How to level the floor with your own hands: methods and step-by-step description of actions

If you make major repairs, both in the room and in the entire apartment, then for sure you can not do without the procedure of leveling the floor. Aligning the floor is an integral part of the overhaul, because it is unlikely that the floor in your apartment will be flat, especially if the house is built a long time ago. Also, without floor leveling, laying new flooring is illogical. That is why we want to discuss in more detail the issue of leveling the floor.

Content of the article:

• Floor leveling methods


• Floor level measurement and preparation for alignment


• How to level the concrete floor

Floor leveling methods

Floor leveling is the very first procedure for repair, of course, after all the preparations. Thus, the floor must be leveled before the ceiling and walls are leveled. To level the floor there are several ways, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages, and we will describe them so that you can choose the leveling option that is most suitable for your room.

So, today there are three ways of leveling the floor:

• Aligning by lighthouses;


• Leveling with filler floor;


• Floor leveling.

Let's briefly describe all these options for leveling the floor, sorting out their "pros" and "cons", and also telling which option to use in this or that situation.

Floor leveling by beacons

This leveling option has received such a name in view of the fact that for leveling on the floor, beacons are initially laid and fixed - metal slats, in the level of which the screed is leveled. Floor leveling by beacons is the most common method of leveling, it is most often used to level the floor of large rooms: a hall, a bedroom and a kitchen. The advantage of this method of leveling is a high-quality, strong and even surface, which can be achieved even with large surface irregularities. The disadvantage is that the screed can dry for 10 to 30 days, everything will depend on the temperature and humidity in the room, as well as on the screed layer. If you want to make repairs as soon as possible, then this method is not particularly suitable for you.

Floor leveling by beacons is the best way of leveling for laying of laminate and linoleum, as it is for laying these floor coverings that a perfectly flat surface is needed.


Leveling with filler floor

Leveling the floor with a leveling mortar is the easiest and quickest way to level the floor. The essence of this alignment is that with the help of a rare special cement-based mortar you fill the floor, due to the specific feature of such a mixture, it will spread evenly over the floor, which will eventually create an even surface. Unlike the previous method, the leveling of the bulk floor occurs faster in time: both during the leveling process and the drying time of the screed, since its layer is several times smaller than the screed layer when the floor is leveled to the beacons.

It should be noted that the layer of the filler floor must be at least 3 millimeters. The maximum height of the bulk floor layer should not exceed 35 millimeters. Therefore, if the level of irregularities is very large, that is, the plane of the floor plate goes to one side, and from the upper level of the floor to the bottom more than 35mm, then in this case this method is not suitable.

The undeniable advantage of leveling the floor with a self-spreading mix is ​​quickness, as it does not take much time. This is an excellent way of leveling out slight unevenness of the floor surface, as well as for pouring the warm floor. In addition, this method is the cheapest, which makes it, in fact, the most optimal. The disadvantage of the filling floor is one - it can not be used for large uneven floors.

Floor leveling

The last way to level the floor is to build it. The essence of this method is that on the floor wooden lags are mounted, with the help of which a flat plane is created, after which boards or plywood sheets are fixed on the logs.

This method of leveling the floor is best suited for the first floors of buildings, as well as for cottages and cottages. The advantage of this method is that when the floor is expanded, the empty space can be filled with heat-insulating material, which will insulate the floor. It is also an excellent option, if you need to conduct any kind of communication on the floor, for example, autonomous heating pipes. The method, more laborious, even compared to alignment over the lighthouses, but it will raise the floor level to the required height.

Floor leveling when laying tiles

In addition to these alignment methods, mention should also be made of floor leveling when laying tiles. This method, in fact, is not a full-fledged way, which is why we did not mention it above, but we can not not mention it. It is used when the surface of the floor is uneven, but not flat.

The essence of floor leveling when laying tiles is that with a slight slope or roughness of the floor surface, it can be leveled when laying the tile, adding more solution to its base. To do this, you simply need to find the lowest area of ​​the floor and the uppermost, then you need to calculate to what height it will be necessary to raise the level of the tile in one or another area of ​​the floor in relation to the highest point.

Measuring the floor level and preparing for leveling

In order to choose the floor leveling method and calculate the required amount of material, you need to measure the floor level. In order to measure the need to dismantle the old floor covering, otherwise there will be no sense from measurements. When the floor is ready, we check it for irregularities.

It is worth noting that the floor can be uneven for two reasons: because of the unevenness of the floor slab or if it is incorrect( curved) when laying the house. Most often there are both kinds of irregularities. That is, in most homes, the surface of the floor plate itself is uneven, and it is crooked.

To measure the floor level you will need a long level, with which you need to check the level of all the floor areas. First, check for irregularities on the slab itself, then its plane. Mark the highest point of the floor level and the lowest point.

If, however, the slope of the slab or its surface has minor irregularities, the maximum amplitude of the slopes or slope of which does not exceed 35 mm, then we recommend that the floor be leveled using the filling floor. If the unevenness is significant, or the plate "goes" strongly to one of the sides, the only way to solve the problem is to align the lighthouses. When you have determined to what height the floor level will be raised, check to see if this is possible, as the balcony or door to the room may eventually not open, or it will be necessary to lift the radiator of the battery. Therefore, before you make any actions to level the floor - think through and decide all the nuances.

In some cases, if the floor plane itself is flat, but there are, for example, irregularities in the joints of the floor slabs, because the seam is not sealed properly, the unevenness can be knocked down by a perforator and then this part can be leveled with cement.

As a mixture for leveling the floor, you can use both ordinary cement, mixing it in the right proportions with sand, and special mixtures that are specifically designed for leveling floors.

How to level the concrete floor

How to level the floor on the beacons

Before leveling the floor, it must be carefully swept, and then treated with a primer coat. In order to level the floor by lighthouses, we need metal perforated corners. Stacking of lighthouses is done along the room. The first lighthouse is stacked at a distance of 30 cm from the wall, the next - at a distance of 100 cm from each other. The last beacon should also be laid at a distance of 30 cm from the wall. To fix beacons we will need a cement or gypsum solution.

So, lay the beacons along the room, if necessary, fit them in size. Then, hardly "slapping" movements, we apply parts of the solution, with a step of 20-25cm. The beacons are placed on the solution and leveled. As soon as the beacons a little grabbed - the voids between the floor and the beacons are also filled with mortar. When the beacons are aligned - let them firmly lock in and then proceed to level the floor.

To level the concrete floor, you need to prepare a grout on a cement base, you need to dilute the mixture to the so-called density of sour cream, note that the mixture should not be too rare, as it will be hard to level, and it will dry even longer. Too thick mixture is also unnecessary to do, as it will be very difficult for you to smooth the surface of the screed - it will be loose.

We start the leveling of the floor from the far corner, moving to the exit. We make the filling from the first and second rows at the same time, since the first row is only 30cm, and at the end we do the same with the last and the penultimate sectors. The finished part of the mixture spreads through the sector, and is evenly distributed by the trowel in order to prevent the formation of voids inside the screed. After that, the rule, by placing it on the edge, leading along the lighthouses, aligns the part of the sector filled with the solution. First, the rule is moved towards you, from side to side, and when you have achieved a level surface, then the last time we follow the rule on the lighthouses exactly. In the same way, make further leveling of the concrete floor. It is important to note that every subsequent pouring is done very carefully, because because of the different consistency of the cement slurry, unevenness can be formed in the areas of sags, it is necessary to follow this.

When the floor is leveled, we let the screed dry, and we can proceed with further repair work. To make the floor dry faster in the winter, you can turn on the heater. In general, this procedure is best done in the summer, the screed will dry completely in a couple of days.


Leveling with filler floor

The leveling of the floor with a self-leveling mortar begins with the cleaning of its surface. When the concrete base is cleaned, you need to thoroughly primer the floor surface, using a special primer used for self-leveling floors.

Then we dilute the self-leveling mixture in the proportions as indicated on the package. Despite the fact that the consistency of the mixture allows it to spread freely on the floor, it must be rolled with a needle roller to remove any air bubbles inside the mixture. The height of the needles of this roller should be greater than the height of the layer of the leveling mixture. Filled space must be carefully rolled with a roller in different directions. After that we let the floor dry, as a rule, it takes several hours.


Floor leveling

If you want to insulate the floor, or raise its level, the best option is to build up the floor with wooden logs, also called floor leveling with plywood. The advantage of this method is obvious, as this is the only easy way to raise the floor level, at which you can warm its base, and also conduct communications inside it.

In order to align the floor with this method, you must first inspect its surface. If there are any cracks or holes, for example in the corners, then they must be sealed. Then you need to primethe surface of the floor. After the primer has dried, proceed to laying the vapor barrier film, which must be laid with the allowance to the wall height equal to the height of the floor. Between them, the sheets of film must be glued together with adhesive tape. After that, go to the lagging.

For lagging, you need to know the level of the deviation of the floor, and also determine to what height the floor will be raised. Lags can be fastened both on the anchor and on special metal plates - you can choose the way of fastening. To fix the level of the logs and in order that they do not bend, they must be covered with wooden or plastic wedges, to which the logs are fixed with screws. Place the lag along the room, at a distance of 5 cm from the wall, with a step of 50 cm. When the logs are laid, they must be secured to the floor.

The next stage of work - laying insulation in the sector between the lags. As a heater use sheets of glass wool. Sheets of glass wool must be cut to the size of the sectors, leaving a few extra centimeters of allowance so that they come into the sector closely. After this, either wooden boards or plywood are laid on top, fixing them on self-tapping screws.

In the first video you can visually familiarize yourself with the procedure for leveling the floor by aligning the beacons.



If you want to align the floor with a self-leveling mixture, this method is disclosed in this video.



Neither is the third way of leveling the floor, with the help of its build-up. This method is slightly different from the one proposed by us and is more suitable for leveling the balcony floor, but you can borrow some basic points for yourself.