Stages of pouring the screed
It is known that a cement-sand screed is made to smooth the base of various types. To fill such a screed, it is necessary to prepare a solution. In the process of preparing the mortar, sand and cement grade 400 or 500 are used. Naturally, in this case, the proportions of the components must be observed. Usually, the ratio of components is 1:4 or 1:5 depending on the brand of cement, that is, one part of cement and four or five parts of sand, respectively. Having measured the required amount of components, the dry mixture is poured with a certain amount of water. At the same time, it must be remembered that water must be added so much that the mixture looks like a dough. Of course, the preparatory stage is the cleaning of the premises, the floor must be thoroughly washed so that dust and small debris do not impair the adhesion of the cement screed to the floor.
Before pouring, you should prepare the base for the screed. For this purpose, all garbage is removed from it. In addition, it is very important to check the geometry of the room, after which it is necessary to set the beacons. With the help of beacons it is possible to ensure an even fill. If this step is skipped, the screed will have an uneven surface, which will eventually create additional problems. In addition, with uneven pouring, the quality of the repair is noticeably reduced.
As for the lighthouses themselves, they are made of wooden slats. The thickness of these rails will depend on the thickness of the fill. The first lighthouse must be placed close to the wall, the same applies to the last one. The remaining rails are set at a distance of about one meter from each other. It should be emphasized that the slats must be leveled, in other words, the fill must be perfectly even.
After preliminary preparation, you can proceed to the filling itself. The solution is poured between the lighthouses. Then it is smoothed with the help of a wooden slat again. This rail should reach in width to two adjacent beacons. With the help of translational movements, holding the rail at a slight angle, the solution is pulled towards itself. Thus, an even screed will be obtained.
After a few hours, the beacons can be removed, but this can only be done after the fill has hardened a little. The gaps remaining after the beacons are sealed with mortar. Despite the fact that the screed is already filled, the process is not yet completed. The thing is that the pouring surface must be watered several times a day with water.
As for the drying time of the screed, they average two weeks, depending on the temperature in the room.