How to lay the last floorboard. Everything about laying floorboards - from the choice of materials to installation technology

Flooring is a long-awaited stage in the transition from the state of “when will this construction be completed” to the state of “it seems that it will be completed soon”. The premises take on a more or less normal appearance, it is easier to assess the area and volume. On open tracks, verandas, in utility blocks, the plank floor is laid from edged boards. But there are gaps in it, which, in this case, is acceptable. In residential premises, a special tongue-and-groove board is usually used. Its installation has its own characteristics, which we will talk about in this article. So, laying the floor from a grooved board - details and techniques.

What is a grooved board and why is it better

A board is called grooved, along one side of which a groove is cut, along the other - a spike. When laying, the spike enters the groove, creating a stronger connection, eliminating "blowing". And this is a plus compared to edged or deck boards.

Another plus is related to the technological process: the tongue-and-groove board is “customized” in geometry, cutting off the sidewalls, sanding the front side, and longitudinal grooves are cut on the back side for better ventilation. Then, a spike and a groove are formed on the machined sidewalls with a cutter. After that, the grooved board is ready. With such processing, there is certainly a difference (especially in low-grade goods), but not so big and grinding is needed, but not to the same extent as when using edged lumber.

A little about why it is so much more expensive. There is a lot of work, it is for this reason that this material is much more expensive, but the floor is stronger, more reliable.

How to choose quality material

Laying a tongue and groove floor begins with the choice of material. Let's talk about sizes first. The width of the floorboard is from 70 mm to 200 mm. To take too narrow - it will take a lot of time to lay, too wide - there is a very high probability that when it dries, the edges of the board will rise, the floor will turn out to be ribbed. The problem is solved by grinding, but this is an additional cost in terms of time and money. Therefore, most often they take a grooved board of medium width - 130-150 cm.

The thickness of the grooved board is from 18 mm to 45 mm. Laying a thin one is unprofitable - so that it does not bend when laying on logs, they (logs) must be set often. Therefore, for the floor, lumber with a thickness of 28 mm, 36 mm, 45 mm is more often used.

The grooved board is sold in different lengths. The standard ones are 3 m and 6 m, but they produce 4 m and 5 m. The choice is simple here: the length of the material should be slightly longer than the length of the room in which it will be laid. Splicing in length is not very beautiful, because they often do it that way.

The choice of wood species

The floor board is made from pine and spruce, larch, oak or ash. Pine and spruce are not expensive, but their wood is soft. Traces remain from heels, fallen objects, are squeezed by furniture. In places of active movement, "paths" are formed over time. The situation can be saved by coating with wear-resistant varnish in several layers. If this option suits you, the choice is good.

Larch tongue-and-groove board is a more expensive material, but also more wear-resistant. The wood has a pronounced pattern, a pleasant color. Can be used uncoated or coated with oil-based formulations without creating a hard film on the surface.

Oak and ash are very beautiful hardwoods with dense, durable wood. But their prices are outrageous. As in the previous version, the floor of these types of wood can be used without coating or with more gentle formulations.

Type of grooved board and its characteristics

All lumber is divided into four grades:

Grade C is used when constructing a subfloor. There are too many defects in it for a fine one. The remaining classes are suitable for finishing, but which grade you choose depends on financial capabilities - the difference between the classes is decent.

Humidity

For a comfortable laying of a tongue and groove floor, choose kiln-dried wood. In this case, the raw material after sawing is aged in drying chambers, in which it is brought to a moisture content of 8-14%. Such material is unlikely to dry out after laying - this is almost impossible, but the cost is about 50% higher compared to natural drying material. This is due to the cost of equipment (drying chambers) and fuel for drying.

Humidity is measured with a special device that professionals have, and even then not everyone. You can also try to determine by appearance. Most often, kiln-dried lumber is packed in polyethylene - so that it does not absorb moisture from the air. Naturally, the packaging must be intact and free of moisture (condensation on the inside). If you knock on dry wood, it makes a clear, ringing sound, while wet wood sounds muffled.

What will happen if you lay the floor from the grooved board of high humidity? The first thing you will have to face is the formation of cracks as it shrinks. After six months or a year, the floor will have to be redone, removing the gaps that have formed. Secondly, cracks often appear during drying, the wood is twisted in different directions. Sometimes these distortions can be compensated by pressing the board harder, sometimes not. So you have to keep a couple of boards "in reserve": to add during the bulkhead from shrinkage and to replace badly crumpled fragments.

Geometry

When choosing, be sure to pay attention not to the geometry. In addition to the fact that the thickness and width of the board should match, there should be no significant curvature, it is necessary to pay attention to the correct formation of the tongue and groove:

In normal production, this is all monitored, but in reality there is a very large spread - 5 mm is not the limit. It is clear that such a floor will have to be sanded. But, the smaller the discrepancy, the less work will be done. Therefore, try to find a manufacturer for which this difference will be minimal.

Grooved floor installation

Due to the possible shrinkage of the wood, the laying of the floor from the grooved board is carried out in two stages. For the first time, only every 4-5 plank is fixed, after 6-18 months the coating is sorted out, eliminating the gaps that have formed. The second time they are already attaching each board, to each log.

If the premises are residential, the wood, while it dries, is overwritten and loses its attractive appearance. To prevent this from happening, for the first time the grooved board is fixed with the back side up. When re-laying, turn it face up. We have clean coverage.

Laying the floor from the grooved board on the logs is the most acceptable option

When purchasing material, do not forget to leave a few strips so that you can add after tightening. Depending on the initial moisture and the width of the boards, one or two (or even more) additional boards may be required. They are also left to dry. Preferably in the same room, but possible in the attic. On the street, this is already a problem, since the appearance will be “not the same”.

Mounting method and fasteners

Laying the floor from the grooved board can be carried out using nails or self-tapping screws. Nails are made of flexible steel and endure significant loads. When “twisting” the boards, they bend, but do not break. Only there is another problem: it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to remove them without damaging the wood. And it is necessary to remove the fasteners when replacing too curved boards or when reassembling the floor after the wood has dried. Therefore, self-tapping screws are more often used, and not black, but yellow. Black ones are made of brittle hardened steel. With lateral loads that occur during the "torsion" of the boards, the hats simply fly off. So, for laying a grooved floor, it is better to use yellow self-tapping screws.

There are three ways to fix the floorboard, two of which are hidden:

With a hidden fastening, the self-tapping screw must be installed so that it does not interfere with the installation of the next board. To do this, a hole is pre-drilled (the drill is equal in diameter to the diameter of the cap), and then self-tapping screws are installed. The dimensions of the fastener depend on the thickness of the board, but most often they are used with a length of 70-75 mm and a diameter of 4-4.5 mm. Such a large length is needed due to the fact that with a secret fastening, the screw enters at an angle, it turns out - to a not very great depth.

If you still decide to make a reliable fastening in the face, it can be made less noticeable. This is achieved by deepening the head into the wood (you can pre-drill a hole). The resulting recess is sealed with wood putty and sanded. The second option is to cut out the chopik, install it in the recess and sand it too. But all this requires a significant amount of time and skills, therefore, when installing a grooved board, they prefer to use hidden mounting methods.

General rules for flooring

The first row is laid with a gap of 5-7 mm from the wall and fastened, stepping back from the edge of about 1 cm, into the front surface - into the face. This place will be covered with a plinth, so you can do that. If the mounting method "into the spike" is selected, the groove is turned to the wall, and vice versa.

The last board is also laid so that there is some gap to the wall. It can be provided with the help of linings and wedges that are hammered between the wall and the last board. It is also fastened “into the face”, stepping back about 1 cm from the edge.

How to pull floor boards

If you take a grooved board of class AB or B, there will be a lot of curved board. The longer the board, the more pronounced the curvature will be. The first few pieces from the wall try to choose the most even ones. They are laid, fixed. This will be the basis on which you can navigate. Next, they try to select the boards so that the curved places alternate. They are pressed or they are said to be “pulled together”, trying to make sure that there are no gaps.

On the right is the traditional way of screeding curved floorboards.

For screeding the floorboard, different devices are used. For example, a support bar nailed at some distance and several wedges. This method is good for everyone, except that you have to screw the support every time. With rough laying, when only 4-5 boards are attached, this is still normal - you can pull together several pieces at a time. But if you need to fasten each, it takes a lot of time. Therefore, clamps, special staples, and other devices are used. The clamps are simply fixed to the joists, the staples are hammered into them, after which ordinary wooden wedges are used, which unite the coating, eliminating the gaps. Both options take less time.

There are also factory options (pictured below). The main thing here is a cunning mechanism for attaching to the lags on the clamp. The mechanism for holding the boards in the desired position is also interesting.

When working, make sure that the laying of the floor from the grooved board does not “leave”. This can be seen if you look at the laid floor from the side: the flooring can be bent along the edges to one side. To prevent this, periodically measure the distance from the board to be laid to the walls in several places, adjust its position to acceptable levels.

The video shows in more detail how to work with such devices. The first is the traditional way with a thrust board and wedges.

The second is unusual homemade clamps from a hairpin and a corner for ceiling mounting of beams. An interesting option - you can adjust the length of the clamp, that is, you can rearrange it every other time.

A very interesting way to quickly install. But in this case, the laying of the floor from the grooved board is done by two: one presses, the second installs the fasteners. You just have to pre-drill holes for the desired width of the lumber.

Can a tongue and groove floor installation be done without this step? Maybe if you buy material of the “extra” class or lay meter-long (or so) pieces. If there are gaps on a meter-long segment, they are small and easily corrected without devices.

Without exaggeration, we can say that this version of flooring has been tested for centuries. The technology of laying a wooden floor on logs with minor changes has been used for several centuries. This is the most environmentally friendly solution for flooring, but at the same time, this coating has a number of disadvantages and important nuances that you need to know before starting work.

Currently, the main area of application of wooden flooring is the construction of small private houses. Especially often the floor on the logs is arranged in wooden houses and log cabins, in which the floors between the floors are made of beams.

Much less often, a wooden floor is laid in city apartments with reinforced concrete floors. Nevertheless, the technology is still used, especially in cases where pouring a full-fledged leveling screed is impossible for some reason.

Sometimes plank flooring is the finish and part of the designer's idea for the renovation concept. In this case, beautiful wood species, such as oak, larch or pine, are chosen for flooring. The boards are carefully polished, impregnated with an antiseptic and varnished or waxed. The result is a very beautiful and durable coating, pleasing to the eye with a natural wood texture.

A wooden floor can be used even in damp rooms, such as saunas and bathrooms. However, this is done infrequently, as it requires careful selection of wood, reliable waterproofing and impregnation of boards with very expensive solutions that prevent moisture absorption.

Features of laying a wooden floor on logs

The main feature of this type of floor, which must be taken into account, is that the tree can absorb moisture from the environment, deform during temperature changes, and is also prone to decay. Therefore, when laying a wooden floor, it is extremely important to take care of a reliable vapor barrier and impregnate the logs and boards with an antiseptic.

It is necessary to fasten the logs to the base and the floor boards to the logs as reliably as possible, it is necessary to prevent the formation of cracks, voids and “sagging” of the boards and logs. When laying the topcoat boards, it is imperative to use expanding wedges that will press the boards as tightly as possible to each other.

Wood screws provide maximum security. The length of the screw must exceed the thickness of the board to be fixed by at least 2.5 times. To prevent the board from splitting when you screw in the self-tapping screw, you must first drill a hole in it with a diameter of 2-3 mm less than the diameter of the screw.

If the boards are planned as a finishing coating, then care should be taken to hide the heads of self-tapping screws or nails. To do this, either a special putty is used, or small plugs from the same type of wood as the entire floor. But the best option is to screw the screw into the chamfer of the board at an angle to the log. The disadvantage of this option is the high labor intensity.

Care should also be taken that all the finishing boards are from the same lot, because the color of the wood depends on the growing conditions, and the shade of different lots may vary.

What are the consequences of mistakes when laying a wooden floor on logs

The biggest mistake that can be made when laying a wooden floor is insufficient vapor barrier. Usually it is made of dense polyethylene or penofol, which also provides additional sound insulation. If this step is neglected or if the insulation coating is damaged, the floor will soon begin to rot and mold will appear on it. This will not only shorten the life of the floor at times, but can also adversely affect people's health.

The second most common mistake is not using wood that is not dry enough. Humidity of boards and a log has to be no more than 15%. It is important to remember that in wet weather, even initially dry boards very quickly absorb moisture from the air. If there are prolonged rains outside the window, then it is better to refuse laying the floor these days. If you lay the floor from damp boards, then as they dry, they will begin to deform. This will lead to creaking, cracks and height differences between adjacent boards, which, in turn, will affect the finish.

An insufficiently accurately set level when laying the log will lead to floor creaking and gradual loosening of the boards. This will greatly reduce the life of the coating and will require periodic repairs.

Another common mistake is the insufficient distance from the edge board to the wall, it must be at least 10 mm. This distance is necessary to compensate for the thermal expansion of wood. If it is neglected, then with a seasonal change in temperature, the floor will experience very serious internal loads, which will lead to cracking of some boards and the appearance of a creak.

Advantages and disadvantages of a wooden floor on logs

Advantages of this coverage

Cons of a wooden floor on logs

Step-by-step instructions for laying a wooden floor on logs

Below is a step by step guide to laying wood flooring. The device of such a floor in a private house with a soil base is somewhat more complicated than in a house with a reinforced concrete base, but in general the stages of work are the same in both cases.

Laying a log on a soil base

If you are laying a wooden floor directly above the ground, then it must be cleaned of sod and plant roots and a layer of at least 20 cm thick removed. After that, the soil is covered with fine gravel and carefully compacted.

On this basis, brick columns are built with a section of 250 x 250 mm and a height of at least two layers of bricks. The tops of all columns should be at the same level, this will prevent sagging of the log and floor boards.

If bars 100 x 50 mm and up to 3 meters long are used as a log, then two posts along the edges of the log are enough. The distance between the lags, and therefore between adjacent posts, should be 600 mm. If the length of the log is more than 3 meters, then one is strengthened with an additional column in the middle.

The top of the column is lined with a rigid waterproofing material, for example, a dense plastic film. Wooden spacers or wedges are installed on top of it, which are necessary for the final adjustment of the horizontal lag.

After that, you can start laying the lag. Initially, two extreme logs are laid according to the level. A fishing line is stretched between them, along which all the other logs are exposed. Adjustment is carried out using shims or wedges. Fastening the log to the posts is carried out using anchor bolts.

In this case, the procedure is much simplified, it is enough to cover the floor with waterproofing, for example, made of polyethylene, logs are laid on top of it at a distance of 400-600 mm on wooden control pads. First, two extreme logs are laid according to the level, after which a fishing line is stretched between them, along which the height of all other logs is adjusted.

Adjustment is carried out by adding or, conversely, removing adjusting shims.

At present, the use of adjustable logs is sometimes practiced. These logs have drilled threaded holes into which a special stud is screwed, which is attached to the concrete base with dowels. Turning the pin adjusts the height of the joist.

After all the lags are set at the same level, the protruding parts of the studs are cut off with a grinder. This method greatly simplifies the alignment of the lag horizontally, but is not used very widely due to a noticeable increase in the cost of the structure.

Legs on clamps are adjustable

It is important to remember that a distance of at least 10 mm must remain between the edges of the log and the wall. It is necessary to compensate for the thermal expansion of wood.

Floor preparation

Before you start laying the boards, you need to lay a layer of thermal insulation between the lags. It can be mineral wool or polystyrene. At the same stage, wires in a plastic corrugation can be laid between the logs, if necessary. The standard width of insulation sheets is most often 600 mm, which makes it easy to lay it between the lag.

After all the necessary communications and insulation have been laid, you can start laying the subfloor or finishing floor.

Laying rough wood flooring

If it is planned to use laminate, carpet or linoleum as a finishing coating, then, as a rule, a rough coating of uncut boards, plywood or fiberboard is laid on the logs.

Sheets of plywood or fiberboard are laid on logs and fixed with nails or screws. You should not save on attachment points, screws should be screwed into each lag with an interval of no more than 30 cm. The screw or nail head should be recessed into the slab by 1-2 mm. It is important to leave a distance of at least 10 mm between the wall and the coating. This gap will also provide ventilation of the space under the floor. After 2-3 weeks after the end of the work, it can be closed with a plinth.

When laying the subfloor from the boards, it is necessary to start work from the far corner of the room and move towards the entrance. The length of the boards is selected in such a way that their joint falls in the middle of the log. Boards are stacked as close as possible to each other and fixed with screws. In order to prevent the board from splitting when screwing in the screw, it is necessary to pre-drill a hole for it with a drill with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw. With a drill of a slightly larger diameter, you need to make a small recess in which the screw head will hide.

Finished wood flooring

As a finishing finish, a seamed board or a board made of glued laminated timber is usually used. These boards must be impregnated with a protective antiseptic solution. There are some nuances in laying such boards. Since this floor will no longer be covered with anything, it is extremely important to avoid the slightest gaps between the boards, and it is also important to hide the screw heads so that they do not spoil the appearance of the floor.

Laying seamed boards is carried out according to the same principle as laying boards for a subfloor, with the only difference being that two adjacent boards are pressed against each other as tightly as possible. To do this, a bracket is driven into the log at a distance of 4-6 cm from the board, between which and the edge of the board a wedge is installed, pressing the board. When the pressing of the board is maximum, it is fixed with screws, after which the wedge and bracket are removed. The operation must be repeated for each row of boards, this will eliminate the formation of cracks. The board is attached to the joist with a screw, which is screwed into the chamfer at an angle, this allows you to hide its cap and improve the appearance of the floor. You can also use special decorative floor nails, driving them strictly through an equal distance, but this is a compromise, the absence of visible fastening looks much better.

Comparative characteristics of the floorboard

Batten. Prices

Floor board. Name, material, size	Price, rub./m2
Floor board Pine K1-2 (25x90) 1.8m	250
Floor board Pine K1-2 (25x90) 1.0m	250
Floor board Pine K1-2 (28x130) 1.8m	290
Floor board Pine K1-2 (28x130) 2.0m	480
Floor board Pine K1-2 (28x130) 6.0m	480
Floor board Pine K1-2 (32x100) 5.4m	570
Floor board Pine K1-2 (32x130) 5.85m	570
Floor board Larch K2-3 (27x90) 5.4m	460
Floor board Larch K2-3 (27x90) 5.1m	460
Floor board Larch K2-3 (27x90) 4.8m	460
Floor board Larch K1-2 (27x130) 3.0m	560
Floor board Larch K1-2 (27x110) 3.0m	560
Heat-treated pine LUNAWOOD (Finland). Floor board (grooving) 26x92	195 rub. /rm
Europol (pine, 32 mm)	grade 0 (Extra) 970.56 rubles/m2; grade 1 (Prima) 676.80 rubles/m2; grade 2 (B) 460.00 rub/m2; grade 3 (C) 384.00 rub/m2; grade H / K (D) 301.76 rubles / m2.

Video - Laying a wooden floor on logs

The floorboard has 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, which allows you to securely connect the products to each other. Sometimes laying the floor causes certain difficulties, however, they can be avoided if all technological rules are followed.

Advantages and disadvantages of a floorboard

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 several decades;
environmental safety - all slats are made from natural material;
anti-allergic and antihistamine properties that will be preserved if the surface is not varnished;
strength - with proper installation, the floor from the boards can cope with serious loads;
low thermal conductivity, due to which the floors retain their temperature for a long time;
cheapness - the cost of a floorboard is much less than the price of a laminate or floor parquet.

Laying a floorboard will help save a lot

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

rots - wooden products begin to deteriorate from prolonged exposure to moisture;
wears out quickly - the problem arises when the floor surface is not periodically varnished;
bad soundproofing.

Main characteristics

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

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

This indicator 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 a beautiful pattern, smooth surface and high strength. They should be used in rooms with high levels of humidity:

saunas;
bathrooms;

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

The best way to install floorboard

Laying on logs

To understand how to properly mount the floor, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this process. The technology of laying the floorboard on the logs 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 material and mastic. The roofing material is laid on the mastic right next to the wall, after which you can put logs. For their fixation, staples, dowels, self-tapping screws are used.

Wooden bars must meet the following requirements:

Their horizontal surfaces must be in the same plane.
Aligning the bar, it is cut a little, special linings are placed under the base.
The distance between the lags should not exceed 55 cm. However, it can be slightly increased by using thick floorboards.
Lags must be laid in such a way that they lie perpendicular to the floorboard.

Fastening boards

During the installation of the floor on the logs, 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 the products changes under the influence of temperature changes. When laying the floorboard on the logs, the following nuances must be taken into account:

If they are fastened with self-tapping screws, then their length should be several times 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 need to be fixed with one self-tapping screw or nail located in the center.
Fixation of wider products occurs using several fasteners.
Before screwing in the screws in the bar, you need to pre-drill a hole.

Having fixed the first floorboard, you should proceed with the installation of the second. It is placed side by side and shifted to shift the groove with the spike. Sometimes the spike does not immediately enter the groove and you have to use a mallet. After that, the bar is fixed with 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 bar 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 with scraping.
Cover the surface with a thin layer of varnish, so you can identify areas that have not been sanded.
Install plinth.
Cover the floor with paint, oil, wax - they will protect its surface and give it respectability.

Laying on plywood

Laying the floorboard 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 floors. The flooring of boards is carried out in several stages.

Surface preparation

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

In the absence of a special device, you can use folk methods. We put a small piece of cellophane on the floor and attach it with tape. With increased humidity, water drops will begin to appear on it during the day.

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

Mounting

Moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of about 20 mm is used as a substrate. It is cut into several pieces with a width of not more than 400 mm and placed on the floor. The distance between walls and plywood sheets should be 10–15 mm. The material is attached to concrete with dowels, screws. At the same time, their heads must be drowned, the surface must be perfectly flat.

Polyurethane and epoxy resins are used to fix short slats.

The boards are more authentically fastened with a special glue made on the basis of these resins. When using planks made of beech and other exotic woods, do not use water-soluble adhesives.

The process of connecting the boards to each other is the same as when they are attached to the logs.

Many people for laying floorboards turn to special organizations for help. However, doing the laying of the floorboard with your own hands is not so difficult. To understand how to lay boards, you need to carefully study the features of their installation.

In the construction market, the floorboard is a fairly old material. It is used not only in country wooden houses or cottages. The wooden floor looks very good in city apartments. The floorboard is better than laminate and no worse than parquet.

The difference between a floorboard and parquet or laminate is that it is made from solid wood. On the one hand, the floorboard has a spike, and on the other - a groove, which allows you to link the boards together. On the inside of the board there are one or more notches. This allows you to relieve stress from the board and protect against the effects of temperature changes and moisture, such as warping.

Advantages and disadvantages of floorboards

Advantages:

Long service life - with proper care, the board can last more than a dozen years.
If necessary, the floors are easily repaired.
Low price.
Beautiful and unique appearance.
Ecological safety - boards are made from natural materials.
High strength and reliability.
Low thermal conductivity, thanks to which the floors remain warm for a long time.
If not varnished, the board has antistatic and anti-allergic properties.

disadvantages:

Bad soundproofing.
Since it is wood, it cannot be exposed to moisture for a long time.
Without varnish, the surface wears out quickly, so the floorboard must be treated with a paintwork, which is periodically updated.
The board is scratched, dents from something heavy remain on it.
The floor board is flammable.
May rot and be attacked by insects and rodents.
May swell, dry out, crack.

Floorboard Specifications

Produce boards with a thickness of 1.8 to 4.2 cm, a width of 8.5-1.5 cm, a length of 90-600 cm.

Hardness floorboards are determined by the Brinell method, hardness values from 1.5 to 7. The higher the number, the greater the hardness. Most often, oak (3.7) or larch (3.1) floors are used. Their strength allows them to withstand any load. Larch is used in rooms with high humidity: bath, sauna, bathroom. In impassable rooms, for example, in a nursery or bedroom, boards of alder or aspen are laid. Softwood boards (1.5−2) are used for the subfloor.

Often such a mistake: for strength, they buy a thick (40 mm) board, which is expensive, but at the same time it is raw. The apparent savings can be costly later, since an uncured floorboard can warp so much that the self-tapping screws fly out.

materials share for several varieties. The upper class is distinguished by a smooth surface, a beautiful pattern. After laying such floors, it is enough just to cover with paints and varnishes. Boards of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades have a pronounced woody pattern of knots. Wood of the 3rd grade does not make sense to paint, it is covered only with varnish.

Features of laying the floorboard

Buying genital boards, you need to check their compatibility so that later there are no problems during installation. A quality board should be free of cracks or chips.

Mounting the floorboard is carried out as the final stage of the construction of the premises. Windows must already be inserted, doors installed, walls and floor must be leveled.

Before laying the floorboard, it must be taken out of the packaging and placed in the room where it will be laid out. The board should lie down for 3 days to adapt to the microclimate of the room.

Level humidity floorboard should not exceed 12%. Humidity in the room should not be below 40%, otherwise the board will dry out, and above 80%, so that the floor does not swell. The air temperature should be between 17-25 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the board loses its practical and aesthetic properties.

lags, then it should be borne in mind that the floor will rise by 15 cm. Therefore, in rooms with a low ceiling, you need to choose a different installation method.

Stages of laying floorboards

Waterproofing.
Installation of the lag system.
Sound and heat insulation.
Installation of floor boards.
Sanding the floor along, across and diagonally across the boards.
Coating with paintwork materials.

Floor plank option

Batten fit on a concrete, plywood base and on the old floor.

The concrete base must be checked for humidity. There are 3 ways to do this:

A plastic film with an area of one square meter is glued to concrete with adhesive tape, after a day it is removed and checked for the presence of a wet spot. If it is, lay the floorboard early.
A brick is placed on the rubber mat, then the steps are as in the first method.
Use a special device to determine the humidity.

The first two methods are effective only if the concrete is light. On dark concrete, the wet spot will not be visible.

After determining the moisture content, the concrete is laid waterproofing layer. It is recommended to make it from roofing material, plastic film or mastic. The film and roofing felt must have a thickness of 2 mm, the layers are overlapped and butt-to-wall with the wall. After that, the floorboard is laid on logs or plywood.

Plywood for the base take a thickness of at least 18 mm, moisture resistant. Plywood is cut into sheets 50 cm wide. They are fixed diagonally with respect to the floorboard. Plywood is mounted using screws that are driven into it 3 mm deep. Between the plywood and the wall there should be a distance of 10 mm, between the strips of plywood 2-3 mm. After laying, plywood is sanded, cleaned of dust, and only then can lay down floor board.

If the floorboard is laid on old floor, then it is checked for strength, strengthened and cleaned. If some boards have deteriorated, they are replaced with inexpensive lumber. After checking, the old floor is sanded, dusted and waterproofed from above. New boards are laid perpendicularly or diagonally. To ensure that the new floor is laid in the same direction as the old one, use plywood.

Floorboard installation technology

Floor boards are laid so that they are are parallel the wall where the window is. In places of greatest traffic (corridor, vestibule), they are installed perpendicular to the direction of movement.

Boards are laid with displacement(in a run) or without it. To lay the boards with an offset, you need to cut them exactly at a right angle. To facilitate the work, you can make a template according to which the boards will be sawn off.

The first floorboard is laid crest to the wall and nailed with screws to the base. The second board is attached to the first using a hammer and an auxiliary element with a spike. It is important to use self-tapping screws, not nails, the latter can rust and their caps rise.

self-tapping screws screw in 45 degree angle or right angle. In the latter case, they are sealed with a sealant, which gives additional strength. But the first option is more aesthetic.

Wood plank floor care

Floors required sweeping and wash with a little water. Dirt can be removed with neutral detergents. To prevent street dirt from getting on the floorboard, rugs are placed in front of the entrance, which delay it. If the wooden floor is laid in the kitchen, then the board is varnished in several layers, since there is a possibility of liquid getting on the floor. New scratches cover varnish or oil.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to do the installation of the floorboard yourself without the help of specialists. The main thing is to take into account the peculiarities of working with solid wood: do not expose to moisture, properly fasten and care for. It is important not to save on new flooring, but to choose quality boards and related materials.

When replacing an old floor covering or when installing a new floor, a floorboard is the best option, which is practical, affordable and safe to use. Despite the popularity of the floorboard, the process of installing it seems quite complicated for many. Therefore, we will consider the features of laying the floorboard further.

Manufacturing technology and advantages of the floorboard

The floor board differs in high operational and technical properties. Based on its attractiveness, it is on a par with more expensive laminate and parquet boards. In the manufacture of a floorboard, the wood is thoroughly dried to a certain point in its moisture content. Therefore, this material has a long service life.

Among one of the undeniable advantages of the floorboard is its affordable cost, which makes it so popular. In addition, it has a high thermal insulation capacity and provides good sound insulation.

The floorboard fits perfectly into any type of interior, does not change shape during operation and has an attractive appearance.

The main components of this material are:

spikes;
grooves;
grooved ventilation ducts.

The most optimal type of wood suitable for the manufacture of floorboards is larch. Due to its strength, durability, it has good performance characteristics.

If we compare the installation of a laminate with the installation of a parquet board, then the second one requires less time for laying. At the same time, it is environmentally friendly and harmless, since no foreign impurities are added to it during the manufacturing process.

The floorboard has the appearance of a massive product, which is made from solid trees. If the length and width of the products are compact, then the laying process is quick and easy, since special grooves have been developed in it to ensure the connection of the boards. The procedure for installing a floorboard on large areas does not take more than two days.

The main indicator of the quality of the floorboard is the material from which it was built. But, almost all types of floorboards have the following advantages:

1. The low coefficient of thermal conductivity and sound conductivity allows you to keep warm for a long period of time and provides comfort for people living in the house.

2. Subject to all the processes of drying the wood and the technology of its preparation, the floorboard has a high coefficient of strength, the duration of its use is twenty years or more.

3. Free from chemicals, harmful ingredients and other impurities, great for people who suffer from allergies.

4. If we compare the cost of a floorboard with similar materials, then its price is much lower and more affordable.

5. If the wood coating is present in the room, then a healthy microclimate is provided for it, since the tree is able to accumulate moisture when it is in excess in the air, and give it away when it is deficient.

6. Does not require lengthy preparation for installation. Quickly installed and removed. For work, a standard set of tools is required.

7. Unpretentious in care, well washed and cleaned.

There are several categories by which the quality of the floorboard is distinguished:

A-class;
B-class;
C-class;
Extra class.

They differ in the quality of the wood used in the production process, in the number of knots, notches, cracks, chips, and also in price. Extra-class floor board has the lowest cost.

After cutting down the tree, it enters the drying chambers for storage and drying. When the finished products are already dried, the process of sorting them into classes takes place. Sorting depends on the number of defects that the tree acquires in preliminary processes.

Before installing the floorboard, it is necessary to build a base in the form of a subfloor. The main requirements for it are high strength in order to avoid deformation of the material.

When buying a floorboard, choose options that are made from larch, as they have the highest strength and are almost as good as a floor made from solid oak.

Varieties of bases for laying floorboards

Arrangement of a plank floor is arranged over any type of ceiling or support pillars. There are such types of bases that are suitable for laying the floorboard:

concrete pavement, pre-leveled with polymer or concrete screeds;
the surface of the log, installed on brick supports or any type of coating;
surface made of moisture resistant plywood;
old wooden flooring;
rough floor from waste lumber.

Installing a floorboard is most often the final stage in arranging a room. Before this process, windows, doors, walls and ceilings are usually replaced. When installing the floorboard, keep in mind that it is very unstable in the face of high humidity. Before installing it, measure the humidity of the subfloor, which should not exceed twelve percent.

At the same time, the humidity of the air in the room should not be more than sixty percent, and if the humidity is less than forty percent, the boards will dry out and crack.

Considering the design of a floorboard laid on a concrete base, it should be noted the presence of:

hollow core slab;
technoflora;
waterproofing;
screed made of cement-sand mortar;
floorboard directly.

Tip: Before installing the board, you should remove it from the boxes and put it in the room for at least 24 hours. The material must adapt to the microclimate of the room.

Varieties of rough coatings for laying floors from boards:

1. The most common floorboard installation scheme is its laying on logs. Logs are called wooden block boards having a rectangular cross section. Their fixation on the rough base occurs with the help of mastic or a self-tapping screw. Laying the lag takes place in a perpendicular direction to the installation of the floorboard.

After installing the lag, the process of their alignment takes place. To do this, chips are placed under them. In addition, there is a special system of adjustable logs, allowing mechanical alignment of the necessary sections.

2. When arranging the floor from moisture-resistant plywood, it is laid on almost any base, including logs, if necessary, in additional strengthening of the multilayer structural parts of the floor. The standard set of works for installing a floorboard on such a coating involves its preliminary alignment. Laying plywood sheets, cut into longitudinal parts, occurs diagonally in relation to laying floorboards. Plywood is fixed with screws or dowels. It is recommended to leave seams for technological purposes when arranging a plywood floor in order to compensate for its expansion and contraction with temperature changes.

Installation of such a floor includes the presence of:

draft base;
insulating substrate;
directly moisture resistant plywood;
floor covering;
boards.

Tip: If the flooring is concrete with a sand-cement screed, then ordinary glue is used to fix the plywood. When choosing an adhesive, make sure it is suitable for both plywood and concrete. This procedure is also acceptable for wooden floors.

Once the plywood is in place, it is sanded to remove all dirt and dust. Before installing the floorboard, the surface is treated with a primer, and then the boards are fixed. The main floor also needs to be sanded, varnished and oiled.

3. Installing floorboards on an existing floor involves checking the old floor for defects, the reliability of the fasteners and the strength of the base. If necessary, old worn boards or damaged fasteners should be replaced.

Tip: Install the floorboard over the old floor in such a way that they are connected perpendicularly.

Experienced builders give recommendations on dismantling the old floor and arranging a concrete screed, since such a floor can last much longer, but if financial resources do not allow this, then it is quite possible to install a floorboard on an old wooden floor.

In addition, a lot of attention should be paid to the choice of insulation and waterproofing. These materials must be of high quality. The insulation must be inedible for rodents, moisture resistant and not shrink. Waterproofing should differ in the duration of operation.

If the floor is located in the building of the first floor, then its insulation is mandatory. It is allowed not to insulate the floor of the first floor if there is a basement with heating. For insulation, it is recommended to use basalt or mineral wool, it is characterized by vapor permeability and good thermal insulation characteristics.

Thermal insulation is laid in the space between the lags, while ensuring its tight fit. Vapor-permeable waterproofing is installed on top of the thermal insulation. Please note that between the subfloor and these layers it is required to leave a space up to four centimeters thick, which provides natural ventilation of the floor. Otherwise, fungus and mold will form on the floor, which will lead to its premature deterioration.

To protect the multilayer structure from moisture coming from below, it is recommended to use waterproofing membranes with high vapor permeability. If the vapors circulate freely in the underground space, the tree will last much longer.

The best floorboard is made of Siberian larch or oak. These types of trees are resistant to ultraviolet radiation, moisture and temperature changes. In a room in which people stay intermittently and there are small loads, for example, in a nursery or bedroom, a floorboard made of aspen or alder wood is used. Quite rarely, floorboards are used, the basis of which is pine or fir. They are more suitable for the construction of rough floors or reels.

The shape of the floorboard depends on the personal preferences of the owners of the room. Based on the strength, the best option is to use a forty-millimeter board. Too thick boards can deform over time, because due to the large thickness, moisture remains in them during the drying process.

The choice of floorboards belonging to a certain grade is influenced by the purpose of the room, the laying area, the subsequent finishing and the financial possibilities of the owners. The floorboard of the highest grade has a flat surface and a beautiful, clear pattern. Therefore, after installation, such a floor is opened with varnish. The variants of the first or second grade have a small number of knots, which also look beautiful without painting. If subsequent painting of the floor is planned, then undoubtedly choose a floorboard of the third or fourth grade.

When laying floorboards, in most cases, only sheet pile materials are used, which are easy to work with and easy to install. Straight boards deform after a certain period of time and cracks appear in them.

Laying grooved flooring

A tongue and groove board is a standard board design that has grooves that snap into place on top of each other as they are installed. Thus, it turns out to achieve better fixation and a strong connection.

When choosing the direction of laying the floor, you should focus on the luminous flux. Boards are laid parallel to it. If you plan to install the floor in the vestibule or in the corridor room, then you should proceed from the movement vector along which the floor is installed.

There are two ways to lay boards:

with offset elements;
without shifting elements.

When laying floorboards, a perfect undercut of the boards is required. Lack of experience in this matter will not help to achieve perfectly even right angles, therefore, in this case, it is better to trust a specialist. When laying boards in this way, it is recommended to purchase or make a template version, according to which the undercut will be made. Along the edges of the room, it is also required to maintain a certain indentation. To ensure longitudinal movements, it is necessary to have an interval between the board and the wall, the size of which is from 0.5 to 2 cm. At the end of the installation, the plate is attached.

For a clearer understanding of the process of installing a grooved floorboard, we suggest that you read the brief instructions:

1. The presence of a mounting or ledge on the boards allows you to connect them to each other. But, when laying the first tongue-and-groove board, the ledge should be exactly near the wall. Such an installation will facilitate the process of fastening subsequent boards.

2. The connection of the second board with the first occurs with the help of a tongue-and-groove contact. It is not recommended to use nails during this procedure, as they are subject to corrosion, which will be provoked by frequent washing of the floor, there is a risk of their caps coming out, leading to injury.

3. As a retainer, use self-tapping screws with an optimal diameter of four millimeters and a length of up to seven centimeters.

4. There are two ways to fix boards:

with the presence of a self-tapping screw of forty-five degrees;
without tilt - while all the caps of the screws are sealed with a sealant.

The first option is distinguished by aesthetics, and the second - by reliability.

5. The fastening of the extreme parts of the boards located near the walls is carried out exclusively with the help of self-tapping screws.

Finally, the floor is sanded. This will require sandpaper or a grinder. In the presence of large irregularities, scraping is required. Next, the surface is opened with varnish, and when done, it is painted.

Laying floors parquet board: technology and features

For the manufacture of parquet boards, wood is used. There are several types of parquet boards:

massive - has three layers, for the first, hardwood is used, for the second - hardwood of coniferous species, and for the third - soft wood;
extra board - the first layer is also hard, but for the manufacture of the second and third, waste components or soft woods are used.

To stylize the parquet under the wood texture, another top layer is glued onto it. In relation to the thickness, parquet is from 7 mm to 2.5 cm. The quality of sound and heat insulation, as well as the ability to withstand certain loads, depends on the thickness of the parquet board.

When laying boards up to two centimeters thick, an even concrete base is required. If the thickness exceeds this limit, the parquet board is laid on logs.

When the parquet board has already been purchased, it is necessary to unpack it and leave it for a day in the room where it will be installed. Before installing it, it is necessary to complete all repair work, especially wall decoration. Since it will be tightly adjacent to them.

If the parquet board is installed on an old wooden base. It is recommended to check it for unusable boards and replace them. If there are large gaps, it is recommended to use PVA glue to fill them. The next step is the process of sanding the floor.

If the parquet board is installed on a concrete base, make sure that it is even and that there are no large drops. The concrete coating should not be wet, to check it for moisture, you should use a plastic film that covers the floor for a day. If, after removing the film, there is no condensation, feel free to proceed with laying the parquet, but before that, apply a primer to the concrete base.

Conditions for installing parquet boards:

the temperature in the room is about +17 degrees;
air humidity from 45 to 60%.

If these parameters are observed, the coating will last longer.

There are two ways to install parquet boards up to 2 cm thick:

1. Floating - first, a polyethylene film is installed, with an overlap of 18 cm, adhesive tape is used to fix them, then polyethylene foam or a cork substrate is installed, metallized cattle is used to glue the joints, then a parquet board is installed.

The parquet board is installed perpendicular to the window. The first board is laid with a spiked base to the wall, which is pre-cut, for a tighter fit of the boards. The spacing between the wall and the plank depends on the total length of the room. For a length of one meter, a one and a half centimeter gap is required. To fix the board against the wall, you need to install special pegs.

2. Adhesive - suitable for spacious, large rooms. This method involves the installation of moisture-resistant plywood on a rough base, on the surface of which glue is applied, and then a parquet board is installed.

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