Sooner or later, it is required to replace the wooden floor with concrete in the apartment, which is located on the ground floor. This is primarily due to the increased level of humidity. This is especially true for houses that are built in such climatic zones, where it often rains heavily. Over time, wooden boards begin to creak and sag, which causes great discomfort to the owners of the apartment.

Tools and materials

The best option for subflooring in an apartment on the ground floor is concrete.

It is not at all afraid of moisture and is quite resistant to various kinds of mechanical damage. In addition, if necessary, such a floor can be insulated without problems. But in order to do the job quickly and efficiently, you should take care of the necessary tools. So, you will definitely need:

• scrap and trowel, which will serve as a tool for the complete dismantling of the old coating from wooden logs;
• slag, high-quality cement, fine gravel, expanded clay and dry sand;
• large container for solution and bucket;
• large meter and chalk for marking;
• level;
• large size polyethylene film;
• materials for heat and waterproofing;
• gloves, protective mask and suit;
• rule;
• wooden stick for stirring the solution.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of cement for the formation of a concrete floor base. It is better not to spare money and spend money on cement of a good brand. So the floor will last a very long time, while preventing the communications that will be laid from spoiling.

Foundation preparation

Replacing a wooden floor in an apartment involves dismantling the old foundation. It is necessary to carefully dismantle the wooden logs. First, boards that are completely rotten and collapsed are removed. At the same time, one should not forget that if more than half of the coating is damaged, it is better to dismantle even a few remaining good boards. But if most of the base is almost like new, good boards can be left. It is only recommended to strengthen them further.

After the logs are removed, you need to clear the room of debris. It is very important that there are not only large specks on the floor, but also dust. This is the only way to ensure the strongest adhesion of cement to the base surface.

Now we need to take care of communications. So, if necessary, all pipes, cables and cords are immediately laid. If it is supposed to make a warm floor, then you should not lay it on the surface yet. This is done much later, before the final screed.

Now you need to lay out the layers of the initial base for the floor. First, fine gravel or crushed stone is poured with a layer of about 7-10 cm. After that, about 5-7 cm of sand is poured, everything is leveled with a long straight rule. Next, you can lay a layer of waterproofing, and then thermal insulation. There are 2 options here: use separate materials or buy an expensive film that will both protect against moisture and help keep the apartment warm.

It is strongly not recommended to use coating materials for insulation. It is best to give preference to special film ones, having calculated in advance the required area before buying. At the same time, installation is carried out quite easily with your own hands, if you follow the diagram in the instructions.

Basic fill

Now you need to make a concrete solution for pouring. It needs to be thick enough. Usually sand and cement are taken in equal proportions, then a little water is added. In this case, you should constantly mix the solution so as not to pour water.

It is necessary to make a concrete layer of about 10 cm. This thickness is considered optimal if the apartment has an increased level of humidity. So it will be possible to improve the microclimate much. But if the ceilings in the apartment are low, which does not allow you to make the most thick screed, you can reduce the thickness to 6-7 cm.

After that, you should wait until the concrete has completely hardened, and then pour fine gravel onto the base of the floor and carefully level it over the entire surface. On top of the rubble, it is necessary to put a dense plastic film, which will serve as additional protection against moisture. And the floor will be warmer as a result.

Now you will need to lay out the slats on the floor. It is best to use ordinary long wooden thin boards for this. It is recommended to strictly maintain the same distances between them, and also to ensure that along the perimeter their ends strictly adhere to the walls. A cord should be pulled over the slats along the walls, which will determine the maximum height of the final concrete screed. Ideally, the cord should be pulled exactly over the rails on the floor.

It is necessary to knead a thick solution in a large container, and then gradually fill the strips between the slats with it. When one strip is half-filled with mortar, it is necessary to level the layer using a long, even board or a special rule, then proceed to the final pour, leveling everything again. It is recommended to pour the solution at the very corners so that there are no voids as a result.

Each strip is filled in this way. When everything is ready, the solution will already have time to grab a little. And then you need to remove the slats and fill the remaining voids with a solution, again carefully distributing and leveling it. It is recommended to remove the slats gradually: after filling every 2 strips, remove them one by one.

Now you should completely moisten the base of the floor with a spray gun and cover it with plastic wrap. This will ensure that the concrete sets as soon as possible and at the same time it will fix it as much as possible. After the main layer has set, all that remains is to apply a leveling thin screed.

The screed is also applied on wooden slats. But in this case it is already recommended to use thinner boards. Everything is done in the same way as the main fill, while you only need to use a special composition, which is sold ready-made. It contains special polymers that will protect the floor for a long time. Drying of the final layer is about 4 weeks.

As a rule, it is recommended to replace a wooden floor with a concrete one in an apartment on the ground floor using the proposed method. Indeed, in other cases, it will not work to change the level of the floor by several layers of screed. But such a replacement of a wooden floor with concrete flooring will most reliably protect the room from dampness.

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