How to calculate the floor screed

During the repair work, each of the stages must be treated with due care. And even more so, it concerns the production of concrete screed. Through the use of this technology, you can get a perfectly flat and durable base, suitable for any floor covering. Before proceeding to the performance of work, they need to be well prepared. In particular, you need to pre-purchase the necessary materials, and for this you need to know how much they need. It is extremely unpleasant when at the final stage of work it turns out that something is missing, and therefore we will talk about how to calculate the floor screed.

It should be noted that in order to achieve the best result, it is best to carry out the coupler at one time, while using materials from the same batch. Do not buy components of the screed over time is not recommended.

Stages of calculations

In order to calculate the material required for the floor screed in any room, you need to perform a number of preparatory work. One of the most important criteria affecting the consumption of material is the thickness of the proposed screed. It is important to note that to determine this value it is necessary to carry out a number of works.

First, with the help of a laser or ordinary water level, the so-called zero level of the floor should be noted. From this value, all calculations will be made. For these purposes, on two opposite walls it is necessary, using a level, to mark two points on one edge of the wall and two points on the other, at the level corresponding to the future floor level. In the same way it is necessary to mark points on the two remaining walls. It is important to carefully check the level of location of points. They must be in the same plane.

If everything from this point of view is in order, then the points obtained for greater clarity must be connected with each other by lines. For this purpose, it is most convenient to use a paint cord, which is a thread that has been wound into a tape, and is impregnated with dye composition. The cord is tensioned between two points, then it must be slightly pulled away from the wall and released. As a result of these manipulations, a clearly visible line will remain on the surface. You can also add that as a guide, when marking the level it is advisable to use the lower part of the doorway.

When the floor level is marked, you need to find the highest and lowest point of the floor surface. From the zero line measure the distance to the floor. It is easy to guess - the place where the distance from the line to the floor will be the shortest is the upper point of the surface, and where the greatest is the lower.

After these points are determined, it follows from the larger value to subtract the smaller one, thereby obtaining the value of the height difference, and hence, to calculate the thickness of the future screed.

Based on the obtained value, all other calculations will be made.

• First of all, you need to take into account the average consumption of the screed, which is about 2.3 kg of the finished mixture per 1 m². This implies a screed thickness of 1 mm.
• Based on the previously obtained calculations, make further calculations. To do this, multiply the value of the height difference in millimeters by 2.3. For example, if the difference in height of the floor surface intended for the screed is 2 cm, then to cover 1 m² 23 kg of mix will be required.
• After that, you need to calculate the amount of tie required for the whole room. To do this, measure its perimeter. The resulting value is multiplied by the value of 1 m².

Thus, it is possible to calculate the required amount of the mixture for the manufacture of concrete floor screed indoors. It should be noted that the above method of calculation is relevant in the case of the use of ready-made cement-sand mixture for screed. When a homemade mix is ​​used for work, the number of components is calculated separately.

• First of all, it should be noted that in order to obtain a mixture corresponding to the mark M200, it is necessary in a ratio of 1? 3 to mix cement brand M500 and sand. It is important to remember that sand must be free from impurities and sieved.
• So, if you take 1 kg of cement, then it needs to be mixed with 3 kg of sand. The result is 4 kg of the mixture.
• You can do otherwise, and having calculated the final value of the quantity of the mixture, divide it by 3. Thus, you should do it if you need to calculate the cement on the screed.

In cases where it is more convenient to calculate the direct amount of the finished solution, you can resort to calculations in m³. To do this, the area of ​​the room is multiplied by the thickness of the future screed. Thus, the total volume of the solution required for the work is calculated. By analogy with the above-described calculation methods, taking into account the ratio of 1? 3, you can understand how much cement and sand will be needed to prepare a certain volume of mortar for screed. But keep in mind that when calculating in cubic meters, it is easy to make a mistake. The fact is that a cubic meter of cement will weigh approximately 1200–1300 kg. It should be noted that the amount of water is not taken into account when carrying out calculations. The consistency of the solution is chosen in each case individually, depending on the requirements for the screed, so the amount of water will be different.

Note! It must be remembered that the volume of the solution is always less than the volume of the dry mixture. Therefore, the mixture needs to be harvested a little more.

It is also important to make a reservation that holding the screed is possible with the use of various fillers. This should be resorted to when there is a desire to save on the screed. As a rule, such a method is appropriate when the thickness of the planned screed is more than 10 cm. This is important not only in terms of material and material savings, but also to comply with general safety regulations.

The fact is that the strength of the overlap between floors is calculated under certain loads, and the greater the thickness of the screed, the greater will be the weight exerted by the screed on the overlap. For this purpose, a variety of materials can be used from expanded clay to polystyrene chips. At the same time, the percentage of filler can reach up to 40–60% of the total solution for the screed.

It is also important to say that in the case of installation of technology, the so-called underfloor heating, it is necessary to carry out the screed in two stages: pouring the main screed and making the protective screed. For the latter, granite chips can be used as a filler, which will give the upper layer, which, by the way, should be within 5–7 cm, sufficient strength and durability. The ratio of the crumb to the mixture must be calculated individually, based on the desired result.

Concluding the above, it is worth saying that there are several options on how to calculate the tie. The principle of the calculations should be selected individually, based on what qualities of screed interest. However, there are basic rules listed above, which should be observed in any case.