Types of self-leveling floor mixes, their differences, selection rules and pouring features. Other advantages of self-leveling mixtures include: incombustibility, water resistance, quick drying and a set of working strength. Such compositions do not require reinforcement or beacons.
Among the shortcomings of the material, it is worth noting:
- Cracks … They appear after solidification, but this is possible only in case of violation of the pouring technology.
- The complexity of dismantling … If you want to change the type of flooring, you will have to dismantle the base.
- Low strength … This minus is possible only with a small thickness of the poured layer.
- Inability to make a screed with a slope … This is due to the fact that self-leveling mixtures have a liquid consistency.
The main varieties of self-leveling floor mixes
All dry self-leveling floor mixes are conventionally divided into two groups - cement and anhydrite. Cement-based compounds are used for any premises, regardless of the degree of humidity. They allow you to make a layer thickness from 2 to 50 mm. This option is expensive, but has high levels of wear resistance and strength. The anhydrite material contains gypsum, so it dries much faster. The advantage of such mixtures is an affordable price, but use in rooms with high humidity is not allowed. You can make layers up to 100 mm, but the floor will freeze with this thickness much longer.
Manufacturers offer special types of levelers:
- Epoxy … They contain resins that give the finished floor high hardness and rigidity. The coating is resistant to chemicals and moisture, tolerates temperature changes well. Most often, the material is used for the premises of car washes, pharmaceutical and chemical production, catering.
- Polyurethane … Flexible and resilient coatings that do not lose their properties at low temperatures. It is an economical and durable option for offices, retail space, warehouses and other high traffic areas.
- Epoxy-polyurethane … They are a combination of the two previous mixtures. Such a self-leveling floor is intended for premises where the flow of people and goods is endless, for example, at train stations or in the subway.
- Cement-acrylic … Such mixtures are suitable where it is necessary to ensure increased safety - due to the special composition, such floors will have a rough surface. They are designed for swimming pools, saunas and entrance hallways.
- Fast hardening or methyl methacrylate … They are mainly used when it is necessary to significantly reduce the hardening time. The advantage is that it is permissible to apply the material in any layer thickness. The finished mixture has a pungent smell, so you need to work with it quickly. With the beginning of the solidification process, the smell disappears.
- Underfloor heating solutions … They are made on the basis of plaster. They have the ability to retain heat, resist high humidity well.
Selection criteria for self-leveling floor mixes
When choosing a leveling level, several important factors must be taken into account:
- Type of premises (residential, office, warehouse, sports). For each, its own type of mixture and method of installation are selected.
- Features of the room and the load on the floor. For domestic needs, less durable self-leveling mixtures are used, in offices and institutions with low traffic - more durable compounds, in warehouses and sports grounds - the most durable and wear-resistant.
- The quality of the mixture is coarse or fine. The former are suitable for rough bases, the latter for finishing or finishing.
- The presence of deep depressions, strong drops, slope. For small differences in height, mixes are chosen that are laid in a thin layer. If the subfloor is "dotted" with pits and has large differences, choose mixtures laid in a thick (from 5 cm) layer.
With the same characteristics of materials, such as layer thickness, full hardening time, strength indicators and price, it is better to give preference to those that are intended for organizing a system of underfloor heating. With their help, you can significantly increase the level of thermal insulation in the room.
Manufacturers of self-leveling floor mixes
The best self-leveling floor mixes are proven materials with high quality characteristics, coupled with an affordable price. Today, dozens of options are presented on the construction market, the most popular among which are the following brands:
- "Knauf" … Among all the products, the "Boden" line stands out for its practicality. The composition includes refined gypsum, quartz sand, special additives and polymers. Thanks to this combination, it is possible to increase the strength and stability of the filling by 50%, in comparison with cement analogues. The process of complete hardening is quite fast, after its completion, you can immediately start laying any type of coating. Such a screed is perfect for installing a warm floor, since it has a high level of heat retention.
- "Vetonit" … It contains special additives that allow the mixture to spread faster over the base and dry without cracking. The manufacturer offers several types of material. So, for example, "Vetonit plus" is chosen by professional builders for the fastest possible solidification, they note the exceptional ease of use. Within 24 hours after application, the layer dries up completely, and you can proceed with the further arrangement of the floor. Self-leveling floor mixes Vetonit cannot be used as a topcoat, they cannot be sanded or painted.
- Mixes "Horizon" … They are of high quality and reasonable price. As a rule, they are used for the final screed and applied in a layer of no more than 10 mm. The result is an absolutely flat surface that allows you to lay laminate, linoleum, parquet, porcelain stoneware and other modern coatings. The floor can be walked on 6 hours after application, and after 24 hours, the next stages of work begin, including "paint and leave as a final version".
- "Ceresit" … Another brand popular in Russia. The manufacturer offers several options for levels designed for all types of bases: concrete, wood, cement. So, with the help of "Ceresit Smooth Floor" it is possible to level out deep drops of up to 80 mm. The mixture contains gypsum and cement, so it can be used in any room. In this case, the solution is easily smoothed and has a fairly low weight. "Cerisite" is an economical material. The consumption of a self-leveling mixture for the floor is small, but it is not at all suitable for final finishing. This leveling agent is coarse, which makes it impossible to obtain a perfectly smooth surface. The product line includes various options designed for special spaces. So, with "Ceresit CN-83" a practical and abrasion-resistant layer is obtained, such material can be used in rooms with high traffic.
- Self-leveling floor of the "Leveling Express" brand … Allows you to qualitatively level the differences up to 10 mm. Suitable for work in any room where constant direct exposure to water is excluded. The manufacturer offers compounds with which both a rough and a topcoat are created.
Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of levelers. When buying, you should not focus solely on the cost of the material and give preference to cheap options. If the price of self-leveling floor mixes is significantly lower than the market average, it is most likely a substandard fake.
Features of working with a mixture for leveling the floor
Before buying a material, you need to calculate its required amount. The finished composition is not stored, on the other hand, it is impossible to obtain the desired result without sufficient mass. To make a correct calculation, you need to determine the condition of the base and set the required leveling layer thickness.
On the packaging of the mixture, the consumption is indicated per square meter with a standard thickness of 1 mm. The thickness of the layer and the required volume are calculated as follows: they look for the highest point of the floor, measure the height of the largest recess from it and add the required thickness of the fill. The maximum consumption of the mixture is multiplied by the layer thickness, and then this result is multiplied by the surface area.
The final number is the required amount of the mixture. This calculation is approximate, therefore an increase of 10% is allowed. In order to find out how many bags of the mixture are required, the result is divided by 25 kg.
Before starting to fill the floor, experts advise choosing the optimal work scheme: use only cement mixtures in all rooms or divide rooms into wet and dry and use cement / anhydrite levels, depending on the conditions in a particular room.
If a decision is made to work according to the second option, you need to think in advance about the issue of careful processing of the seams at the joints. Gypsum exhibits a high degree of expansion when exposed to moisture or temperature extremes. Therefore, to handle the gaps, a special damper tape or a rubber band is laid.
Both types of leveling agents require preliminary priming of the substrate with an emulsion. It greatly facilitates spreading and increases the degree of adhesion of the material to the rough base.
It will be useful to carefully study the instructions provided by the manufacturer. It describes all the moments of arranging the floor, from diluting the mixture to drying time, depending on the selected thickness. Strict adherence to the instructions will make it possible to get a flat and durable floor for further arrangement of the coating.
How to choose a mixture for leveling the floor - see the video:
In terms of strength, self-leveling mixtures are several times superior to cement screeds. That is why they have gained such popularity in construction. A wide range of formulations makes it possible to purchase levelers that meet the characteristics of the room.
