and heat insulation, a decision was made to install a "warm" floor, the coating was deformed, the boards began to creak or the humidity coming from the basement increased, I just wanted something modern and new.

Be that as it may, you will have to do a huge job, consisting of several stages. Much during material replacement depends on what material the old floors are made of and how you plan to see the new flooring. Moreover, you need to think over an additional function that would increase noise and heat insulation, as well as provide more reliable protection for the apartment.

So that the complexity of the upcoming work does not come as a surprise to you, you need to find out not only how much it costs to replace floors, but also familiarize yourself with the main stages of upcoming events.

Dismantling the floor

This process is one of the most unpleasant. But no matter how scary it is, you simply cannot do without such an occupation, and therefore you should boldly take up work.

If the old floor in the apartment is wooden, then there will be no big difficulties and problems with its dismantling. For work, you need to prepare all the necessary tools, such as a hammer with a nail driver, an ax, a pry bar, a screwdriver, an electric saw or a jigsaw for cutting old boards (if you do not plan to reuse them), a shovel and garbage bags.

How is the dismantling of the old wooden floor going?

First of all, you need to get rid of the skirting boards by removing them around the entire perimeter of the room, and only then you can start dismantling the plank covering.

If you plan to re-lay the boards or use them as logs, then you must remove them carefully, trying not to cause serious damage to them. Therefore, use a nail puller to carefully pull out all the nails. If the boards were fixed with self-tapping screws, then this process will not cause any difficulty - most often they can be unscrewed with a screwdriver.

If you do not plan to use the boards in the future, it is better to take them out of the apartment immediately. It is not worth collecting a heap of garbage, as it will interfere with subsequent actions. It is also worth doing with other elements that will definitely not be useful for you for installation work.

Having freed up space, you can start dismantling the log. It is important to remember that they can be securely anchored to the floor and must be removed carefully, taking care not to damage the substrate. Otherwise, you will add yourself additional work and expenses that will go towards sealing the holes formed.

When you free the room from the old coating, it is necessary to thoroughly clean it, as far as the base, of course, allows. After completing this procedure, you can begin preparing the floor for installation work.

Dismantling a wooden floor: video

Dismantling the concrete floor

Removing the old concrete pavement is a last resort as it lends itself well to repair. Drastic measures are taken only if the old cement pavement cannot be preserved. For example, it was constantly exposed to moisture without regular drying. In such a situation, mold and fungus could form in the concrete layers, which can cause effects on the health of residents - asthma, allergies, lung diseases, rhinitis and others. Naturally, it is simply necessary to dismantle such a coating.

Another reason for dismantling is the low ceilings in the apartment. If you are going to install a floor with insulation, then be prepared for the fact that it will become higher, and the coating must be removed in order to make room for a sound and heat insulating structure.

If you are planning to dispose of the screed, make sure it is placed on the concrete floor slab and follow this procedure with extreme caution.

It is better to use a hammer drill to remove the screed layer. With its help, its individual pieces are removed. Typically, such a leveling layer for the board is between 50 and 120 mm.

When the old screed is removed, cleaning activities must also be performed. However, in this option, it is unlikely that it will be possible to make perfect cleaning, but you will have to make every effort.

Preparatory work

In order for the new flooring to be laid with high quality, it is necessary to bring the cleaned base from the old floor to the proper condition.

Carefully remove all dust from the surface. This is done in order to detect serious flaws in the base (holes, cracks, crevices, areas of discoloration or delamination, places where concrete has become saturated with certain compounds, or where traces of mold and dampness were visible).

If you find them, they need to be well sealed, otherwise they can reduce the effect of sound and thermal insulation. This can be done with polyurethane foam, cement mortar or sealant. It is necessary to make a choice of repair materials, starting from the size of the damaged base. In case of mold or mildew formation, the base must be impregnated with special aseptic compounds.

Once the base is dry, the following preparation steps are carried out, which will depend on what kind of flooring is being made instead of the old one. For this reason, these processes should be considered in conjunction with the installation of each type of floor.

But keep in mind that even if instead of the dismantled screed you are going to install a wooden floor, the surface will have to be leveled with a new concrete coating (a small layer).

Making a new screed

You can perform a new screed in different ways. If the base is more or less even, and a wooden covering is laid on top of it, then put it in perfect order by making a self-leveling floor. One of the best options would be to pour a self-leveling coating.

Self-leveling coating can hide small flaws or drops in the base. To do this, you will need a ready-made dry building mixture intended for a self-leveling floor.

You can familiarize yourself with the technology for preparing the solution on the package, and it must be strictly followed. Then the finished solution must be poured over the surface, then spread with a wide spatula or squeegee, and then pierced with a needle roller to release the remaining air bubbles.

The leveled floor must be left to dry to gain strength. All compounds are characterized by their maturation period, depending on the components from which the building mixture is prepared.

Then, on the leveled floor, you can:

put a thin insulation and lay a decorative covering;

to equip plywood covering with laying of a special film of infrared warm floor;

lay a wooden floor on the installed joists.

Screed with expanded clay insulation

The second type of screed is laid directly on expanded clay, which is a high-quality sound insulator and insulation. Moreover, the material is quite light, which means it will not weigh down the interfloor overlap, which should be taken into account when performing a screed in an apartment. Moreover, the very process of laying this screed is as follows.

If the screed is performed on the ground floor, located above the cold basement, then first of all, waterproofing is done. Its installation is carried out in various ways: cast, plastering, painting, pasting and others. It is applied not just to the floors, but also to the lower part of the walls, to a previously primed surface.

On a previously prepared waterproofing surface, a dense polyethylene film is laid, overlapping the walls by 20 cm. The sheets of film should be glued to each other using special tape.

Further, on top of the film, a damper tape is attached around the perimeter of the room, which helps to keep the screed intact during strong temperature changes.

Further, on top of the film, leveling beacons are installed. Usually they are fixed to concrete mortar. In this case, the height of the beacons must correspond to the height of the expanded clay layer to be filled in + the planned thickness of the screed.

Then expanded clay is poured in a layer slightly below the installed beacons and is well leveled.

Then, a concrete solution is poured over the expanded clay, which is leveled over the top of the beacons.

When the screed dries out, it will most likely settle somewhat; it can be decorated with a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

Further on top of this structure, any decorative flooring is laid.

Screed without insulation

An ordinary concrete mortar screed is made to strengthen the floor for further wooden flooring or on the floors of an apartment building, where insulation is not required.

A special damper tape is glued around the entire perimeter of the walls.

On top of the laid waterproofing film, you need to lay a reinforcing mesh (fiberglass or metal), and then install beacons that are leveled in the horizontal plane.

Thus, the entire room is poured and leveled, after which the screed is left for 3-4 weeks, during which time it will harden and mature.

After it is ready, proceed with the installation of the log, insulation, and also the boardwalk.

Dry screed

Another option for arranging a new floor is a dry screed, which is perfect for installing in an apartment. She has proven herself well in that she does not have to knead the solution and breed a swamp in her dwelling. Floors made of dry screed are made in this way:

A dense plastic wrap is laid on the floors, which should be 5-10 cm on the wall (margin for height). A board is installed in the doorway to limit spillage of the mixture. The flooring should fit as tightly as possible to the surface of the base.

Next, beacons made of flat wooden beams or a metal profile are laid on the film. But in this version, the screeds cannot be fixed to the base, otherwise, after leveling the surface, the guides from the backfilled layer must be removed.

The beacons themselves should be aligned at the building level to a flat horizontal plane.

The next step is to pour the filler onto the film. Its layer should have a greater height (by several millimeters), compared to the installed beacons.

Using the rule, the dry filler is leveled, focusing on the beacons.

The last stage is the laying of gypsum-fiber boards with docking locking mates. Glue is applied to them, after which the next panel is laid. This is done in such a way that the locking parts fit perfectly. The plates are additionally fastened in these places with self-tapping screws.

The finished floor is designed with a decorative coating, the choice of which depends on your personal preferences.

Wooden floor

A floor made of plywood or grooved boards is installed on a prepared screed. Moreover, it can be laid directly on a concrete base or laid on logs.

The most popular of these options is the first, since it has many advantages. For example, between the lags, it is possible to install sound insulation and insulation. Moreover, the surface is raised above the concrete, which in turn adds an insulating effect. Another advantage is that logs add more rigidity to the coating, and it becomes more reliable. Floors on logs or bars are installed in several stages:

Before fixing the logs, the layout of the room is performed. The lines are bounced off with a colored, taut twine. The distance between the lags should correspond to the width of the insulation material (in the case of using mineral wool, it can be reduced by 30-50 mm, it will be much better).

Then the logs of the required length are cut. But it is important to remember that they should be at a distance from the wall, no less than the thickness of the insulation. As a rule, mineral wool is used for insulation - when using low-quality polystyrene foam in closed residential premises, the atmosphere will not be so environmentally friendly.

The distance between the lag posts, which are fixed to the floor, should be within 40-50 cm. The level of the future floor can be brought out to a horizontal plane by adjusting the height of the posts.

At the end of this work, you need to lay the insulation. First, this must be done between the wall and the lags, along the entire perimeter of the room, then lay it between the lag bars.

The next stage is to cover the entire structure with a special vapor barrier film - it should be fixed to the logs with a stippler.

Planking is the most important process. Starting floorboards should be located 5-7 mm from the wall, which will provide ventilation and compensation for linear expansion from increased humidity or thermal changes in the room.

If you plan to lay plywood on logs, then provide for the joint of two sheets so that it falls in the middle of the log-bar. You need to calculate the size of the plywood sheet. For surface rigidity, the sheets must be fastened according to the brickwork system, namely with a shift of the next one by half of the sheet.

Replacing the old wooden floor with one can be done by hand if you have tools and materials. When performing work, you must comply with the accepted technical requirements.

A concrete floor is much more reliable than a wooden floor.

Removing the old floor

Dismantling old boards is the first step. For work, you need a sledgehammer and a crowbar, but they should be used with caution in places where communications pass.

When the planks of the old flooring have been completely removed, the base will open. You need to see if the lags are fixed. Often, during construction in old houses, they did not do this, but simply filled up the free space with construction waste. He served as soundproofing.

There may be sand, debris and dirt under the plank floor. Garbage must be poured into bags, after which the logs should be examined. Rotten elements should be replaced. If they are in good condition, they can be used as a screed base.

In this case, chipboard or plywood sheets are laid on the existing substrate, but you need to understand that this will lead to a rise in the floor level. Therefore, you need to decide whether to put a new coating on the old logs without laying insulation, or remove them, and then pour overlappings.

Most often, apartment owners choose the second option, which involves dismantling the lags. After completing the work, you need to assess the condition of the pipes and water supply. If necessary, they must be replaced.

Job List Evaluation

First you need to make all measurements and calculate the errors.

The reinforced concrete slab must be inspected, and then the level measured. For this, it is better to use a laser, with its help you can quickly determine if there is a difference in elevation.

One of the following situations is common:

several slabs are laid in the room, they form a step;
a bulge or concavity is visible in the center of the room;
the plate is laid at an angle.

The scope of work should be assessed. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the screed has a small mass, therefore the layer of concrete is minimized. It is poured on a dump or a lightweight solution is used.

If the height difference is large, from 70 mm or more, then the order of work is as follows:

the concrete screed is made with a thickness of 40 to 50 mm;
the remaining free space is filled with expanded clay concrete composition.

There are also cheaper ways. The first is that the rough surface is covered with sand, but such a pillow will have a large mass. You can choose the second option by making the base from plywood sheets. Light, free-flowing material is poured under them on the ground. It can be expanded clay. It is needed in order to level the level.

The result is a smooth surface suitable for pouring a screed, and the rough dump will be of a small mass. It will additionally act as soundproofing. This coating is suitable for laying parquet flooring.

Expanded clay is spilled with water, and then tamped. After the work is completed, you should wait 2-3 days until the layer is completely dry.

A little about very old houses

If there are no concrete floors between floors in old buildings, do the following:

remove old boards;
remove construction waste;
inspect the logs, fix them in place and treat them with an antiseptic.

After that, expanded clay is poured into the overlap between the floors, and then sheets of plywood are laid. Instead, you can put sheets of chipboard. Similarly, the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one in a private house is carried out.

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

When the subfloor is ready, a waterproofing material is laid on it. It can be glassine or roofing felt, glass cloth or membrane is widely used.

Before laying the waterproofing, the room is pasted over with construction tape around the perimeter, and then coated with bituminous mastic. When it hardens, the waterproofing material is spread and the seams are processed. The strips should be on the walls and overlap each other by at least 15 cm. To increase the speed of work, you can purchase self-adhesive waterproofers.

Reinforcement laying

If a concrete floor is to be made in an apartment, reinforcement is required.

The work can be done as follows:

First you need to put in a steel mesh. It is better to use products with 5 cm cells. At the same time, a gap is made for the insulation. If necessary, lay a waterproofer 10 mm thick.
Laying of reinforcing mesh made of plastic.
Introduction of fibers into the solution.

With a thickness of 40-50 mm, a mesh-netting is often used, which is made of aluminum, but it is most convenient to choose the third option, based on the use of fibers.

This method differs in that when carrying out work, you do not need to think about leaving a compensation gap. If necessary, you can put a warm floor inside the screed, and the fittings will not interfere with this.

Fibers are affordable and can be used to make a flat concrete floor. But this method is suitable if the mortar is poured onto the floor from a reinforced concrete slab. In other cases, it is better to choose the classic version, which is based on the use of a reinforcing mesh.

Installation of beacons

When carrying out construction work, corners and special profiles can be used as beacons. They are installed on mounds made of plaster putty.

After completing the installation, you need to take a building level or several rails, and then check how smooth the surface formed by their upper points is.

If the preparation of the base was not done well, a drop will be recorded. To create a flat surface, some of the lighthouses are removed, and mounds of putty are made of different heights.

When carrying out construction work, the beacons are placed at a maximum distance of 50 cm from each other. They are installed from the window, moving towards the door. It will be possible to remove them only after the putty has completely hardened.

Solution preparation

To reduce the pressure on the floors when replacing a wooden base with a concrete floor, ready-made mixtures are used. With their help, it is easy to create a layer, the thickness of which does not exceed 70 mm, and the minimum is 35 mm. The components do not have to be mixed, it is enough to pour in water.

In order to save money, you can make a screed yourself, you need the following for it:

Cement, 1 part. It is best to purchase his M400 brand.
Building sand, 3 parts. It is pre-sieved.
To make the solution more plastic, lime dough is added to it. It needs 0.1 parts.
Reinforcement fibers.

Before mixing the components with water, all the components are mixed. As a result, a uniformly colored composition should form, only after that liquid can be added to it. At the same time, stirring is constantly made, a correctly made solution looks like thick sour cream.

Follow all concrete casting guidelines for best results.

Screed laying

If it is decided to do the screed on its own, work begins from the window. You can also move away from the wall farthest from the door. Beacons must be installed, they are guided by them during work.

The finished solution is applied in large portions; a long rule is used to level it near the corners and in the center of the room. You need to act quickly, then it will not grab, it can be easily smoothed.

The easiest way is to place the concrete together. One person mixes the components, while the other distributes the concrete over the substrate.

Topcoat creation

To achieve the most durable concrete floor with an aesthetic appearance, you need to follow these steps:

sand the base with sandpaper;
apply polymer compositions to it or paint it with paint intended for this type of coating;
when the concrete has partially hardened, the screed can be ironed;
cover with a self-leveling floor, forming a thin layer.

If the base is planned to be covered with tiles, then the surface may not be processed. Ironing is done if there is a laminate covering or it is planned to lay linoleum. The use of expensive bulk mixes allows you to achieve a flat surface.

The concrete surface will dry in 2-3 weeks. When choosing materials, it is worth considering that the self-leveling floor contributes to the fact that the overall level rises by 30 mm. The same is observed when using ceramic tiles, so you should think in advance about what the finishing coat will be.