Wooden flooring with own hands

Despite the huge choice of all kinds of floor coverings, the flooring of the wooden floor remains in the list of the most popular ways of finishing the living quarters. This is due not only to relatively low cost, but also to exceptional performance characteristics. On the wooden floor it is pleasant to walk, it is durable, beautiful and simple enough to be mounted. You can arrange wooden flooring not only in a private house, but also in an apartment, and today we will talk about it.

Selection of materials

The choice of wood is very important when laying a plank floor. In this case, several factors should be taken into account: cost, operating loads, humidity and temperature conditions in the room, aesthetic side. Before proceeding to the enumeration and description of tree species, it is necessary to indicate the general technical requirements imposed on any of them.

So, when buying boards first of all pay attention to the degree of their humidity - the tree should be sufficiently dried. Otherwise, after laying, the material will begin to dry out and deform, and your beautiful brand new floor will go "waves".But too dry wood, too, is not good, because it can crack. Carefully inspect each board for cracks, knots, chips and other deformities. For each class of material there is a certain norm, for example, 1-2 knots per piece. Do not buy material with cracks or splits, even if you are offered an impressive discount.

The length of the board also plays a role. Experts recommend choosing a material with a length of at least 2 m - it is more convenient to work with it, and the load is distributed more evenly. The configuration of the board determines the appearance of the future floor and the complexity of the installation. Thus, grooved boards, in contrast to conventional ones, have special locking docking joints at the edges, which allow the elements to stand as close as possible to each other, practically without forming cracks. The usual board is simply stacked back to back, so the slots on such a floor are much larger. The cost of the flooring of the wooden floor from the pile boards will be higher than that of the ordinary ones, but it will last much longer.

Helpful Hint: Always buy a bit more boards than you need for a flooring of a wooden floor. The price will be a little higher, but you can guarantee that the material will suffice with a margin. In addition, at any time you can replace the damaged board with a new one with the appropriate shade and pattern. To do this, choose boards from one lot.

wood Now you can choose the wood species. How much does the flooring of the wooden floor, will depend on it.

For the production of floorboards, wood of the following species is used:

1. Oak is one of the most expensive, but durable and beautiful breeds. Oak has one interesting property - with time it starts to turn gray, and the more it changes color, the "nobler" and more valuable it becomes. For this reason on sale it is possible to meet the artificially aged gray oak. It is worth more than usual, but you immediately get a beautiful flooring. Oak is very durable, and therefore it will last for decades, and with proper care and protection, even your grandchildren will not think about changing or overhauling the flooring.
   
2. Larch is another hard rock of wood, the distinctive feature of which is the high content of resins, because of what it practically does not wear off or rot. By value, Siberian larch is several times larger than pine, but cheaper than oak, so many see it as a worthy alternative. This coating is ideal for premises with high humidity or for houses where the hosts come for a short while, for example, seasonal summer cottages.
   
3. Alder, aspen - these breeds do not have such strength as oak and larch, but they have other advantages. So, in their composition there are special enzymes that have a positive effect on human health. Such a floor will be especially useful in a children's room or bedroom, because the load on it will be small, and the wood will be able to fully show its healing qualities. In addition, aspen has long been endowed with powerful protective properties, remember at least the ritual of getting rid of vampires with an aspen stake. This tree was planted near the house and used for various protective actions.
   
4. Pine, fir, spruce - softwood. Due to the availability and ease of processing, such floors are inexpensive, but they serve less than the above. This flooring is recommended to be done in a room with low traffic, for example, in a bedroom or living room. It is also better if you do not walk in tight shoes - only in slippers or barefoot. Conifers contain phytoncides that have a curative effect, so in a room with such a floor it will always be pleasant to smell with freshness and a spicy forest aroma. If you decide to make a flooring of a wooden floor with your own hands from coniferous species, follow the advice of specialists and buy a punctured board for this. Otherwise, there is a risk of deformation of the boards for several years after stacking.
   

Types of wooden flooring

Wooden floors can be different, and they differ not only in laying technology, but also in the characteristics of the components used. So, there are boardwalks from the array, for which whole wooden elements are used. Parquet is also a kind of wooden flooring, which is made of boards of various configurations, for example, from the same massif with grooves on all sides. The standard board grooves are located only on two sides, and for parquet - with all for a more durable docking. Parquet board can be glued, that is made not from a single piece of wood. Despite this, such material retains the operational properties of the original. A high-strength adhesive connects a minimum of 3 layers, and the process of bonding occurs under high pressure, eliminating the formation of air voids. The top layer of such a board is usually made from valuable woods, for example, oak, merbau, etc.

The wood species determines not only its cost, but also the configuration of the boards: thickness and length. For example, oak boards are very durable, so their thickness starts from 2 cm. But a two-centimeter pine board will quickly bend and break, so if you work with this rock, choose a material about 4 cm thick. Standards for pile boards are slightly different: 28-36mm. When choosing a floorboard, build on the expected load - the bigger it is, the thicker the material should be.

The width is also very important - it depends on the durability of the flooring of the wooden floor. In particular, this refers to non-punched boards. This parameter should be chosen, focusing on the degree of moisture in the wood - the higher the humidity, the narrower the board, since the wide one is deformed, and this will be very noticeable. It is best to buy boards with a width of about 10 cm, but if you are 100% sure of the quality drying of the material, you can safely buy a board for 18-20 cm.

Layout technology

The technology of wooden flooring can occur in two scenarios: with or without lags. In this chapter, in all details, we will consider the basic moments of stacking on various grounds. It is worth noting that each of the methods has its advantages and disadvantages, so to say which is better, it will not work - choose the situation and your own possibilities.

Helpful Hint: Before proceeding with the installation of the wooden flooring, leave the boards for several days in the room where the construction will be carried out. This is necessary in order for the material to adapt to the temperature and humidity conditions. However, for reasons of economy, in some cases, the floor is mounted from insufficiently dried boards with a moisture level of up to 20%, stacking them immediately, without conducting acclimatization. This method is very risky, as it never fails to predict whether the board is deformed and how noticeable the changes will be.

On the ladders of

Laying of wooden flooring on the logs is the most common way of installation, as it allows you to quickly and effectively disguise any roughness of the rough floor. In addition, between the rough floor and flooring is a free space, where you can conveniently hide communications or lay a heater.

For the production of logs, a pine beam of 50x100 or 100x100 mm is used. Since this method takes about 10 cm of room height, it is best not to use it for low rooms. Before installation lags also need to be given a few days to adapt to temperature and humidity, and then treat them with antibacterial agent and flame retardant.

Stages of installation of wooden flooring on logs:

1. The step of setting the log is determined by the thickness and length of the boards. It is necessary to exclude the deflection of the floor, so the thinner the board, the more often it is necessary to place the lags. If you are laying boards 30-40 mm thick, the distance between the lags should be about 80 cm. For more thin boards, it should be reduced to 50-60 cm. If you are to work with material thicker than 40 mm, stack logs in steps of 100-110 cm.
2. First of all, it is necessary to install lateral lags at opposite walls, retreating from them 20-30 cm. The upper edges of both logs along the entire length should be in the same horizontal plane, so during the installation use the building level.
3. Clearly setting the side lags, you can quickly cope with the intermediate. To do this, after every 1.5 m of length, tighten the nylon thread - it will denote the level to which you need to lift all the intermediate lags.
4. Adjust the height of the log using wooden wedges made of sawn timber or thin plywood, attaching them to self-tapping screws or nails. For fixation to the floor, use dowels and steel corners. You can also benefit from this article: "Adjustable floor on logs: mounting features".
5. Arrange the insulation material between the logs. If the room is on the first floor of a private or multi-storey building, it is recommended to lay a waterproofing before the heater. Suitable building polyethylene thickness of 100-200 microns. Cut out the film cuts with a wide tape, making overlaps of 15 cm. Lay down on the walls by about 20 cm - after installing the thermal insulation, you simply wrap the film on the heater.
6. After laying insulation layers, it is possible to lay communications, after which the plates of the fiberboard should be attached over the log.
7. Now you can start laying the boards. Their size should be chosen in such a way that each joint is located in the center of the lag. Begin the installation of the first row, retreating from the wall 1.5 cm. Pre-drill holes with a screwdriver under the screws in each lag.

Why leave a gap near the wall? This deformation gap, which in the case of shrinkage of wood will compensate for the expansion, and the floor will remain flat. To disguise it, use the floor skirting.

On plywood

In residential areas rough floors are often made of plywood. Over time, such a wooden flooring is practically not deformed. In addition, plywood can be placed even on top of an old cracked floor, without dismantling it. This significantly reduces labor and work time and at the same time provides additional thermal insulation.

To mount a plywood roughing floor, do not need to make long preparatory procedures. If you are working in a room with normal and low humidity, use ordinary plywood. But experts recommend in any case to take a moisture-resistant material. You'll have to pay a little more, but the floor can withstand even a small flood.

How to install wooden flooring on plywood:

1. Attaching the plywood to the floor is easy, but in order to avoid unforeseen difficulties and save material, first make a test layout without fixing. When you find the best way to position the sheets, mark them with chalk, then lay them in the same order.
2. To align the floor surface, set the beacons throughout the entire area of ​​the room. To do this, on the wall near the entrance door make a mark at an arbitrary height of about 1-1.2 m. Next, walk around the entire perimeter of the room, placing marks at the same height with a laser level. The more tags there are, the more accurate the results you will get. Then use a ruler to measure the distance from each label to the floor level and find the lowest value - this is the level to which the floor should be raised in order to align it.
3. Screw in this point( zero level) screw and use the construction level to mark the entire perimeter. Pull the nylon thread between the self-tapping screws at the zero level.
4. You can then lay the logs according to the method described above, or make a dry floor screed with the bulk material. Usually, claydite is used for this. Experts advise taking claydite with different size of fractions in order to get a more dense podsypku. Lay the floor with a waterproofing film before laying the expanded clay.
   
5. When the backfill reaches zero level, align it and proceed to plywood packing according to the numbering made at the very beginning. Start from the door, gradually moving to the opposite wall of the room. Between each other, fasten sheets of plywood with moisture resistant glue and screws. For greater strength and uniformity of the coating after installation, the joints can be plastered.
6. When the base is ready, you can proceed with the installation of the wooden flooring.

For concrete

To equip the wooden floors with concrete, it is necessary to determine the humidity of the concrete screed itself. It should be dry enough( up to 3%), otherwise the evaporating moisture will lead to depletion and deformation of the plank floor. If after the pouring of screed passed less than 3 months, you can not put boards on it.

Useful tip: To assess the moisture content of the concrete screed, there are special devices, but in order to avoid additional waste, you can use the proven method. Although it gives little errors, it allows to determine whether it is possible to work with a screed or it is necessary to dry it a little more. Place a piece of polyethylene 1x1 m on the floor, sealing it with adhesive tape. After 48 hours, open the film and check whether there is condensation under it or a dark moist spot on the concrete. If the condensate is very little or not at all, you can start laying the flooring.

If you are working with an old concrete surface, check for any differences in height. Even slight unevenness can cause the creaking of future floorboards. Eliminate this problem with self-leveling self-leveling floors. If there are slight protrusions, they can be ground.

Concrete flooring device for concrete:

1. Treat the screed with a primer to dust off the surface and simultaneously strengthen the waterproofing. For a well-dried screed, a single-component polyurethane mixture can be used as a primer. If the screed is fresh and slightly damp, take a two-component epoxy mixture and apply it in 2-3 layers. Wait until the primer has dried completely.
2. Waterproofing can be carried out using roll materials - polyethylene or roofing material, but for a multi-apartment house it is enough to impregnate the primer. If you work in a private house, and the premise is on the ground floor or in the basement, lay the waterproofing with two perpendicular layers.
3. On the waterproofing carpet, lay the insulation and vapor barrier membrane, which will remove excess moisture. If you will make a wooden flooring on plywood, choose foamed polyethylene as insulation. If the lag is mineral wool. But the most popular is the fastest and cheapest way - floorboards are simply glued to a concrete screed( suitable only for a perfectly flat screed).
4. Apply a high-strength polyurethane adhesive to the surface.
5. On the adhesive, lay a polypropylene film with a thickness of 10 mm( if necessary, to achieve the desired thickness, lay the film in several layers).At the same time, the film should penetrate the walls by 15-20 cm.
6. Apply the glue and lay the boards over the polypropylene again.
7. After installation, cover the wooden flooring with varnish or paint.

The video about the flooring of the wooden floor will sum up all the above information and help you avoid common mistakes: