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Laying floorboards in an apartment on a screed. Nuances of floorboard laying technology. Video: laying floorboards using clamps

Despite the variety of flooring materials, plank flooring will probably never lose its fans. Both the selection and installation of floorboards require certain knowledge, which must be obtained by deciding to carry out the installation work yourself. Therefore, in the sections of this article we will consider different variants floor arrangement, as well as what you need to pay attention to when choosing a material.

General information, advantages and disadvantages

Solid wood is a durable, strong, environmentally friendly material. The tree has unique properties of releasing phytoncides into the environment that can suppress the development of various bacteria. Unlike floor coverings that imitate plank, wood does not become electrified and does not attract dust. The wooden covering is resistant to mechanical and chemical influences, and is also easy to care for. This floor has low thermal conductivity and absorbs noise well.

Tongue and groove floorboards are most often made from species such as larch, oak and pine, less often from more expensive and exotic wood. Boards made from beech, oak and ash are considered elite - these materials have rich shades, a beautiful textured pattern, as well as excellent performance characteristics.

Having chosen one of the expensive types of wood, you should remember that due to their high density, such boards are difficult to process. However, if you install such material correctly, the floor covering will last a long time without repair.

Floorboards are most often manufactured 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 should be highlighted operational features this material, both its positive and negative sides.

Environmental friendliness of the material.
The ability to improve the indoor microclimate.
Ability to withstand high loads.
Duration of operation largely depends on the type of wood.
The ability to insulate the floor and provide a barrier against the spread of noise.
The natural beauty of textured patterns and wood shades makes any interior more comfortable and elegant.

The appearance of gaps between boards due to sudden and frequent changes in temperature or humidity level in the room.
Biological decomposition of the material, especially if insufficiently processed. Not typical for all breeds.
Flammability 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 according to the requirements of the technology, then it will last a very long time.

Choosing a board for flooring

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 placed on the purchased material.

The thickness of the board is selected depending on the distance at which the logs will be installed if this floor design is to be chosen. For example, if the logs are installed 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 selected.

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 a board that is too narrow or, conversely, wide can disrupt the interior design plan. In addition, other equally important parameters are taken into account.

Application area of the board

An important role when choosing a material is played by which room it will be laid in:

Any type of wood can be used for installation in living rooms. Here you should focus on your financial capabilities.
For flooring in bathhouses, it is recommended to use linden, aspen or other deciduous wood, since coniferous wood 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., the best option there will be a strong and dense larch.

Floor type

By type, floors can be divided into rough and finishing (finish flooring) coatings:

For the subfloor, low-quality boards that have defects are often used, since it still serves only for installing insulation and will be covered by the main flooring.
For the front, finishing board covering, boards with the minimum possible number of flaws are selected. It is recommended to carry out rejection immediately upon purchasing the material.

Board humidity

One of the most important indicators when choosing wood, in particular floorboards, is its moisture content. This is where you should start when choosing a material when purchasing it.

A responsible seller must have a special device - a moisture meter. Its display shows how high the residual moisture in the wood is. Only properly dried boards will last a long time, without deformation or cracking.

The maximum humidity that is allowed specifically for a floorboard is considered to be 12%, and the optimal level is 8÷10%. Exceeding the maximum norm will significantly complicate the installation work and then the operation of the floor. Usually it is not possible to avoid deformations, creaking, and the appearance of cracks.

Board grade

Floorboards are divided into several grades according to their quality and appearance. By the way, this classification is not affected by processing technology or wood type.

So, the main types of floorboards 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 may have knots (not fallen out) and cracks in different quantities. Cracks can reach 3 mm in width and 300 mm in length. These boards may have resin pockets, insect damage, or blue stains. However, the hardness of the wood should not be reduced. Suitable for subfloors only.
“B” - this material is also not of high quality. The boards are allowed to have cracks, two or three knots per linear meter of the product, as well as other flaws, but they should amount to no more than 10% of the common surface. However, grade B boards should not be damaged by insects or rot. Suitable for flooring in utility rooms or attics.

“A” is a grade that is suitable for finishing 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 are acceptable. The products are suitable for laying finished floors in residential and non-residential premises.

“Extra” is the highest quality and most expensive material; it must have a perfectly flat and smooth surface. Such boards are not allowed to have knots, cracks, rot or damage by insects. 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, “transitional” grade boards are most often used AB, in boards of which one face can meet the requirements for IN, the second is for A. Such material is usually found at timber trading centers at A And IN is not sorted, but is sold at a significant discount (relative to the variety A). The offers can be very profitable!

tongue and groove board 30 mm grade AB

Methods for installing floorboards

There are several ways to lay plank flooring.

To begin with, let's list the floorboard laying technology:

for glue;
with mounting on logs;
without fastening - “floating” coating.

Now - about the bases on which the board covering can be laid:

on the screed;
on old plank flooring;
on logs installed on a screed or an old wooden floor;
on plywood.

Illustration	Short description technologies
	Installation of floorboards on old plank flooring. Before laying new boards, old floors must be repaired, otherwise they will continue to creak and sag, and along with them, the new covering. Repairs involve strengthening the old deck, eliminating squeaks, and replacing damaged boards or even joists. If new boards are attached directly to 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 planks. The repaired old covering 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, since the floors will rise by 60÷80 mm.
	Installation of floorboards on plywood, which can be used to level an old wooden floor or screed. The new coating can be fixed to plywood using self-tapping screws or even the so-called “floating” method, when the boards are fastened only to each other, without being fixed to the base. The plywood must be well secured to the floor using glue or self-tapping screws, the heads of which must be recessed into the wood.
	Laying with glue. This process is similar to installing parquet or parquet boards. Naturally, the base for this method of masonry, as well as the board itself, must be perfectly flat. For fixation to the base, special parquet glue is used. The base can be a plywood flooring or a concrete floor leveled with a self-leveling self-leveling compound.
	If the base is perfectly leveled with a screed, then a “floating” plank covering 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, a waterproofing material must be applied or laid on the base. The 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 are deepened into the wood and then covered with putty.
	Fastening the board onto logs, between which you can place any insulating material. The logs can simultaneously serve as a kind of beacons when leveling, for example, filled-in “dry screed” filler 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 or driven into the outer boards at right angles. This option can be called the most popular. It is this technology that we will consider in detail in the table below.

Installation of plank floors along joists

This is the most common method of installing plank coverings, as it is quite simple to implement and at the same time makes it possible to insulate the base. Moreover, almost any thermal insulation materials can be used as insulation.

For example, if floors are installed on the ground (on the ground floor), and there are no particularly strict restrictions on the thickness of thermal insulation, then it is best to insulate them with fine or medium-fraction expanded clay. This material is not only durable, but it is also avoided by various rodents who happily live in both mineral wool and polystyrene foam. But this is in the context of today’s article – in particular.

So, work on arranging a wooden floor using joists installed on a concrete base is carried out in this order.

Illustration	Brief description of the operations performed
	Before 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 using logs are determined.
	Next comes the stage of waterproofing the base. In this case, dense polyethylene is used as a moisture-proof coating. The canvases are laid with an overlap of no less than 150 mm. The overlap lines are taped with moisture-resistant tape. The film is lifted onto the walls by approximately 150 mm, so that it rises above the joists and boarding by 50 mm.
	The next step is to mark the placement of joists on the walls. The optimal distance between the logs 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 of 700 mm. At the same time, it should be taken into account that they should be placed approximately 100 mm away from the walls along which the logs will be mounted.
	Next, the first log is laid on the base - this is a beam with a section of 65x40 mm. It should be 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 leveling and the thickness of the board. In this case, the height of the floor from the concrete floor should be 120 mm.
	The master made three marks on the wall - 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 covering.
	To level and raise the logs to the desired height, adjusting wedges are placed under the beam. In this case, plastic wedges were chosen, which, when brought together in pairs, make it possible to very accurately set the height of the lining. The wedges are laid along the entire length of the beam, in increments of about 200÷300 mm.. When raising the timber to the required 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, be sure to check the horizontal installation using a building level. After the beam is installed, 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 level or a laser level.
	After markings have been made on the opposite wall, a second joist is placed along this wall and raised using wedge pads to the required height.
	The next step is to use self-tapping screws to fix the relative position of the lags and the placed wedges.
	A level is installed on the logs laid along opposite walls. If there is not enough length, then the level is set on the rule, or even cords are stretched in 2-3 places, which will set the plane.
	The remaining logs are installed between the already installed ones. Also, with the help of wedge linings, the upper edge of the beam is raised to the laid level or tensioned cord.
	When the logs are perfectly level, they are also attached to the floor surface through wedges. The sheathing for the flooring is ready.
	The next step is to lay the selected insulation. In this example, mineral wool is used. Not shown here, but still, between the insulation and the boardwalk, a layer of waterproofing would be useful. Firstly, water may be accidentally spilled on the floor. And secondly, you should protect yourself from the penetration of the finest dust from fragments of mineral wool fibers into the premises.
	The first board of the plank covering is laid with a distance of 10 mm from the wall. It is very important to level the starting board very well, since the quality of the entire flooring will depend on this
	It is necessary to retreat 10 mm from both walls to the edge of the board. This gap is to compensate for the “movements” of the coating when temperature or humidity changes, so that deformation does not occur.
	When the board is leveled, it should be fixed, first to the middle joist. The self-tapping screw is screwed into the wall edge of the board.
	Then, the position of the board is controlled again After which it is fixed to the adjacent middle lag, and then to the others.
	Along the outer edge, the fixed board is secured to the joists with self-tapping screws, which are screwed at an angle of 45 degrees through the groove. The heads of the screws should be deepened into the wood so that they do not interfere with the installation of the locking tenon of the next board.
	Next, a second board is installed in the groove of the first board, which should be pressed tightly against the first board, that is, there should be no gap left between them. In order to achieve this, the second board should be tapped to the first, and in order not to damage the groove of the second board with a hammer, the tamping should be done through wooden beam or another piece of board.
	The second board is tapped along its entire length. When the gap is closed, the second board is also fixed from the outside with self-tapping screws to each of the joists.
	In this way, the entire plank covering is installed up to the opposite wall. As the insulation board is covered, the next row of insulation blocks is laid between the joists.
	If at the end of the covering the whole board does not fit, then it should be made narrower. The cut from it is made from the side that will be turned towards the wall. To accurately determine the desired width, you will need two boards. One of them is laid on the last board of the covering, 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 the cut will be made along this marking.
	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 creates a ventilation gap necessary for long-term operation of the coating.
	Cutting the board can be done using a jigsaw, or, if possible, 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 covering, a special tool is used - a hammer. 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 struck 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 screws.
	Next, you can try on the baseboard - it should completely cover the gap between the wall and the covering. The plinth is attached only after the floors are brought to perfect condition.
	If the plank covering still has gaps at the joints, or cracks directly in the boards themselves, then the floors should be puttied. You can make your own putty from very fine sawdust and wood varnish. The consistency of the mass should resemble medium thick porridge. The putty is applied using a wide rubber spatula, with which it is literally rubbed into the gaps.
	If used for flooring quality board, then it will be enough to sand it well using a hand-held sanding machine. However, in some cases it is necessary to involve a scraping machine, which will not only scrape the board covering, but also grind it.
	After sanding, the floors need to be vacuumed thoroughly 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 abrasion resistance of the coating will be.
	The final stage is framing the covering with plinths. It can only be attached to the wall, that is, it should not limit the thermal expansion of the coating. First, a hole is drilled in the baseboard so that the head of the screw is recessed into the wood by 2÷2.5 mm. The remaining space above the cap is filled with putty, which is sanded after drying. Well, then the baseboard is coated with varnish (paint) using a soft brush.

* * * * * * *

We hope that our article will be useful both in terms of choosing a material for a plank floor, and as instructions for self-installation of the covering.

And one more thing - a video is offered in which the masters not only share the secrets of the technology, but also warn about possible common mistakes.

Video: Installation of a plank floor - nuances and possible mistakes

Floorboards have been used in construction for a long time. It is used not only in private houses, but also in apartments. It is equipped with milling cutters that allow you to securely connect products to each other. Sometimes laying a floor causes certain difficulties, however, they can be avoided if all technological rules are followed.

Advantages and disadvantages of floorboards

The popularity of floorboards is due to the fact that they have a number of advantages. These include:

service life - if you regularly care for the floor surface, it will last for several decades;
environmental safety - all planks are made of natural material;
antiallergic and antihistamine properties, which will be maintained if the surface is not varnished;
strength - when installed correctly, floorboards can withstand heavy loads;
low thermal conductivity, thanks to which the floors maintain their temperature for a long time;
low cost - the cost of a floorboard is much less than the price of laminate or parquet flooring.

Laying floorboards can help you save a lot of money

This material also has its disadvantages, but there are not many of them:

exposed to rotting - wooden products begin to deteriorate due to prolonged exposure to moisture;
wears out quickly - the problem arises when the floor surface is not periodically varnished;
poor sound insulation.

Main characteristics

Most often, floorboards are made from coniferous trees: cedar, spruce, larch, pine. Expensive products made from beech, oak, ash. However, not everyone recommends using them for flooring, as installation is complicated due to their high density.

During installation use floorboard thickness from 1.5 to 4.5 cm. Their average width is 5–7 cm and length – 100–500 cm. The hardness of the material is determined using the Brinell method and is about 7.

This figure is quite high and therefore the boards can cope with any load.

There are several classes of material that differ in their quality. Top class products have beautiful drawing, smooth surface and high strength. They should be used in rooms with high humidity levels:

saunas;
bathrooms;

Boards of the second and third grade also have a pronounced pattern, but are much cheaper.

The best way to lay floorboards

Laying on joists

To understand how to properly install a floor, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this process. The technology of laying floorboards on joists consists of several stages.

Fixing lags

First, you need to take care of protecting the boards from moisture: a waterproofing layer is made from roofing felt and mastic. The roofing material is laid on the mastic close to the wall, after which the logs can be laid. To fix them, staples, dowels, and screws are used.

Wooden beams must meet the following requirements:

Their horizontal surfaces must be in the same plane.
When leveling the plank, it is trimmed a little and special pads are placed under the base.
The distance between the joists should not exceed 55 cm. However, it can be slightly increased by using thick floorboards.
The joists must be laid so that they lie perpendicular to the floorboard.

Fastening boards

When installing the floor on the joists, the planks are fixed at a distance of 2–4 cm from the ceiling.

This is done due to the fact that over time the size of products changes under the influence of temperature changes. When laying floorboards on joists, you need to consider the following nuances:

If they are attached using self-tapping screws, then their length should be several times greater than the thickness of the planks.
To install floorboards with a thickness of 30–40 mm, it is necessary to use self-tapping screws with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of about 80 mm.
Narrow planks must be secured with one self-tapping screw or nail located in the center.
Wider products are fixed using several fasteners.
Before screwing in the screws, you need to pre-drill a hole in the strip.

Having secured the first floorboard, you should begin installing the second. It is placed next to it and moved to shift the groove with the tenon. Sometimes the tenon does not immediately fit into the groove and you have to use a mallet. After this, the plank is fixed with self-tapping screws.

The last board on the floor is laid after measuring the distance from the wall to the penultimate floorboard. This is done to prepare a strip of the required width.

After all the planks have been laid, you need to perform the following steps:

Check the floor for unevenness and eliminate them by scraping.
Cover the surface with a thin layer of varnish, this will reveal areas that were not sanded.
Install the baseboard.
Cover the floor with paint, oil, wax - they will protect its surface and give it respectability.

Laying on plywood

Laying floorboards on plywood is used if it is not possible to use logs. Quite often the method is used in rooms with low ceilings and concrete floor. Laying the boards is carried out in several stages.

Surface preparation

First, using a moisture meter, the surface humidity is checked, which should not exceed 3–4%.

In case of absence special device, you can use traditional methods. Place a small piece of cellophane on the floor and secure it with tape. At high humidity Drops of water will begin to appear on it during the day.

If the concrete screed turns out to be dry, then it is coated with a primer in two layers, after which a film is placed on top. This will protect the plywood from moisture coming from the concrete.

Installation

Moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of about 20 mm is used as a substrate. It is cut into several pieces no more than 400 mm wide and laid on the floor. The distance between the walls and plywood sheets should be 10–15 mm. The material is attached to the concrete with dowels and screws. In this case, their heads must be recessed, the surface must be perfectly flat.

To fix the short strips, polyurethane and epoxy resins are used.

Longer boards are attached with a special glue made from these resins. When using planks made of beech and other exotic trees, do not use water-soluble glue.

The process of connecting the boards together is the same as when attaching them to the joists.

Many people turn to special organizations for help when laying floorboards. However, installing floorboards yourself is not that difficult. To understand how to lay boards, you need to carefully study the features of their installation.

There is an opinion that floorboards are a capricious material that requires a considerable amount of effort and attention. In fact, floorboards, like any other material, require compliance with storage and installation rules. You will learn how to lay a floorboard correctly from this article.

Preparing the base

The traditional basis for a wooden floor is logs. They are made of timber, which is attached to the concrete screed or floors of the building. Anchor bolts, galvanized corners, and self-tapping screws are used for fastening.

The cross-section of the beam depends on the thickness of the floor board and the height of the thermal insulation layer. A layer of thermal insulation is laid between the joists, and a couple of centimeters of free space should remain between it and the floor. When choosing timber, this requirement must be taken into account.

Floor boards in passage rooms are laid in the direction of movement. In bedrooms, children's rooms and living rooms, installation is carried out in parallel sun rays penetrating through the window.

The joists are laid perpendicular to the direction of laying the floor boards. 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 allowed between the logs.

Laying the floor board

Remove the flooring from the packaging 2 - 3 days before installation and leave it in the room so that the wood adapts to the current humidity.

Begin installation by placing the first board with its tongue facing the wall at a distance of 2-3 cm from it. The same space must be left on all sides. Don't worry about how it will look, the gap will be covered by the baseboard.

For fastening, use regular or spax self-tapping screws. The second option is a little more expensive, but preferable. These fasteners do not require pre-drilling a hole, making work quicker and easier. The use of nails is not recommended, 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 using a jack attached to the joists.

The board can be fastened into a tenon or into the front surface. For external installation, the screw heads are slightly recessed into the wood and then closed with plugs. The result of hidden installation looks neater, but is less reliable.

Floorboards made of larch, pine, and spruce can be purchased from the manufacturer on the website Doska-strogannaja.ru.

Have a nice and warm floor!

Few people will argue with the fact that the floors in the house should be not only beautiful, but also environmentally friendly, and for this you need to be able to lay the floorboard correctly. This material is becoming increasingly popular, and there is nothing strange about this - the floorboard has a long service life and is attractive. appearance, ease of care, resistance to moisture and temperature changes. You can lay a high-quality floorboard with your own hands if you follow certain rules; this is also possible for beginners.

The floorboard can be laid in two ways: on wooden joists, and you can also glue it (you can use screws instead of glue) to a surface that has been prepared in advance. To do this you will need the following tools:

Belt sander.
Bolts, screws and self-tapping screws.
Screwdriver.
Hammer.
Roulette.
Hacksaw.

How to lay a floorboard on joists?

If the house has wooden interfloor ceilings or high ceilings, it is recommended to use this method. But it must be taken into account that it is permissible to use a floorboard whose thickness is at least 30 mm.

When installation is carried out on the ground floor of a building, it is necessary to lay a waterproofing layer. You can lay roofing felt, you need to overlap the walls and solder the joints.
Now we need to start installing the logs, for this you can use wooden beams, the cross-section of which should be 50-70 mm, they must be treated with an antiseptic. As for the pitch distance between the joists, it should be approximately 65-70 cm if the width of the floorboard is no more than 35 mm.
The soundproofing layer is also important point, for this you can use expanded clay, mineral wool. In order for the effect to be greater, you can use a backing made of padding polyester, laminate or glassine.
Laying of floorboards should be carried out forward with a comb towards the master. The first board is fastened with self-tapping screws where the baseboard will cover, and the fasteners that remain are screwed at an angle into the ridge of the board. If the boards are short, then they are located on the joists.
Now it’s time to sand and varnish the floor. The floorboard is sanded in 3 directions. After sanding is completed, the pile should be raised on the wood. As for the primer, 3 coats should be applied, but each one must be sanded. It is best to use fine-grained sandpaper for this.
The floorboard must be coated with varnish, which has increased durability. It is necessary to apply at least 2 layers.

How is installation done with glue?

For this purpose, you can use only those boards that are perfectly smooth. They should be fastened with self-tapping screws, and the holes remaining after fastening should be closed with special plugs. This method is preferably used where the ceilings are not very high.

In order for such work to be carried out in reality high level, you need to choose the appropriate glue. If the planks are short (no more than 50 cm), then any glue can be used. Dispersion adhesive is not suitable for beech boards and exotic wood species.

If the boards are long, it is recommended to use glue that has a two-component epoxy-polyurethane composition, which contains synthetic resins.

Whatever glue is used, it must be strong and flexible.

It is permissible to lay boards on an existing floor, if it has the necessary stability; first of all, the floor is sanded grinder. It is permissible to use a special moisture-proof film, which is made from foamed polyethylene. It is used in cases where the moisture-resistant and heat-insulating qualities of the floor are insufficient. You can also first cover the floor with plywood, the sheets of which should not exceed a thickness of 12 mm, it should be sanded most thoroughly.

If the boards are placed on a concrete base, then care must be taken to provide a waterproofing layer. To do this, it is permissible to use primer mastic or foamed polyethylene; the mastic should be applied with a roller. It happens that the mastic is very thick, then you need to use a solvent. If you have a plywood base, then you need to choose plywood that is at least 18 mm thick. Plywood sheets must be secured to the concrete with screws or dowels, the sheets are laid diagonally, after which they are sanded with a belt sander.

Features of laying floorboards

Before installation, the boards should be removed from the packaging and left for some time where the work process will be carried out. It is necessary that the boards lie there for at least 10-14 days. Thus, there is no fear that the floor will be deformed.

Such boards should be attached to the base of the floor using self-tapping screws, their caps should be recessed into the grooves by a couple of millimeters. As for the holes for fasteners, you should take care of them in advance. It must be taken into account that even if the floorboard is laid on a flat base, there is no moisture-proof film and parquet glue is used, reinforcement with self-tapping screws is still necessary. The boards must be adjacent to each other with maximum density, for this wedges must be used , a gap of 10 mm should be left between them and the walls.

Owners who want to install new or replace old flooring have dozens of methods and types of materials at their disposal. Each of them has priority qualities and disadvantages. Despite significant technological and technical advantages In progressive floor design schemes, many owners are attracted by the laying of floorboards as a practical, environmentally friendly, durable material.

Wood created by nature is a rather “capricious” material, but it is precisely it that helps optimize the microclimate in housing. Its installation causes a number of difficulties, however, if the technological rules are observed, the floors equipped with the help serve faithfully and do not cause any complaints.

Warm floors made from natural wood do not pollute the air with toxic volatile components and even ionize it. Wood retains heat, maintains a moisture level favorable for people, and does not allow negative sound to pass through.

Types of substrates suitable for laying floorboards

The plank floor can be installed over any type of ceiling and over support pillars with lags. The following can be used as a base for installing floorboards:

concrete floors with leveling polymer or concrete screed;
logs installed on top of any ceiling with or without a leveling layer or laid on brick supports;
moisture-resistant plywood;
old wooden floor or rough rolling made of grade 2-3 lumber.

Installation of a wooden floor most often completes the entire complex of arrangement work; it is performed only in a room equipped with windows and door structures. The floorboard reacts sharply to excess humidity - laying it is not permissible if the humidity level of the finished walls and leveling screed is more than 12%. Wood will also be deformed if the humidity of the air mass in the room being finished is more than 60%; the boards will shrink and crack if the humidity is less than 40%.

Construction of a plank floor laid on a concrete floor slab

Advice. Lumber for the floor must be unpacked three days before attaching the boards. The boards can be laid without nailing them to the rough surface, or simply left in the room to “get used to” the surrounding atmosphere.

Installation of plank floors using joists

The most common scheme for installing plank floors. Lags ( wooden blocks with a rectangular cross-section) can be attached to the rough base using adhesive mastics or self-tapping screws. Lay them perpendicular to the direction of the floorboard.

After installation, the system constructed from timber is leveled by planing the excesses and placing wood chips under the low areas. You can lay joists using an innovative, high-speed method, using timber equipped with height adjustment devices.

Installation of plank floors on joists

Moisture-resistant plywood base

Hydrophobic impregnated plywood can be laid on any type of sub-base, including joists, if additional strengthening of the multi-layer floor structure is required. Standard installation floorboard on top of plywood precedes the leveling of the rough base.

Sheets of plywood, cut into longitudinal segments, are installed in a diagonal direction relative to the laying of the board. Fastening is done with dowels or screws. Technological seams are left between the plywood sheets and around the perimeter of the room being furnished.

Scheme for installing boards on plywood: 1. rough base; 2. insulating substrate; 3. moisture-resistant plywood; 4. flooring - boards

Note. The plywood can simply be glued to the screed, to the leveled cement or cement prepared for installation. wooden floor. Those who prefer adhesive technology must definitely select an adhesive composition that is compatible with the type of roughing base and insulating materials.

After completing the laying of plywood sheets, its surface is sanded, then the dust and dirt formed during sanding are completely removed. Before installing the boards, primer is applied, after which the floorboard is fastened. Then again sanding, processing with varnish, paint or oil.

Installing a board over an existing floor

Before laying, check the reliability of fastening of the elements of the old floor covering, duplicate the untrustworthy fasteners, and, if necessary, dismantle worn boards, instead of which inexpensive pine lumber can be laid.

Important. When installing boards over an old plank floor, they must be laid perpendicular to the direction of the worn coating.

Installing floorboards using glue

Finishers strongly recommend dismantling the old boards and making a screed. However, if the reliability of the base is beyond doubt, you can do without it, but with preliminary grinding. There is another way: installing sheets of plywood on old boards.

Insulation and waterproofing of such a floor

The floors in the premises of the first floors must be insulated unconditionally. Events can only be canceled if there is a heated basement. Vapor-permeable insulation materials are preferred as thermal insulation materials: fiberglass, basalt wool. Thermal insulation material laid between joists and covered with a layer of vapor-permeable waterproofing.

Important. Between the lower plane of the plank floor with joists and the surface of the layer, arranged for the purpose of waterproofing and insulation, it is necessary to leave a ventilation gap 2-4 cm high.

Insulation of the floors of the first floors must be done

It is advisable to protect a multi-layer floor structure covered with boards from moisture coming from the basement or found in the floor materials. To do this, use a waterproofing membrane with a high vapor permeability (at least 800 g/m2). Free circulation of vapors will protect the wood from rot. Therefore, polyethylene film, which does not allow steam to pass through, is not recommended for installing natural organic floors.

Sometimes you don't need to completely redo an old wooden floor, just renovate it and save money. You can learn more about how to properly seal cracks in the floor in the material:.

What wood is best to use?

The most durable wood for flooring is considered to be Siberian larch and oak. They steadfastly hold the line in the face of all the adversity that befalls them. Boards made from softer aspen or alder are placed in rooms with little traffic: in children's rooms, in rest rooms. Lumber from pine, fir, and spruce is rarely used for flooring. Most often they are used to construct a ramp, a rough foundation for finishing material.

The geometric parameters of lumber are selected taking into account the personal preferences of future owners. Based on strength criteria, they often prefer boards with a thickness of 40 mm. However, it should be remembered that when buying thick, rather expensive boards, you should not save money by cutting costs by purchasing raw material. A thick floorboard that has not been kiln-dried can cause the screws to “fly out.”

2nd grade lumber - boards with knots and a bright structural pattern

The choice of a certain grade of lumber depends on the purpose of the room, the goals of the owners and the intended methods of subsequent finishing. High-quality products have a smooth surface with a beautiful structural pattern, which after installation can only be opened with varnish. There are lovers of the natural beauty of wood with a pattern of knots; they will like grade 1 or 2. It makes no sense to buy material higher than grade 3 for painting.

They prefer to make floorboards from tongue-and-groove material - boards with tongue-and-groove devices for tight joining and with longitudinal ventilation vents

Non-grooved material is now rarely used. Boards with straight edges, connected end to end, will disappoint the owners with the curvature of the surface and cracks after a short period of operating time.

Installation technology of tongue-and-groove boards

A good direction for laying plank flooring in residential premises is considered to be an orientation parallel to the flow of light from the windows. In corridors and vestibules, boards are directed along the movement vector. The boards can be laid without moving the elements or in a staggered manner.

Scheme of laying boards in a staggered manner

To install a floorboard with staggered intervals, it is necessary to trim the elements perfectly. Maintaining a perfect right angle without experience is quite difficult. For those suffering to arrange the floor in this way, it is advisable to stock up on a template to indicate the sawing line. A technological indentation must be maintained along the perimeter of the room. A distance of 1-2 cm should be left between the flooring and the walls to ensure longitudinal movement. Upon completion of installation, expansion joints are covered with plinth.

So the order of work:

The first tongue-and-groove board is laid against the wall with a tenon (this is a fastening protrusion), so it is more convenient and reliable to join the elements together.
The second board is connected to the first, matching the groove and tenon. It is not advisable to fasten boards with nails. Their caps may subsequently “come out”, and the nails themselves may rust. It is better to fix the boards with self-tapping screws (60 or 70 mm), optimal diameter 4-4.5 mm.
Fastening boards can be done in two ways. The first method is with the screws tilted at 45º, the second without a slope from above, followed by sealing the caps with sealant. The second option is more reliable, but the first is more aesthetically pleasing.
Along the perimeter, all floor elements are fastened with self-tapping screws, on top of which a plinth will be installed.

The final stage of board installation is preparation for coating; even boards can be sanded with 180-grit sandpaper. If necessary, that is, if there are significant irregularities, sanding is performed.

More details about the construction of floors made of tongue and groove boards are described in the following article:. Read about choosing building materials, preparing the base, installing and repairing tongue and groove floors.

During the fitting process, a hammer is used, but the blows are made not on the second board, but on an additional intermediate element with a spike

Laying boards with fastening with self-tapping screws at an angle of 90 degrees. It is necessary to seal the screw heads with sealant

In custody

Labor-intensive activities for installing plank floors are often ordered from organizations offering the services of experienced layers. However, you can lay the covering yourself. Patience and compliance with technological requirements will help you lay the plank floor beautifully and firmly and save quite a significant amount.