When starting a bathroom renovation, it is important to know that special requirements are placed on the floor, walls, and finishes due to high humidity. In this room, as in any other, repair work begins to be carried out precisely with the arrangement of the floor. More precisely, with its alignment.
Why is it necessary to level the floor in the bath?
It should begin repair for the following reasons.
- Each finishing floor covering (especially mosaic, tile, moisture-proof laminate, linoleum), which is suitable for the bathroom, should be placed on a level floor more correctly.
- Decided to leave bumps on the bathroom floor? They can cause flooding.
- Often a washing machine is installed in the bathroom. If she works on a tilted surface, she will soon need to buy a new machine.
How to level the bathroom floor? We will deal with the most common questions and problems that arise during work.
How and what is the best way to level the bathroom floor?
The best method of leveling the floor in this room is screed. Except perhaps for bulk floors, in addition, the difference in levels should not be more than a couple of centimeters. However, as many professionals and craftsmen say, such a technique is more suitable for a more or less aligned floor. Therefore, a standard screed is most often suitable.
Classic screed is the most common way to level the floor. Before we consider the method of leveling the floor in the bathroom with a screed, we will understand the list of materials used in this process.
What is better to make a floor screed
To screed the floors of the bathroom, you can use either a solution made by yourself or a ready-made building mixture, specially made for leveling technology and bought at a hardware store.
To use the finished mixture purchased in a special store is the best option, because a professional solution contains auxiliary binders and moisture-repellent elements. In addition, if you make a mistake in the ratio when making the solution at home, such a mistake can be expensive and adversely affect the quality of the screed. But if the decision to make the mixture yourself has already been finally made, then it is more correct to make it on a cement base, rather than gypsum. Because gypsum is not suitable for use in a room with a high degree of humidity.
It is worth considering that a mixture containing cement, especially poorly mixed, after drying can give a noticeable “shrinkage”. This can cause cracks. This situation can be avoided with the help of mesh reinforcement. Or add special binders to the mixture - plasticizers.
Types of ready-mixes for screed
There are two types of ready-made mortar for floor screed: regular (or leveling) and self-leveling. Both mixtures have different synthetic components in their composition, which make the mixture more elastic and prevent cracks from forming after the screed has dried. However, due to the special properties of these mixtures, the floor leveling process is greatly simplified, and makes it possible to obtain quite successful results even for an unprofessional builder.
When buying a ready-made solution, special attention should be paid to the date of manufacture. There are two significant reasons for this.
- Over time, cement, which is the basis of most solutions, loses its properties.
- The long storage period of the solution increases the possibility that the solution has absorbed excess moisture, which, of course, negatively affects its qualities.
Solutions for screed, like many mortars, can be divided into starting and finishing. Starting solutions are used when it is necessary to lay the screed in a fairly wide layer. In such a situation, the base is created from the starting mixture, and the top is laid on top of it, helping to make the surface perfectly flat, even and smooth.
Be sure to pay attention to the fact that even an externally impeccable screed can not be the final floor covering, because thanks to it a lot of dust will be collected. Also, the screed will absorb all the moisture.
In addition to the mixture that serves as the base of the screed, in its manufacture it is necessary to use a primer and waterproofing.
Consider how to level the bathroom floor, step by step. This work is not very difficult, so it can be done independently.
Alignment process
Consider how to level the floor in the bathroom with your own hands. Alignment technology includes the following steps.
- Prepare the floor surface.
- Install waterproofing.
- Install the “beacons”.
- Pour screed solution.
We will consider in sequence how to level the floor in the bathroom. First of all, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.
Preparing the floor surface
Before leveling the bathroom floor, first, of course, it is necessary to remove the old floor covering and clean the surface of the remaining glue or mortar. This process can be carried out both manually and with a hammer or drill with a special nozzle for cleaning (the second option is more convenient). When the floor surface is cleaned, all cracks and cracks must be removed. Any glue for a tile will best help with this. When it dries, you need to carefully and thoroughly clean the floor surface from dust and debris. And in the end, the final step in preparing the floor surface is to apply a primer. The primer provides the best adhesion to the floor screed with waterproofing.
We install waterproofing
Since the bathroom is most at risk of being flooded, the surface of the floor should be as waterproof as possible. In order to achieve this, before leveling the floor in the bathroom, it is very important to make a waterproofing layer.
The waterproofing material can be glued (or rolled) and coated. The oklechny type is recommended more for wall use, but is suitable for a floor too. However, undoubtedly, the ideal option is to apply a coating waterproofing material.
The structure of the coating waterproofing material is similar to the structure of paint or mastic, so it is convenient to distribute it with paint tools: brush or roller. With its help, you can eventually get a waterproofing layer whole and without seams, and its density and thickness can quite easily be independently corrected. The distribution method of the coating material may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, before you start applying, you need to carefully study the description of this material.
It does not matter what type of waterproofing you choose, in any case it is better to apply it in two layers. In addition, in addition to the floor surface, we must not forget to put waterproofing material on the wall area at a height of at least 10-15 centimeters adjacent to it. The joints must be in addition glued with a special waterproofing tape.
We install beacons
Before leveling the floor in the bathroom with your own hands under the tile or other decorative material, it is necessary to install beacons. This step of leveling the floor surface is probably the most important. The final result of the whole process depends on him. Before installing beacons, you first need to identify the highest point of the floor in the room. This is pretty simple. On any wall (usually done at the corner) of the bathroom, a mark is set 1 meter high. From this point, when using the level, make a control line around the entire perimeter of the room. Then from this line at various points you need to measure the length to the floor. The place where this distance will be the smallest is the highest point, and beacons will be installed from it. Accordingly, even at the highest point of the floor, the thicknesses of the screed will be satisfactory.
A fairly common option is when the highest point is not located next to the wall of the room. In such a situation, in order to determine it, you can use the rope pulled through the room. But it is not necessary to take a reference to the zero level on a hill located in the central part of the bathroom. If it is quite inconspicuous and small, then it will be easier to knock it down or cut it off. This will make it possible to use the material more economically in the process of laying the screed.
After the zero level is determined, the installation of beacons itself begins. Most often, beacons are made from P- or T-shaped profiles. The first lighthouse is placed above the highest mark, and the subsequent ones are installed depending on the first, observing the level.
It is important to note that the gap between the beacons should not be greater than the width of the rule (this is a spatula of wide thickness; any flat object, such as part of an aluminum profile), with which the screed will be aligned, will also be suitable.
Pouring screed
After the process of establishing the beacons is completed, you can begin to fill the screed. The prepared mixture is poured onto the floor surface between the beacons so that it captures the entire space. Then, using the rule, the mixture is leveled, and the excess is removed. When the solution is completely dry, the top layer is poured over the initial screed. The process of pouring the finished solution is one of the most critical stages, which must be carried out with great accuracy.
Even if you do not have much experience in construction work, it is recommended to use only self-leveling solutions for the finish layer.
Well, now that the finish layer is completely dry, the entire process of leveling the floor surface of the room can be considered completed. Bathroom screed is ready!
Conclusion
So, we looked at how to level the floor in the bathroom with our own hands. This process is quite difficult, but requiring minimal building skills. Of course, it can be entrusted to experienced craftsmen, but these tips will help you do all the work without the help of others at a fairly good level.