What type of floor screed to choose. Which floor screed is better? Materials and tools for work

Which floor screed is better? This question probably always arises when it is necessary to create an even and high-quality floor covering. Currently, there are several main varieties that are suitable for different situations. Right choice- this is a guarantee quality results and significant savings in effort and money.

Flooring is one of the main elements of any room. If the ceiling and walls when performing repair work you can pay less attention, because small defects can be easily corrected finishing materials, then the situation with gender is completely different. Any deficiencies that are not corrected in a timely manner will lead to numerous problems in the future. That's why the most effective means leveling the base and obtaining a layer of additional sound and thermal insulation is the creation of a screed.

Please note that floor screeding can be done different ways.

Currently, there are three main options for screeds:

Dry. From the name it is clear that all components are used in dry form.
Wet. This variety is very popular; it uses a liquid solution.
Semi-dry. Occupies an intermediate position between the previous two.

All types of floor screeds have one goal - to create a smooth and reliable floor covering, ready for covering. decorative materials. Of course, the characteristics of the resulting base will vary significantly, but it must meet certain parameters:

have the required strength;
withstand sudden temperature changes;
create a flat surface for further work, taking into account possible loads.

Screeds are usually divided into two groups: rough and finishing. The first serve to hide large irregularities and deformations; they are often installed on floor slabs. Having thus created a reliable and strong layer, a finishing surface of a smaller thickness is poured, which completely hides all the unevenness and can also be used for arranging a heated floor.

Characteristics of varieties

To select the most suitable option the basic characteristics of all varieties should first be determined.

Wet

This type consists mainly of two groups of materials: concrete and cement-sand mixture. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Concrete screed

This option is considered universal and is used to create a rough layer. Has a number of advantages:

Opportunity quick implementation works
Affordable price.
There are no restrictions on thickness, which allows you to cope with significant unevenness.

It must be borne in mind that in addition to the advantages, there are also disadvantages:

The work is carried out using special equipment at one of the stages of construction activities.
The drying time is at least 1–2 months.
The coating undergoes severe shrinkage, which in most cases leads to the formation of cracks.

Concrete covering most often used on large areas

This method of leveling the flooring is suitable for recently constructed multi-storey buildings, private construction and work on large areas.

Cement-based compositions

This material can be made from a mixture of cement and sand with various additives in the form of polymers and fiber.

The undeniable advantages of the composition are the following parameters:

At correct installation the coating acquires stable strength. A reinforced layer can be used as additional reliability components.
Long service life. If all technological nuances are observed, the screed will serve for a very long time.
The coating is vapor permeable and also prevents the rapid penetration of water to the lower floors in the event of a possible leak.
Installation is carried out exclusively on your own, without the use of special equipment.
Possibility of pouring at the desired slope.

Naturally, there are also disadvantages:

The solution requires a large amount of water, which, if the waterproofing is not installed correctly, can lead to its penetration into the rooms below.
The technology for preparing the mixture requires mixing the composition, which takes time and effort.
The resulting structure often has significant weight, which requires the installation of additional layers.
The drying period can vary from 3 to 9 weeks, which greatly limits further work.

This floor screed is used for coverings up to 12 cm thick, taking into account the addition of fiber fiber or installation reinforced mesh. This material is suitable for household premises, which do not have significant disadvantages, as well as for bathrooms and shower rooms.

Gypsum solutions

Gypsum-based screeds have high strength and a self-leveling effect, which can significantly reduce working time.

It is this variety that is suitable for a base with a wooden structure. In this case, using previous materials is problematic, since excess moisture will severely damage the coating. It is also advisable to use this option for covering the surface with parquet.

Gypsum mixtures – great option for quick leveling of floors in dry rooms

The solution has the following advantages:

The process of preparing the composition does not require much effort.
Does not shrink.
There is no need to carefully prepare and strengthen the base.
The material helps create a certain microclimate in the room.
Excellent for installing heated floors.

But this type of screed has one significant drawback - it cannot be used in rooms with high humidity. But now products with special additives have appeared.

Semi-dry

Semi-dry screed contains less water in its composition when compared with the wet variation. Its advantages are:

Cement compositions do not shrink significantly.
Cracks and peeling do not form on the surface.
Complete hardening occurs after 3–4 weeks, but cladding with decorative materials can be done within 1–3 days.
Reasonable price.

Of course, we cannot ignore the existing shortcomings:

It is important to comply exact proportions, especially in terms of adding water.
Installation may require certain skills and considerable effort.
The solution must be prepared using special tools.

For this option, compositions based on cement and concrete are used. Due to some complexity of this method, it is better to involve specialists.

Dry

Dry screed is a great option because there is no need to use water. All work is carried out on the basis of dry materials, which are covered with sheet products. It is used in cases of tight repair deadlines, if there is a need to perform the process at sub-zero temperatures or when other types cannot be used. This screed has excellent thermal insulation and does not emit harmful substances and is light in weight.

Dry floor screed does not require time to dry, which reduces the time required for repair work

But there are also negative parameters, which include higher cost and fear of high humidity.

Which screed should I choose?

So which screed is better to choose? It is quite difficult to answer this question unambiguously, because there are significant differences in the installation method and type of material. In reality, each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and is used for a specific situation. Therefore, when choosing, it is advisable to proceed from the following factors:

Type of premises and operating conditions.
The presence or absence of significant defects in the foundation.
Financial expenses.
Complete drying time.
Requires experience and special tools.

Thus, the screed is selected for a specific room, taking into account the characteristics of the structure itself and all factors that may affect its use.

Flooring installation is literally the basis of any renovation. Everyone wants to have a flat floor in a house or apartment; unfortunately, the rough foundation from this point of view usually leaves much to be desired. For this reason, before installation finishing coating the surface is leveled. One of the most common methods of leveling for a future floor is a screed. There are screeds different types: wet, dry and semi-dry.

In this article we will try to understand the main points that need to be understood when choosing a method of leveling the floor using the screed method.

Why do you need a screed?

The screed is a rough layer that is laid on the surface of the lower layer of the floor and in most cases serves as the basis for the subsequent laying of the finishing coating. In this case, the screed can perform a whole range of functions.

Aligning the previous layer- before laying the screeds, they usually find out general level premises, from it they find the most high point floor. It is considered a zero value, to which the thickness of the screed itself is added. At other points, the distance from the base to zero is added to the thickness of the screed.

In some cases, the screed is not made for leveling, but, on the contrary, to create a slope. This method of screeds can be used in bathrooms or showers. It ensures water flows in the right direction.

Floor option with a slope to allow water to flow into the drain grate

Thermal and sound insulation- to insulate the room, a layer of insulating and soundproofing materials is laid under the screed.
Communication protection- electrical wiring, pipes, various network cables and underfloor heating elements are placed inside the screed to protect them from mechanical damage.
Finishing- in some cases the screed is simultaneously finishing. Such solutions are often found in technical rooms (garages, basements, etc.)

Basic elements of the screed

All types of screeds include different components that perform different functions.

Approximate arrangement of layers in the floor covering

Solution present only in wet and semi-dry screeds. Cement-sand mortar acts as the main element of the screed. The strength of the mixture depends on the brand. The higher the grade, the higher the strength of the coating. When creating a screed, it is necessary to take into account that when adding sand, the strength of the solution decreases, so it is very important to observe the right proportion. When using, it is impossible to make a mistake in the ratio.

The grade of cement is designated by the letter M, the digital value usually corresponds to the compressive strength parameter, which is measured in kg per cm2. To determine the strength of cement, an experimental sample is subjected to pressure in a press.

If cement M500 is mixed with sand in a ratio of 1 to 3, then the grade of the cement-sand mixture will correspond to grade M200. Sand concrete mixtures usually have greater strength. For stitches, it is recommended to use solutions with a strength of at least M200, M300.

Insulation and sound insulation - this layer is not mandatory for all screeds. It is laid if the room needs to be additionally insulated. Insulation materials are also used in cases where it is necessary to raise the floor level. The most common insulation materials for screeds are backfill (, perlite, vermiculite, sand-gravel mixture) and materials in the form of slabs ().

Floor insulation using extruded polystyrene foam

Increasing the thickness of the screed by increasing the thickness of the cement layer is not always possible, as this will lead to an increase in the load on the floors. In this case, they resort to laying additional layers of insulation. These materials have a low specific gravity, i.e. with a large volume they weigh little. Best performance In this regard, extruded polystyrene foam has: square meter 20 cm thick and weighs only 7.5 kg.

The main disadvantage of wet screed is the long drying time. Under optimal temperature conditions and comfortable humidity, the process takes 30 days. During this period it is necessary to maintain comfortable conditions indoors so that the development of brand strength occurs evenly. Also, following the installation technology allows you to minimize shrinkage that occurs after moisture evaporates.

Advantages: High brand strength of the coating, subject to compliance the right technology preparing the solution. Possibility of use in technical rooms. Wet screed is optimal for rooms with high levels of humidity (bathrooms, showers, restrooms). The procedure does not require work with complex equipment, therefore this type of screed is well suited for carrying out work on your own without the involvement of professional teams.

Flaw: Long hardening time. After the wet screed has hardened, finishing leveling work may be required. Requires care during the curing process.

Dry screed- the name of this type of screed speaks for itself - it uses a dry filler, the role of which can be played by expanded clay, vermiculite or perlite. In most cases, expanded clay is used. All these materials have a porous structure, i.e. contain cells with air, thanks to which the backfill allows you to create an insulating layer with low thermal conductivity and good sound insulation.

Thermal conductivity is the property of a substance to transfer thermal energy. Elements containing many small air cells (pores) have a low ability to conduct heat, so the room is warmer.

Installation is not difficult and the process does not generate a large amount of dirt and dust. In this case, adherence to technology plays a significant role; the backfill granules must have the same fraction and be evenly distributed over the base of the room.

Sheet elements are laid on top of the backfill to form a rough floor covering. Sheets and can be used as a coating. The first three are wood-based panel materials that are glued together using phenol-formaldehyde resins, which does not meet the requirements for indoor residential use. More environmentally friendly clean materials are gypsum-based boards (GSP and GVL). They contain wood components, gypsum and water.

Leveling expanded clay for laying dry screed

Advantages: Dry screed is produced without labor-intensive preparatory work, distribution of filling and laying of rough flooring is carried out without the use of complex construction equipment. Laying dry screed is easy to do on your own. The material provides high heat and sound insulation. and gypsum materials are environmentally friendly pure species coatings

Flaws: Dry screed is not suitable for rooms with high humidity. Accumulation of moisture in the space under the floor can encourage mold growth.

Semi-dry screed combines the advantages of dry and wet methods. The main difference is the amount of water contained in the sand concrete mixture. If for a wet screed the solution must have fluidity, then the semi-dry composition must be elastic and molded like plasticine. At the same time, when compressed, no water should flow out of it. Due to the lower moisture content, semi-dry screed can be used with various types of insulating materials, which are added to the solution along with water. The fiber provides local reinforcement and protection against cracking. At the same time, the installation process itself is quite complicated; it is necessary to comply correct proportion dry mixture and water, manual grouting also requires considerable experience when carrying out the work.

For the final compaction of the semi-dry screed, special troweling equipment is used. Professional repair teams carrying out work on laying semi-dry screeds use pneumatic blowers and pressure dampers to deliver finished material into the room. All this equipment is rented while the screed is being laid, which is also included in the cost of the final work.

Advantages: WITHit will dry up faster than a wet screed. Using auxiliary equipment The result is a coating that does not require finishing leveling. Not a large number of water in the composition makes it possible to use this type of screed in rooms sensitive to humidity levels.

Flaws: Semi-dry screeding requires a fairly high level of training to carry out all operations correctly, so the work will require a team of professionals. Laying screed requires a large amount of various construction equipment, which in most cases is rented and included in the total cost of the work. This type of screed is not recommended for rooms with high level humidity.

Screeds are universal method level the floor surface fine coating, improve heat and sound insulation, as well as protect communications from mechanical damage. The most reliable and durable type of screed remains a wet screed; it is equally suitable for wet and dry rooms. More simple option there will be a dry screed.

Building yard

Leveling the floor: types of screeds

After the building is put into operation, the apartments in it are sold with several options for finishing the premises. However, with the exception of turnkey finishing, the owner often needs a floor screed in a new building to level monolithic or factory-made floor slabs and improve their acoustic and thermal insulation properties.

A screed is required when the difference in height of the existing floor is more than 2 mm for every 2 m; such unevenness allows laying most floor coverings.

There are several structural solutions for the floors of a multi-story building:

The sound insulation requirements of SP 51.13330 for noise protection are satisfied only monolithic floors without voids. When builders use prefabricated monolithic structures and hollow core slabs ceilings, the apartment owner is often forced to improve their acoustic properties by sound-absorbing and (or) soundproofing materials, placed inside the screed.

Important! Additional thermal insulation of floors multi-storey buildings is relevant only for owners of lower floors, if there is an unheated basement underneath them.

They can pass over the floors engineering systems(water supply, electrical, heating, sewerage) or the owner decides on additional heating with water or electric underfloor heating systems.

Screed options depending on the functionality of the room

The difficulties of designing screeds in a new building do not end there:

Thus, when choosing a screed, you should take into account all these factors and reduce the finishing budget to an acceptable minimum.

Bathroom/WC

The main characteristics of this room are high humidity and operating load varying over a wide range (up to 0.5 t) when filling/draining the bath. The floor covering is usually porcelain stoneware, tiles, mosaic or PVC tiles. To increase comfort, heated floors are often used.

Therefore, dry screeds that are not intended for high loads are not recommended here. In addition, the contours of the heated floor are laid on top of the dry floor, which will further raise the level of the floor covering. Taking into account the fact that the floor in the corridor should be 2 cm higher, the thickness of the screed in the entire apartment will have to be increased.

Thus, in order to wall up the contours of a heated floor, it is better to choose a semi-dry or wet screed. To lay sound-absorbing material, you can use a wet screed made of sand concrete, reinforced with wire mesh.

Kitchen, hallway/corridor

These premises experience heavy traffic and frequent wet cleaning. Quite often the flooring used is tiles, under which it is impossible to lay acoustic material. Therefore, a soundproofing layer is used inside the screed.

Taking into account the following nuances:

– has increased moisture resistance, ideal geometry and flatness, linoleum can be laid without additional alignment without fear of destruction from heavy traffic;
– the most common option, has proven itself, sometimes requires finishing leveling with a self-leveling floor with a layer of 2-3 mm (for linoleum and laminate);
– not recommended for laminate flooring, since after 4–5 years of operation shrinkage is observed doorways, this is also not the best option for tiles.

Living room, bedroom

Depending on the type and condition of the floors at the time of purchasing an apartment in a new building and the difference in horizontal level, the minimum production budget for the screed will be:

Advice! When designing, you should take into account transportation costs when delivering building materials and during unloading/lifting them to the floor.

Children's

Inside this room there are often shock loads and structural noise transmitted through the floors to the rooms of the lower neighbors. Therefore, several options for screeds for a children's room are possible:

Advice! If the horizontal level changes within 1.5 cm, a self-leveling floor will cost less than other options; in other cases, a wet screed will be cheaper.

Loggia/balcony

Sound and heat insulation on a loggia/balcony is not relevant; any screed technology can be used. However, in most cases, these rooms use a joist floor or a height-adjustable plywood subsystem. The main task is to level the steps for convenience and insulate the floor.

Choosing a screed for a new building

After purchasing an apartment in a new building, the main criteria for choosing a screed can be summarized in the table:

Parameter	Type of screed
Parameter	self-leveling floor	dry	semi-dry	concrete
materials layer by layer	self-leveling mixture	expanded clay backfill, gypsum fiber board, plywood (optional)	DSP mixture	sand concrete
base thickness	from 1 mm	from 40 mm	from 40 mm	from 30 mm
production volumes	200 m 2 /day	100 m 2 /day	150 m 2 /day (mechanical method)	70 m 2 /day
operational loads	high	low	high	high
Suitable for wet areas	suitable	limited	high moisture resistance	average moisture resistance
flooring installation	7 – 15 days	At once	21 – 29 days	21 – 29 days
compatibility with heated floors	compatible	only on top of the screed	compatible	compatible
possibility of laying acoustic materials and thermal insulation	impossible	Maybe	Maybe	Maybe
production budget	economically feasible for thicknesses up to 2 cm	high	average	short

Thus, the screed technology for a new building should be designed taking into account the design of the floors, the quality of their laying and manufacturing, the difference in horizontal level and the operational features of the premises.

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Nowadays, in most cases, to level the base for subsequent laying of finishing floor coverings, various ties. If several decades ago only concrete or cement-sand mortars, then today the list of materials and technologies that can be chosen to create a floor subfloor is much wider. What types of screeds exist now? The answer to this question, as well as recommendations on which of the available technologies is better to choose in specific options, will be found in this article.

What should the screed be like?

Modern flooring materials, or rather the technologies for laying them, impose certain requirements on the surface on which it is planned to lay the flooring. The screed must meet the following standards:

the surface must be horizontal, flat and smooth (curvature of 0.2 mm per linear meter is allowed);
the base of the floor must be strong;
the screed must be thermally insulated;
Waterproofing should be created if necessary.

Achieving a result that meets the requirements is achieved in various ways, that is, by using various types technologies.

Types of screeds

In addition to the classic cement mortars, which are also called wet, today the following types of screeds are used:

semi-dry;
dry;
self-leveling.

The ultimate goals of all methods of leveling the subfloor are approximately the same, but the technologies differ, sometimes greatly. Types of screeds differ not only in the methods of their construction, but also in final characteristics. The prepared bases differ in the following parameters:

strength;
weather resistance (the ability to maintain quality when exposed to moisture and temperature factors);
surface quality;
thermal conductivity.

Also, all types of screeds differ in the complexity of the installation process and the final cost of the complex material plus labor. Next, we will consider the peculiarities of creating each type of floor base, and the area of their priority application.

What types of wet screeds are there?

There are also two types of cement-based liquid mortars:

concrete;
cement-sand mixtures.

The second type of material for installing floor screeds differs from the first in that it does not contain coarse filler, crushed stone. Otherwise, the solutions are similar, but depending on the purpose, the proportions of fillers and binder components may vary.

Concrete is the most universal material for the installation of floor foundations. It can be used inside and outside buildings, making rough and finishing screeds. At scale capital construction concrete is irreplaceable and it is unlikely that an alternative will appear soon. This is due to the following advantages of the material:

the ability to produce industrially in large volumes and in finished form deliver to the site;
concrete, due to its consistency, can be mechanically supplied in unlimited quantities to buildings of any height;
pouring occurs very quickly with an uninterrupted supply of material;
concrete is the cheapest solution, which plays an important role in large volumes of pouring;
The concrete pouring layer is practically unlimited, which makes it possible to level the surface of any degree of curvature.

By changing the proportions of cement and fillers, you can prepare concrete mixture different brands which one is used depending on the expected operational loads. In this way, by reducing the percentage of cement, the material is made even cheaper. Classic concrete is also used in private construction. This is the material of choice when creating rough subfloors, both on a concrete slab and on the ground.

With the proper skill of the performer, using concrete mortar it is quite possible to create finishing screed with a surface that does not require additional leveling. However, now they prefer to use other materials for finishing layers, which will be discussed later. Concrete mortar is used to create the finishing surface in technical rooms and for outdoor work.

The classic solution also has a number of disadvantages, which is why in many cases other materials are preferred to it:

the need for reinforcement;
long ripening;
significant shrinkage and tendency to cracking;
the need to control the moisture content of concrete during its maturation;
labor intensity self-cooking concrete;
the difficulty of high-quality surface leveling;
the need in many cases to additionally strengthen the top layer of the screed;
cannot be poured in a thin layer (minimum 4 cm).

Besides concrete base the floor is heavy and too thermally conductive, therefore it places a large load on the ceiling and in many cases requires insulation.

In some cases, concrete is replaced with a cement-sand mixture. It is better when you need to do something relatively thin layer screeds. However, a solution containing only sand as a filler requires a higher percentage of cement, is less durable, and therefore is used only inside residential premises, where there is little load on the floor surface.

Now the use of so-called lightweight concrete, which differs from the classic composition, is gaining popularity. Instead of heavy crushed stone, granules or expanded polystyrene foam are used as filler. This material is less durable and therefore suitable only for devices internal ties, But the better, which simultaneously with leveling the base of the floor ensures its insulation.

Important! Lightweight concrete based on polystyrene foam has a density of only 200-250 kg/m3. A ten-centimeter layer of polystyrene concrete will provide reliable thermal insulation of the floor in any region. In this case, the load on the floor is minimal.

Wet solutions also include ready-packed mixtures. They are used in the same way as other liquids. cement compositions, but form a more even surface and do not require reinforcement (contain reinforcing fibers). The use of such materials is more expensive. They are best used for fillings of small thickness (up to 5 cm) if it is necessary to install a screed on limited areas. For larger-scale work, it is better to use the following type of floor screed.

Semi-dry mixtures

This is, in fact, a slightly modified sand-cement mixture. It has a limited water content, which is why the working substance is moistened but crumbly. The lack of moisture is compensated by the addition of plasticizers and some other additives, which enhance astringent properties cement. Thanks to this, the strength of the finished base is higher than when using conventional concrete.

Leveling with semi-dry mixtures is now used everywhere. Used on large areas machine method screed devices, when almost all work processes are mechanized. Used on a small scale manual method production of screeds using semi-dry mixtures.

Working with such materials is done somewhat differently. The semi-dry mixture is laid in layers and compacted. When the level of the backfilled layer exceeds the horizontal line indicated by the beacons, the excess is removed by the rule and smoothed over with it. After a short time (1-2 hours), you can carefully walk on the screed. At this moment, the final smoothing of the surface is done with a metal trowel.

Compared with wet method, semi-dry has a number of advantages:

setting and final crystallization occur much faster;
the laid layer is much denser, devoid of voids;
there is no need to reinforce the material;
There is very little shrinkage during ripening;
the surface is stronger and does not require topping;
the screed is flat, smooth, suitable for laying any floor covering;
the cost of material and labor is almost identical to these indicators of the wet pouring method.

No disadvantages have yet been identified with the semi-dry method of screeding, so this technology can be called the best from the consumer’s point of view. However, building material manufacturers are developing new methods in an attempt to further optimize the process of creating a base for laying floor coverings. One of these technologies is the creation of a surface without the use of water.

Dry screed

This technology, which was first developed by specialists Knauf company, is completely different from the usual perception of the process of installing a floor foundation. This method of creating a base involves laying gypsum fiber boards on a previously leveled and compacted backfill. The sequence of work is as follows.

On rough screed or a floor slab, special slats are installed in one plane. They serve as beacons.
A layer of fine expanded clay is poured between the slats and carefully leveled to create a flat surface.
Gypsum fiber plates with connecting elements are laid on the leveled bedding, which serves as a support cushion. The slabs are glued together and additionally fastened with self-tapping screws, forming a continuous hard surface on which any finishing flooring materials can be immediately laid.

Semi-dry screed is somewhat more expensive when compared with the technologies described above. The advantages of this screed method are the following:

there is no technological break associated with the need to dry the surface, which is necessary with other methods, which greatly speeds up the work as a whole;
laying slabs is not complicated and less labor-intensive;
the surface turns out the way it should be, that is, it does not require additional leveling or strengthening.

However, there is a significant drawback in this method. The fact is that gypsum fiber board, which is top layer dry screed, afraid of moisture. Therefore, in rooms with high humidity, such a base for floor coverings will not be suitable. Dry screeds are good for living rooms And office premises. For damp places it is better to choose a cement-containing mixture.

Floor screed is a mixture created on the basis of sand and cement, used to form the base of the floor for its subsequent finishing. In residential premises, only the rough version is used, since in the future soundproofing, parquet, linoleum and other finishing materials will still be laid on the floor.

How to choose the most the best screed, what parameters need to be taken into account when planning this important element in the house?

Video 1. Pros and cons of prefabricated dry screed compared to conventional screed

Why do you need a floor screed?

An integral step finishing works is the arrangement of the screed, this design performs several functions at once:

Hides communications in the thickness of the floor - the pipes will not be noticeable, which will allow you to arrange the interior at your discretion;
Protects from moisture and cold - good screed laid under insulation or on top of it, as a result, on cold days the apartment will be warm;
Levels the surface - concrete plates imperfect, therefore, it is necessary to somehow eliminate defects made during construction;
Allows you to tilt the floor - this is important for the bathroom. At first glance, the angle will not be noticeable, but the water will still begin to flow in the direction specified when installing the screed.

Fig 1. What types of floor screeds are there?

Screed like integral element finishing of the premises is necessary both in apartments and in private houses. Even if the construction was carried out in compliance with technology, and there is no need to correct the workers’ mistakes, such a design will provide heat, and with its help you will be able to quickly lay the floor in the future.

Types of floor screeds

Before you decide on the type of screed that you will install in your apartment, you need to understand which type is most preferable in your situation. There are several varieties:

Concrete - rarely used in apartments, since it will take more than a month to form. Installation is carried out wet method, which contributes to the dilution of dirt and debris in the room;
Semi-dry - when making it, they take less water and add more sand, which has a positive effect on the drying time. However, such a screed has a significant disadvantage - it is short-lived and does not have high strength;
Dry - suitable for most apartments, it is leveled using a special mixture and does not require special effort and time costs;
Combined – recommended for floors with significant unevenness. The screed allows you to achieve perfect smoothness without unnecessary stress and long drying;
Self-leveling is the newest type of fill, the composition levels itself independently, and the layer reaches a size of 3 mm. This is an excellent option for an apartment with weakened floors.

Video 2. What types of floor screeds are there?

Choose the type of screed depending on your personal preferences, technical features the space and time you have at your disposal.

Figure 2. Screed in new building apartments

How to choose the right screed?

What criteria need to be taken into account when deciding on the type of floor screed? Before you go to the store to buy components for the solution, think about the following points:

Are there gaps and holes between the floors - if there are any, choose a dry screed that will not leak to your neighbors and will not create trouble for you;
How quickly do you want the work done, since during the pouring you will have to move to a rented apartment or to live with relatives. Traditional concrete screed It always takes a long time to dry, you will have to experience discomfort for at least a couple of weeks;
Are you planning to install heated floors? If yes, then the solution must be resistant to temperature changes. A concrete or self-leveling layer for a heated floor is unacceptable;
Price list for work and materials.

Video 3. SEMI-DRY vs CLASSIC floor screed

In general, the choice of screed should be made consciously; you should first analyze your capabilities and the characteristics of the building in order to avoid repeated repairs in the near future. You can make a screed yourself, but it is better to contact construction company, where competent finishers will help you.