In order to create a reliable durable floor, it is necessary to form a foundation with great strength. This design should be more durable than flooring. According to these parameters, the real leader is the concrete base. It is dry, even and durable, providing an ideal base for any finish. Such floors are able to withstand high loads, which allows them to be poured in those rooms where it is planned to install equipment and heavy pieces of furniture.
Characteristics
The above base is used for various purposes. This can be leveling the surface, installing a heated floor, raising the level of the base and the desire to insulate the floors in the rooms. A variety of technologies are used for installation, which allow materials to withstand heavy loads. If the work is done correctly, the rough floor will cope with high levels of humidity. Such structures are increasingly used in the private sector.
Depending on the purpose of the room and the type of building, the technology will be different. Before proceeding with the formation of a concrete base, you must decide which type of concrete to choose. It can be:
- multilayer floors;
- single-layer cement-sand screed;
- reinforced floors.
The first variety has a complex structure. In the manufacture of this design, the filling is carried out in several layers. Multilayer technology is used for the reconstruction of floors. As for a single-layer screed made of cement and sand, it is most often used in rooms with a small area. Additional layers are absent here, which provides high rigidity. This design is not stable when it comes to heavy loads. It is reasonable to fill such a floor in a small house, outbuildings, apartments or garages.
Concrete base can be reinforced. This type of floor is the most durable. Reinforcement is used here, which reduces the weight and thickness of the structure. The strength of the floors is much greater. For reinforcement are used:
- steel fibers;
- grid;
- rods;
- synthetic material.
Installation of such floors is carried out in rooms where there is a high load on the floors. This should include:
- hangars
- large buildings;
- factory floors;
- car parking.
Work technology: preparation
To fill the floor will need to perform preparatory work. This concerns the foundation. If the floor is poured in the apartment, then the old floor covering must be removed, as well as tearing off the concrete screed in order to achieve overlap. The thickness of the concrete floor is usually 5 cm. To remove it, you must use a hammer. Once you have removed the old floor, the surface should be cleaned of dirt. If the screed does not have obvious damage, breaks and cracks, you can leave it by proceeding to level the surface under a new floor covering.
When work is being done in private homes, things are a little more complicated. The concrete floor of the first floor is often made on the ground, which requires additional labor. Before pouring the concrete base, it is necessary to set a mark at the level of a meter from the base of the doorway. With the help of the level, the label is transferred to the walls around the entire perimeter of the room. From these marks, 1 m is marked down, which will be the zero level to which you will flood the floor. In order to see this level, nails are clogged along the marks, between which a cord is pulled.
If the floor is done on the ground, it is necessary to remove about 25 cm of soil. The surface is leveled horizontally and compacted. To do this, you can use a log with a board or a special vibrating plate. 5 cm of gravel are poured onto the plane, which are well watered and compacted. 10 cm of sand is poured on top, which is also watered and compacted. At the preparation stage, with the help of the level, it is necessary to ensure that the base is horizontal.
If the project provides for communications under the floor, they are laid at the same time as sand is filled, hiding in boxes. On top, it is covered with a 10-cm layer of rubble, which is compacted and again sprinkled with sand to get a flat surface. The crushed stone fraction should be about 50 mm. To comply with the level of all layers on the walls, you can put labels. Please note that the thickness of the concrete floor must be at least 2 cm.
Insulation
If you are thinking about how to lay a concrete base, then you must also carry out insulation. To do this, you can use a plastic film, waterproofing membranes or other rolled materials. For high-quality waterproofing, the film is laid in several layers, and other materials can be laid in one layer. It is important to ensure a 20-centimeter overlap, and fasten the joints with adhesive tape. The edges are led out onto the walls with a lap so that they reach the zero mark.
The material is glued with duct tape to the surface of the walls. In addition to waterproofing, you will also need to perform thermal insulation. Depending on the technology, the following materials can be used:
- expanded clay;
- stone basalt wool;
- extruded polystyrene foam;
- chipboard;
- cork coating;
- insulated linoleum ;
- roll isolon;
- carpet covering;
- perlite;
- Styrofoam.
Reinforcement
The construction of a concrete base necessarily involves reinforcement if increased loads are to be applied to the surface. To do this, use a plastic or metal mesh. It can be made independently, welded from a metal wire. Thickness should vary from 3 to 5 mm. The grid is placed on supports 3 cm high, so that after pouring it turns out a single whole.
If you decide to apply a soft reinforcing mesh, the styling pins get hammered, and then the mesh is pulled between them. Reinforcing bars are another material for these purposes. Their thickness can range from 8 to 15 mm. Elements are welded together into a grid.
Formwork installation
Laying a concrete base provides for the installation of formwork. To do this, the space of the room must be divided into equal rectangles, the size of which is selected taking into account the fact that the fill can be carried out in one approach. For formwork, you can use moisture-proof plywood or boards.
Now stacked rails that will separate the room. Their height should correspond to a zero level. As guides, you can use a wooden block, a metal pipe or a board. The guides are laid on a prepared base and are mounted on a thick cement mortar. Between the guides it is necessary to install the formwork and form “cards”.
Before forming a concrete floor, the guides and formwork must be brought to the zero level using the appropriate construction tool. In order to easily get the formwork and guides made of concrete, they are lubricated with special oil. Thanks to this, it will be possible to separate the elements from concrete.
Solution preparation and pouring
In order for the floor to turn out to be durable and durable, it is poured in one approach. If there is a financial opportunity, you must order the mixture at the factory. If finances do not allow, you can do everything yourself. To do this, prepare:
- sand;
- concrete mixer;
- cement;
- crushed stone.
Cement must correspond to the brand M400 or M500, because the strength of concrete depends on this. Sand should be river, it should not be clay and impurities. For concrete, a part of cement, four parts of crushed stone, 2 parts of sand and 0.5 parts of water should be used.
Concrete is mixed in a concrete mixer and poured into a “card”. The solution is leveled with a shovel. It must be pierced and stretched over the entire area. So you can condense the mixture and expel air from it.
For better shrinkage, a vibrator should be used. As soon as concrete milk appears on the surface, shrinkage can be stopped by going to another “map”. Concrete should be poured starting from the corner opposite the door. It is necessary to advance to the door.
Surface alignment
Once a few “cards” are full, alignment can be done. For this, the meter rule applies. It may be slightly longer. It is set on guides and attracted to itself. Surplus concrete will fall into unfilled cards, and the floor level can be brought to zero.
After this, the formwork is cleaned in aligned places, and the voids are filled. Gradually continue to fill. Then the concrete is left for 3-4 days. Every day it should be moistened with a small amount of water so that it reaches gradually and does not crack. The surface can be covered with plastic wrap and left to solidify for 4 weeks, wetting it from time to time.
After that, a layer of screed is applied to the floor. To do this, prepare a liquid cement mortar or a self-leveling mixture with the addition of binders. Screed is made from the corner. After completion of these works, the surface is left for two to three days, in the process, it is wetted with water. Once the screed has hardened, you can begin laying the flooring.
Tile laying: preparing tools
Before you start laying tiles on a concrete base, you need to prepare tools, namely:
- hammer drill;
- rule
- manual tile cutter;
- bubble building level;
- sponge;
- capacity;
- spatulas;
- plastic crosses.
The punch can be replaced with a drill, which will prepare the working solution. There should be 3 spatulas, one of them is serrated, the other is narrow, the third is wide. Laying tiles on a concrete base should begin with the preparation of glue. To do this, cold water is poured into the bucket on the sixth of the volume. A dry mixture is added to the water. The components must be thoroughly mixed to achieve a homogeneous solution.
If the glue turns out to be liquid, you can add a dry component and mix the solution again. When the mixer starts to turn with a heavy load, part of the dry mix can be supplemented with water. As soon as you reach the desired consistency, the mixture is left for 5 minutes and then mixed again.
Technology of work
If you decide to lay the tile on a concrete base, then at the next stage you can proceed to the main part of the work. First, a layer of glue is applied to the surface of the screed with a narrow spatula. The notched trowel, which should be held upright, must be used to apply the mortar so that the tool touches the solid base. Tiles are laid on a leveling adhesive on a concrete base. The product must be seated by crushing the adhesive solution. The position of the product must be controlled in a horizontal plane and in relation to adjacent elements.
How to lay a tile on a concrete base - you know. But it is also important to remember that crosses or wedges must be placed between the tiles of floor tiles or porcelain stoneware. This will allow the formation of longitudinal and transverse seams. The distance between the tiles after you fill with grout or cement mortar. This is done after finishing the surface of the floor, when the glue seizes so that the finish could move without displacement of the elements.
Stone laying
Laying the stone on a concrete base must be accompanied by the correct choice of glue. If you plan to use flagstone for work, then you must make sure that the mortar is suitable for external cladding. Specialists recommend purchasing only specialized adhesives, because universal ones are not always able to provide the desired result, for which you have to pay. Paving with flagstone can be carried out not only on a new concrete base, but also on an old concrete track. If the surface has been cast long ago or if you want to revetment an old concrete path, then it is washed and treated with a primer. When residual moisture is retained in the material, nothing else needs to be done.
The stone is laid on a concrete base so that the products have a thickness ranging from 25 to 40 mm. Limestone is laid out along the track, you will have to pick up the picture yourself, as well as determine the uniformity of the gaps. The edges are cut with an angle grinder with a diamond wheel. After mixing the glue, it is applied to the concrete base, where after the stone is laid out in accordance with the figure.
You should start with the thickest tiles, while thinner ones will be necessary to bring the surface under the level. The limestone is pressed into the adhesive mixture so that there are no voids in the solution. The glue should occupy the entire space, otherwise, water will accumulate in the voids, which will squeeze out the tile when freezing. It is necessary to try not to apply too much so that the solution fills only the seams.
Paving slabs
Paving slabs on a concrete base can be laid on a sand-cement pad. To do this, the sand is sieved and mixed with cement in a ratio of six to one. The layer should have a thickness of 10 cm or less, taking into account the thickness of the pavers. The surface is sealed with a vibrating plate or a special log. It is important to provide a slope on the surface.
Pegs are best installed as often as possible, because even the tiniest thread can give a sag on one meter. Beacons are laid out on the site, which are tightly pressed to the pillow. There should be a distance from the lace to the lighthouse equal to the thickness of the tile. To this value it is necessary to add a centimeter to the seal.
Between the beacons, keep a distance less than the length of the rule. Then, using the latter, it is necessary to tighten the surface, focusing on the beacons. At the next stage, paving slabs can be laid on a concrete base. This must be done not end-to-end, but with the formation of seams of 5 mm. They will exclude cracking of the material when the coating will move away from moisture and temperature changes.
It is necessary to proceed from the curb. Each tile must be aligned by tapping with a mallet. It is also necessary to check the horizontal level. You will need to crush the entire surface with a vibrating plate so that the tiles sit on stretched threads. If there is no such equipment, then when laying, it is necessary to use a wide trim of the board. It is laid flat on several tiles and beaten with a mallet to the desired height.
Warm floor for concrete
Having made a concrete base with your own hands, you can achieve coziness and comfort in the room by laying pipes through which hot water will flow. The rough surface is cleaned of debris and dust, then waterproofing is laid. A damper tape is glued around the perimeter of the room, which will compensate for the linear expansion of the screed.
Next, a layer is created for thermal insulation, and then pipes are laid. The circulation of water in the system must be checked at this stage, this will remove excess debris, air and construction dust. When laying a warm floor on a concrete base, in the next step you should mount the reinforcing mesh on the pipes. At the final stage, concrete screed is poured. If you want to make the floor easier, you can use a self-leveling compound or a semi-dry mixture.