Tools for leveling walls in an apartment. Methods for leveling walls when renovating an apartment with your own hands

Anton Tsugunov

Reading time: 9 minutes

A major renovation of an apartment is rarely complete without such a procedure as leveling the walls. Even new buildings, not to mention old houses, do not have ideal room geometry. If a couple of decades ago this was not given due attention, today even walls are required condition quality repairs. At first glance, this is a complex operation, but with patience, accuracy and step by step instructions, even a beginner can handle it.

Wall leveling methods

To straighten crooked walls in an apartment, you can choose one of two main methods:

• applying the plaster mixture;
• plasterboard cladding.

Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of plastering

Plaster leveling technology has been used for a long time. Gypsum or cement based mixtures are used.

The main advantage of plastering is the minimal reduction in the volume of the room.

Other important advantages of the method:

• You can plaster walls in any room, regardless of its purpose and internal microclimate.
• The material holds tiles and other finishing coatings well.
• If necessary, partial leveling is applied by applying the solution only to the required location.

Minuses

When choosing a leveling method, you need to keep in mind that the plastering method also has significant disadvantages:

• It is recommended to use plaster mixtures to level walls with minor differences. Otherwise, you will need to apply too large a layer of material, and this is expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive.
• Plastering work requires specific skills. A beginner will have to develop them during the repair process.
• The applied solution must dry before finishing, which takes at least a week (the time depends on the thickness of the layer).

Note! The entire plastering process is accompanied by the formation large quantity dirt and dust. You will have to remove furniture from the room and cover already finished surfaces with film to protect them from contamination.

Advantages of leveling with plasterboard

Due to the inconvenience when working with plaster, today most people prefer to level crooked walls using drywall. Its use has the following advantages:

• It allows you to relatively easily and quickly correct flaws in even a very crooked wall.
• Plasterboard can be used to level walls made of any material: brick, concrete, gas blocks, wood. Plaster does not have sufficient adhesion to all surfaces.
• When using the frame method, it is possible to additionally insulate the walls or improve their sound insulation properties.

Minuses

Disadvantages of using drywall:

• Reducing the internal volume of the room.
• GCR does not tolerate prolonged contact with water. Even moisture-resistant drywall loses its properties over time in such an environment.
• Careful preparation is required before finishing. This includes reinforcing the seams with sickle mesh or paper tape and sealing them with putty, priming, puttying and grouting the plasterboard surface.

It is important to know! If the seams are processed insufficiently and the technology is violated, cracks often appear at the joints of the sheets.

Leveling with plaster

Before leveling the walls yourself, it is advisable to find out the prices for this service from professionals. It is quite possible that the cost of plastering work is not so high and there is no point in bothering with it yourself, risking wasting time without achieving the desired result. In addition, specialists have the opportunity to use a mechanical method of applying the plaster composition, which is practically inaccessible to a single master. By the way, machine plastering will cost 30–40% less than manual plastering. Approximate prices for work in Moscow and St. Petersburg. - at the end of the article.

To avoid unpleasant surprises and get the desired result when contacting professional builders, it is important to draw up a contract correctly. It specifies not only the price, but also GOST tolerances when performing wall leveling work. When drawing up a contract, you can rely on the requirements of SNiP 3.04.01-87.

If you decide to edit the walls yourself, then at the first stage you should assess the scale of the work ahead:

• If the unevenness of the wall does not exceed 5 mm, then it is quite possible to get by with just putty.
• Differences of up to 5 cm can be leveled with either gypsum or cement plaster mixture.
• The layer of cement-based plaster can reach 10 cm when using reinforcing mesh.

The use of gypsum-based plaster is also limited by the microclimate of the room: it cannot be used in rooms with high humidity, such as the bathroom, toilet and even the kitchen.

• If the wall is completely crooked, a very large layer of plaster may be required. In this case more in an economical way a frame structure made of plasterboard will be used.

It is important to choose a high-quality dry mixture for the job from a well-known leader. Has proven itself well Russian market Knauf company. The Rotband gypsum plaster produced by it is ideal for renovation of apartments in terms of price/quality ratio.

Preparing the base

To perform plastering efficiently, the following preparatory work is carried out:

• From the base plane: wallpaper, poorly fixed areas of old plaster, knock down protrusions.
• De-energize and then disassemble the sockets. The wires are hidden in grooves or enclosed in cable channels.
• All elements used to fasten suspended structures are removed from the wall: nails, screws, hooks.
• Deep cracks are widened using a chisel, filled with cement mortar, and then sealed with putty.
• The entire surface of the wall is cleaned of dirt and dust.

Primer

A mandatory operation is carried out to improve the adhesion of the mortar to the wall. It is recommended to use a deep penetration primer with antiseptic properties: it will not only strengthen the base and improve adhesion, but also prevent the appearance of mold or mildew.

Secret from the pros. Works well with quartz sand. However, you need to remember that it is only used under gypsum plaster. It is not suitable for subsequent application of cement mortar, since due to the properties of this material it only worsens adhesion.

The composition is applied in a continuous layer using a roller. It’s better to coat the corner with a brush, it’s more convenient.

The primer is applied in two layers. Between applying them, you must take a pause to allow the composition to dry. Its expiration date is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Displaying beacons

It is recommended to plaster walls using. Their role is most often played by a metal profile with a T-shaped section. You can also use wooden slats. This is the simplest method that does not cause any particular difficulties even for beginners.

The beacons are mounted on the wall by pressing them into scattered “cakes” made of cement or gypsum mortar. Until it sets, level the profiles using a level so that they are in the same plane.

It is important to choose the right distance between the beacons: the rule should move freely in the vertical direction, resting its edges on two adjacent profiles.

For the convenience of leveling the mixture, the outer beacons are not attached to the corners of the room, but retreat from them at least 30 cm.

Having taken the necessary tool, perform the plastering operations step by step:

• The mixture is diluted in a container, following the manufacturer’s recommendations. For mixing, use a construction mixer or a drill with a special attachment.

Plaster, especially gypsum, hardens quite quickly. Therefore, you should not mix a large volume at once: it is difficult to work with a thickened solution, and some of it may simply disappear.

• Using a spatula or trowel, spread the plaster between two beacons so that it protrudes slightly above their surface.

• The most important and labor-intensive stage: the rule is to level the plaster from the bottom up, pressing it tightly with your hands to the beacons. At the same time, smoothly rotate the tool left and right, evenly distributing the mixture throughout the entire filled volume.
• If there are small depressions left on the surface, carefully add the solution to them and smooth them out with a spatula.
• So, step by step, all the niches between the beacons are filled with plaster.

• After allowing the solution to set, remove the profiles or slats that serve as beacons. Then the holes from them are leveled and smoothed with a grater.

Some craftsmen prefer to leave beacons in the wall, covering them with a thin layer of mixture on top.

All stages of applying plaster are shown in detail in the training video.

A complete step-by-step guide can be found.

Alignment of walls according to the rule (visual alignment)

Often it is not at all necessary to plaster the entire surface of the wall. It is much more effective to simply level out problem areas in the form of depressions. The advantages of this method are significant savings in time and material.

When leveling “by eye”, special attention is paid to visually significant places. These are corners, doorways, joints of walls and ceilings. The entire rest of the plane is aligned according to the rule: it is pressed against the wall, and with its help the locations of the depressions are determined. Having filled them with plaster mortar, the excess is removed as a rule. And so on until the tool is adjacent to the plane without gaps.

As a result, even if the wall has a slight slope, it is almost impossible to notice. All decorative elements, such as baseboards or baguettes, are positioned perfectly evenly.

The visual alignment method is quite complex and, as a rule, is used by experienced builders.

After completing the plastering work, the surface is treated with finishing putty and sanded.

A step-by-step method for leveling with plaster without beacons is described.

How to level the walls in an apartment with plasterboard

Due to its complexity, plaster leveling is increasingly losing its position to gypsum boards. It is used for those surfaces where too much plaster is required or its use is completely impossible. For example, if we are talking about a wooden frame.

Drywall is mounted using frame and frameless methods. Each of them has its own area of ​​application and technology.

Installing drywall using the frame method

It is advisable to install the lathing in case of significant curvature of the walls, and also if it is planned, along with leveling, to insulate the room or increase its sound insulation. Wires are hidden in the space under the plasterboard surface, enclosing them in fireproof corrugations or cable ducts.

The leveling technology is as follows:

• Minimal surface preparation is carried out: wallpaper and poorly adhering parts of the old coating are removed.
• A line is drawn on the ceiling indicating the outer edge of the future wall surface.
• Using a plumb line, it is transferred to the floor.
• The locations of vertical posts and attachment points for direct hangers, which serve to adjust their position, are marked on the surfaces. The racks are placed in increments of 60 cm: this way, each sheet of drywall will be fixed on three racks - two are located at the edges, and the third is in the middle. The suspension mounting step is 60 cm.

• Vertical racks are installed. They are cut 1–2 cm less than the distance between the floor and ceiling, inserted into the guides and fixed with metal screws. Some craftsmen prefer to use a cutter for this purpose.
• Controlling the position of each rack with a level, it is secured to straight hangers with self-tapping screws. The protruding parts of the suspensions are bent to the sides.
• If necessary, horizontal jumpers are installed. They are required in places of horizontal joints of sheathing elements. In addition, jumpers will add rigidity to the frame.

• The gypsum board is cut into pieces of the desired shape and size. Holes for sockets and switches are drilled, and chamfers are made at the joints with a plane at an angle of 45˚.
• The drywall elements are screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws in increments of 25–30 cm. The heads of the screws are slightly recessed into the depth of the material.

For this operation, it is very useful, designed for fastening drywall. It will prevent you from turning the screw too deeply and denting the surface of the gypsum board.

Detailed instructions for assembling the frame, installing gypsum boards and pre-finishing are in this.

Fastening gypsum boards with glue

Used if the wall is relatively flat. Installation of drywall is faster and easier than with the frame method, but requires careful preparation of the surface.

The operating procedure is as follows:

• The wall is cleaned of old coating. The cracks expand and are sealed with repair mortar, the protrusions become knocked down.
• A layer of deep penetration primer with antiseptic properties is applied to the entire base surface.
• Drywall sheets are cut.
• The gypsum board is attached with special glue. It is not necessary to lubricate the entire surface with it: just draw stripes around the perimeter and make several “cakes” inside it.
• The fragment is pressed against the wall. After adjusting its position using a level, hold it for about a minute until the adhesive mixture sets.

The most crucial moment is the installation of the first sheathing element: it is along it that all subsequent ones will be aligned.

• This is how drywall fragments are glued sequentially. To reduce the load and prevent sheets from slipping, a rail is screwed from below. It will hold the fragments in place until the glue dries and provides reliable adhesion. After this, the rail is dismantled and the area is covered with a plinth.

Read more about options for attaching gypsum boards with glue for different wall curvatures.

Finishing gypsum plasterboard

Before final finishing, for example, wallpapering, the final preparation of the plasterboard surface is carried out:

• The seams are glued with reinforcing mesh and sealed with putty.
• After it dries, grouting is carried out using fine sandpaper.
• At the final stage, the surface is primed in two layers, applying the second after the first has completely dried.
• Then the entire surface is puttied. This must be done before painting; it is highly desirable for wallpaper; however, putty is not required before gluing tiles or decorative stones.

Leveling prices

To decide whether to do the work yourself or turn to a professional, it’s useful to get acquainted with the prices for leveling from professionals.

Average cost per sq. m.:

• Plaster without beacons – 350 rub. in Moscow, 250–300 rubles. in St. Petersburg.
• Plastering on beacons – 450 rub. in the capital, 420 rubles. in St. Petersburg
• Plastering beacons using a mechanized method – 250 rubles. in Moscow, 200 in St. Petersburg.

Leveling walls is a problem that owners can solve independently or with the help of specialists. Geometrically correct, immaculately straight walls of the apartment make a pleasant impression on both residents and guests. Old houses often cannot boast of the evenness and geometric correctness of their structures. It is also necessary to level the walls in new buildings if the finishing has not yet been completed or was done poorly for a number of reasons.

How to level the walls in an apartment with your own hands

The choice of leveling method depends on the degree of unevenness of the walls. If the walls collapse (deviate from verticality), go in a spiral, have depressions or bulges, differences in their surface, uneven corners, then leveling the walls is done in two main ways:

• plastering;
• installation of plasterboard sheets (gypsum plasterboard).

Each of these methods has two varieties. Thus, plastering is carried out without the use of beacons (if the unevenness is not too large) or is done using beacon strips. Using beacons allows you to create a smooth surface quickly and effortlessly. Without beacons, you can straighten out corners or small flaws.

Dry plaster (use of gypsum board) is also performed in one of two ways:

• sheets of plasterboard are glued directly to the wall surface;
• A frame is made to attach the gypsum boards.

Regardless of the method of attaching drywall, it may need to be plastered, for example, at joints, for painting or decorative plaster.

The third main method is to level the walls with putty. Puttying is used if you only need to smooth the surface thoroughly before gluing wallpaper or applying a paint layer. Putty can also be used to eliminate pores or cover up minor defects.

Often putty is used before performing a thin layer decorative plaster, for example, Venetian, which requires ideal evenness of the base surface.

Dry plaster is not used to level external surfaces (house facade), since gypsum and plasterboard sheets do not tolerate moisture. Therefore, there is only one external leveling method available (of all listed) - plastering.

Whatever wall leveling technology you choose, all operations should be performed correctly to avoid the occurrence of technological defects.

Plastering walls

In general, plastering is a series of actions to create a monolithic surface from hardening compounds. The compositions are applied to the prepared base in a layer of a certain thickness. For each composition, there is a maximum and minimum possible layer thickness (this data is indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer of the mixture).

Material used to level the walls

As a rule, to perform plastering to level a curved surface, compositions based on or a base are used. In country wooden or adobe buildings, leveling is especially often done using. are characterized by low cost and availability. You can make them yourself, observing the proportions of the components.

However, materials for leveling walls are not limited to mineral solutions. In new buildings where shrinkage processes have not yet stopped, as well as in places with vibration coming from the railway track or seismically active areas, mineral compositions are not used due to their inability to withstand such loads. They are successfully replaced with mixtures that have elasticity, for example, or others. Their high cost pays off during operation.

For leveling plastering of facades, as well as damp rooms (for example), it is recommended to use mixtures with a cement binder. For interior work - gypsum or lime simple compositions, or complex ones (gypsum-lime, cement-lime, etc.).

Manufacturers offer in their lines mixtures (dry or ready-made) specially designed for leveling ceilings or walls. From a variety of mixtures, it is better to choose those released well-known companies who care about their reputation.

Plastering walls without installing beacons

Visual alignment of walls is resorted to if the walls are almost even or a minor correction is required. For example, if you just need to smooth the walls for painting, this is done with putty or grinding using a composition with a fine filler.

Leveling plastering without the use of beacons is done when the thickness of the applied layers is relatively small. Without beacons, achieving a flat surface is much more difficult than with them, so only experienced plasterers can perform such work efficiently. If you are a beginner in plastering, then entrust it to specialists. When plastering with this method, the verticality and evenness of the surface during work is checked using a level and a rule.

Leveling plastering (with or without beacons) is carried out in several passes (layers are applied in stages) with different compositions:

1. The first is to apply a layer of spray - a solution with a consistency similar to semi-liquid sour cream. It provides adhesion to the base of subsequent compounds.
2. The next layer is primer (or base). A solution of normal consistency. Depending on the total thickness of the leveling coating, it may be performed in several passes.
3. The top layer is called the cover. It is performed with a semi-liquid solution, the filler of which has only a fine fraction. This layer is not necessary if the subsequent (finishing) finishing does not require a perfectly smooth base.

The name “spray” comes from the method of application. Experienced plasterers apply the spray using a ladle. You can also apply it with a trowel. Small portions of the mixture are thrown onto the base by moving the tool away from you so that the plaster “sour cream”, hitting with force and spreading out, sticks to the wall. The spray is applied without leaving any gaps.

The surface of the spray is not leveled, but on the contrary, it is lined with horizontal stripes using a sharp corner of a spatula. Thus they create additional conditions to increase adhesion. The thickness of the spray may vary. For shingled walls, the thickness is 15-18 mm; for masonry, a sufficient layer of mortar is 10-12 mm.

Some craftsmen apply the spray with a brush, without making a wide hand swing, so that the splashes do not scatter to the sides. The brush is used if the base does not have large differences (relatively flat). The “spray” can also be “spread” with a spatula. A portion of the solution is taken onto the instrument and transferred to the wall using strokes with slight indentation. They don’t make a particularly smooth surface.

After the spray has completely dried, apply primer with a trowel (if the layer is thick) or with a spatula. The surface of the layer is leveled with a rule or a grater. Plastering is carried out in sections (approximate area per square meter). When leveling, the rule immediately identifies areas where the solution is insufficient. They are filled with excess solution removed from the rule.

The corners are leveled using an angle spatula or other devices (the process can be seen in the video).

If there is a finishing finish - tiling or cladding, covering is not required. In this case, the surface of the last layer of soil is rubbed with a trowel or trowel, making circular movements. Grout is done after the solution has set and stops sticking to your fingers.

To obtain a smooth surface, apply a coating (layer up to 2 mm). After wetting the surface, apply a little solution to it, which is smoothed with a grater or trowel with rounded edges. When moving the tool along the top of the layer, where there are convex places, the grater is pressed harder against the wall; no pressure is applied over the recesses. Excess solution that collects on the grater is removed.

If the coating composition is prepared independently, then the bulk components are sifted through a mesh with cells up to 1 mm.

Having grouted the entire area in a circular manner, they begin to grout longitudinally - the movements are rectilinear. The first pass is vertical, the second is horizontal. When grouting the solution with milk, small pores are filled, and protruding irregularities are removed with the tool.

When multi-layer plastering, each layer must be dried (usually a day).

Leveling walls with plaster according to beacons

This method is easily mastered by beginners, since beacon strips help maintain the finishing plane.

A lighthouse is a plank whose profile has a smooth, straight upper edge.

Based on the ribs of the two beacons, the rule is to cut off the excess mortar protruding above the plane specified by the beacons with the edge of the tool.

Beacon strips can be made of metal, wood, plastic or mortar, such as plaster. Metal strips are standard and have a height of at least 6 mm. Install beacons on the wall vertically. The outer beacons are moved away from the corners of the wall by 20-30 cm. Intermediate beacons are placed between the outer beacons, maintaining a distance not exceeding the length of the rule minus 20 cm (usually it is easier for beginners to control with a distance between the beacons of up to 1.5 m).

In addition to the distance between the beacons, their excess above the wall surface is maintained, since the top of the beacons must be in a single vertical plane. To create this plane, the geometry of the wall is first examined and its most protruding point is determined. The minimum thickness of the plaster coating (total of spray and soil) is added to it. They navigate by this point by installing extreme beacons.

You can do this different ways. The simplest placement of beacons using a laser level. To support the beacon strips on the wall, use mortar or support pads assembled from several pieces of drywall. Pieces of drywall are glued to the base using a solution that dries quickly (beacons are also attached to the platforms). How to install beacons, watch the video.

The application of plaster layers is similar to plastering without beacons (spray, primer and covering). The layers are applied between the planks of two adjacent beacons. The spray is applied sequentially over the entire wall. The soil is applied moving between two beacons. If the thickness of the soil layer does not reach the top of the beacons, the layer is slightly leveled with a trowel or spatula. The top of the spray usually does not protrude above the beacons.

When the applied solution of the top layer of soil rises 1.5-2 cm above the beacons, begin to level the mixture using the rule. To do this, the rule bar is placed horizontally, and, resting it on the edges of the beacons, it is moved vertically, making zigzag movements. In this case, the excess plaster composition protruding above the planks is cut off.

The cut mortar is discarded with a spatula into a container or applied to areas where mortar is lacking. The rule is to carry out 2-3 movements from the bottom up, then make one cutting movement from top to bottom (to secure the composition and prevent it from slipping).

The areas between the two lighthouses are not plastered immediately from bottom to top, but in sections up to 1 m high. Having leveled one section, apply the solution to the adjacent one. This is how they plaster section by section between two beacons, then proceed to plastering the gap between the next pair of beacons. The corner areas are plastered last.

After the soil has set, the beacon strips are removed, the resulting grooves are filled with mortar and leveled with a spatula. Only beacons made of mortar do not require removal. After the composition has set in the grooves, the surface of the wall is rubbed (with or without coating).

Leveling walls with plasterboard - dry plaster

It would be useful to get acquainted with how walls are leveled without plaster. Sometimes the surface can be leveled much faster by installing plasterboard sheets - gypsum boards, which immediately set the desired geometry. Evenness is ensured by the original geometry of the drywall and correct installation.

Installation of drywall without frame

Leveling the walls in an apartment by installing sheets of plasterboard on glue (without frame sheathing) allows the homeowner to save precious floor space. Instead, the work itself becomes more complicated. Since the wall can go like a screw, be “falling” in one direction or another, and right angles between the walls cannot be maintained, beacons, usually made from pieces of drywall, become especially important. It is on them that the sheet of plasterboard sheathing will rest.

Making beacons can take a long time. To fasten one beacon, they make a kind of frame - glue a stack of plasterboard rectangles, tighten screws with wide heads or hammer in slate nails. The top of the heads of all wall screws must lie in the same plane (verified by any available method). Each such frame is surrounded by a mound of gypsum-adhesive composition, making a flat top.

A simpler method is used if the wall is smoother. After priming and drying, the adhesive composition is applied pointwise (in slides) to the base (or to the attached sheet of drywall). The sheet is applied to the beacons, and, making sure that it is vertical, is pressed against the wall. To adjust the position, you can lightly tap the sheet. It is better to press down the sheet using a rule with a level.

Frameless installation method - video

Frame method of installing drywall

The most popular way to level walls without plaster using plasterboard is frame. If you don’t mind such a disadvantage of the method as hiding the space of the room by at least 5 cm on each side, then in this way the room can not only be leveled, but in parallel and insulated, and also reduce the level of incoming noise. The space between the wall and the gypsum board can be easily filled with insulating or soundproofing material, and the base does not require such preparation as plastering.

Preparation of the base consists of removing the old coating (if there are serious defects in the building’s structures, for example, cracks, they are, of course, “healed”), priming, and drying. For the primer, choose a product that prevents the appearance of mold and other microorganisms. If the walls are susceptible to getting wet due to groundwater rising through them, waterproofing and sanitizing work is carried out.

To create the frame, profiles (most often metal) are used, which are installed vertically with special care, since they set the plane of the future wall surface. GCL have a standard width of 1.2 m, so the profiles are mounted by setting the distance between their axes to 60 cm. With this arrangement, it is convenient to place insulating mats, and each sheet of drywall is attached along three lines.

The verticality of standard frame profiles is adjusted by attaching them to brackets - direct suspension. The design of the latter allows you to adjust the distance of the profile from the wall. The precise alignment of the frame is determined by the ideal plane created by sheets of drywall attached to it with self-tapping screws. After installation, the joints of the gypsum boards are sealed, the top of the sheets are primed and puttied.

The completion of leveling the surface of the walls can be the application of putty. A layer of putty is able to form the smoothest surface, since the leveling putty mixture contains the smallest filler. It is plastic, easy to apply and fit on any base. It can even be used instead of decorative plaster.

Apply the putty in a thin layer using a wide spatula or trowel. The mass, sensitive to the slightest touch, yields too easily to any touch of the instrument. Therefore, for smooth application, your hand needs to be “stuffed”.

Typically, putty is applied in two passes, using a starting mixture for the first layer and a finishing mixture for the second. If, when applying a layer, defects are obtained (irregularities, grooves), they are immediately leveled, since the putty quickly gains strength after setting.

Ideal smoothness is achieved by sanding the finishing layer. For grinding work, use a grinder or rub it by hand. To highlight possible irregularities, side lighting is used.

Methods for determining surface roughness

The degree of unevenness is determined visually or instrumentally by taking measurements. Knowing the size and type of deviations from the ideal geometric shape allows you to make a rational decision when choosing a correction method, as well as calculate the approximate volume of necessary materials. How to check how uneven the wall surface is?

To identify unevenness and their size, use a long (2-2.5 m) flat strip with a cross-section of 20 x 50 mm or a rule of the same length, as well as a level or plumb line. Applying the strip to the wall vertically, horizontally and diagonally, observe the deviation of the wall surface from the plane. To check the perpendicularity of the structures to each other and to the ceiling, use a square or measuring devices (tape measure, cord).

Lines are drawn horizontally on the walls forming the corner and measured from the corner on one wall - 2 m, on the other - 1.5. The legs of a right triangle are formed, the hypotenuse of which (the distance between the marked points) should be equal to 2.5 m. The distance less or more will show, respectively, an acute or obtuse angle between the walls.

Verticality or fall is checked using a plumb line or level. This and previous geometric checks can be done quickly and easily with a laser level.

Preparing surfaces for leveling

The main methods of leveling and determining the curvature of a surface have already been described above, but preparation must be carried out before starting work.

The importance of preparatory work can hardly be overestimated - preparation has such a strong impact on the quality of the entire finishing complex. Work on leveling the walls begins with the removal of decorative finishing (wallpaper, cladding, layers of paint or whitewash). The freed surface is examined visually and using a simple instrument. Detection of defects in the plaster layer.

Having identified the nature of the deviations, they begin the initial correction. If the plaster coating is strong and does not have any, then excessively large protrusions or bulges are cut down. If there are many defects and the coating is considered unsuitable, it is removed to the base.

Wall structures can be made of brick, monolithic or prefabricated reinforced concrete, wood, or made of stone or cellular concrete blocks. The type of wall material determines part of the preparatory work that increases adhesion strength. For example, stone or brick masonry requires jointing (0.5-1.0 cm deepening), concrete surfaces require notching to ensure strong adhesion of the mortar to smooth concrete.

Wooden surfaces are filled with shingles or wire mesh is attached. Measures to increase adhesion cannot be neglected, since plastering creates a coating that has a large dead weight.

Preparatory measures also include cleaning the base from stains of various kinds. Oil stains must be degreased. Rot, fungus, and mold are scraped out, washed and treated with an antibiotic agent.

Efflorescence, rust, soot are removed different ways. To prevent new rust from appearing, all unnecessary metal parts are removed from the wall, and the remaining ones are insulated, for example, with oil paint. To prevent efflorescence, high-quality waterproofing of walls is done.

During internal work, hidden wiring is de-energized. At the same time, sockets and switches are often replaced, that is, old covers are removed, the ends of the wires are insulated, and the boxes are sealed with masking tape while plastering. After all finishing work is completed, new electrical appliances are installed.

Cracks, chips and other defects in the foundation are repaired. The surface of the base is cleaned of dust. Apply a primer that matches both the wall material and the plaster mortar. Preparatory work also includes reinforcement and installation of beacons. The base must not only be cleaned, but also dried.

Preparatory work step by step:

• removal of old coating;
• cleaning the base;
• repair of defects;
• applying a primer;
• drying;
• reinforcement;
• installation of beacons.

What you need to level the walls

Leveling the walls requires preparing necessary materials, tools and devices

For plastering you will need:

• trowel or trowel;
• spatulas of different sizes;
• grater or grater;
• rule;
• paint brush (for wetting and priming);
• mixer;
• roller;
• level;
• roulette;
• masking tape;
• lace;
• containers;
• beacon strips;
• jointing or a tool replacing it;
• hammer and hacksaw (for filling shingles);
• clean rags.

In addition, you may need a tool to remove old plaster.

For external plastering work, you will need scaffolding or scaffolding, and a canopy to protect the solution from precipitation and sun. For interior decoration - stepladder, scaffolding.

Supplies you need to stock up on:

• plaster mixtures (or their components when preparing the composition yourself);
• primer;
• shingles (for plastering wooden structures);
• reinforcing mesh;
• fastening elements (nails for stuffing shingles, self-tapping screws, dowels for fixing the mesh).

Gallery

To give you a clear idea of ​​how to level the walls with your own hands, a selection of photographs has been made for you. You can consider how masters perform plastering work, how to hold tools correctly, and what the surface should look like during the processing process.

Applying the final layer of plaster Partial leveling of the walls according to the rule at the joint between the slabs

The most important thing in the process of leveling walls with your own hands is to perform operations consistently, without haste, achieving quality at every stage. In the future, you will be able to use your experience more than once when renovating or building a new home.

The builders did not think about crooked walls, and the apartment owners did not ask themselves the question: to do or not to do repairs? Nowadays, people want to live in beautifully renovated apartments, and leveling the walls in a brick house has become a headache for everyone, from apartment owners to builders.

Of course, you can live in an apartment with crooked partitions, trying to hide the flaws with decorative finishing. But if you want to live in an apartment with high-quality renovation, you should first of all pay attention to the issue of a smooth surface.

What is the best way to level?

During renovation and finishing work, we ask ourselves what is the best way to level the walls. There are currently two available methods used for alignment.

Kinds

One of these types of leveling is carried out using the installation of structures,
the other involves the use of various building mixtures (plaster, cement, putty).

1. When it comes to the installation of structures, we mean plasterboard partitions. Thanks to drywall, leveling does not require time and a lot of labor. With its help, you can easily hide all communications in the room (for example, electrical wiring, heating devices). And, thanks to the same drywall, the area of ​​the apartment can be noticeably reduced. The plasterboard structure “eats” centimeters. It is for this reason that plasterboard leveling should only be used for repairing rooms with very crooked and uneven walls or in cases where repairs must be carried out in a very short time.
2. If repairs are done using various building mixtures, they will not “eat up” the area of ​​the apartment, but will require a lot of labor, and in addition, repairs will take a lot of time. Building mixtures are usually suitable for repair and finishing work in areas of a residential apartment such as a bedroom or living room.

How to do it

First you need to understand the terminology. There is the concept of “wall leveling,” which means that the entire wall area will be leveled, and “surface leveling,” which means getting a flat and smooth surface. Therefore, it is important to first decide what we want to achieve, and only then begin repair work.

How to level with drywall

When leveling the surface with plasterboard, you need to purchase it in advance from a building materials store.

• plasterboard sheets,
• metal profiles and hangers,
• special self-tapping nails for drywall and metal,
• serpyanka,
• sander and sanding mesh,
• putty and level.

1. Before you begin covering the walls with plasterboard construction, you should apply a primer solution to the walls. The primer will further prevent the formation of mold and mildew. If the wall you are going to level is brick and has no signs of any finishing on it, you should seal all the gaps between the brick joints with cement mortar.
2. The next step will be attaching the guide profiles. They are attached to the floor 5 cm from the wall using special dowel nails. At the same distance from the wall, the guide profile is attached to the ceiling. The exact distance of the guide profiles from the wall is calculated using a level. The fixed profiles will then serve as a frame.
3. Following the profiles, hangers are attached at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other, which will help us secure the guide profiles to the walls. Before fastening the profiles with self-tapping nails, be sure to check their level with a level. The wall profile is attached in such a way that its edges fit into the slats of the upper and lower guides.

Considering that the standard width of plasterboard sheets is 1.2 m, there must be a distance between the profiles, which is exactly 60 cm. As a result, an extra profile remains in the middle of the plasterboard sheet, which will help us secure this sheet for greater strength.

After the structure is completed, you can begin attaching plasterboard sheets to it.

1. Sheets of plasterboard are attached to the structure we created using self-tapping nails so that the head of the nail is completely inserted into the plasterboard sheet. The distance between the screws should not be more than 20 cm.
2. If the distance from the floor to the ceiling of your room is greater than the size of the plasterboard sheet, then when installing it, the first sheet is attached from below, the second from above, and this order is maintained until the last sheet is installed.
3. The remaining empty gaps between the sheets are then filled with pieces cut from plasterboard sheets that fit them in size.

After attaching the drywall to the frame, we move on to finishing it.

1. First, all seams are primed and dried.
2. After the primer has dried, self-adhesive tape (the so-called serpyanka) is glued to the seams. This tape will protect the putty from cracks, and the primer will protect the walls from the formation of fungus.
3. After the above procedures, putty is applied to all seams with a large spatula.
4. The putty is diluted strictly according to the instructions (usually included in the package), which states how and in what proportions the dry mixture should be diluted with water at room temperature.
5. The layer of putty applied to the drywall seams should be very thin. The holes left by the nails are first filled with the same putty using a small spatula.
6. After the walls are finished with putty, they need to be sanded with special devices (sander and sanding mesh), purchased in advance. After sanding, a thin layer of putty is again applied to the seams.
7. At the end of everything, the walls are again covered with a primer mixture.

A more convenient and acceptable option for leveling and insulating walls is repair using building mixtures, for example, using plaster. But first you need to analyze the degree of curvature and set the angle of inclination. This type of analysis requires a level.

1. First we need to find the deepest and outermost section of the wall.
2. Then we must calculate the amount of mixture that will need to be applied to the wall to level it.
3. If the unevenness of the wall occupies a small area, then it can be knocked down using a hammer drill.
4. After this simple procedure, you can simply putty the wall.

If leveling requires serious intervention from builders, then you can choose one of the two currently available leveling methods:

• leveling with plaster or putty and cement mixture;
• the second method is applicable to walls on which no finishing work has previously been carried out, and on the surface of which there are significant unevenness and damage, noticeable even to the naked eye.

How to level with plaster

In order to level with plaster, you should purchase a soil mixture, plaster, a level and spatulas (large and small).

1. First of all, we must prepare the wall for the leveling procedure. We get rid of old wallpaper, peeling paint and other construction and finishing materials previously used to decorate the wall.
2. In addition, you need to dismantle all sockets and hide the insulated electrical wires inside the box.
3. The wall is ready and we can start priming it. The primer is necessary in order to fix the plaster on the wall, and also to eliminate the possibility that it will crack and begin to crumble.
4. The primer is made using a wide roller and construction brushes. There is a chance that the primer layer will dry out quickly when applied, so the primer can be applied in several layers.
5. Once you have primed and it has dried, you can begin to apply plaster to the surface of the wall.

Walls are plastered in two main ways.

• The first method involves simply applying one layer of plaster to the wall. It is the least expensive for wall decoration and is mainly suitable for non-residential premises.
• The second method is more expensive both in terms of the cost of the work performed, and in terms of labor costs, and in terms of the time it takes to complete it.

If you decide to choose the second method when leveling, then you need to remember that in this case the building mixture, namely plaster, must be applied in several layers and each layer must be primed separately.
Typically, only three layers of plaster are required to level the walls.

So. The surface of the wall, as a rule, has many flaws, irregularities and various depressions. In order to hide them, a so-called “zero” layer of plaster is applied to the wall. Before you start covering with plaster, you need to examine it for protrusions and depressions. This knowledge will be required when applying plaster to the surface; we will remember exactly where to apply the plaster in a thicker layer.
In order to prepare the mixture for the start of the main work, we will need a bucket of water and a drill with a “mixer” attachment. The proportions for diluting the dry mixture with water are indicated on the packaging.

To apply the plaster, we need a wide spatula, onto the edge of which the finished mixture is applied using a second spatula.

1. The plaster is applied with wide circular movements, rubbing and smearing it over the entire surface of the wall.
2. If there are any uneven spots on the wall, apply plaster to them with a narrow spatula and rub it with a wide one.
3. The first layer of plaster should help us get rid of all the bulges and depressions on the wall.
4. After the first layer of plaster has dried, it is necessary to apply a primer.
5. After the primer has dried, a second layer of plaster is applied, covering the entire surface of the wall.
6. After this, all irregularities should disappear.
7. A primer is also applied on top of this layer of plaster (its last layer).
8. After all layers of plaster and primer have been applied to the wall, the surface of the wall is treated with putty, after which you can safely proceed to finishing work.

Using cement

As we already know, cement leveling of wall surfaces is used only if there are various damages, depressions and other defects or if finishing work has not been carried out on this wall previously, and also if the wall has a slope in one direction or another .

If there are depressions on the wall, then it should be “built up”, bringing the depression upward and completely covering it with cement mortar.

In the second case, when the wall is initially “bare”, a layer of cement screed is simply applied to it entirely.

For cement leveling you will need guide rails, a level, a dry cement mixture, a rule and a trowel.

As in the case of using plaster for leveling, in the case of cement leveling, a base in the form of a primer is first applied to their surface.

Before you start applying cement mortar to the walls, you need to calculate the level of the cement mixture layer required for leveling.

1. To do this, so-called beacons are installed using guide rails. They should be at a distance of 3 cm from the maximum protruding point. Thanks to the fact that beacons are installed, it is possible to keep track of the amount of mixture that is thrown onto the walls to level them.
2. The cement mixture is prepared strictly according to the instructions that come with the cement package.
3. After we have prepared the mixture, it is applied with a trowel to the wall in those places where the beacons will be held.
4. Beacons should be installed at a distance of one meter from each other.
5. All this is done before the mixture dries, otherwise the beacons will be installed incorrectly, will not stick and the work will have to start from the very beginning.
6. After fixing the beacons, you should check their evenness vertically and horizontally.
7. If unevenness is detected, the slats can be adjusted to the level.
8. If the beacons are installed at a distance exceeding the permissible 3 cm, the cement mixture will flow down the wall and begin to crack.
9. After the beacons are installed and their evenness is checked, the mixture on which they are attached must dry. This process lasts about 5 hours.
10. After the required time has passed, during which the mixture on which the beacons are held has dried, you can begin work on applying the cement mixture to the surface of the wall.
11. Before this, the wall should be wetted with water.
12. The cement mixture is poured in such a way that the cement can fill all the recesses on the wall.
13. The level of the cement mixture should protrude 2-3 mm above the level of the beacons; this is a mandatory condition for leveling.
14. After the first row of cement is applied, we usually work along the beacons from the bottom up to obtain a flat and smooth surface.
15. Sometimes small depressions remain in some places (there is not enough mixture), which can be filled with cement using a small spatula.
16. Then this section of the wall is again leveled by the rule.
17. After the first row of cement has dried, we begin to apply the second row of cement and so on until all work is completed.
18. Before moving on to finishing work, about 10 days should pass, during which the cement on the surface will have time to dry (the degree of drying depends on temperature regime in room).

Due to the fact that the air in these rooms is constantly humid, the walls in the bathroom and kitchen should be leveled with a mixture made from cement. Do not use drywall or plaster.

If the surface is slightly uneven, it can be eliminated directly during laying of the tiles by applying more adhesive mixture to the areas with flaws.

As we already know, the surface is leveled using putty. Thus, it is prepared for wallpapering and painting.

When applying putty, remember that its layer should not be more than 2 mm. After the putty is applied to the surface, the wall is sanded and brought to perfect smoothness and evenness. After sanding, the surface is ready for decorative finishing.

Angles

In order for the walls to be perfectly aligned, you need to pay attention to their outer corners. When leveling corners, special squares (metal and perforated) are used. A thin layer of gypsum mixture is applied to the entire surface of the corner on both sides, on which the square is placed. Then it is hidden under a layer of plaster (or gypsum) and we achieve the formation of a smooth surface of the wall and corner.

Walls in a wooden house

Walls in wooden house after consultation with a specialist, it can be leveled using a plasterboard structure.

If the walls in a wooden house are slanted, then after finding the slope point, you can use special wooden beams to direct the wall in the required direction.

You can quickly and efficiently level the walls using plasterboard sheets. They are easy to cut, quite durable, and even a little construction skill is enough to get the job done successfully.

Using drywall, you can correct wall defects of almost any complexity: cover minor irregularities and significant differences in the surface. And besides this, such a building material as plasterboard makes it possible to create niches and portals in the walls, design doorways in the form of arches, and even erect new partitions.

Depending on the degree of curvature of the walls, a leveling method is also used, using a frame base or attaching sheets directly to the wall. Sometimes there are cases when the walls in one room have different degrees of curvature, and then it is more advisable to combine both methods.

• Fastening plasterboard sheets to the frame

Before leveling the walls with plasterboard, it is necessary to carefully remove the previous coating, be it crumbling plaster or numerous layers of old wallpaper. And don’t be fooled by the fact that the surface will eventually close anyway. By cleaning the wall, you not only get rid of accumulated junk, but also win back precious centimeters of living space. Next, it is recommended to treat the surface with an antiseptic that will destroy possible fungal deposits, including the most dangerous - black mold.

Now you can start attaching the base. A galvanized steel profile is most often used as a frame. First of all, using dowels or self-tapping screws, profiles are secured around the perimeter of the wall - along the ceiling, floor and adjacent walls. Next, vertical jumpers are installed on this frame, which will become the basis for plasterboard sheets. During installation work, it is important to frequently check the correct installation of each profile separately using a building level. The profiles are connected to each other with special screws ending in a small drill, which allows them to easily enter the metal sheet and securely connect the structural parts. When the frame is ready, you can start covering it with sheets of drywall. This stage of work is carried out much faster than the previous one, and the main thing here is only to perform the correct joining of the sheets so that the edges are securely fastened and form a single plane.

In addition, it is necessary to strictly observe the verticality of the lines in the corners of the room, where even the slightest deviations will be noticeable.

When all the sheets are already screwed, the joints must be puttied with the obligatory use of reinforcing mesh. Next, after the putty has dried, it is recommended to apply a thin layer of plaster to the wall, which will become a solid base for painting, wallpapering or laying tiles.

• Gluing sheets of drywall to walls

If the curvature of the walls is not significant, you can save on the frame and level the walls with plasterboard, fixing them directly to the wall. After high-quality preparatory work, they begin gluing sheets of plasterboard to the wall using a special composition, the application layer of which depends on the differences in the relief of the walls. In the most problematic areas, drywall is additionally fixed with long dowels or self-tapping screws.

At the same time, do not forget about the construction level - after all, you are trying to achieve a perfectly flat and strictly vertical surface. Further puttying, plastering and priming of finished walls is not canceled in this case either.

Plaster

A cheaper option for repair work is leveling the walls with plaster. In this case, the cost of purchasing materials is reduced, but a little more skill and time will be required.

In addition, responsible preliminary preparation will guarantee tight adhesion of the applied layer of plaster. And this work consists of completely removing the old coating right down to the very base of the walls, that is, to the brickwork or concrete. And even if the old plaster still seems quite strong and durable to you, it is better not to take risks, because its possible peeling in the future will negate all your efforts and expenses.

Plastering walls is a rather labor-intensive and technologically complex process, especially if you have little experience in this matter. You need to be prepared for the fact that not everything will go smoothly right away (both literally and figuratively), but some practice and diligence will help achieve the best possible result, because “it’s not the gods who burn the pots.”

The best result of plastering is obtained by leveling the walls along beacons, which not only help control the uniformity of application of the plaster solution, but facilitate its distribution. T-shaped perforated rolled metal products are used as beacons. They are fixed vertically on the wall at a certain distance, usually not exceeding one and a half to two meters. Only experienced plasterers can afford to save on the number of pendulums, but for beginners, pendulums will become real “helpers”. And we should not forget about the building level, controlling the verticality of the fixed beacons.

Next, you need to apply a primer to the walls and let it dry, thereby improving the adhesion of the materials when applying the solution. Depending on the condition of the wall and the degree of its curvature, the thickness of the applied layer is determined. And if it is more than 2 centimeters, a reinforcing mesh must be used.

• gypsum plaster mixture;
• container for preparing the solution;
• construction mixer for stirring plaster;
• craftsmen and spatulas.

The technology for applying the solution to the wall is simple. A certain amount of mixture collected on a trowel is thrown with sharp movements onto the wall between two adjacent pendulums. After filling the space, using a flat plate called a falcon, moving along pendulums from bottom to top, the solution is evenly distributed. This stage of work requires some effort. The mortar is collected from the board with a trowel and again thrown onto the wall, filling the depressions and recesses.

Thus, all the walls of the room are plastered to the most even surface.

The next step will be grouting and sanding the walls. Typically, such work to eliminate defects begins as soon as the solution dries, and this may take from several hours to a day, depending on the thickness of the applied layer. For rubbing, use a special metal mesh or regular sandpaper. The process is of course labor-intensive, but without it it is almost impossible to get even, smooth walls. Next, the walls are primed and are completely ready for applying the finishing material. In the case where there are such flaws in the work as cracks, small grooves or differences in the surface, they can be easily eliminated by puttying.

Putty

This method is perhaps the simplest and most inexpensive in deciding how to level the walls with your own hands. Minimal material consumption and great effort will prepare the walls of your room for painting or wallpapering.

There are two types of putty - starting (with a larger texture) and finishing (plastic and homogeneous). The first is used to seal holes and cracks more than two centimeters deep, and the second is used to create a perfectly flat surface.

Putty work, like all previous ones, begins with preparatory cleaning of the surface and the mandatory application of a primer.

Puttying of irregularities and individual recesses in the wall is done with a spatula small size, smooth, pressing movements. After the solution has dried, the applied “patches” are sanded with sandpaper, trying to level the surface as much as possible. If the wall is being prepared for painting, then the next step will be treatment with starting putty. It is more convenient to apply it using a broad construction rule, since the solution will be distributed more evenly and the work will go much faster than when using a spatula.

Another option for using finishing putty is to create decorative, textured plaster. But it should be remembered that such finishing work is carried out only on perfectly aligned walls.

Panels as the fastest way to level walls with your own hands

The building materials market is replete with assortments of wall panels, with which you can not only correct the curvature of walls, but also use them as finishing materials. One has only to get acquainted with the proposed panel options and the question of how to properly align the walls becomes resolved.

So, the variety of types allows you to purchase panels for any interior style: solid wood, MDF, polyvinyl chloride, plastic, chipboard, laminated, veneered, embossed and smooth. As for colors, here too the choice is rich, from natural shades of natural wood and “marble”, “brick” or “stone” masonry, as well as with fabric ornaments or embossed “leather-like”.

The technology for installing panels is similar to the technology for attaching drywall. Whether it is necessary to install a metal frame or attach the sheets directly to the wall depends on the degree of differences and curvatures. In many interiors, part of the walls are trimmed with panels, for example, in corridors, halls or living rooms. But in the kitchen, only the wall behind the work surfaces can be covered with panels.

Modern types of repairs have become better than before and now the need for a smooth wall surface is a prerequisite for a house or apartment.

True, even a brick house, a new building made of aerated concrete, has crooked walls, and older houses even more so.

In this regard, it is necessary to level the walls with wallpaper or other finishing materials.

How to level walls in apartments and private houses with your own hands, as well as leveling methods will be presented in the article.

How can I level a wall?

Construction technologies are developing rapidly, but leveling walls with your own hands is carried out, as many years ago, using two methods:

1. Leveling the walls with putty.
2. Leveling walls with plasterboard.

If we talk about plaster, there are many types of it sold. The composition is different and it can be made of gypsum or cement, but when installing drywall on the walls, adhesive is used for installation, a frame made of wooden slats or a metal profile.

Some people use gypsum fiber sheets (GVL) for walls instead of drywall. They contain gypsum material and plant fibers, but such material does not withstand impacts and other loads well; damage can occur even with light impacts. All this has led to the fact that GVL is rarely used. In some cases, drywall is replaced with OSB boards, whereas previously plywood was used. True, such materials are not the best alternative to gypsum plasterboard, which over time begins to crack along the plane and can swell. Chipboard is also used for uneven walls or floors, but the material is several times more expensive than drywall. Therefore, today it is best to use drywall for leveling.

Advice! Plaster and putty can also be used. This option You should only choose if the walls are relatively flat and have small differences, up to 5 mm. In this regard, you can putty on already smooth walls in order to obtain an ideal surface.

Many masters tell you what to use for independent work better than drywall. It’s easier and more convenient to work with, and wall decoration is cheap. But if you use alignment of the wall using beacons, then the work is also not difficult, a novice builder can do it, the main thing is to understand the technology and not rush into the repair process.

Surface preparation and priming

Concrete walls or walls made of brick and other materials must be prepared before leveling. It makes no difference which type is chosen. Preparation consists of the following sequence:

• The old coating on the walls is removed, especially those that are weak.
• Cracks in the wall need to be repaired, then inspected and assessed how crooked the wall is. If the protrusion is large and very prominent, then it is removed with a hammer and other equipment.
• If you have old plaster that is firmly attached to the wall, you can assess its condition and the need for removal. It is enough to knock on the wall; if there is a dull sound, there is a void between the plaster and the wall, so when leveling, there is a high probability of the wall collapsing. It is recommended to beat everything down to the very foundation so that the old material does not spoil future work.

• If there are large depressions, you will need to seal them separately. A very thick layer of mortar or putty can fall off, due to this, defects are sealed, and the protrusions simply get knocked down.
• If the walls are painted, the paint may peel or simply fall off in pieces due to its perfect evenness. A primer will help solve the problem, namely its type - concrete contact, which makes the surface rough. In this case, the putty holds well and nothing falls off.
• To improve the adhesion of materials, notches on the wall are used. Previously they were made with an axe, today they use a grinder. For 1 sq.m. About 100 notches will be enough.

Based on the choice of putties, a primer is selected. The main purpose of the soil is to improve the adhesion of the plaster to the wall. The instructions on the package will allow you to do right choice, and will also familiarize the person with the correct application to the walls. Often the compositions are ready-made, but there are also those that need to be diluted. You can apply the primer to the walls with a roller or other device. The preparation is simple, but technological process alignment will be more difficult.

To make a flat surface out of a curved wall, beacons are used to level the walls. This is a profile that is placed in one plane on the wall; the beacon will direct the plaster to the right places, filling voids and making the walls even. The beacon method involves the use of a galvanized steel profile; these are T-shaped profiles, although timber is also used as guides.

A metal beacon is more convenient to use than the timber method; it is easier and more convenient to install. The plaster layer will be approximately 8 mm. The disadvantage of the method is the cost, the amount is not large, but it is an additional expense. In addition, plaster and steel do not adhere well to each other, so when the mixture dries, the beacons are removed and the holes are sealed.

When using wooden slats, the process becomes cheaper, but even timber is more difficult to find. Moisture damages the wood, and the plaster layer is uneven. Some people use the solution as beacons. Initially, strips of plaster are applied to the wall, leveled, and after drying they are used as beacons. The method is cheap, but also more complicated than other beacon types.

Important! The evenness of the walls depends on the correct installation of the beacons. If you place the beacons exactly, then the result will be excellent; if there is an error, then the desired result will not be the best and the work may need to be redone.

To install on the wall, several cakes of plaster are made, a profile or block is sunk into them, everything is leveled to the desired degree, you can use a plumb line. When the cakes dry, you can continue working. The width between the beacons is taken from the calculation of the rule that is available.

Throwing mortar

The plaster is prepared according to the instructions on the package, after which it is applied to the wall. The work will require a spatula or a painting ladle. After sketching, the order of work is as follows:

1. You need to start pouring the mortar between the beacons from the bottom point, covering part of the wall.
2. The rule is placed on the beacons at the lowest point, leaning on them, the plaster is pulled up. You need to lay the mixture by gently rocking it from side to side.
3. It is necessary to putty until the mortar laying is continuous and even.
4. The adhering mixture is removed with a spatula and again thrown onto the concrete or wall.
5. The work is carried out to the top. After one strip of beacons, you need to lay the next one, and so on every square meter until the room has smooth walls.

This completes the first part of the work. The starting layer has been laid, but the walls still need to be leveled, even visually the unevenness is noticeable. It will be possible to completely level the wall with a more liquid composition.

Leveling for putty

If the first layer begins to dry out, but does not have time to harden, then it is time to level the wall for putty. All defects are rubbed off with a solution; in terms of consistency, it is necessary to use a mixture that is thinner. Application is done with a large spatula and leveled using the beacon rule. Thus, the entire perimeter is covered, it is better to make a thin layer and the base turns out to be close to ideal. This stage is necessary so that the putty consumption is minimal.

If the solution is like thick plasticine, the beacons are removed by prying them up with a screwdriver at the bottom. Next, the seam is filled with putty and the wall is leveled with a spatula; if necessary, the seam can be trimmed, because when the mixture is not completely hardened, it cuts perfectly.

Important! During leveling, you need to ensure that the plane remains level. This completes the alignment of the walls. Next, you can carry out interior finishing work, painting the walls in different colors, gluing wallpaper on them, laying tiles and other finishing materials.

Leveling the walls with your own hands (video)

What types of mixtures are there?

Various dry mixtures are used for finishing. They all have different compositions and different characteristics. To level the surface, dry material is most often used, as shown in the table:

Pros and cons of cement compositions

Cement mortars are good because they can be chosen for interior and exterior work; you can level the façade of a private house. A cement-sand dry mortar or with the addition of lime is used. These materials fit perfectly on walls. In addition, the material is cheaper than gypsum-based putties and is excellent for wet areas, for example, bathrooms, basements, and garages.

The disadvantage of this material over gypsum is that the texture is not very smooth. After application, sanding or applying a finishing solution is often necessary. The downside is that such plaster takes a long time to mature, so finishing the walls takes time; as a rule, the mixture will completely harden in 20-30 days.

Not everyone succeeds in leveling walls for tiles using the beacon method; the process is lengthy and the material takes a long time to dry. It is faster to level the walls using sheet plasterboard material. This method applies to the dry type of plaster, and the result is no worse. The walls are smooth, the interior will look decent and you can decorate the walls with any decorative material. This technology has some disadvantages:

1. To hang heavy objects on the wall, a frame is made of wood or metal.
2. Plasterboard material takes up a little space, which is not good for some types of housing, especially if it is a Khrushchev-era building.

Of course, if you attach drywall to walls without a frame, you can save space. The size of the room will remain the same.

Frame installation method

You can level any walls using frame technology with plasterboard, including the ceiling, window or door opening. Initially, a frame is created that needs to be leveled; it is better to use a laser level, so the accuracy will be higher. Assembly is carried out in stages:

• A guide profile is placed at the level of the floor and ceiling.
• Fastening is carried out with dowels to the wall.
• On the installed profile, the installation locations of the vertical parts should be marked with an interval of 60 cm.
• When everything has been calculated, a vertical line is drawn on which the installation curtain is fixed.
• Bearing profiles are placed in the guide parts.
• Everything is leveled into one plane and secured with curtains.

• Plasterboard material is screwed to the mounted frame. Preliminary measurements of the parts are made and the drywall is cut out.
• The space between the wall and the drywall can be insulated using mineral wool or polystyrene foam.
• A mesh is glued to the joints, then covered with putty and everything is leveled.
• All holes from self-tapping screws are also plastered.

As you can see, leveling walls with plasterboard is easy to do, and a step-by-step lesson will help you understand the essence of the process. At the end, such a wall needs to be sanded with plaster and finishing can begin. Make tiled walls, use any tile material, wallpaper or simply paint. It is recommended to use PVC panel for windows, and MDF for doors.

Installation of sheets

Installation of drywall sheets is simple; the work requires a standard tool:

1. Screwdriver.
2. Ruler.
3. Screwdriver.
4. Self-tapping screws.

Screws should be screwed in at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. The fastener heads are sunk into the drywall so that at the end the wall is level and they do not stick out. If you don't have a screwdriver, you can use a drill with a bit. If desired, the work can be done independently in a day. After which the dacha, house or apartment will have smooth walls. It is worth considering that by leveling the ceiling with plasterboard material, the height of the room will be slightly reduced. When leveling a wall near a window, it is better to use a perforated corner at the corners to give the correct shape.

Sheet material is easier to use for leveling walls without a frame. Plaster, glue or other material is used for fixation. The mixture is applied to the wall; how much thickness should be depends on the walls. Next, the drywall is applied to the wall and leveled correctly so that the slab is level. If necessary, the material is pressed against the wall using your hands.

Important! When the material is level, all edges are sealed with plaster. Next, you need to install the next piece of drywall. This is how the walls in the house are aligned. For reliability, you can screw the material directly to the wall after a day. The visual effect is excellent, the kitchen, loggia, bedroom and other rooms will have smooth walls.

The list of materials for leveling walls is large; the choice of materials depends on skills and preferences. During the work, it is recommended to check each section of the wall after leveling so that defects do not begin. Design methods can be seen in the photo on the Internet, and how to make house walls smooth is presented in the video: