Expanded clay flooring is an excellent solution, since you can get a flat surface without complicated preparatory work. This material is preferred by many builders, as it is easy to install, unpretentious and has a low cost.
A simple screed with expanded clay helps to quickly level the surface, make the floor with good heat and sound insulation characteristics. The pouring technology is quite simple, so if you have the most minimal skills, you can do it yourself.
Material Features
Before you determine which expanded clay for floor screed is most suitable, you need to figure out what exactly this material is. It is very popular in construction and is suitable for insulation. Expanded clay differs in very good characteristics and reasonable cost. This is a porous material that is lightweight and is obtained in the process of burning clay under the influence of high temperature. It is mainly produced in the form of round or oval granules.
When it is made, clay swells under the influence of high temperature, the material is burned, and as a result a strong shell is obtained. Expanded clay is highly durable and resistant to external influences. The quality of the material largely depends on the accuracy of adherence to the technology in its manufacture.
The expanded clay density reaches 200-600 kg per m 3 . The smaller this indicator, the more pores it contains. Such a material is characterized by high thermal insulation qualities, but a more dense expanded clay is characterized by better strength. The size of the granules is 2-40 mm. Expanded clay differs in naturalness and environmental friendliness.
Advantages and disadvantages of the material
Expanded clay flooring is very popular, as this material has many advantages. It is light, loose and porous. It is based on clay rocks with quartz. Expanded clay has high thermal insulation properties, so its installation allows you to reduce heat loss in the room. This material meets almost all requirements. Its main advantages include such as:
- high level of thermal insulation;
- a light weight;
- good soundproofness;
- affordable cost.
Expanded clay is not subject to decay and does not attract rodents. Due to flowability, they can fill the space with any volumes and forms.
Despite all the advantages, there are certain disadvantages of expanded clay. Due to its use, the usable area of the room may slightly decrease. Expanded clay is able to absorb moisture, so an additional layer of waterproofing is required.
Varieties of screed
Expanded clay leveling is considered the easiest way to screed, but it has certain nuances even when using ready-made mixtures. Depending on the surface of the base and the features of the room, technologies such as:
- expanded floors made on expanded clay;
- alignment with subsequent warming;
- dry screed.
The whole process of arranging expanded clay floor is simple, and it can be performed very simply by absolutely any person. In addition, no special skills and tools are required. The most important thing in the process of performing a screed is to strictly monitor its thickness. It should be at least 30 mm.
Expanded clay for thermal insulation is used quite often. Due to its lightness, the minimum load on the floor slabs appears.
As with any other leveling, it is necessary, first of all, to set the level. To do this, you can use a laser or hydraulic level. On the walls there is a marking on which the floor will be subsequently aligned. Then you should eliminate the defects on its surface and complete the installation of beacons.
After leveling, you can immediately proceed to work with expanded clay. The technology for preparing the solution for all types of flooring is the same. A semi-dry screed helps to solve two problems at once, namely: warming and raising the floor surface. It has great advantages of preparation, since there is no need for thorough dusting. It is only necessary to get rid of the existing construction waste. Then it remains only to dry it and make sure the required level of humidity.
When screed is necessary
Sometimes it is advisable to perform a floor with expanded clay. This happens in such a case as:
- with a sufficiently large difference in height in the room;
- if necessary, reduce the weight of the array;
- if you need to save money;
- when planning floors with a complex structure.
Many builders in practice were convinced of the advantages of using this material, since it is very convenient to use and affordable.
Screed Technology
When leveling the floor with expanded clay, various methods of forming the surface of the base are used. For this, a cement-sand mortar is used, which is poured onto an expanded clay pillow. Initially, expanded clay distribution on the surface is required. Then all this is poured with cement milk to fasten the bedding.
You can also mix expanded clay with a sand-cement mixture, add water and pour the floor with the finished mixture. This method is easy to perform, and also allows you to make an even foundation in a short time. All components are combined in equal proportions when adding water to the desired consistency.
The dry method involves the preparation of a mixture of expanded clay with sieved sand. This process is characterized by an accelerated pace of laying and allows you to perform an even basis on large areas.
With strict adherence to the technology, the foundation can be operated for a long time without major repairs. This allows you to make a solid foundation for the subsequent topcoat, and also ensures the safety of utilities.
Preparatory stage
When performing a floor with expanded clay, the technology must be observed very strictly in order to get a high-quality and even foundation. An important stage is the preparatory work.
Initially, it is necessary to clean the concrete surface from the remnants of the old screed, remove debris, and also repair the defects. If the rough floor is made of wood, then the rotten boards should be replaced, and the cracks should be thoroughly filled. In the case of a soil base, it just needs to be leveled. To do this, a mixture of expanded clay and sand is laid directly on the surface of the earth.
In addition, it is imperative to perform such preparatory work as:
- waterproofing;
- thermal insulation;
- soundproofing.
The need for waterproofing is determined by the hydrophobic characteristics of the material. The insulating layer can be laid under the bottom of the screed or on its surface. However, recently began to lay a double layer on each side.
Thermal insulation is required for private houses, the first floors of which are on the ground or above the basement. If expanded clay is used, then additional sound insulation is not required.
Beacons must be put up, since only with their help the surface will be flat. When arranging a dry screed, fix the damper tape opposite the floor covering so that there is no creaking when walking. In other cases, it is laid over the entire thickness of the poured layer. This is necessary to compensate for expansion from the effects of temperature and humidity.
Material calculation
The technology of screed floor with expanded clay is quite simple, so not even a professional can cope with it. However, preliminary calculations of materials are necessary. To perform a dry screed, a number of different indicators should be taken into account, in particular, such as:
- area of the room;
- screed thickness;
- layout options and material sizes.
In order to carry out an accurate calculation of expanded clay for floor screed, it is necessary to determine the approximate average thickness of the poured layer. Then you need to multiply the height of the backfill by the area of the room. It is worth noting that accurate calculations are difficult to perform, so it is advisable to make a small margin.
With a wet arrangement of the screed, the layer height is initially determined, and based on this, calculations are carried out.
What materials are required
Expanded clay flooring has certain features that must be taken into account. If you use traditional methods, providing for subsequent pouring concrete mixture, the fraction of bulk material does not play a special role. Expanded clay of any size is suitable, even the smallest.
Expanded clay sand is very suitable for leveling floors with a large level difference . This material is recommended to be used only in areas where the surface has significant damage, and when mounting an artificial board.
Many are interested in which expanded clay for the floor is best suited. Professionals recommend using a material with a fraction of 5-20 mm, mixing it in a proportional ratio. During the laying of the expanded clay layer, grains of different sizes coincide well with each other. This feature has a positive effect on the subsequent operation of the floor, which does not shrink and does not undergo deformation.
In the process of warming the floor of the house with expanded clay, materials such as:
- damping tape;
- film for waterproofing;
- expanded clay;
- self-tapping screws;
- glue;
- guides;
- level;
- shovel, putty knife, trowel, tools for cutting sheet materials, knife, screwdriver;
- GVL-elements of the floor.
The tape and film are used exactly the same as during a conventional screed. When choosing an expanded clay composition, you need to focus on ready-made mixtures, the choice of which is quite wide.
Hydro and vapor barrier
When arranging floors with expanded clay in a wooden house, waterproofing may be required. The extreme need for this is due to the fact that:
- a damper layer is formed between the screed and the walls;
- eliminates the possibility of adhesion of the solution with building materials;
- the movement of sound waves traveling from the floor to the walls is reduced.
Before equipping a heated floor with expanded clay, it is especially important to solve the issue of waterproofing (if work is carried out in a high-rise building, namely: in apartments, above the first floor). To exclude the possibility of a very strong leakage of liquid to the lower floors, you can use a simple mortar designed for plaster, and fill them with large openings.
To make a durable waterproofing layer, there are many options. The most effective way is the use of liquid mastic. The mixture is applied using a roller or a wide brush. It completely covers the floor and wall, where it is required to perform a expanded clay screed. Apply the composition in two layers. The interval between their application should be at least 3 hours.
If it is not possible to purchase a sufficient amount of the required material, you can use just a plastic film. In this case, you must take into account certain requirements, namely:
- the film is necessary quite dense;
- jointing of joints should overlap with firm fixation with adhesive tape;
- the free part of the film near the wall should protrude 10 cm above the screed.
When all the conditions for high-quality and complete waterproofing of the floor are fulfilled, you can proceed to the main task of warming and leveling the surface.
Then you need to install beacons. The process of mounting rails when filling with expanded clay is almost the same as when installing a cement screed. The only feature and difference is that you need to use T-shaped metal beacons. Initially mounted rail, which will be near the wall opposite from the door.
The distance between installed beacons when filling the floor with expanded clay mortar is 1 meter. In order for the slats to stand firmly and motionless, they must be fixed with self-tapping screws or cement mortar. To set the exact horizontal plane between all rails is possible only with the help of the building level. To warm the base, the layer of bulk expanded clay should not be more than 8 cm.
Arrangement of dry screed
This method is used most often. This is due to the fact that a dry floor screed with expanded clay does not require a lot of time and effort to complete it. The surface is leveled, waterproofing material is laid, namely:
- paper impregnated with bitumen composition;
- polyethylene;
- roofing material.
Initially, dry floor screed is made with expanded clay, and sheets of particleboard, gypsum fiberboard, plates of asbestos-cement material are laid on top. After waterproofing, you need to stick the damper tape. Basically, this product is equipped with an adhesive layer, but if it is not there, then you can just squeeze it. A shaft of expanded clay is poured along one of the walls under the floor screed, on which the lighthouse is laid. Its height is controlled by adding or removing material. At this stage, it is also important to consider that about 2 cm of the thickness of the base will be covered by a coating of wood boards.
Then you should step back from the shaft distance, apply expanded clay over the entire area and level. When everything is ready, carefully get out the lighthouses and fill in the formed gates. Now you can proceed to the implementation of the finish coating. The whole process takes about 1-2 days.
Installation of lamellas must begin from the farthest corner of the room. It is necessary to initially cut off the part with the lock on one side, grease it with PVA glue and lay down the next sheet, firmly fixing it with locks. It should be remembered that expanded clay should not fall on the joints of sheets. If this happened, then it should just be swept away. As you move, you need to cut the sheets so that they fit snugly against the wall.
After mounting two rows, the elements can be fastened with self-tapping screws that are screwed into the joints. Thus, you need to fill the entire floor area. It should be remembered that it is not worth making joints in the area of interior doors. After the glue has dried, it is necessary to remove the entire surface with a vacuum cleaner, cut off the damper tape and polyethylene, and then proceed with finishing work.
Installation work is carried out very quickly, the minimum amount of construction waste is obtained. The floor is distinguished by very good soundproof and thermal qualities. You can immediately lay on top of the fine floor material.
The disadvantages of this option is that it is quite expensive. However, the ease of installation allows you to do everything yourself, which will provide a certain economic benefit. Another drawback is the thickness, which is not very suitable for rooms with a low ceiling.
Semi-dry screed
Filling the floor with expanded clay implies that the material is laid directly on the base. Its level should not reach the lighthouses by 1.5-2 cm. Then the expanded clay layer is poured with cement milk. After this, the granules are set and covered with a thin protective film, which does not allow moisture to penetrate expanded clay.
Then leave the surface for a day so that it dries well. During this time, the moisture will completely evaporate and only hardened cement will remain. After this, you need to prepare a solution of cement material, water and sand. Lay the solution away from the far wall. You need to move gradually to the exit, stretching the mixture as a rule along the established beacons.
The screed must be allowed to dry completely. Basically, this will require at least 12 hours, which allows you to accelerate all other work on the arrangement of the floor.
Wet screed
Wet floor filling with expanded clay means a floor screed device made from a mixture of expanded clay and sand concrete. In this case, the following components are required:
- 1 part of cement material;
- 3 parts of sand;
- 4 parts of expanded clay.
Initially, expanded clay should be filled with water and let it get a little wet. Then knead and screed. It is worth noting that it is also necessary to make calculations for other materials. To correctly calculate the need for raw materials, you can use special calculators.
Answering the question of how to fill the floor with expanded clay, it must be said that two-layer filling is considered the best option. It is carried out in two stages. Despite the fact that the process seems complicated, it is actually quite easy and is carried out in the shortest period of time.
Initially, you need to prepare a large capacity. Pour expanded clay into it, add water and mix well with a mixer to completely wet the granules. Then gradually add cement and sand and mix everything thoroughly. Ready-made mixtures can also be used.
Place the prepared expanded clay compound evenly on the floor so that 2-2.5 cm remains from its upper point to the lighthouses. The composition should be carefully leveled along the wall with a trowel. Until the bottom layer is completely dry, you should prepare and fill in another composition, but already without expanded clay. It includes only cement and sand.
In this way - in two stages of pouring - the entire floor is screed. It is necessary to move from wall to door, strictly maintaining a horizontal plane along pre-installed beacons.
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Professional Tips
Experts recommend paying special attention to compliance with all safety requirements when performing expanded clay base. If there are electrical communications, then they must be carefully isolated. Builders recommend paying attention to such moments as:
- additional waterproofing with polyethylene or mastic prior to filling expanded clay granules;
- thorough elimination of irregularities on the concrete surface, as well as puddles with water;
- the feasibility of compaction of the concrete base to remove air bubbles that reduce its strength;
- the introduction of special additives that increase the elasticity of the cement mortar and prevent its cracking;
- periodically moistening the base with water to preserve moisture and prevent cracking;
- elimination of mechanical impact and thorough drying of the screed for a month to ensure strength.
In the case of strict adherence to all the recommendations of specialists, it is possible to significantly improve the quality of the screed.
Reviews
According to reviews, expanded clay floors help to make the room warmer and more comfortable. As a result of using such a screed, you can get just an excellent result. After applying expanded clay, the floors become even, smooth, cold air from under the floor ceases to blow. The house becomes very comfortable and cozy.
Many say that when using expanded clay, you can very quickly and simply make the perfect base of the floor. This material has earned the most positive reviews.
Expanded clay floor filling is very popular, since it is very easy to perform work even for people without work experience. However, for the result to be uniquely excellent, it is better to use the services of professionals.