Most developers, when choosing a ground floor floor design, consider two options. The first is reinforced concrete slabs.

Second - wooden beams(lags). The fact that you can make a high-quality and inexpensive floor on the ground, many do not know.

Meanwhile, this design cannot be called new. It began to be used after the invention artificial stone called concrete.

About what constitutes flooring on bulk soil, what are its pros and cons, we will talk in this article.

At its core, the floor on the ground is a "pillow" of fine gravel or expanded clay, on which lies a reinforced slab of monolithic concrete. Ballast bedding performs two tasks:

• raises the level of coverage to a predetermined height;
• transfers the weight of the structure to the ground.

From soil moisture and heat loss, the floor is protected by a heater laid on a waterproofing layer.

The bearing basis of such a coating is a layer of soil. Therefore, the main risk factors when arranging a floor on the ground in a private house are frost heaving and moisture. The first threat is blocked by insulating the base of the foundation from the outside with sheet foam. It cuts off the cold bridge that causes water to freeze.

It should be noted that at permanent residence in the house, the temperature of the soil under it never drops below zero degrees. If the building is empty in winter, then the forces of frost heaving can cause cracks in the concrete screed and deform it. In this case, insulation of the basement is indispensable.

Protection from soil moisture - a relatively simple measure only at low levels ground water(2-3 meters). In damp and swampy areas, it is better to refuse the device of such a coating. The cost of waterproofing and strengthening the foundation in this case increases significantly.

For pile and columnar foundations, the slab on the ground is not The best decision. In this case, the cost of protecting the bedding from frost is higher than when using the foundation "tape".

Construction technology

There are two ways to install floors on the ground:

• Concrete preparation;
• Without a draft layer of concrete directly on the compacted base (cushion).

The first method is rarely used today. It was developed at a time when roofing material was used to protect the floor from moisture. For its gluing, a layer of concrete preparation was made (rough floor).

The second option is easier and cheaper. Modern waterproofing materials can be laid directly on the ballast without sticking to a solid base.

The process of constructing a concrete floor on the ground begins with the filling of the underlying layer. Before this, the laying of water supply and sewerage networks must be completed.

Any well-compacted soil can be used for backfilling. For this, small gravel (fraction 5-10 mm), coarse river sand or Sand and gravel. The pillow is poured in layers of 15 cm, spilling each with water and compacting with a manual or mechanical rammer.

Compaction of bedding with vibrotamper

To improve thermal insulation, the upper level of the pillow can be made of expanded clay gravel (10 cm). The total thickness of the ballast "pie" should be in the range from 30 to 40 cm.

Film waterproofing, laid under the insulation, needs to be protected from damage by sharp gravel and crushing with expanded clay. Therefore, the backfill is completed with a 5-centimeter layer of compacted sand. The thickness of the film laid on the ground must be at least 0.4 mm.

When laying the film insulation, its strips are spread with an overlap of 10-15 cm, fixing them with construction tape. The edges are laid on the masonry, to a height equal to the total thickness of the insulation, concrete screed and finish coating. A thermal gap 2-3 cm wide is left between the constructive "pie" of the floor, the walls, and partitions. It is filled with scraps of polyethylene foam or a special thermal tape.

To insulate the base, you can use EPS (extruded polystyrene foam), sawdust concrete or perlite concrete. Often, waterproofing under the foam is not laid, since it practically does not absorb moisture. From above it is covered with a polymer film. It protects the insulation from the destructive action of the alkaline environment of the cement mortar.

For lightweight concrete on sawdust and perlite polyethylene film needed. The thickness of the listed heat insulators is not the same. For EPPS, it is 50 mm. The layer of sawdust and perlite concrete must be at least 10 cm.

Having laid the thermal insulation, a concrete screed is made on its surface on a fine-grained filler (fraction 5-10 mm, thickness 10 cm). The work is carried out in two stages. First, a layer 5 cm thick is poured and a steel mesh is laid on it (cell 10x10 cm, wire diameter 3-4 mm). After that, the thickness of the screed is adjusted to the design level, determined by the calculation of the expected loads. Recommended concrete class B12.5.

This is how you get the right cake of floors on the ground with a low level of groundwater. Rough concrete preparation for hard insulation is not done. There is no real benefit from it, and the increase in the cost of 1m2 of the finished structure is very tangible.

Installation of a heating system (warm floor) changes the technology and sequence of work. In this case, first, a draft is poured over a compacted pillow. concrete preparation and lay out a layer of waterproofing. Having laid the insulation (EPS), pipes are fixed to it and a leveling screed is made of concrete. Reinforcing mesh is laid over pipes or heating cable.

In passing, we note that floors on the ground can be made not only in brick, block, but also in wooden houses. With a competent approach, ballast filling does not have a negative impact on wood.

One of the options for the correct pairing of such a design with chopped walls is shown in the diagram below.

Pairing node with a wooden wall

With low GWL concrete slab, lying on clay or on a layer of compacted waterproofed bedding, is made in basements. This is a very common option in cottage construction.

Before the screed device, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room must be divided into strips 80-100 cm wide with a steel U-shaped profile or wooden lighthouse boards placed on edge. The damper tape is attached to the walls before the start of pouring so that it protrudes 1.5-2 cm above the design mark of the finished surface.

Concrete pouring starts from the far end of the room and moves to front door.

Laying is carried out in stripes, filling the cells slightly above their level. For leveling, use a vibrorail or a metal rule, moving it along the beacons.

After letting the mixture dry, beacons are removed from it, filling the formed seams with fresh concrete. After that, the concrete is covered with a film and given 4 weeks to gain strength, periodically moistening with water.

Design pros and cons

When planning to make a floor on the ground, you need to know what its advantages are over other types of bases:

• Acceptable cost;
• Readiness of the basis for laying of any floor coverings;
• No need for ventilation underground space to avoid the appearance of fungus;
• Greater durability compared to wooden and reinforced concrete floors.

The disadvantages of this construct include:

• Loss of usable room height (up to 60 cm);
• The complexity of waterproofing works at high GWL;
• Poor compatibility with columnar and pile foundations;
• The high cost of repairing hidden communications.

May differ from , although specific differences depend on:

• groundwater level;
• planned load on the floor;
• use of "warm floor" technology.

If groundwater lies closer than 2 meters from the surface, then the presence of waterproofing is mandatory, as well as "pillows" of sand and coarse gravel. The use of a "warm floor" implies a 2-centimeter thermal gap between concrete and walls, otherwise the fill may be damaged during operation.

The filling procedure must be carried out in compliance with a number of requirements:

• the soil should not be mobile;
• groundwater must lie at least 5 meters;
• the ground must be dry.

In winter, the room must be heated, otherwise the structure may be deformed due to freezing of the soil and, as a result, mechanical loads will increase.

Note! If we are talking about a house that is still under construction, then the flooring should be started only after the roof is ready. So subsequent work will be performed as efficiently as possible.

Stage 1. Definition of the "zero" level

First, determine the "zero" (fill level of the solution), which should be equal to the bottom of the doorway, and mark it around the perimeter. To do this, make marks in a meter from the bottom of the opening (as shown in the diagram) and transfer them to the walls of the entire room (obviously, it is better to use laser level). Further, from these marks, measure back 1 meter down and draw the second line - it will be the “zero”, along which the floor will be filled. In order to simplify the procedure, hammer nails in the corners and stretch the cord.

Stage 2. Foundation preparation

After determining the "zero" level, take out construction debris and remove the fertile soil layer. The floor in our case will be a multi-layered "pie" approximately 35 cm thick. Therefore, remove the soil until the depth from the "zero level" is equal to the thickness of the future "pie".

Next, tamp the surface. It is advisable to use a vibrating plate for this, although in its absence you can take an ordinary meter-long log, nail a board from below, and two handles from above, and compact the soil with such a tool. The result should be an even and, most importantly, dense base. From walking on such a basis, no traces should remain.

Note! If it happens that the soil level is lower than 35 cm, then simply remove a little fertile layer, tamp and fill it with sand to the desired mark. Then compact the sand itself.

To improve the waterproofing properties of the base, cover the “native” soil first with a layer of clay, then sand, pour water over it and compact it thoroughly.

Stage 3. Further backfilling

Having finished with the main layer, start backfilling the gravel. Fill the material with a layer of 10 cm, pour and tamp. To facilitate thickness control, drive a number of pegs of the required thickness into the base and set them at a single level. After tamping, pull them out.

Cover the sand with a similar layer of crushed stone (fractions of the latter should be approximately 5 cm). Compact the rubble, sprinkle a thin layer of sand on top, level and tamp. If you notice that protruding edges of rubble remain on the surface, then remove them or lay them in a different way. Remember that the result should be a flat plane without any corners.

Note! Check each filled layer with a mounting level.

Stage 4. Isolation

For waterproofing, you can use an insulating membrane or ordinary polyethylene film, the thickness of which will be equal to 200 microns. Cover the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room with an overlap of several centimeters with material, bring the edges to the walls slightly above the “zero” level. Seal all joints with tape.

There are a lot of materials for thermal insulation, you can choose any. So, for a concrete floor may be suitable:

• expanded clay;
• isolon;
• Styrofoam;
• moisture resistant plywood;
• mineral wool, basalt wool;
• perlite;
• expanded polystyrene (both regular and extruded).

Stage 5. Reinforcement

In order for the future floor to be strong enough, it should be reinforced. You can use both metal and plastic mesh for this, and if large loads are planned, then tie reinforcing bars 0.8-1.6 cm thick together by welding.

Do not lay rebar directly on the base pie. Use small pegs ("chairs") - lay them in rows, substituting a plate cut from asbestos under each to raise it to a height of at least 20 mm. In this case, the reinforcement will be inside the concrete screed and form one whole with it.

Note! If using a plastic net, stretch it over stakes driven into the ground for a similar purpose.

Stage 6. Formwork and guides

In order to withstand the "zero" and at the same time facilitate the filling procedure, install the guides. First, divide the room into equal segments no more than 2 m wide, then divide them with guides. For the manufacture of the latter, you can use both bars or boards, and iron pipes. Make sure that the height of the guides is equal to the "zero" level. Lock them thick cement mortar.

Then proceed to install the formwork between the guides, forming special "cards" (identical rectangles, the dimensions of which are selected in such a way that each of them is poured in one go). The use of "cards" will greatly simplify the work, especially on a large area, and help to withstand the "zero". For the manufacture of "cards" use fresh boards (not dry) or moisture-resistant plywood.

Note! Align the guides with the formwork under the "zero" level, otherwise the floor may turn out to be uneven. Use for this building level. Also, treat these elements with a special oil (such as Agat-C5, for example) so that they can be easily removed from the concrete.

Stage 7. Preparation of the solution and pouring

Fill the solution in a maximum of two passes, although it is advisable to do this in one. For this purpose, you can order "factory" concrete (it will be delivered immediately to in large numbers) or do the cooking yourself (it will be cheaper). If you resort to the second option, then you will need:

• shovel;
• concrete mixer (you can rent it);
• "four hundredth" or "five hundredth" cement;
• crushed stone;
• sand;
• one assistant.

Video - How to mix concrete or how to make concrete

To prepare the mortar, pour cement, sand, crushed stone and water into a concrete mixer in a ratio of 1: 2: 4: 0.5 and mix everything until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Pour the finished solution from the corner opposite the front door. After filling in several "cards", level the solution with a shovel and spread it around the perimeter. To compact concrete, use a vibrator - it will not only compact the mixture, but also remove air bubbles from it.

Having processed the filled cards with a vibrator, proceed to leveling. To do this, you need a 3-meter rule - put the tool on the guides and pull it towards you. This will remove excess solution. In the aligned "maps", dismantle the formwork and fill the resulting voids with concrete. When the entire floor is filled, cover it with plastic wrap and leave for two to three weeks to dry completely, do not forget to periodically moisten the surface with water.

After this time, you can apply a self-levelling mixture to the finished floor, which is able to smooth out minor defects and make the surface perfectly even. Wait three more days for this mixture to dry.

Such a floor is distinguished by the presence of an air layer between the soil and the screed, which is advisable in those areas where the level of soil moisture is increased, that is, if groundwater is closer than 2 meters from the surface. Also, this technology can be used when the site is located in the northern region of the country, and the heating system will work periodically.

Note! It is very important that the ground level be at least 10-15 cm below the concrete floor. If the gap is large, then heat loss will increase, and if it is smaller, then ventilation will be less effective.

Consider how the flooring technology in this case differs from that described above.

Stage 1. Preparation

Prepare the soil first.

Step 1. Remove the vegetation layer and fill in with regular soil instead. Pour the soil with water and tamp in such a way that in the end the layer height is approximately 15 cm.

Step 2 Pour gravel on top, re-tamper.

Step 3 Cover the finished base with a crushed stone-lime mixture (although it can be replaced broken brick or, for example, construction debris).

Next, at the same distance from each other (about 70-100 cm), install brick posts under the logs. Use red brick for this, but in no case silicate. Having installed the posts, cover each of them with roofing material for the purpose of waterproofing, and on top of it attach bars of 3 cm thickness, pre-treated with an antiseptic.

Stage 3. Lags

For the manufacture of lags, use halves of logs, also covered with an antiseptic. The joints between the lags should be located above the posts, but place the extreme lags 2-3 cm from the surface of the walls. Check the joists with a level, put under them if necessary wooden blocks. Remember: the maximum allowable horizontal unevenness in this case is only 3 mm.

Note! Instead of brick for posts, you can use metal pipes.

Step 4. Next steps

Nail to the joists floorboard. Try to keep the boards as tight as possible. If you wish, you can use a more reliable scheme:

• 1 layer - uncut boards;
• 2 layer - waterproofing;
• 3 layer - floorboards.

The subsequent stages of pouring are no different from those described above.

Note! High-quality ventilation is required in the underground, so make ventilation windows measuring 100x100 mm in the corners. Close the windows with metal bars. Equip special air vents in the basement (at least two per room).

Video - Arrangement of the floor on the ground

This set of rules applies to the design of floors in industrial, warehouse, residential, public, administrative, sports and domestic buildings. Download for free

If earlier concrete floors on the ground were used only for unheated premises, then the appearance of new building materials and technology has significantly expanded the scope of their use. Now such floors are equipped in all rooms, and the degree of protection against heat loss in concrete floors is almost as good as structures made of traditional materials. And for the duration of operation, concrete floors have no equal. Another advantage of such structures is that they can serve as the basis for all types of floor finishing.

Concrete floors can have several varieties, but all are subject to the same technical specifications. requirements. Regulatory recommendations for the design and installation of concrete floors are prescribed in the provisions of SNiP 2.03.13-88. Compliance with these provisions guarantees the durability of the use of structures.

SNiP 2.03.13-88. Floors. Download file (click on the link to open the PDF file in a new window).

Table. Basic regulatory requirements for concrete floors.

Taking into account the characteristics of the premises and project documentation technical requirements are corrected.

Step-by-step instructions for the construction of concrete floors on the ground

For example, consider the option of arranging a concrete floor in a residential area. To save building materials, it is recommended to install hydroprotection.

Step 1. Calculation of parameters and number of layers of concrete floor. Before starting work, you need to decide on the zero level. If the house is being built according to the project, this parameter is indicated on the drawings. Zero level - the level of finishing the floor, everything below this level is indicated on the construction drawings with a minus sign, everything above is indicated with a plus sign. In most cases, the floor is located at the level of the foundation, but there may be deviations.

If you do not have a project, which is very bad, then we recommend equipping the concrete floor in such a way that the concrete surface is in the same plane as the foundation. Now we need to do the pie calculations.

1. Sand layer. For a private house, it is enough to make a pillow about 10-15 cm thick. Gravel can be omitted, the load on the floor in residential premises is not so high.
2. A layer of primary concrete under the base. The thickness is about 10 cm. If there is a desire, then the primary layer can be reinforced with a metal mesh with mesh sizes up to 10 cm and a wire diameter up to 3 mm.
3. Insulation. It is recommended to use modern extruded polystyrene foam. It can withstand significant loads, does not absorb moisture, and is not afraid of rodents. The thickness of the thermal insulation is within 10 cm, it is impractical to do less due to low efficiency.
4. Top screed concrete floor. The parameter depends on the load, in our case the screed should be more than 7 cm.

The thickness of the waterproofing layers is not taken into account. Now summarize these dimensions - this is exactly the distance that should be from the ground to the upper plane of the foundation tape.

Step 2 Ground leveling. Measure the level of soil under the floor, decide how much to throw out or pour according to previously made calculations. If there is a lot of land, then it should be removed, you will have to dig bayonet shovel, no equipment in the perimeter of the strip foundation can work. If there is not enough land, then the missing amount should be poured. Constantly check the ground level.

Loose soil must be rammed. This can be done with a mechanical unit (frog, vibrating plate) or manually. The first option is much better - the work is noticeably accelerated, and the quality of the rammer is improved.

Practical advice. If you do not have a vibrating plate, then experienced builders it is strongly advised to water the compacted earth abundantly with water and leave for several days for natural shrinkage. The resulting recesses after shrinkage are additionally leveled and re-rammed. If the earth is loose, then uneven shrinkage of the concrete floor cannot be avoided, and this is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon.

You can independently make the simplest device for tamping the soil. Take a bar 100 × 100 mm about 1 m long. Nail a wooden platform from a board trimming with a square side of about 20–30 cm to the lower end, fasten the handles to the upper end. It’s not worth making a large platform: the larger it is, the less tamping force, you just trim upper layer earth, and do not compact it. If the layer of earth exceeds 10 cm, then it is necessary to ram in several stages, after each of them fresh bedding is done.

Step 2 On the inner perimeter of the foundation tape, mark the location of the layer of sand, insulation and the final concrete layer. During work, do not allow deviations from the marks made by more than 2 cm.

Step 3 Pour sand, constantly level and compact each layer. We remind you once again that its stability largely depends on the quality of tamping of the concrete floor base.

Step 4 When the sand cushion has the calculated thickness, the first layer of concrete can be poured. The material is prepared based on one part of M 400 cement, two parts of sand and three parts of gravel. Gravel and sand should not contain clay, it greatly impairs the properties of concrete. Calculate the approximate amount of material. First, determine the cubature of the layer, this is easy to do. Next, use the practical data. For one cubic meter of M100 concrete, you need about 3 bags of M400 cement, for M150 concrete you need 4 bags of cement. Accordingly, sand will need twice as much, and gravel three times as much. The calculations are approximate, but in practice no one measures fillers up to a kilogram. Concrete can be prepared with a concrete mixer or manually. Briefly describe the technology of both methods.

Making concrete with a concrete mixer

You should not buy a large concrete mixer; for private construction, it is quite enough to have a unit with a bowl volume of 0.5–0.75 m 3. Store sand, gravel and cement next to the concrete mixer, place the materials in such a way that it is convenient to throw them into the bowl. Water is always poured first, for a stirrer with a volume of 0.75 m 3, at least three buckets are needed. Then you need to throw about 8-10 shovels of gravel into the water and pour cement. Gravel breaks all small lumps of cement to a homogeneous mass. When the cement is completely dissolved in water, sand and gravel can be thrown until the concrete of the desired grade is obtained. Water is added as needed. At first, the inclination of the bowl should be approximately 30 °, then, as it fills, it can be lifted. But do not increase the angle too much - the larger it is, the worse the ingredients are mixed.

Making concrete by hand

This is hard physical work that requires certain practical skills, but for small volumes you can prepare material in this way. How to prepare concrete by hand?

1. Prepare a flat, solid platform about 2 × 2 m in size. For the base, it is better to use a steel sheet, if not, then you can make wooden box with low sides. The height of the sides is within 20 cm.
2. Pour sand, gravel and cement into one pile in the form of a pyramid. During the pouring of the pyramid, alternate all materials, the amount should correspond to the recommended proportions.
3. Throw a pyramid with ingredients with a shovel to a new place and back again. Double transfer will ensure uniform mixing of cement with sand and gravel.
4. In the center of the pyramid, make a funnel deep to the bottom, pour water into it. Take the prepared ingredients in small portions with a shovel and mix them with water. Move in a circle, make sure that the barrier shaft of dry material does not break through. Water is also added as needed.

Concrete must be prepared in portions, taking into account the speed of its laying.

Step 5 Fill the surface of the compacted sand with concrete in portions. Control the height along the lines made on the foundation. Concrete is first leveled with a shovel, and then with a rule. There is no need to make lighthouses; only the last layer of the concrete floor should withstand exact horizontality. Level the mass with a long rule, periodically check the flatness of the coating with a level. If significant deviations from horizontal are found, problem areas should be corrected immediately.

Practical advice. Professional builders recommend making the first layer of the floor from a semi-dry mass. It has several advantages: significantly less thermal conductivity than ordinary, manufacturability and ease of installation. In terms of strength, the semi-dry mass is inferior to the wet one, but this is not critical for the floors in the house. The semi-dry mass is prepared in the same way as the wet mass. The only difference is that the amount of water decreases.

Step 6 Install waterproofing, work can begin after the concrete has set, this will take at least 48 hours. If the concrete layer was made in dry and hot weather, then it must be abundantly moistened with water at least twice a day. Earlier in this article, we already mentioned that waterproofing for concrete floors on the ground in houses is not always considered a prerequisite. If the thickness of the sand cushion is sufficient to interrupt the capillary retraction of moisture, then waterproofing is not needed. In addition, waterproofing is also not required on all gravel bases. Gravel does not draw water through the capillaries. But for reinsurance, waterproofing can be done, use an ordinary plastic film with a thickness of about 60 microns for this. This material is inexpensive, and in terms of efficiency it is in no way inferior to expensive modern non-woven materials.

Step 7 insulation layer. It is recommended to use extruded polystyrene foam. It has excellent performance in all respects. The only drawback is the high cost. To reduce the estimated cost of concrete floors, expanded clay or slag can be used as a heater.

Important. These heaters react extremely negatively to an increase in humidity. For them, the presence of waterproofing is a prerequisite. Moreover, waterproofing should be done both from above and from below.

Step 8 Cover the concrete surface with sheets of expanded polystyrene. Do not allow gaps between the sheets, insert them with little effort. The material is perfectly springy and when the load is removed, it independently eliminates cracks. Expanded polystyrene is well cut with a mounting knife. It needs to be cut flat surface under a ruler or a flat rail. If you have an electric cutter, great, if not, then work manually. First, the sheet is cut on one side, then exactly along the cut line on the other. After a slight bending force, the notched sheet breaks. Expanded polystyrene can also be cut with a hacksaw for wood with fine teeth.

Step 8 Regulations do not provide for the need for waterproofing polystyrene foam, but practitioners advise not to skip this stage of work and cover it with plastic wrap or another type of waterproofing agent.

Step 9 Install a soft heat insulator along the inner perimeter of the foundation tape. These can be strips of foam about one centimeter thick or special foam rubber tapes. The heat insulator performs two tasks: it eliminates the possibility of heat leakage from the concrete floor to the foundation strip and compensates for the linear expansion of the concrete floor.

Step 10 Install beacons. The final layer of concrete must have a flat surface. Beacons can be installed different ways, but the fastest and easiest way to make from metal bars.

1. Throw a few small piles of cement-sand mixture on the surface. In order for it to set faster, you need to increase the amount of cement by one and a half times. The distance between the piles is approximately 50-60 cm, the main criterion is that the bars should not bend under their own weight. The distance between the lines of beacons should be 20–30 cm less than the length of the rule.
2. Install the two extreme beacons under the level. Carefully check their position, the upper plane of the beacons must coincide with the plane of the foundation tape.

Practical advice. In order to speed up the setting of the cement-sand mixture, sprinkle it with dry cement several times. Remove the wet cement and sprinkle the heaps under the bars again. Cement very intensively absorbs moisture, after such procedures, you can continue to work without waiting for the solution to completely harden.

1. Pull the ropes between the two extreme beacons and do the rest on them. Do not forget to check the position, it is very difficult to correct errors in the future.

After all the beacons are exposed, start making the top layer of the concrete floor.

Step 11 Throw concrete between the beacons in small portions. First, level the material with a shovel and trowel, and then with a rule. Work carefully, do not allow the appearance of depressions. To improve the performance of the top layer of concrete, add plasticizers during preparation. The specific brand doesn't matter, they all work great. The main thing is to follow the proportions and technologies recommended by manufacturers. For the top layer, add four parts of sand to one part of cement.

This work is completed, give time for the screed to completely harden and then proceed to top coat concrete floor. Lumber can be used as a finishing floor, ceramic tiles, linoleum, etc. We considered the simplest concrete floor, but there are options with electric or water heating, it will take much more time and knowledge to equip such structures.

The construction of a private house implies the possibility of laying the floor directly on the ground. This is a popular installation method that does not require large financial expenses from the property owner - only spending on clay, cement or concrete. In buildings with strip foundations, a concrete floor is often installed on the ground - its material is available for purchase, has a wide variety of species and is strong enough to perform load-bearing functions. Laying work can be done by hand, but for a quality result, you will need the recommendations of professional builders.

Before starting the installation of the floor system, you need to check the soil for compliance with technical standards. The soil at the construction site must be dry and still, and groundwater must not approach the surface closer than 4-5 meters.

Concrete floors are best done for buildings with basements or basement floors. The final quality of the work performed also depends on the degree of heating of the dwelling.

In poorly heated private houses, the ground under the floor freezes heavily, which leads to deformations and an increase in the load on the foundation.

The surface of the concrete floor corresponds to the bottom doorways. It should maintain a uniform thickness over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. To achieve this, marks on the walls made a meter from the bottom of the door will help. After placing the first marker in such a place and distributing the marks along all the walls of the room, lines of meter length are again measured down from them.

By connecting these lines with perpendicular segments, you can determine the border to which you need to fill concrete mix. For ease of orientation, nails are hammered in the corners of the room, along which the cord is pulled.

Base clearing

Before removing the top layer of soil in the room, you need to clean up, getting rid of construction debris and bulky items. Since the concrete floor consists of several layers with a total thickness of about 40 centimeters, a similar volume of soil will need to be removed to install it.

Finishing work is carried out only on a flat surface, and therefore the soil after excavation must be compacted with a special vibrating plate. In case of absence necessary equipment you can use a simple log, nailing a handle to its upper part, and to the bottom - wooden board suitable size. So that the base is not washed away by groundwater, the treated soil can be covered with clay.

Bulk material stacking

The previously prepared soil is covered with a layer of gravel 5 to 10 centimeters thick, watered and compacted. Sand is laid on top of it in the same amount. The next layer is crushed stone 4-5 cm in size, which also needs to be compacted and sprinkled with sand. Stone fragments with sharp edges that come to the surface will need to be removed or laid on their side, otherwise this will interfere with the future screed.

Thickness control is provided with the help of several rows of pegs driven into the ground of the base and set to the level. At the end of the work, they can be removed.

Installation of film coating

After making sure that each layer of material is covered and leveled, the future concrete floor will need to be waterproofed. A 200 micron thick polyethylene film or similar waterproofing membrane will work for this.

Laying technology implies its placement around the entire perimeter of the building with the edges brought out 10-20 centimeters above the zero level. They will be trimmed after finishing the screed. Separate sheets are overlapped, glued at the joints with mounting tape. If waterproofing works impossible to carry out this stage, water protection is carried out by coating the rough floor screed.

The device of a concrete floor on the ground implies its strengthening with the help of a mesh made of metal or plastic, reinforcing bars or thick wire. The frame for reinforcement is laid on wooden coasters height from 2 to 4 centimeters. If you pour mortar into it, it will pass through the mesh, cover it and harden, forming a durable surface.

If a plastic base is used for reinforcement, it must be pulled over pegs hammered into the base. In order to save money, frames from reinforcement or wire can be made by hand.

After installing the frame to create a layer of reinforcement, guide bars are laid in order to facilitate pouring. They divide the entire space of the house into equal parts of two meters wide. The material for them are the same pieces of boards or building timber horizontally aligned to zero. They are fixed using cement-sand mortar with the addition of clay.

Formwork is also mounted between the rails, breaking the floor in the room into separate cells, where concrete will need to be poured in the future. It is easy to make it from thick plywood soaked in special oil for easy removal from the hardened mixture.

Concrete works

To create a strong and uniform surface, all concrete must be used in one go. A high-quality building mixture can be ordered at the factory, but in the absence of such an opportunity, you will have to prepare it yourself. The optimal composition for the subfloor of a private house will be a solution of lightweight concrete B7.5 (M100) or B10 (M150) with the addition of crushed stone of fraction 5-20.

If a waterproof backfill was used for compaction, concrete grade M50-M75 can be used. It must be thoroughly mixed in a concrete mixer and kept before installation.

Covering with liquid concrete begins from the side opposite the entrance opening. At a time, several cells are filled with the mixture, after which the solution is smoothed with a shovel and leveled with a special rule, which is installed on the guides and stretches towards itself. The removed excess concrete, in turn, fills the free cells.

The resulting rough screed should have a five-centimeter thickness. The allowable horizontal difference in this case is 4 millimeters. To make the floor with dense shrinkage, you will also need to use a construction vibrator. It will compact the concrete and ensure its solidity.

Further technology of the work being carried out requires the excavation of guides and individual parts of the formwork from the areas that have undergone leveling. The voids formed during this process are also filled with building mixture.

After the concrete is evenly distributed over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future floor, you need to check its slope bubble level and cover with a layer of polyethylene. The period of complete solidification of the rough screed is about a month, and during this period the concrete must be constantly moistened.

vapor barrier

So that the screed is not exposed to the harmful effects of moisture, the concrete floor will need to be protected from steam and condensation. For this, a polymer-bitumen membrane, a film made of polyester or fiberglass is well suited. PVC sheets will cost more, but their cost is justified by high durability and rot resistance. Insulation can be made using polyethylene, but under a layer of insulation and a finishing screed, it will be subjected to heavy loads and may lose its integrity.

Covering concrete with a layer of high-quality insulation will reduce the cost of heating a house by a quarter. Foam derivatives are popular insulators. To give the material additional strength, it is covered with overlapping layers of polyethylene.

Do quality styling can be using extruded polystyrene foam. It has low compressive deformation and can be freely used in rooms where the floor is subjected to heavy loads.

Mineral wool can be another option for warming. Due to its vulnerability to water, such an insulator will need to be protected with a polymer film, and laying should be carried out in a pre-created frame.

Finished floors

Finishing concrete screed is carried out after the completion of all concrete work. It is used to level the floor surface, improve heat absorption in a private house, and also create the desired slope on the floors. Before starting the reinforcement and pouring of concrete, it will be necessary to clean the subfloors from dirt and construction debris. Cracks in the carrier layer are covered with cement mortar, and large cracks at the joints of the surfaces are insulated with a damper tape.

To strengthen the structure, it is necessary to reinforce it by mounting a metal mesh 3 mm thick and 10 × 10 cm in diameter in the lower part of the floor. This mesh is installed from below with a rise on the walls of 2.5 cm. When the reinforcement is completed, you need to prepare the guides for pouring concrete. They are seated on plaster and checked with a bubble level. The final slope of the floor depends on the correctness of their fastening.

A popular method of carrying out a finishing concrete screed is a monolithic pour. A mortar is prepared for it from one part of cement (Portland cement M400 is usually used) and three parts of sifted quartz sand. The amount of water is determined during the kneading. Its volume should be slightly more than half the volume of cement used (1 to 0.55). The mixture should not be too fluid.

In order for the mixture to set well and be homogeneous, it is better to pour it into a concrete mixer, rather than knead it by hand. After making sure that the reinforcement and floor preparation processes are correct, you can proceed to the main concrete work.

The pouring process is similar to the arrangement of subfloors, but for maximum efficiency cement must be used within two hours. The period of complete solidification is about thirty days. It is impossible to accelerate it forcibly - internal bonds may be broken, and the drying composition will lose strength.

Rules for constructing a concrete floor on the ground: laying features

Making a concrete floor on the ground with your own hands is not so easy. However, this is a completely doable task. The main thing is to familiarize yourself with all the features of this procedure in advance and adhere to the sequence of actions that is set out in this article.

Concrete floor on the ground today is one of the most common types of rough foundation in a private house. Most of all, such work on pouring concrete is carried out in buildings with strip foundation. For their implementation, only cement, sand, water are required.

Conclusion

IN modern conditions laying concrete on the ground can be performed not only by professionals, but also by people who are not specially trained for this. The main thing is to carefully study the procedure for actions and carefully adhere to it. The result will be a strong, reliable and durable surface that will be able to withstand high loads and become good foundation for any type of finish.