How to prepare a floor for linoleum without screed. How to level floors under linoleum

Anyone who is engaged in the repair of old houses will not be superfluous to learn how to level a wooden floor under linoleum.For today's housing, linoleum is the most demanded floor covering. Its sanitary properties have long been known. The cost of this raw material is available for the most modest budget. Its price depends on the quality characteristics of a particular model. Linoleum flooring requires utmost attention, because tiny pits and cracks gradually begin to appear on such a soft and resilient floor covering. To make wood floors look solid and respectable, the base underneath should be perfectly leveled.

Available materials and technologies

Most concrete floors are leveled using one suitable technique. To do this, use a leveling mass, which is known as a self-leveling screed. She is invariably in high demand due to the fact that it is very easy to work with her. It is not necessary to knead the mixture for a long time, and then level the finished cement mortar. As a result, the screed is poured so quickly that leveling the floor can be done in one hour (or so).

Such amazing characteristics are due to the fact that in this mortar, cement is mixed with fine quartz sand, as well as a variety of modifiers that make the finished mortar unusually plastic and durable. Just a few millimeters of such a layer give very high strength characteristics. Such versatility allows you not to follow very carefully the clear horizontalness of the floor, since here small deviations are insignificant.

The technology that allows you to level a concrete floor under linoleum using a leveling mass is as follows:

  1. At the first stage, the old surface is cleaned (debris and dust are carefully removed). Then the plane is thoroughly opened with a deep penetration primer.
  2. Next, you should partially repair the base. In this case, an ordinary cement-sand mortar is suitable. Tile glue will also work. All cracks and potholes are neatly repaired. Such restoration of the surface is necessary in order to use the expensive leveling mass as economically as possible. After processing the base in a similar way, it begins to absorb moisture in much smaller quantities.
  3. Then the solution should be prepared. The capacity of a large bucket is filled with water by a third. A bag of leveling mass is also poured there. After that, stir the mixture thoroughly. You can't do without a construction mixer / hammer drill with a special cartridge. It is very important to achieve the required degree of density (layer thickness is directly proportional to the latter). As practice shows, to apply a three-millimeter layer, you need to create a mixture, the consistency of which is similar to sour cream.
  4. Simply pour the prepared mass onto the floor and carefully spread it with a wide spatula. A plastic spiked roller is useful. With its help, the mortar is easily leveled into an ideal horizontal plane.
  5. The first layer is immediately covered with a new portion of the solution. Here, of particular importance is how strongly the leveling base is able to absorb moisture. For a good connection of both layers, the previous layer should not be dry. Therefore, a special quality two-coat primer must be used. Much depends on the pace of construction work. Practice shows that two workers will cope well with them, one of whom pours the first screed, while the second immediately proceeds to prepare a new mixture.
  6. Correctly and competently filled layers dry surprisingly quickly. Therefore, the very next morning, you can safely move on the floor. Linoleum is applied on top only after the screeds are thoroughly dry (by this time the color shade of the floor should have changed).

Along with this, there are versions that use other technologies. Here, linoleum canvases are fixed on a concrete base covered with plywood sheets or OSB plates.

How is the wooden floor leveled?

Unlike concrete, fixing a wooden floor is much easier. There is no dirt and water during installation. Time consuming procedures are not required. Traditionally, the wooden base is covered with sheet materials ─ thin fiberboard or OSB, plywood. The following can be said about them:

  1. Fiberboard is an inexpensive raw material with a thickness of two millimeters. It is rarely used in the preparation of foundations. Experience shows that fiberboard fits well only on perfectly flat surfaces, where the only defects are the gaps between the floorboards.
  2. OSB - slabs can have various thicknesses (from 6 to 12 mm). Due to their rather specific structure, they are able to bend smoothly under the fasteners. With increasing thickness, the degree of flexibility decreases. The area of \u200b\u200btheir application is extremely wide.
  3. Plywood is considered the most durable and expensive sheet material. It has an almost unbendable layered structure. Usually the floor is leveled with plywood sheets, the thickness of which is not less than 10 mm. According to the masters, this is the best leveling of a wooden floor under linoleum.

The final choice of material depends entirely on the wishes of the owner himself. You just need to remember that there is no need to save money here. The top finishing layer of the floor covering (if desired) can be easily changed, while the base is made immediately and permanently.

Instead of a conclusion

Summing up, we can say the following: the preparation of the floor surface for linoleum should be carried out very carefully, the optimal solution would be to use a universal option, on the surface of which a variety of floor coverings can be laid. In this case, the parquet can be easily replaced with laminate. It is plywood that is able to perfectly align the horizontal plane. It most fully meets all the requirements associated with the procedure for laying floor coverings.

More articles on this topic:

For a long service life and preservation of the original appearance, the laying of linoleum flooring must be carried out in accordance with all the rules. One of the main conditions is a flat floor. Too large differences spoil the geometry of the interior and negatively affect the functional features of the coating. Linoleum, laid on top of cracks, depressions and bumps, will go in waves, it will be dangerous because it will be possible to stumble over it. Also, linoleum on an uneven concrete floor will be more susceptible to mechanical stress, which increases the risk of serious damage. How to prepare a concrete floor for laying linoleum?

Floor base - cement screed

An inexpensive way to get rid of serious unevenness in the floor is to level it with a cement screed. This will require cement, sand, damping tape and tools for working with mixing and working with cement. How to make a cement floor screed:

    Prepare cement mortar. The proportions are 1 part cement and 3 parts sand. Up to 140 ml of water should go per kilogram of dry matter. The mixture is poured into a bucket of water and mixed until smooth. Cement M150-200 is suitable for floor screed - it has high strength and frost resistance.

    Lay damping tape around the perimeter of the room. The thickness of the tape depends on the planned thickness of the screed, but it should not be less than 5 mm. The damper tape is used for additional thermal and acoustic insulation of the future floor and compensates for the thermal expansion of the cement screed.

    Moisten the concrete floor liberally with water. The surface should be wet but not puddled.

    Strengthen the "beacons" - metal or wooden guide bars required for screed floor. The first lighthouse is located on a longitudinal slide made of a mixture of alabaster and putty (1: 4). The alignment of the beacons is done using a building level. Subsequent slides are made 30-40 cm apart.

    The resulting grooves are in turn filled with cement mortar so that it is slightly higher than the installed beacons. The rule is laid on the beacons, after which the floor screed itself is made - the builder pulls the rule towards himself, while moving it from side to side. If voids form on the surface during leveling, then they are filled with cements and re-applied with the rule.

A cement floor with a thickness of 5 to 10 cm may take at least a week to bond. The thicker the layer and the higher the humidity in the room, the longer this process will take.

Plywood and chipboard under linoleum on concrete floor



If there is little time for leveling the floor, and serious defects do not stand out on its surface, then you can prepare the floor for laying linoleum using plywood or chipboard. To do this, the sheets are screwed to a wooden or cement floor using self-tapping screws. If the unevenness of the floor forms a large difference in height, then the floor is fastened to the logs.

    Prepare wood planks. Their length should correspond to the length of the room, and the width should be 3-4 cm.

    Apply wood glue to the intended boarding locations. Placing lags is similar to installing beacons with a cement screed. The maximum allowable step between the lags is 50 cm, but if a large load is planned on the floor area, then they are placed closer to each other.

    After the glue dries, the plywood sheets are stacked and screwed onto the logs with wood screws. It is important that there are no places where the corners of four sheets at once converge, and a small gap remains between the walls and sheets.



The procedure involves removing the top wooden layer of the floor and leveling it using a special machine. Work should be carried out with protective equipment for eyes, mouth and nose to avoid the ingress of chips. Special headphones are also useful, as the grinder makes a loud sound during operation.

    Prepare the floor surface for work. If there are nails in the boards, they need to be driven deeply, it is better to remove the rest of the solid objects - this is necessary in order not to damage the mechanism of the used apparatus.

    Machine the floor surface. The corners of the boards are processed with a chisel and sandpaper, the last irregularities are corrected with a plane or chisel.

    With the help of a vacuum cleaner, debris is removed from the surface of the boards, all cracks and grooves are sealed with a putty. After it dries, you can repeat the treatment of the floor with a sander if any unevenness remains.

    The leveled floor is cleaned and a protective coating is applied.

Self-leveling mixtures as a substrate and base for linoleum



Self-leveling mixtures are used in a similar way to cement screed, but they are only suitable for leveling defects up to 2 cm deep.

    Apply a deep primer to the floor to create a stronger adhesion to the mixture.

    Just like for cement screed, a damper tape is glued along the wall.

    The mixture is prepared according to the recipe indicated on the package and poured onto the floor, after which it is evenly distributed over its entire surface using a needle roller. The direction of the roller should be away from the wall, not vice versa.

After leveling the floor, you can start laying linoleum. The procedure does not require a high skill of the builder, and everyone can cope with it. If in doubt, then it is prudent to leave this matter to professionals.

According to regulations and requirements for linoleum is carried out in a recommendatory manner. Nevertheless, the quality of operation of the floor covering will depend on the performance of these works.

Otherwise, even a few millimeters of height difference can lead to premature damage to the outer layer, which in turn will entail unplanned work and expenses for laying a new coating.

Methods for arranging the surface for linoleum

Linoleum is available in various modifications with different performance indicators. Despite this, any kind of this coating is especially demanding on the floor level.

Height differences, indentations, loose panels - all of this will ultimately lead to damage to the linoleum.

With small differences, up to 1-2 mm per square meter, it is most advisable to use sound-insulating and noise-insulating substrates based on polyurethane foam or natural cork. This technology of smoothing the differences is widely used for both wooden and concrete bases.

The most popular ways to eliminate unevenness and height differences for wooden bases

With significant deviations, for wooden floors, the following leveling methods can be distinguished:

  • the use of a putty based on an adhesive mass;
  • laying plywood or particle board;
  • scraping the surface.

Mounting plywood on support beams and pouring self-leveling mortars are the fastest and easiest leveling methods. The use of a putty is more laborious, but a fairly affordable technology that allows leveling a sufficiently large base area.

Leveling a concrete floor under linoleum is carried out according to standard technologies and can be done in the following ways:

  • pouring concrete mortar;
  • the use of self-leveling floors;
  • laying sheets of plywood or particle board.

Description of execution technology for concrete foundations

The process of leveling a concrete base is technologically much simpler, but it takes much more time. Basically, this is due to the time it takes to dry the concrete mortar used for the screed.

When using self-leveling mixtures, leveling is performed in 1-2 days, including the stage of preparing the surface for pouring.

As preparatory work, for both methods, the dismantling of old coatings and structures is carried out, the surface of the concrete slab is cleaned from dirt and adhered cement. To do this, you can use the tools at hand - a hammer, chisel, hacksaw, drill and puncher.

A-B - line on the wall, C-D - level of drops on the slab, D - highest point on the surface of the slab

After cleaning the room, the calculation and marking of the level of the future floor is made. For this, a tape measure, a pencil, a building level and a nylon cord are used.

A straight line is drawn along the perimeter of the room, on the wall. Distance is measured from the line down to the surface of the slab. The shortest distance is found, which will be the highest point on the surface of the slab. From the found point, they retreat upwards 3-6 cm, measure and draw a line on the wall.

This will be the height of the future floor, which should be guided by when setting the guides for leveling the floor. For cement screed, the minimum thickness should not be less than 3 cm.

The main stages of the restoration of the old base for laying linoleum

The sequence of leveling works using a cement-sand mortar will include the following stages:

  1. A damper tape is glued along the lower edge of the wall, to a height slightly higher than the height of the future floor. This material will be responsible for the temperature change in the screed and will not allow it to burst or crack when drying.
  2. According to the calculations performed, the guides are installed. To do this, you can use a profile for plasterboard sheets or a wooden beam dipped in water. The distance between the guides should be less than the size of the tool that will be used to distribute and level the mortar.
  3. They begin to prepare the cement-sand mixture. To do this, you can use dry mixes from the manufacturer with the M-200 marking or mix the solution yourself. When mixing with your own hands, it is recommended to adhere to the following proportions - 3 parts of cement to 1 part of sand and 0.5 part of water.
  4. Pouring the prepared solution into the space between the exposed beacons. It is better to feed the mixture from the far corner of the room, smoothly moving towards the exit. After pouring, distribution and leveling of the solution over the floor surface is performed.
  5. After finishing pouring and leveling the floor over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room, the screed is covered with plastic wrap and left for a day, after which the beacons are dismantled and the joints are grouting.

When using self-leveling mixtures for leveling the floor, at the stage of preparing the base, it is primed in one or two overlapping layers. With strong differences in height, after the primer has dried, the installation of the corresponding beacons is carried out using benchmarks.

The main stages of pouring self-leveling mixture and self-leveling floor

With differences of up to 2-3 mm, the mixture can be poured without arranging guide structures. As beacons, screws are screwed into the surface of the slab, at a distance corresponding to the floor level.

Next, the mixture is prepared according to the instructions on the package and the damper tape is glued. The self-leveling mixture is poured in small portions. A needle roller is used for distribution.

After pouring, distributing and leveling one batch, the process is repeated. It is desirable that these works be carried out without delay, since the mixture sets quickly enough.

Description of work technology for wooden floors

The main stages of attaching plywood to the surface of the base

The technology for leveling a wooden base for laying linoleum or other roll coatings strongly depends on the technical condition of the floor structure.

With height differences up to 2-3 mm, mechanical scraping of the surface is performed. For this, special machines and tools are used. Without the availability of special equipment and skills, this method is difficult to implement, and is not suitable for everyone.

For strong plank foundations, with a slight skew or blockage, you can use plywood or DSP sheets, which will be fixed to the old coating.

In case of severe unevenness, evenly distributed over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room, it is most preferable to use alignment with the arrangement of the supporting structure in the form of wooden logs and filling the voids with putty.

For heavily skewed and sagging wooden floors, you will have to open the entire structure, replace rotted and damaged areas, set the support logs in level and lay a rough base from new materials.

As an example, we will describe two methods. The first method is simpler and does not require special skills. The second, more complex, but quite feasible with knowledge of technology.

A mixture of sawdust and PVA of a thick consistency

Do-it-yourself work on leveling the floor under linoleum using glue putty will consist of the following:

  1. The surface of the plank and wooden base is checked for damage, rotted areas and cloths. If found, the damaged area is cut out and replaced with a new board. To do this, you can use a hacksaw or jigsaw, a hammer, screws and a screwdriver.
  2. On the base of the floor, every 30-40 cm, longitudinal slats of small thickness, thin beams, etc. are laid and fixed. Before mounting, check the level of the rail. In case of blockages and distortions, roll materials are placed under the rail.
  3. Mix a mixture of sawdust and PVA glue. Use a plastic or iron container for mixing. In consistency, the mixture should resemble a thick putty.
  4. The voids between the longitudinal strips are filled with prepared filler. In one approach, the layer thickness should not exceed 15-20 mm. The second and subsequent layers are applied only after the previous one has completely dried.
  5. After grouting the floor over the entire area, a level check is performed. On top of the leveled base, you can lay plywood or chipboard sheets.

This method of alignment is not particularly difficult, but it is time consuming if you need to align a large area. If possible, instead of homemade putty, it is better to use self-leveling mixtures and solutions.

Sequence of work when pouring a cement screed on a concrete base

The sequence will look like this:

  1. Checks are carried out on the supporting base, planks and other wooden parts. In case of damage, rotten areas and strong debris, replace and adjust the structure.
  2. Plywood sheets are laid out on the base of the floor. The canvases can be moved in any order to achieve a more comfortable position on the surface. After laying, a line is drawn along the contour of the sheets lying against the wall. For ease of installation, sheets are numbered and set aside.
  3. Installation of wooden guides is carried out according to the markings. For the manufacture of logs, you can use a beam of 50 × 60 mm. After laying the log along the perimeter, every 30-40 cm, the arrangement of the longitudinal and transverse guides is performed.
  4. The supporting structure is checked according to the level. If necessary, thinner bars or boards are placed under the logs. After checking, the structure is fastened with metal corners and self-tapping screws.
  5. Plywood sheets are laid on the support beams. A gap of 8-10 mm is observed between the sheets, and 10-12 mm between the plywood and the wall.

If necessary, after mounting the sheets, you can scrape the plywood to create an even smoother surface. Additional leveling or scraping is not required for laying linoleum.

As an addition to the described technologies, we recommend watching a video showing the process of leveling the base for linoleum in more detail.

Linoleum is a decorative floor covering, sold in rolls, covered in premises for various purposes: a private house, apartment, office, etc. Linoleum is laid on a concrete and wooden base. But if it is uneven, then the coating will exactly repeat all the differences, and as a result, uneven wear will occur.

In this article, you will learn how to level linoleum floors.

You can level the floor under linoleum in various ways, it all depends on the base material. Which one to choose depends on the operating conditions and individual preferences.

Let's list 3 types of alignment:

  • The self-leveling floor is made of a fluid leveling mixture. It is poured onto the surface and, due to the liquid consistency, the mixture spreads evenly over the floor area. This compensates for all drops, cracks, depressions and bumps. When pouring, manual leveling of the surface is not required - the mixture itself takes the desired position.
  • A semi-dry screed is made of a thick leveling mixture, the surface is evenly shaped by hand according to the set level. After leveling the mixture, grouting follows - the final stage of processing the starting layer. Before laying linoleum, the surface of the screed is finished with a finishing mixture.
  • A dry screed is made of sheet materials (gypsum fiber sheets) installed on a claydite embankment, leveled at one level without the use of mixtures.

Let's take a closer look at the advantages of each of the concrete floor leveling methods:

  1. All three methods are used for any differences in floor height.
  2. Operating conditions (temperature drops, humidity, mechanical stress). Wet and semi-dry screeds are reinforced concrete structures, leaders in strength among screeds. They can withstand temperature extremes and cannot be destroyed by moisture. In a dry screed, wood materials or gypsum fiber are used, which are inferior in strength to concrete counterparts and are unstable to moisture.
  3. The installation time for a wet and semi-dry screed reaches 1 week and the mixture is dried for another 4 weeks. At this time, work stops. The dry screed is installed in 1-2 days, after which you can immediately proceed with further finishing.
  4. The price of a screed depends on the material chosen, but often a dry screed is more expensive.

Dry screed technology

Screed materials:

  • bulk material - expanded clay;
  • waterproofing material - plastic film;
  • guide beacon - a profile for drywall or a wooden block;
  • sheet material - gypsum fiber (GVL);
  • joining sheet joints - folded edge.

If we have decided on the screed materials, then we get to work. The flooring is done in stages:

  • Floor surface preparation. It is necessary to remove the old screed, remove debris and dust, cover deep cracks, then insert the zero level using a hydraulic or laser level.
  • The waterproofing material is laid: the film is overlapped without folds on the wall 200 mm, the seams are glued with tape, along the perimeter of the room, a tape of 300 mm foam is glued to the wall.
  • Expanded clay is filled in and the surface is leveled. It is necessary to install the beacons and set them on a level, fixing them on quick-drying alabaster (the distance between the beacons is determined by the width of the rule). Then fill in expanded clay at the set level, taking into account the thickness of the gypsum plasterboard and
    flatten the expanded clay mound with the rule.

  • GVL sheets are stacked: the location of the sheets starts from the front door; the joints of the sheets are connected with glue applied to the edge of the sheet; self-tapping screws are screwed in along the connection line with a pitch of 50 mm.
  • The final stage: the waterproofing material protruding above the floor is cut off; The joints of the sheets and the caps of the screws are putty.
  • After the putty dries, linoleum spreads.

If instead of GVL other sheet material is used, then wooden beacons serve as supports for sheets. In this case, the pitch between the beacons is determined by the size of the sheet material.

Leveling with a semi-dry screed

A semi-dry and wet screed is made of a cement-sand mixture. The thickness of the layer is taken at least 30 mm, otherwise the strength characteristics are lost. If the layer thickness is more than 30 mm, then the screed is reinforced with a reinforcing mesh or reinforcement.

Work algorithm:

  1. Surface preparation is the same as for dry screed.
  2. The cleaned overlap surface is primed with a waterproof agent and the hardening time is expected.
  3. Beacons are installed at the target level. Their correct installation affects the evenness of the future screed. The lighthouses are attached to the same mix used for the screed. The distance between the beacons is determined by the width of the rule, but 300 mm must necessarily recede from the wall.
  4. Ready-made concrete is bought or mixed independently.
  5. The mixture is laid between the beacons and aligned with the rule with an emphasis on the beacons. It turns out a flat surface.
  6. During the first week after laying the screed, the surface is watered and covered with a film. This reduces the risk of cracking.
  7. You can continue to work 30 days after laying. The surface of the screed is finished with a finishing mixture, and after hardening, linoleum spreads.

Wet screed leveling technology (self-leveling floor)

A wet screed is a cement or plaster mortar with a liquid consistency. This allows the mixture to independently take an even shape, spreading evenly over the floor area and compensating for all unevenness.

How to level a concrete floor under linoleum with a wet screed - the sequence of actions is similar to a semi-dry screed device:

  1. Floor preparation and marking.
  2. Surface priming.
  3. Purchase of the mixture and kneading according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  4. Pouring the mixture.

To release air from the lower layers of the mixture, after pouring, you need to treat the surface with a needle roller.

Drying time depends on the brand of the mixture, this value is indicated on the package. After drying, the finishing mixture is applied and linoleum spreads.

Laying linoleum

After completing the preparation of the base, measurements and the purchase of linoleum are made. The selection takes into account the surface loads. By strength, linoleum is divided into: household, semi-commercial and commercial.

In winter, after buying linoleum, you cannot unfold the roll. The material needs to adapt to the climatic conditions of the room for two days in the rolled state, and then it is cut to size, spread on the floor and "cured" until the bends are completely smoothed.

Algorithm for laying linoleum:

  1. The linoleum is cut so that the pattern is preserved at the joints.
  2. A primer is applied to the base, and after drying - glue.
  3. Linoleum is laid on the glue and smoothed to release air.
  4. The joints of linoleum sheets are soldered with a special soldering iron or additionally glued with cold welding.

Additional care for linoleum is not provided. The only thing that needs to be foreseen is to make pads under the furniture legs and be careful when moving heavy objects around the room.

Video - how to level the floor under linoleum:

The floor in the rooms of a house or apartment may be different. However, the owners always want its surface to have an attractive appearance. Many people prefer to install a wooden floor in their home. Such a coating looks beautiful, it is environmentally friendly, strong and durable. But sooner or later you have to carry out repair work. One of the more popular problems is wood floor leveling. For many, and especially for beginners, this is a real headache. However, in reality, everything is not so complicated. How can I do that? Do the boards need to be taken apart to the ground? Next, we will consider in what way and what is the best way to level the wooden floor.

General information

Experts recommend carrying out the work with at least two people. But you can level the wooden floor with your own hands and alone. No special knowledge is required for this. There is enough accuracy and following some simple rules.

Elimination of small irregularities

If the floor in the house is slightly uneven, then this situation can be corrected with a minimum of materials and tools. If surface treatment of the boards is required, they will need to be removed, peeled off and re-laid. This option is considered to be quite long and laborious. But at the same time, it is relatively inexpensive. You can use a sander to level the coating. This method has its drawbacks. Firstly, this is a rather "dirty" option, since a lot of dust remains after work. In addition, before starting processing, the heads of nails and screws should be sunk deeper into the boards so that they do not damage the tool. Minor blemishes can be repaired with an acrylic filler. This process does not require any special skills. The floor can be processed by any novice master on his own.

Elimination of cracks

To process boards with such defects, a special mixture is used, including sawdust, putty and varnish. With its help, it is possible to eliminate cavities and cracks in the wood, as well as insect nests that destroy it. Before starting work, the processing area should be cleaned and degreased. After the mixture is dry, the surface should be sanded and varnished.

Special solutions

It is very often necessary to level the wood floor under the laminate. The first step is to find out how strong the deviation is at the base. If the skew is small, then you can apply leveling mixtures for a wooden floor. This solution is evenly distributed over the base. However, experts recommend using these mixtures with drops of no more than 1-2 cm. They can be effectively used in the case when it is necessary to close up small depressions and grooves in the base. The cost of such materials is quite high. But, as practice shows, they do an excellent job with their task.

Solution application

Wood floors must be cleaned before leveling. Water is added to the solution in the required amount and mixed. It is better to apply the mixture together: one prepares, the other levels the floor. Beacons should be installed first. The solution must be poured into the far corner of the room. Level it with a long spatula or squeegee. Next, the solution is rolled with a roller (needle). Particular attention must be paid to the junction of various mixes. These areas need to be processed with a spatula. Use hard-bristled rollers to remove air bubbles. After the solution has solidified, when it will be possible to walk freely on it, expansion joints are made with the help of a grinder. They are sealed with elastic material.

How to level an old wood floor?

What if the base has very large swings? It often happens that the wooden floor in the middle of the room has failed, but at the walls, on the contrary, it bulges up. In these cases, as a rule, the old coating is removed. But often it is quite difficult to disassemble a wooden floor. In addition, after such work, all doors will become higher. We'll have to fix that too. But if the differences are very large, then you cannot do without dismantling.

First stage

You need to take a laser level. This tool is very useful when carrying out repair work. The level should be placed at the highest point of the base. After switching on, a line will appear (along the entire perimeter). The leveling of the wooden floor will be carried out along it. Marks with chalk or pencil. Then you need to make beacons. As them, you can use guides for plasterboard sheets. The advantage of these elements is their evenness. They should be laid out on the floor at a distance of approximately 60-80 cm. In this case, their upper part should coincide with the line marked along the perimeter. To check this, you need to take a flat narrow board or plywood and a mounting level. You can adjust the guides by placing boards or plywood under them.

Alternative option

If there is no possibility or desire to use the laser level, you can resort to another method. In this case, you also need to find the highest base point near the wall. Measure 5-6 cm up from it and put a mark. After that, you should take a straight long rail or guide and attach it parallel to the floor along the wall. The height must be corrected using the mounting level. Next, the mark is placed on the opposite side of the wall. Points must be placed around the entire perimeter. Next, you should take a rope or cord and stretch it from the mark located on one side of the room to the one on the opposite wall - crosswise. It is good if the rope does not touch the floor. If the cord touches the surface, then all the marks should be raised by 2-3 cm.

Second phase

It is advisable to attach the guides to the floor. This can be done using self-tapping screws. Further, the building mixture is poured between the guides. The layer should be even. Next, you should use the rule. With this tool, the mixture is leveling. The solution can take a lot.

Using DSP

The leveling of a wooden floor can be done without mortars. For this, cement-bonded particle boards are used. Before leveling wood floors, prepare them. The work, as usual, includes cleaning the base. During the preparatory phase, a perimeter line is also drawn. To level the wooden floor with DSP, it is necessary to lay boards on the base - instead of guides. They should be laid at the level of the perimeter line. Pieces of plywood are placed under the boards. The base should be secured. For this, the same screws are used. Further, DSP is placed on the boards. The sheets are pre-cut taking into account the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. DSPs are attached to the boards with self-tapping screws. The cracks are covered with a rotband. The installation quality is checked by the installation level.

How to level a wooden floor with plywood?

The use of this material is rightfully considered the fastest and easiest way to equip the base. In this way, you can level the wooden floor under the linoleum. What are the advantages of this foundation? Plywood is considered an irreplaceable material. It has a relatively low weight, flexibility, hardness, and resistance to stress. Due to the perpendicular placement of adjacent layers, plywood is highly durable in all directions. To shorten the work time, you can choose large sheets. This is especially true in large areas. The undoubted advantage of a dry screed is considered to be a small financial investment.

Technology

Before leveling wooden floors, it is necessary, as mentioned above, to assess the condition of the surface and establish the level of its deviation from the norm. A two-meter level is used to measure the base. Points should be marked in the corners of the room, find the centers of conjugation of the floor and walls and the middle of the room. Next, you need to divide the base into so-called segments and examine each site. If the deformation of the floorboards is uniform, and the height level has a difference of 5 mm, the plywood can be fastened directly to the wooden base. If the differences are more than one, but less than eight centimeters, then a crate should be made. Experts recommend creating tape or point supports.

Preparatory work

Plywood is aged indoors for several days. This achieves the same humidity as the room. Subsequently, this will avoid deformation of the material after installation. If the room is heated regularly, then the sheets are installed on the edge. In this position, the material is kept for at least two days. If the work is carried out in a heated room, the edges of the sheets are moistened with water at room temperature.

Fitting material

Before leveling wood floors, the sheets should be adjusted to the size of the room. When cutting material, it is imperative to take into account the width of the damper joints. The walls should have a gap of 1 cm, and between the blanks - 3-4 mm. If these gaps do not exist, the material may deform during temperature and humidity changes. After the cutting is completed, the ends should be checked for delamination and defects. If there are damaged sheets, it is better to replace them. Next, you need to lay the material in the order in which it will be fixed. All sheets should be numbered. It is also necessary to mark the places where the logs will be placed. This is done by focusing on the joints between the sheets. The connections should hit the center of the log.

Base

Leveling lugs are also made of plywood. Their width should be 3-4 cm. The logs are laid according to the marks made in advance. If there is a gap between the floor and the strips, then fit pieces of plywood that are suitable in size. The surfaces must first be greased with glue. The logs are attached to the floor with self-tapping screws. Additionally, glue is used during the installation process. The horizontal placement is defined using a level. The evenness of the subsequent coating will depend on how carefully the lag fastening is carried out. Place a seal between them.

Fastening sheets

After installing the log, you can proceed directly to the plywood installation. The sheets are attached in order, in accordance with the indicated numbers. Before laying, the material should be treated with an antiseptic. Plywood is fastened with self-tapping screws with plastic dowels. In order not to damage the sheets with hammer blows, in the places where the screws are screwed in, holes should be drilled along the diameter of the dowels.

Final processing

The final work will depend on the type of material that is planned to be laid on top. For example, if it is a carpet, then the surface is varnished in several layers. Before laying the laminate, the base is sanded and treated with protective compounds. If there is parquet on top, a special noise-absorbing substrate is laid on the surface.

Finally

Using the above technologies, you can quickly and easily level the wooden floor with any differences. With careful implementation of the work, you can get, among other things, a solid and durable base. The coating laid on plywood will last more than one year. In addition, the material will act as additional thermal insulation.