How to lay parquet boards: methods and technology for proper installation of parquet boards. How to properly lay parquet boards on a wooden floor Methods for laying parquet boards

Those who want to emphasize their status, wealth and good taste should pay attention to parquet when choosing flooring. It has high reliability, environmental friendliness, good wear resistance and excellent appearance. The process of laying parquet has always been one of the most complex species work, but with the advent of massive parquet boards, everything became much easier. Laying parquet boards is a fairly simple task, and you can do it yourself, the main thing is to know how to use the tool and follow certain rules and recommendations.

Today there are two types of parquet boards on the market: solid parquet boards and multilayer parquet boards. They differ in their production method.

Solid parquet board made from a single piece of wood with a groove and a tongue at the ends. For its production, both deciduous and coniferous wood are used.

Multilayer parquet board consists of different breeds wood

Created by combining several types of wood with different characteristics, thereby achieving exceptional performance characteristics boards. For the first layer of lamellas, hard and valuable wood species are used. The appearance and strength of the parquet board will depend on the first layer. The second layer of lamellas is located perpendicular to the first, and softwood is used for it. This layer is used as a connecting element both for this panel and for neighboring ones. The third layer is made of plywood or pine or spruce slats up to 4 mm thick.

In addition, parquet boards are sold with a coating applied at the factory, impregnated against fungi and rot. Regardless of the type of parquet board, its durability and strength are directly affected by compliance with production, storage and installation technology. And if on manufacturing process and it is impossible to influence the storage conditions, then you can control the installation process, or better yet, do it yourself.

Specifics of laying parquet boards

To create a strong and durable floor covering from parquet boards, skill in using the tool will not be enough. If you do not adhere to installation technology during work, you will not get reliable and beautiful parquet. Therefore, before laying the parquet board, it is necessary to perform a series of preparatory work and adhere to certain technological requirements.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the base on which the parquet board will be laid. It should be smooth, durable, without cracks, depressions or differences. The maximum permissible height difference is 2 mm per 1 linear meter. If the foundation is damaged, it should be repaired or rebuilt.

Second important point Something to pay attention to is the humidity level in the room. Parquet boards do not tolerate high humidity well, so installing them in a bathroom, toilet or kitchen is undesirable.

Thirdly, after purchasing and delivering a parquet board, it must be allowed to sit indoors for 48 hours. And only after the board has “accustomed” to the microclimate of the room can you begin laying it.

Fourthly, in order to obtain a truly strong and durable coating, during installation indoors it is necessary to maintain a certain level of humidity, in the range of 35-65%, and a temperature not lower than +18 °C.

Laying plan for parquet boards

Another requirement for laying parquet boards is the presence of a backing and waterproofing, regardless of the type of base and room. The parquet board itself should be laid in the direction of the rays of light to hide the shadows at the joints.

Preparing the base for installation

Before laying the parquet board, the surface is leveled with a self-leveling mixture

Installation of parquet boards can be done on both concrete and wooden bases. The main requirements for it are strength, reliability and a smooth surface. Therefore, before installation, it is necessary to inspect the base and, if necessary, carry out repair work.

Let's prepare the wooden floor

If the parquet board will be laid on a wooden floor, you should check it for dips, creaks and differences between the floorboards. If the floor is in excellent condition, but there are no big differences and gaps between the floor boards, then it needs to be leveled. To do this, the surface can be scraped and puttied, then sanded and further installation work can begin. If the floorboards squeak or loosen a little, they can be secured to the joists using self-tapping screws, and the surface can be scraped and puttied. But if a wooden floor fails, you will have to disassemble it down to the joists, level or partially replace them, and then reassemble the entire structure.

Preparing a rough concrete base

With a concrete base the situation is somewhat simpler. Its surface should be checked for cracks, differences or depressions. If any are present, the surface should be cleared of debris, filled with a self-leveling mixture and allowed to dry for several days. But if the concrete has cracked, turned to dust and is wobbly in places, then you will have to use a hammer drill to remove the old concrete screed to the base and pour a new one. And only after the concrete has dried can you begin laying the parquet boards.

How to lay parquet boards correctly

Before laying the parquet board, you need to decide on the method of laying it. There are only two of them - glued and glueless (floating).

Gluing the parquet board to the base creates monolithic structure

The adhesive installation method allows you to create a durable and reliable coating in large areas. The process itself is quite labor-intensive and requires increased attention and precision in the work. In addition, if there is a need to replace one panel, you will have to tinker a lot and, possibly, replace several adjacent panels at once. The glueless method is the simplest and fastest. The panels themselves are connected to each other in a lock and laid on a substrate, while the lock connection is sometimes glued.

Installation of parquet boards is carried out as follows:

We lay waterproofing on a concrete or wooden base from polyethylene film. We lay the film sheets overlapping (15 - 20 cm) and glue them together with tape. We also make an overlap of 10 - 15 cm on the walls and glue it with tape;

Lay a backing on top of the film. For these purposes, you can use foamed polyethylene, polystyrene or cork. Polyethylene foam and cork are sold in rolls, and polystyrene is sold in the form of mats. We spread sheets of foamed polyethylene and cork along the entire length of the room and glue them with tape. We lay the polystyrene mats end to end and “staggered”, sealing the joints with tape. If you plan to create a completely environmentally friendly floor covering, then you should use cork as a substrate.

The adhesive method of laying parquet boards requires a base made of moisture-resistant plywood

Important! If you plan to use a glue method for laying parquet boards, then waterproof plywood is used as a backing. We lay its sheets directly on the base and secure it with self-tapping screws. We begin laying from the walls, moving towards the middle of the room so that the last row of sheets lies between the two previously laid.

Now it is necessary to carry out small calculations of the number of rows of parquet boards. If it becomes necessary to trim the last row and its width is less than 5 cm, then you will have to make the first and last row the same width;

The first row of parquet boards is laid with a tenon against the wall (the tenon is pre-cut down)

we lay the panels of the first row with the tenon to the wall;

Important! For a tighter fit, the tenon on the longitudinal side of the panels must be cut off.

Since wood tends to expand or shrink depending on seasonal humidity levels, it is necessary to leave a gap of 10 - 15 cm between the wall and the parquet board. To maintain this gap during installation, we insert special pegs. We place three pegs on the longitudinal side of one panel, and two on the narrow side;

For a tight fit, we finish the parquet boards with a hammer

We connect the panels of the first row together into a lock. To do this, place each next panel at a slight angle with a tenon into the groove of the previous one and, for a tight fit, finish it with a hammer through a wooden block;

In addition to gluing the parquet board to the base, we secure it into the groove with pneumatic nails

Important! If we use the adhesive installation method, then before laying each new panel, apply glue to the place where it is laid and level it using a notched trowel. We additionally secure the panels using pneumatic nails in an inconspicuous place - inside the groove. It is necessary to ensure that parquet panels at narrow joints do not form ledges or bevels.

For greater strength, laying parquet boards must be done “staggered”

In order for parquet to be a reliable and durable floor covering, it should be laid staggered. Therefore, we begin to lay the second row with a shorter board. To do this, you will have to cut the board so that it is 2/3 of the normal length;

the second row of panels is connected to each other in the same way as the first, then the entire row is moved towards the first and connected. We place the panels of the second row at a slight angle into the groove of the first row and, for a tighter fit, we finish the panels with a hammer through a block. We do this gradually, first the first panel, then the second and so on until the end;

Important! The last panels in each row should be finished off using a clamp. At glue method laying the second row is laid by dialing. To do this, glue is applied to the installation site and the parquet panel is immediately laid, which is achieved with a hammer, and only after that the next one is laid. We secure the second row of panels additionally in the same way as the first.

We begin laying the third row of panels from a board whose length is 1/3 of the normal length. After which the installation is carried out according to the algorithm of the first and second rows;

We begin laying the fourth row from the whole panel. We lay each next row, completely repeating the above-described algorithm for laying the first four rows;

when laying parquet boards near doorways, it is necessary to make cutouts in the board so that it fits snugly against the door frame posts;

Particular attention must be paid to the places in the room where the heating pipe risers pass. To make installation in such places, it is necessary to mark the position of the pipes on the parquet board. After this, drill a hole for the pipe with a diameter 2 mm larger than the pipe itself, and cut off part of the board exactly in the middle of the hole. Now we put most of the board in place and secure it. Apply glue to the ends of the cut piece and put it in place. We place a special plug around the pipe in the same color as the parquet;

when the parquet board is laid over the entire area of the room, remove the spacer pegs between the wall and the first row;

The final stage of laying parquet boards is the installation of skirting boards. The plinth itself is attached to a special fastener - a clamp. To install the plinth, first cut off the protruding part of the substrate and waterproofing with a knife. Then we install the first clamps at a distance of 15 - 20 cm from the corners, install the next clamps in increments of 40 - 50 cm. The clamps themselves for the plinth are attached to the wall using dowels and self-tapping screws.

Important! If glue was used during the installation process, you must let it dry for 24 hours, after which flooring from a parquet board will be ready for use.

Parquet board and “warm floor”

The parquet board itself is quite good thermal insulation material In addition, the substrate provides additional thermal insulation. But if there is a need for additional heating, then the parquet board can be laid on a “warm floor” system. The main thing to consider is the type of “warm floor”. It should be water heated, but not electric. The fact is that “warm floors” with electric heating the temperature rises too quickly, and as a result, the interlocking joint of the parquet board begins to crack due to a sharp temperature change.

Also, before starting the installation process, it is necessary to turn off the system in advance and allow the floors to cool to room temperature, and only then begin installation. Upon completion of all work on installing the parquet board, the “warm floor” system can be turned on no earlier than 7 days later, and the temperature can be increased to the same level gradually, 2-3 degrees per day. In addition, in order for a parquet floor to not “lead”, the temperature over the entire surface must be the same. If the “warm floor” system is installed in all rooms, during installation it is necessary to ensure that in each room the parquet floor ends at doorways.

Parquet board served as an alternative classic parquet, which made it possible to create beautiful and natural floors on your own, significantly saving on the services of hired craftsmen. But like anyone natural material, parquet boards require careful work and compliance with all standards, requirements and recommendations of the manufacturer, by observing which you can create a reliable and durable floor covering.

Parquet flooring, despite its many years of use and its ever-increasing variety flooring materials, is not losing ground at all and is still popular and in demand. After all, it’s incredibly pleasant to lay out an unusual pattern on a natural wood surface yourself. For this reason, the question remains relevant: how to properly lay parquet boards with your own hands - then we will consider step-by-step instructions.

Main types of parquet for DIY installation

The most common types of parquet:

piece;
parquet board;
laminated (laminate);
modular.

Popularity piece parquet quite big. It consists of dies not large sizes. A parquet block is a multilayer structure consisting of one or several lower auxiliary layers and an upper face layer, which has decorative look characteristic woody structure. Along the perimeter, each plank is equipped with locking elements in the form of a tongue and groove for connecting the planks to each other.

The length of the dies, as a rule, is a multiple of its width, which allows you to create a variety of geometric patterns when decorating a parquet floor.

Standard sizes of parquet flooring:

width - from 5 to 7.5 centimeters;
length - from 21 to 49 centimeters;
thickness - in the range: 14-22 millimeters.

The optimal thickness of parquet flooring for decorating a floor in a residential area: 15-18 mm. With a smaller thickness, the number of scrapes of such a parquet floor is limited; only one processing may be allowed. Thicker strips allow repeated scraping, but do not have elasticity.

Parquet board differs from piece parquet only in size. Its average dimensions are:

width - from 12 to 20 cm;
length - from 1.1 m to 2.5 m;
thickness - in the range: 1-2.2 cm.

Parquet panels or modules- a composition of parquet elements fastened together is assembled on a coniferous base and glued onto it. This module has a thickness from 22 to 40 mm. They are usually square in shape with side sizes: 400, 500, 600, 800 mm. Laying modular parquet is much faster than laying it piece parquet. It is difficult to determine on the laid flooring whether it is piece parquet or modular.

Modular parquet allows you to make the simplest floor luxurious, in the style of a royal palace. Compositions are made from modules; ornaments are much more complex and interesting than “herringbone” or “braid”.

The process of laying parquet flooring contains several stages:

Preparing an old concrete or wooden base.
Laying waterproofing.
Performing a screed to level the surface of the base.
The screed can be replaced by laying lag.
Primer treatment of screed.
Sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are glued to the screed or attached to the joists.
Laying parquet on plywood.
Sanding parquet flooring.
Parquet putty.
Priming the surface of a parquet floor for varnish.
Coating the parquet with varnish layers (from 3 to 9).

All of the above points must be carried out with high quality, otherwise there is no guarantee of long-term operation of the parquet flooring.

Preparing for parquet installation

Parquet material is laid on a rough base, usually this is:

concrete floor, covered with screed or without it;
logs specially installed for laying the covering;
plywood sheets or plank floors, repaired and sanded.

Before laying parquet, it is necessary to carry out preparation rough foundation, if necessary, repair it. After repairing the concrete base, a layer of waterproofing should be laid on its surface. This can be a polyethylene film (200 microns), laid with overlapping parts of about 15 cm, fastened with tape.

Next comes the stage of performing a leveling screed, its thickness is about 5 cm. Before the next stages of work begin, the screed needs time (1-2 months) to dry completely. Haste is unacceptable, since the wood material of the parquet laid on a poorly dried screed will absorb moisture from it, which will subsequently cause deformation of the parquet elements.

After drying, the surface of the screed should be primed. The surface of the screed must be flat. Permissible differences in height: no more than 2 mm per 2 meters of floor. This is checked with a two-meter flat strip; when positioned on the base in any direction, the maximum permissible gap between it and the surface of the screed is 2 millimeters, it is better if it is smaller. A slope is allowed with a limitation on its size: no more than 0.2%; in fact, exceeding 5 cm is unacceptable.

There is another option: with the help of a self-regulating floor, the preparation time for the concrete base will be reduced to one day.

Laying plywood under parquet on a screed

Moisture-resistant plywood sheets with a thickness of at least 12 mm should be cut into 4 equal parts.

The functions of moisture-resistant plywood under parquet are quite serious:

The surface is made almost perfectly leveled.
Thermal insulation and sound insulation function.
Adds strength.
Is strong foundation for mounting parquet dies. If they are attached directly to the screed, then when its surface layer is destroyed, the parquet flooring will fall out. The attachment to plywood sheets is strong and holds them tightly.

Possible laying parquet without plywood directly onto the screed only glue method:

Plywood sheets should be 5 mm thinner than the thickness of the parquet flooring. But it makes no sense to use a thickness of less than 12 mm as a base, because it is too small. In such a situation, it is possible to lay plywood sheets in two layers, but with the seams spaced apart.

Then a layer of glue is applied to the surface of the screed, plywood squares are laid using the bricklaying method, with the joints offset, and then secured using self-tapping screws. The caps are recessed 3 mm deep into the plywood to avoid further damage to the sanding machine disc.

Be sure to leave a gap of 3 mm between the plywood pieces to avoid deformation of the parquet flooring due to the expansion of the plywood.
Also leave gaps between each wall and the plywood sheets of approximately 1 cm, this is a technological gap. It is possible to insert spacer wedges into it for stability.

The wedges are not removed until the parquet flooring is laid. After removing the wedges, the existing gap should be foamed so that the sides of the parquet are not damaged by moisture during further use of the floor. The foamed gap will be hidden under the baseboard.

Next, you need to maintain the drying time of the glue - it is indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. After the glue has dried, the plywood surface is sanded along the seams, removing the difference in levels of adjacent squares.

It is not necessary to pour a leveling screed onto the concrete base; you can use the old proven method: laying the floor on joists. This eliminates the need to level the concrete base, but waterproofing will need to be done; dense polyethylene film is suitable for this purpose.

Then the logs are laid every 40 cm. Bars with a cross section of 50 by 50 mm or 50 by 80 mm are suitable for this purpose. The logs are attached to the base with corners and dowels. To ensure a constant level of the joists in places where the level is not maintained (above or below), you can place shims or, conversely, cut off a little using a plane.

The thickness of the plywood sheets should be 5 mm less than the thickness of the parquet boards. But, since a plywood thickness of less than 12 mm is not sufficient for flooring as a base for parquet, therefore the plywood backing is laid on the joists in two layers, their total thickness is about 30 mm.

Plywood sheets cut into 4 equal rectangles are attached to the joists using self-tapping screws. It is imperative to observe the offset of the seams between the sheets, as with brickwork. Gaps between sheets of 2-3 mm and a technological gap near the walls of 1 cm are also required.

In a similar way, another row of pieces of plywood is laid on top. When laying the second floor, pay attention to the displacement of the seams: the coincidence of the seams of the first and second rows is unacceptable. The bottom row of plywood sheets is treated with a primer, then with glue.

Then they are secured with self-tapping screws, their size is determined by the thickness of two layers of plywood sheets. The caps are recessed 3 mm deep into the plywood to avoid further damage to the sanding machine disc. When the glue dries, sand the plywood.

Preparing an old plank floor

To lay parquet flooring on an old plank floor, be sure to meticulously inspect it. Creaks, dips, and rotten floorboards are unacceptable. If one of these defects is present, it is necessary to repair the floor and repair or replace the joists.

The repaired plank base must be sanded. You can lay parquet material directly on a leveled plank base, without laying sheet plywood.

Parquet flooring methods

The technological process of laying parquet material can be carried out different ways:

floating method;
glue method;
flooring fixed with nails;
laying on parquet glue and fixing with nails.

At floating method Laying parquet flooring is secured to each other by inserting a tenon into a groove. In this case, no fastening is made to the base. The laminated flooring is laid using the same floating pattern.
To prevent the “floating” parquet floor from creaking in the future, a sound-proofing layer, for example, cork, is laid under it.

Parquet floors connected by this method will be able to change sizes up or down with changes in temperature or humidity - without consequences. Such “floating” parquet is easy to repair - disassembling and reassembling is quite possible. In terms of strength, such a floor is not in the first positions: if at least one locking connection is weakened, the entire coating loses stability and can become deformed.

Laying parquet with glue- more durable, but it is very difficult to repair if necessary. Sufficiently thick is applied to the base. adhesive layer, parquet planks are placed on it, and a tenon is inserted into the groove. This method requires increased labor and financial costs due to high flow rate glue.

Laying on a layer of glue with fixation with hardware- the most durable and in demand. The floor laid in this way does not deform, because the parquet flooring is fastened in all directions. But this parquet flooring cannot be repaired.

Laying piece parquet boards: step-by-step instructions

To create a beautiful and even pattern on the parquet, we will first develop its diagram on a sheet of paper. We'll take it correct sizes rooms and parquet - to scale. If on paper any row does not fit in whole slats, then we alter the diagram in such a way that the trimmed rows are located around the perimeter of the room, and only whole ones in the center. The beginning of laying parquet flooring is also determined by the pattern.

We are considering installation using the herringbone method.

The work can be continued no earlier than after 7 days; the glue must be allowed to dry. Sometimes experts advise waiting six months for the parquet to settle well.

The next stage of work will be sanding the parquet surface in two passes or even more. For each pass, a different type of sanding paper is used to reduce the grain size. Sanding is carried out until all defects that appear are removed. Then the floor is covered with stain (if they want to change the shade of the floor), then varnished in several layers.

Options for laying block parquet with your own hands

Block parquet lends itself very well to laying in a variety of patterns; to do this, the dies should be placed in different directions and the sequence should be changed.

The most common types of laying block parquet are:

In addition to the examples given, there are many combinations of them with various shapes and patterns.

Video about laying block parquet:

Laying parquet with your own hands

Methods for laying parquet boards:

floating- the boards are connected to each other by locking elements: tongue and groove, not fixed to the base;
adhesive: the board is laid on a layer of glue applied to the base;
using fasteners.

The technology for laying parquet boards is similar to the technology for laying block parquet. Let's consider one of the installation methods - floating. In our case, the preparation of the base has already been completed (see the description of the preparatory work above), so we proceed to laying the parquet boards with our own hands.

The first board should be placed from the corner along the longest wall, but this is not the wall with the door. It is necessary to create a technological gap of approximately 1 cm from the board to the wall; to do this, wedges of equal thickness can be inserted into the gap. This should be done around the entire perimeter of the room. This will allow the coating to vary in size without consequences - with changes in temperature and humidity.
Lay the next boards along the wall to the end of the row. The last board in the row will have to be cut to the right size so that it fits into the remaining space. Don't forget to leave a gap.
Start the second row with the remaining trim from the last board from the first row. Apply each board to the adjacent one, inserting a tenon into the corresponding groove. To do this, first hold the board to be laid at an angle of 30º. Press forward and down so that the locking elements connect. Next, use a rubber hammer to tap the side of the outer board to strengthen the connection.
By next rows stacked by analogy, to the last. Typically, the boards of the last row need to be cut in width to fit the remaining space. Do not forget to insert wedges into the gap between the wall and the outermost row of boards, ensuring a gap.
Once the parquet installation is complete, all spacer wedges can be removed.
The last step is the installation of skirting boards, which will also close the technological gaps along the walls.

Video of laying parquet boards using the glue method on plywood:

Laying a parquet board on a screed without plywood is done in the same way, but with an adhesive layer applied to the surface of the base. Let us remind you once again that the base must be carefully prepared, leveled, and the screed must be primed. Only after this proceed to laying the parquet boards with glue.

A video on this topic will help you:

Laying panel (modular) parquet

Modular parquet is installed much easier and faster than piece parquet. The modules are assembled and firmly glued onto a rigid base; they are not subject to deformation, like block parquet.

But when laying the modules, even the smallest error will be very noticeable. For this reason, such material is very demanding in terms of preparation and leveling of the base, impeccable execution of the installation process and the professionalism of the craftsman.

Modular material is unpacked before installation. First, the elements are laid out on the floor without being fixed to the base for the correct placement of the pattern, this will eliminate errors when installing with glue.

Start laying from the corner of the longest wall farthest from the door. The glue is applied using a special notched trowel only to the part of the surface on which the coating will be mounted in the next 10 minutes.

The accuracy of the layout of the initial row affects the correct geometry of the pattern, because the following rows are adjusted to the first. Spacer wedges are inserted from the wall side, providing a uniform gap of 1 cm.

So on adhesive surface The entire first row is laid, with padding for a good connection. You constantly need to monitor the evenness of the row and adjust if necessary. Upon completion of the row, adjusting to it, subsequent rows are laid out in the same way.

When laying, you need to make sure that the glue does not get into the tongue-and-groove system and onto the front surface of the parquet, and if it does, quickly clean it using a parquet floor cleaner.

After installing the entire modules, after a short time for the glue to set, the laying of trimmed modules around the perimeter, called a border, begins. It starts from the corner distant from the door. The joints in the corners of the room should be cut carefully without damaging the front side of the module.

Laying the cut elements should be similar to laying regular parquet. Do not forget about the technological gap at the walls, keep it even by inserting wedges or adjustable spacers (special spacers).

Where pipes etc. pass through parquet modules, a small margin is cut to ensure a gap of 1 cm.

Upon completion of installation, you need to clean the floor from dust and debris using a vacuum cleaner and treat the floor with a cleaner. Temporarily stop visiting the premises; a day after installation, remove the wedges and you can install the plinth around the entire perimeter. Skirting boards are attached to the wall, and not to the parquet material.

Final stage

The technological process for installing parquet floors has a lot of special features. But if you want to: study the materials on the preparatory work and ask how to lay parquet, you can start. It is clear that the first time everything will not be so simple. not so fast, but how pleasant the result is, made with your own hands!

We hope that our step-by-step instructions helped you understand how to lay parquet boards with your own hands, how to lay block parquet, how to lay herringbone parquet and much more. Good luck!

Laying parquet on plywood:

The choice of materials for finishing floors in residential premises is often based not only on the external characteristics of the coatings, but also on the ease of their installation.

Parquet board is one of the flooring materials that emphasizes the spectacular interior design and is quite easy to install if you understand the installation features.

Therefore, it won’t hurt to study some of the nuances, as well as read the step-by-step instructions for laying parquet boards yourself if you decide to do such work without the help of specialists.

Preparing to lay parquet boards

One of the most important criteria professional installation of such materials - the quality of parquet boards. You can install laminate and parquet boards from a huge number of types of trees, and this will affect the durability and reliability of the coating.

Advice: To be sure of the quality of the material, order it from companies that do the installation themselves. They will not be used in repair work ah material with poor characteristics.

Often a three-layer parquet board is chosen for the floor. The outer layer (working) is sanded: its thickness can be up to one to six millimeters.

Varnish, oil or other is applied to the top layer protective agent. For the middle layer, short plates of pine needles or moisture-resistant plywood are used. There will be connectors here that allow you to join the boards to each other.

The bottom layer is used to ensure the even shape of the board: it prevents the processes of its bending and deformation and is usually made of two-millimeter pine or spruce plywood.

Attention! If you want to create the appearance of laying solid parquet boards, choose flooring with a solid outer layer.

As you might have guessed, choosing a material is the first stage of laying parquet boards from scratch. At this stage, you can stock up on all the necessary tools for laying parquet boards: they may differ depending on the chosen installation method. Next, start preparing the base and forming a substrate for the main coating.

Why is it so important to properly prepare the foundation? In most cases, due to a poorly executed base, the parquet board looks uneven and unaesthetic, and the quality of the material subsequently deteriorates. No more than three millimeters of difference per linear meter of base and humidity of up to two to three percent are allowed. To correct unevenness, you can use dry-based leveling compounds.

Inspect the screed for defects, remove dirt and treat peeling areas. If the moisture meter shows excessive moisture, overlap the film with vapor barrier properties and use construction tape to seal the joints. A special primer can also solve this problem.

In some cases, laying the board will be preceded by the creation of a base layer. The underlay will allow you to get rid of some defects and level the surface, provide waterproofing, slightly insulate the floor and have shock-absorbing functions. And when there are temperature changes, the substrate will prevent the board from sliding along the base.

To create such a layer, you can use sheet cork, polyethylene foam, felt cardboard or extruded polystyrene foam. But you can look in stores for others modern materials, suitable for these purposes.

A popular option for forming a base layer is cork coverings. They are natural and environmentally friendly, protect against noise and are easy to install. It is enough to clean the floor from dust, apply glue and use a roller to lay the cork. You can immediately begin installing the boards. The main thing is not to use too much glue, otherwise it may cause the backing to swell.

Varieties of parquet floor installation methods

There are several simple options for laying parquet boards. First of all, consider how your floor will initially look, since it is not always possible to lay this material from scratch. For example, many people install on linoleum, plywood or wooden base.

What other installation methods are there? Here are several options for laying parquet boards with your own hands:

using a dry screed or floating technique;
gluing fragments of parquet boards to each other or to the floor base;
the use of a mechanical method of fastening boards.

The easiest way to install such a floor is to use special locking mechanisms. Firstly, this will not take much time, since you just need to fasten all the parquet boards together. Secondly, the locking mechanism makes the coating even more reliable and durable. And you can lay the boards yourself without worrying about the quality of installation.

How to lay a parquet board on a concrete screed

Let's talk about how to lay a parquet board on a concrete floor. When laying on a screed without plywood, you should start by waterproofing your floor. Use a parquet primer with protective properties to cover the entire screed. Next, wait until it dries and you can start applying glue.

Attention! When using two-component polyurethane adhesive, take into account its rapid polymerization.

Apply the adhesive using notched trowels to ensure an even layer of adhesive. Lay the board on top in the chosen direction.

Please note that this technology for laying parquet boards on a screed involves creating a technological gap between the wall and the material, approximately seven to eight millimeters wide. The gap is necessary so that when temperature and humidity levels change, the wood can shrink and expand without affecting the appearance of the floor.

It will be better if, before laying the parquet board on the concrete floor, you make auxiliary markings for yourself. This will allow you to avoid mistakes and complete the work accurately.

Installation of boards on plywood base

Many people prefer laying plywood under parquet boards, since this method provides the floor with even greater reliability and durability. Therefore, let's look at some of the nuances of how to lay a parquet board on a wooden floor of this type.

First of all, you should level, clean and prime the base of the floor. Start gluing 50 by 50 centimeter squares to the base, creating a checkerboard design (the corners of the four fragments should not be joined together). A technological gap of approximately two to three millimeters wide should be left between all fragments.

We make a larger gap between the material and the walls: its width should be about eight millimeters. For fixation, use special wedges for laying laminate and parquet boards. They can be removed when you complete the installation completely. Next, the gaps should be filled with foam.

Now you can proceed to the next stage of the technology of laying parquet boards on plywood. Sand the plywood sheets.

If you used hardware to secure the material, check whether they are recessed below the level by about two to three millimeters. Otherwise there is a risk of damage to the grinder. When the plywood is completely processed and cleaned of dust, all that remains is to apply glue to the surface and lay the parquet board.

How to lay parquet boards with your own hands is well shown in the video:

Installing parquet boards on joists

The next method is laying parquet boards on logs. It is in demand if the floor can only be leveled using large volumes of a special mixture. Please note that this procedure is best left to experienced professionals.

How to lay a parquet board on joists? To begin with, place them, keeping a step of about 0.3-0.5 meters, and fasten them well to the base. Next, align the joists horizontally and lay the subfloor and plywood.

After sanding the plywood, you can begin installing the parquet boards.

How to lay a parquet board on joists with your own hands - watch the video full cycle works:

Floating installation method

Floating installation does not involve the use of glue to connect floor elements. Its essence lies in the installation of parquet boards using tongue-and-groove joints cut in each fragment.

Laying parquet boards on a substrate using a floating method is quick and easy. At the same time, the floor is durable, and this strength remains for many years. This coating does not change with temperature changes or changes in humidity levels and does not deteriorate from excessive weight loads.

If you varnish such a floor, you don’t have to worry about the joints of the boards being noticeable, since the coating will look complete. Even when mounted against the light, you will avoid unwanted effects. Another advantage of the floating method is the ability to replace or remove individual boards without damaging the entire floor in the room.

Watch the video on how to properly lay parquet boards using the floating method:

Glue masonry method

If the room has large area or when the rigidity of the base is important to you, it is better to give preference to the technology of laying parquet boards with glue. This method is called adhesive because the board is glued directly to the base of the floor.

Of course, not all types of glue are suitable for such procedures. You cannot attach parquet boards to water-based glue, otherwise the material will lose its shape in the future. By the way, even with this method, you can fasten the boards using the tongue-and-groove method, but you need to apply glue to the lower grooves for even greater reliability.

Laying a parquet board with glue - in this video you can see the nuances of installing a board with an adhesive composition:

In which direction to lay parquet boards

Depending on your preferences and interior design features, you can choose different layouts for laying parquet boards. But it is advisable to take into account the direction of laying the parquet board relative to the window. It will be better if you lay the floor perpendicular window and parallel luminous flux to mask the joints of the boards.

Attention! Please note that in small or narrow rooms with windows on long side cross boards will visually eat up the space.

But in spacious interiors You can lay out parquet boards in any way. For example it could be deck laying with elements parallel to each other. Longitudinal installation should begin from the wall that is located opposite the entrance to the room.

Another way - diagonal laying parquet boards. Such a floor will look more impressive, but the volume of waste after installation will increase, and the procedure itself will be more complicated, since each element will have to be adjusted to the required parameters. Laying parquet boards diagonally with your own hands begins from the corner of the room.

You can also install the parquet boards in a herringbone pattern or make the floor even more unusual by incorporating ideas of various geometries or concentrating the floor design on a central accent (such as a fireplace).

Read about how to do it right - all the secrets and subtleties of the arrangement technology, step by step plan works

How to choose the right linoleum for the kitchen? There is an answer: all the secrets and subtleties of choosing a high-quality and durable coating.

In order to carry out the work of laying parquet boards efficiently, pay attention to some recommendations. First of all, this concerns the presence of obstacles on the floor surface. If there are pipes, ridges or other parts, cut the boards to fit neatly around them.

Be sure to allow for gaps. For convenience, use an electric jigsaw with fine teeth or a similar wood saw.

If during installation you find that some boards are defective or unevenly painted, do not throw them away. You may have to use scraps of parquet boards in certain places, and then you will need the materials you set aside.

Another important point is the conditions under which the new floor will be installed. It is advisable that the room temperature does not exceed eighteen degrees, and the level of importance is from thirty to sixty percent.

If you are making a floor from parquet boards for many years, we recommend that you provide an additional coating of the material with varnish. The varnish will fill the seams of the boards and will protect the floor from water when wet cleaning. Besides protective functions, the varnish will also play a decorative role and give the floor a beautiful shine.

To make it easier to carry out the described procedures, you can use ready-made kits for laying parquet boards and laminate flooring. And don’t forget to read the instructions included with the materials (for example, there is a guide to laying Parquetoff parquet boards), which describes the nuances of installing the selected coating.

Many people cannot understand why parquet boards squeak after installation and how to solve this problem. Creaking can be associated with uneven screed, defective lags, improper installation or poor-quality backing layer, as well as other nuances. To prevent the floor from squeaking, you will have to disassemble the boards and identify the real cause of this effect.

How to care for new flooring

Even if you follow all the rules for laying parquet boards, there is a risk of it deteriorating over time if you do not properly care for the material. This type of floor should be cleaned with a thoroughly wrung out soft cloth to avoid moisture getting on the surface. If you are cleaning a room with a vacuum cleaner, place the brush on the nozzle.

There is also a chance that furniture scratches will appear on the floor over time. Therefore, we advise you to take time to use special protective soft stickers for the legs.

How should the parquet board be treated after installation? In the first year after installation, the floor should be treated with oil and wax once every three months. To begin with, it is thoroughly washed and dried for seven hours, then soaked in oil using a special brush. After five minutes, excess is removed from the surface.

After 24 hours, the floor is covered with protective wax. The same wax can be added to water if you wet clean the floor with a wrung out rag.

If you know how to work with the material, you can even without outside help decorate a room with a modern and stylish parquet board, which will only emphasize the merits of the design. Start preparing for independent work from watching educational videos about laying parquet boards with your own hands.

Installation errors

A useful video analyzing errors when installing 3-layer Tarkett boards - be sure to watch how to properly lay a parquet board yourself to avoid them:

Installing parquet boards yourself is quite acceptable if you strictly follow the algorithm of actions according to the chosen type of installation, choose the right materials and fasteners, and take the time to prepare the surface. What methods of installing boards exist and what are the features of each of them? More on this below.

Armed with simple knowledge, almost anyone can lay a parquet board on their own.

The prototype of a modern parquet board appeared on the market in 1941, when the Swedish company Gustav Chers found a way to replace expensive piece parquet with an almost identical analogue at a budget price.

The first board consisted of two layers. The presence of a number of shortcomings did not allow the authors of the product to modernize it in the near future. But just five years later, another Swedish manufacturer, Tarkett, launched the world's first three-layer parquet board on the market. Today the material is presented practically unchanged and is in great demand among consumers.

Each layer of parquet board is designed for specific purposes, which together makes this material durable and wear-resistant

The production of parquet boards with an oil or varnish coating opens up the opportunity for people with average incomes to afford finishing the floor with natural wood within their budget. It is noteworthy that you can lay parquet boards with your own hands, quickly and without violating technology. During operation, such a floor can be easily repaired by replacing individual sections.

The material is presented in a wide range of different colors and shades, with a variety of textures and parameters.

Design features of the board: what does it consist of?

The new generation parquet board is a practical three-layer board made of natural wood species with a length from 2000 to 2600 mm, a thickness from 13 to 15 mm and a width from 139 to 210 mm. Parameters vary depending on the manufacturer. For the finishing layer, varnish or oil mixtures are used.

The structure of the board is the bottom layer, which plays the role of a stabilizer, the middle and so-called working layer is the top layer. Each of them plays a role.

The bottom one is made of spruce veneer, usually 2 to 4 mm thick, designed to stabilize the boards and prevent them from deforming. The middle layer with a thickness of up to 8 mm is made of pine planks with a width of up to 30 mm, laid out along the width of the board.

The front top layer is lamellas made of practical expensive wood with a thickness of up to 5 mm, laid along the length of the board, fixed to the surface of the middle layer with glue. It is the top layer that is responsible for the appearance of the board, recreating the structure of wood with a certain pattern on the surface.

The working layer must be sanded and additionally treated with oil or varnish mixtures. Then, during use, the parquet board can be sanded again at least three times with the varnish or oil coating renewed.

Parquet boards are much easier and faster to lay than regular parquet due to its design features

The wood fibers of the layers bonded together are located perpendicular to each other. This fastening option helps prevent floor deformation under the influence of temperature fluctuations and changes in humidity.

It is not difficult to independently assemble parquet based on parquet boards, since the material is additionally equipped with a tongue-and-groove locking system. The top layer strips - lamellas, depending on the type of product, may have different variants location.

What styling options are used?

Before you begin preparing for installation, you need to decide what the installation technology will be, taking into account the type of base, the characteristics of the material (structure and parameters). There are three options for attaching dies:

on glue;
mechanically;
"floating" method.

Each option has its own characteristics. The so-called “floating” method with a tongue-and-groove system is considered the most common. Laminate flooring is also installed using a similar scheme. It will be relevant only in cases where the thickness of the die does not exceed 14 mm.

The main advantage of this mounting option is that the board will not require additional processing after installation and can be used immediately after the varnish or oil mixture has dried on the floor surface. In addition, laying parquet boards in this way is not difficult and can be done even by people without experience.

Option for laying parquet boards with glue on concrete base

The so-called adhesive method involves attaching the coating to glue and simultaneously gluing the boards together. This option is convenient to use when the thickness of the dies is more than 14 mm. Its disadvantage is the labor intensity of the work and the cost of high-quality glue.

The mechanical fastening option involves the use of self-tapping screws. The fasteners are driven into the groove at a certain angle. This installation option is appropriate when using boards with a thickness of 20 mm or more with a rough base made of wood or joists.

How to properly prepare the base?

You need to understand that step-by-step instructions for installing parquet boards will differ depending on the type of subfloor. Preparation of the floor for installation of wooden covering includes:

recovery;
adjustment;
cleaning

All types of work - important stage installation of parquet boards, therefore they must be carried out with maximum responsibility.

You should not neglect even such simple operations as routine floor cleaning; this may affect the evenness and durability of the parquet flooring

How to prepare a wooden floor?

The technology for preparing a wooden floor depends on its condition. If the base is relatively new, with virtually no defects in the form of height differences, boards with mold or fungus, the restoration stage is skipped. The old floor will need to be repaired and damaged areas replaced as necessary.

But it won’t be possible to do without adjusting the base. Deflections of the boards will require strengthening, knots - grinding, cracks - sealing. An important point is to check the degree of surface curvature. To achieve perfect flat surface You can treat the floor with sanding equipment or choose the option with putty. An obligatory stage is checking the joist structure, which involves dismantling the boards in one of the zones to analyze the condition of the subfloor.

Preparing a wood floor may take longer than laying hardwood floors, but it is essential to do so.

Concrete base - preparation features

If you plan to lay it yourself on a concrete base, then the preparation process will not be as complicated and time-consuming as in the case of a wooden floor.

First of all, a visual assessment of the surface is necessary. At this stage, cracks, bumps, potholes and areas of brittle crumbling concrete are identified. Even small defects must be repaired, for example, using self-leveling mixtures. Before treatment, the surfaces are primed, or, as an option, the old coating is dismantled and a new, smooth and strong one is poured in.

Quick adjustments to small areas of the floor can be done using improvised means.

What do you need to know about underlayment for wood floors?

Regardless of the type of installation and type of base, it is correct to lay the parquet board on the backing layer. The material between the finishing and subfloor performs the following functions:

smoothes out minor unevenness;
increases the level of heat and sound insulation properties;
evenly distributes the load while using the floor;
prevents contact of moisture with the finishing wood coating;
extends the service life of the floor.

The most commonly used backing is polyethylene foam; duplex, cork, foil backing and polystyrene layers are also popular.

It is better to spend a little more time and money on installing a parquet floor underlay than to regret a possible unsuccessful result in the future

How to attach a board with glue: instructions

It should be noted that laying parquet boards is not easy. The method is one of the most labor-intensive, implying significant costs for materials for fastening. Most often, this installation option is chosen when it is necessary to install a floor in large rooms. However, in apartments and private houses, parquet boards can also be glued to the surface, not forgetting that adhesive mixtures set quickly and it will not be so easy to correct defects during the work process.

High-quality and correct installation with glue involves attaching the dies directly to the base. Apply glue to a screed made of concrete, plywood or a gypsum version of the subfloor. The base must be prepared - smooth and clean. Lay the board according to the following algorithm:

The first row of dies is laid out in the order in which they will lie, after which glue is applied to the subfloor, taking into account the area occupied by the first row.
The first plate is mounted with a gap from the wall (at least 6 mm).
The second board is attached to the first using a special tamping hammer. You need to fix the floor elements together quickly, given that the glue dries quickly and does not leave time for making adjustments.
The last board in the row is trimmed if necessary.
Lay the remaining rows of boards.
The last row is also trimmed if necessary.

As a rule, one- or two-component water-based adhesive is used for installation, which provides the required level of fixation of the material on the surface of the base.

Laying parquet boards on glue - correct solution for any room

How to lay parquet flooring using the floating method: steps

The simplest is do-it-yourself floating installation. The work will not take much time, is carried out dry and does not require additional fastening elements. You can begin installing the floor immediately after installing the substrate. And here again, there are two styling options:

on glue;
by using lock system.

In the first case, in addition to ready-made tongue-and-groove joints, glue is applied to the ends of the boards for additional fixation between them. Laying on the subfloor will look like this:

the boards are placed with the ridge side towards the wall, moving from the left corner of the room;
the second board is inserted into the lock until a characteristic click is heard and the end parts are pre-treated with glue;
If necessary, the boards of the last row and at the threshold are trimmed.

To achieve the tightest connection and reliability of the “floating” floor, the boards are hammered together with a special hammer.

Laying using the “floating” method in certain cases also takes place, especially since it is simpler and faster than others

Installation of parquet boards on joists - how to do it correctly?

To properly place the board on the joists, you need to have minimal experience work with parquet materials, since this method is quite complicated compared to those described above. Mount the material on the logs according to the following algorithm:

Check the moisture level of the logs and eliminate possible defects.
The logs are covered with a plywood backing. This stage is skipped only if the parquet board has a sufficient level of thickness. The step between the lags is small.
Parquet dies are fixed with glue or using a locking system to the backing layer.

The finished floor can be used almost immediately after installation.

If the house already has a foundation made of logs, there is no need to disassemble it, you can simply eliminate the defects, possibly strengthen it and begin laying the parquet floor

Parquet boards and “warm floors” system - is it possible?

Despite high level thermal and sound insulating properties, the base for the parquet board can be arranged according to the “warm floors” principle. Additional thermal insulation will not hurt, especially since the material is quite harmoniously combined with the design of the heated floor.

Only possible variant underfloor heating for installation of parquet flooring - water-based. Electric heating systems are excluded, since increased temperatures in the floor area will lead to cracking as the boards of the interlocking system are used.

Laying of the material begins with the system turned off and cooled to room temperature. After installing a wooden floor, it is connected no earlier than a week later, gradually increasing the temperature. It is important that the temperature over the entire surface of the floor is the same - this will prevent deformation of the coating.

Option for water-based underfloor heating under parquet boards

The final part of installing a parquet floor will be the installation of baseboards and thresholds. The threshold is necessary to disguise the transition between rooms; in addition, it will allow, regardless of what installation methods were chosen, to improve the aesthetic appearance of the room, protect joints from dust and dirt, extend the service life of the floor, and create a holistic picture of the interior.

The threshold can be made of wood, laminate, metal, plastic and even cork.

To avoid damage to the parquet board, use only recommended equipment

In conclusion, some useful tips. Considering that the material will have to be trimmed, it won’t hurt to know how to cut a parquet board so as not to damage its integrity. Perfect option- jigsaw. The tool will allow you to cut the board quickly and efficiently.

To ensure that the seams on the finished wooden floor are not so conspicuous, they should be positioned parallel to the light falling from the window. You can lay parquet boards not only on concrete or over plank floors, but also on non-standard options bases - linoleum, carpet or tiles. In such cases, the underlay is not used, since the subfloor already has the necessary level of heat and sound insulation.

Parquet is the choice of those who want to show their good taste, status and wealth. It has many advantages: environmental friendliness, quality, durability and decent appearance. Also, the process of laying parquet boards will not be difficult if you follow all the recommendations and rules.

Types of material

Before purchasing flooring, you need to find out what types of parquet flooring exist today.

Single strip board made from solid wood and does not differ much from massive board. Its cost is much higher than other types of coatings. Single-strip boards are used mainly for rooms with a large area.

Also suitable for such premises two-strip board, since it is wider. It consists of two planks. They can be solid or consist of separate parts - modules.
For spacious premises has great relevance three-strip board. It consists of several narrow strips, which are made from various types of wood.

Four-strip boards They are also made from different breeds. They are the narrowest. Their cost is very low. This coating has many disadvantages. This type of coating is difficult to restore and sand, as it has thin layer wood, is highly susceptible to moisture and contains harmful substances.
Solid parquet board Larch is one of the most sustainable materials. It is durable, beautiful and resistant to water. Coniferous is very popular.

Features of the technology

In order to lay a parquet board yourself, it will be enough to follow the correct installation technology to avoid mistakes.

Before carefully prepare and adhere to a certain technology. First, pay attention to the surface of the floor. It should be smooth, strong, without damage or cracks. If they exist, these shortcomings must be eliminated.

Since parquet boards are not suitable for rooms with high humidity, it is not recommended to install them in a toilet or bathroom. Also, the temperature in the room should not be lower than 19 degrees.

You must first decide on the flooring. These can be various substrates and insulation materials. Another feature in laying this covering is that it must be laid away from the wall so that the shadow does not fall on the joints.

Installation methods

There are many methods for installing parquet boards yourself.

Parquet boards can be laid using the “floating floor” method. Using this technology, the dies are fastened to each other using a locking method along the joints, and are not attached to the base. This technology Suitable for laying laminated parquet. The glueless connection method is carried out by cutting out specially designed fasteners - grooves and locks, which are easily and quickly connected to each other.

The main advantage of this method is that the strength is not impaired over time. The fastenings are resistant to any changes in temperature and humidity in the house and heavy loads such as heavy furniture. It’s hard to make a mistake when using the glueless method of joining boards, so if this is your first time laying a parquet board, you don’t have to worry too much about this.

After you varnish the coating, the joints will not stand out much, the boards will lie as a single sheet, even if you laid it opposite the light source.

This type of connection allows for the dismantling of parquet boards without taking into account the direction in which they were laid if they are damaged or deteriorated.

The glueless method is certainly the most technologically advanced. But laying with the adhesive method is important when the rigidity of the base is required, as well as when the room is large, since the parquet boards are completely glued to the surface of the base.

The glue used is special, intended for gluing parquet boards.

It is not recommended to use water-based glue, as this coating can become deformed. The lower grooves of the parquet board are glued and connected to each other. For more reliable gluing, the glue can be applied in two layers.

There are also longitudinal and diagonal method styling These types of installation differ in that they begin to be laid longitudinally from the wall opposite the entrance, and laid diagonally from one corner. The diagonal method looks decent, but you will have a lot of extra trimmings, the work will be more difficult and not economical.

Another way to lay parquet boards is on deck. This technology is relatively simple: one board is laid after another board.

Laying along the direction of light is the most comfortable method of all, since long seams do not cast shadows and the surface looks completely smooth and solid. But it is in demand only for those rooms where the windows face one side. If the light penetrates from all sides, then such an effect of integrity will not work.

Installation across the direction of light is suitable when you need to make a room visually more spacious. This method is suitable for a corridor or narrow hallway.

When laying directly, the boards are laid parallel to the wall. This method is the most economical, since it leaves very few extra cut boards.

At diagonal laying the boards lie diagonally. A small number of boards are required for trimming. The method is perfect for wide rooms, where a special coating will attract attention. But you shouldn’t lay parquet boards diagonally if you plan to fill the room with furniture.

It is very easy and convenient to prick the floor one board at a time, as it takes less time to work. The boards are first fastened at short seams, and then the whole strip is laid on the base. It is worth noting that there should be a gap between the parquet board and the wall, since wood tends to expand and contract depending on the temperature in the room.

If the coating is intended for a long period of use, it is better to cover it with a second layer of varnish. The filled joint of the boards is protected from water ingress during wet cleaning. In this way you can extend the service life of the coating.

Oddly enough, but parquet boards can also be attached to the ceiling. You need to start from the corner that is opposite the door, not far from the windows. You can lay parquet boards on the ceiling parallel to the light that falls from the windows. An important condition when laying the flooring is to leave a small gap of a few millimeters between the wall and the parquet board.

Preparing the base

Before laying the parquet board, you need to make sure that the base is strong, level and dry. These qualities will be inherent in the concrete screed and adjustable floors made of wood. For rooms that are not very tall Suitable for ceilings screed And under the wooden floors you can lay the necessary communications.

An uneven floor surface with large differences will creak strongly and can deform the parquet covering. This is why leveling the surface is so important. You can use a hydraulic level to monitor unevenness and height transitions. The screed can also be made using special self-leveling mixtures. But for such a base to dry completely, it will take two or three weeks. A floor made of moisture-resistant plywood also has its advantages. Leveling such a base is much easier.

If on concrete floor If the unevenness is pronounced, it would be wise to level it using self-leveling floors and self-leveling mixtures.

First, the surface is primed and poured, and then special devices are used to roll out this mixture. This floor is not afraid of moisture and will never leak, and you can also achieve a perfectly flat surface.

Concrete

If you decide to lay the flooring on a concrete base, you should check it for cracks, large differences, holes and depressions. Such a surface can be filled with a special mixture and allowed to harden, leaving it for several days. But if the concrete is in very poor condition, then you should completely get rid of the old concrete screed and pour a new surface. And only when it is completely dry, it will be possible to lay the parquet board.

Wooden

In order to prepare a wooden floor for laying parquet boards, it is necessary to carefully check it. After all, there may be dips, cracks, and large differences between the floorboards. This floor should be well leveled. First you need to putty all the cracks and then sand the wooden base. If the floorboards squeak and wobble a lot, they can be attached to the joists with self-tapping screws. But if they have completely become unusable, then it is better to disassemble the floor and replace the unusable boards with new ones.

Which substrate is better?

There are many options for underlays for flooring. Before making a choice, you need to find out why it is needed and which is better, as well as what is its compatibility with different types parquet

It should be noted that for a parquet board or for a wooden floor installed on logs, they are suitable soft substrates. For example, cork or made of polyethylene foam. Such substrates are very relevant, because they are easy to install and have a low price. In addition, they have good thermal insulation, especially in combination with aluminum foil, and great resistance to moisture. But they can quickly sag and succumb to the influence of sunlight.

Expanded polystyrene backing It is also suitable for any floor, both wooden, linoleum and parquet. She is distinguished by her thermal insulation properties, environmentally friendly, does not deteriorate from water and time, keeps its shape and is not affected by insects and other pests.

The polystyrene foam backing is convenient to lay and has a fairly affordable price.

Another variety is coniferous substrate, which appeared on the construction market not so long ago. Its main advantage is environmental friendliness. Even though it is made from natural ingredients, it is water resistant. Its structure allows for increased sound insulation, while smoothing out imperfections in the surface on which the flooring will be laid. It also allows you to create a suitable microclimate under the floor. Its thickness varies from 2 to 5 mm, which is perfect for apartments and houses. The disadvantage of such substrates is the occurrence of various fungi and molds underneath them, as well as their high cost.

Cork backing well suited for parquet boards. It masks unevenness and cracks well and has high sound insulation. The parquet board will not creak or deform when walking.

This substrate is divided into several types:

The technical substrate is not susceptible to moisture.
Bitumen-cork is the most durable, since it contains a mixture of different rocks.
The rubber-cork backing is capable of retaining heat and moisture.

But cork backing has its drawbacks. Under heavy furniture or where there is a lot of traffic, the underlayment may become flat. It is not advisable to use it in a room with a warm electric floor, since the thermal conductivity of the cork substrate is very low.

In rooms with high humidity, a substrate containing rubber is suitable. Its cost is quite high compared to non-ecological substrates.

Laying plywood under parquet boards is very relevant for those surfaces with a lot of unevenness. Plywood has good thermal insulation and keeps the floor temperature at the same level; it also has high soundproofing properties. But it does not have good resistance to moisture, so the room must be dry.

Also suitable for this type of coating is a substrate made of MDVP. It is made only from natural materials, so it is environmentally friendly, retains heat well and does not transmit sound, is resistant to water and chemical solvents and has a long service life. Unlike cork underlay, it can be used with heated floors.

Another type of substrate is duplex backing made of polyethylene film and a layer of polystyrene foam granules between them. Fits perfectly under parquet boards. Thanks to its structure, duplex removes condensation that can accumulate under the floor covering, which contributes to its longer service life. Can be used together with heated floors.

The absence of negative qualities makes it the most popular in the construction market. At the same time, she has more low price than that of substrates made from natural materials.

Adhesive backing also often used when laying parquet boards. It is also called elastilon. This material has a porous structure and an adhesive layer with protective film on one side. This allows you to firmly fix the parquet boards. It has good thermal and sound insulation, durability, and can correct unevenness on the floor surface.

Step-by-step instruction

First, prepare the base and remove the old flooring. To level the surface, use special mixtures, if necessary. Concrete screed definitely needs to be primed. Irregularities in the rough wooden floor should be sanded well.

After completing the preparatory work, it is necessary to lay a substrate that will protect the coating from squeaks, moisture and deformation.

Since the parquet board must undergo acclimatization, the sealed coating must be kept in the room for a couple of days. It is recommended to turn on the heated floor system for 14 days before starting repair work, then turn it off a few hours before installation. This procedure will help create a favorable climate in the room and avoid heat damage to the finish.

Since wood is a natural material, deviations in its color and texture are possible. You can make a creative design out of boards by opening several packages in advance and “trying on” the boards. The length of the boards can also be short and start from 40 cm. Slats with a length of 1 m or more are suitable for the middle of the room.

They can be laid in various ways, but the most popular is the herringbone layout, which creates the effect of different textures.

The next step is to measure the width and length of the room and plan installation work. To lay the parquet flooring as evenly as possible, first create a drawing of the future installation on a mock-up. The dimensions of the final row should not exceed more than 6 cm. In this case, a proportionate displacement of the first is necessary.

Laying using “floating” technology must be carried out according to certain rules. It is made from the longest wall in the room. Expansion wedges are placed diagonally. It is recommended to do this after the assembly of several rows is completed: the finished flooring is moved with a bracket, and spacers are installed in the formed joints.

It is necessary to begin assembly by cutting off the protruding part of the lock with cutters at the first row of planks, then install the boards and begin assembly along the end edge. The edge tile can also be trimmed if necessary. Subsequent rows are made up of the remains of the previous ones. For a parquet board with a classic locking connection, the end fastenings are initially combined, then the tiles are joined along the length with the obligatory tapping with an impact block.

It is worth saying that it is much easier to work with locking connections. Their joining should occur, as necessary, transversely or longitudinally. For certain types of volumetric lock, additional adjustment of the plastic insert is not necessary. It is enough to precisely fasten the plates together. The last row of boards must be carefully adjusted to size using scraps, then assembled using locks and inserted into the gap between the wall and the outermost row. The parquet board should be secured with a special metal bracket.

If the edge of the plank rests on a pipe or other similar obstacle, then draw a line on it where you need to cut off a part and drill a hole with a certain margin of about 15 mm. The board is installed in place and the cut is treated with a special solution, then the cut part is attached using glue. Then after assembly it is necessary to remove the wedges, connect the “warm floor” system and gradually increasing the temperature, set decorative plinth and door sills. Another important point is that the formation of gaps in openings between rooms is a mandatory requirement of manufacturers.

When installing parquet boards using the glue method, the work scheme does not coincide with other methods. Apply to a pre-prepared base glue solution and distribute evenly special device or a spatula. The boards in the first row will need to have the edge removed. To make a floor covering using the correct technology, you need to pad it with a mounting block and load something heavy on it to better fix the boards. In the same way, installation or replacement of parquet boards to the base with nails is carried out. The joint of tiles or laminate must be treated with a special sealant.

Tools and materials

In order to lay the parquet board on the screed you will need special tools. Usually, when purchasing this coating, a set of tools is included. You will also need polyurethane adhesive or sealant, backing board, mounting wedges, a hacksaw, an electric jigsaw, metal staples, a pencil, a tape measure and primer. If the question arises of what to cut with, then for this a jigsaw will do or miter circular saw.

For professional construction tools, you may need a hammer drill. In order to do the job efficiently, you will need tools designed for long-term use and heavy loads. Otherwise, a cheap device will quickly fail. For electric jigsaw purchase additional saws. And for a hammer drill you will have to buy additional drills so that nothing distracts you from your work.

These tools are suitable for laying parquet boards with skirting boards. But if installation difficulties arise, for example, when circling pipes, you will need additional tools, such as a drill, an installation paw.