Leveling the floor under the laminate - looking which side to approach

Features of behavior

laminate Laminate - flooring, which includes several layers:

• top - high strength protective film (lamination);
• decorative - furniture foils or treated paper that mimics the tree or the color and texture of other materials;
• main (carrier) - a dense wood board HDF;
• lower - resin-impregnated paper, which protects against moisture layer is made of particleboard or fiberboard.

The coating is strong enough and has to be laid on a perfectly flat surface.This is because the laminate strips are interconnected locks, and if the ground is uneven, then locks break under load.But if the floor preparation before laying the laminate is done correctly, then even the cheapest laminate will last for many years.

floor under the laminate Alignment - study approaches

There are several ways to align the floor under the laminate.But they are directly dependent on the type of floor: concrete or wood.There are methods that are suitable for any surface.

Leveling concrete floor occurs in the following ways:

• concrete screed.It is used if the surface has large irregularities and defects that can not be leveled with half measures.If we take a cement-sand screed, the required installation of beacons.Therein lies the difficulty of this method.
• self-leveling compounds.It is used when there are minor variations and irregularities on the surface.The difference, which is allowed to be less than 5 mm.
• chipboard or plywood.Such alignment method is performed if the height of the room makes it possible to make it smaller than 10 cm, as plywood can be laid on the joists and not on the bare floor.

Alignment wooden floor also has three ways:

• Scratching.It creates a flat surface for the laying of laminate.This can be done manually or by a special machine.Better, of course, to operate the machine, because his hands would be difficult to align.Scraping machine removes the layer of wood, what creates a perfectly smooth rough floor under the laminate.
• plywood or particleboard.Logs must be fixed with screws.And between them is better to make another layer of sound insulation, waterproofing and insulation.
• spackling mixture of PVA glue and sawdust.This is the cheapest method of leveling.But it can be done if the base has no significant drawbacks.Moreover, lifting the floor with this method is small.

Preparation for laminate floor - a sequence of instructions

Next, consider how the preparation of the concrete base under the laminate.The surface must be vacuumed, cleaned of oil stains, dirt and paint residues.If there are cracks and crevices, they need to caulk a repair mixture.For example, offer to make out, as it should occur floor preparation for laying laminate, if its leveling cement-sand screed.You must first determine the highest point of the base.It is better to take a step.

Next scheduled line on the perimeter walls and pulled the cord.On this label will be poured concrete.Now installed beacons and fixed concrete slides, which should be on the look, like thick cream.Further beacons level checked and, if necessary, corrected.

Before you prepare the floor under the laminate, it is necessary to knead the solution.To do this, follow the following proportions: 3 parts sand to 1 part cement plus water.For mixing can take drill with paddle.Then poured screed to the marked line and leveled.

Now normally pressed against the lighthouse and stretches himself.Excess mixture will accumulate at the end of the floor, or flow into the void.Needle roller is rolled on the ground to remove the bubbles.Thereafter, concrete is dry for 2 days, but regularly wetted with water.

two days later removed beacons, and the emptiness of them are filled with fresh solution, and then overwritten.Then it is all covered with polythene and left as such for 2 weeks.If the floor under the laminate preparation, video of which you can see at the end of the article, is over, you can start paving.