Rough repairs in an apartment: how to save time and money

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We talk about the stages of rough finishing and compare different repair methods in terms of price and labor intensity.

Everyone is afraid of repairs, because it is expensive and time-consuming. Rough finishing of a two-room apartment lasts at least two months and costs from 5 to 15 thousand rubles per 1 m² - this is the price for work and materials.

You just need to go through the repair - you won't be able to do it very quickly and for free. But you can still save and speed up the process if you are smart about the choice of building materials and repair methods. What are their main differences - we understand together with the experts of Knauf using the example of the company's products and technologies.

What is a rough repair

Rough renovation of an apartment is the preparation of walls, floors and ceilings for finishing. All surfaces are leveled, and if necessary, electrical wiring and utilities are changed (for example, in old houses). This is a complex and time-consuming process, on which the quality of further repairs in the apartment depends.

1. Floor screed

Before laying the flooring, the floor must be leveled. There are two ways to do this.

"Wet" screed

Price: 495 rubles for 1 m² with a thickness of 5 cm.

Duration: 4-10 weeks depending on the thickness of the screed.

Usually the floor is leveled with sand concrete or self-leveling floor. It will be cheaper with sand concrete, but longer; with self-leveling floor - more expensive, but faster. Such screed options are called "wet", because in both cases, the mixture must be kneaded, poured, leveled and waited. Sometimes they are used together: first, the surface is leveled with sand concrete, then a self-leveling floor is made.

To make a 5 cm thick floor screed in a 50 m² apartment, you will need 220 bags of dry mix, 25 kg each.

This is about 25,000 rubles. Such a floor will weigh 5 tons (a screed 1 cm thick per 1 m² of area weighs 20 kg).

The screed is poured, leveled and kept for 28 days to gain strength. All this time, it should be damp: if allowed to dry, the floor will crack. After that, you need to wait for the screed to dry. Drying time depends on the layer thickness, temperature and humidity in the apartment. If the screed is dried forcibly (for example, using heat guns), it will not gain the required strength. And if you lay the floor covering on a dry floor, it will deteriorate: the parquet will swell due to high humidity, and the tiles will move away from the wall. The temperature in the room during the screed must be at least +5 ° C.

"Dry" screed

Price:670 rubles for 1 m² with a thickness of 5 cm.

Duration:2-3 days.

"Dry" screed is a technology for leveling the floor without sand and cement. Knauf has developed a dry prefabricated gypsum fiber floor: expanded clay backfill and small-format gypsum fiber sheets or special floor elements are used.

"Dry" prefabricated floor is more technologically advanced than sand concrete screed. There is no need to withstand it and wait for it to dry for several weeks - the topcoat can be laid one day after the floor is installed.

The process is easier, faster and cleaner: you can lay such a floor on concrete and wooden bases, and hide technical and engineering communications under the gypsum-fiber sheets (if necessary).

If you make a dry floor screed yourself, the whole process will take 2-3 days.

The cost of a dry screed 5 cm thick in an apartment of 50 m² is approximately 33.5 thousand rubles (21.5 thousand - sheets of gypsum plasterboard, 10 thousand - expanded clay backfill, 2 thousand - glue, edging tape, plastic wrap and screws).

Do not skimp on expanded clay backfill. Bags with cheap backfill can contain a lot of dust or very large granules. This can cause the floor to shrink and become uneven over time. Knauf expanded clay backfill contains only whole granules. The number of granules and their size are clearly calculated and regulated: this is the ratio that ensures a high-quality floor that will last a long time.

2. Aligning the walls

One of the signs of a quality renovation is the correct geometry of the walls and their surfaces. The walls should be flat and mate at a 90 degree angle. If you break the geometry, you will not be able to lean against the cabinet tightly and stick the wallpaper evenly. If the surface of the walls is uneven, the wallpaper will emphasize this.

Therefore, before you paste the wallpaper or paint the walls, they are first leveled. There are “wet” and “dry” ways to level the walls. "Wet" - when the walls are primed, plastered and putty. "Dry" - when sheathed with plasterboard.

"Wet" way of leveling the walls

Price:550 rubles for 1 m² with a thickness of 5 cm.

Duration:7-8 days.

In construction, two types of plasters are used - on a cement or gypsum base. Gypsum plaster is better: it is easier to apply, handle and allows you to regulate the level of humidity in the room. Gypsum plaster is used for interior work, and cement - for damp rooms or external surfaces.

For work, you can take the plaster "KNAUF-Rotband". It is easy to apply and level, and the consumption is almost half that of cement. You can apply a layer up to 5 cm at a time without fear that it will crack or fall off. When processing with KNAUF-Rotband plaster, you can get a perfectly smooth surface that does not need to be putty. This means that you do not have to spend extra money on putty.

"Dry" way of leveling the walls

Price:from 127 rubles per 1 m² - facing with glue, 250 rubles per 1 m² - facing on a metal frame.

Duration: 1-2 days.

Adhesive cladding. Can be used with wall unevenness less than 20 mm

Cladding on a metal frame. Suitable for walls with an unevenness greater than 20 mm.

Instead of plastering the walls and waiting for the mixture to dry, they can be leveled with drywall ("Knauf sheet"). One of the alignment options is to fix the sheets with construction glue: for example, Knauf-Perfilks. If the walls are very uneven, you can use the cladding on the ceiling or wall profile.

Drywall is cheaper than plaster and can be sheathed in a few hours.

After installation, you need to putty the joints of the sheets and prime the surface.

If the unevenness of the walls is more than 20 mm, the surface is leveled with plasterboard cladding on a metal frame. In corridors and nurseries, instead of drywall, it is better to use a gypsum-fiber sheet, such as "KNAUF-Superlist". It is stronger and has better impact resistance. Even with the help of plasterboard and gypsum fiber sheets in the walls, you can make recessed niches and hide pipes.

For kitchens, baths, and other damp areas, use moisture resistant drywall or gypsum fiber board. If the surface is in direct contact with water, it must be additionally waterproofed.

3. Leveling the ceiling

Before painting the ceiling, it must be leveled. This is indispensable: the curved ceiling is striking, especially in bright light. You cannot close it with a closet or hide it at all. For the ceiling, they also came up with "wet" and "dry" alignment methods.

"Wet" way of leveling the ceiling

Price:110 rubles per 1 m² with an unevenness of 10 mm (the price is only for plaster, you still need a primer, a roller, as a rule).

Duration:7 days.

The ceiling is usually leveled with gypsum plaster. This is a complex process that requires skill. Expect your arms and neck to become numb. The maximum plaster layer on the ceiling is 15 mm. If the curvature of the ceiling is greater, the "wet" alignment method will not work.

Before plastering, the ceiling must be cleaned of dirt and dust and primed. You cannot work without a primer, otherwise cracks will appear on the surface of the ceiling later. Primer "Knauf-Betokontakt" is suitable for gypsum plasters. It provides strong adhesion of the plaster to the base and prevents the mixture from cracking.

"Dry" way of leveling the ceiling

Price:from 318 rubles per 1 m².

Duration: 2 days.

If the unevenness of the ceiling is more than 15 mm, a suspended ceiling is mounted in the apartment: a frame made of metal profiles is attached to the ceiling, and plasterboard is attached to it. Such a ceiling “occupies” at least 4–4, 5 cm for a single-level frame and 7–7, 5 cm for a two-level frame. In apartments, a suspended ceiling is usually performed on a single-level frame.

Knauf has sheets, hangers, tapes, screws - all the accessories you need to install a suspended ceiling. You can calculate how much materials you need using the calculator on the Knauf website.

How to save money on a rough apartment renovation

1. Take tools for rent

Instead of buying building tools, a lot can be rented. For example, a laser level and a construction mixer, which will not be useful in the future.

2. Calculate in advance the amount of required building materials

It is better to buy building materials with a small margin. Many online stores deliver goods for free when purchasing from a certain amount. If you have to buy materials several times, spend extra time and money on delivery. The surplus of expanded clay or dry mix remaining after the repair can be returned - the main thing is that the package remains intact.

3. Make a "dry" repair

Dry construction is faster and cleaner than wet construction. There is no need to wait for the screed to gain strength and dry, and the topcoat can be laid one day after installation.

4. Make repairs in winter

As a rule, repairs, even indoors, are preferred in the summer. Therefore, the demand for labor is increasing, while the cost of builders' services also increases. In winter, you can negotiate with builders for less money.

What you can't save on

Remember that the rough finish is the most important part of the renovation. You cannot save on building materials and spare time for adhering to technologies. If you place your parquet on a damp screed, it will swell and have to be replaced. Cheap plaster can crack and fall off the walls in chunks.

Before proceeding with the finishing, study the technology of the work and select the appropriate building materials. To help those who are going to make repairs - the Knauf hotline (8-800-770-76-67, working hours: Mon - Fri, from 8:00 to 19:00), where experts will tell you how to make a choice and avoid common mistakes.

Learn more about building materials for rough repairs and promotions →

The average market price is indicated for Knauf materials.

Information about KNAUF materials is provided by KNAUF GIPS LLC.