Quality laying of the substrate under the laminate on the concrete floor

Substrates under the laminate on the concrete floor solve several questions about the quality of the future flooring and the comfort of its use.

The use of an additional deck allows perfect alignment of the base under the laminate.

In addition, a self-supporting substrate is a good way to not only extend the life of the laminate floor, but also make it comfortable for movement.

The substrate has an acoustic and noise-insulating property, additionally carries a thermal insulation function.

Also, the substrate acts as an amortization layer between the concrete base and the laminate, so that the finishing floor does not bend, does not clink on the concrete floor and does not allow deforming the locks of the product.

Variants of substrates on the floor for laminate

Before you buy a substrate on the concrete floor under the laminate, it is worth familiarizing themselves with their variety and parameters.

After that, independently start choosing the best option, first of all, relying on the existing base floor base.

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To properly equip a concrete screed with your own hands, it is necessary to pay attention to the unevenness of the base floor.

If the concrete floor is in an almost ideal state, then its alignment is carried out with a substrate with a thickness of 2 mm.

If the roughing floor is uneven, then as small changes in its plane are visually noticeable, the thickness of the substrate rises to 3 mm.

Here it is worth noting: the recommendations of the laminate manufacturer, associated with the need to use substrates on the floor of his company, are not a guarantee of the quality of the future flooring.

First of all, these are the characteristics of the existing base, which, as mentioned above, should be based on the choice of the product.

Foamed polyethylene foam substrates

Foamed polyethylene materials are in great demand due to the universal properties that they obtained in the manufacture.

If you put such a substrate under the laminate, then you can not be afraid that over time it attacks insects, rodents, or fungus.

In addition, foamed polyethylene has high waterproofing and thermal insulation properties. Usually, the thickness of such a substrate is 2-3 mm.

It is easy to wipe the foam product with your own hands, while you can observe the material saving, since there is practically no waste.

Today, in the construction market, you can find a foam polyethylene substrate, the base of which is supplemented by a metallized film.

Cork substrate for laminate

Produced in roll and sheet form, it is characterized by high quality and ability not to lose in the process of operation its original linear dimensions and technical characteristics.

It is recommended to remove the cork substrate by its own hands under floating floors, and to equip it with "warm floors".

If you lay cork flooring on an uneven floor under the laminate, then you can simultaneously align and warm it.

But since the cork substrate has a high cost, it is inappropriate to use it to level the uneven floor for a cheap laminate coating, the useful life of which is negligible.

Bitumen-cork substrate

Bitumen-cork type film is produced using kraft paper, for which as a binder additive is taken bitumen.

Its surface is enriched with cork chips with a size of 2-3 mm. The use of bitumen in the structure of the product makes it possible to provide a good level of moisture resistance to the floor covering.

Bitumen-cork substrate refers to those materials that are recommended to be placed under an expensive finish coat.

Putting such a substrate for a cheap laminate, like the above cork product - is more expensive.

Plywood Substrate

Substrate under the laminate of plywood - another way to align the roughing floor, increase its rigidity and prevent creaking.

Usually plywood with a thickness of 10 mm is used for this purpose, provided that the base is in an almost satisfactory condition.

Otherwise, the thickness of the plywood should be about 16-20 mm, in addition, you can increase its layer if you lay heat or sound insulation.

Preparation of the substrate and laying of the substrate for the laminate

Laying the laminate on a concrete floor involves several stages of work. Since it is not recommended to lay a laminate on an uneven floor, it is necessary to level it.

For this purpose, a plywood backing can be used. But before you lay it on the ground, you need to perform preparatory work.

Preparation of the base floor for the floor involves cleaning and priming the surface:

• The concrete surface is dust-free with a vacuum cleaner, you can perform this procedure with a conventional broom. But it does not need to be moistened, since moisture will absorb the screed into itself, which will subsequently affect the structure of the plywood. If on the concrete surface there are old layers of paint or putty, they are removed, the cracks are cemented. Too uneven floor is updated with a fresh screed. In this case, it will be necessary to wait until the alignment is completely dry;
• The base is then primed using impregnation in the form of a glue-mastic. The properties of this composition will allow to completely clean the base of dust by gluing its fine particles to the surface;to give the screed strength, by penetrating the primer into its structure;to increase its adhesive ability with respect to the future coating. In addition, a primer is a good way to improve the moisture resistance of a concrete floor, and at the same time reduce the consumption of glue for the subsequent gluing of plywood sheets. Once the uneven concrete floor is brought into a satisfactory condition, you can immediately put plywood.

The technology of installing plywood on a concrete floor for a laminate, occurs in this order:

1. Using a spatula-comb on the concrete screed, apply glue, the thickness of its layer should be at least 2 mm. Usually, the right amount of adhesive is determined by the gap between the tars of the spatula;
2. Plywood segments are laid on the glue. In order to squeeze out the air from them, the products pass through a heavy roller;
3. Using dowels and screws, the plywood is finally fixed to the screed, while the length of the screws must be 3 times larger than the thickness of the base. The distance between the fasteners can be 15-20 cm.

More detailed information will allow you to get the following video.

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How to cut the plywood under the laminate?

Preparation of plywood sheets for laying should be carried out even before the priming of the substrate is carried out.

Standard sheets of the product have an "internal voltage", due to which their surface is not always even.

To reduce the index of internal stress, and at the same time simplify the process of laying plywood on a concrete or other basis, it is possible by cutting the material into squares.

As a result, the plywood segments will receive new parameters 600x600 mm or 750x750 mm.

Using small squares of plywood as a substrate, unlike the use of standard sheets, gives its advantages.

First, the plywood base will have more seams, which will positively affect the humidity level and the balance of temperatures.

Secondly, the product can better lie on the screed and, thus, exclude the appearance of air cavities.

The leveling of the concrete floor must be carried out by intact pieces of the product.

Laminated pieces of plywood are immediately discarded, if they manage to level an uneven floor, then the operation of such a surface will be short-lived.

Preparation of already sawn plywood also includes product numbering, which is done directly when the sheets are adjusted to the work area.

Plywood segments are laid on the concrete floor in the desired order, taking into account niches and ledges. Then they are numbered, after which the order of their placement is transferred to a sheet of paper.

This concludes the preparation of plywood.

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It is very important when adjusting sheets to ensure that there is a gap of 8-10 mm between them, and the distance from the wall is 15-20 mm.

In this case, the sheets must be laid on the concrete floor with an offset, so that the four seams of the loose leaf do not come together.

This method will make it possible to level the screed most effectively.

Sanding of plywood flooring

Before the laminate is laid on a concrete floor, the plywood floor surface must be carefully ground.

This technology will provide a perfectly flat base, on which you can lay the laminate.

Grinding work is carried out using a machine for polishing parquet, equipped with a sandpaper with a large abrasive.

As a result of grinding, minor differences in height between stacked sheets will be eliminated. Only after that, the preparation of the concrete surface for laying the laminate will be completed.

The above material will complement the thematic video.

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