Subtleties applying putty on the floor

The strength of the floor in the room depends on the quality of the material used during installation and compliance with the stages of installation of the coating. One of the important steps in preparing the base is the correct application of putty to the floor.

Putting the floor is done to give it greater strength, increase service life. Work on the application of the leveling mixture is not difficult, it is only important to know some of the characteristics that the putty should have, among them:

• increased elasticity. This property of the product helps the solution evenly spread over the floor;
• the absence of large parts. The presence of such elements may cause scratching of the substrate during the coating process;
• adhesion ability;
• environmental friendliness;
• fire resistance.

Compliance with all requirements is ensured by adding various chemical elements to the putty.

The peculiarity of leveling mixtures is that various products are selected for different coatings. To achieve the perfect evenness of the floor can, if properly carry out the process of puttying. Before laying linoleum, the surface must be leveled very carefully, otherwise all defects will be noticeable. After all the finishing work is completed, the floor may experience constant exposure to various temperatures, moisture, and weight of the furniture. To ensure the durability of the coating, you must use only reliable types of products and methods of applying putty.

Today, there is a large selection of mixtures that differ in composition of additives. There are such types of putties:

You do not need to add solvents to use it. The composition is a thick paste that can be easily spread over the surface. The disadvantage of the product is poor elasticity at temperatures below zero. But the putty has a good bonding property.The structure effectively processes seams, does not emit harmful chemicals, is resistant to high temperatures.

It is made on the basis of water. Suitable for leveling the floor before applying a wooden coating. It is enough to make puttying in one layer, as the composition does not shrink. Differs in high environmental friendliness.

It is made with the addition of solvents, various plasticizers. The peculiarity of the product is a strong smell.

Well repels water, gives durability to the surface. It is suitable for the treatment of indoor and outdoor floors and terraces. The composition includes chalk, oil and water. Rather durable and practical product.

Used in dry rooms, but this composition is not very durable, since it is confirmed by moisture.

It is applied to give additional reinforcement to the base. It is able to improve the quality of the concrete floor due to the presence of epoxide in the composition. Putty leaves no residue after drying and does not peel off from the floor;

It has a low cost. The drying process takes about 6 hours.

Suitable for leveling surfaces in the bathroom, bathroom and other rooms of this type.

All listed types are subdivided into dry and ready putty. The first option provides that the composition before use must be prepared independently.

The advantages of dry mixes are:

• long shelf life;
• convenient packing by packages;
• affordability;
• versatility.

The group of ready-to-use products include acrylic, polymer blends, most often they are packaged in small buckets. The advantages of such putties are that: you do not need to spend time and effort to prepare the solution, and they can be stored longer than dry formulations.

There are some yyyans of similar materials:

• high price;
• they must not be stored in places with low air temperature;
• use in work with thin layers is not allowed.

Widespread water-based putty.This product is safe for human health, as it contains a minimum of chemical additives. It is odorless, easy to apply.

The composition on the basis of water has a number of other positive characteristics:

• high quality during sealing surface defects;
• it is convenient for work in rooms with high temperature;
• not affected by moisture;
• possesses high elasticity.

The choice of composition depends on the surface that you plan to putty. It can be made of wood and boards in the form of sheets GVL, DVP, chipboard, plywood. Also found floor with a coating of concrete and polystyrene foam. For concrete floors under the laminate can be applied cement-based putty. This composition is very durable, the putty base is almost impossible to damage, the mixture can be used to level the floors in the bathroom, the pool, because it is water resistant.

However, it is best to purchase self-leveling putty.It has a number of advantages, the main of which is the perfect consistency, which allows you to make the floor more even.

Acquisition of putty for wooden floors is carried out taking into account the following nuances:

• plasticity throughout the work;
• after complete drying, cracking is not allowed;
• leveling mixture must be combined with a paint coating.

To cover the self-leveling floor consisting of chipboard, you can use several types of putty. The first includes materials that do not shrink, these include acrylic, latex and silicone compounds. When choosing a composition, you need to pay attention to the presence of binding additives. Alternatively, oil and adhesive blends can be used to help get rid of large crevices on the surfaces.

For floors covered with plywood sheets, the same types of putty are used as for other wood foundations.

It is important to know some of the characteristic features of this material:

• good moisture absorption, because of this is not used for laying in rooms with high humidity;
• If water gets in, the material may increase in size and delaminate;
• the difference in thickness does not allow to ideally fit the sheets.

These drawbacks of plywood can be eliminated if you pick up a good impregnation that will give the coating resistance to external influences.

The main task of the puttying process is to prepare the floor surface to cover the base material. Preparation is aimed at eliminating irregularities, processing joints and gaps.

To seal the holes is applied several layers. If the cavity is deep, then after each layer you need to wait for it to completely dry. The final application should be done carefully, as a result, the coating and the layer of putty should be on the same level. When all the irregularities are fixed, and the composition is dry, the base is cleaned with sandpaper. The application of a thick layer of the leveling compound affects the appearance of the topcoat: the putty can show through through lacquer or paint.

Fully level the floor with your own hands is easy if done in stages.

Alignment Stages:

• preparatory work. They consist in cleaning the base of dirt and dust. Before direct application of the first layer, the floor should be perfectly dry;
• spackling process.The composition is applied with a special trowel, it is important that the layer slightly stands out on the surface. This is done to avoid rapid shrinkage of the material;
• grinding can be done by using a special machine. This option will greatly simplify and speed up the work;
• if there are some irregularities in the form of dimples, they are processed with another layer of putty. Stages are repeated until the floor is perfectly level.

Modern masters are used to level the floor putty on the basis of tile glue. The technology of work is as follows: to begin with, the mixture is poured into large cavities, small ones are sealed with a trowel, then the process of stretching the solution is carried out in the direction from the thickest layer to the thinnest. To eliminate possible defects, repeat the movement several times. This method of applying putty is effective before covering the floor surface with tiles.

The process of puttying the seams of gypsum-fiber sheets has its own characteristics:

• the composition is applied with a spatula to the joint between the laid materials. At this stage, the composition of the place where the screws are fixed is processed.Until the end of drying, the remnants of the solution are removed;
• held grout protrusions;
• puttying of external corners of GVL is combined with the laying of a special metal profile;
• after all stages of applying putty surface of the sheets is primed.

In order to properly putty the floor in the room, you need to know how to choose a good mixture for finishing and correctly apply it to the surface.

To achieve the desired result, you must follow the useful recommendations of experienced craftsmen:

• puttying is not carried out at low temperatures: the process is more efficient in the summer;
• before embedding the main part of the surface, gaps and other floor defects must be treated. The holes to be sealed should not be more than one centimeter;
• putting putty on the wooden floor is made only after pre-drying the surface material;
• during the acquisition of the finished mixture, it is important to check the contents of the product by opening the lid of the package. The low quality of the product is indicated by the presence of solid particles on the composition;

• before using any mixture, the instruction manual for working with this product is studied;
• the composition is diluted in small parts, since with a large amount of the finished unused mixture and rapid drying, the product loses its qualities;
• It is recommended to apply PVA glue, diluted in water, prior to puttying;
• to apply the mixture on a concrete floor, it is necessary to bring the putty to a more liquid consistency than to finish walls and ceilings;
• in the presence of a large number of cracks, fine compositions are used, and the depth of the gap is filled with a coarser material, which must be pre-treated with glue;
• after applying the putty to all problem areas of the floor, you need to thoroughly clean the base with emery paper.

If the budget for the purchase of dry or finished putty is limited, there are several ways to make the composition yourself:

• By dismounting PVA glue with sifted chalk.As a result, a sufficiently thick mixture of viscous consistency should be formed. In the process of finishing large irregularities and cracks, sawdust is added to the composition. Drying time is about two days;
• By mixing acrylic lacquer with chalk. Here, the same mixing method is used as for the first recipe for the preparation of putty. The result should be a pasty mass.
• For rooms with high humidity it is recommended to prepare an oil solution for leveling. It will take about one kilogram of drying oil, two kilograms of chalk and one hundred grams of any substance that accelerates the drying process;

• For the filling of wooden floor is used the composition of varnish based on oil and wood dust;
• The leveling compound can also be made from small pieces of old linoleum. The main thing is that the material does not exfoliate. It is filled with a solution of acetone. It is important to leave the blank for a short amount of time to dissolve the linoleum. The finished product protects the floor surface from moisture in the same way as professional products;
• At home, it is easy to make putty, which is an analogue of acrylic mixture.To do this, you will need about 200 grams of rosin, 400 grams of ozokerite and yellow ocher. Substances are mixed in a metal container that is set on fire to dissolve the materials. The peculiarity of the application of such a product is that the putty is applied hot.

The most economical options for preparing a leveling mix for a concrete floor with your own hands are obtained from a mix of gypsum and chalk in a certain proportion: the chalk should be twice as large. Also in the composition you need to add PVA glue. Another option is a combination of lacquer and cement, it gives a good result, since the finished product is characterized by increased stability.

During the mixing of all products, safety precautions must be observed., because the use of chemicals can be harmful to health. It is recommended to use personal protective equipment during work. It is also better to prepare the solution in open spaces or on the street.

By following the puttying instructions, you will simply go through all the steps of this process. The result will be a smooth floor, ready to be covered with the last layer.

How to putty a floor under a laminate, look in the following video.