In any room, achieving the smoothest surface is a very important point in construction work. Smooth floor, characterized by durability, is the key to durability and proper laying of the finish coating.
Dry floor screed, the price of which compares favorably with other methods of leveling the base, is interested in an increasing number of people who want to make an extensive complex of repair and construction works in a short time.
Upcoming repairs? Which screed to choose?
To level the base, different technologies are used. To do this, use a concrete mixture or a sand-cement screed, leveling the surface, filling the entire space at the specified level. But as an alternative, there is another alignment option that has advantages and disadvantages. This is a dry screed. You need to know when it is more profitable to use it, and what are its features, what are the pros and cons of a dry floor screed?
Before you begin responsible work to level the surface, you need to consider several factors:
- features of the basis;
- the time of year during which repairs are underway;
- deadlines to be met;
- financial opportunities of the owner of the premises.
To create a quality floor, you need to know all the nuances of the screed and choose the best option, ideal for a particular surface. Given all of the above, as an alternative, the technology of creating a “dry floor” is increasingly being used.
Dry floor screed - what is it?
In order for the coating to last for a long time, it is not at all necessary to level it with concrete mix and expect to dry for about 28 days. A worthy alternative to the “wet” process is leveling using dry mixes. If there is a repair of floors, a dry screed will be completed in record time, not inferior in quality and strength to a coating made using a different technology.
The emergence of this method of leveling the surface came from the 70s of the last century. Then for the first time prefabricated dry floors were used in mass construction. To date, the principle has remained the same, but the materials have changed. Draft floors made by this method have practically no drawbacks. Prefabricated coatings of a new type are widely used in construction.
Why is technology important?
To obtain a coating that has all the advantages of a cement-sand screed, compares favorably in terms of the implementation of a set of measures and for installation, the technology of dry floor screed must be observed exactly. If you ignore the requirements for its design, there is a risk of getting an uneven coating, which threatens to further adversely affect the appearance and quality of the finish floor, even with an ideal finish coating. It is also likely that a departure from the requirements will entail the deformation and destruction of the building or its foundation. When purchasing a mixture, you should pay attention to the instructions. A careful study of the rules and exact adherence to them will save you from common mistakes.
Work Stages
- A wooden or concrete base is preliminarily dried , on which a topping layer should be applied, because the pros and cons of a dry floor screed directly depend on the preparatory stage of the work.
- The base is covered with plastic wrap. An important step in protecting future bedding from the potential penetration of water or wet fumes.
- Alabaster beacons are installed at a distance of 0.6 m or 1.2 m, depending on which plates will be used to cover the bulk mixture. It is impossible to ignore their installation, because they will be the key to a flat floor in the repaired building. Alabaster dries very quickly, which allows you to continue working after 20 minutes.
- Installation of metal profiles. Installation of a wide profile, which is equipped with special movable mounts, attached to the floor, which allows them to be adjusted if necessary. For this, gypsum board profiles - UD and CD are also suitable. They are set according to the level at the required height, which does not exceed 9 cm. This is a sufficient layer to achieve the necessary sound and heat-insulating properties of the applied coating.
- Dry expanded clay mixture is poured and leveled using the rule. There is no need to tamp the covered surface, because different sizes of granules prevent the possibility of shrinkage.
- Flooring is butt-to-butt plasterboard made of gypsum-fiber material, fixed to the beacons with self-tapping screws. The second layer is laid across the first plates. This is done so that the surface is strong, as well as to prevent fracture or deformation of the material. Between sheets, glue is used for strength.
- The finishing coating is lined with materials selected by the owner.
Features of dry screed in the apartment
When performing work on leveling the surface, one should take into account the features of the room, because a different foundation requires different preparation. So, the dry floor screed in the apartment should be on the same level. The bathroom and toilet are not taken into account. Care should be taken in advance about the finishing materials for the floor in each room. To avoid mistakes, you need to accurately calculate the height of the finish coating of the finishing floor for the correct marking of the thickness of the screed.
Plates placed in the same plane guarantee a perfect fit to the finishing floor. To make sure that the work is done correctly, you need to use the bubble building level. If the plates provide for overlapping during installation, then their fastening is carried out to each other.
How to calculate the consumption of materials
If a dry floor screed is made, the consumption of materials should be done based on some parameters:
- the size of the repaired premises, its area;
- the thickness of the layer that is poured on the base;
- the variability of the materials used.
When answering the question “Dry floor screed - what is it?” It is important to list the list of materials that make up the solid foundation.
- The number of GVL, DVP or chipboard sheets, asbestos cement slabs or thick plywood is calculated based on the floor area. The length of the room is multiplied by its width, the result is divided by the area of the sheet. If the surface is complex, then it is necessary to divide it into simple squares, after which it is easy to calculate the total area for covering with plates.
- The waterproofing film is calculated taking into account an overlap of 15 cm and a bend on each wall of 10 cm. The sleeve of the film is 150 cm, if it is cut, it turns out 300 cm. It is important to know how the film spreads - along or across. After that, the exact material consumption is calculated.
- Expanded clay is needed in granules of different sizes, slag is also used, less often sand. Material consumption depends on the thickness of the backfill. Due to differences in the base of the coating, an average value is taken, which is calculated from the minimum and maximum thickness measurements. A small supply will not hurt, because it is difficult to make an accurate measurement.
A variety of materials. How not to make a mistake in choosing?
The technology, relevant several decades ago, when the surfaces were leveled with P-71g-2, is a thing of the past. Prefabricated floors based on dry screed are successfully used everywhere today. The dry floor screed “Knauf” compares favorably with the German manufacturer, famous for its unsurpassed quality, in the building materials market.
The application of the technology of this company, which uses special Knauf Superpol gypsum boards and a waterproofing film with a leveling mixture, is very popular. This method saves time, does not require huge labor costs, and the load on the floors is minimal.
The materials used (GVL and expanded clay) are the key to successful work and long-term operation of the coating. Assessing the pros and cons of a dry floor screed, the masters note only its advantages.
Is dry screed expensive?
When conducting work, an important factor is their cost. Compared to concrete casting, the advantages of granular technology are undeniable. How much does a dry floor screed cost? The price of the issue depends on the quality of the materials used. On average, craftsmen take from 400 rubles per square meter of surface.
But in any case, it will cost several times cheaper than alternative work on leveling the surface. And this is an important argument in favor of this technique in construction.
Benefits of Dry Screed
The indisputable advantages of "dry" works include:
- accuracy of work, eliminating splashes, drips and dust (this cannot be avoided in the case of concrete-sand screed);
- it is not necessary to wait until the surface dries, but you can use it immediately, covering it with a finish coating;
- works are carried out regardless of the season;
- minimum loads on the building floors, which is especially true in structures of long-standing construction;
- the use of a bulk layer for laying communications in the organization of floor heating;
- providing sound and heat insulation;
- minimal labor attraction, because if necessary the screed is performed without assistants.
disadvantages
Considering the pros and cons of dry floor screed, it turns out that its main drawback is the fear of moisture. Therefore, during installation work, special attention is paid to the waterproofing layer.
The film must protect against leaks, which have a detrimental effect on the bulk mixture and the material laid on it. After all, the swollen floor will lead to deformation of the finish coating of the laminate, linoleum. For prevention, wooden floors are covered with a special protective composition.
But if there is only one minus, the dry screed has such advantages that make it popular and relevant when carrying out repair and construction works.