In the houses of the old Soviet construction, the walls, unfortunately, do not always differ in special evenness. In most cases, their surface is covered with bumps and pits, has cracks or chips. At the same time, their plane itself often often deviates significantly from the vertical or horizontal. Of course, rooms with such walls do not look very attractive. Before wallpapering, painting, or, for example, before finishing with decorative plaster, the surfaces of the enclosing structures in such apartments have to be adjusted. How to level the walls? The answer to this question, of course, many homeowners would like to know. Surfaces with defects can be corrected using different materials.
Two main methods
In our time, there are two main ways to align the walls in a room:
- dry;
- raw.
In the first case, the alignment of walls for wallpaper or decorative plaster is most often done using drywall. Also, dry correction technology may involve the use of plywood, lining or PVC boards. With a raw leveling technique, usually different types of plaster are used.
What types of mixtures exist
Such wall leveling materials are usually supplied to the market in dry bags. Before use, they must be diluted with water, in the amount determined by the instructions for use. Plaster can be used to level the walls:
- plaster;
- cement;
- clay;
- acrylic;
- silicate.
Advantages and disadvantages of gypsum compositions
The initial mass of materials of this type is a very fine powdery dry mixture. The answer to the question of how to level the walls in the apartment, gypsum plaster is very good. Its composition, among other things, includes various kinds of plasticizers. And so it lays down on the walls very evenly.
With the use of such plaster, concrete walls or brick walls can be leveled. Do not use such mixtures mainly only in very damp rooms - saunas, bathrooms, swimming pools, etc. It is also not allowed to use gypsum to level the facades of buildings.
The main advantages of plasters of this type are:
- high degree of elasticity;
- excellent adhesion to the treated surface.
Also, the masters also refer to the advantages of gypsum plaster and its fine texture. Aligning walls for wallpaper using such mixtures has the advantage that at the final stage in this case it is not necessary to apply finishing putty. Another undoubted advantage of such plasters is rapid maturation. If necessary, it is possible to start pasting the walls, leveled with a gypsum mixture, in a week.
The disadvantages of the compositions of this variety include primarily their high cost. Leveling walls with gypsum plaster is usually quite expensive. The funds of this variety cost about one and a half to two times more expensive than cement ones. Also, the disadvantages of mixtures of this type include a very short period of viability. It is necessary to use the prepared gypsum mixture within an average of 45 minutes. Of course, such a short “life” makes working with plaster of this variety not particularly convenient.
The best brands of gypsum mixtures
Of course, when choosing a plaster of this variety, like any other, you should first of all pay attention to the brand of the manufacturer. The most popular gypsum mixtures in our country are:
- "Found". Plaster of this brand can remain viable for up to 90 minutes. It costs about 250-300 rubles. per bag.
- "Knauf". This manufacturer supplies the Russian market with very high-quality Rotband gypsum mix. A bag of such plaster costs about 400 rubles. Leveling the walls with Rotband is not a particularly complicated procedure. Such a mixture can keep viability for one and a half hours. In addition, it has a high degree of plasticity.
- "Eunice". Such mixtures after preparation should be worked out within 50 minutes. They cost about 300 rubles. per bag.
Pros and cons of cement compositions
It is this material that most often serves as the answer to the question of how to align the walls inside or outside the room. There are two main types of such plasters on the market today. For leveling surfaces, both a cement-lime mixture and a cement-sand mixture can be used.
On the walls, both of these types of plaster lie no worse than gypsum. At the same time, the cement leveling mixture is much cheaper. Such plaster is the best answer to the question of how to level the walls in the bathroom. It is perfect for wet areas.
The only thing in which cement plaster loses to gypsum plaster is not a very smooth texture. After using such a mixture, it is usually necessary to additionally apply a finishing material. Another disadvantage of cement plaster compared to gypsum plaster is the long maturation period. It is possible to proceed with the final finishing of walls aligned with its use only after about a month.
The best manufacturers of cement mixtures
Compositions of this type, like gypsum, are supplied to the domestic market by many companies. But the most popular plasters in our country are:
- cement-lime "Founding Starwell-21";
- cement-lime Polimin ShV 1;
- cement-sand "Vetonit TT".
The Starwell mixture can be used to level the walls not only indoors, but also outside. Such plaster costs about $ 5.9 per bag weighing 25 kg. Polimin SHV 1 mixtures may only be used indoors. The permissible maximum thickness of the leveling layer when using both types of plaster is 20 mm. The price of a mixture of Polimin ShV 1 is approximately $ 3.6.
Compositions "Vetonit TT" can be used for leveling indoor walls and facades. They can be applied to the surface with a layer of up to 3 cm. Such a plaster costs about $ 9 per 25 kg.
How to align the walls from the outside: acrylic compounds
Building facades are thus most often leveled with cement plaster. However, sometimes acrylic mixtures are also used for this purpose. Such materials are more expensive, but at the same time they give a much stronger leveling layer. Such a finishing composition is made on the basis of an aqueous solution of acrylic. The main advantages of plasters of this type are:
- elasticity;
- good degree of heat and sound insulation;
- frost resistance;
- ease of use.
The disadvantages of plasters of this variety, as well as gypsum, include a short pot life. Also, such a mixture has earned not too good consumer reviews and for a not particularly high degree of vapor permeability. Walls covered with plaster of this type, unfortunately, simply stop "breathing". They refer to the disadvantages of mixtures of this variety and the fact that after drying they can accumulate static electricity and attract all sorts of garbage to themselves.
Top Brands of Acrylic Blends
The most popular manufacturers of such plasters in Russia, as well as gypsum plasters, are Osnovit, Vetonit and Knauf. Also, Ceresit brand plasters are often used to level the facades. Such mixtures are usually supplied to the market in ready-made form. It is not necessary to dilute them with water. It is convenient to work with them, but plasters of this type are more expensive than gypsum and cement ones. Therefore, they are usually used only to correct walls that have only minor defects.
Advantages and disadvantages of silicate mixtures
Alignment of walls for painting or any other type of decorative finish using such material can be done both outside and inside the room. But most often, silicate plaster, like acrylic, is still used for finishing facades. Such materials are made on the basis of silicone resin. They also include liquid potassium glass, a water-repellent agent and mineral fillers. Like acrylic, silicate plaster is expensive. And they use it, respectively, only for leveling walls that have minor defects or as a finish after a cement-sand mixture.
The advantages of silicate plasters include primarily:
- elasticity and good adhesive properties;
- high degree of strength;
- resistance to various kinds of atmospheric influences.
The main disadvantage of such mixtures is considered to be a short pot life.
Raw wall leveling technology: main features
Acrylic and silicate plasters, therefore, are in most cases applied to walls in a thin layer using the usual technology - with a spatula or by means of a spray gun. Cement and gypsum mixtures are usually applied to surfaces in a thick layer. Therefore, when working with them, among other things, special guides are used - beacons. The use of such additions allows you to get the most even surfaces. Work is carried out in this case in several stages:
- First, the old plaster layer is removed from the wall (if necessary).
- The surface is primed. Depending on what kind of plaster is supposed to be used in the future, a gypsum or cement-based agent is used to treat the surface.
- Beacons are installed. To align the walls, a special profile is usually used, which can be purchased at any building hypermarket. Beacons are attached to the wall on a cement or gypsum mortar according to the level. The distance between them should be slightly less than the length of the rule.
- Between the beacons, the actual plaster itself is laid. The wall can be treated with a solution both manually and, for example, using a sprayer.
- The mixture is carefully leveled by means of a rule.
After the composition dries, beacons are removed from the wall. To level the walls (seal the grooves remaining after the profile), a little more gypsum or cement plaster is diluted. At the final stage, the surface is treated with a paint grater and covered with a thin layer of a fine-textured mixture.
Finishing putty: varieties
Compositions of this type can be:
- cement (based on very fine sand or lime);
- plaster;
- silicate;
- acrylic.
For wet rooms and facades, depending on the budget, cement plasters, acrylic or silicate plasters can be selected. Gypsum is usually used to decorate rooms from the inside. Also, in some cases, for this purpose, of course, cement can also be used. Putties of this variety are applied over plaster, often using a special reinforcing paint mesh.
Drywall
Plasters are, of course, just a great answer to the question of how to level the walls. However, such tools can, unfortunately, be used mainly only to remove holes and bumps from the surface. More serious defects in the form of deviation from the plane by means of a crude technique are rather difficult to correct, and sometimes even impossible. After all, it is allowed to apply plaster compositions on the surface only with a not too thick layer.
Some disadvantage of raw technology is that it can be used to level only concrete or brick walls. For wood, such materials are usually not used.
Therefore, the raw technique is not suitable for eliminating serious wall defects, as well as for leveling cobbled or chopped surfaces. In this case, another method of correction is usually used - dry. The walls with this technology are simply sheathed along the frame with some kind of sheet material. Types of finishes in this case can be used different. But most often drywall is used for this purpose.
Actually, the GKL sheets themselves for wall correction can be used in two main varieties:
- ordinary;
- moisture resistant.
The second type of GKL differs from the first primarily in color. Moisture resistant sheets have a greenish tint. They, for example, are an excellent answer to the question of how to align the walls in the bathroom. It is produced by the industry in our time and refractory GKL. Sheets of this variety can withstand not only very high temperatures, but even open fire (for an hour). Such drywall is very expensive, and therefore it is used mainly only for leveling the surfaces of stoves and fireplaces.
The best brands of drywall
The leading manufacturers of GKL in Russia are:
- Lafarge.
- Rigips.
- Giproc.
The quality of all these brands of drywall are quite good. But the Knauf sheets are still the most popular in our country. This company supplies the domestic market with three main types of GKL:
- wall thickness 12.5 mm;
- ceiling - 9.5 mm;
- arched - 6.5 mm.
If desired, today you can purchase both ordinary sheets of this manufacturer 2500 x 1200 mm, and non-standard ones. The width of the latter can be 600-1500 mm, length - 1500-4000 mm, and thickness - 6.5-24 mm.
Drywall finishing technology
Any special preparation of the walls when using GKL is not required. Surfaces in this case are usually simply cleaned of dirt and dust. Next, a special aluminum or steel profile is mounted on the wall using a level. Actually, the drywall itself is attached to it with the help of dowels of a special design with plastic wide heads. GKL sheets are fixed during installation so that no cross-shaped seams form between them.
At the final stage, the plasterboard surface can either be wallpapered or treated with a thin layer of plaster. Of course, it is often used for finishing GKL and finishing putty.
Lining, plywood and plastic panels
Such materials are also usually used for large deviations of surfaces from the horizontal or vertical. In addition, such a finish can also be used when the walls need not only to be leveled, but also insulated.
In the latter case, timber is usually used to assemble the frame for the material. It can be wall-mounted both vertically and horizontally. Actually, for insulation between the bars of the frame, plates of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene are subsequently installed. Then a vapor barrier film is sewn on top, and the leveling material itself is installed on top of it.
The question of how to align the walls is asked by many apartment owners who have gathered to make repairs on their own. Not so long ago, the range of materials for leveling walls was not great. Today, the situation on the building materials market has changed dramatically, but there are only 2 methods for eliminating irregularities on surfaces:
- their facing GKL;
- plastering with building mixtures.
These wall alignment methods have both positive and negative sides. Those who prefer drywall will not have to deal with the laborious process of preparing walls for plastering. It is enough for them to repair the cracks and fix the crate under the sheets on the walls. In addition, any communications can be hidden under the GKL. However, using sheet materials to level the walls, homeowners significantly reduce its area.
A similar problem does not arise when leveling walls with building mixtures, but the process itself is laborious. Surfaces for plastering need careful preparation. Beacon profiles must be fixed on the walls, relying on which, the rule will distribute the plaster over the surface. In addition, wall leveling compounds are often unable to cope with too large irregularities. However, for those who decide to level the walls with Rotband, it will be easier to cope with the task than for builders who use other compositions in their work.
Characteristics of the mixture "Rotband"
"Rotband" - gypsum plaster, which has a number of advantages over other mixtures. She:
- excellent contact with most surfaces;
- has high plasticity;
- not prone to cracking and delamination;
- has a relatively small weight;
- dries quickly;
- practically does not shrink;
The disadvantages of the mixture for leveling walls include:
- high price;
- inability to use in rooms with high humidity;
- weak adhesion of the layers of "Rotband" to each other.
True, the last drawback is eliminated if, before applying the next layer, the previous one is treated with a special primer.
When plastering with Rotband, the same tool is used as when working with other mixtures:
- trowels;
- putty knife;
- grater;
- rule.
Surface preparation
Before you start leveling the walls with Rotband, they need to be prepared. They need to be removed:
- wallpaper;
- old paint;
- dust, dirt, greasy stains;
- peeling fragments of plaster.
At this stage, a tool such as;
- brushes;
- spatulas;
- hammer and chisel.
Finally, the remaining dust is removed from the walls with a vacuum cleaner or a damp brush. Significant cracks are best repaired with a cement-sand mortar. After that, the surfaces must be treated with a primer "Betonkontakt" or "Grundirmittel". The latter is produced by Knauf, therefore it is most compatible with Rotband.
First you need to take the rule and check the state of the wall with it. If the walls are fairly even, with differences of no more than 5-7 mm, they can be leveled without installing beacons. Using a tool such as a spatula, "Rotband" is applied to the surface like putty.
In other cases, you have to install beacons. It must be said right away that it is better to purchase plastic profiles, which, after plastering, can be left in the wall. Metal beacons (even galvanized ones) will begin to corrode over time, and rusty spots will definitely show through the wallpaper. You can safely install steel beacons if the wall is subsequently tiled.
Before installing the beacons, “hills” of gypsum plaster are applied to the wall with a spatula. The distance between them in a vertical row should be about 30 cm. The longer the rule, the greater the distance between the "cakes" horizontally, but in any case it should be slightly less than the length of the fixture, since the tool will rest on adjacent walls when leveling the walls. lighthouses.
First, it is better to install beacons closest to the corner parts of the room. They need to be pressed into the “slides” and checked for verticality with a level or plumb line. Between them, pull 2-3 threads and, guided by the cords, install the remaining profiles. Next, you need to additionally check the plane by applying a building level or rule to the beacons (perpendicular to them).
Plastering with "Rotband"
To obtain a quality mixture, it is necessary to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for its preparation.
It is best to prepare the solution using a tool such as a construction mixer or a hammer drill (powerful drill) with a special nozzle. The finished mixture should be worked out within half an hour.
With a trowel, you need to apply a solution between the beacons. Leading the rule on them, you should distribute the solution along the wall. Leveling the surface must begin from the bottom. Excess solution is removed from the device with a spatula and recovered into a container. The solution is again laid in the remaining recesses, and the rule passes through the uneven areas again. In the corners of the room for plastering, it is more advisable to use a corner trowel.
If it is necessary to plaster in several layers, a new layer is applied after the previous one has hardened. Before re-plastering, the dried layer is primed. In addition, cross-shaped notches are made on it. With multi-layer plastering, the rule is used only for finishing alignment. The main tool for applying "Rotband" during preliminary plastering of the surface is a trowel. The leveling process is completed 2-3 hours after plastering by rubbing the surface with a grater moistened with water.
About the simplicity of working with Rotband
It should be noted that even the most distant person from the profession of a builder will be able to level the walls in the apartment with the Rotband mixture. Having gained minimal experience with gypsum plaster, the master will be able to create a surface ready for finishing with almost any material.
Almost all decorative wall coverings require an even base.
There are only a few of them that can somewhat hide bumps, but the limit of such coatings is rather limited.
They can hide only small cracks or make irregularities invisible through the use of light shades of a decorative coating.
In most cases, the walls must be prepared before applying the finish. All types and methods of leveling walls in an apartment can be divided into two large categories:
- wet leveling.
Various water-based building materials are used. various types, putties, special building mixtures with the addition of modifiers to give them specific performance properties;
- dry leveling.
For work, only dry materials are used; during the work, water mixtures are not used at all or their amount is extremely small. For leveling, drywall, OSB boards or sheet plywood, edged boards, etc. are used.
In order to make it easier to make the best decision in each individual case, it is necessary to become more familiar with these two ways of doing work.
The most reliable method is used on brick or concrete walls. Some have special additives, which allows you to combine alignment with, slight insulation, etc.
It is best to level the walls with Rotband gypsum plaster mixture.
In this way it is good to align the walls under the wallpaper. The cost of wall plastering ranges from 250-35 
0 rub / m 2.
To level relatively small irregularities and cracks, putties can be used.
Work is carried out quickly and with minimal manual labor.
The price for services for leveling walls with putty starts from 300 rubles / m 2, depending on how and with what the finishing decorative finish will be performed.
Advantages
The highest rates of strength, the longest operating time. The ability to align walls with large deviations along the plane, however, in this case, the work must be performed in several stages.
Too thick a layer of plaster, applied at one time, will definitely crack during drying.
The relatively low cost of work can also be attributed to the advantages.
In many cases, an ordinary cement-sand mortar is used for plastering; they prepare it on their own. You can also use complex solutions with waterproofing, but such work is carried out in exceptional cases in special-purpose rooms.
disadvantages
Plastering is a time-consuming process, only professional builders can perform these works.
Quite a lot of construction debris is formed, leveling with plaster can only be done in non-residential rooms.
If the apartment is being renovated, then all the furniture has to be removed from the room, there is a big risk of damage to the flooring.
Dry leveling walls
You can cope with irregularities of various depths, the work is done quickly, the walls are leveled quickly, the result is a perfectly flat surface. The use of gypsum boards for leveling has now become very popular.
The main reason for such popularity is the manufacturability of the material.
It is easy to cut, while working with plates there is no need to use special expensive tools and fixtures.
But from the point of view of consumers, this material has one very significant drawback - low physical strength. Even with medium dynamic or static impacts, gypsum boards lose their integrity.
Plywood and OSB boards have much better physical strength characteristics. But their price is higher than that of drywall counterparts, and working with them is somewhat more difficult.
In addition, plywood and OSB boards have many other disadvantages. This can explain such a widespread use of drywall.
It is necessary to use drywall carefully, carefully select the plates in terms of thickness and moisture resistance indicators, taking into account specific operating conditions.
Advantages
The speed of work, the walls can be made perfectly smooth. After leveling the walls with drywall, you can use any materials for decorative finishing.
disadvantages
The relatively high cost of work, the price of materials and additional elements can significantly exceed the cost of plastering.
Several ways to level walls with drywall
Today's technologies allow you to level walls with these materials in several ways.
- or wooden crate.
It is used to level large irregularities, it can be used on brick, concrete and wooden walls.
Advantages - there are no restrictions on existing irregularities, it is possible to perform simultaneous insulation.
Disadvantages - the manufacture of the frame requires time and additional financial costs, the usable area of \u200b\u200bthe interior is reduced.
It is also called by the people.
Gypsum boards are fixed on the surface of the walls with liquid nails, the solution is applied in several places on the board.
Advantages - the speed of work, saving money on the purchase of frame elements, high labor productivity.
Disadvantages - only small irregularities can be leveled, if the technology for performing construction work is violated, the risks of tearing drywall plates from the wall surface increase significantly.
Some "masters" for insurance additionally fix the plates with dowels. This is done not because of concern for the customer, but because of the insufficient qualifications of the performers.
In Moscow, the cost of leveling walls with gypsum boards is 550-600 rubles / m 2. More specific values \u200b\u200bdepend on the number of layers of drywall and the material used to manufacture the supporting structures.
How to choose a wall leveling method
When choosing methods and methods for leveling walls, you need to take into account the maximum number of existing factors:
- The number and magnitude of irregularities.
- the walls are new or old rooms have to be renovated.
- Wall material (concrete, brick, wood, etc.).
- Operating conditions of the premises, what is their final purpose, what indicators will be in terms of humidity and temperature.
In addition, it is desirable to take into account the time allotted for the leveling work, the financial capabilities of the customer and the properties of the materials intended for finishing the walls.
Of course, one of the first places is the qualification of the performer. Some alignment methods require many years of practical experience. Believe the fairy tales that "everyone can do it without much effort" is not worth it. Each work requires not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical experience.
A mandatory procedure for major or cosmetic repairs of premises is the alignment of the walls. The problem of uneven surfaces with a large number of visual defects is typical for any type of building - from multi-storey new buildings to private country cottages. Such surfaces are difficult to paint, wallpaper, decorate with decorative plaster compositions or sheet materials. How and with what are the walls leveled to make a professional and high-quality repair?
Why you need to level the walls
Work with facing materials begins with the proper preparation of surfaces, and for this it is necessary:
- Eliminate existing irregularities and visual defects.
- Improve the adhesion of the surface to the lining.
- Improve the quality of the finish.
- Ensure long service life of materials.
Proper surface preparation directly affects the appearance and quality of the finished coating. Uneven surfaces are susceptible to cracking, warping and breaking the integrity of the cladding.
What can be used for alignment
To level the walls, modern functional mixtures and sheet materials with high performance characteristics are used. For the correct choice of leveling material, it is necessary to understand its purpose and features of use.
Dry mixes
The easiest and most affordable way to level walls is to use special dry mixes for the preparation of leveling mortars. These include:
cement mixtures
The main components are cement and sand of medium fraction. To increase plasticity, ordinary lime is used. Such mixtures are of two types: cement-sand and cement-lime. Cement mixtures with coarse sand are intended for rough work, with fine sand for finishing. Significant disadvantages are susceptibility to cracking, low adhesion and setting time. Mixtures with the addition of lime are more practical and versatile.
Gypsum mixes
Such mixtures are widely used for leveling surfaces of various curvature. They have high plasticity, excellent soundproofing and heat-saving characteristics. Some types of gypsum compounds provide good adhesion to the surface.
Clay mixtures
Often, environmentally friendly mixtures based on natural clay are used to level surfaces. Sawdust, chopped straw and chalk can be added to the finished solution. Such a coating provides good thermal insulation of the walls and reduces heat loss in winter.
Thermal insulation mixtures
The active active components of heat-insulating mixtures are cement, lime and polystyrene foam balls. Their low thermal conductivity ensures the accumulation of heat indoors even with sudden temperature changes. The only drawback is the high hygroscopicity of the solution.
Sheet materials
Another equally effective way to eliminate the curvature of surfaces is the use of sheet materials. Suitable for these purposes:
- Sheet drywall (regular and waterproof).
- Gypsum panels.
- Panels made of chipboard, PVC and MDF.
They have strength, resistance to increased moisture and mechanical stress, practicality and durability. In addition, these materials provide excellent sound and heat insulation.
Effective wall leveling methods
To quickly and accurately align curved walls in a private house or apartment, several effective methods are used:
- Plastering.
- Display of lighthouses.
- Puttying.
- Drywall installation.
Plastering
You can quickly level the surface with the help of cement and gypsum plaster compositions. They are resistant to the negative effects of moisture, temperature extremes, environmental safety and practicality. Often used for wall cladding in bedrooms, nurseries, living rooms and other rooms.
Plastering is carried out in the following order:
- Wall preparation: dismantling the old coating, cleaning the surface from existing defects, processing with a deep penetration primer.
- Fixation of plaster fine-mesh mesh to increase the adhesion of the composition to the surface.
- Preparation of plaster according to the instructions and application to the surface of the walls with a trowel, uniform distribution with a spatula. Excess plaster is removed by the rule.
Exposure of lighthouses
In some cases, plastering of surfaces is carried out on beacons from a T-shaped metal profile or wooden slats. This is a fairly simple and effective technology for leveling various surfaces, which you can master on your own.
Profiles or rails are installed in a vertical plane from the corners along the perimeter of the room. Self-tapping screws are used for fixing. The minimum distance between adjacent elements is 50 cm.
Guide cords are pulled between the fixed beacons for the correct application of the plaster.
Puttying
Leveling the walls with putty is the final step in eliminating minor visual defects before using decorative cladding. Puttying is carried out after the walls have been treated with a plaster composition.
Step by step instructions for puttying:
- Wall preparation: sanding with fine-grained sandpaper, dusting, priming.
- There are two types of putty: a ready-made composition and a dry mix for preparing a thick solution.
- For puttying it is necessary to use a special tool - a spatula. A narrow spatula is used to take the solution, and a wide spatula is used to spread it on the surface. If there are significant vertical deviations, a building leveler is provided for leveling the putty - the rule.
- When applying putty in two layers, the first layer is additionally treated with a primer.
- After the puttying is completed, the wall surfaces are carefully polished until small irregularities are eliminated.
Drywall installation
You can qualitatively align the walls in the apartment with sheet material - drywall. A similar method is used for significant surface curvature and a large number of visual defects.
In this case, the best solution is to hide the irregularities of the walls behind a plasterboard frame, inside which you can lay the necessary communications, sound and heat insulation materials.
There are two options for leveling walls with drywall: frame and adhesive.
Frame method
This method allows you to level walls with varying degrees of curvature. The basis is a frame made of metal profiles or a wooden beam, on which drywall sheets are sewn.
Assembly is performed in the following sequence:
- The first frame guides are mounted strictly horizontally to the floor and ceiling.
- The profiles are marked for the installation of vertical guides in increments of 55 cm. With the help of a plumb line, vertical lines are marked on which the installation curtains are fixed.
- Carriers are installed in the guides along vertical lines.
- Each structural element is aligned in a single plane and fixed to the curtains.
- Drywall sheets are mounted to the assembled frame with screws.
- A fine-mesh mesh is glued to the joints between the sheets, the joints and holes for the fasteners are carefully sealed with a gypsum putty mixture.
Adhesive method
This is a cheaper and faster way to level walls that have minor level differences of 3–5 cm. Installation of sheet drywall is carried out on a cleaned surface using an adhesive.
All work is performed in the following sequence:
- Wall preparation: cleaning from dirt and processing with a primer.
- Cutting sheet material. Measurements are taken to determine the number of sheets, taking into account the location of the main electrical installation products.
- Drawing control lines on the ceiling and floor surfaces.
- Installing drywall sheets. Glue or gypsum plaster is applied to concrete or brick walls with cakes in increments of 35 cm. The volume of the composition is determined taking into account the curvature of the surfaces.
- Installation starts from the corner. Drywall is applied to the wall, leveled and pressed tightly onto the adhesive cakes. Control floor and ceiling lines will help to check the correct installation of drywall.
- Additional fixation of sheets to the surface with dowels.
- Processing of joints and places of installation of fasteners with gypsum-based putty.
Features of wall alignment
In order to correctly level the walls for different types of decorative coatings, it is necessary to take into account their operating conditions. For example, in rooms with high humidity - kitchen, bathroom, balcony - it is better to level the walls with cement compounds. But for rooms with moderate temperature conditions - a bedroom, a nursery and a living room - it is worth using gypsum-based compositions.
Absolutely any type of surface can be made even if you use sheet material mounted on a metal frame. This method ensures the creation of a perfectly even base for plastering and puttying.
Wallpapering
You can solve the problem with uneven surfaces for wallpapering in any convenient way - by plastering with further puttying or installing drywall.
To prevent cracking of the putty layer under the wallpaper, its thickness should be minimal and be 1.5–2 mm.
Panel houses
Not all types of compositions are suitable for eliminating wall irregularities in panel houses. Curved concrete walls can be leveled with a wet method using gypsum or cement-lime plaster compositions. They provide high adhesion to the surface, which is not possible in the case of cement-based and sand-based compositions.
Surfaces with large curvature
To straighten walls with large differences, it is better to use a metal frame and sheet material. Other alignment methods are not economically viable because they require a lot of material and labor costs.
New buildings
Modern high-rise buildings are being built using more affordable and cheaper materials - foam concrete, aerated concrete, expanded clay concrete, ceramic blocks and hollow bricks.
They have a lot of advantages, but at the same time they are not without a significant drawback - they have an uneven surface. Such materials are used not only for the construction of external walls, but also for laying internal partitions.
Alignment of walls in new buildings can be performed using universal plaster compositions that will hide the visual defects of the material.
Old houses
The main problem of old houses is the physical deterioration of the material from which the wall structures are built. As a result of long-term operation, the internal surfaces of the walls are subject to significant destruction and deformation, which are not so easy to hide with ordinary plaster composition during cosmetic repairs.
To eliminate surface irregularities in old houses, experts recommend using sheet drywall. It will effectively hide the existing defects, strengthen the walls and extend their service life.
Corner Alignment
There are two ways to level the inner and outer corners of the walls - wet plaster or drywall.
Alignment of internal corners with a plaster composition is carried out as follows:
- Cleaning surfaces from dirt and old coatings. If, after stripping, the curvature of the walls is preserved, a cement composition is used for leveling.
- The surface is treated with a deep penetration primer and dried.
- Guide beacons are installed for the correct application of plaster.
- Using the method of spraying, a plaster composition is applied over the beacons, the excess is removed by the rule.
- The first layer is dried and re-primed.
- An additional plaster layer is applied, dried and rubbed.
- If the walls are aligned qualitatively, the inner corner becomes visually even.
- Additionally, an internal metal corner (contrashultz) with a reinforced mesh on the sides is used, which is mounted on the putty mixture and leveled. After that, the corner is plastered and final polished.
To align the outer corners, special perforated aluminum corners are used. They are resistant to corrosion, have the necessary flexibility and are easy to work with. Installation of aluminum corners on the outer corners of the walls is carried out according to the level in order to guide the elements strictly vertically.
The corners are fixed on self-tapping screws, then covered with a plaster layer and polished. In another case, plaster is applied to the outer corner, a corner is applied on top and slightly embedded in the solution. For additional fixation, self-tapping screws and reinforced mesh are used. Further, the excess solution is distributed with smooth movements throughout the corner to make it invisible.
This technology for leveling the outer corners is effective both when using wet plaster and when installing a drywall structure. When leveling a corner from drywall, fixing a metal corner is performed only on putty.
Smooth wall surfaces are a prerequisite for their high-quality decorative cladding. In addition, the entire complex of work to eliminate irregularities and visual surface defects can be performed independently.
