How to replace a wooden floor in an apartment. Wooden floor in the apartment and installation and replacement work

Natural wood floors deteriorate over time. Due to improper operating conditions, constant mechanical stress, temperature changes and moisture, the wooden floor in the apartment begins to creak and collapse. In some cases, minor repairs with filling cracks are enough, but in apartments like Khrushchev, the floors are already so old that minor repairs are clearly not enough and it is necessary to replace not only the entire tree, but also repair the concrete base. Next, we will step by step analyze the whole process in more detail and provide photos that clearly show the result.

Work planning

Before you update the wooden floor in the apartment, you need to draw up a work plan and immediately determine the type and amount of consumables. In the presence of an old coating, it is not difficult to calculate the total footage of floor boards. If the work will be carried out in Khrushchev, then most likely it will be necessary to completely dismantle and replace the entire tree, as well as repair the concrete screed before laying the new floor. The entire workflow can be divided into several main stages:

Dismantling of the old coating;
Repair of the screed or pouring a new concrete base;
Installation of lags and laying insulation;
Wooden floor laying.

For your information. If the old wooden flooring can no longer be restored and its elements cannot be reused, then you can order a service for dismantling the wooden floor. The price of dismantling a wooden floor in an apartment varies within one dollar per square meter, while the teams not only dismantle, but also take out the old coating.

The dismantling of a wooden floor in an apartment, especially if it is an old floor in Khrushchev, causes subconscious fear for many, since the process itself is quite noisy and dusty, and the result is not a pleasant one. In fact, dismantling the old floor is not such a terrible procedure if it is not broken, but carefully disassembled. To work, it is enough to have a nail puller, a hammer and garbage bags. You may need an electric saw or a jigsaw. You can remove the wooden floor in the apartment in a few simple steps:

First you need to completely free the room from furniture, flooring and other items that are on the floor;
Dismantle old skirting boards. If they are planned to be reused, then each plinth must be numbered before dismantling, in order to install them in reverse order;
Next, the floor boards are removed, starting from the far wall of the room. If their reuse is not planned, then you can not particularly protect them during dismantling;
Dismantle the lags. Wooden floors in Khrushchev are equipped with transverse lags, they must be removed as carefully as possible so as not to once again damage the base of the floor.

Upon completion of all work, you will receive a bare concrete base, which must be thoroughly cleaned of construction debris and dust. For this, a broom and a scoop are used, with which large debris is removed, then the remaining dust is removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Screed preparation

Before you repair the wooden floor in the apartment, you need to decide in advance whether the floor will be insulated or not. Additional waterproofing may be required if there is a cold and damp room under the floor.

After removing the old floor, it is necessary to carefully examine the concrete base and its quality. If the concrete surface is covered with cracks, there are traces of concrete peeling in the form of a dull sound or areas affected by a fungus, then before replacing the wooden floor in the apartment, the old concrete screed must be completely dismantled. This is done using a perforator with a nozzle in the form of a spatula. If the old screed is partially damaged, then only some of its sections can be removed.

For your information. In many cases, even a good screed has to be dismantled if you plan to install a wooden floor in a new apartment. This is done in order to deepen the base, since the installation of lags and floor boards raise the level of the floor, and this cannot always be done. Before you change the wooden floors in the apartment, you need to take into account that in the presence of insulation, the floor level will increase significantly, especially if large logs are used and foam or expanded clay is used as a heater.

For high-quality laying of a new layer of screed, the following steps are taken:

After removing the old screed or repairing it, the premises are thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner to remove dust from the surface as much as possible;
Then wet cleaning is carried out, which removes fine dust and the room is thoroughly dried.

This completes the preliminary preparation of the base and then you can start laying a new screed, the type of which is selected depending on the level of the floor and the preferences of the owner.

Bulk screed

If the replacement of the wooden floor in the apartment does not provide for insulation, then a regular self-leveling floor is used to restore the evenness and integrity of the coating. In the presence of large cracks or potholes, they are sealed with cement mortar or putty with additional reinforcement with a painting grid. Then the base is cleaned of dust, coated with a deep penetration primer in several layers.

Mix the self-levelling compound according to the instructions on the package and pour the floor surface. For leveling, a spiked roller is used, which removes air bubbles and levels the mixture. After hardening, the surface is perfectly flat and ready for laying a wooden floor.

Insulated expanded clay screed

If the floor needs to be insulated, then a expanded clay screed is arranged. Expanded clay is a light material and does not make the ceiling heavier, moreover, it has good soundproofing characteristics. Before re-laying the wooden floor in the apartment and insulating it with expanded clay, the material must be bought only in sealed bags or dried well before use. The process of laying expanded clay screed is as follows:

Beacons are installed on the surface of the base, the height of which should be equal to the thickness of the floor, taking into account the cement screed over the expanded clay. Beacons are set strictly according to the level;
Next, expanded clay is poured and carefully leveled with a rule. The expanded clay layer should be below the level of the lighthouses;
Then the cement-sand mortar is kneaded and laid on the surface of expanded clay, leveling it according to the established beacons;
After drying, the screed will shrink, which is additionally leveled with a bulk solution.

Important. If the apartment is located on the ground floor or under the bottom of a damp and unheated room, then before making a wooden floor in an apartment with expanded clay screed, it is necessary to provide additional waterproofing. For this, a mounting film is used, which is laid with an overlap on the walls or a coating type of insulation in the form of bituminous mastic. A damper tape is installed around the perimeter of the room.

Wooden floor installation

If there is no time for independent work, then you can order a wooden floor in an apartment from any construction company or private craftsman. However, the involvement of third-party specialists significantly increases the amount, since you pay not only for the cost of the material, but also for the work.

Before starting work, it is necessary to draw up a preliminary diagram of the future floor with an exact indication of the location of the lags, the distance between them, as well as a list of the necessary material and wood species. The presence of such an estimate will help to determine in advance how much a wooden floor in an apartment costs if you carry out all the work yourself.

To date, the most popular are two types of wooden flooring, plywood sheets or tongue and groove boards. Plywood floors are usually used for laying laminate or carpet, while tongue-and-groove boards can serve as a finish and decorate the interior with their appearance.

When changing old wooden floors in an apartment for new ones, it is necessary to install transverse lags on which the main coating will be attached. Between the lags and the screed there is a space that can be left empty, but it is better to use it for additional insulation and sound insulation. In general, the process of installing a new floor is not complicated:

Installation begins with the marking of the room under the logs. The direction of laying the joists is always perpendicular to the direction of the boards and usually they are laid across the room, and floor boards along. The distance between the lags depends on the insulation used. When using foam, the distance should be exactly the width of the panel, when using mineral wool, the distance is made on average 30-40 cm.

Important. When laying a wooden floor in an apartment with your own hands, make sure that the height of the lag is equal to the height of the mat of insulating material. When using mineral wool, the height of the lags may be slightly less.

Next, prepare the lags and install them according to the markup. Extreme logs should be no further than 6-7 cm from the wall. The fixing of the lags on the base is carried out using metal corners or directly through a through hole in the lag. Dowels are used for fastening. The logs are immediately set according to the level and at the same height, so that after laying the floor boards, the question does not arise how to level the wooden floor in the apartment.
After installing and fixing the lags, the insulation is laid, for which use foam, mineral wool or expanded clay.
After the insulation, waterproofing material is laid. Usually this is a dense construction film, the joints of which are sealed with double-sided tape and the material itself is fixed on the logs with a stapler.
At the final stage, floor boards or plywood sheets are laid, depending on the preference of the owner.

Important. You can often hear the question of how to cover the wooden floor in an apartment to protect the tree. The logs must be covered with special impregnations that protect the wood from moisture, rotting and prevent the formation of mold. Floor boards are covered with various types of varnishes, which carry not only protective, but also decorative functions.

If the old floor cannot be restored, then there is only one way out - its replacement. This process requires a lot of time and physical effort. However, as a result, a new floor covering is obtained, which will serve its owners for decades. We will consider how to carry out the replacement of floors with our own hands further.

Features of replacing a wooden floor

If the old floor cannot be restored, then there is only one way out - its replacement. This process requires a lot of time and physical effort. However, the result is a new floor covering that will serve its owners for a long period of time. We will talk about how to carry out the replacement of floors with our own hands further.

If the old wooden floor constantly creaks and causes discomfort while walking on it, then you should take care of replacing it. The procedure for measuring a wooden floor consists of several stages, the first of which involves the dismantling of the old floor covering.

To do this, you should prepare a special tool with which you can get rid of old boards. It is best to use a crowbar or montage. These elements have the appearance of steel scrap, which is distinguished by the presence of a curved edge with a small lever on one side. It is with its help that the dismantling of the boards is carried out quickly enough. Please note that before removing the old coating, you should carefully inspect the floor for the presence of communication channels so as not to damage the wiring, pipes or ventilation system.

The time to complete this process depends on the wear of the boards, if the floor is old enough, then it will not be difficult to remove the boards. If, however, the flooring is strong enough, then to dismantle it, you should carefully work hard.

All rubbish, boards, logs, if any, should be removed and taken out of the room. Thus, an even base will be obtained, most often from sand or soil. It is possible to place an old screed on the floor, which has certain defects, slopes and irregularities.

To produce a quality new floor, you should completely dismantle the old floor covering. The field of cleaning the floor from dirt, it should be leveled or a new screed should be poured.

Before this, the floor must be treated with a primer, which will improve the adhesion of concrete to the surface and have an antiseptic effect. Further, with the help of bituminous mastic, waterproofing work is carried out to equip the floor.

Please note that you should proceed to the next stage of work only after the bituminous mastic has completely dried. In addition, it is possible to carry out additional waterproofing work in the form of laying additional flexible waterproofing. It will help to qualitatively protect the room from moisture.

After rolling and laying the rolled material, all its butt sections are processed using the same mastic, on a bitumen basis.

In order to reduce the amount of concrete mortar for arranging the screed, work should be carried out to insulate the new floor. In addition, the insulation is able to protect the room from extraneous sounds from below, for example, if the floor is being built in an apartment in a high-rise building. In addition, such a floor will be warmer and safer.

Plate heaters in the form of mineral or basalt wool, polystyrene, etc. are used as a heat-insulating material.

After fixing the reinforcing mesh, the solution is prepared and the concrete floor screed is arranged. For these purposes, we recommend ordering a factory-prepared concrete mortar, as its quality is much higher than that of a conventional home-made mortar. In addition, it is possible to use self-leveling compounds that allow you to make a high-quality floor screed. In order to calculate the amount of solution, in the process of arranging the screed, you should calculate the length and width of the room, as well as the height of the screed, multiply all these indicators together and get the amount of solution in cubic meters. For example, if it is planned to equip a screed in a room with a length of 4 m and a width of 2 m, while the thickness of the screed is 5 cm, that is, 0.05 m, 4x2x0.05 = 0.4 cubic meters of solution follows.

Next, the solution is laid on the floor surface, its alignment. After that, you should wait at least 4 weeks until the screed hardens. In order for the floor to be perfectly even, a self-leveling mixture is used, which is laid after the concrete screed has dried. After it dries, the floor is ready for finishing, laying linoleum, laminate, parquet, installing logs, subfloor or tiles. The finishing option depends entirely on the preferences of the owners of the premises.

Redevelopment, floor replacement: the initial stage

There are many reasons that provoke the replacement of the floor in an apartment or in a private house. This includes the wear of the old flooring, repairs, the mismatch of the floor with the general style of the interior, etc.

The process of replacing the floor and the complexity of its implementation directly depends on the type of flooring. The first and very important step in replacing any floor is the installation of the old floor covering.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the procedure for its implementation using the example of floors of different material:

1. Floor made of wood.

The process of dismantling an old wooden floor is the easiest, as it requires only an ax, a hammer, a screwdriver and a mount. In addition, you may need an electric jigsaw or saw.

All work is carried out in the following sequence:

first, the skirting boards installed around the perimeter of the room are dismantled;
if it is planned to reuse the boards, then the procedure for dismantling them should be extremely accurate, with the help of a nail puller, the fasteners are removed, and if the boards were fixed using self-tapping screws, then in this case, you can not do without a screwdriver;
if the boards are too worn out and unsuitable for further use, a saw, a mount and a jigsaw are used to dismantle them, as the boards are dismantled, take them out of the room so that debris does not accumulate in it;
further, the logs should be dismantled, keep in mind that they are most often too strongly attached to the old floor, therefore, in the process of dismantling them, take extra care;
after removing all the covering, clean the room and get rid of excess debris.

2. Replacing floors made of concrete is a more complex process. Work on the dismantling of the old concrete floor is carried out very rarely, since in most cases, such a floor is only restored with the help of special repair compounds.

However, if the old coating cannot be repaired, it has a large number of delaminations, cracks, then it should be replaced. In addition, the old screed often has accumulations of fungus and mold on its surface, which adversely affect the health of the residents of the house. This is one of the first reasons for its dismantling. Another reason for replacing the concrete screed is the presence of too low ceilings in the room, and it is the replacement of the screed that helps to solve this problem. Thus, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the screed with the help of sound-hydro- and heat-insulating materials.

In order to qualitatively and quickly remove the screed, it is recommended to use a perforator, it is with its help that it is possible to partially remove the screed.

After the screed is removed, you should clean the room and get rid of excess debris generated during these works.

Replacing Old Floors: Substrate Preparation

To improve the quality of laying a new floor, you should carefully prepare the base for its installation. To do this, it is recommended to perform a number of actions:

clean the base from dust as thoroughly as possible, thus, it will be possible to detect minor defects on the floor in the form of cracks, chips, holes or crevices;
if present, care should be taken to seal them with special compounds, since these areas will significantly worsen the heat and sound insulation of the room;
for these purposes, mounting foam, cement-based mortar or sealants are used;
the choice of one or another composition determines the type of defect, its size and quality of damage;
if a fungus or mold is observed on the surface, then these areas are treated with a special antiseptic;
after the base has dried, the base is prepared, this stage of work depends on what type of finish is chosen for the floor;
keep in mind that if, after the deformation of the old concrete floor, the installation of a wooden floor follows, then the arrangement of a new small concrete screed will still be required.

Replacing a wooden floor with concrete: arranging a screed

Instructions for making concrete screed:

with the help of a self-leveling coating, it is possible to hide small surface defects, if they were present on the floor, for these purposes it will be necessary to purchase a ready-made dry mortar, which will have a self-leveling effect;
note that all work should be carried out in accordance with the instructions indicated on the package;
after the solution is ready, it is applied and leveled on the floor surface, in order to distribute the composition it will be necessary to use a wide spatula, and with the help of a needle roller it will be possible to get rid of excess air;
the floor leveled in this way should be left until the composition is completely dry, as it must gain the desired strength.

After the floor has dried, the following work is carried out:

installation of insulation and installation of the main floor covering;
arrangement of plywood subfloor;
wooden floor installation.

Replacing floors in a wooden house: arranging a screed with expanded clay

Another option for arranging a screed in the process of replacing floors in a house is to equip a floor with expanded clay. This material has good heat and sound insulation characteristics. Also, expanded clay is a fairly light material that does not load the building, it is especially important for apartments or floor insulation on the second floor.

The construction of a screed with expanded clay requires the following actions:

if it is planned to equip the screed on the ground floor, located above the basement, then first a series of works should be carried out aimed at arranging waterproofing;
there are several ways to perform this process: floor painting, plastering, casting, pasting with special materials;
keep in mind that waterproofing should be applied not only to the floor, but also to the wall that is in contact with the floor;
on the prepared surface, waterproofing roll material is laid, it enters the sections of the walls by 21-25 cm, and the joints between the sheets are 10-15 cm, a special adhesive tape is used to connect the joints;
a damper tape is installed on the film, along the perimeter of the room, with its help, even with significant temperature changes, the screed will not lose strength;
on the film, beacons are installed, which are mounted in accordance with the level, it is recommended to use a concrete composition to fix them;
beacons must have such a height that it compensates for the height of the expanded clay and concrete screed;
then expanded clay is poured, which should be carefully tamped. after that, expanded clay is poured with a concrete composition, which is leveled in relation to the previously installed beacons;
after drying the screed and its slight shrinkage, it is recommended to apply a small layer of self-leveling mortar, which will give it a perfect appearance;
any type of finishing material is laid on this type of construction.

Replacing laminate floors photo:

Replacing the floor in the apartment with your own hands: features of the construction of the screed

Another option for making a screed screed in an apartment, a screed without insulation. This type of screed is also used in the process of installing a wooden floor on it.

To make this type of screed, follow a series of steps:

lay a waterproofing material in the form of a polyethylene film on the main floor;
stick damper tape around the perimeter of the room;
lay a mesh of metal or fiberglass on the waterproofing;
install beacons that will help make the screed as even as possible;
pour the concrete solution and level it on the surface using the rule;
the maturation time of this type of screed is 3-4 weeks.

Replacing the floor covering: arranging a dry screed

Another option for floor restoration is a dry screed. For its manufacture, it is not necessary to use “wet” concrete mortars, but rather dry materials that level the base of the floor. Most often, this type of screed is equipped in an apartment. In order to replace the flooring with a dry screed, you must perform a number of actions:

1. Cover the floor with waterproofing in the form of a polyethylene film. Try to lay it with a margin near the walls and with an overlap in the butt sections.

2. In the doorway, place a stopper in the form of a wooden board, which will help prevent the dry compound from spilling out of the room.

3. Take care to fit the embankment tightly to the floor surface.

5. Please note that the beacons must not be fixed to the floor, as they must be removed after the screed has been installed. To check the evenness of the lighthouses, use the building level.

6. Sprinkle a material in the form of a filler onto the surface of the film, for example, expanded clay. Using the rule, level the dry mixture.

7. Special boards based on fiberglass are laid on the surface. Thus, a solid base is obtained. To glue the plates together, you will need glue and self-tapping screws.

Floor replacement video:

Replacing the floor in the apartment with your own hands will significantly save your budget.

Moreover, understanding the intricacies of such a process is also useful if you hire specialists for repairs.

Prerequisites

If the replacement of the old floor in the apartment was carried out in the next ten years, then there is no point in worrying about this yet. Unless you are already tired of its appearance, and the budget allows you to update the room.

But in the case when the replacement of floors in the apartment has not been carried out since the construction of the building, it is necessary to carefully check their condition and, if necessary, take measures.

Obvious external signs of the need for replacement are:

creaking boards;
deflection of floorboards;
the occurrence of cracks.

A closer examination may reveal rotten or cracked boards.

Tip: on an old floor that has not been repaired, linoleum or other decorative coating should not be laid on top.
Because on a rough layer that has fallen into decay, any new finishing layer will quickly become unusable.

Since all the prerequisites for repairing the base are present, we will consider two ways to solve the problem:

Full or partial replacement of wood flooring.

Replacing the wooden floor with concrete in the apartment.

Installation work

The degree of disrepair of the old floor and what kind of coating you are going to use in the future on top depends on which method to choose. Let's analyze them in more detail.

Wood floor restoration

If, when examining the boards, you came to the conclusion that the base is quite in order, and only the upper floorboards fell into decay, then you can limit yourself to repairing or replacing the boards.

The following instruction will help you with this:

We remove all traces of paint or varnish from the coating.

Tip: use a sander to clean the boards.
This will greatly improve the result and simplify the work.

We examine the boards for traces of decay, cracks and other deformations. All defective products must be replaced with new ones.

We examine the fastening of the floorboards to the logs. Old fastenings with nails should be insured for reliability with self-tapping screws.

We process all possible small cracks and indentations with putty on wood, leveling the surface as much as possible.

If the crack is more than five millimeters, we drive a specially prepared wooden wedge into it.

After finishing with putty, we go through the grinding machine again.

We carry out dry and wet cleaning of the premises.

We cover the floor with paint, varnish or any other desired coating.

If more than 50% of the covering material is unusable, feel free to remove and discard the entire covering. It will be more profitable to carry out a complete replacement of the boards. Moreover, today the manufacturer offers products with a tongue, which are special for such work, as shown in the figure:

Such a structure without through slots, which, of course, will greatly improve functionality and durability.

Replacing the wooden floor in the apartment with your own hands is quite simple. Using quality dry wood and doing the job right gives you at least a ten year warranty on your new finish.

Complete replacement of wood with concrete

In order to decide on the complete removal of the tree and pouring concrete with your own hands, two reasons can push you:

Complete disrepair of the old coating, including the base of the floor.

Desire to use expensive external coating material such as tile, parquet, laminate and others.

The most basic in using this method is the ability to create a smooth and even surface. In the absence of skills, it may be worth considering inviting professionals for this work. Although the repair cost will then be higher.

Filling can be done in three ways:

Use a prepared cement-sand mixture (CPS) for the screed.

Use levelers - dry cement mixture.

Make a "dry screed" with gypsum fiber sheets.

Let's do some preparatory work:

We remove absolutely all the old coating.

We remove all construction debris, freeing the old screed or tiled floor.

We lay a plastic film as a moisture barrier.

We glue the damper tape around the perimeter. It compensates for the shrinkage of the coating and increases reliability.

We install beacons for direction.

To level a particularly curved surface, it should be covered with expanded clay or sand.

In case of strengthening the reliability of the floor, we mount a steel mesh.

Ready mixes also harden faster, up to 10 days, and even self-level. This greatly simplifies the work, but also increases the cost. Although if you do everything yourself and have already saved on hired work, then this is quite a profitable option.

Dry screeding is quick, easy and clean. But expensive. The choice is yours.

Output

If the floors in the apartment have not been changed since the acquisition of the apartment, then this, most likely, must already be done. However, creaking boards certainly remind of this.

Depending on your budget, you can choose different ways how to replace the wooden floor in the apartment. It is possible to carry out a partial replacement of boards and a complete one, you can generally change wood for concrete and, again, by different methods. It all depends on your financial capabilities.

One high-quality floor repair will save you from constant creaking and the fear of one day failing for 10-20 years. Make up your mind!

In old houses where the floors were made of wood, the problem of creaks and fragility of the coating occurs very often. The board wears out, rots and cracks. Replacing a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment looks rational. This can be done, including in old houses. The concrete floor has excellent strength, service life, it can be covered with laminate in full compliance with the technical requirements for this process.

Removing the old floor

Dismantling the old coating is the first step from which the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment begins. For this, standard tools are used: a sledgehammer, a crowbar, a crowbar.

Remove floor coverings in the form of linoleum.
With the help of a tool, the coating is disassembled.
In areas where pipes and other communications enter, you should be especially careful.

After removing the old boards, access to the base is opened. Logs are laid on a reinforced concrete slab in apartments, often they are not even fixed. The space between them is covered with the remains of construction debris for soundproofing.

Everything needs to be removed. Garbage collection will require bags and a place for temporary storage.

After the construction debris and dirt are removed, the logs are evaluated. If the wood is in good condition, a plywood or chipboard screed base can be created to be placed over the existing underlay. But this will cause the floor level to rise, so it’s worth deciding which is better: to make a new coating on the logs, without insulation, or to remove the logs and form a layer of concrete over the floor slabs.

In practice, most apartment owners act according to the second option. Legs are dismantled. After that, you need to carefully assess the condition of the pipes - cold and hot water, sewage. If there is damage or signs of poor condition, the interfloor sector should be replaced immediately. Later, after creating the concrete floor, repairs will cause much more problems and time costs.

Evaluation of the list of works

The slab, freed from the floor, logs, construction debris and other dirt, is inspected. Level measurements are made. A laser level is useful, which determines the height difference and their nature.

Several situations may arise:

the base is formed by several narrow plates forming a “step”;
there is a trough-like shape or there is a bulge in the center of the room with a descending height to the perimeter;
there is a uniform slope of the base to one side or the other.

It is necessary not only to evaluate the work on the level of investment of funds, but also to plan the smallest possible mass of the screed. To do this, the concrete layer is made of a minimum thickness, placing it on a backfill or lightweight mortar.

The procedure for evaluating the work of the future floor with a large, from 70 mm floor height difference, looks like this:

the thickness of the concrete screed is 40-50 mm;
the rest of the space can be filled with class solution.

A cheaper way is to fill the rough surface with sand, but the mass of such a pillow will be significant. In practice, it is ideal to make a plywood base, under which expanded clay is poured to level the level. This method of work production simultaneously gives a smooth, even surface for the screed, the rough filling has a low mass and provides some degree of additional sound insulation.

The base for a plywood screed can be made on logs from a small section beam. This is a convenient and fairly cheap way. The logs are laid on the floor, providing a horizontal, while in the right places small supports are placed under them. After that, the free space is covered with expanded clay.

When filling the base with sand, it must be spilled with water and carefully compacted. It is not recommended to use a vibrating tool - the plaster finish may be damaged from the neighbors below or other troubles may arise. After finishing work, the sand should be given a couple of days to dry.

The difference, whether a wooden or concrete floor is located on an interfloor floor, is in the mass of the coating. Although, not only in this. About this video:

A little bit about very old houses

In houses where there is no reinforced concrete floor, you can replace the wooden floor with a concrete screed in one way: build a rough coating of plywood or chipboard. Some advise repairing the existing wood floor or laying additional flooring.

However, in practice, such work takes a lot of time, money, requires the replacement of damaged areas, the removal of old paint and other coatings to assess the condition of the boards.

Therefore, proceed as follows:

all floor boards are removed;
in houses with ceilings on beams or a metal profile between the floor and the ceiling of the lower floor, construction debris is poured for soundproofing. All this must be removed;
the state of the lag is assessed. If bad, they are removed. If it is good, the logs are cleaned, treated with anti-mold, antibacterial agents and fixed in such a way as to guarantee the evenness of the plywood or chipboard flooring.

The preparation of the base for the screed begins with the filling of expanded clay into the interfloor ceiling on beams or I-beams. This layer will have a low mass and have good sound insulation. Backfilling is carried out to the upper level of the log. After that, they lay plywood or chipboard and act in the same way as in an apartment.

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

After the rough base for the screed is ready, they begin to create a waterproofing layer. For this, it can be used:

roofing material or glassine;
bituminous roll insulators based on fiberglass or fiberglass;
polymer film;
one-sided vapor-permeable membrane.

Before spreading the roll waterproofing, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. To do this, the entire perimeter of the room is glued with a special construction tape. After that, it is coated with bituminous mastic of a cold type of application. Some compositions will require time to dry, so it is worth warning the neighbors in advance about the need to endure an unpleasant odor.

After the mastic has hardened, the perimeter is glued with a damper construction tape 20 mm thick and a rolled waterproofing agent can be spread out. Strips of material are placed with an overlap of 10-15 cm, each next strip overlaps the previous one. Along the perimeter of the room, the waterproofing should be 10-15 cm on the walls.

Seams are processed as follows:

when using a polymer film, the area of \u200b\u200bthe edge of the strip located on the previous one is glued with a wide adhesive tape;
roofing felt and other bitumen-containing materials are thoroughly heated with a building hair dryer over the joint area and rolled with a roller for gluing.

It is not recommended to use floating class materials in the apartment. They require processing with a kerosene burner, which in conditions of limited space and ventilation can be a problem.

To speed up the work will allow rolled waterproofing on a self-adhesive basis. They are more expensive, but will significantly speed up the flooring.

After the waterproofing is laid, a heater is placed on it. This stage of work is carried out if a floor heating system is being built. In other cases, it is not necessary to use thermal insulation.

Reinforcement laying

classic, laying on the floor with a gap to the insulation or waterproofing in 10 mm steel mesh with a mesh size of 5 cm;
using plastic reinforcing meshes;
adding special fibers to the solution.

An aluminum chain-link mesh can also be placed inside the screed. But the leader in terms of convenience and rationality is the method using fibers. This will allow:

do not care about the presence of a compensation gap to the waterproofing or insulation;
lay a floor heating system inside the screed;
work at high speed.

Fibers for reinforcing the screed are affordable, with their use it is possible to ensure the uniform strength of the concrete layer. But when constructing a floor not on a reinforced concrete floor slab, it is recommended to proceed in the classical way, using a reinforcing mesh.

Installation of beacons

Beacons on the floor on the prepared surface are installed simply: special profiles or a corner for decorating corners during plastering are placed on small mounds of gypsum putty. The evenness of the surface formed by the upper points is checked using a long building level.

If the base is poorly prepared and there is a difference in levels in the hotel areas of the area, the height of the putty mounds varies. It is necessary to place beacons at a distance of 40-50 cm, directing them along the line from the window to the door. Details must not be moved until the putty has completely hardened and the beacons are securely fixed.

Solution preparation

If you want to replace a wooden floor with a concrete screed and at the same time worry less about the pressure on the ceiling, you can use ready-made mortars. For example, KREISEL 440, 441, MZ150, allowing you to create a layer up to 70 mm with a minimum of 35 mm. In this case, it is not necessary to mix the dry mixture - the composition is immediately ready for adding water.

The standard approach is to use a classic cement-sand screed. For its preparation you will need:

1 part cement grade m400;
3 parts of sifted building sand;
0.1 parts of lime dough, acting as a plasticizer;
fibers for reinforcement in the amount recommended by the manufacturer.

Before stirring with water, the dry mixture must be thoroughly mixed until a uniformly colored composition is formed. After that, they begin to add liquid, continuing to stir until the consistency of thick sour cream is obtained.

Recommendation: for fast and high-quality work, a large amount of dry mix should be prepared in advance. As needed, you can quickly dilute it with water. If you measure equal parts of the composition, it is easy to navigate in the amount of liquid needed and prepare the solution extremely quickly.

Screed laying

The screed is laid from the window or the far wall to the door. The solution is laid out in large portions and leveled with a long rule along the beacons. There are no difficulties during work, you just need to act quickly so that the solution does not seize and is easily smoothed out. It is recommended to lay the screed together. One is preparing the solution, the second is applying it.

Creating a finish

In the apartment you want to achieve maximum strength and at the same time -. To do this, you can act in several ways:

grind the floor with sandpaper;
apply special polymer compounds or paint with paint for concrete;
iron the surface of the screed after 3-4 days, when partial solidification occurs;
form a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

If you plan to lay tiles on the floor, you can do without additional surface treatment. For laminate or linoleum coatings, it is recommended to carry out. The most expensive version of the self-leveling floor allows you not only to get a smooth and even surface, but also to create an effective final coating. For example, a popular 3D floor or with graphic images.

The issue of creating the final coating should be considered in advance. The self-leveling floor will raise the overall level by about 30 mm, a similar situation is with ceramic tiles. However, final clearance can be seen as a secondary measure. As for the concrete floor itself, if the above rules and methods are observed, it is possible, after complete drying in 2-3 weeks, to create a very strong, durable coating for an acceptable cost of money and time.

Replacing floors in a house or apartment is carried out for various reasons. The most common examples are the need to install sound and heat insulation, a decision was made to install a “warm” floor, the coating deformed, the boards began to creak or the humidity coming from the basement increased, just wanted something modern and new.

Be that as it may, you will have to do a huge job, consisting of several stages. A lot during material replacement depends on what material the old floors are made of and how you plan to see the new flooring. Moreover, you need to consider an additional function that would increase noise and heat insulation, as well as provide more reliable protection for the apartment.

So that the complexity of the upcoming work will not come as a surprise to you, you need to find out not only how much the replacement of floors costs, but also familiarize yourself with the main stages of the upcoming events.

Dismantling the floor

This process is one of the most annoying. But no matter how scary it may be, you simply can’t do without such an activity, and therefore you should boldly take up work.

If the old floor in the apartment is wooden, then there will be no great difficulties and problems with its dismantling. For work, you need to prepare all the necessary tools, such as a hammer with a nail puller, an ax, a pry bar, a screwdriver, an electric saw or an electric jigsaw for cutting old boards (if you do not plan to reuse them), a shovel and garbage bags.

How to dismantle the old wooden floor

First of all, you need to get rid of the skirting boards by removing them around the entire perimeter of the room, and only then can you start dismantling the boardwalk.

If you plan to re-lay the boards or use them as joists, then you need to remove them carefully, trying not to cause serious damage to them. Therefore, using a nail puller, carefully pull out all the nails. If the boards were fixed with self-tapping screws, then this process will not cause any difficulty - most often they can be unscrewed with a screwdriver.

If you do not plan to use the boards in the future, it is better to take them out of the apartment immediately. Do not collect a bunch of garbage, as it will interfere with subsequent actions. It is also worth doing with other elements that you definitely will not need for installation work.

Having freed up space, you can proceed to dismantle the lag. It is important to remember that they can be securely fastened to the floor, and they must be dismantled carefully, trying not to damage the base. Otherwise, you will add to yourself additional work and expenses that will be spent on sealing the holes that have formed.

When you free the room from the old coating, it is necessary to carry out its thorough cleaning, as far as the base allows, of course. After completing this procedure, you can begin preparing the floor for installation work.

Dismantling a wooden floor: video

Removing the concrete floor

Removal of old concrete pavement is done as a last resort, as it lends itself well to repair. Drastic measures are taken only if the old cement coating cannot be preserved. For example, it was constantly exposed to moisture without regular drying. In such a situation, mold and fungus could form in the concrete layers, which can cause health effects for residents - asthma, allergies, lung diseases, rhinitis, and others. Naturally, it is simply necessary to dismantle such a coating.

Another reason for dismantling is the low ceilings in the apartment. If you are going to install the floor with insulation, then be prepared for the fact that it will become higher, and the coating must be removed to make room for the sound and heat insulation structure.

If you plan to dispose of the screed, make sure it is placed on a concrete floor and proceed with extreme caution.

To remove the screed layer, it is better to use a perforator. With its help, its individual pieces are removed. Typically, such a layer leveling the slab is from 50 to 120 mm.

When the old screed is removed, you must also perform cleaning activities. However, in this embodiment, it is unlikely that it will be possible to make an ideal cleaning, but you will have to make every effort.

Preparatory work

In order for the new flooring to be laid qualitatively, it is necessary to bring the cleaned base from the old floor into proper condition.

Carefully remove all dust from the surface. This is done in order to detect serious flaws in the base (holes, cracks, crevices, areas of coloring or peeling, places where the concrete has been impregnated with certain compounds, or where traces of mold and dampness were visible).

If you find such, they must be well repaired, otherwise they may reduce the effect of sound and thermal insulation. This can be done with mounting foam, cement mortar or sealant. It is necessary to make a choice of repair materials, starting from the size of the damaged base. In case of mold or fungus formation, the base must be impregnated with special aseptic compounds.

Once the base is dry, the subsequent preparation steps are carried out, which will depend on what kind of flooring is being done instead of the old one. For this reason, these processes should be considered in conjunction with the installation of each type of floor.

But keep in mind that even if you are going to install a wooden floor instead of a dismantled screed, the surface will have to be leveled with a new concrete coating (small layer).

Making a new screed

You can make a new screed in different ways. If the base is more or less even, and a wooden coating is laid on top of it, then put it in perfect order by making a self-leveling floor. One of the best options would be to pour a self-leveling coating.

The bulk coating can hide small flaws or differences in the base. To do this, you need a ready-made dry mortar intended for self-leveling floors.

You can get acquainted with the technology of preparing the solution on the package, and it must be strictly followed. Next, the finished solution must be poured over the surface, then distributed with a wide spatula or doctor blade, and then pierced with a spiked roller to release the remaining air bubbles.

The leveled floor must be left to dry so that it gains strength. All compositions are characterized by their maturation period, depending on the components from which the building mixture is prepared.

Then on the leveled floor you can:

put a thin insulation and lay a decorative coating;

equip plywood flooring with laying a special film of infrared underfloor heating;

lay a wooden floor on the installed logs.

Screed with expanded clay insulation

The second type of screed is laid directly on expanded clay, which is a high-quality sound insulator and insulation. Moreover, the material is quite light, which means it will not make the interfloor floor heavier, which should be taken into account when performing a screed in an apartment. Moreover, the process of laying this screed is as follows.

If the screed is carried out on the first floor, located above the cold basement, then first of all, waterproofing is done. Its installation is carried out in various ways: cast, plaster, painting, pasting and others. It is applied not only on the floors, but also on the lower part of the walls, on a pre-primed surface.

A dense polyethylene film is laid on a pre-prepared waterproofed surface, extending 20 cm onto the walls. The sheets of the film must be glued to each other using a special adhesive tape.

Further, a damper tape is attached on top of the film along the perimeter of the room, which helps to keep the screed intact during strong temperature changes.

Further, beacons are installed on top of the film, aligned in level. Usually they are fixed on a concrete solution. At the same time, the height of the beacons must correspond to the height of the expanded claydite layer to be filled in + the planned thickness of the screed.

Further expanded clay is poured in a layer slightly below the installed beacons and is well leveled.

Then, a concrete solution is poured over the expanded clay, which is leveled on the top of the beacons.

When the screed dries, it will most likely settle a little, it can be finished with a thin layer of self-leveling floor.

Further on top of this design any decorative floor covering is laid.

Screed without insulation

An ordinary concrete mortar screed is produced to strengthen the floor for further wooden flooring or on floors of an apartment building where insulation is not required.

A special damper tape is glued around the entire perimeter of the walls.

On top of the laid waterproofing film, it is necessary to lay a reinforcing mesh (fiberglass or metal), and then install beacons that are leveled in a horizontal plane.

Thus, the entire room is poured and leveled, after which the screed is left for 3-4 weeks, during which time it will harden and mature.

After it is ready, proceed with the installation of the log, insulation, and boardwalk.

Dry screed

Another option for arranging a new floor is a dry screed, which is perfect for a device in an apartment. She has proven herself well in that she does not have to knead the solution and breed a swamp in the dwelling. Dry screed floors are made in this way:

A dense polyethylene film is laid on the floors, which should be 5-10 cm on the wall (height margin). A board is installed in the doorway to limit spillage of the mixture. The flooring should fit as tightly as possible to the surface of the base.

Further, beacons made of even wooden beams or a metal profile are laid on the film. But in this version, the screeds cannot be fixed to the base, otherwise, after leveling the surface, the guides from the backfilled layer must be removed.

The beacons themselves must be leveled at the building level to a flat horizontal plane.

The next step is pouring the filler onto the film. Its layer should have a greater height (by several millimeters) compared to the installed beacons.

With the help of the rule, the dry filler is leveled, focusing on the beacons.

The last stage is the laying of gypsum-fiber boards with docking interlocks. Glue is applied to them, after which the next panel is laid. This is done in such a way that the lock parts fit perfectly. The plates are additionally fastened in these places with the help of self-tapping screws.

The finished floor is decorated with a decorative coating, the choice of which depends on your personal preferences.

Wooden floor

The floor, made of plywood or tongue-and-groove boards, is installed on a prepared screed. Moreover, it can be laid directly on a concrete base or laid on logs.

The most popular among these options is the first one, because it has many advantages. For example, between the lags it is possible to lay sound insulation and insulation. Moreover, the surface is raised above the concrete, which in turn adds an insulating effect. Another advantage is that the lags add more rigidity to the coating, and it becomes more reliable. Floors on logs or bars are installed in several stages:

Before fixing the logs, the layout of the room is performed. The lines are beaten off with a colored stretched twine. The distance between the lags should correspond to the width of the insulation material (in the case of mineral wool, it can be reduced by 30-50 mm, it will be much better).

Next, cut the logs of the required length. But it is important to remember that they should be at a distance from the wall, no less than the thickness of the insulation. As a rule, mineral wool is used for insulation - when using low-quality polystyrene foam in closed residential areas, the atmosphere will not be so environmentally friendly.

The distance between the lag racks, which are fixed to the floor, should be within 40-50 cm. The level of the future floor can be brought to a horizontal plane by adjusting the height of the racks.

At the end of this work, you need to lay the insulation. First, this must be done between the wall and the logs, around the entire perimeter of the room, then lay it between the log bars.

The next step is to cover the entire structure with a special vapor barrier film - it should be fixed to the logs with a stapler.

Boarding is the most important process. Starting floorboards should be 5-7 mm from the wall, which will provide ventilation and compensation for linear expansion from increased humidity or thermal changes in the room.

If you plan to lay plywood on logs, then provide a joint between two sheets so that it falls in the middle of the log bar. You need to calculate the size of the plywood. For surface rigidity, the sheets must be fastened according to the brickwork system, namely with a shift of the next one by half the sheet.