Concrete screed in a private house on a wooden floor or a house made of wood

Selecting the proper flooring system is essential for a home’s durability and comfort when building or remodeling. When choosing between wood and concrete screed, homeowners must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each material.

For modern homes or those undergoing major renovations, concrete screed provides a strong and stable foundation. Its superior thermal mass allows it to both absorb and hold onto heat, which improves energy efficiency. Because of this feature, it’s especially appropriate for homes in colder climates where keeping warm is important. Concrete screed is also a long-lasting option with low maintenance needs since it is extremely resilient to deterioration and wear and tear.

However, there are distinct benefits when choosing a wooden floor for a private home or a home built mostly of wood. Many homeowners find wood floors appealing because they add a natural warmth and aesthetic appeal. Compared to concrete, they offer a softer feel underfoot, which may be more comfortable for daily use. Furthermore, wood is a sustainable material for environmentally conscientious homeowners because it is a renewable resource.

The unique requirements of your house and way of life must be taken into account when choosing between wood and concrete screed. Concrete screed works well in damp or high-traffic areas, like kitchens and bathrooms, where a high degree of durability is needed. It offers a stable foundation for different floor coverings and can fit underfloor heating systems well, improving comfort levels all around in the winter.

On the other hand, wood floors are more adaptable in terms of design and go well with a variety of architectural types, including modern and rustic. They can easily adjust to small variations in the subfloor and are comparatively simpler to install. But over time, sealing or refinishing will be necessary to maintain the structural integrity and aesthetic appeal of wood.

In conclusion, each option has unique benefits that satisfy various tastes and practical needs, whether you decide to install a wood floor or concrete screed in your private residence. Through careful consideration of various factors like longevity, upkeep needs, visual appeal, and environmental impact, homeowners can make well-informed decisions that complement their lifestyle and improve the overall standard of their living area.

Description of plank floors

According to the theory of material resistance, a wooden floor is an unstable base for concrete. The truth is that the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air can cause plank floors to alter their linear dimensions. The wood expands when wet and contracts when it gets dry, so the length of the boards changes with the seasons. Boards typically undergo linear size changes as well as changes in their spatial structure, such as curling as they dry. When installing concrete screed, which becomes monolithic and nearly impervious to linear expansion after setting and gaining strength, such unfavorable changes are totally inappropriate.

The heavy weight of concrete screed is another barrier to installation.

Typically, the foundation for a wooden floor installation consists of wooden logs or, in rare circumstances, beams composed of metal profiles or reinforced concrete. They are not meant to support heavy loads, and the extra pressure from the screed can cause them to break or distort.

The third nuance of floors is the small thickness of the base. A standard floorboard has a thickness of 2.54 to 50 mm. "Inch" boards are rarely used, since they bend under the weight of a person of average build. The floor boards are thicker than 40 mm are also rarely used in projects of houses, only in those rooms that experience strong static or dynamic load. The most popular board is 36 mm – tactilely (by feel), it does not bend when moving on the floor. But, if you make precise measurements of the floor level, it becomes clear that when laying tiles, it also “plays”, especially if the distance between the support logs exceeds 1000 mm, and the floorboards are not reinforced. Such “floating floors” are arranged in newly built houses in order to prevent deformation of the boards during shrinkage of the external walls of the house. It is impossible to arrange a screed on such an unstable floor that is in the stage of natural deformation. Otherwise, there is a high risk of cracking the screed, despite reinforcement and laying a sliding layer.

The fourth barrier is that wood is prone to decay. A concrete screed severely restricts airflow to the wood’s surface and fosters the growth of mold fungi, which demolish the building. Not only do fungi like to hide in the impenetrable space, but many insects also do, and they feed on wood. sawflies, termites, and topographer beetles in the southern regions.

You can move on to step-by-step procedures if the developer is not afraid of the challenges he will face when organizing the screed.

Video of concrete floors in a wooden house

Design features of plank floors

Plank flooring design elements include:

• Supporting material of the base (lags);
• Distance between joists,
• Board thickness;
• Connection type:
• regular board with straight ridge;
• tongue and groove;
• and a quarter.

Because individual boards are susceptible to independent variations in size under load or variations in humidity and temperature, floors constructed of boards without connecting elements are not appropriate for screeding. This causes the screed to break quickly. Concrete has a more dependable foundation when boards are fastened together. They behave more predictably even though their size is subject to linear changes.

When deciding whether to pour screed on a wooden floor, the material from which the boards are cut plays a significant role. Softwood, like pine and spruce, is the most common and least expensive. Additionally, its consumer and strength characteristics are the lowest:

• High moisture capacity;
• Tendency to twist when drying;
• Susceptibility to damage by pests and microorganisms.

It is better to pour screeds on larch floors. Because it contains a lot of resin, this wood hardly ever rots. It is heavy, does not deform under load, and has a low coefficient of linear expansion.

Hardwood is primarily used in bathrooms or as décor rather than as flooring.

Pouring technology

The base must be ready before pouring a concrete screed. Wood should be avoided if it is possible to prevent the "layer cake" effect. The following actions should be done if the only base is a wooden floor:

• Remove skirting boards around the perimeter of the room;
• Conduct an inspection of the supports. To do this, remove 0-2 boards along the entire length and find out what kind of base the floor is made on and the integrity of the logs;
• The inner (lower) surface of the boards is inspected. If there are traces of mold on it or pests are found, such boards are replaced;
• It is advisable to clean the surface of boards covered with oil paint/varnish using a plane or a scraper;
• The outer and inner surfaces of the boards are treated with a water-based antibacterial impregnation;

In addition, self-tapping screws are used to reinforce the boards where they come into contact with the logs. These screws, as opposed to nails or wooden pins, loosen with time and permit the boards to move vertically. It takes two to three years after the house was built or the wooden floor was laid before boards can be securely fastened to the logs. This is how wood naturally dries at room temperature. All of the internal stresses in the boards are eliminated during this period. Any flaws that are still present after the allotted time are removed mechanically by scraping or jointing.

On the feasibility of using polyethylene

Remembering that wood is subject to linear changes in size more than concrete, measures are taken to isolate them from each other. The top layer of the floor – the screed is obtained Floating. A thick (100-200 microns) film is used as a waterproofing and separator. The sheets will be laid on top of each other with an overlap of 200-300 mm, glued together with bitumen mastic at the points of contact. The film is not attached to the boards in any way. At the points of contact with the wall of the house, an overlap of 100-150 mm is made. The perimeter of the room is pasted over the polyethylene film with a damper tape, which will allow the concrete screed to move freely along the walls during their shrinkage or thermal expansion.

Other kinds of insulation or waterproofing materials cannot be used as an intermediate layer. Formaldehyde and creosote are released during the operation of ruberoid and other roll materials impregnated with petroleum distillation products. These gases will eventually seep through the screed and into the room. The roll material is firmly bonded to the concrete and adhered to the wood surface when under load. As a result, materials with disparate expansion coefficients will be immobile with respect to one another. The screed will crack when the humidity or temperature changes.

On the first floors of buildings and in moist rooms, condensation can form beneath polyethylene. As a result, a hydrophobic antiseptic must be applied to the wood’s surface.

Calculations

The amount of materials required is determined by factoring in all required consumables plus an additional 10% to account for overspending or unanticipated events.

The computation consists of:

• Fastening hardware (screws, self-tapping screws for wood) for strengthening boards to joists;
• Hydrophobic impregnation in accordance with the manufacturer"s recommendations;
• Polyethylene film 200 microns with a reserve of plus 20% for overlap and lining under the damper tape;
• Damper tape – along the perimeter of the room;
• Reinforcing mesh – according to the area of ​​the room;
• Dry concrete mix for screed or cement and sand for making the solution yourself. For screed, use the following proportions of cement/sand/water/reinforcing filler:
• Cement grade M150 1:3:0.55:0.1
• Cement grade M200 1:2.8:0.45:0.1

Preparing the base

Eliminate any metal objects that protrude from the boards, such as screws, staples, and nails. Eliminate the oil paint coating on top. Fill in the holes and depressions left by fallen knots, big chips, and dents in the boards using a 1:1 mixture of sawdust and oil putty. After applying a water-based antiseptic, the surface is left to dry for two to three days while the room is actively ventilated. The wood surface should be as dry as possible.

Priming

For the purpose of preventing moisture penetration, primer is only applied to the surface of recently harvested, untreated wood. There’s no need to prime if the boards have already been painted or varnished. An impregnation that is hydrophobic and antiseptic can readily replace it.

Marking

If one side of the room is larger than two meters, marking is required. In this instance, the space is partitioned into no larger than 2 by 2 meter squares or rectangles. If not, the screed will start to break on its own. Beacons are placed, which are wooden dowels with the upper edge aligned with a laser level or a stretched thread set in accordance with the level, to regulate the thickness of the screed layer.

The use of wooden dowels is practical because they can be easily removed with a knife without compromising the integrity of the screed once the cement mortar has solidified.

Waterproofing

After the floor is processed, a layer of polyethylene film is applied to a well-dried surface. From the entrance to the window, rolled materials are arranged along the length of the room. Overlap areas between 100 and 150 mm are adhered to using adhesive mastic. The locations where the mastic or dumpfer tape, which has a minimum thickness of 5 mm, is pressed against the house walls.

Reinforcement

It is necessary to reinforce when pouring a concrete screed over a wooden base. While the reinforcement won’t be able to stop the boards from vibrating vertically, it will be able to stop the screed from longitudinally cracking at the joints between the boards.

Use a slave or the polymer grid that’s meant to keep garden plots safe for reinforcement.

Avoid using metal mesh with a cell size of 20–40 mm because, as the screed moves, the metal ribs on the polyethylene film may eventually rub against the film, creating an opening for moisture to seep through the screed and into the wood.

Method 1 — reinforcing mesh

If the choice is made on the mesh, it is recommended to use a plastic mesh of the OSS brand, or a fiberglass mesh of the brand:

• SSP-95;
• SSDor-330 (road mesh) coated with impregnation;
• SSM-85;
• SSDor-300.

The following are some benefits of fiberglass and polymer reinforcement:

• Elasticity;
• Chemical inertness when in contact with moisture;
• No radio wave shielding effect;
• Ease of cutting and installation;
• Low weight;
• Cheapness.

Method 2 — fiber

Fiber is an unusual technique for strengthening the screed that involves adding short, 20–50 mm long reinforcing fibers to the mixture during the mixing phase. The fiber may be made of metal, such as identical-sized pieces of steel wire or fiberglass bundles. You cannot pour on polyethylene film using metal fiber. The film will be torn and the waterproofing compromised by the sharp edges of steel wire fragments sticking out of the solution.

Fiber provides multidirectional reinforcement, effectively preventing the screed from being stretched or compressed throughout its whole thickness. Fiber reinforcement is recommended for floors with light traffic and minimal load.

Several common compositions of leveling mixtures used for pouring screeds contain special plasticizers that stop cracking as well as synthetic fibers.

Consider both the short- and long-term advantages when choosing between concrete screed and wood entirely for a private home’s floor. Unmatched stability and durability make concrete screed perfect for locations that see a lot of foot traffic or moisture exposure. When paired with underfloor heating systems, it improves thermal efficiency and guarantees a level surface for a variety of floor finishes. On the other hand, a wooden floor in a wooden house can be easier to install and maintain while still maintaining a warm, natural aesthetic. In the end, the decision comes down to your priorities: ease of installation and visual appeal vs functionality and durability.

Mixing the solution

At least 50 liter containers are used to prepare the solution at home. To guarantee continuous pouring, it is best to purchase two containers for this. A third worker mixes the next portion of the solution to be poured while the other two pour the solution from the container onto the floor and level it with needle rollers.

First, the manufacturer of the dry mix for the screed or the instructions for self-preparation of the solution recommend adding a precisely measured amount of water to the container. No amateur preparation and performance "by eye"!

The goal of concrete pouring technology, which has been tested for decades, is to achieve the maximum strength. Any component used in excess weakens the solution or makes it extremely fragile.

First, pour water into the container. Then add cement, or gradually pour in the ready solution from a bag. The mixture is prepared by two people. One operates the mixer, fixed on an electric drill or a special electric drive, the second evenly and continuously pours the mixture. After the solution is completely mixed, there should be no lumps left in it. Fiber (basalt, pressed polymer) is added to the solution and the briquette is allowed to disperse in water for 10-15 minutes. After this, the solution is mixed again for 5-10 minutes to evenly distribute the fibers. Sand is added last, as it is heavy and quickly settles to the bottom.

Another option is to use a concrete mixer.

Filling

Starting from the corner furthest away from the entrance, fill in. In order to completely submerge the beacons in the solution, the solution from the container is continuously poured onto the base, attempting to distribute it evenly across the surface. To stop the solution from spreading, barriers made of a 40×40 or 50×50 mm bar are erected over a sizable portion of the room. Air bubbles are eliminated from the solution by smoothing it with needle rubber rollers as soon as the container is emptied. Different brands of industrial screeds with plasticizers have varying curing times, ranging from 25 minutes to 2-3 hours.

When using a fast-hardening screed, you have to work quickly. Burrs at the joints between two fills may form as the mass hardens quickly; these will be extremely difficult to remove.

video screed on a wooden floor

When deciding between concrete screed on a wooden floor or inside a wooden home, there are a number of considerations that affect both practicality and structural integrity. Concrete screed is a common flooring option in many homes because of its stability and durability. It is beneficial because it can even out uneven floors and give additional flooring materials a stable foundation.

The addition of a concrete screed can improve the stability and thermal characteristics of a private home with a wooden floor structure. It offers a strong base for tiles, laminate, or other finishing materials and aids in the prevention of moisture problems. This is especially helpful in places where there are frequent temperature changes or high levels of humidity.

But if you’re thinking about a wooden house, you should think carefully before deciding to use concrete screed. Although concrete increases stability and strength, it also drastically changes the appearance of a traditional wooden house and may raise construction costs. The key is striking a balance between the advantages of a sturdy concrete foundation and the allure and character of a wooden interior.

In order to guarantee long-term performance, concrete screed installation also requires technical know-how and appropriate preparation. Keeping ideal conditions is crucial for wooden structures, as they require adequate insulation and moisture barriers to avert potential problems like moisture penetration or cracking.

In the end, whether choosing concrete screed inside a wooden home or on a wooden floor, the choice should be based on both functional requirements and personal style preferences. A decision that best fits the unique context of the private house construction or renovation project requires careful consideration of the effects on structural integrity, maintenance needs, and overall design coherence.

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