How to level wood floor at different levels. Floor leveling methods in a wooden house. Fastening to block joists

Wooden floor, despite the appearance of many other modern options, remains in the top of popularity. It is widely used not only in old houses, but also in new buildings, as it is warm and durable. However, over time, under the influence of many factors, it can begin to sag on one or more sides. And as a result of this, there are serious changes in level.

The furniture stands crooked on such a coating, and the doors in the cabinets do not close due to the distortions that have arisen. Squeaks of floorboards become inevitable. In addition, gaps form between the boards, which negatively affects both the appearance of the floor and its insulating qualities. Therefore, sooner or later, all owners have a question about how the wooden floor, while making it more stable, warmer, more comfortable for walking and more beautiful in appearance.

Basic methods of leveling a wooden floor

Dismantling and bulkhead boarding is a difficult, time-consuming, laborious and messy process, which can be difficult to decide on. However, it is often impossible to do without it - if the floorboards have rotted, sagged, traces of mold or fungus have appeared on them. In this case, there is nowhere to go - a complete replacement of the wooden flooring is required. If the boards are strong, well knocked together, but there is a serious drop in the horizontal plane or on certain sections of the floor, then you can do without opening the boardwalk. With a favorable set of circumstances, superficial leveling measures are dispensed with.

Depending on the nature of irregularities that appeared on the wooden floor during the period of its operation, the method of their removal is selected.

There are several methods for leveling planks:

Looping.
Local alignment of a specific area.
Self-leveling compounds.
Lag alignment.
Align with linings.

To determine which of the methods is best for a particular case, you must first measure the differences in the surface of the floors using a laser or ordinary building level with a length of at least 2000 mm. The permissible size of irregularities with which you can put up (unless, of course, there are creaks) should not exceed 2 mm per one running meter of the base.

But what if the floor is flat, but it starts to creak?

Definitely - not everything is all right with him. It is necessary to conduct an audit, to identify the cause of the appearance of unpleasant sounds. Well, then - by applying certain techniques, which are described in detail in a special article on our portal.

How to do it yourself?

Local leveling of the floor surface

It happens that irregularities are of a local nature, that is, they are located only on certain areas of the floor. The leveling of the boards protruding above the main plane can be done using a planer or a hand-held sander. Of course, in these areas, you should inspect the heads of fasteners - nails or screws. They should not interfere with the alignment, that is, if necessary, either deepen them into the thickness of the board, or even temporarily unscrew them.

If, on the contrary, small concave areas have formed on the floor, then they are raised to the general level of the surface. This process can be done using oil or acrylic wood putty, or a self-made composition of fine sawdust and PVA glue.

The repair compound is applied to the cavity and spread over the surface with a spatula. In this alignment, the edges of the recess, located on the same level with the main floor plane, will serve as beacons. After the putty mass has dried, it is cleaned with a grinder.

The above methods are good only in those cases when the plank covering is prepared for painting or under its sheathing with plywood sheets. If the floors are prepared for varnishing while preserving the natural color and texture of the wood, then you will have to apply scraping of the entire surface.

Wood floor scrapping

The scraping method is used when it is necessary to free the floors from the old coating or the upper darkened or damaged layer of wood. In addition, if the deformation of the surface and its height differences are no more than 10 mm, then the floors can also be leveled using a scraper. This method is quite noisy, but fast, since in a short time it allows you to update the plank covering, preparing it for further finishing.

It is not difficult to carry out this process on your own, but the equipment is expensive, and hardly anyone would buy it for a one-time task. Therefore, if the decision is made to level and clean the floor with your own hands, it is best to rent the device for a certain period.

When choosing this processing method, you should take into account the thickness of the floorboard. And also the fact that after leveling, the height from the surface to the connecting lock of the tongue-and-groove board should be at least 4 ÷ 5 mm. That is, you will have to act very carefully and carefully.

To carry out the scraping, in addition to the scraping machine, the following auxiliary materials and devices must be prepared:

A set of abrasive nozzles with grains of different fractions - circles and belts. Don't buy too many consumables. The best option would be to consult with specialists when renting a car, explaining the characteristics of the boardwalk. In addition, you can purchase several attachments with different numbers and test them in practice empirically.

Disposable sawdust bags.
Personal protective equipment - gloves, respirator and construction goggles.

Before starting work, it is necessary to revise the surface of the boardwalk. It must be dry and clean. The gap between the floorboards should be no more than 5 mm. In addition, metal elements - heads of nails or self-tapping screws - should not come to the surface. They should be deepened into the wood 1.5 ÷ 2 mm below the thickness of the layer intended to be removed.

The scraper must be prepared for work by installing coarse grain attachments on it to start and adjusting the downforce of the device using a special screw.

The first stage of cleaning is done along the fibers. You need to move slowly, without sudden jerks, but also without long downtime in one place. The car should run smoothly.

Having cleared one strip of coverage, the next should be started by shifting the apparatus by ⅔, that is, by ⅓, grasping the previous one, which has just been processed. As the abrasive layer of the nozzle wears off, it must be replaced with a new one.

Having processed the entire floor surface with a nozzle with coarse grains, you can proceed to sanding the boardwalk by installing an abrasive belt with a fraction of at least P240. This nozzle will help you create a perfectly smooth floor.

Further, the wood is treated with an antiseptic primer or tinting stain. After that, the surface is putty, cleaned and coated with varnish, wax, oil, or painted in the selected color.

If the surface differences are more significant, then more laborious methods will have to be used to level it.

Leveling planks with dry screed

Necessary materials

This method of leveling the surface is suitable for both boarding and. When choosing this method of putting the floor in order, it is necessary to take into account the height of the ceiling of the room and the magnitude of the surface differences.

To equip a dry screed, the following materials will be required:

Dry expanded clay, perlite or silicate-slag mixture of fine fraction, specially designed for dry screed. An excellent version of this material would be the composition of the "Knauf" company. The material of the Belarusian production "Compavit" also deserves good reviews.

The standard packing of the backfill is bags with a capacity of 40 liters. The calculation of the required amount is based on the floor area and on the thickness of the intended leveling backfill. The thickness cannot be less than 20 (or better - 30) mm. It is undesirable to make it more than 60, maximum - 80 mm. If there is a significant level imbalance from the horizontal on the base floor, this is also taken into account.

Sheeting is a prefabricated floor element (EP) made from gypsum fiber boards. Such electronic boards are equipped with specially provided locking lamellas, which speed up installation and make the coating neat. In addition to this material, waterproof plywood or chipboards can be used to cover the backfill. However, the best option will still be gypsum fiber EP, which have optimal characteristics for flooring:

- Thickness 20 mm. (Two layers of 10 mm. The layers are placed and connected with an offset, which is exactly what forms the lock joint 50 mm wide).

- Standard linear dimensions of the electronic board - 600 × 1200.

Other floor elements are also on sale, in particular with dimensions of 500 × 1500 × 20 mm, that is, with an aspect ratio of 1: 3.

Floor elements are purchased depending on the area of the room. A 15% stock is made, since, firstly, there will be waste during cutting. And secondly, on those elements that will fit from the walls, the lock lamella is necessarily cut off from the side adjacent to the wall.

Damper tape for installation along the wall around the perimeter of the entire room. It is purchased along the length of the perimeter of the room with a small margin.
Waterproofing material for decking on the surface of the base for backfill. For wooden floors, glassine, thick bitumen-impregnated paper or roofing material are best suited. You can also use plastic wrap with a thickness of at least 200 microns. Purchased by floor area with a margin of 15%.
A metal profile for placing temporary beacons.
Adhesive for mutual fixation of slabs along the lines of interlocking joints. High-quality PVA glue is quite suitable.
Self-tapping screws. Optimal - special self-tapping screws for GVL (GVVL), which are distinguished by a two-start thread and have a self-centered head.

Having done all the work correctly, you can be sure that the wooden floor will become perfectly smooth, various irregularities will disappear and will not affect the quality of the new coating.

How to determine the condition of a wooden floor in a house

Before laying laminate, parquet or linoleum, you should assess the condition of the wood floor and level it.

Before leveling the surface, the floor should be cleaned from the remnants of concrete coating, dust, etc., it is also necessary to eliminate all cracks and holes. This will prevent material leakage and premature wear of the coating.

Alignment and adjustment can be done in any of these ways:

Looping
Self-leveling mixture
Plywood
Glue and sawdust

Only after analyzing the condition of the boards, you can choose the appropriate option. First of all, the boards should be examined for a predisposition to rot and the presence of insects. The main enemies of wood are insects, which lay eggs in it, destroying the organic structure of the material.

Moreover, insects, reproducing, can destroy a tree in a few years, turning it into crumbling dust. Boards should be treated with a special solution to get rid of bark beetles.

It is worth noting that the wooden floor does not have to be damaged, it is possible that the boards were simply "led". In such situations, the floor in the house remains strong, free of insects and rot, but with some irregularities. It is possible to lay laminate flooring, but it will not last long.

How to level a wooden floor?

Looping is the best option if the boards are leading. This option is only possible if the floor is horizontal. The advantage of scraping is that such a procedure not only flattens, but also emphasizes the structure of the tree, refreshing the cut.

The disadvantages of this method can be called the laboriousness of the process, the expensive rental of a cycler.

It is necessary to cycle in a protective mask or respirator, overalls and headphones that will protect you from loud noise.

Such processing includes the following steps:

driving nails a couple of millimeters below floor level
protection of furniture from dust
processing by apparatus
putty (use an acrylic putty of the desired color to hide large cracks)
final processing with a scraper

It is best to start from the far corner of the room. After the end of the last stage, dust should be collected with a vacuum cleaner and treated with a special solution. The floor is now ready, it can be varnished or laminated.

Leveling the wooden floor in the house

Plywood is used for leveling. Using it will allow you to correct small defects and significant horizontal deviations.

The following stages of plywood adjustment are provided:

markings are made on the walls (a laser level is used)
self-tapping screws are used to make "beacons"
lags are attached with glue (plywood or timber is suitable)
plywood sheets are placed (plywood is sawn into 4 parts)
during the final laying, the plywood is fixed to the joists with countersunk screws

After completing the work, carefully inspect the attached plywood. Any damage and delamination of the material will lead to problems during the installation of laminate or any other covering.

The following nuances should be considered here:

In order for the chipboard to "get used" to the humidity of the room in which it will be located, bring the sheets into the room for several days
Cables and communications can be hidden under plywood sheets
Plywood can be used as a topcoat or as a base for laminate, linoleum or carpet.
If you have installed lags, then the level can be increased to 10 cm

How else can you align

To level the boards, you can install plywood directly to the floor. The support in this case will be the "waves" of the boards and the highest points of the differences.

Correct plywood alignment:

Ideally, if the width of the boards is 10-12 cm.Then you will need a plywood board of about 10 mm
Otherwise, you need to purchase plywood with a thickness of more than 10 mm

If the room has high humidity, then regular plywood will not work. For leveling the boards, you should choose a moisture-resistant material.

Plywood sheets are attached directly to the floor with self-tapping screws. Seal the joints with acrylic sealant.

Correction with glue and sawdust

The most commonly used method of leveling before laying the laminate is the use of sawdust and glue (putty method). The initial components are inexpensive, and the putty itself, after hardening, becomes strong, resistant to external influences. The mixture is prepared from sawdust and glue.

Leveling steps:

installation of slats on the level
filling the space between the slats with sawdust (each layer is poured only after the previous one has completely dried)
checking the surface with a level
laying laminate flooring after complete drying

Most often, this mixture dries up in two days. It is worth noting that for some coatings, sawdust and glue putty is not reliable enough, so it is better to put plywood or other suitable material on top.

Self-leveling mixture - a universal tool for adjusting the floor

In situations where defects need to be corrected not in order to varnish it, but to lay another floor covering, self-leveling mixture is one of the most convenient and practical ways. After processing, the floor will acquire a perfectly smooth surface, and all flaws and cracks are eliminated.

Despite its name, leveling the flooring with a self-leveling compound is a very complex process. Also, this method is one of the expensive ones.

Mortars of this class consist of polymeric materials, which contributes to almost instantaneous leveling and smoothing of the new coating.

Before proceeding with the leveling process, you must carefully prepare the surface. Pour in carefully and quickly.

The main phases of gender adjustment in this way:

movable boards are fixed, nail heads are driven in
the surface is cleaned
primed
the walls are prepared, the level is determined
lined with a special reinforced mesh (construction mesh is used for fixing) - this will allow you to extend the service life of the coating
the mortar is poured onto the reinforced floor and processed with a spiked rubber roller
leveled with a smooth special brush
the surface is dried

When using this method, it is worth remembering that the floor level will rise. This factor should be taken into account, especially if the laminate is to be laid on it later.

Leveling a wooden floor with a cement screed

Experienced experts are of the opinion that if the wood floor is strong enough or is initially laid for leveling, a cement floor screed can be used.

This method will make a rough surface with large drops almost perfectly flat.

In order to level the old wooden floor with cement, you must:

the surface of the wooden floor is covered with a waterproofing compound
after the layer has dried, lay a plastic wrap or roofing material. It would be correct to do it with an overlap
the level measures the new surface
beacons laid out
then the cement mixture is prepared

Alignment in this case will not be difficult: the cement mortar is applied to the beacons, then the alignment is carried out towards the door with metal slats.

The next layer of self-leveling compound will be easy to apply.

However, there is a risk of breaking the base boards with a heavy cement mixture. In this case, you will have to remove the cover and refill the floor. Use further layers of foam or expanded clay.

Providing ventilation

Regardless of the leveling method, it is necessary to provide for the ventilation of the floor boards in advance. This will allow you to prevent the appearance of mold, mildew and various pests on the surface.

Previously, for these purposes, a hole was drilled on the surface, into which a decorative lattice was reinforced.

Alternatively, conduct ventilation to the wall and install a decorative grill there.

If you notice something like this during alignment, do not rush to cover it up or cover it.

Leveling the floor without tearing the boards: how to choose the profitable method

Before you start leveling the floor, you need to decide which of the proposed options will be relevant and beneficial for you. This is determined based on the following criteria:

Leveling capability
The need to level the wood flooring
Relatively low cost of good quality material
Labor intensity of repair work

Leveling the wooden floor will make the log house reliable, durable and of high quality. After processing the wood in any of these ways, the floor will not bend, and the surface will be smooth and free of cracks.

It is useful to watch a video describing all the stages and nuances of leveling wooden floors without breaking the board before performing all the manipulations.

All the work can, of course, be done independently. If you have weighed all the pros and cons, you may come to the conclusion that a specialist will do it both faster and better. In this case, the YouDo service will come to your aid, offering the services of professionals with extensive experience.

Ordering services from specialists

The leveling of wooden floors is assessed based on several criteria:

Do you need to dismantle the boards
Application of floor insulation
The presence of another waterproofing layer
Material cost for leveling

roll up

If the wooden floor has lost its attractive appearance or has irregularities, then you should not immediately dismantle it. It is better to follow the recommendations on how to level the wood floor and varnish it, or you can apply a decorative coating such as linoleum. The work can be carried out without tearing the boards. The leveling of a wooden floor takes place in several stages. Let's consider them in more detail.

Preparatory stage

The first step is to make a thorough inspection of the old wooden floor covering. Assess the feasibility of restoration work. Determine with the help of the building level, how great is the degree of the floor difference in the apartment. Further, they measure the room at the same distance from the corners, outline the strokes on the walls, as well as in the center of the floor. With the help of the building level, distances are measured, the degree of surface difference is determined. In the absence of broken, rotten boards, small scratches, cracks, chips or damage to the paint layer, the surface can be restored by scraping.

If the floor has significant irregularities, and the magnitude of the difference in its different parts is more than 5 cm, then for leveling, you can make a screed or lay a layer of plywood on the logs.

Surface filling

If the difference between the floor level in different parts of it is no more than 3 mm, wooden boards can be treated with acrylic sealant or putty. The surface should be primed before filling. If the floor has a small area, then use a construction gun with an acrylic sealant. A large area of wood flooring will require acrylic putty, which is sold in large quantities in buckets. It is not recommended to apply a layer of putty more than 3 mm thick. To obtain a finished surface to match the base, a colored sealant of the same shade is applied.

If it is planned to lay linoleum on a leveled wooden floor base, then the putty surface must be sanded. To eliminate defects on wooden skirting boards, wood mastic is used. If it is necessary to solve the problem of how to level the wooden floor under the laminate, then to give greater strength to the wooden base, instead of building materials based on acrylic, you can use a composition based on PVA glue. For a layer with a height of no more than 2 mm, use a finishing gypsum putty on PVA. With a higher layer height, wooden boards are covered with starting putty or PVA-based wood sawdust.

Due to the increased stickiness of the compositions, it is quite difficult to apply them evenly on the floor, and the resulting surface will require prolonged grinding until it is completely leveled. However, the base will turn out to be durable and can be used under laminate or linoleum.

Processing with a scraper

Scraping the floor is a simple process. Even a beginner can level a wooden floor with his own hands. It is recommended to use a scraper for processing. Before starting work, you need to make sure that the boards are firmly nailed, screws and nails do not stick out. Otherwise, the machine may break down. A layer of a wooden board with a thickness of no more than 3 mm is removed mechanically. After removing the top layer of the wood covering, all holes and crevices must be sealed with a filler, the tone of which matches the color of the base. To seal cracks, mastic is used. In hard-to-reach places, surface treatment is carried out manually.

It is recommended to use the looping method in a non-residential apartment. Since the process of the machine is accompanied by a lot of noise and high dust formation. In order to protect hearing and breathing from dust or noise, a mask, ear muffs and goggles must be worn. Treated boards must be cleaned of dust, wiped with a sponge soaked in solvent, and then varnished or painted.

Screed options

There are two ways to level an old wooden floor with a screed:

pour an ordinary cement screed,
use self-leveling building mixtures.

When choosing the first option, it is necessary to take into account that a cement mix screed with a thickness of more than 5 cm will increase the load on the foundation and floors of the building by more than 70 kg / m2. In this regard, it is not recommended to use a cement screed in a private house with wooden floors. When pouring a screed from a cement mixture, to protect the wooden floor from moisture, it must be insulated with a layer of polyethylene. When using a self-leveling mortar for leveling a wooden floor, an elastic and smooth base is formed, which is well suited for all types of flooring, including linoleum.

Works with self-leveling compounds

This method can be used both in a wooden house and in buildings with concrete floors. At the initial stage, a wooden surface is prepared. It is necessary to check whether the boards are securely attached to the base of the floor, and whether all screws and nails are screwed in below its level. Then the wooden base is polished with a vacuum cleaner, the old layers of paint are removed and the floor is cleaned of dust. To seal the cracks, a special mastic is used for wood.

A layer of moisture-proof primer is applied to the prepared wooden surface, which will ensure good adhesion of the base and the self-leveling mixture. On the walls of the room, using the building level, mark the upper limit for pouring the mixture. A reinforcing mesh is laid on the floor, connecting adjacent canvases with an overlap. Then, according to the instructions, a self-leveling mixture is prepared and poured into it. For a more even distribution of the mixture, a rubber spike roller can be used. After the composition has dried, a coating is laid on the floor, for example, linoleum.

Leveling a wooden floor with a mixture is one of the simple and high-quality ways to obtain a smooth finish in an apartment or private house.

When and what plywood is used

Covering the old wooden base with sheets of plywood will hide even significant damage, as well as even out the floor drop over one centimeter. Let's take a closer look at how to level a wooden floor with plywood.

First of all, you need to choose the right sheet material. For a slight leveling of the base under linoleum or carpet, you can use sheets of plywood about 1 cm thick.For the base under parquet or laminate, use sheet material with a thickness of at least 2 cm.

The environmental performance of the material is also important. In an apartment or a private house, plywood of the FC or FSF brands is used. The material of the FK brand is made without the use of phenols and is the most harmless to human health. However, the indicators of resistance to moisture and mechanical damage are average. In the production of FSF grade material, formaldehyde resins are used. Plywood does not have high environmental properties, but it is more durable and moisture resistant.

The leveling of the wooden floor with plywood is carried out using the first and second grade of sheet material. Linoleum or carpet can be laid on a plywood base.

Surface and material preparation for work

First you need to inspect the wooden boards, fix them firmly or replace the damaged ones. If utility pipes are found under a wooden base, they are examined for damage or the need for replacement. After installing the plywood covering, it will be more difficult to replace it.

The sheet material must be kept indoors for several days. As a result, the humidity of the material and the air in the room will be the same. This will reduce the likelihood of deformation after installation. If you plan to lay linoleum or laminate flooring, it is imperative to arrange ventilation holes.

Methods for fixing sheet material

There are several ways to fix the material to the surface of a wooden floor.

Plywood is laid directly on the boards, logs are not used. Adjacent sheets of material are placed at a distance of 0.5 cm and indent from the walls at least 1.5 cm. Then, wood mastic is applied to seal the indents. Plywood sheets are evenly attached to the highest points of the sub-floor. If several layers of material are laid, then brickwork technology is used.

Another method involves creating a base in the form of a grid of logs and boards. Logs are bars of wood or plywood, about 4 cm wide. Logs are mounted at least three centimeters away from the walls. On top of the resulting base, sheet material is attached. To seal the cracks, mastic is used.

With large differences in the level of the base of the floor, mini-logs are mounted. To obtain a flat floor surface as a result of work, they carry out accurate calculations of the places where the mini-lag is installed, their height and size. To increase the height of the support, the logs are placed on special point supports. The logs are fixed using special glue or self-tapping screws.

The lags can be replaced with a crate made of point supports made of pieces of timber or thick plywood, which are called cobs. The thickness of the supports is calculated based on the difference in floor heights. The scoops are set at a distance of about 40 cm from each other, forming a net. Plywood sheets are laid on the resulting mesh from the cob and attached to them. To eliminate gaps, wood mastic is used.

In order to increase the heat-insulating and sound-insulating properties of the floor, an insulating material is laid in a thin layer on the logs and between them. After installing the plywood base, it is recommended to varnish it.

For decorative finishing of the floor, linoleum or other finishing material is covered.

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, 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 disassembled 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 that at least two people carry out the work. 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

For processing boards with such defects, a special mixture is used, which includes 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 often necessary to level the wood floor under the laminate flooring. 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. Such a 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.

Application of the solution

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 is preparing, the other is leveling 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 should be paid to the junction of the various mixes. These areas need to be processed with a spatula. Use stiff-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 bottom has very large swings? It often happens that the wooden floor in the middle of the room is collapsed, 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 carrying out such work, all doors will become higher. We'll have to fix that too. But if the differences are very large, then dismantling is indispensable.

First step

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 the 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 correct 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 point of the base near the wall. From it you should measure 5-6 cm up 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's good if the rope doesn't 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 quite 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 the cleansing of the base. During the preparatory phase, a perimeter line is also drawn. To level a 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. Sheets are pre-cut taking into account the area of the room. DSPs are attached to the boards using self-tapping screws. The cracks are covered with rotband. The quality of the installation 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. In the corners of the room, points should be noted, the centers of conjugation of the floor and walls and the middle of the room should be found. Next, you need to divide the base into so-called segments and examine each area. 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 drops 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 workpieces - 3-4 mm. If these gaps do not exist, the material may deform due to temperature and humidity changes. After the cutting is completed, the ends should be checked for delamination and defects. If there are damaged sheets, then 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. Horizontal placement is defined using a level. The evenness of the subsequent coating will depend on how carefully the lag is fastened. Place a sealant between them.

Fastening sheets

After installing the lag, you can proceed directly to laying the plywood. 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.

When planning a major overhaul in a house or apartment, there are many different aspects to consider. And the installation of new flooring is one of the central issues that needs to be addressed. In order to install new flooring in an old house or apartment with wooden floors, it is often necessary to completely dismantle them. But sometimes it is not at all necessary to do this, you can level the wooden floor, and then put laminate, tile or linoleum on it. Modern advances in building technology make it easy to do the leveling of a wooden floor with your own hands.

Wood is a material that requires regular maintenance, but over time it still warps, cracks, dries up and sags. In order for the wooden floor to look perfect, it is leveled, after which any floor covering is applied. Leveling will help remove any unevenness in the wood base that could negatively affect the new flooring. This applies to both hard surfaces (laminate, tiles, parquet) and soft surfaces (linoleum, carpet). To prevent this from happening, and the new flooring is of high quality and durable, the wooden floor can be leveled in one of the following ways:

scraping the floor;
use self-leveling mixtures;
using a putty based on PVA glue;
align with plywood sheets.

Scraping the wood floor

This method of leveling a wooden floor is the simplest, but at the same time, labor-intensive and effective. Scraping the floor should be used if it is planned to use paints and varnishes as a floor covering.

The floor can be looped manually or using a special looping machine. In the first case, you will have to scrape out the entire surface with the help of a manual cycle, remove various irregularities. This approach is terribly time consuming and cumbersome. In order to carry out all work with minimal effort, you should use a looping machine. A significant disadvantage of scraping is the presence of a huge amount of dust.

How to level a wooden floor with a scraper:

- during scraping, a lot of dust is produced, therefore, the respiratory tract, hands, eyes, objects and surfaces should be protected from dust;

- remove any metal objects from the floor, use a doboiner and a hammer to sink all the heads of the nails into the wood, otherwise the knives can be damaged during scraping;

- we start scraping from any corner and, moving like a snake, remove the top layer of the wooden covering;

- after the first layer has been removed in the entire room, it is necessary to carry out a small cleaning and fill up all cracks and cracks with putty;

- after waiting for the putty to dry completely, you can continue to scrape the floor;

Important! The leveling of a wooden floor for paintwork can be considered complete when the surface is perfectly flat and without gaps. Hard-to-reach places and skirting boards will have to be scraped manually with a corner cycle.

- after cycling, the room must be thoroughly vacuumed;

- before applying varnish or paint, the surface of the wooden floor must be wiped with a lint-free cloth soaked in white spirit.

Leveling with self-leveling mixture

Leveling a wooden floor with a self-leveling mixture: the base should not have large gaps and cracks

Pouring a concrete screed has always been a success with builders as an easy and affordable way to level the floor. But in houses with wooden floors, this was unacceptable due to the large mass of concrete that had to be used. Thanks to modern technology, this problem has been solved. Self-leveling mixtures allow you to level the wooden floor under linoleum, laminate or tiles. After drying, the cement-adhesive composition will create an even, durable and sufficiently elastic coating with a low weight due to a layer of up to 20 mm. To do this, you need to do the following:

- we completely clean the floor surface from the old floor covering;

- we sink the protruding heads of the nails, remove any metal objects;

- using a grinder or a scraper, partially remove the top layer;

- we fix all creaking and springy boards to the logs with self-tapping screws;

- thoroughly vacuum and remove dust and dirt from the floor;

- putty all cracks and cracks, let dry completely;

Important! It is necessary to make a surface without wide gaps and cracks, otherwise the solution will go "nowhere".

- we impregnate the wooden floor with a deep penetration primer with moisture-protective properties, if it seems a little, you can lay a waterproofing membrane;

- the joints of the walls and the floor are glued with an overlap on the floor and walls, using double-sided tape, and on it we glue the waterproofing membrane in the form of a strip;

- on the walls we mark the level to which the self-leveling mixture will be poured;

Important! The minimum pouring thickness is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Beacons can be used as a level mark.

Self-leveling mixture pouring scheme: insulating layers

- we fix a wooden plank near the door, the thickness of which corresponds to the fill level;

- we lay a reinforcing mesh on the floor surface and fix it to the floor using self-tapping screws or staple brackets;

Now that the wood floor is ready, you can start pouring the mixture:

- add the mixture to a container with water and mix with a drill and a mixing nozzle;

Important! The mixture should be homogeneous and without lumps, prepared strictly according to the instructions.

We get rid of bubbles in the self-leveling mixture with a rubber roller

- the resulting mixture is poured onto the prepared surface and, using a special rubber roller with spikes, we get rid of small bubbles;

- level the surface using a large spatula or rubber squeegee as a rule;

- now it remains to wait until the mixture is completely dry and prepare it for laying the floor covering.

Important! Drying the self-leveling mixture must be carried out strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Leveling a wooden floor with a PVA putty

This alignment method is one of the most unusual and innovative. The putty is a mixture of wood sawdust and PVA glue, which, after hardening, becomes quite strong and difficult to process. And due to the availability and low cost of the initial components, this putty is economically viable. In fact, this putty resembles the well-known chipboard board, with the difference that it is impossible to soften the board and fill all the irregularities with it. The use of a PVA-based putty allows you to level the wooden floor under the laminate or linoleum. You can use it to level the wooden floor as follows:

- we clean the floor from the old coating and skin;

- we fix the bending and creaking boards to the logs with the help of self-tapping screws;

- we stuff wooden slats on the floor as beacons with a step of 35-50 cm.

Important! To get a flat surface, all the slats must be in the same plane, for leveling we use a level.

- we prepare a putty from PVA glue and wood sawdust, knead until the consistency of thick sour cream.

Important! In order for the putty to dry gradually and not crack, the sawdust should be slightly moistened and squeezed.

- using a spatula, fill the space between the slats with putty;

Important! The putty must be applied intermittently, in several layers, since after drying it gives a slight shrinkage.

- after the last layer of putty has been applied, level the floor plane using the rule and, if necessary, add the putty;

- we wait for complete drying (about 2 days) and lay the floor covering.

Important! The disadvantage of a putty based on PVA and sawdust is its insufficient strength for some floor coverings. To increase the strength, it is recommended to lay sheets of plywood, chipboard or drywall.

How to level a wood floor with plywood

You can also use plywood to level the wood floor. Compliance with the technology will allow you to create a perfectly flat and durable floor. This method is usually chosen when it is necessary to level the wooden floor under linoleum or carpet. To obtain the best quality plywood base, a 4/4 grade or greater sheet should be used, the thickness should be at least 12 mm. Leveling a wooden floor with plywood is as follows:

- remove the old coating;

- we install beacons from self-tapping screws. To do this, we screw them to the required height using a screwdriver all over the floor. We begin to twist in the corners, and form a square with sides of 20-30 cm;

- align the height of the screws on the horizon using a level;

Lags should form a grid of squares 35 * 35 cm

- we lay the logs with a step of 30-35 cm. For the logs themselves, we use plywood strips or blocks of various thicknesses;

- we fix the logs to the floor with self-tapping screws or glue, if the logs sag a little, we put pieces of plywood or bars under them;

Important! The lags should be level and firmly secured. The result should be a dense grid of logs in the form of squares with sides of 30-35 cm.

- we lay out the plywood sheets and adjust them in such a way that the joints of the sheets fall on the logs;

Important! So that you don't have to trim whole sheets of plywood, you can first spread them out on the bare floor and outline the borders of the sheet with a pencil. Then lay the logs according to these marks so that the plywood joints fall on the log.

Leveling the wooden floor with plywood: fix the plywood sheets on the joists

- we fix the plywood to the logs using self-tapping screws with countersunk heads;

Important! In order for the heads of the screws not to push through the plywood, a sweep is made on the sheet with a drill.

- before laying the flooring, you should walk over the surface of the plywood with a grinder, especially at the joints of the sheets;

Important! For durability, plywood can be varnished and covered with flooring. If laminate is laid, then a cork or polyethylene foam is placed on the plywood as a backing.

Modern building materials make it possible to level the wooden floor with high quality and fairly quickly without replacing it partially or completely. Anyone who knows how to handle a tool and who knows a little about the construction business can do this. The main thing is to adhere to the technology and perform all stages of work with high quality. When leveling a wooden floor in one way or another, remember that at the end of the work, the floor height will rise a couple of centimeters, and you will have to cut the lower part of the door.