A floorboard usually has tongue-and-groove on the side edges, its installation is somewhat more difficult than a conventional non-tongue-and-groove board, but a strong, reliable connection is provided. The technique of laying the floorboard and the amount of preparatory work depend on the base on which it is laid.

Floorboard laying methods

The support for the floorboard can be:

• Concrete base
• Old wood floor
• Lags installed on any base
• Bearing wooden structures (beams) of interfloor, attic floors
• Sheet plywood screed

Laying on logs is good because it does not require additional costs of materials and time for plywood flooring. In addition, insulation can be laid between the logs. But this method is not suitable for rooms with low ceilings. On top of the floor beams, either plywood, OSB is first laid, and then a finishing floor board is laid.

To fasten the board to the base, use:

• When laying on logs - screws or nails
• When laying on a plywood base - self-tapping screws or glue and self-tapping screws

The floorboard is usually laid in a straight line, parallel to the walls. In rooms, laying is carried out perpendicular to the wall with a window, in rooms with high traffic - parallel to the direction of movement. The floorboard can be installed both sprawling and without displacement of elements. When laying boards with an offset, they must be cut into fragments of the required length so that the ends are strictly perpendicular to other edges.

Important points

As a rule, the installation of a finished floor from a floorboard is carried out after performing other types of repair work. When laying it, you must follow a number of rules:

• The moisture content of the base (sub-floor) should not exceed 12%, lag - 18%
• Boards should have a moisture content of 12-16%
• The optimal range of indoor air humidity 40-60%, temperature - 17-25 °
• Before laying the boards, you need to unpack and keep for 2-3 days in a room for acclimatization.

In the absence of a moisture meter, the moisture content of the board can be estimated by a number of indirect signs. If the inside of the wrapping film is fogged up - the board is too damp, excess moisture is felt by the palm of your hand. Dry boards, when tapped, emit a sonorous sound and have a slight sheen, wet ones respond with a dull sound and have a matte shade.

Laying on logs

Laying the floorboard on the logs is preceded by the installation of the logs themselves on the prepared base.

Preparation

If the base is tamped soil, not covered with a layer of screed, then the logs are mounted on brick posts with a height of at least 20 cm, covered with pieces of roofing material. The posts can also be made of oak, larch, treated with antiseptic and bitumen. On the ground floor, waterproofing and insulation of the base are required, they are usually used.

Lags are also necessarily treated with an antiseptic, they are usually attached to the base with anchor bolts, less often they are fixed with mastic. The minimum distance between the logs for laying a massive board is 50 cm, spliced ​​- 40 cm, the thicker the board, the larger the step can be. The joists must be installed perpendicular to the direction of installation of the floorboards.

If the base is uneven, the joists can be leveled using shims, but adjustable ones are better. Insulation is laid between the lags, its thickness should be slightly less than the height of the lags, so that a gap for ventilation is formed between it and the floor. The insulation is covered with a layer of vapor barrier. It is recommended to install a sound-absorbing underlay between the joists and the boards.

Styling

After completing the preparatory work, you can proceed directly to laying the board, observing a number of rules.

• The first board is laid with an indentation of 1-2 cm from the wall. A similar gap must be left around the entire perimeter to compensate for temperature expansion. Can be laid with a tongue or groove to the wall
• After attaching the first board to the logs, the second is moved to it, the spike is inserted into the groove, the second board is hammered with a mallet through the block, until a gap of no more than 1 mm remains between the floorboards, you can use wedges for maximum compaction
• If the length of the boards is not enough to cover the whole room, or they fit apart, the joints must necessarily fall in the middle of the logs, this must be taken into account when sawing
• The last board is sawn in width so that after it has been laid, the necessary expansion gap is formed. A clamp is used to pad it.

If the tongue is not in perfect shape, burrs prevent the connection, they must be sanded. The connection may deteriorate due to the slight curvature of the boards, in this case the spikes and grooves are coated with glue and the boards are pressed with a clamp, the ends are also glued. If not enough dry boards are stacked, only every 4 or 5 floorboards are attached to the logs. After about six months, this fastener is removed, and the boards are mounted according to all the rules.

Laying a grooved floorboard has a lot in common with a Lock type lock, only the laminate cannot be laid directly on the joists, you need a solid base under it. Another important difference is that the boards are additionally fastened with hardware. Self-tapping screws are used as fasteners, the length of which is twice the thickness of the board, or nails are three times longer than its thickness.

Self-tapping screws are preferable, they are resistant to corrosion and reliably recessed, and the heads of the nails can protrude above the surface over time. The optimum diameter of self-tapping screws is 4-4.5 mm. For standard screws in the floorboards, holes are pre-drilled so that the wood does not split when screwing in the hardware.

Special self-tapping screws for floorboards with a small cutter at the end can be screwed in immediately. The number of fasteners in the place of each connection of the board with the log depends on the width of the board. For narrow ones (90 mm), one hardware is enough, driven in or screwed in the middle, with a width of 90-135 mm, fastening is carried out in 2 points, 150 mm and more - in 3.

In the first row, the fastening is carried out near the wall and the fasteners will be covered with baseboards, so it can be screwed in vertically. In the following rows, one of 2 methods is applied:

• The fasteners are screwed (hammered) at an angle of 45 ° into the tongue, this method is better suited for thick enough boards. Concealed fastening gives floors a more aesthetic appearance, but less reliable
• The holes are countersunk with a countersink, the caps are sunk deeper and covered with a sealant on top

Laying on plywood flooring

Plywood flooring can be done over a concrete base, an old wooden floor, and sometimes over joists. The process of laying the floorboard on it is the same in all cases, only the preparatory work is different.

A concrete base with a moisture content of no more than 3% is waterproofed, if necessary, irregularities are eliminated. Plywood sheets are cut into strips 40-60 cm wide, laid apart, with a distance of 10 mm from the walls, with a gap of 3 mm between the sheets. For fastening to the base, screws and dowels are used in the amount of 15 pieces per m².

Laying on an old floor is acceptable if it is strong enough. Its preliminary audit is carried out, rotten, destroyed floorboards are replaced, loosened ones are fixed, ledges are cut off with a plane if necessary, the base is sanded and dust-free. It is advisable to lay a polyethylene foam backing on top of the subfloor for thermal and waterproofing.

For a sheet screed on a wooden base, 12 mm plywood is enough; it is fastened with self-tapping screws. When arranging a plywood base under a floorboard, it is important to carefully sink the fastener caps. After installing the flooring, its surface is sanded and cleaned of dust.

If the subfloor is capable of withstanding a significant load and the direction of installation of the topcoat is perpendicular to the direction of subfloor boards, the board can be installed directly on top of them. Mounting is carried out by analogy with lags.

Boards can be attached to the plywood base with self-tapping screws, as well as to the logs, but parquet glue is usually used, and self-tapping screws provide additional fixation. Plywood must be primed before glue is applied. The primer composition must be combined with glue, dispersed glue can only be applied to a dispersed primer, soluble with synthetic resins - to a soluble one. The widest compatibility is possessed by one-component polyurethane adhesives.

Also, when choosing an adhesive, you need to take into account the dimensions of the boards and the type of wood:

• Short boards up to 50 cm can be glued with almost any composition (epoxy, polyurethane, dispersed, soluble)
• For large-sized boards, plastic and durable compounds are suitable - based on MS-polymers and polyurethane
• For exotic and moisture-sensitive wood species (teak, lapacho, beech), water-based dispersed compositions are not suitable

Laying on glue is carried out in accordance with the instructions for a specific adhesive composition.

Regardless of the base on which the floorboard was laid, at the final stage it is necessary to seal minor defects (if any) with a putty, treat the coating with a grinder. Sanding by hand is also acceptable, but this is a more laborious process. After sanding and cleaning the surface, skirting boards are installed around the perimeter. Depending on the type of board, the floor is painted or coated with oil or varnish.

Video

Arrangement of a floor from a solid board along the logs from the installation of the logs to the finishing of the coating

Outcome

The floorboard can be laid on logs or on a solid base. On top of the concrete screed, a plywood backing is mandatory; on a solid and even rough wooden floor, the board can be laid without a backing, but the direction of the rough and final floorboards must be mutually perpendicular. Any base for a floorboard should be flat, without height differences.

It is important to lay a well-dried board on a dry base with waterproofing, observe the temperature and humidity conditions during installation, and do not forget about expansion gaps around the perimeter. The connection of the boards to each other is carried out using tongue-and-groove piles, and fastening to the base - using self-tapping screws (less often nails). On a solid plywood base, adhesive installation is possible, which does not exclude the use of self-tapping screws.

When equipping the floors in the house, in addition to choosing the type of floor covering, it is necessary to be especially careful about the selection of the method of fastening the purchased material. For any building material, their own fastening methods are used, including for floorboards. Let's consider how to fix the floorboard using the most reliable and popular methods.

Methods for fixing the floorboard

The floor covering is experiencing quite serious loads, so it is necessary to approach the choice of the fastening method with all responsibility. If some of the floorboards are not secured well enough, they will begin to loosen over time.

As a rule, this happens after a short period of time. The floorboards move, the initially flat floor begins to emit an unpleasant creaking sound, and often it simply collapses.

There are several of the most common ways to attach floorboards:

• secret method, that is, the use of screws or nails;
• with glue;
• fastening with clips.

Fixing the floorboards with nails

In this case, the fastening of the floorboard is carried out on a wooden base, which can be solid or made of logs. Initially, the width of the floorboard is taken into account, which is important.

The first row of floorboards is secured with nails, which are driven into the base at an angle of 45 ° through the ridge. Then they are driven into place. Pre-drill holes for fasteners. This is done to avoid damaging the combs.

When fitting the next row, the nails must be hidden. All subsequent rows of boards are fixed by driving nails through the surface.

When boarding is being repaired and several floorboards are changed, care must be taken to ensure that all the floorboards end under the center of the crossbar. Otherwise, you can get an unstable coating.

Glue method

If the floorboard will be laid on a solid base, then it can be fixed with glue. To do this, the grooves of the boards are coated with an adhesive, you can use ordinary PVA glue, and then they are pushed onto the grooves of the previous row.

The adhesive should be applied in a thin layer in 50 cm increments along the entire groove. Adhesive must also be applied to the end grooved edges.

Clamping

Some types of boards come with special clips that fit into the slot on the inside of them. These elements are designed to connect the boards to each other. So how do you lay the floorboard using this fixing method?

To do this, you should adhere to the following technology:

• A waterproofing material is laid on the subfloor, which should be fixed against the walls with construction tape.
• In the slots of the boards laid in the first row, clamps should be driven in with a hammer. This is done in the direction of the tongue.
• The ends of the strips are coated with glue, and then the first row is laid.
• Wedges with a thickness of about 1 cm should be inserted between the wall and the boards.
• Clips are also attached to the second row of boards. The floorboards are locked in place by gently tapping with a hammer across the block along the edges of the row.
• The rest of the rows are stacked similarly.
• Then the wedges are removed between the wall and the covering.
• Skirting boards are being installed.

Special self-tapping screws for floorboards

Professional craftsmen use special floorboard screws to fix the floorboards. The use of such fastening material makes it possible to obtain a floor covering that is reliably fixed and with a fairly long service life.

Compared to conventional self-tapping screws, the cost of this type is an order of magnitude higher. However, in terms of their properties, they are more effective.

Special screws for floorboards have the following features:

• These fasteners are available in various sizes. The standard section is 3.5 mm, the length can be 35, 40, 45 and 50 mm. The size of the screw is selected depending on the thickness of the floorboards.
• This floorboard fastener does not corrode, as it has a protective coating.
• There is a cutter at the end of the self-tapping screw, which allows it to be screwed into the wood without pre-drilling holes. In addition, such a structure allows the screw to enter more tightly, which means that the fixation of the floorboards to the base of the floor will be more durable.
• The self-tapping screw has a special milling cut. It has an angle at which the fastener easily enters the wood without splitting.
• Self-tapping screws for floorboards have another structural feature, which is the absence of a thread in the upper part. This design allows the flooring to fit more closely to the base.

Here are some tips on how to properly lay your floorboard:

• It is necessary to fasten the floorboards to the base with screws in increments of 25-30 cm.
• Some masters recommend that before laying the floorboard and fixing it to the base, apply glue to it, which is used when installing the parquet floor. This option can be used if the waterproofing layer (for example, a polyethylene film) has not been installed. The adhesive fixation method cannot be used by itself. It is used only as an addition to the basic method of fastening by means of nails or screws. Without them, you will not be able to get a strong and reliable fixing of the floorboards (read: "").
• Along the entire perimeter of the room, there should be no tight abutment of the boards to the wall. Leave a gap of approximately 10 mm between the wall and the floorboards. It will act as an expansion joint.
• The screws used when installing the plank floor can be completely hidden. To do this, the caps of the self-tapping screws should be sunk into the wood by about 3-4 mm. The resulting holes can be hidden with pieces of wood that match their shape and size. It should also be the same type of wood as the floorboards. Most of the firms that produce high-quality sawn timber complete their products with similar plugs.

The strength, reliability and service life of the flooring will depend on how to lay the floorboard. Therefore, the correct fixation of the floorboards is a very important point in the installation of the floor, therefore, it is worth approaching the choice of the method of fastening the boards with special care.

It is no exaggeration to say that this flooring option has been tested for centuries. The technology of laying a wooden floor on logs with minor changes has been used for several centuries. This is the most environmentally friendly solution for flooring, but at the same time, this coating has a number of disadvantages and important nuances that you need to know before starting work.

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

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

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

Wooden floors can be used even in wet rooms such as baths and bathrooms. However, this is done infrequently, since it requires careful selection of wood, reliable waterproofing and impregnation of boards with very expensive solutions that prevent moisture absorption.

Features of laying a wooden floor on logs

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

It is necessary to fasten the logs to the base and the floorboards to the logs as reliably as possible, it is necessary to prevent the formation of cracks, voids and "sagging" of the boards and logs. When laying the topcoat boards, it is imperative to use expanding wedges, which will press the boards together as tightly as possible.

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

If the boards are planned as a topcoat, then care should be taken to hide the caps of screws or nails. For this, either a special putty is used, or small corks from the same type of wood as the entire floor. But the best option is to screw the screw into the chamfer of the board at an angle to the log. The disadvantage of this option is its high labor intensity.

Care should also be taken to ensure that all topcoats are from the same batch, because the color of the wood depends on the growing conditions and the shade of different batches may differ.

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

The biggest mistake you can make when laying wood flooring is insufficient vapor barrier. Usually it is made of dense polyethylene or penofol, which will also provide additional sound insulation. If you neglect this step or allow damage to the insulation coating, then the floor will very soon begin to rot and mold will appear on it. This will not only shorten the service life of the floor several times, but can also negatively affect people's health.

The second most common mistake is the use of insufficiently dry wood. The moisture content of the boards and logs should be no more than 15%. It is important to remember that in wet weather, even initially dry boards absorb moisture from the air very quickly. If there are prolonged rains outside the window, then it is better to refuse laying the floor these days. If you install a floor with damp planks, they will begin to deform as they dry. This will lead to squeaks, gaps and differences in height between adjacent boards, which, in turn, will affect the finish surface.

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

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

Advantages and disadvantages of a wooden floor on logs

The advantages of this coating

Cons of a wooden floor on logs

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

Below are step-by-step instructions for installing a wooden floor. The device of such a floor in a private house with a soil base is somewhat more complicated than in a house with a reinforced concrete base, but in general, the stages of work in both cases are the same.

Laying logs on a soil base

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

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

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

The top of the post is lined with a rigid waterproofing material, for example, a dense plastic wrap. On top of it, wooden spacers or wedges are installed, which are necessary for the final adjustment of the lag horizontally.

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

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

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

Nowadays, the use of adjustable lags is sometimes practiced. These logs have drilled holes with a thread into which a special pin is screwed, attached to the concrete base with dowels. The height of the log is adjusted by rotating the pin.

After all the logs are set one level at a time, the protruding parts of the studs are cut off with a grinder. This method greatly simplifies the horizontal setting of the lag, but it is not used very widely due to the noticeable rise in the cost of the structure.

Adjustable lugs

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

Preparation for laying the floor

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

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

Laying rough wood flooring

If the use of laminate, carpet or linoleum is supposed to be used as a topcoat, then, as a rule, a rough covering of uncut boards, plywood or fiberboard is laid on the logs.

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

When laying a sub-floor made of planks, it is necessary to start work from the far corner of the room and move towards the entrance. The length of the boards is selected in such a way that their joint is in the middle of the log. The boards are laid as tightly as possible to each other and fixed with screws. In order for the board not to split when screwing in the screw, it is necessary to pre-drill a hole for it with a drill with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw. With a drill of a slightly larger diameter, you need to make a small depression in which the screw head will hide.

Laying fine wood flooring

A seam board or a board made of laminated veneer lumber is usually used as a finishing coating. These boards must be impregnated with a protective antiseptic solution. The laying of such boards has its own nuances. Since this floor will no longer be covered by anything, it is extremely important to avoid the slightest gaps between the boards, and it is also important to hide the screw heads so that they do not spoil the appearance of the floor.

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

Comparative characteristics of the floorboard

Batten. Prices

Floor board. Name, material, size	Price, rub / m2
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (25x90) 1,8m	250
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (25x90) 1,0m	250
Floor board Pine K1-2 (28x130) 1,8m	290
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (28x130) 2,0m	480
Floor board Pine K1-2 (28x130) 6,0m	480
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (32x100) 5,4m	570
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (32x130) 5.85m	570
Floorboard Larch К2-3 (27x90) 5,4m	460
Flooring board Larch K2-3 (27x90) 5,1m	460
Floorboard Larch K2-3 (27x90) 4,8m	460
Floor board Larch K1-2 (27x130) 3.0m	560
Floor board Larch K1-2 (27x110) 3.0m	560
Heat-treated pine LUNAWOOD (Finland). Floor board (tongue-and-groove) 26x92	195 RUB / running m
Europol (pine, 32 mm)	grade 0 (Extra) 970.56 rubles / m2; grade 1 (Prima) 676.80 rubles / m2; grade 2 (B) 460.00 rubles / m2; grade 3 (C) 384.00 rubles / m2; grade N / K (D) 301.76 rubles / m2.

Video - Laying a wooden floor on logs

Flooring is a long-awaited stage in the transition from the state of "when will this construction end" to the state of "it seems that it will be over soon." The premises take on a more or less normal look, it is easier to assess the areas and volumes. On open tracks, verandas, in utility blocks, a plank floor is laid from edged boards. But there are cracks in it, which, in this case, is permissible. In residential premises, a special grooved board is usually used. Its installation has its own characteristics, which we will talk about in this article. So, laying a floor from a grooved board - details and tricks.

What is a tongue-and-groove board and why is it better

A grooved board is a board, along one side of which a groove is cut, along the other - a spike. During installation, the spike goes into the groove, creating a stronger connection, eliminating "blowing". And this is a plus in comparison with edged or deck boards.

Another plus is associated with the technological process: the grooved board is "adjusted" according to geometry, cutting off the sidewalls, polishing the front side, and cutting longitudinal grooves on the back side for better ventilation. Then a spike and a groove are formed on the processed sidewalls with a cutter. After that, the tongue-and-groove board is ready. With such processing, there is certainly a difference (especially in a low-grade product), but not so much and grinding is needed, but not to the same extent as when using edged sawn timber.

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

How to choose quality material

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

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

The grooved board is sold in different lengths. Standard - 3 m and 6 m, but they produce 4 m and 5 m. Here the choice is simple: the length of the material should be slightly longer than the length of the room in which it will be laid. Splicing in length is not very beautiful, therefore it is more often done that way.

Choice of wood species

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

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

Oak and ash are very beautiful hardwoods with dense, durable wood. But the price for them is completely inhumane. As in the previous version, the floor from these types of wood can be used uncoated or with more gentle compounds.

Variety of grooved board and its characteristics

All lumber is divided into four grades:

Grade C is used for sub-flooring. There are too many defects in it for finishing. The rest of the classes are suitable for finishing, but which grade you choose depends on your financial capabilities - the difference between the classes is decent.

Humidity

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

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

What happens if the floor is made of high-moisture grooved board? The first thing you will have to face is the formation of cracks as it dries. After six months or a year, the floor will have to be repaired, removing the resulting cracks. Second, when drying, cracks often appear, the wood twists in different directions. Sometimes these distortions can be compensated for by pressing the board harder, sometimes not. So you have to keep a couple of boards "in reserve": to add to the bulkhead from shrinkage and to replace heavily crumpled fragments.

Geometry

When choosing, be sure to pay attention not to geometry. In addition, the thickness and width of the board should match, there should be no significant curvatures, you need to pay attention to the correct formation of the tongue and groove:

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

Installation of a tongue-and-groove floor

Due to the possible shrinkage of the wood, the installation of a tongue-and-groove floor is carried out in two stages. For the first time, only every 4-5 plank is fastened, after 6-18 months, the coating is sorted out, eliminating the resulting cracks. The second time they attach each board, to each lag.

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

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

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

Mounting method and fasteners

Laying a floor from a grooved board can be carried out using nails or self-tapping screws. The nails are made of flexible steel and can take a lot of stress. When "twisting" the board, they bend, but do not break. Only there is another problem: it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to remove them without damaging the wood. And it is necessary to remove fasteners when replacing too curved boards or when bulkheading a floor after wood has dried. Therefore, they still use self-tapping screws more often, and not black, but yellow ones. The black ones are made of brittle hardened steel. Under lateral loads, which arise during the "twisting" of the boards, the caps simply fly off. So, for laying a floor from a grooved board, it is better to use yellow self-tapping screws.

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

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

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

General rules for flooring

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

The last board is also laid so that there is some gap to the wall. It can be provided with spacers and wedges that are hammered between the wall and the last board. It is also fixed "in the face", stepping back about 1 cm from the edge.

How to pull off floor boards

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

On the right, the traditional way of screed crooked floorboards

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

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

When working, make sure that the flooring does not "go away" from the tongue-and-groove board. This can be seen if you look at the laid floor from the side: the flooring can bend along the edges to one side. To prevent this, periodically measure the distance from the laid board to the walls in several places, adjust its position to acceptable values.

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

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

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

Can a tongue-and-groove floor be installed without this step? Maybe if you buy material of the "extra" class or lay meter (or at least) pieces. On a meter-long segment, if there are any gaps, then they are small and can be easily corrected without tools.

Whether you want to install new or renew your old flooring, there are many materials and installation methods at your disposal. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Progressive flooring schemes have tangible technical and technological advantages, but many apartment and house owners still prefer a conventional floorboard, which is practical, environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing.

Wood is created by nature itself. This material is capricious, but it helps to optimize the indoor climate. Some difficulties can be caused by laying, but if you follow the technological rules, the floors will be ready to last a long time and will not cause complaints.

Selecting the type of base

Floorboards can be installed on almost any type of floor. Support pillars with lags can act as a basis. You can use as a rough coating:

• moisture resistant plywood;
• concrete floors;
• lags;
• old wooden floor.

Quite often they are covered with a polymer screed. If we are talking about lags, then they are usually installed on top of the screed or unaligned layer. Sometimes the logs are located on brick supports. Laying of the floorboard can also be carried out on the roll from sawn timber of the 2nd and 3rd grades.

The whole complex of works on the arrangement of the floor is usually completed by the installation of a wooden covering. Doors and windows should be installed in the room by this time. This is due to the fact that the material reacts to changes in humidity and temperature. As for the moisture content of the material itself, it should not be more than 12%. The wood will deform if the air humidity in a separate room is more than 60%. If this level drops to 40 or less, then the boards will shrink and become covered with cracks.

Before you start laying the floorboard, it must be brought into the room and unpacked in three days. Boards should be laid, but not nailed to the rough surface. This will allow them to acclimatize.

Used tools

To date, there are several known ways by which you can bring the boards together. They differ in the devices used, but in general they have the same principle.

The simplest solution is to use a hammer and an ax. Some craftsmen use wedges, while others use metal clamps. A fairly convenient device for laying floorboards is a car jack. You can find special Bowrench and Bowjak levers on sale. But if you plan to carry out the work only once, then you can use the mount.

Laying the plank floor on the joists

The most popular scheme for the device of floors with a covering of boards is the use of logs. They are wooden blocks of rectangular cross-section. Fastening can be carried out to the rough surface using adhesive mastics or self-tapping screws. The lags should be perpendicular to the floor board.

As soon as the timber system is built, it should be leveled, planed, and then placed under individual sections of chips, which will allow them to be overstated if necessary. Sometimes the logs are laid in an innovative way using a bar that is equipped with height adjustment devices.

Moisture-resistant plywood base

The laying of the floorboard can be carried out on In this case, the material is impregnated with a hydrophobic material. The rough material is placed on any surface, including logs. This is especially true if additional fixation of the sandwich construction is required.

The traditional installation of the board on top of plywood is carried out after leveling the rough base. Plywood is pre-cut into longitudinal segments and set diagonally with respect to the boards to be laid. Fixation is carried out with screws or dowels. Technological seams are left between the plywood sheets along the perimeter of the room.

If the styling will provide, then it can be simply glued to the screed. For this, the rough surface is leveled with or cement mortar. When using adhesive technology, it is necessary to select a bonding composition that will be compatible with the type of the rough base and with the insulating layer.

After completing the installation of plywood, its surface is sanded, and then dirt and dust are completely removed from the sheets. Before installing the boards, primer should be applied, only then the floorboard is fastened. It is sanded again and coated with varnish, oil or paint.

Using an existing floor as a subfloor

Laying a wooden floor can be done over existing flooring. Before starting these works, the reliability of the fastening of the elements should be checked. If the fasteners do not inspire confidence, then the worn-out boards should be dismantled, and inexpensive pine lumber should be laid instead.

Experts recommend removing and pouring a screed onto their surface. If the reliability of the base is not in doubt, then this step can be neglected, but the material is preliminarily sanded. Another technology is to install plywood sheets on old boards.

Heat and waterproofing of the floor

Laying the floorboard with your own hands on the first floors is necessarily accompanied by work on heat and waterproofing. You can refuse these measures only in the case of a heated basement. Basalt wool and fiberglass can act as insulation materials. They are laid between the logs and covered with vapor-permeable waterproofing.

A 2-cm ventilation gap must be left between the bottom plane of the plank floor and the surface of the interlayer, which is laid for insulation and waterproofing. The multi-layer construction with plank coating protects against moisture that may come from the basement. To do this, you can use a waterproofing membrane that has a high vapor permeability. This value should be 800 g / m 2. If you exclude the free circulation of vapors, this will protect the wood from rot. It is not recommended to use plastic wrap, which is not able to pass steam, for the construction of floors made of natural organic matter.

Choice of wood

Before making a purchase, you need to think about which floorboards will work. The most durable material is oak or Siberian larch. They resist adversity well and tolerate external influences well. By choosing softer aspen or alder, you can lay the boards in rooms with a low load, this should include rest rooms and children's rooms.

Floorboards can be made from fir or pine. Such products are rarely used for flooring, more often they are used for roughing or rolling. Geometric parameters are selected taking into account the preferences of the owners. Consideration must be given to strength. The most optimal thickness is 40 mm.

You should not save on material that has not passed the chamber drying. This can cause the material to dry out and the screws to be pushed out. The choice of lumber of one sort or another depends on the goals of the owners, the purpose of the premises and the methods of subsequent finishing. The premium quality boards have a flat surface and an attractive structural pattern. After installation, such a coating is simply varnished.

For lovers of the natural beauty of wood, boards of the first and second grades, where there are knots, are suitable. If you want to simplify the technology of laying the floorboard, then it is necessary to purchase tongue-and-groove material. It has spikes and grooves, but boards with straight edges are rarely used. They are connected end-to-end, and after a while they will be ready to disappoint the owners with the curvature and cracks on the surface.

Installation technology

Laying the floorboard on the logs is carried out by placing the products parallel to the flow of light from the windows. If work is carried out in corridors or vestibules, then it is necessary to place the boards along the motion vector. Installation can be carried out in a staggered manner or without displacement of elements.

In the first case, you should ideally trim the elements. Without experience, it will be difficult to maintain a right angle. To simplify the task, you should use a template with which you will mark the sawing line. A technological indent should be maintained along the perimeter of the room. Leave about 2 cm between the walls and the floor covering for longitudinal slides. After the completion of the installation work, the seams are closed with a plinth.

The order of work

Laying the floorboard in the house is carried out by placing the first product with a spike against the wall. This will make it easier to pull the elements together. The second product is connected to the first method of aligning the tenon with the groove. Fastening is done with nails, the caps of which can come out over time. In order to avoid this, it is better to use 60 mm self-tapping screws, the optimum diameter of which is 4.5 mm.

Mounting can be done in one of two ways. The first provides for the tilt of the self-tapping screw by 45˚. The second technology consists in installing fasteners from above with sealing the caps with a sealant. This approach is more reliable, but the former is more aesthetic.

All methods of laying the floorboard, which were described above, provide for fastening the elements around the perimeter with self-tapping screws. At the final stage, the boards are sanded with 180 grit sandpaper. If there are significant irregularities, sanding should be performed.

Laying the cover on the screed. Using a solid board

The screed for solid boards must be flat, strong and dry. With regard to strength, for a cement-sand base, this figure should be 6 MPa in tension. If, under the described conditions, the screed is not strong enough, it will peel off, voids will appear in it, and the floor will begin to creak. With regard to dryness, the residual moisture content of the subcoat should not exceed 2 CM-%. If the humidity is excessive, the planks will deform over time, and the floor surface will swell.

Laying the floorboard on the screed is carried out after cleaning the base. Adhesion to an uncleaned surface will be rather weak, which will negatively affect the quality of the coating. As soon as the preparation is completed, the packs of boards are opened, and the material is removed outside. After dusting the surface, it must be coated with a polyurethane-based primer. The composition will close the pores and exclude moisture penetration.

The creation of a waterproofing barrier is carried out by laying polyethylene foam. If the room has underfloor heating, then a screed for laying a massive board is perfect. In this case, the substrate will act as an additional barrier in the path of heat, therefore, it is not used here. Only after the leveling layer has completely dried, the surface can be treated with a primer.

Methods for laying boards on a screed

When mounting the board on a screed, you can use two methods, one of them is floating, while the other is adhesive. In the first case, the boards are connected to each other, but not fixed to the base in any way. This approach is more appropriate to use in small rooms with low traffic.

Is it worth using glue

The adhesive can be used if you want to achieve a long life for the coating. This method allows you to mount products on rough floors with curved contours. The boards can be securely fixed to the coating, and additionally they will be connected to each other with a locking system.

Finally

Plank floors today remain quite popular, despite the fact that recently new materials and solutions have appeared. You can lay such a coating yourself, using special devices that each master can find in his arsenal. However, in the absence of them, you should not expose the board to mechanical stress, which could harm its appearance. Be sure to use wooden spacers if you plan to hammer the position of the elements.