How to level tileable insulation screed

by Staenis | 10/11/2021

How to level an insulation screed, with leveling compound or tile adhesive?

To install a new floor according to the rules of the art, you need the right basis: a flat and even screed. Do you want to level a screed or tileable insulation screed, but you don't know the best way to do this? With a leveling compound or tile adhesive you obtain a perfectly flat surface on which you can place the new final floor. Learn how to easily lay your screed yourself and discover a handy step-by-step plan for leveling your screed.

Haven't laid a screed yet? Discover a handy DIY system

If you are going to install a new floor, you must also provide a screed. This will become the solid basis for your final floor finish. With a screed you eliminate unevenness and level differences in the substrate and you can raise the floor to the desired height. For many floor finishes or floor systems, your screed must be nice and flat and smooth, in order to be able to work easily and with quality. Today you will learn how to level your screed with the right products.

Is the screeding of your floor still on the schedule? Then consider installing your screed yourself with a handy DIY system. This way you determine your own schedule and you don't have to hire a chapper. Even if you have no experience, you will achieve a professional result that will last for years. Watch the introductory video and discover a user-friendly DIY system for laying your screed.

Why level your floor?

Of course you want your new floor to be nice and straight and firm. If your current screed surface is not flat, it is best to install a leveling compound. By leveling out the surface, irregularities are eliminated and you make the surface even before the arrival of the new floor. You can easily extend the life of the covering you apply to it, such as tiles, parquet or laminate.

Leveling compound, an effective leveling agent

Level your floor with a leveling compound. Leveling compound, for example, a kind of liquid cement that consists of plastics. It is used for both sand cement and anhydrite subfloors. Leveling compound is available as a powder, to which you add water. The leveling compound is liquid when you start using it, but it becomes very hard after application. The mixture quickly adheres to the substrate. The message is to act correctly immediately, because breaking out of this layer is not obvious.

Why use leveling compound?

By applying a layer of leveling compound you get a good subfloor without level differences on which you can place a new finishing layer. You can compensate for level differences of up to 3 cm with leveling compound. In this way you can even raise part of your underlying floor to the level of the entire floor slab. Good to know: for floors higher than 30 millimeters and floors in very poor condition, it is best to use a building material other than leveling compound or leveling mortar. Ask a professional about the right approach. Good to know: leveling mortar is actually also a leveling compound, but usually one that does not open itself. So you have to spread the leveling mortar open and flat yourself.

Leveling the interior floor: don't forget your primer

Before leveling or smoothing out a screed interior floor, coat it with floor primer. Priming your floor is essential to obtain a durable and flat floor. The primer strengthens the top layer and ensures that the tile adhesive or leveling compound adheres better and dries out less quickly on the absorbent substrate. The leveling will also flow better during processing and will be able to do its job optimally. Which primer do you use for screed or quick-drying insulation screed? In the Staenis webshop you can easily order your suitable quick-drying primer online. Please note: Staenis primer is not suitable for priming tiles.

Leveling the outside floor: first apply tile adhesive

What about an outdoor floor, do you have to prime it before leveling? You do not prime a surface of screed or drainage mortar outdoors. You do use tile adhesive to fix the surface. To do this, first clean the surface, then apply the tile adhesive to the screed with the flat side of your trowel. This way the moisture can still get through and the silted substrate is completely fixed.

Leveling screed with leveling compound: step-by-step plan

Leveling your screed with a leveling compound increases the surface strength and makes the surface even. For example, a glued multi-layer parquet floor will adhere much better to the substrate, and it will also be much easier to glue. Discover in the step-by-step plan below how to level a screed with leveling compound:

1. Get your supplies at home

First you get all the supplies for leveling your floor. To level a screed with leveling compound you need the following: the correct leveling compound in bags, sufficient water (cf. the packing of the leveling compound), a suitable primer, buckets for the leveling compound, a mixer or cement mixer, a paint scraper or putty knife, a fur roller, a spiked roller and a spatula or squeegee.

Attention: The bags of the leveling compound indicate the layer thickness for which the leveling compound is intended, for example for a layer of 1 to 3 mm. Always buy the right leveling compound for the layer your floor needs. This way you are sure of the right composition and a layer that is sturdy enough.

2. Prepare the substrate

Do you have all the necessary equipment at home? Then you can start preparing the substrate. It must be dry, clean, dust-free and crack-free. Remove any loose parts first. Stains and dirt are also a no-go. Paint splashes, glue residue or other irregularities can usually be removed with a putty knife. Then you vacuum the floor. Cracks or holes deeper than 25 mm can be filled with a cement mortar.

3. Apply Primer

Then prepare the surface with primer (for indoor applications). Adhesion primer is applied to the substrate using a long-handled roller. The primer ensures good adhesion of the leveling compound and prevents the leveling compound from drying too quickly. You can find out exactly how long the primer needs to dry on the packaging.

4. Mix the equalizer

Once the primer is dry, prepare the leveling compound according to the package instructions. Put the water in a bucket and then add the powder. Take the stick blender and mix the equalizer powder with the water. Mix for about 2 minutes until all lumps are gone and the batter is smooth.

Tip: The ratio of water and leveling powder differs per type and per brand. Always respect the amount of water stated on the bag, otherwise the leveling compound will discolour during drying. You also risk that the leveling compound will not achieve the correct compressive strength or will come loose.

5. Apply and distribute the leveling compound

Is the primer dry and is the leveling compound ready? Then you can start with the real work: leveling your interior floor. Empty the first bucket with the leveling compound and spread the mixture over the floor.

How high should you pour the leveling compound? In general, the thickness of a layer of leveling compound is about 1 or 2 millimeters. How thick you should apply mainly depends on the subfloor and the type of leveling compound. If you lay your tileable insulation screed yourself with the handy Staenis grid, you can use this screed grid as a height reference point. In principle, you can grind the leveling compound on the slats of the Staenis grid. But because some leveling compound always sticks to the polishing trowel or screed iron, you have to float just 1 mm higher with the lath so that the leveling compound is at the same height as the top of the grid after leveling. If you have not worked with the Staenis grid, it is best to set out reference points before leveling the floor. This way you can always see how high you have to pour the leveling compound.

Leveling compound is very walking and self-levelling. You can use a spatula (also known as a squeegee) to evenly distribute the leveling compound. These spatulas are available in different widths and have small teeth. Once the leveling compound is evenly distributed, go through it with a spiked roller. In this way the equalizer is vented and the air bubbles disappear. As a result, the leveling compound dries more evenly. After levelling, the leveling compound is still very wet. But after about 4 hours, the leveling compound is usually dry enough to gently walk on.

6. Let the leveling compound dry

After about 48 hours, the leveling compound will be dry and you will see a largely smooth surface. The exact drying time may vary but is stated on the packaging for each product. After complete curing, it is possible that small bumps can still be seen on the leveling compound. Cut off such chunks with a putty knife or sand them off. Small pits of air bubbles usually do no harm to the floor structure (e.g. laminate or tiles). Then you can finish your floor as you planned.

How to level tileable insulation screed with leveling compound or tile adhesive?

You may not have used classic sand cement screed, but tileable insulation screed. It is also recommended to level the floor. By leveling a tileable insulation screed with leveling compound or tile adhesive, you increase the load-bearing capacity of the floor and smooth out the coarse structure of the EPS granules. With the Turbolight system from UZIN you can further increase the surface strength. You always combine it with UZIN leveling compound.

If you lay your tileable insulation screed yourself using the Staenis grid, then leveling your floor is extra easy. The leveling layer must be at the same height as this grid. But there's more. With the Staenis roster you do not need to hire a professional chapper and you determine your own schedule. Moreover, you are guaranteed to obtain a durable, even and crack-free screed. Inform yourself further on the Staenis website and order your materials easily online.