Any construction or overhaul in the premises provides for the arrangement of the floor. Despite the wide range of products that can be used for this, in the majority of cases( for residential buildings), owners prefer wood as the "finishing" cover. About its positive qualities, and, first of all, ecological compatibility, a lot has been written.
The main kind of products intended for flooring was and remains the board. It is much easier to work with it, so you can conduct all your activities( with some skill and observance of the editing rules) yourself. This allows you to significantly save, because you do not have to pay hired professionals.
The laying of the board with its own hands, in our opinion, has one more significant "plus" that many do not take into account. Let's look at this problem from the point of view of further exploitation. Wood gradually "gets rid" of moisture( and it is present in any wood billet, even the most dried), or as in such cases it is said that the material "shrinks".Changing the geometry of the boards leads to the formation of slits, a creak appears, the floorboards begin to "rise".It is possible to enumerate all possible surprises for a long time.
But the nuance is that the process of "shrinkage" can take sometimes quite a lot of time. It depends on the local conditions( temperature and humidity in the room, ventilation, specific surface treatment of the floors and a number of other points), as well as on the specifics of the operation( for example, the degree of loading).By the way, and the likely marriage in some workpiece that was imperceptible during installation is also likely to appear after some time. From this, unfortunately, no one is immune.
But if the owner did everything himself, from the beginning to the end, with knowledge, then the cause of any "malfunction" that arises will be determined and eliminated quite quickly, without assistance, at any time suitable for it. We have dealt with this issue in such detail so that all the "pitfalls" that accompany the work on laying the floorboards become "understandable".Therefore, strict implementation of all recommendations is mandatory. Do not neglect the carrying out of this or that, at first glance, even insignificant operation.
There are several basic techniques for mounting boards, one of which we will consider. But first we will note, on what surface it is possible to stack them( what should be prepared the "basis"):
- "rough floor";
- concrete, cement, self-leveling screed( read about it here);
- plywood, particleboard sheets or other even ground.
Regardless which method is selected, it is necessary to determine the suitability of the "basis".This is especially important if the boards are to be laid on screed or concrete( reinforced concrete slabs, "pouring").Again, in particular, wood absorbs moisture. It is necessary to determine whether the "base" has dried out sufficiently. After evaporation of liquids occurs in a direction from below upwards. Therefore, it is impossible to lay the boards on a damp base.
We check with
film. Part of the surface is covered with polyethylene, and its edges along the perimeter are glued to the substrate( for example, tape).The task is to fully seal this section. If the screed( or concrete) is not sufficiently dried, then after about 12 - 24 hours( depending on the temperature in the room), droplets of moisture appear on the inside of the film.
A piece of rubber
The principle is the same. This "mat" falls on the floor, and on top - some cargo. If a spot is formed at this point in time, the base is still moist.
What to take into account when laying the
board. Regardless of how the board will be erected, you need to perform some additional activities. Their feasibility is determined by local conditions. We simply list them.
Basics preparation
After laying the boards it will not be available. Therefore, it is worthwhile to worry about its integrity in advance. This is especially important for apartments located in multi-storey buildings. It should be understood that any gap, uncombed joint - this is the "path" by which the room leaves heat and sounds penetrate. Therefore, the base should not just be cleaned of debris, but also washed( if it is concrete).Then all his defects will be visible. By the way, many for some reason neglect it, absolutely not thinking about the importance of this stage.
Hydro and vapor barrier
The need to say this makes no sense. First, the wood must breathe. Secondly, the risk of even accidental flooding of neighbors of the underlying floor is reduced to a minimum. By the way, such a small "trouble" often entails large financial losses in the form of monetary compensation for the material damage.
Warming
For owners of private housing it allows to save significantly on heating, and for residents of the first floors - to avoid drafts and cold floors.
When choosing one or another method of arranging coverings from boards, all these factors must be taken into account. Consider the most common and easily executable method.
Laying boards with the use of logs
This method has, perhaps, the only drawback, although it is relative - reducing the height of the room( the thickness of the boards and lag).But there are more than enough advantages, especially since such a technique is much simpler. The thickness of the lag is chosen taking into account the preliminary finishing and the material for insulation. It is desirable to use solid bars, and not "composite".
Special features of mounting
- in advance all wood must be dried and treated with special compounds( flame retardants and antiseptics);
- the interval between the lags is determined by the thickness of the board. The thinner it is, the more often the supports are put. In addition, the specificity of the premises, the "loading" of the sexes is also taken into account. For example, the presence( or absence) of heavy furniture and the like;
- you need to take into account that the boards are laid perpendicularly to the lags. And how to lay them, depends on several factors: the location of the door, windows, room illumination;
- the lag is fixed depending on the base - screws( with dowels), nails, mortar or mastic. The main thing is that all of their upper surfaces are located in one, strictly horizontal plane. It's easy to check using the level( construction) and long rails, which are superimposed in different directions. So you can determine any skew. To eliminate it, you can, for example, wedge wedges or use another method of alignment;
- fixing boards is made by screws. This is much better than nails, as it may be necessary to change one of them later. Such fasteners simply get twisted;
- if the laying is done on an old board, then it becomes perpendicular. If you save the direction of the floorboards on the "rough" floor, you should fill the plywood;
- tight fit of boards to each other is done with the help of a stopper from a piece of board or bar.
The final stage is the grinding of the coating and the installation of skirting boards around the perimeter of the room. After this, further cladding is carried out( linoleum flooring, paint coatings application).
Other methods require thorough alignment of the substrate. This is a rather complicated and laborious work, which has many nuances. In addition, all the activities are carried out in different ways, depending on the material of the "foundation" and the financial possibilities of the owners of the dwelling.
Practical advice for
- Do not start laying boards immediately after purchasing them. Experts recommend to bring them into the room and leave it for a couple of days. The material should "get used" to the microclimate that was installed in this room. If the arrangement of the floors is made in the "new building", then this work begins after the installation of windows and doors.
- When laying on logs, it is desirable to use a beam equipped with a device that allows you to adjust the height. This will greatly facilitate the process of leveling the surface.
