How to save money on screed in the cellar without compromising on quality

When planning the installation of the floor in the cellar, it is necessary to decide what it will be made of. The choice of material may depend on the level of groundwater, the topography of the site and budget options. Of course, it will be most economical to make the floor yourself, since you do not have to pay for the work of the brigade.

Floor types

There are several options for arranging the floor in the cellar:

• Soil floor, which will be the cheapest, but at the same time ineffective;
• A concrete floor is used traditionally if it is required to prevent moisture from entering the basement;
• Brick floor made of solid brick can serve as an excellent design solution "antique";
• The stone floor looks good in combination with walls made of tiles or the same stone and gives the cellar a rich look;
• A wooden floor is justified only when there is no threat of flooding the basement in the spring;
• The adobe floor has been used in basements for centuries, so it is a good solution. The difficulty is that it is difficult to find a lot of good clay, and poor quality material will not give the desired result.
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Of all the options considered, a concrete screed will be the best choice for an average budget. Sometimes the screed is performed as the basis for the subsequent flooring, but more often it acts as the main coating. In any case, the price of such a floor is not very high, you can fill it yourself, but at the same time save on costs. In this case, of course, quality should not suffer.

It is important to correctly determine the thickness of the screed. Usually in a cellar it makes no sense to make a thick layer of the floor, since the loads on it are small. But too thin a screed can also quickly collapse. It is optimal to fill the screed with a thickness of 4-5 cm.

Work technology

The screed in the cellar is poured in accordance with the general rules, but it is better not to save on high-quality waterproofing, especially if there are groundwater close to the surface. They operate according to the following plan:

1. The earth foundation is well leveled, cleaned of stones and compacted as much as possible.
2. For waterproofing, roofing material is taken, but you can save on it and lay a dense plastic film in two layers. Under the screed layer, it will behave similarly to an expensive roofing material.

The film should go a little on the walls. If the whole canvas is not enough for the entire area, then you need to overlap the film and fasten it with tape.

1. A leveling cushion of crushed stone and sand is poured on top of the waterproofing. Here you can also save on the amount of material by making a layer not too thick.
2. If significant loads will constantly affect the basement floor, it is recommended to reinforce it with a metal mesh. In a private home, most likely, there will not be large loads. So you can save on the grid, or take the thinnest and cheapest.
3. The mortar for pouring the screed is made according to the norms of the cement-sand mixture. At this stage, it is better not to save, as the wrong proportions of the components can lead to further rapid cracking and delamination of the floor.

Flooring in the cellar must be in strict accordance with the instructions. To make the floor level, you should install beacons that are neatly cleaned the next day. Their locations are immediately sealed with a solution.

The floor dries out within a week, but it is advisable to wait 21 days, after which you can proceed to the next finishing work.