Despite the variety of flooring materials, plank flooring will probably never lose its fans. Both the choice and laying of the floorboard require certain knowledge, which must be obtained by deciding to independently carry out the installation work. Therefore, in the sections of this article, different options for arranging the floor will be considered, as well as what you need to pay attention to when choosing a material.
General information, advantages and disadvantages
Solid wood is a durable, durable environmentally friendly material. The tree has unique properties to release phytoncides into the environment that can inhibit the development of various bacteria. Unlike floor coverings that mimic plank flooring, wood does not become electrified and does not attract dust masses. The wooden coating is resistant to mechanical and chemical influences, and it is also easy to care for it. Such a floor has low thermal conductivity and absorbs noise well.
Grooved floor boards are most often made from species such as larch, oak and pine, less often from more expensive and exotic wood. A board made from beech, oak and ash is considered to be elite - these materials have rich shades, a beautiful textured pattern, as well as excellent performance characteristics.
Having opted for one of the expensive types of wood, it should be remembered that due to the high density, such boards are difficult to process. However, if you install such material correctly, then the floor covering will last a long time without repair.
Floorboards are most often made in the following dimensional parameters:
- product width - from 70 to 135 mm;
- board thickness - 40, 35, 32, 30, 28 and 25 mm;
- length - 2500, 3000, 4500 and 6000 mm.
Summing up the characteristics of the floorboard, it is necessary to highlight the operational features of this material, both its positive and negative sides.
- Ecological purity of the material.
- The ability to improve the microclimate in the premises.
- Ability to withstand high loads.
- Duration of operation - largely depends on the type of wood.
- The ability to insulate the floor, get a barrier against the spread of noise.
- The natural beauty of textured patterns and shades of wood makes any interior more comfortable and elegant.
- The appearance of gaps between the boards due to sudden and frequent changes in temperature or humidity levels in the room.
- Biological degradation of the material, especially if undertreated. Not common to all breeds.
- combustibility of the material.
- The need to periodically update the decorative coating - a layer of paint or varnish.
If a high-quality material is chosen, and its installation is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technology, then it will last a very long time.
Choosing a floor board
It is very important to choose the right board, since both the speed of installation and the durability of the floor depend on its quality. Therefore, you should immediately determine the requirements that must be presented to the purchased material.
The thickness of the board is selected depending on how far the logs will be installed, if this floor design is to be chosen. Say, if the logs are mounted in mm increments, then you should choose a board at least 28 ÷ 30 mm thick. For flooring directly on a rigid base, any reasonable board thickness can be chosen.
In addition, when choosing the width of the board, you need to take into account the planned decoration of the room. The fact is that too narrow or, conversely, a wide board can violate the idea of interior design. In addition, other equally important parameters are taken into account.
Scope of the board
An important role in the choice of material is played by the room in which it will be laid:
- For installation in living rooms, any type of wood can be used. Here you should focus on your financial capabilities.
- For flooring in bath rooms, it is recommended to use linden, aspen or other hardwoods, as softwoods can release resin when heated.
- For boardwalks that will not be protected by walls from moisture, ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes, for example, open gazebos, terraces, etc., durable and dense larch would be the best option.
floor type
By type, floors can be divided into rough and finish (finish flooring) coatings:
- For the subfloor, a board of poor quality is often used, which has defects, since it still serves only for the installation of insulation and will be covered by the main flooring.
- For the front, finishing plank covering, boards with the minimum possible number of flaws are selected. Rejection is recommended to be carried out immediately upon purchase of the material.
Board humidity
One of the most important indicators when choosing wood, in particular - a floorboard, is its moisture content. This is where you should start choosing the material when buying it.
A responsible seller must have a special device - a moisture meter. Its display shows how high the residual moisture content of the wood is. Only a properly dried board will last a long time, without deformation and cracking.
The maximum humidity that is allowed specifically for the floorboard is considered to be 12%, and the optimal level is 8÷10%. Exceeding the maximum norm will greatly complicate the installation work, and then the operation of the floor. Usually it is not possible to avoid deformations, creaking, the appearance of cracks.
Board grade
The floorboard is divided into several grades according to its quality and appearance. By the way, this classification is not affected by the processing technology or the type of wood.
So, the main grades of the floorboard are "A", "B" and "C". However, besides them, there is also the Extra variety. You should also be aware that some manufacturers may label their products as "Economy", "Classic" and "Elite".
- "C" is the lowest grade of material, which can have knots (not dropped out) and cracks in varying amounts. Cracks can be up to 3 mm wide and 300 mm long. Resin "pockets", insect damage or blue stains are allowed on such boards. However, the hardness of the wood must not be reduced. Suitable for subfloor only.
- "B" - this material is also not of high quality. Cracks are allowed on the boards, two or three knots per linear meter of the product, as well as other flaws, but they should not exceed 10% of the total surface. However, Grade "B" boards must be free from insect damage or rot. Suitable for flooring in utility rooms or attics.
- "A" - a grade that is suitable for arranging a finished floor. For this type of material, the presence of two or three small knots per linear meter, minor cracks and other small defects that do not affect the strength and integrity of the board is acceptable. Products are suitable for laying a finishing floor in residential and non-residential premises.
- "Extra" is the highest quality and most expensive material, it must have a perfect even and smooth surface. On such boards, knots, cracks, rot and damage by insects are not allowed. Small cracks are possible at the ends of the board, but their size should not exceed 30 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width.
For flooring, in order to save money without much loss in the quality of the coating, boards of the “transitional” grade are most often used. AB, in the boards of which one face can meet the requirements for AT, the second one is for BUT. Such material is usually found at timber trading bases on BUT and AT not sorted, but sold at a significant discount (relative to the grade BUT). Offers are very profitable!
grooved board 30 mm grade av
Floorboard installation methods
There are several ways of laying plank flooring.
To begin with, we list the technology of laying floorboards:
- on glue;
- with fastening on logs;
- without fixing - "floating" coating.
Now - about the bases on which the plank flooring can be laid:
- on the screed;
- on the old boardwalk;
- on logs installed on a screed or an old wooden floor;
- on plywood.
| Illustration | Brief description of technology |
|---|---|
 | Installation of floorboards on old plank flooring. Before laying a new board, the old floors must be repaired, otherwise they will continue to creak and sag, and with them the new coating. Repair consists in strengthening the old flooring, eliminating creaking and replacing damaged boards or even logs. If the new boards are attached directly to the old ones, they will have to be scraped off so that the surface is perfectly flat. The new plank floor is laid perpendicular to the direction of the old boards. The repaired old coating can also be used as a subfloor, on top of which logs are fixed perpendicular to the boards, and a new board is mounted on them. This option is possible if the room has a high ceiling, as the floors will rise by 60÷80 mm. |
 | Installation of floorboards on plywood, which can be used to level the old wooden floor or screed. On plywood, a new coating can be fixed using self-tapping screws or even the so-called "floating" method, when the boards are fastened only to each other, not fixed to the base. Plywood should be well fixed to the floor with glue or self-tapping screws, the caps of which should be deepened into the wood. |
 | Adhesive laying. This process is similar to the installation of parquet or parquet boards. Naturally, the base for this method of masonry, as well as the board itself, must be perfectly even. For fixing to the base, a special parquet glue is used. The base can be a plywood flooring or a concrete floor leveled with a self-leveling self-levelling compound. |
 | If the base is perfectly leveled with a screed, then a “floating” plank coating can be mounted on it, when the tongue-and-groove boards are fastened only to each other, similar to a laminate. Under such a coating on the base, it is imperative to apply or lay a waterproofing material. Boards can be fastened together using self-tapping screws or nails driven in at their joints at an angle of 45%. The caps of the fasteners go deep into the wood, and then they are covered with putty. |
 | Fastening the board to the logs, between which you can place any insulation material. Logs at the same time can serve as a kind of beacons when leveling, for example, a filled filler of a “dry screed” or other loose insulation. The boards are attached to the joists with self-tapping screws or nails driven in at an angle of 45%. Fasteners are screwed into the end boards or driven in at a right angle. This option can be called the most popular. This technology will be discussed in detail in the table below. |
Installation of a wooden floor along the logs
This is the most common way to install a plank covering, as it is quite simple to perform, and at the same time makes it possible to insulate the base. Moreover, almost any thermal insulation materials can be used as a heater.
For example, if the floors are mounted on the ground (on the ground floor), and there are no particularly strict restrictions in the thickness of the thermal insulation, then it is best to insulate them with expanded clay of a small or medium fraction. This material is not only durable, but it is also avoided by various rodents, which are happy to settle in both mineral wool and polystyrene foam. But this is in the context of today's article - in particular.
So, the work on arranging a wooden floor on logs installed on a concrete base is carried out in this order.
| Illustration | Brief description of the operations performed |
|---|---|
 | Before carrying out installation work, the cleaned surface of the base is checked for evenness. At the same time, differences and the need to level the floor plane with the help of a log are determined. |
 | The next step is waterproofing the foundation. In this case, dense polyethylene is used as a moisture-proof coating. Cloths are laid with an overlap of at least 150 mm. The overlap lines are glued with moisture-resistant adhesive tape. The film is lifted onto the walls, approximately 150 mm, so that it rises above the log and boardwalk by 50 mm. |
 | The next step on the walls is marking the placement of the lag. The optimal distance between the lags is 500 mm, if a thick board of 25 ÷ 30 mm is chosen for the flooring, then this distance can be increased to a maximum parameter of 700 mm. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that from the walls along which the logs will be mounted, they should be taken out by about 100 mm. |
 | Next, the first lag is laid on the base - this is a beam with a section of 65 × 40 mm. It should fall on the highest part of the floor. On the wall, the final height of the floor is measured and marked by level, taking into account its alignment and the thickness of the board. In this case, the height of the floor from the concrete floor should be 120 mm. |
 | On the wall, the master made three marks - the gap between the beam and the wall (an arrow-shaped icon resting on a vertical line, somewhat reminiscent of the letter “K”), the height to which the log beam will be raised and the final height of the boardwalk from the concrete pavement. |
 | To align and raise the logs to the desired height, adjusting wedges are placed under the timber. In this case, plastic wedges were selected, which, when paired with opposite convergence, allow you to very accurately set the height of the lining. The wedges are laid along the entire length of the beam, with a step of about 200÷300 mm. When raising the beam to the desired height, you need to ensure that the waterproofing film remains raised on the wall to the height of the future coating |
 | After placing the timber on the wedges, it is necessary to check the horizontalness of the installation using the building level. After the beam is set, it is necessary to determine the exact height of its installation and transfer this parameter to the opposite side of the wall. This process can be carried out using a water or laser level. |
 | After marking is made on the opposite wall, a second lag is set up along this wall and rises with the help of wedge linings to the desired height. |
 | The next step is to fix the mutual position of the lag and the enclosed wedges with self-tapping screws. |
 | A level is set on the logs laid along opposite walls. If there is not enough length, then the level is put on the rule, or even cords are pulled in 2-3 places in general, which will set the plane. |
 | The rest of the lags are installed between the already mounted ones. Also - with the help of lining-wedges, the upper edge of the beam rises to the laid level or stretched cord. |
 | When the logs are perfectly aligned, they are also attached to the floor surface through wedges. The floor covering is ready. |
 | The next step is the installation of the selected insulation. In this example, mineral wool is used. It is not shown here, but nevertheless, a waterproofing layer will become useful between the insulation and the boardwalk. First, water can be accidentally spilled on the floor. And secondly, you should protect yourself from the penetration of the smallest dust into the premises from fragments of mineral wool fibers. |
 | The first plank board is laid with a 10 mm indent from the wall. It is very important to level the starting board very well, as the quality of the entire flooring will depend on this. |
 | From both walls to the edge of the board, it is necessary to retreat 10 mm. This gap is to compensate for the "movements" of the coating when the temperature or humidity changes, so that deformation does not occur. |
 | When the board is level, it should be fixed, first to the middle lag. The self-tapping screw is screwed into the wall edge of the board. |
 | Then, the position of the board is once again controlled After that, it is fixed to the neighboring middle lag, and then to the rest. |
 | Along the outer edge, the fixed board is fixed to the lags with self-tapping screws, which are screwed in at an angle of 45 degrees through the groove. The heads of the self-tapping screws should be deepened into the wood so that they do not interfere with the installation of the lock spike of the next board. |
 | Further, a second board is installed in the groove of the first board, which should be tightly pressed against the first board, that is, there should not be a gap between them. In order to achieve this, you should knock the second board to the first, and in order not to damage the groove of the second board with a hammer, you need to knock through a wooden beam or another piece of board. |
 | The padding of the second board is carried out along its entire length. When the gap is eliminated, the second board is also fixed from the outside with self-tapping screws to each of the lags. |
 | Thus, the entire plank covering is mounted to the opposite wall. In the course of closing the insulation board, the next row of insulation blocks is laid between the lags. |
 | If at the end of the coating the whole board does not fit, then it should be made narrower. A cut from it is made from the side that will be turned to the wall. To accurately determine the desired width, you will need two boards. One of them is laid on the last board of the coating, aligned with it, and another board is installed on top of it, which should rest against the wall. Then a line is drawn along it, on the bottom board, and a cut will be made along this markup. |
 | The edge cut should be made at a slight angle, as shown in the illustration. Therefore, you should immediately outline the direction of the cut. This forms the ventilation gap necessary for the long-term operation of the coating. |
 | Cutting the board can be done with a jigsaw, or, if possible, with a circular saw. Both of these tools allow cutting at the desired angle. |
 | The finished board should fit freely into the gap between the wall and the penultimate board. |
 | To pull the last board to the rest of the coating, a special tool is used - a doboynik. It is installed in the gap between the last board and the wall with one of its sides, made in the form of a corner, and the other side of the tool is hit with a hammer. The tamping is carried out carefully, starting from the beginning of the board, then in increments of approximately 500 mm. |
 | After the board is lined, it should be fixed along the edge to the joists using vertical self-tapping screws. |
 | Next, you can try on the skirting board - it should completely cover the gap between the wall and the coating. The plinth is fixed only after the floors have been brought to an ideal state. |
 | If the board covering still has gaps at the joints, or cracks directly in the boards themselves, then the floors should be puttied. Putty can be made independently from very small sawdust and varnish on wood. The consistency of the mass should resemble porridge of medium density. The putty is applied using a wide rubber spatula, with which it is literally rubbed into the gaps. |
 | If a high-quality board was used for the flooring, then it will be enough to grind it well with a manual grinder. However, in some cases it is necessary to involve a scraping machine, which will not only scrape the boardwalk, but also grind it. |
 | After sanding, the floors must be vacuumed well so that even fine dust does not remain on them. Next comes the application of varnish or paint. The decorative coating is applied in three or even four layers, each of which must dry well before applying the next. The better the varnish or paint is applied, the higher the resistance of the coating to abrasion will be. |
 | The final step is framing the cover with a plinth. It can only be fixed to the wall, that is, it should not limit the thermal expansion of the coating. First, a hole is drilled in the plinth so that the head of the self-tapping screw is recessed into the wood by 2 ÷ 2.5 mm. The remaining space above the cap is filled with putty, which is polished after drying. Well, then - the plinth is varnished (painted) with a soft brush. |
* * * * * * *
We hope that our article will be useful both in terms of choosing a material for a wooden floor, and as an instruction for self-assembly of the coating.
And yet - a video is offered in which the masters not only share the secrets of technology, but also warn about possible common mistakes.
Video: Installation of a wooden floor - nuances and possible errors
A wooden floor is not only a beautiful surface made of natural material, but also a practical element of any home that will maintain and retain heat in the room. Laying a floorboard refers to a type of construction work that requires appropriate skills and abilities, since wood is a capricious material.
Appearance of the material
To choose the right floorboard, you need to know which tree species have priority in the production of this building material. There are 2 main types of floor boards:
- From coniferous trees, for example, spruce and pine. Such boards have an affordable pricing policy, and are most popular when laying a wooden floor.
- Of the more expensive species: oak, beech, ash. The main differences between these rocks are a longer service life, as well as a beautiful pattern of the finished floor. But when installing oak and beech, difficulties often arise.
The criteria for choosing a floorboard starts with moisture. This is the main parameter, which should not exceed 8%, otherwise, after laying the floor, the wooden coating will dry out and the boards will have to be removed and laid again. Even if the surface of the material is perfectly dry, it still needs to be kept directly on the object for at least 7-9 days before installation.
When choosing boards, the presence of material with knots should be minimized. If there are any, then they should sit tightly in their place, boards with falling knots must be excluded.
Such a parameter as the thickness of the wooden floor (from 25 to 40 mm) should be selected based on the number of logs that are laid on concrete. The larger the lag is located on the floor area, the smaller the thickness of the boards can be chosen.
On what basis should the floorboard be laid?
Floorboards are a versatile type of material designed for laying wood flooring on any type of surface. It could be:
- Concrete floor.
- Plywood lining.
- Logs.
- Wooden or parquet floor.
The basic rule when laying a floorboard is to fill the gap between the wood and the base (even if the laying is done on plywood). Basically, mineral wool is used for this, which also belongs to the category of heaters. Cotton wool does not let in excessive moisture and cold, it can be laid directly on the base, even if it is made of concrete.
The sequence of laying the floorboard
How to fix the floor board? The floor board has a design that is convenient for installation - it is enough to insert the board into specially made grooves and fix it on any surface with self-tapping screws. The main rule is the placement of a wooden floor: the boards must be placed across the movement.
The board mounting sequence is as follows:
Many owners of private houses do not pay too much attention to aesthetics and attach floor elements from above. To partially hide the caps of the screws, they are treated with a sealant. Of course, this method will not add a surface of sophistication, but it is considered more reliable.
Laying the floorboard on the logs
The process of mounting the floorboard on the logs is painstaking and precise, but with some skill it will not take much time. Logs are a wooden beam that is laid along the entire floor. A floorboard is laid across these elements. As a log, you can use not only a specially installed beam, but also ordinary beams from which the second floor is covered.
Before attaching the logs to the base, it is necessary to create conditions for the further operation of the flooring. Humidity and cold penetrating from the concrete floor can significantly reduce the life of even the highest quality floorboard. To prevent this from happening, you should apply the method of laying an additional layer of thermal insulation. The most high-quality and inexpensive type of heat-insulating material is mineral wool. It should be remembered that before laying mineral wool on the base of the concrete floor, it is necessary to put on gloves on your hands.
Insulation laying
Installation of the floorboard and log begins with their careful processing. As an antiseptic, heated drying oil is ideal, in which wax can also be added. Such a composition will preserve the coating and become protection against insects or harmful microorganisms.
The distance between the lags must be left at least 50 cm. Then the wooden coating will be reliable and strong, without any movement of the boards. To fix the lag, you should use standard dowels, it is not necessary to use anchor bolts. Logs are drilled through and a hole is made in the concrete floor. Next, a plastic tip is hammered into the floor, and the self-tapping screw is screwed through the logs into the base of the concrete floor, thus fixing the coating in one place.
Be sure to watch the floor installation video:
There is a way to fix the log using a mortar (not suitable for plywood). It is enough to make a small amount of the solution and pour the logs in several places. The solution will not affect the service life of the timber, but will make the structure sufficiently monolithic.
Laying the floorboard with glue
There is a way to lay the floorboard on the glue. This method is practically no different from ordinary installation on logs, only as fastening elements they use not self-tapping screws, but special construction glue.
Laying the floorboard with glue
As an adhesive, an epoxy composition should be used, which includes the components of the epoxy resin. After hardening, the base of the solution becomes very durable and has a long service life. A replacement for epoxy glue can be a dispersed or polyurethane composition, which is almost as strong as epoxy.
Floor examples
Plank flooring is the perfect solution for creating a feeling of coziness and comfort in the room. Laying the floorboard, you can do it yourself, and perhaps contact the company for services. One such organization is the San Sanych repair company in Moscow.
Considering all the nuances of the room where the laying of the floorboard is planned, several methods can be used:
- Use of lag;
- Use of plywood;
- Using a screed.
Before starting work, the specialists of the repair company will help prepare the floor for laying, organize the correct temperature indicators, as well as the humidity in the room. After coating the surface, the workers will carry out the final processing processes. The price of laying directly depends on the preparation process, the chosen laying technique and the materials used.
Cost of work
Using lag at work
The log is used mainly in those rooms where it is possible to raise the floor level. This method has a number of advantages:
- Significant time savings during work;
- It is possible to place heat and sound insulating materials;
- Can hold wires;
- The floor air circulation is greatly improved.
Among the shortcomings, it can only be noted that with this method, the height of the room decreases.
Use of plywood
Laying on plywood is done only after the floor base has been prepared. Plywood is fastened with screws or dowels. For greater strength, it is possible to use glue. Immediately after the installation of plywood, the surface should be carefully sanded and primed. Then you need to clean up.
Advantages:
- Significantly saves time during installation;
- Immediately after the installation of plywood, it is possible to lay;
- The floor becomes more even.
This type of installation cannot be done independently. But specialists in this type of activity will do everything quickly, reliably and efficiently.
Using a screed at work
When using a concrete screed, you need to make sure that there are no fragments that can peel off. If there are any, then you need to remove them and level the surface. For strength, the concrete screed and boards are connected with a special primer, which includes a two-component adhesive and solvents.
Advantages:
- Simple execution technique;
- Saving money;
- Reliability and durability;
The main disadvantages of this method:
- Long execution associated with the drying of the surface;
- Dirty and wet mounting method.
Professional floor board installation
When deciding on the installation method, do not forget that excessive frugality can lead to rather unfortunate consequences. Among them, the most widespread violation of the geometry of the floor, the appearance of an unpleasant creak and backlash, as well as the loss of wear resistance and aesthetic appearance when using low-quality paintwork or violation of the technology of their application.
In our company, the laying of floor boards is carried out by specialists who are perfectly familiar with the peculiarities of working with wooden coatings, which require a special approach and knowledge.
There is an opinion that the floorboard is a capricious material that requires a considerable amount of effort and attention. In fact, the floor board, like any other material, requires compliance with the rules of storage and installation. You will learn how to properly lay a floorboard in this article.
Foundation preparation
Logs are the traditional basis for a wooden floor. They are made of timber, which is attached to a concrete screed or building floors. Anchor bolts, galvanized corners, self-tapping screws are used as fasteners.
The cross section of the beam depends on the thickness of the floor board and the height of the heat-insulating layer. A layer of thermal insulation is laid between the lags, and a couple of centimeters of free space should remain between it and the floor. When choosing a beam, this requirement must be taken into account.
The floor board in the walk-through rooms is laid in the direction of movement. In bedrooms, children's rooms and living rooms, installation is carried out parallel to the sun's rays penetrating through the window.
Lags are laid perpendicular to the direction of laying the floor board. The optimal distance from the wall is 20-30 cm. The distance between the logs depends on the thickness of the coating and is in the range of 30 cm - 1 m. The thicker and stronger the board being laid, the greater the distance between the logs.
Laying the floor board
Remove the flooring from the packages 2-3 days before installation and leave it indoors so that the wood adapts to the current humidity.
Start the installation by placing the first board with a spike against the wall at a distance of 2-3 cm from it. The same space must be left on all sides. Do not worry about how it will look, the gap will be closed with a plinth.
For fastening, use ordinary or spax screws. The second option is slightly more expensive, but preferable. These fasteners do not require pre-drilling a hole, which speeds up and simplifies the work. It is not recommended to use nails, as they do not provide reliable fixation.
If, when combining the boards, you notice that they do not fit tightly along the entire length, the curved places can be tightened with a jack attached to the logs.
You can fix the board in a spike or in the front surface. For outdoor mounting, the self-tapping screws are slightly recessed in the wood, after which they are closed with plugs. The result of flush mounting looks neater, but less reliable.
Floorboards made of larch and pine, spruce can be purchased from the manufacturer on the website Doska-strogannaja.ru.
Good and warm floor!
The floorboard usually has tongue-and-groove on the side faces, its laying is somewhat more difficult than a conventional non-grooved board, but it provides a strong reliable connection. The technique of laying the floorboard and the amount of preparatory work depends on the base on which it is laid.
Ways of laying the floorboard
The support for the floorboard can serve as:
- concrete base
- Old wooden floor
- Logs installed on any base
- Bearing wooden structures (beams) of interfloor, attic floors
- Sheet plywood screed
Laying on logs is good because it does not require additional costs of materials and time for plywood flooring. In addition, insulation can be laid between the lags. But this method is not suitable for rooms with low ceilings. On top of the floor beams, it is first laid or plywood, OSB, and then a finishing floor board is laid.
To attach the board to the base are used:
- When laying on logs - self-tapping screws or nails
- When laying on a plywood base - self-tapping screws or glue and self-tapping screws
The floorboard is usually laid in a straight line, parallel to the walls. In rooms, laying is carried out perpendicular to the wall with a window, in rooms with high traffic - parallel to the direction of movement. The floorboard can be laid both staggered and without displacement of the elements. When laying boards with an offset, they must be cut into fragments of the desired length so that the ends are strictly perpendicular to other faces.
Important Points
As a rule, the installation of a finished floor from a floorboard is carried out after other types of repair work have been completed. When laying it, you must follow a number of rules:
- Humidity of the base (subfloor) should not exceed 12%, log - 18%
- Boards should have a moisture content of 12-16%
- The optimal range of air humidity in the room is 40-60%, temperature - 17-25 °
- Before laying, the boards must be unpacked and kept for 2-3 days in an acclimatization room.
In the absence of a moisture meter, the moisture content of the board can be estimated by a number of indirect signs. If the packaging film is fogged up from the inside, the board is too damp, excess moisture can also be felt to the touch with the palm of your hand. Dry boards, when tapped, make a sonorous sound and have a slight sheen, wet boards respond with a dull sound and have a matte finish.
Laying on logs
Laying the floorboard on the logs is preceded by the installation of the logs themselves on the prepared base.
Training
If the base is compacted soil, not covered with a layer of screed, then the logs are mounted on brick columns at least 20 cm high, covered with pieces of roofing material. The columns can also be made from oak, larch, treated with antiseptic and bitumen. On the ground floor, waterproofing and insulation of the base are required, they are usually used.
Logs are also necessarily treated with an antiseptic, they are usually attached to the base with anchor bolts, less often they are fixed with mastic. The minimum distance between the lags for laying a massive board is 50 cm, spliced - 40 cm, the thicker the board, the greater the step can be. Logs must be mounted perpendicular to the direction of laying the floorboards.
If the base is uneven, the joists can be leveled with pads, but it is better to use adjustable ones. A heater is laid between the lags, its thickness should be slightly less than the height of the lags, so that a gap for ventilation is formed between it and the floor. The insulation is covered with a layer of vapor barrier. It is recommended to lay a sound-absorbing substrate between the lags and boards.
Laying
After completing the preparatory work, you can proceed directly to laying the board, observing a number of rules.
- The first board is laid indented from the wall by 1-2 cm. A similar gap to compensate for thermal expansion must be left around the entire perimeter. Can be studded or grooved to the wall
- After attaching the first board to the lags, the second one moves towards it, the spike is inserted into the groove, the second board is knocked out with a mallet through the bar until a gap of no more than 1 mm remains between the floorboards, wedges can be used for maximum compaction
- If the length of the boards is not enough to cover the entire room, or they are stacked apart, the joints must necessarily fall in the middle of the lags, this must be taken into account when sawing
- The last board is sawn in width in such a way that after laying it, the necessary compensation gap is formed. A clamp is used to tamp it
If the tongue is not perfectly shaped, the connection is prevented by burrs, they must be ground. The connection may deteriorate due to the slight curvature of the boards, in this case the spikes and grooves are smeared with glue and the boards are pressed with a clamp, the ends are also glued. If insufficiently dry boards are laid, only every 4th or 5th floorboard is attached to the joists. After about six months, this fastener is removed, and the boards are mounted according to all the rules.
Laying a grooved floorboard has much in common with a Lock type lock, only the laminate cannot be laid directly on the logs, it needs a solid base under it. Another important difference is that the boards are additionally fastened with hardware. Self-tapping screws are used as fasteners, the length of which is twice the thickness of the board, or nails are three times longer than its thickness.
Self-tapping screws are preferable, they are resistant to corrosion and reliably recessed, and nail heads can protrude above the surface over time. The optimal diameter of self-tapping screws is 4-4.5 mm. Holes are pre-drilled under standard self-tapping screws in the floorboards so that the wood does not split when the hardware is screwed in.
Special floorboard screws with a small cutter at the end can be screwed in immediately. The number of fasteners at each junction of the board with the joist depends on the width of the board. For narrow ones (90 mm), one hardware is enough, driven in or screwed in the middle, with a width of 90-135 mm, fastening is carried out at 2 points, 150 mm and more - at 3.
In the first row, fastening is carried out near the wall and the fasteners will be covered with skirting boards, so it can be screwed in vertically. In subsequent rows, one of 2 methods is used:
- Fasteners are screwed (hammered) at an angle of 45 ° into the tongue, this method is better suited for fairly thick boards. Hidden fastening gives floors a more aesthetic appearance, but less secure
- The holes are countersinked with a countersink, the hats are sunk deeper and covered with sealant on top
Laying on plywood flooring
Plywood flooring can be done over a concrete base, an old wooden floor, and sometimes over logs. The process of laying the floorboard on it is the same in all cases, only the preparatory work differs.
A concrete base with a moisture content of not more than 3% is waterproofed, if necessary, irregularities are eliminated. Sheets of plywood are cut into strips 40-60 cm wide, laid apart, with an indent of 10 mm from the walls, a gap of 3 mm between the sheets. For fastening to the base, screws, dowels are used in the amount of 15 pieces per m².
Laying on an old floor is acceptable if it is strong enough. It is pre-reviewed, rotten, destroyed floorboards are replaced, loosened ones are fixed, if necessary, protrusions are cut off with a planer, the base is polished and dust-free. It is advisable to lay a polyethylene foam underlay on top of the subfloor for thermal and waterproofing.
For a sheet screed on a wooden base, plywood 12 mm thick is enough, it is fastened with self-tapping screws. When arranging a plywood base under a floorboard, it is important to carefully embed the fastener caps. After installation of the flooring, its surface is polished, cleaned of dust.
If the plank subfloor is capable of withstanding a significant load and the laying direction of the finish coat is perpendicular to the direction of the subfloor boards, the board can be laid directly on top of them. Fastening is carried out by analogy with lags.
Boards can be fastened to a plywood base with self-tapping screws, as well as to logs, but parquet glue is usually used, and self-tapping screws provide additional fixation. Plywood must be treated with a primer before applying the adhesive. The primer composition must be combined with glue, dispersed glue can only be applied to a dispersed primer, soluble with synthetic resins - to a soluble one. One-component polyurethane adhesives have the widest compatibility.
Also, when choosing glue, you need to consider the size of the boards and the type of wood:
- Short, up to 50 cm boards can be glued with almost any composition (epoxy, polyurethane, dispersed, soluble)
- For large-sized boards, plastic and durable compounds are suitable - based on MS-polymers and polyurethane
- For exotic and moisture-sensitive wood species (teak, lapacho, beech), water-based dispersions are not suitable
Laying on glue is carried out in accordance with the instructions for a specific adhesive composition.
Regardless of the basis on which the floorboard was laid, at the final stage it is necessary to repair small defects with putty (if any), and process the coating with a grinder. Grinding by hand is also acceptable, but this is a more time-consuming process. After grinding and cleaning the surface around the perimeter, skirting boards are installed. Depending on the type of board, the floor is painted or covered with oil, varnish.
Video
Arrangement of the floor from a massive board along the logs from the installation of the log to the finishing of the coating
Outcome
The floorboard can be laid on logs or a solid base. On top of the concrete screed, a plywood substrate is necessarily made; on a solid and even rough wooden floor, the board can be laid without a substrate, but the direction of the rough and finishing floorboards must be mutually perpendicular. Any base under the floorboard must be flat, without height differences.
It is important to lay a well-dried board on a dry base with waterproofing, observe the temperature and humidity conditions during the laying process, and do not forget about the expansion gaps around the perimeter. The boards are connected to each other with the help of tongues, and fastening to the base - with the help of self-tapping screws (less often nails). Adhesive laying is possible on a solid plywood base, which does not preclude the use of self-tapping screws.
Loading...