Many people would like to see their home beautiful and cozy. Smooth walls are the key to success! Let's look at how to correctly level the walls with your own hands. We will separately consider the algorithm for leveling with plasterboard, and separately with plaster.

There is no sadder story in the world than the story about an apartment, the walls of which, with their bizarre curves, are more reminiscent of a rippling sea... Surely many of you have seen something similar in life: in Soviet time delivery of objects was not always carried out in accordance with all standards, and therefore plasterers had the widest opportunities for self-expression.

Jokes aside, but often there is absolutely no desire to look at such art. We need to level the long-suffering walls!

What to choose: plaster or drywall?

Surely even a person far from “construction” knows that there are two main ways to improve crooked walls: plaster and drywall. How to choose the method that is suitable for your case?

Making a choice is not that difficult. First, the degree of curvature of the walls should be established. To do this, you should use the so-called sagging. Approximately at the ceiling level, retreating to a distance of about 30-40 centimeters from the corner, drive in a nail. It should protrude by about 25-30 millimeters. A plumb line (thread or twine) is attached to it, which is again attached to a nail at the bottom of the wall.

In both cases, the cord must be attached strictly behind the nail head to avoid errors when measuring curvature. Measure the indicators in three or four places (distance from the wall to the cord). The greater the difference in numbers, the more plaster will be used and the more expensive it will be to level the wall with its help. However, you should not be guided only by this. Let's look at the main pros and cons of each technology.

If the walls are so crooked that the waves are easy to notice without resorting to hanging, all the more reason to use drywall.

Advantages and disadvantages of plaster

Benefits of plaster

• Firstly, it is very durable. If everything is done “according to the mind”, then oh major renovation You can forget the walls with a light heart for about thirty years.
• Secondly, a well-plastered wall does not impose any restrictions on hanging furniture; it is durable and reliable. There are no cavities left under the plaster, and therefore you are not in danger of a sudden invasion of mice or the formation of a mold plantation.

Disadvantages of plaster

• The work is “wet”; mechanical processing of the walls is often required. As a result, there is a lot of waste, which in the case of the ninth floor (and the absence of a freight elevator) is extremely undesirable.
• The work takes a lot of time and requires certain skills.
• As we have already said, a very uneven wall will require a large volume of plaster mixture. Considering that they are not at all cheap these days, such repairs may become unaffordable for a limited budget.

Advantages and disadvantages of drywall

Benefits of drywall

• The work is “dry” and done very quickly. If the process is organized correctly, minimal waste is generated.
• With the help of drywall, you can bring to mind, without spending your annual salary, even such a wall, the degree of curvature of which exceeds 30 degrees.
• If you would like to see exquisite shapes wall niches, you dream about LED backlight and other “delights”, then drywall is definitely your choice.
• Finally, using sound insulation and thermal insulation (the same basalt wool, for example), you can significantly increase the comfort of your home.

Disadvantages of drywall

• Firstly, with large “dungeons” the possibility of hanging furniture becomes very doubtful, and you will probably have to forget about heavy pictures in frames.
• Mice love to live behind drywall (in rural conditions), and if the wall is wet, then the formation of mold and mildew colonies is possible.
• When using this method, the internal volume of the room suffers.

So what should you choose?

So. If you are interested in quick repair, you want to make your home more beautiful with wall niches, or you need to hide a bunch of wires and other communications, then drywall becomes excellent choice. The same applies to situations where the walls are very crooked (it is far from a fact that the plaster will stick to them at all), additional insulation and/or soundproofing of the room is required.

It is better to improve truly “terrible” walls with plasterboard: less labor costs, and more profitable from a financial point of view.

Plaster is the choice of those who are not afraid of large amounts of construction waste, long duration of work, their relative labor intensity and considerable cost (especially in the case of hiring professional workers). A bonus is the exceptional durability of the coating; you can even hang it on such walls. storage boiler, not to mention the furniture. In addition, plaster does not “eat up” the internal volume (however, this still depends on the characteristics of the walls), and modern mixtures allow you to create a very interesting texture.

We hope that you were able to decide on the method. Now we will look at the stages of work and the required materials.

How to level walls with plaster using beacons in 3 stages?

What is required for plastering walls?

First, let's list the main tools:

• You can’t do without a hammer drill, which will please the ears of your neighbors.
• You need a mixer (in extreme cases, a drill attachment will also work).
• Spatula, trowel and grater, where would we be without them?
• Plumb.
• Hammer and trojan (steel chisel).
• Beacons (wooden or metal slats).
• Rules (emphasis on penultimate syllable). Needed for leveling a layer of plaster on the wall.
• Plaster and metal mesh (if the curvature of the wall exceeds 20-30 mm).

Finally, you will need a ready-made plaster mixture, or the required amount of cement and sand if you do it yourself. You also can’t do without a primer.

Stage 1: Preparing the walls for work

In order for the solution to “cling” to the surface better, it is necessary to deepen the seams on the masonry (if we are talking about brick wall) by approximately 10 mm. Some craftsmen advise leaving “sags” on the masonry, but they often get in the way. In a word, it is better to chop them off. If you are planning to plaster concrete wall, then it is advisable to make notches on its surface. Their length is at least 150 mm, depth is about 3 mm. The tools used for this type of work are a regular hammer and a Trojan. Experts advise making at least 200 cuts for each square meter surfaces. The wall is then thoroughly cleaned with a steel brush and lightly sprayed with water.

It is advisable to knock down all large influxes. Cracks and chips should be repaired with putty. If a thick layer of plaster is required, pre-fill the wall with metal mesh. Attach it to dowels (step approximately 20 cm). Plastic spacers are placed between the wall and the mesh, focusing on the results of the hanging (to achieve ideal straightness). The worst thing is when you have to prepare a wooden wall. First, the boards are slightly pricked to avoid their deformation. Next, shingles or the same metal mesh are stuffed onto the wall. Please note that it is secured by first laying wooden or plastic spacers.

After this, the walls are carefully primed using deep penetration compounds. Concrete lintels are treated with special solutions (Betokontakt, for example), and then covered with plaster mesh. Before the actual start of work, the floors are swept of debris and plastic film, paper or other similar material is laid on them, so that later you do not have to work hard scraping off the frozen plaster.

Stage 2: Preparation of the solution

It is important to remember that the result of all your work largely depends on the correct preparation of the solution, so we advise you to take this stage of work as seriously as possible.

Firstly, all materials used (except ready-made mixtures) sieved through sieves with cells no larger than 3x3 mm (maximum 5x5 mm). All lumps, impurities and debris must be removed! To mix the composition, you need to use a container of suitable volume so that the mixture does not splash out. Using a mixer, bring it to a completely homogeneous state, and then take it out and look: if the plaster solution immediately drains, add more binder. If it is too sticky, add more filler and add water.

Preparation of cement-sand mortar

Pour dry sand and cement into the container and mix thoroughly. Gradually add water and stir until a creamy mixture forms. If you need a fast-setting solution, add a little PVA glue. To slow down the hardening, you can use any liquid dishwashing detergent.

Cement-lime mortar

The lime is placed in a plastic container (!), water is added so that the liquid covers the layer of lime. Cover the mixture with a lid and wait for the reaction to complete (carefully!). After straining the resulting substance through cheesecloth, let it sit for a day. Prepare a mixture of cement and sand (referring to the table), and use prepared lime mortar for dilution.

Mortar

As in the previous case, you will first have to extinguish the lime with water. After adding a little sand, begin to actively rub the mixture, getting rid of lumps. Gradually add the remaining sand, continuing to stir continuously. Add water if necessary. Important! Lime mortar can only be used on the day of production!

As for ready-made mixtures (in powder), they should be diluted strictly following the instructions!

Stage 3: Plastering the walls

Having dealt with the preliminary preparation, let's talk about the progress of the plastering itself. After the walls have been coated with primer, beacons are attached to the plaster mortar. Of course, this needs to be done plumb, checking the correct installation with a level. Then “skis” are applied to the beacons. This is the name given to the guide strips made from the plaster mixture you use.

How to set the distance between beacons? It all depends on the width of the rules you use, but there are a couple of general tips. Firstly, the step between them should be slightly less than the width of the rule. Secondly, at home you should not use rules larger than one and a half meters, since working with them is simply difficult.

If the wall is very crooked, first attach a metal mesh. This is done with the help of dowels, maintaining a distance between them of 15-20 cm. Do not forget about the gaskets (see above). Apply the first layer of plaster to the mesh. Laying is carried out using a trowel. The layer is leveled using the rule. After this, we wait until the first layer is completely dry, and then we repeat the process, laying the final coating.

In cases where mesh is not required, the plaster is also laid in two layers. The first is light “slaps” with a slightly uneven surface. After they have dried, lay the second layer and level it with the rule. To finally level the wall, use a grater for the second layer (until it dries). It is pressed tightly against the wall, and, making circular movements, we smooth out all the defects found. If there is such a need, you can apply a third layer.

Features of the cement-sand mixture

In this case, it is necessary to use a mounting grid, which is attached to the wall with the same dowels. The first layer is simply “rubbed in” using a grater. After it is completely dry, “skis” are rubbed on it. The second layer is applied using a trowel. Attention! This is a very complex and tedious process, so be mentally prepared for it in advance. Having completely covered the wall surface with plaster, carefully level it using the rule.

To see all this “live”, we suggest watching the thematic video.

Leveling walls with plasterboard yourself

Having dealt with plastering work, let's move on to using drywall. First, let's list the tools we need:

• Metal profiles or wooden beam.
• Self-tapping screws for wood or metal.
• Screwdriver or drill.
• Level, plumb and square.
• Construction knife.

Don't forget about little things like a hammer, jigsaw, tape measure or measuring tape.

Stage 1: Preparing the walls

As in the previous case, it will not be possible to do without preliminary work. First you need to carefully remove all the old coating. This is especially true for falling off plaster. Keep in mind that drywall itself will “eat up” a lot of interior space, so you should take advantage of any opportunity to reduce the “dead” volume! Wall priming is optional. But it is highly advisable to cover it with antiseptic agents. You remember what we talked about mold? Don’t forget to mark the line on the ceiling and floor along which the border of the new “wall” will run.

Stage 2: Frame installation

Wood or metal?

It is not so rare to come across the opinion that wooden beams are perfect for leveling walls with plasterboard. In principle, this statement is true, but not in all cases. It should be remembered that wood is an extremely unstable material. If there is high humidity in the room (bathroom or kitchen), then the use of timber is contraindicated. No matter how carefully the finishing is carried out, moisture will gradually penetrate into the wood, causing it to swell and deform.

In the most unpleasant cases, the wall may well “lead”, and all your work will go down the drain. So if you need maximum reliability, we strongly recommend using a metal profile.

Frame installation

This is the most important part of the job! If you do it carelessly, nothing good will come of it. We take measurements of the height of the walls. Installation begins with fixing the frame to the ceiling and floor, using a UD profile (guide base), securing it with dowels. The step depends on the size of the room, but you should not make it more than 30-40 cm.

When the “frame” is ready, take the CD profile onto which the drywall is directly attached. Important! The edge goes to the wall, the wide part goes into the room! It is very important not to get confused. The profile is fastened with self-tapping screws. It is very important to use ones that are specifically designed for metal. We place the first transverse profile close to the wall. The pitch is exactly 600 mm. Important! The distance should be measured not from the edges of the profile, but from the middle. The fact is that the standard width of one sheet of drywall is 1200 mm, and therefore with this method you will definitely hit the center and edges of the sheet when attaching it to the frame. Of course, it is also necessary to secure one cross member at the edge of the opposite wall, even if it is not possible to maintain a distance of 600 mm.

To make the frame as reliable as possible, perforated hangers should be used. These are ordinary strips of galvanized steel. There is a stiffening rib in the center, and the edges are perforated. They need to be bent in the shape of the letter “P”, attaching the middle to the wall. Important! Such hangers need to be screwed under each (!) vertical profile. Perforated “ears” are attached to the profile itself. If standard height If a sheet of plasterboard (2500 mm) is less than the height of the walls, then the inserts are attached only from the top or bottom. The jumpers between the UD posts are made from the same CD profile.

Stage 3: Mounting drywall sheets

The hardest part is behind us. The sheets are attached to the finished frame with ordinary black 35 mm self-tapping screws. Use a screwdriver to carefully screw them in flush. The sheet must be fastened in increments of 15 cm around the perimeter, screwing in self-tapping screws in the central part if necessary (at least 4-5 per sheet). Many manufacturers produce lined drywall, so you don’t have to run around with a ruler.

To fill the openings formed in difficult places, cut out pieces of drywall that match their shape. The easiest way is to use a construction knife for this purpose. Remember that cuts need to be made along (!) the sheet. After this, the GVL is broken and the layer of paper on the opposite part is carefully cut. Basically, that's all. Now you can start finishing. In the case of drywall, there are two types - painting and wallpapering. You can probably figure this out on your own, but you need to talk about putty in more detail.

The final touch: wall putty

Plasterboard putty for painting

It is very important to check all the screws first. They should be screwed no deeper than 5 mm from the surface of the sheet. If this is not the case, then unscrew the self-tapping screw to the required depth, and then attach another one nearby. In places where solid sheets were joined with cut pieces, you need to slightly widen the seams. This is done for better adhesion of the composition. Before filling, it is extremely important that the surface of the drywall is properly primed!

It is very important to use exactly those primer compositions, which are specially designed for processing gypsum fiber board sheets. After work you need to wait at least 12 hours.

We begin to putty the seams. Ideal for downtime gypsum plaster. It is very important not to skimp on it, since there are often cases when low-quality compounds fall off in pieces a couple of weeks after application. It is spread onto the surface of the sheets using a spatula, making sure that the seams are filled flush with the surface. The seam is immediately covered with sickle tape, and then another layer of plaster is applied. It is important to move the spatula so that it is gently pressed into the seam.

We check the correct application by placing a wide spatula across the seam: if there are no gaps, then you did everything correctly. We seal the holes from the screws as carefully as possible. We wait a day, and then we grind the surface with a zero polish. Prime the wall again.

Complete surface filling

This stage is the most difficult. You will have to apply several layers, each of which needs to be dried thoroughly. It is very important to use the same putty as in the previous step, as this will ensure that there are no cracks. At least three layers should be done. The final coating is dried for 24 hours and then sanded very efficiently. To do this, use a block on which a sanding mesh is pulled. You can also use sandpaper, but you will have to constantly change it.

After completion of the work, a visual inspection is carried out to look for remaining defects. If there are any, remove them using the same putty. The walls are primed again. And only after this layer of primer has dried, the surface is completely ready to apply paint.

Plasterboard putty under wallpaper

Let us immediately warn you that it is not necessary to putty the entire wall, since this operation has a rather weak effect on the quality of the repair itself. But! If the wallpaper is thin, then technical inscriptions on the gypsum fiber board sheet can be visible through it. But the main reason why it is better to putty plasterboard under wallpaper is somewhat different. The thing is that sooner or later you will have to change the wallpaper. If GVL sheets were not puttied, you will tear off the old coating not only with pieces of the paper “sheathing” of the drywall, but even with pieces of the plaster itself.

After you have coated the wall with primer (according to the method described above), covered the seams and screw heads with putty, it is primed again. Important! At the second stage, two or three layers of putty are applied, each of which (after drying) is again primed. The final layer is dried, sanded and coated again with primer. The thoroughness of sanding is inversely proportional to the thickness and texture of the wallpaper used: the thicker it is, the less time can be spent on sanding.

To get a better idea of ​​the work, watch the video.

Exist various ways leveling the walls, for which plaster, putty or sheets of drywall can be used. The choice of one method or another depends on a number of factors, for example, operating conditions of the premises, humidity, size, nature of irregularities, etc. So, plastering the bases is classic way leveling, and it is suitable for both living rooms and office premises.

Sheets of plasterboard are usually used to level walls if their unevenness is very large, and ordinary plastering work will entail unreasonable costs. In addition, further cladding of such walls can be done immediately after the installation of drywall; it is not for nothing that this method is called “dry” plastering.

Puttying the walls is already a finishing touch, through which the smallest irregularities in the base are eliminated. It is necessary only before painting the walls or when various surface defects are very noticeable.

Plastering walls

To carry out work on leveling walls using plaster you will need:

• beacons (guide rails), rule and laser or water level;
• plaster mixture, spatula and trowel;
• a drill with a stirring attachment and a container for the solution;
• deep penetration primer, as well as a roller and tray for priming.

Before starting work on plastering the walls, the surface should be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt. It is necessary to knock off all fragile elements from the wall that easily crumble even with a slight impact. After this, the surface must be treated with a deep penetration primer.

Priming allows you to:

1. Moisten and remove dust from the base;
2. Limit the absorbency of the wall material;
3. Strengthen adhesion to the plaster, giving the base some roughness and increasing the area of ​​contact between the materials.

The primer is applied to the wall with a roller or spray, but the recesses must be carefully coated with a brush. After the primer has dried, they begin to install the beacons.

Installation of guide rails - beacons

In order to plaster the base, you first need to set the guide beacons strictly according to the level. The latter are special metal guides, with the help of which the level for laying the plaster layer is set, ensuring ideal evenness of its application.

Of course, other, cheaper and more accessible materials can be used as beacons - wooden slats, pieces of plywood, etc., which, in fact, until recently was practiced almost everywhere.

But, of course, this technology will not provide the proper quality of wall alignment, especially if you do not have much experience in carrying out this type of work.

Therefore, we recommend that you immediately purchase a special T-shaped beacon profile - lightweight, securely attached to the wall and strong enough so that later, when leveling the plaster layer, it does not sag under the rule.

It is better if it is made of aluminum, since later the profile will not need to be removed - it is not subject to corrosion.

Beacons are attached to the base in most cases with the same plaster mortar at several points, after which they are leveled until the mixture hardens. However, in some cases it is necessary to secure the structure more thoroughly, for which the guide rails are fixed using Ushastik adjustment and holding devices and self-tapping screws, again using a laser or water level. The distance between the guides is usually taken to be 1-1.5 meters, and it should not exceed 30 cm from the corner of the room.

Option for fixing profiles to mortar

Plaster is usually laid in a layer 15-30 mm thick, so beacons should be placed taking these dimensions into account. If the layer of the thrown mixture is thicker than 30 mm, then the plaster will simply slide off the surface or fall off in whole pieces.

There are many ways to finish walls, but most of them require a level and straight base, but in reality everything is not so smooth. Walls modern houses and especially buildings old building They only seem smooth, but are not suitable for cladding with tiles, laminate or panels, since they have horizontal or vertical differences invisible to the eye. In this article we will tell you how to properly level the walls under finishing any materials.

Any renovation begins with preparation, and leveling walls is no exception. In this case, first of all, it is necessary to determine the degree of surface unevenness in order to know how best to level the walls and how much materials will be needed.

How to determine the degree of curvature of a wall:

1. Arm yourself with a long construction rule 2-2.5 m long. Drive a nail into the corner of the room closer to the ceiling, leaving the head sticking out 2-3 mm (so that you can tie a string to the nail). This nail is your starting beacon.
2. Tie a nut or any other weight to a cord or strong thread and hang it by the nail so that the weight does not touch the floor. Wait until it stops swinging and the thread forms a straight line.
3. Drive the second beacon nail into the bottom of the wall and drive it in just enough so that the head and thread are at the same level.
4. Repeat this procedure with another corner on the opposite wall. As a result, you will get 4 beacons around the perimeter and 2 straight lines, respectively.
5. Take a long thread or cord and stretch it between the top nail of one part of the wall and the bottom nail of the other (diagonally). Repeat with the second pair of beacons. When you fasten the threads crosswise, make sure that they do not touch the surface of the wall.
6. Now, with the help of these threads, stretched over four points, you can determine the condition of any wall in the room.

Selecting an alignment method

Leveling with dry mixtures

Leveling the walls with plaster, as practice shows, is the most universal option, relevant for anyone. finishing material, be it wallpaper or tiles. Despite the high labor intensity of working with mixtures, you get a better and more durable result.

How to level walls with putty:

Helpful advice: When choosing a dry mixture, pay attention to the thickness of the layer, as well as the nature of the binding component. For example, it is recommended to use gypsum solutions for rooms with low or normal humidity, since such walls in the kitchen or bathroom will quickly become damp and crack. For wet rooms, choose mineral-based mixtures. Cement plaster You can prepare it yourself by mixing 1 part of cement grade no lower than 400 with 6 parts of sifted fine sand and diluting everything with water to a creamy state. You can vary the amount of sand to get different plasticity of the solution - the less sand, the more plastic the solution, and it is easier to work with (but then you will need more cement, which means repair costs will increase). Attention! Use ready solution you need 1-2 hours in advance, otherwise it will harden or lose its properties, so do not knead large volumes at once.

Leveling with plasterboard

It is much easier to level walls with plasterboard than with dry building mixtures. This job is much cleaner, faster and more suitable for novice builders. A wide range of gypsum boards allows you to work in almost any room, even with high level humidity. In addition, drywall allows you to level walls with strong differences in height and horizontality, which would require applying an overly thick layer of plaster. And although this method is relevant for finishing with wallpaper or paint, in some cases it is the only way to get even and smooth walls.

There are two ways to install gypsum boards to level walls: on a frame and with glue. The first method is suitable for surfaces with serious differences and helps to level wooden walls, the second can hide minor surface defects and get a perfectly flat base for finishing. It is also possible to combine these two options to achieve a neat connection between the walls and ceiling. The frame method is the most common, so we will consider it first and in detail.

To make the frame, a special metal profile for gypsum plasterboard is used. Fixation is carried out using self-tapping screws. Before telling the instructions on how to level the walls under wallpaper or tiles, one nuance should be mentioned frame method– due to the large thickness of the resulting cladding, several centimeters of useful wall area are lost on each side (about 4-5 cm). And if in a spacious room this may not be noticeable, then for small rooms it is better to use another method.

Instructions and video on how to properly level walls:

1. Remove the old coating from the walls and clean the surface.
2. In this case, priming is necessary not to increase adhesion, but to strengthen and protect the walls from moisture and fungus. If you are sheathing external wall or a wall in a damp room, treat it with an antiseptic.
3. Build a frame from a galvanized profile, first installing a UD profile along the floor, ceiling and adjacent walls to form a frame. Then, inside this frame, you can fasten jumpers from a thinner CD profile, which will hold the plasterboard sheets. All the intricacies of the fastening process are described in more detail in the article “”.
4. When the frame is ready, you can begin installing the gypsum boards, but before that you need to measure, draw and number them so that they clearly fit into the given area. GCR is convenient because it can be easily processed at home with available tools. The article “” describes everything in detail.
5. To seal the seams between sheets of drywall, use a special self-adhesive mesh. Glue it onto the seams, and then cover it with starting putty to bring it flush with the surface. Subsequent treatment of the wall depends on the chosen cladding. If you are laying tiles or other dense, non-transparent material, you can simply cover the joints with putty and that’s it. But before painting or wallpapering, the wall should be completely covered with white finishing putty with a layer of 1-2 mm, sanded and primed. The article “” says a lot of useful things on this topic.

Now you know what you can use to line the walls with tiles, wallpaper or any other finish. We hope this article will help you quickly and efficiently make repairs yourself. Finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with one more useful video how to level walls with plasterboard:

Beautiful apartment and high-quality repairs, tastefully selected modern furniture And comfortable interior- the dream of every person. But all this splendor fades in rooms with uneven walls. Very often people try to hide a small blockage and cover it with furniture or resort to other tricks. In vain, since uneven walls need to be leveled, not masked. For example, furniture only emphasizes such a drawback. Therefore, in this article we will talk about how to level the walls and achieve the desired result.

The reasons for uneven walls can be different. Ceilings and walls in old houses often leave much to be desired, but in many new buildings they are also not ideal. Majority panel houses have crooked walls due to the fact that the panels are a little uneven. But not to such an extent that the house cannot be put into operation - this aspect does not affect its reliability in any way. During the installation itself, the stove could turn around a little. To visualize the situation more clearly, you need to find a landscape sheet of paper and put it on the table. The sheet is even, but if you take it by the ends diagonally, and then pull one end up and the other down, you can observe an interesting picture. What happens to the leaf? By the same principle, it can bend and concrete slab. This deviation is insignificant, but it is enough to block the walls and disrupt the geometry of the corners in the room.

Determination of vertical deviations

It is quite possible to level the walls with your own hands, but first you need to determine where the blockage is. To do this, you should pay attention to the corners; if there is an assumption that some wall is uneven, then you need to check the correctness of your thoughts. This is done in an elementary way: a heavy object is tied to one end of a thin but strong rope, and the opposite end must be attached to the corner of the junction of the upper ceiling and the wall. Well, are the line of the wall and the rope parallel? This means the walls are smooth, and if there are deviations, that is, there is a blockage and it needs to be removed.

Important: it is advisable to carry out this check together - one person holds the cord, and the second, from a distance of several meters, assesses the parallelism of the lines.

There is another option for assessing the condition of surfaces. For this process you will also need a homemade plumb line with a weight that does not rotate. In each corner you need to perform the so-called hanging. To do this, the plumb line is attached to a nail driven into the wall.

Important: the nail is driven near the ceiling, so that the plumb line is located near the wall, but does not touch its surface.

A similar operation must be carried out with the other edge of the wall. The next step is to pull the cords along the four beacon points; as a result, you can get an accurate picture of the condition of the wall surface.

Determining the verticality of walls

If there is a slight deviation of 10 mm during repairs, it will be necessary to carry out putty work using gypsum and cement mixtures for leveling. And with more significant vertical deviations, you will need to resort to leveling the walls with plasterboard.

Start - surface preparation

How to properly align the walls, that is, what order should you follow? First, the surface is prepared: a solid base and the absence of crumbling areas are important. It is also necessary to remove the remnants of old wallpaper and dilapidated plaster. Next, the prepared wall is carefully primed with a roller, brush or spray. The primed base should dry for about 12 hours, so this work is best done closer to night, so as not to waste time waiting.

Ways to level walls

Depending on the materials used, there are 2 ways to level the curvature of the walls. The first is wet (using building mixtures) and the second is dry (installation of structures). Both methods are good, but only if all processes are strictly followed. And also each has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Basically, leveling with plaster is used for small differences (30-50 mm). Of course, it is also possible to use them for surfaces with greater curvature. But these are additional financial costs for both work and materials. Therefore more best option in such cases - installation of the frame and covering it with plasterboard.

Leveling with plaster using beacons

So, if the unevenness has already been identified and the surface of the walls has been prepared, you can proceed to direct leveling.

Important: do not forget about electricity - you should turn it off first. And when cleaning the walls, act carefully so as not to damage the electrical wiring elements that are hidden in the wall.

To firmly fix the plaster, the walls must be primed. This process prevents extremely undesirable delamination of materials and also increases moisture resistance. For cement mixtures, cement laitance is used, consisting of cement, water and sand.

Installation of beacons before “wet” leveling with plaster

When leveling with wet plaster, it is best to use the “beacon” technology. This is special metal element made from flexible aluminum. The lighthouse is embedded in a curved wall, and it is along it that subsequent alignment takes place. For greater clarity, we can give the following example: if the wall is blocked at the top, then you can understand that the lighthouse must be rested against the wall from below, and some material, for example, a rotbow, will be placed on top between the wall and the lighthouse - this will eliminate the unevenness.

Beacon installation process

The installation of beacon slats begins with the installation of profiles on opposite walls. The verticality of each lighthouse is checked with a plumb line, and such profiles are mounted on the wall with building plaster. Plaster is applied to the rail at several points while maintaining a distance of 50 cm. Then a cord is pulled through the lower, middle and upper profiles. The following slats are also mounted on the wall, but so that the cord barely touches them.

Important: the distance between the beacons is selected based on the size of the tool that will be used to apply the plaster.

It is also possible to attach the beacons with self-tapping screws. This slows down the work a little, but then makes it much easier. Even a non-professional can easily adjust the verticality of the lines by tightening or unscrewing the screws.

What is the best way to level a wall?

The leveling composition depends on the maximum thickness of the leveling layer, as well as on the type of binding component - cement or gypsum. The cement mixture is most suitable for wet rooms (bathroom, kitchen), and the gypsum composition is preferably used in living rooms, because it perfectly maintains the microclimate of the room.

Leveling "wet"

When the display of beacons is completed, little remains to be done. Now you need to dilute 10-15 liters of plaster and apply it between the beacons. The mixture should have a certain consistency, it should not be too liquid (it will slide) and too thick (it will be difficult to apply). If gypsum compositions are used in the work, then their quantity should be such that the mixture is produced within an hour.

After applying the mixture, take the rule of the required length and press it against the beacons, and then level the surface with movements from bottom to top, or vice versa, whichever is more convenient for you. If in some places there is not enough mixture, then you need to add it and apply the rule again. These steps are repeated until the wall becomes perfectly flat.

When the applied layer of plaster dries, you will notice the roughness of the wall. For this reason, it is necessary to treat it with finishing putty and sanding with fine sandpaper.

The advantages of this leveling method are that the usable area of ​​the room is not taken away, but the disadvantages are that preliminary cleaning of the walls is necessary and this is a rather labor-intensive process, after which a lot of debris and dust remains.

Plaster square - a device for forming ideal angles

A separate point in the alignment process is the corners. How to align the corners of the walls, since these are the most problematic areas? In this work, it is advisable to use an angle trowel, a level and other auxiliary tools. Aligning corners is a painstaking task and requires experience and knowledge. To make the solution set faster in the corners, you need to add a small amount of gypsum to the mixture.

How to eliminate significant irregularities?

How to level the walls in an apartment with large differences and terrible curvature of the walls? In this case, it is rational to resort to installing specific structures and then covering them with plasterboard. This method has the main disadvantage of “eating up” the usable area, but it is also characterized by positive aspects: there is no need for preliminary work, and inside the constructed frame you can hide communications and lay sound and thermal insulation materials.

This method has the right to life. First, the frame is mounted, which is subsequently covered with plasterboard. It is possible to level the blockage, but still the blockage does not disappear anywhere, but simply hides under the casing. If the apartment is small, then such machinations will make the living space even smaller.

Preparing the walls for wallpaper

If renovations have begun in the apartment, the question will probably arise: how to align the walls with wallpaper? Wallpapers and others decorative coverings require a smooth surface that needs to be prepared.

If the unevenness is minor, you can safely treat the wall with regular putty. For this purpose, you need to use a spatula, which is designed for filling cracks and then puttingtying them. Most convenient option– use two medium-sized spatulas.

Perfectly smooth walls beautiful room

For a large amount of work, you can dilute the putty in a basin so as not to constantly jump up and down. And for small holes and crevices, a small vessel is used.

Important: if the volumes are still large, then better mixture dilute using a drill with a special attachment.

And if the layer is thick, then the surface must first be treated with starting putty. At the right technology The putty is applied in several stages, but only when the previous layer has dried. Three layers are usually used, the last one being finishing putty to finish work. Then the entire surface is cleaned with sandpaper.

The bathroom is no exception to the rule

The most common reason in the alignment of the bathroom walls - a type of future finishing. If it is tile, then you need to know how to level the walls to match the tile. It should be noted that working with tiles- a responsible and serious process that requires a competent approach, and uneven walls are no exception. This means that before starting the main process, you need to think about how to level the walls in the bathroom, adhering to technology.

Laying ceramic tiles is only possible on smooth walls, since if this issue is ignored, the result may be disastrous: the masonry will bulge with bumps and spoiled appearance premises. The most common alignment method is the same beacons.

Alignment beacon installation diagram

Walls with beacons are more durable because after completion of work they are not removed from the wall, but continue to support the plaster. When working with plaster squares, you can get excellent 90 degree angles.

The plaster is applied according to the principle of “throwing” the wall. For this purpose it is advisable to use a trowel. A small area is covered at a time, and not the entire surface of the wall. After the mixture is applied, you need to give it time to dry, and then you can cut off the excess protruding parts of the solution that extend beyond the beacons. Water is added to the cut solution and the next gaps are rubbed with it again.

Installation of beacons with gypsum mixture

After the plaster has dried, the walls are primed, and then the tiles are laid. The primer promotes better adhesion of the adhesive solution to the base.

There are options for leveling walls, knowing all the subtleties and tricks of this labor-intensive process, you can achieve good result. The work of a plasterer, a master of his craft, is based on a high-quality surface, the composition of the plaster and precise beacons.

Video instructions for leveling walls

If you still have questions and need to learn everything in detail about how to level walls, a video example with well-presented material should help.

The main thing is to strive for something better, and not live by the principle “this will do.” No, it won’t do, a person’s home must be properly decorated: with smooth walls, beautiful decor And suitable furniture. Living in a room with such conditions is much more comfortable than contemplating crooked corners and collapsed walls every day. Perfectly straight walls are the norm to strive for, since the curvature will not be hidden by either high-quality wallpaper or compositionally installed furniture.

Reading time ≈ 3 minutes

Perfectly smooth walls are the key to excellent renovation in an apartment. Even the most refined and original solutions will not make your home perfect if the walls are crooked. The smoothness of the walls, the strict verticality of the corners and slopes create a feeling of cleanliness and constructiveness. On smooth surfaces, even ordinary plaster looks great.

Before you start leveling concrete or other walls with your own hands (you can see photos and videos directly on this page), you should determine the verticality and current condition of the surface. First you need to arm yourself with a plumb line, which is fixed to a nail or dowel driven into the wall. The plumb line is near the wall, but does not touch it. This procedure is called sagging. A second dowel is driven in at the bottom of the wall. The plumb line should touch its cap. Then the cords are stretched between the dowels. Visually, after this, the condition of the surface becomes clear in the palm of your hand. Hanging must be done in each room.

Putty

So, if the maximum deviation does not exceed a barely noticeable 10 mm, then you can level the walls yourself using plaster and putty. With high-quality work, the internal corners themselves will turn out neat and beautiful, and it makes sense to reinforce the corners on slopes and in passages with galvanized profiles, which will guarantee the highest strength.

Leveling walls with Rotband or other similar starting putty with your own hands - a good option when it comes to internal works. Rotband from the Knauf brand is a gypsum-based putty. She is very susceptible to harmful effects environment. However, the good thing about Rotband is that it is flexible and dries slowly, so this putty is extremely convenient in certain situations.

Drywall

If vertical deviations are noticeable and noticeable, then the easiest way to level the walls is to use drywall. However, this material is quite thick and eats up space a lot. Leveling old walls with plasterboard with your own hands occurs in two ways. In the first case, metal frames are used. Before starting the procedure, vertical lines are made on the wall, perpendicular to it. These lines will be guidelines for the frame. Next, intermediate ones are fixed along the perimeter of the wall. metal profiles, then installation of vertical profiles follows. The pitch is selected in accordance with the length of the drywall sheets. The supporting profiles at the bottom and top are securely fastened to the profiles installed around the perimeter. For stronger fixation, direct hangers can be placed between the supporting profiles. For convenient alignment, a cord is pulled in several rows between the outer profiles, which allows you to feel the plane of the wall. To achieve the goal and get perfect flat wall, it is necessary to carefully and flawlessly seal the joints between the sheets of drywall. For this, special mixtures are used. To avoid the appearance of cracks in the future, you can use reinforced PVC mesh at the joints, which is heated in a composition specially applied to the drywall.

Another way to level with drywall is leveling with adhesive mixtures. This method is suitable for vertical deviations of 20-30 mm. A thick layer of adhesive mixture is applied to the reverse side of the plasterboard sheets. It is applied in the center and along the perimeter. Next, the sheets are attached to the wall, carefully smoothed and leveled. The adhesive mixture dries quickly, so work should be carried out with high speed. After installation, you should pay special attention to the joints.

Video of leveling walls with your own hands