Installing a wooden floor on joists and beams - removing squeaks. The correct floor plan on the ground in a wooden frame house The correct floor plan on the joists

If you are planning to build a frame country house, then you should pay attention to the designs of all elements of the building. The roof, walls (outdoor, indoor), ceilings and floor are made in the form of a “pie”, a multi-layer structure. If all the technology is followed, then we actually get a thermos.

The technological process of arranging each element of the building offers a different sequence and combination of components of a multilayer structure.

So the roof has its own set of layers, and the floor has its own. In this article we will look at the features of the “pie” of the floor of a frame house and installation methods.

Before choosing a floor material, you should decide on the type of foundation.

In most cases frame houses erected on or on a type foundation. This is primarily due to the fact that the house is not heavy, up to 16 tons. And a pile foundation is the cheapest, as it does not require the use of special construction equipment. Therefore, we will accept that the foundation of our house has a pile appearance.

To ensure reliable insulation, a double layer is laid. Also, instead of timber, you can use boards with a width of 15-25 cm and a thickness of 5-6 cm. The laying technology is the same on the edge.

For attic spaces the subfloor must be strong to withstand the weight of the insulation and an adult. Usually in the attic glass wool (insulation) is left in open form, so the entire load falls on the subfloor of the attic.

To protect everyone wooden structures use processing by special means antiseptics and penetrating compounds. But there are small nuances; it is better to process everything before installation, each element separately.

If the height allows, then the subfloor is filled from below immediately load-bearing beams. As was said above, everything must be treated with protective agents.

The second method is to make secondary guides on top of the log, but this method is not widespread, as it will require additional costs.

In most cases, the foundation is low and cranial bars, which are made of timber measuring 5 x 5 cm. Which are attached to the bottom of the logs or beams using self-tapping screws or nails.

Around this place, it is better to use basalt glass wool, and treat the boards well with a penetrating compound.

And the surface of the finished floor is covered metal sheet or a sheet of asbestos.

Base pile foundation


Since we are using a foundation, there is space between the subfloor and the ground. Many people make the mistake of completely sewing up this space.

Thinking they are reducing heat losses, but in fact, moisture accumulates in this space and has nowhere to go, which leads to an acceleration of the process of wood rotting.

To prevent this from happening, leave on opposite sides ventilation holes, which are decorated with grilles. Also, you should not close the vents for the winter.

Installation of heated floors in a frame house


Both water heating and electric heating are used.

Let's start with the electrical method, since it is often used in the construction heated floors. Cable floors, infrared and heating mats are used. It is best to trust the specialists.

IN Lately more and more popular water heating wooden floor, as it is much cheaper than electric.

Water heating can be arranged in three ways:

Swedish stove - Quite an expensive method of installing heated floors.

It is as follows:

You should wait until the concrete has completely set. We get that the Swedish stove is a full-fledged one. Subsequently, we build a frame house on this slab.

Use of heat-reflecting plates.


We bring to your attention an analysis of the most popular variations in laying floors in wooden houses, their features, and material characteristics. You will also learn how to make log floors with your own hands. We will tell you about the commonly used types of floor heating in log houses, their pros and cons.

According to the method of laying, floors in log houses are divided into wooden and concrete. made from several types of materials and stacked one on top of the other. Structural elements of a heated floor can be laid between the layers.

Do-it-yourself floors in log houses are often installed on logs or pillars. Most often this is done if the house does not have a concrete foundation. makes laying out the floor much easier.

Types of floors in a log house and methods of laying them

Before you start laying the floor in a log house, you need to take care of ventilation between the layers in order to avoid. High humidity- the main enemy of wood.

Subfloors provide good ventilation and add strength to the floors in the log house. They resemble a rigid frame that holds the entire structure.

The next stage of work on laying the floor in the log house will be. This can be done using a blind area, using roofing felt, and waterproofing materials. Lagi, lower crowns antiseptics or recycled machine oil.

By accepting subfloors as the foundation of the surface, builders are to some extent mistaken. Often the bases are made with using chipboard, plywood and other boards for construction, which are laid on logs.

Such substrates are used to level the surface of the foundation, for horizontal laying of floor coverings, as well as to distribute a uniform load on the floors.

The easiest way to lay a floor is to install it on skull blocks, followed by laying insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier materials.

Mineral wool is the most best material for insulating the floor in a log house.

After the vapor barrier layer has been laid, you can begin laying the finished floor. To do this, use tongue-and-groove boards and chipboards. Next is the turn for the selected floor covering. This is at the discretion of the home owner.

When laying the floor, it is very important to remember that the temperature difference between the rooms and the floor cannot exceed 2º C, so its insulation is very important point work. In any case, walking on a cold floor is not very pleasant, especially in the cold season.

For waterproofing they take: isoplast, polyethylene film, PVC membranes. When the materials for insulation are selected, you can begin work on laying the floor in the log house on the logs.

Finish floor


Quite affordable and quality material For laying the finished floor, a milled board is used. The modern building materials market offers developers boards that have tongues in the grooves for connection. Their size is 28 – 44 x 98 – 145 mm. Dimensions of vents on back side– 20 mm. Ventilators are needed for natural air circulation.


Also, for the finished floor, folded boards with tongue-and-groove slats, sectional, trapezoidal and straight tenons are used. The disadvantage of this material is that it has no air. Therefore, it is necessary to control their contact on the joists. After finishing laying the finished floor, you can begin finishing.

Laying the boards should be done with the orientation of the annual rings of wood, which should “look” at different sides.

The technology for laying concrete floors is quite simple.

To do this, you need to knead it in the correct proportions and supplement it with reinforcement.

The undeniable advantages of concrete floors are strength, quality and durability.

For improvement performance characteristics concrete, you can use self-leveling mixtures.


On such a floor you can lay any covering, laminate, porcelain tiles, and wonderful quartz vinyl tiles, with which there is no hassle at all.

Concrete floors are laid in two ways: on joists and on the ground. We have already considered the option of laying on logs. Now let's determine the features of laying on the ground.


First you need to determine the level of the floor in a house made of timber, mark it with a rope and pegs. The concrete foundation can be poured to a level of up to 10 cm, then it is covered with gravel at the level of the driven pegs and compacted. The concrete floor is left to dry for a period of about 3 months. Next, a mounting screed or liquid concrete is applied to the foundation.

Water floors in a log house

The gasket in a log house must be laid in a concrete screed.


Construction of a water floor in the house:

  • thermal insulation layer 20 – 100 mm;
  • concrete foundation on the ground;
  • reinforcement mesh;
  • heating system pipe, which is attached using clamps to the reinforcement cells (step 10 - 30 cm);
  • flooring underlay;
  • flooring to choose from.

A water floor is simply irreplaceable for a bathroom or nursery.

Install electric heated floors in wooden house quite a simple task. It can be mounted on joists and screeds, as you wish.


The technology for installing such a floor is similar to the technology for a water floor. If the floor is installed on joists, then it is necessary to create a layer of air. The cable is distributed over the fittings, gaps 5 cm high are made in the logs, with a distance between each of them 5 cm. The gaps are insulated with foil, the heating cable is pulled in these spaces, crossing the logs according to the principle of a metal reinforcing mesh.


Such coatings are considered the most environmentally friendly and durable. They are also quite convenient to use. This is an old classic that will bring comfort and coziness to your home, and also make the interior attractive and interesting. Wooden floors in log houses The best decision, because he will immediately fit into general composition premises, and will not be conspicuous as something alien. Flooring technology wooden floors improving every year.


Finished wooden floors are laid on joists in various ways. Which technology is optimal in a particular case depends on many factors, including financial opportunities host, geological and climatic features. The classical method is always taken as the basis for all technologies. What options for flooring in a wooden house are most often used, their design features will be discussed in this article.

By lags we usually mean timber rectangular section, but in fact this concept includes several design solutions at once:

  1. The thinnest part of a log has a cross-section of at least 150 mm;
  2. A log hewn on both sides with a cross-section of at least 150 mm;
  3. Boards joined in pairs with a width of 100 mm and a thickness of 25 mm;
  4. A rectangular beam with different sections depending on the future load. The cross-section of the floor joists is calculated depending on the load and step width. In accordance with GOST, the minimum applicable section is 100x150 mm in increments of 60 cm;
  5. Metal I-beam channel;
  6. Laths used during dry leveling and insulation;
  7. Long-dimensional plastic elements used to complete screeds in the factory.

Method of laying lags

Any logs made from various materials have one functional purpose: fixing and installing the finished and subfloor in a wooden house.

According to the installation design, beams are divided into:

  • Laying on wooden beams;
  • Laying on slabs;
  • Laying on a support pole;
  • Laying on prepared soil.

The relationship between floor design and groundwater occurrence

From the proximity of occurrence groundwater and design features determine whether there will be a subfloor or not. The shorter the distance from the joists to the ground, the less labor-intensive the installation. The design is distinguished according to GOST according to the level of seasonal location of groundwater, they also dictate the type of construction:

  1. If the groundwater is low, then you can make the most simple design floor without subfloor. This option can be seen in dacha construction or in garden houses. For the southern regions and central Russia, this method is advisable in residential construction if the base of the house is higher than 1 m.
  2. If groundwater is close to the soil surface, then the wooden floor and joists must be protected from harmful effects. In this case, support columns are laid out from sand-lime brick or concrete.

You can find out the groundwater level in the area and determine which floor structure is most suitable for construction on a map from the local weather service.

Classic floor design

As we have already said, all floor designs are divided into: with and without underground space. Without an underground device, it is cold and needs to be insulated. Several methods have been invented for this. Floors with subfloors are more interesting. They are made thermally insulated or not. Thermally insulated ones are divided depending on the location of the insulating part: between supports or joists. Among the wider variety, the simplest is a cold floor device.

Features of installing a classic cold floor

Laying on dry soil is carried out in several stages:

  1. Soil preparation: removable soil-vegetative layer and the earth is rammed,
  2. The second stage is to fill the sand cushion; to save money, you can use construction garbage mixing it with sand or crushed stone with sand. This pillow is again carefully compacted. You can compact layers hand tools, which is made from a heavy block and bar. which is attached from above across.
  3. The frame for the floor is made from another layer of sand or clay or slag. This layer should have a thickness of 2-3 times the cross-section of the timber used as a lag. The main thing is that this layer is dry enough and protects the wooden floor from moisture. This layer is filled flush with the joists of the future floor.

The most economical option construction is considered to be the use of slag, but it needs to rest before use, so you need to purchase it a year before installation.

Since wood is susceptible to fungi and mold, before laying wooden logs in finishing layer need to be coated with an antiseptic and dried. The logs are laid in increments of 60-65 cm, this is enough for a structure made of tongue and groove boards 35-40 mm wide. If you use a wide board for the floor in a wooden house in a cold way, then over time it will warp. Do not forget that such a tan must have ventilation. Ventilation acts as an exhaust hood; it must be done in the form of holes in the baseboards on both sides.

An important point when laying floor joists is their location. Each board is cut from wood that has tree rings, they are worth focusing on. The laying should be such that the pattern is directed in opposite directions for each subsequent board, so they will not allow each other to warp.

Features of installing an insulated classic floor

This option for installing a floor in a wooden house is laid on a kind of pie along wooden beams. The construction of a pie is intended for hydro- and thermal insulation of a wooden floor. The main layers of the cake along the beams are carried out in stages:

  1. A pit is dug, the bottom of which is lined with insulating material, such as roofing felt or bags of lime or cement. If bags are selected, they are laid out in 2 layers.
  2. The next step is to pour a black cushion 8-10 cm thick and carefully compact it and fill it with a lime solution (5 parts water x 1 part lime).
  3. All this is covered with a waterproofing layer, for example from roofing felt. The joints are glued with bitumen solution.
  4. The next layer of the cake consists of fiberboard. The slabs are taken with a thickness of 30 mm.
  5. An expanded clay cushion of fine fraction material 8-9 cm thick is poured onto the fiberboard.
  6. The very final layer of the pie will be poured from concrete, the main part of which is sand.
  7. Then logs are laid in increments of 60 cm, onto which the floor is attached.

These are diagrams of a classic floor design without an underground with insulation. But for residential buildings this option is not the best. For wooden house in urban areas it is better to use a structure with an underground, where insulation occurs along the beams from above, which we will discuss below.

Classic floor design with underground

For this design, soil preparation is carried out in exactly the same way as in the first two cases. The most important difference in the design is that instead of sand cushion in this case, lined columns or solid concrete ones are used. The pillars are laid on a pre-filled foundation, each one has its own or is common to all. The width of the foundation structure should be 5-6 cm wider than the column.

In a floor structure with an underfloor, the finishing boards must be laid “in a cross” with joists. It is good if the direction of the wooden floorboards is parallel to the light falling from the window in the room. If the floor does not have a sheathing on top for additional insulation, then the logs are mounted across the direction of the boards. All measurements are carried out starting from the central axes of the columns and joists. The top of the columns is covered with a layer of roofing felt waterproofing. The first joist is mounted with a gap of 10-20 cm from the wall, and the same is done with the opposite final joist.

The subfloor of a cold structure is covered with a cushion of expanded clay or slag. But you should always leave 5-6 cm up to the joists unfilled, this will be a ventilated gap. To ensure better ventilation of the underground space, holes are made in the baseboard. According to GOST, ventilation for an area of ​​15 m2 requires 2 holes. To ensure better ventilation, they are made on opposite sides of a wooden house. And in order to prevent rodents from getting into the ventilation, they install metal mesh.

There are more modern way ventilation device, when the main pipe is taken underground and under the influence natural traction ventilation is carried out.

The main difference between a heated floor with an underground and a cold floor is the additional lathing on the joists along the beams, not from the underground side, but from the side of the house where the insulation is installed. For this design, a strip is nailed on both sides along the beams, which will hold the sheathing. Waterproofing made of ordinary PVC film is laid on the sheathing, on top of which mineral wool is laid or expanded clay from a fine fraction is poured. But between top point There should be a ventilated gap between the logs and the insulation. To ventilate the underground space, in this case, ventilation is done in the basement of the house in increments of 5-6 m. winter time years, the odorants in the base are closed, the easiest way to do this is polyurethane foam, in the spring you can simply cut it out with a stationery knife.

These are the main design options classic model floors in a wooden house, which are complemented by various components. Wooden floors in the house are environmentally friendly and beautiful, but after installation various problems may appear, such as squeaking. We'll talk about how to deal with this later.

How to deal with squeaky floors

To understand how to eliminate a squeak, you need to find its cause. And there may be several of these: the board rubs against a nail, creaks itself batten, logs creak, baseboards are installed incorrectly, ventilation is not provided and the floor gets wet, etc.

If the reason is in the logs, you need to carefully examine the logs of the wooden floor and, if there are any unevenness, they should be trimmed. If the creaking does not stop after this, then the joist needs to be replaced.

If the reason is the board, you need to carefully examine how the boards move when a person walks along them and see if they rub against each other. To solve the problem, you can try pouring talc between the boards or pouring PVA glue. In fact, there are many ways, but there are several traditional ways combating creaking wooden floors:

  1. A wooden wedge is driven into the gap between the creaking boards.
  2. If this does not help, a screw is driven between the boards, the head of which is bitten off, and the hole is filled with putty and painted over.
  3. This is the most labor-intensive method using pins. The joints of the floorboards are shot with holes of 10-15 mm in increments of 15-30 cm. Round pins are made from wood and carefully coated with PVA glue and driven into the holes. The surface is sanded and painted.
  4. The floorboard in creaking areas is additionally screwed to the joists with hardened self-tapping screws in increments of 50 mm.
  5. Thin strips are cut out of felt, laid out along the length of the floor in increments of 40-50 mm and covered with fiberboard.

Any of the methods is considered effective against squeaking, but when correct installation wooden floor on joists, even a structure made of ordinary boards will be quiet.

In private houses and apartments, a popular way of arranging the floor is considered to be a structure on logs. This method is quite universal, it allows you to insulate and level the base. However, its design can vary greatly depending on the floor, type of building ( a private house or apartment), the presence of a warm basement, etc.

In this article we will look at several options for laying a wooden floor cake.

Floor frame

First, let's study the main constituent elements and main rules:

  • The underground space from the pads to the floorboard must be at least 1 cm (and no more than 25 cm for floors on the ground). This is necessary for good ventilation inside the frame.
  • Lags- These are transverse bars that serve as the basis for further cladding with boards. They can rest on beams, concrete slab, posts and even on the ground (when using pads).

Note! According to GOST 8486-86, unplaned boards treated with an antiseptic from coniferous or hardwood wood other than linden or poplar. Wood moisture content should not exceed 18%.

  • The width of the logs when laid on a slab should be in the range of 80-100 mm and 100-120 mm when laid on posts or beams. The thickness when laid on a slab should be 25-40 mm, and when laid on posts - 40-50 mm.
  • Beams- these are horizontally laid structural elements, which perform load-bearing functions. They are supported at least at two points on load-bearing walls.
  • Columns(linings) are used to level the base. For logs with a thickness of 40-50 mm, linings are installed every 80-110 cm.
  • The pitch of laying the logs depends on the thickness of the sheathing. For example, if you use the thinnest floorboard 21 mm, then the step of laying the logs should not exceed 30 cm.
  • It is best to use a thicker floorboard 35 mm, and make a standard laying step of 60 cm, especially if you are going to insulate the base. This way you won't have to cut the insulation to width.

Installation technology

If the base is uneven, then it can be leveled using a backfill of sand with a moisture content of less than 4%.

Installation of logs

  • Most often, logs are installed perpendicular to the light from the window, so that the boards then lie along it. This will make the gaps between the boards less visible.
  • First of all, install the outer joists with a gap of 2-3 cm from the wall. Then intermediate logs are installed.
  • The logs are laid on the base without rigid fastening. Their evenness is checked using a level and a 2-meter rod. They all must be in the same plane. In this case, leveling with wooden pads or wedges is not recommended, but adding sand under the waterproofing is acceptable.
  • To increase the rigidity of the structure, the logs are connected to each other by wooden jumpers, which are attached to galvanized 4*4 corners.

Note! It is imperative to install an additional lag in doorway so that it protrudes into each room by at least 5 cm. This is necessary so that the boards from adjacent rooms rest on one base.

Insulating layers

  • If laying occurs on a concrete slab, it is imperative to use waterproofing layer, especially if the screed is new. For this purpose, roofing material is used, plastic film, backfill types of waterproofing. They are laid in a continuous sealed layer, with an overlap of 15 cm on the walls.
  • To increase sound insulation and reduce the transmission of vibration noise through floors, it is recommended to install logs on soundproofing pads. You can make them yourself from polyurethane, cork backing, soft fiberboard.
  • To insulate the floor, a layer of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene can be laid between the joists. Mineral wool also provides a soundproofing effect. Unlike concrete screed, it is not necessary to use insulation with high density, since there will be no load on them.
  • For additional protection to prevent noise transmission through the structure, before installing the sheathing, a cork backing can be laid on the joists.
  • If you use mineral wool, then it must be covered on top with a vapor barrier membrane, such as glassine. This is necessary to protect against moisture ingress and condensation removal. It is secured as the boards are laid on the joists using a stapler.
  • After installing the vapor barrier, there is no ventilation gap left under the boards, so it is recommended to screw a counter-lattice made of boards at least 1 cm thick onto the logs on top of it. The floorboard will be attached to them.

Finished flooring

  • As the last layer, most often, its price is approximately 13,500 rubles per cubic meter.
  • To save money, you can use an unplaned board, but you will have to trim and process it yourself.
  • Also a good alternative is thick plywood or OSB sheets. For floor coverings, their thickness should be 15-21 mm.

The simplest and most common way is to install wooden logs on concrete base in the apartment.

  • The main feature of a wooden floor in an apartment is the absence of an additional subfloor. Here a concrete slab is used instead.
  • The base of the floor in apartments is warm, so insulation is rarely used here, but sound insulation is required.

Pie of wooden floor for an apartment with sound insulation:

  • Concrete slab leveled with sand;
  • Waterproofing;
  • Noise-reducing pads;
  • Wooden logs;
  • Mineral wool;
  • Vapor barrier;
  • Counter grille;
  • Sheathing made of boards or plywood;

First floor in a private house

Consider the following example of a design for the first floor in a wooden house. It does not use logs, and the sheathing is installed directly on the floor beams. This allows you to save ceiling height, makes the scheme simpler and cheaper.

The floor pie of the first floor in a wooden house is shown in the photo.

This scheme is suitable for the first floor above a warm basement, and for floors between the 1st and 2nd floors.

  • At the very bottom there are cranial blocks made of 100*25 mm boards. They are screwed to the beams from the bottom. They are needed to construct a subfloor for laying insulation.
  • Then there are load-bearing beams 200*50 mm.
  • The subfloor made of 100*25 mm boards is laid on cranial blocks.
  • A windproof film (vapor barrier membrane) is laid on the subfloor.
  • Then insulation is placed between the joists. IN specific example 2 layers of mineral are used Rockwool cotton wool Light Butts laid staggered, total layer thickness 20 cm.
  • The top of the insulation is covered with a vapor barrier.
  • Then the sheathing of the joists is done. In this case, FSF plywood with a thickness of 21 mm is used. It is laid with offset joints.
  • Additionally, it is recommended to add counter battens to this scheme to create a gap under the plywood.

A floor pie in a wooden house to cover the second floor can be made as follows:

  • At the very bottom of the diagram there is a 5*4 cm beam. It is needed to support fiberboard sheets, give additional rigidity to the frame and for decorative purposes.
  • Then comes the vapor barrier. It is not necessary to use it here, but it will additionally protect the first floor from mineral wool dust. If the 1st and 2nd floors are heated, then it can be replaced with a windproof layer, but in wet rooms a vapor barrier membrane must be used.
  • Then there are fiberboard sheets to create a subfloor for laying insulation. They are attached with a construction stapler from below to the beams.
  • Mineral wool 15 cm thick is laid on the fiberboard. It is mainly needed for sound insulation.
  • The insulation is covered with a windscreen on top to prevent dust from penetrating into the room.
  • A continuous sheathing of 150*25 mm boards is mounted on the windbreak.
  • Sheets of FC or FSF plywood, 9-12 mm thick, are attached to the boards. You also don't have to do it continuous sheathing, and, as in the previous version, use 21 mm plywood.

Ground floor floor

If you do not have a warm base, then install the floor on the first floor on the ground using stands made of posts.

  • To make such a floor, you first need to remove the plant and soft layers of soil. This can be done locally at the installation site of the columns, or throughout the entire area inside the strip foundation.
  • Then a dry layer of soil of at least 15-20 cm is poured and thoroughly compacted.
  • The resulting base needs to be moistened and crushed stone or gravel pressed into it a few centimeters on top.
  • Then backfilling is done sand-crushed stone mixture and after compaction, red brick columns are laid on it to support the floor beams. They are laid in increments of 70-100 cm, several bricks high. The top and bottom of the posts must be protected with a layer of roofing felt waterproofing.
  • It is advisable to lay a layer of waterproofing between the columns so that moisture from below does not affect the beams.
  • Beams are laid in the center of the columns. Their height should be at least 2 cm greater than the height of the subfloor boards and insulation, so that an air gap remains.
  • The subfloor boards are laid on posts along the edges.
  • Then comes a layer of vapor barrier.
  • Insulation (mineral wool or extruded polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam) is placed between the beams.
  • A finished flooring board is attached to the beams on top.

Conclusion

We looked at the main ways to install wooden floors in private houses and apartments. In terms of price, this design is almost equivalent to pouring cement-sand screed, but warmer and less labor-intensive. It will be much easier to find specialists for installing a wooden floor than for pouring screed.

The video instructions in this article will show you the entire installation process in practice:

When constructing wooden and frame houses standing on a reinforced concrete “ribbon” or piles, it is important not to make a mistake in the design of the subfloor and to properly insulate it. Not only the comfort of living, but also the durability of the building directly depends on this.

First floor floor design option

The floor of the first floor, which does not have support along the entire plane, must be strong enough to bear the entire load. In addition, it must be reliably insulated, otherwise in cold weather the house will freeze through the “sole”, and ventilation of the subfloor must be organized. Otherwise, due to stagnation of air, the wooden beams will become damp and rot. How to comply with these difficult requirements?

First of all, strip foundation houses are covered with cut-off waterproofing, on top of which they lay a frame assembled from timber with a cross-section from 75×100 mm to 200×220 mm (depending on the expected loads).

When creating a floor on joists, it is necessary to use a fine-mesh metal mesh to protect against rodents

The next stage is installation beams. For these purposes, boards or timber with a thickness of 50 mm and a width of 150 mm are usually used. They are inserted into grooves cut into the strapping beam. The pitch between the lags can be 40, 50 and 60 cm.

Next we proceed to subfloor device, which serves as the basis of the “pie”. Today, many builders prefer to use the technology of laying subfloor boards on skull blocks, which are fastened on both sides of each joist, and then boards, OSB boards or moisture-resistant plywood are laid on them.

Installing skull blocks is a relatively easy job, and the builders' desire to make their lives easier is understandable. But there is one very important point: the thickness of the floor’s thermal insulation layer directly depends on the height of the joists. For middle zone Russia minimum layer insulation is 150 mm, recommended - 200 mm. The size of the cranial bars is 50x50 mm, which means that the thermal insulation automatically becomes 5 cm thinner. You also need to subtract the thickness of the subfloor boards - 25 mm. All this leads to the need to do more thin layer insulation or, in the case of mineral wool, press down the slabs so that you can lay a vapor barrier and lay the floor covering. But the higher the density of the insulation, the lower its efficiency. In addition, in such a design it is no longer possible to do ventilation gap between insulation and vapor barrier.

Without proper air exchange, the subfloor “suffocates,” which inevitably leads to condensation and rotting of the wood

In an effort to minimize the problem, some manufacturers use bars measuring 40x40 mm or even 20x40 mm. But this also has its downsides. The thinner the block, the less load it can bear. This means that the pitch between the beams has to be narrowed. This, in turn, leads to an increase total number lag, and, as a result, additional costs.

The second option for creating a subfloor is to install a continuous flooring made of one-inch boards or moisture-resistant plywood, OSB-3 boards with a thickness of at least 16 mm, screwed with self-tapping screws along the bottom plane of the joists. Installing such a “carpet” is quite labor-intensive, but the result is worth the effort. Indeed, in this case, you can make a layer of insulation of the proper thickness and not be afraid of freezing even in the most very coldy. In addition, it should be borne in mind that this option involves installation work from the underground side, and this is only possible when technological holes are provided in the foundation.

As for the subfloor material, it is necessary that it be well dried. Permissible humidity - no more than 20%. Before installation, the subfloor boards and the logs themselves should be soaked with an antiseptic twice at intervals of at least 5 hours to reliably protect them from moisture, rot and wood-boring insects. The choice of antiseptic should be taken seriously, since the beams will be hidden under the flooring. The owners of the house will only find out that they are rotten after the fact, when the floor begins to sag, or even collapse altogether.

When choosing an antiseptic for the subfloor, you should not save money by purchasing dubious products from little-known manufacturers

There are two main groups of antiseptics. Organic based preparations penetrate deeply into the wood, but emit a sharp and unpleasant odor, which, however, disappears quite quickly. Treatment with these chemicals is best done by dipping, but if this is not possible, application with a roller or brush is allowed. Water-soluble products have no smell. They do not penetrate into the thickness of the material, so they need to be rubbed vigorously with a brush until foam appears. It indicates that the drug has entered chemical reaction with wood, which means the antiseptic treatment is going as it should.

Another key element"pie" of the floor— waterproofing. The tree must be protected from moisture. Many people use simple plastic film for reasons of economy. But it should be borne in mind that this material does not tolerate negative temperatures. In a country house that is not heated in winter, as well as in a house with a cold cellar, such protection will not last long. However, for cottages designed for year-round living, polyethylene is quite acceptable. Still, it would be wiser to use special waterproof membranes.

Correct installation of insulation

Now it's time to talk about insulation. In temperate climates, expanded clay poured between the beams is sufficient. But for central Russia, mineral ( stone wool). In this case, the step between the lags should be about 55 cm. The fact is that the slabs are 60 cm wide and they are laid spaced between the lags, thus eliminating the appearance of cracks and the formation of cold bridges in the future.

The slab insulation should be laid in two layers, with the seams staggered to prevent the formation of through gaps

More affordable (but less efficient and durable) Styrofoam can also be used as insulation. In this case, it is advisable to cover all joints with polyurethane foam to create a continuous thermal insulation layer without thermal breaks.

Some construction companies they prefer to insulate subfloors with so-called ecowool - a relatively new material for us, the basis of which is recycled paper. This heat insulator has been used for many decades in Europe and the USA and has gained well-deserved popularity there.

Cork agglomerate also performs well. It is an almost eternal material that is not afraid of water, cold, or heat. But unfortunately, it is very expensive, so it is rarely used in private housing construction.

Floor “pie” with ventilation gap

Ventilation gap. To prevent the insulation from getting wet and, as a result, rotting wooden elements designs need to be done air gap, more precisely, a gap measuring 50 mm, which will ensure the removal of steam. It is usually created using bars with a cross-section of 50×50 mm, nailed to the beams.

Subsequently, when it comes to laying the finished floor, it will be necessary to ensure an influx fresh air into the underground space. To do this, just make a small gap between the flooring and the wall and cover it with a plinth. As an alternative, you can install ventilation grilles in two or three places.

The next layer of the “pie” is vapor barrier membrane. It serves to prevent water vapor from entering the insulation. There are many more of them formed in the house than you can imagine: the use of taps and showers, hanging laundry after washing, houseplants, human breathing, etc. Without a vapor-permeable coating, the heat insulator will accumulate this moisture. And when wet, it loses all its properties.

The vapor barrier should be laid with overlapping sheets of 20-30 cm. For greater reliability, the seams are taped with special tape

And finally, the final stage of work is installation flooring under the finished floor. It can be moisture-resistant plywood, fiberboard, gypsum fiber board, edged board and chipboard. The thickness of the material is selected based on the distance between the beams. And it is important to comply with these standards, otherwise the flooring will sag, which will inevitably lead to damage finishing coating.

The thickness of the subfloor depending on the pitch of the beam

Finally, after laying the flooring, you can begin finishing floor, and if everything is done correctly, the structure will last for many decades. If parquet or PVC tiles are used as the finishing coating, the flooring should be two-layer. In this case, the slabs, of course, need to be laid staggered. And one more important requirement. IN particle boards The formaldehyde emission content must be extremely low. Only materials of groups E0 or E1 are allowed. Failure to comply with this condition may result in unpleasant odors indoors and, in the long term, damage the health of the occupants.