High-quality floor screed is needed for a good repair. If the floor is uneven, of low strength or deflection, there will be problems with the finish coat. Therefore, you must immediately choose which floor screed is better.
The customer must first think through all the stages of its installation, otherwise there will be a need for additional costs in the process. The latter depend on the thickness of the layer, the area of the premises and the floor arrangement.
Which screed is better to choose?
The following types of flooring are available:
- concrete screed;
- cement;
- self-leveling bulk layer;
- wood floor.
In new homes, builders are not laying high quality flooring so that it can be immediately laid on the floor. The owner of the apartment, deciding which floor screed is better in a new building, must take this into account and independently make a level floor. He has many options for this.
Wood screed
In old Soviet-era houses, all floors in apartments are made of wood. They are easy to install, the floor is warm, but the service life is the shortest due to the tendency to rot, burning and deformation. Its maintenance is more expensive, since the coating must be periodically painted. When deciding which floor screed is better, you should immediately abandon the use of wood. Moreover, on the market you can find many modern floor coverings.
Concrete screed
The composition includes a cement-concrete mixture into which expanded clay or pebbles can be added, which makes it stronger. At enterprises and in garages, metal reinforcement is performed, but for apartments this is not necessary. Against cracks, the use of a polypropylene fiber additive is effective here.
Bulk floor
The polymer floor is made more in the form of a thin coating, but can also serve as a screed. It consists of:
- cement;
- gypsum;
- polymer additives.
Self-leveling floors are made of self-leveling mixtures, from which a perfectly smooth surface is obtained. Materials are expensive, but high floor quality is achieved. Coating does not require special equipment and high qualifications. They are used in office premises, in food enterprises and where high sanitary and hygienic requirements are imposed.
For the floor, it is necessary to choose vapor-permeable materials, which include cement. Then moisture will not accumulate from below, and the polymer will not exfoliate.
Semi-dry floor screed
Choosing which screed is best for the floor, you should immediately pay attention to the options with semi-dry compositions. They have the following advantages over wet ones.
- No need to waterproof the base.
- The structure is monolithic, as the beacons are rubbed from the same material.
- No shrinkage.
The amount of solution is determined after the installation of beacons. To do this, the dowel-nails are first screwed into the floor to the height of the future coupler. The screed is prepared from a mixture of sifted sand with cement in a ratio of 3: 1. A little water is added to it so that it sticks together easily. The estimated amount of sand concrete crumbles on the floor and is moistened with water. Then it is collected in a pyramid, continuing to add water. For some time, the composition settles, evenly absorbing moisture.
Fiber fiber is added throughout the batch process, which is evenly distributed in the mixture. As a result, the structure of the solution is strengthened and reinforced. All the work seems time-consuming, but an experienced team of 5 people in one shift lays a layer 80 mm thick in an apartment of 90 m 2 .
Previously, at the level of the screwed dowels, beacons are prepared from a smaller amount of sand concrete, and then screed is laid between them. The solution is compacted and leveled, and then a separate section is treated with a grinder. After this, the joints are cut, providing the possibility of shrinkage of the screed, while it is gaining strength. After a day, the entire surface is wetted and further repair work continues.
Garage floor screed - which is better?
The garage floor must first withstand the load of the car.
Mechanical effects from it are made several times a day. In addition, racks are placed in the garage, the weight of which is also significant.
The material of the screed is also subject to chemical loads from oil products, antifreeze and other liquids. Their hit on the floor is inevitable, no matter how neatly the fluids are handled.
The floor must be done correctly so that it can withstand all the loads. This necessarily requires a concrete base. Before pouring, laying of waterproofing from polyethylene or roofing material is required. Be sure to use reinforcement with a metal mesh or other material. You can lay the slab, but filling will be cheaper.
Concrete is quickly worn away from above and impregnated with oil products. Therefore, the floor is covered with ceramic tiles. Porcelain tiles are usually used, but paving slabs are also suitable. Now they began to use rubber tiles that are resistant to fuels and lubricants. The budget option is painting, but with intensive abrasion, the floor screed should be updated every six months. Which surface is best suited so that strength remains high with minimal maintenance?
An advantageous option is to impregnate the top layer of concrete, which increases abrasion resistance.
Which screed is best for a warm water floor?
Before laying the screed, the underfloor heating must be carefully checked and tested, since there will be no access to it in the future.
And which screed is better for a warm floor in terms of a budget option? This is the use of a conventional sand and cement mortar.
It is prepared on its own, only large fractions should be taken, since the mixture is stronger. A plasticizer is added to it, which can be purchased at a hardware store. It is advisable to use special mixtures in which all additives are already present. As a result, any places where access is difficult and voids do not form are filled. It is sufficient to dilute the mixture with water according to the manufacturer's instructions. The basis is gypsum, which allows the screed to gain a foothold for a week. For the use of each composition, its own instruction is proposed, but there are the following rules common to all gypsum mixtures:
- the proportion of water required is such that the solution is creamy;
- the thickness of the fill should not exceed the permissible;
- in rooms with high humidity, the surface of the screed and places of abutment to the walls are covered with a waterproofing composition, since gypsum does not tolerate long-term exposure to moisture;
- the layer thickness above the pipe surface is usually 45 mm, and when using self-leveling mixtures, up to 25 mm;
- Before installing a warm floor, you should find out whether the overlap can withstand a screed with a thickness of 65-70 mm;
- in places of installation of heavy objects, the screed is additionally reinforced with a metal mesh or fiber.
The styling technology is no different from normal. In this case, the laid pipes should not be displaced, since subsequently it will be difficult to restore the damaged place. The screed is the basis for flooring, so the surface to be created should be even and smooth.
Conclusion
When laying the screed, the sequence of work, the correctness of the technology and the characteristics of the room should be observed. Materials must be of high quality. Understanding which floor screed is better in a particular case will allow you to do your own work and save money.