Laying floor screed is one of the leading places in construction, since it is this part of any room that is subjected to the main stresses, shrinkage and the most intensive operation, and therefore requires particularly high quality workmanship. Thanks to the development of construction technologies, it became possible to obtain a perfectly smooth, seamless and durable surface with a service life of up to 40 years, called the bulk floor. Its undoubted advantages include self-leveling to a perfectly horizontal state and the ability to use the minimum allowable thickness of 10 mm.
A correctly poured bulk floor is absolutely not subject to shrinkage and is very durable. Naturally, only high-quality building material, which includes Knauf dry mortar for bulk floors, manufactured in compliance with German standards without harm to humans and the environment, can provide such performance and operation indicators.
Monolithic bulk floors of Knauf
With the help of Knauf mixtures for bulk floors, it is possible to solve the most diverse problems for screed installation and achieve compliance with the complex of requirements for the floor. The characteristics of the mixtures allow you to perform these types of floor constructions monolithic screed:
- interlocked;
- on the insulating layer;
- on the separation layer;
- raised floor;
- with heating.
These monolithic floors are water-mixed dry building mixtures containing calcium sulfate with various additives and aggregates. Mixtures of Knauf FE 30, FE 50 Largo, FE 80 Allegro, FE 25 A tempo and FE Fortissimo are specially developed for the installation of monolithic floors based on the results of 30 years of manufacturer experience.
And with the help of the self-leveling bulk floor "Knauf" simple alignment of the finished screed is possible. It will be enough to fill the surface with a small layer of the diluted mixture, depending on the existing irregularities, to obtain a smooth and durable floor.
Knauf Interlocking Monolithic Floor
This type of floor is suitable for maximum intensive use, as its design provides for full adhesion to the surface throughout the base. Shrinkage, like any other effect on the surface (including temperature), is perceived by the entire construction of the screed as a whole and distributed over it. Thus, maximum floor strength is achieved. But the surface of the screed should be protected with a floor covering from excessive abrasion. The thickness of the base for a monolithic bonded floor should be 20-25 mm. Almost any mixture from the Knauf production line allows you to efficiently perform a monolithic floor by the method of full adhesion of its design.
Based on the indicator declared by the manufacturer, the consumption of the Knauf bulk floor in the manufacture of the mixture will be 17 kg / m 2 with a layer of 10 mm. As a result, it turns out that when laying the coupled structure, approximately 38 kg / m 2 will be spent.
Knauf Monolithic Floor on Separation Layer
The design of this type of bulk floor can also be made from every Knauf bulk floor mix, except for FE 25 A tempo. This is due to the fact that the floor system with a divided structure consists in separating the floor in intermediate layers from the base of the screed on which it is laid. As a result of this formation, there is no connection between the base and the surface of the screed. Both its parts have the possibility of independent movement from each other. Therefore, to use the FE 25 A tempo mixture, expansion joints must be installed, provided that the length of the monolithic floor diagonally exceeds 10 m.
The main load on such a floor is transferred to the base, and therefore the floor can be poured with a relatively thin layer of 30 mm. But if the base is thin or a high floor load is provided, then its thickness should be 40-50 mm, and the flow rate of the mixture will increase from 51 to 85 kg / m 2 .
The manufacture of the floor on the separation layer is used in cases of defects in the base of the screed or the base is too thin for laying an adhered appearance. Pouring onto a wooden base is also possible.
In order to use high-quality and durable Knauf release material, it is recommended to use Knauf Schrenzlage lining paper with an overlap of 80 mm or more. Based on consumer reviews, Knauf bulk floors with lining paper from the same manufacturer are popular.
Knauf insulated floor
In this case, the insulating layer between the floor and the base improves thermal insulation and reduces noise. The thickness of the floor directly depends on the loads intended for it, the mixture used, the characteristics of the insulation material and varies from 35 to 50 mm. These calculations are carried out by specialists with strict observance of the described conditions.
The consumption of the dry mixture during the construction of this floor will be from 59.5 to 85 kg / m 2 , based on the required thickness.
Foamed polystyrene or mineral wool often acts as an insulating material for simplicity of construction. The latter meets fire safety requirements. In special cases, other materials or their combinations may be used depending on the design requirements.
Knauf underfloor heating
It is carried out according to the example of a monolithic floor on an insulating layer with the addition of heating elements. The design should meet almost the same requirements, but taking into account the presence of a heating network or channels inside the screed or under it. Typically, the heating system is located throughout the screed and evenly heats the room, which makes it possible to save energy consumption when heating the room with batteries.
When performing this type of monolithic floor, Knauf experts recommend using the FE 80 Allegro mixture, which has increased thermal conductivity relative to other mixtures.
Raised floor "Knauf Camillo"
The Knauf Camillo raised floor system is used when engineering communications are required through the screed and is designed in such a way that it retains access to all laid communications for the entire period of use of the floor. This system has found application in administrative buildings, workshops, workshops, etc.
If necessary, sound and heat insulation can be performed. Knauf Camillo raised floor provides for the implementation of a monolithic screed with a thickness of 38 mm using solutions of FE 80 Allegro or FE 25 A tempo. As a result, the consumption of the dry mixture will be 64.6 kg / m 2 .
Bulk floor "Tribon" from "Knauf"
The most universal and common material on the domestic market for the manufacture of self-leveling floors on concrete and wood substrates is the Knauf Tribon mixture. It is this mixture that is widely used in both civil and industrial premises. It is based on such mixed binders as gypsum and cement, with special additives and aggregate in the form of quartz sand.
The main characteristics of this material include:
- good sound and heat insulation;
- high strength;
- the ability to use for laying warm floors with a thickness of 35 mm or more due to good thermal conductivity;
- use as a leveling screed with a thickness of 10 to 60 mm;
- the ability to fill the floor without special equipment;
- screed with a thickness of 30-60 mm on the separation layer;
- screed construction with a thickness of 35-60 mm on an insulating layer of heat-insulating materials;
- lack of shrinkage.
Bulk floor "Knauf": instructions for preparing the base
Before pouring the bulk floor, Knauf experts recommend that the necessary foundation preparation be carried out.
- The surface must be dry and clean, free from cracks.
- Recommended room temperature during work is within +5 ... +25 ° C.
- The base is necessarily treated with a primer, which dries out within a day. A second treatment is also recommended after 6 hours after the first if the surface is highly absorbent.
- An edge tape is fastened around the perimeter of the room and around the supporting elements of the building. It serves to reduce acoustic noise, provides free deformation of the screed and protects against leakage of the mixture to other rooms.
- Next, beacons are installed, with which the fill level is set.
- A container for mixing the solution and pure water are prepared in advance at the rate of 4.5 liters per 20 kg of the mixture.
Now you can start preparing the mixture and then pouring the floor.
Floor filling
The required amount of Knauf mixture is poured with water and mixed with a mixer until a homogeneous mass without lumps is obtained. The mixing time of 1 batch should be at least 10 minutes. The finished solution is applied evenly to the base to a predetermined level. It should be noted that the time of use of the mixed mixture should not exceed 60 minutes. If at a given time it is impossible to keep within due to the large area for the bay, then the room is divided into zones that are poured one after another.
During pouring, drafts and direct sunlight should be avoided. It is also not recommended to heat the room by any means. At the end of the work, the surface is leveled and air bubbles are removed using a special rail, roller or brush for bulk floors. Lighthouses are cleaned. After 6 hours, you can walk on a perfectly flat floor.
Knauf provides German standards for its entire range of self-leveling floors, which guarantees their strength, durability, ease of implementation and safety for health. And the execution of works on filling the Tribon universal floor with the observance of the described instructions is simple even in the absence of skills in construction work. Therefore, reviews about the Knauf Tribon bulk floors, both regarding installation and operation, remain mostly positive.