One of the main methods that can be used to make a flat floor surface is to lay boards or sheet materials onto a pre-created sheathing, where as load-bearing elements, lags. One of the primary tasks, the implementation of which directly affects the final quality of the floor surface, is leveling the logs in horizontal plane, their reliable fixation, as well as processing protective compounds and waterproofing. You can learn how to adjust the position of wooden beams, as well as some of the nuances of the process of installing a frame under a horizontal floor surface by reading this article. Thematic video lessons offered for viewing will help you consolidate the information received.

Features of the floor by joists

An example of flooring on joists in a private house

There was a period when from the technology of flooring to wooden blocks developers began to move away. This was due to the fact that in this way it was difficult to achieve perfect flat surface, which was necessary for laying modern floor coverings. Preference was given to screeds made with cement-based mortars.

Now modern technologies lumber production allows us to produce wood products that are distinguished by the correct geometric shapes, and special impregnations make wooden beams durable and prevent their deformation. More advanced materials have appeared at a reasonable price for decking, such as plywood and OSB boards. This made it possible to return to the technology of installing floors using joists, bringing it to a higher quality level.

Construction of a floor on joists on a concrete surface

The widespread use of this method of constructing a floor surface is also explained by the popularization wood construction when houses are built from logs or timber. In such a building, any floors other than wood would look inorganic. However, logs as a frame for flooring are used not only in wooden houses. This floor leveling technology is used everywhere. In private houses, including on the second floor, in city apartments and even in office premises. Its advantages, such as, for example, will help explain the popularity of this technology:

• relatively low cost of the material/labor complex, especially when we're talking about about the installation of ceilings on the second floor of the house;
• possibility of high-quality insulation floor surface due to laying a thick layer of insulation;
• the created surface is immediately ready for installation of finishing materials (does not need drying and maturing, like concrete);
• it is convenient to lay communications under the flooring;
• the frame, made of bars, as well as the flooring, have a relatively small weight, due to which the load on the floors and bearing structures decreases noticeably;
• The workflow is quite simple, making it accessible to many home craftsmen.

This floor also has some disadvantages:

• despite the use of fire retardants, wood remains a combustible material;
• the use of logs, for example, in an apartment, involves a reduction in useful volume;
• impossibility of making heated floors.

Base surfaces for installing joists

An example of an interfloor wooden floor arrangement

Horizontal frame You can make it from wooden beams in any room. But the base surface that serves as support for the joists is different. If the floor structure is assembled on the ground floor of a private house with a ventilated underground, as supporting elements There are columns poured with concrete or lined with brick. In apartments and some houses on the second floor, where the interfloor partition is filled with reinforced concrete slab, the latter is the basis for installing load-bearing beams. When the ground floor is made on the first floor of the house, preparations are made for installing the bars. rough screed. Let's look at the installation rules and methods for aligning the load-bearing beams in each option.

Important! If interfloor covering the house is made of timber, its surface is the basis for plywood, OSB or boards on the second floor. The alignment of the beams occurs during the construction stage of the building.

How to align load-bearing beams on a reinforced concrete slab?

You can install logs on the slab using several devices, such as:

• screw adjustable supports;
• support brackets;
• anchor fastenings.

Screw supports and metal brackets are used when it is necessary to raise the floor surface relative to base surface for the purpose of laying insulation between the joists. With the help of these devices it is convenient to fasten the bars and adjust their position relative to the horizontal. Another advantage of such devices is the absence of contact between wooden beams and the concrete surface, which eliminates the need to waterproof the logs.

Laying option adjustable joists on concrete floor

Anchors are used when the beam is laid directly on a concrete surface, and its position is regulated by all kinds of pads. This is done when the thickness of the thermal insulation layer is of great importance does not have, at the same time there is a desire to minimize the usable space.

To level the logs and install them in the same plane, you need to use a hydraulic level and a long (1.5-2 m) spirit level. Using a water level, marks are made on two opposite walls that correspond to the horizontal line in which the load-bearing beams should be located.

The outermost logs are installed and leveled first, which are located approximately 10 cm from the wall. First, one edge of the beam is set according to the mark that determines the desired horizontal level. Then the position of the other edge is adjusted so that the floor support is horizontal. The same should be done with the block against the other wall.

When the outer joists are set and secured in a given position, strong twines are stretched between them so that their sagging is minimal. Tensioned threads located in the same horizontal plane will serve as a guide for adjusting the position of the intermediate lags. To mark the horizontal line, if possible, you can use a laser level. This will speed up the process and perhaps improve accuracy somewhat. You can see how the logs are installed on metal brackets, as well as their alignment, in the video below, which shows the entire process of installing a plywood floor base along the load-bearing beams on the loggia.

Joists on columnar supports

In this case, in order to avoid problems with the alignment of the logs, the supports themselves should be made so that their upper platforms are in the same plane. The principle is the same, the horizontal line in which they will be located is marked. top points columns and threads are stretched. If the supports are made of reinforced concrete, the formwork elements are placed along the threads. When the columns are laid out of brick, the masonry is adjusted according to the guidelines.

Laying a wooden floor on support posts

The beams are installed on the made supports after laying 2-3 layers of rolled waterproofing on them and are fixed with metal angles or anchors through the joist body to the surface of the column. Load-bearing wooden crossbars are leveled by placing wooden or plastic wedges.

Important! Needs to be laid waterproofing material not only between the surface of the column and the lag, but also between the support and the ground, so that moisture does not destroy the supporting structure.

You can see how to level logs installed on posts using a laser level in the following video clip

One of the main methods that can be used to make a flat floor surface is to lay boards or sheet materials on a pre-created sheathing, where logs serve as load-bearing elements. One of the primary tasks, the implementation of which directly affects the final quality of the floor surface, is the alignment of the joists in the horizontal plane, their reliable fixation, as well as treatment with protective compounds and waterproofing. You can learn how to adjust the position of wooden beams, as well as some of the nuances of the process of installing a frame under a horizontal floor surface by reading this article. Thematic video lessons offered for viewing will help you consolidate the information received.

Features of the floor by joists

There was a period when developers began to move away from the technology of laying the subfloor on wooden blocks. This was due to the fact that in this way it was difficult to achieve a perfectly flat surface, which was necessary for laying modern floor coverings. Preference was given to screeds made with cement-based mortars.

Now modern technologies for the production of lumber make it possible to produce wood products that are distinguished by regular geometric shapes, and special impregnations make wooden beams durable and prevent their deformation. More advanced materials have also appeared at a reasonable price for decking, such as plywood and OSB boards. This made it possible to return to the technology of installing floors using joists, bringing it to a higher quality level.

The widespread use of this method of constructing a floor surface is also explained by the popularization of wooden construction, when houses are built from logs or timber. In such a building, any floors other than wood would look inorganic. However, logs as a frame for flooring are used not only in wooden houses. This floor leveling technology is used everywhere. In private houses, including on the second floor, in city apartments and even in office premises. Its advantages, such as, for example, will help explain the popularity of this technology:

• the relatively low cost of the material/labor complex, especially when it comes to installing floors on the second floor of the house;
• the ability to qualitatively insulate the floor surface by laying a thick layer of insulation;
• the created surface is immediately ready for installation of finishing materials (does not need drying and maturing, like concrete);
• it is convenient to lay communications under the flooring;
• the frame made of bars, as well as the flooring, have a relatively low weight, due to which the load on the floors and supporting structures is noticeably reduced;
• The workflow is quite simple, making it accessible to many home craftsmen.

This floor also has some disadvantages:

• despite the use of fire retardants, wood remains a combustible material;
• the use of logs, for example, in an apartment, involves a reduction in useful volume;
• impossibility of making heated floors.

Base surfaces for installing joists

A horizontal frame made of wooden beams can be made in any room. But the base surface that serves as support for the joists is different. If the floor structure is assembled on the ground floor of a private house with a ventilated underground, the supporting elements are columns poured with concrete or lined with brick. In apartments and some houses on the second floor, where a reinforced concrete slab is poured as an interfloor partition, the latter is the base for installing load-bearing beams. When a ground floor is made on the first floor of the house, a rough screed is prepared for installing the bars. Let's look at the installation rules and methods for aligning the load-bearing beams in each option.

Important! If the interfloor ceiling in a house is made of timber, its surface is the basis for plywood, OSB or board flooring on the second floor. The alignment of the beams occurs during the construction stage of the building.

How to align load-bearing beams on a reinforced concrete slab?

You can install logs on the slab using several devices, such as:

• screw adjustable supports;
• support brackets;
• anchor fastenings.

Screw supports and metal brackets are used when it is necessary to raise the floor surface relative to the base surface in order to lay insulation between the joists. With the help of these devices it is convenient to fasten the bars and adjust their position relative to the horizontal. Another advantage of such devices is the absence of contact between wooden beams and the concrete surface, which eliminates the need to waterproof the logs.

Anchors are used when the beam is laid directly on a concrete surface, and its position is regulated by all kinds of pads. This is done when the thickness of the thermal insulation layer is not of great importance, but at the same time there is a desire to minimize the usable space.

To level the logs and install them in the same plane, you need to use a hydraulic level and a long (1.5-2 m) spirit level. Using a water level, marks are made on two opposite walls that correspond to the horizontal line in which the load-bearing beams should be located.

The outermost logs are installed and leveled first, which are located approximately 10 cm from the wall. First, one edge of the beam is set according to the mark that determines the desired horizontal level. Then the position of the other edge is adjusted so that the floor support is horizontal. The same should be done with the block against the other wall.

When the outer joists are set and secured in a given position, strong twines are stretched between them so that their sagging is minimal. Tensioned threads located in the same horizontal plane will serve as a guide for adjusting the position of the intermediate lags. To mark the horizontal line, if possible, you can use a laser level. This will speed up the process and perhaps improve accuracy somewhat. You can see how the logs are installed on metal brackets, as well as their alignment, in the video below, which shows the entire process of installing a plywood floor base along the load-bearing beams on the loggia.

Joists on columnar supports

In this case, in order to avoid problems with the alignment of the logs, the supports for them themselves should be made so that their upper platforms are in the same plane. The principle is the same - the horizontal line is marked, in which the top points of the columns will be located and the threads are stretched. If the supports are made of reinforced concrete, the formwork elements are placed along the threads. When the columns are laid out of brick, the masonry is adjusted according to the guidelines.

The beams are installed on the made supports after laying 2-3 layers of rolled waterproofing on them and are fixed with metal angles or anchors through the joist body to the surface of the column. Load-bearing wooden crossbars are leveled by placing wooden or plastic wedges.

Important! It is necessary to lay waterproofing material not only between the surface of the column and the joist, but also between the support and the ground so that moisture does not destroy the supporting structure.

Leveling the floor with plywood along the joists is a very popular way to prepare a level base for parquet, laminate or linoleum. This option requires much less effort and time than, for example, screeding a floor. Another advantage of the method is good ventilation of the floor, and this is especially important if your choice is laminate or parquet.

Leveling the floor using joists

Using joists to level the base is an old method. Its reliability has been tested for centuries. However, not all so simple! In order to achieve good results, technology must be followed. Get down to business after you have completed all the work on the walls and ceiling.

Follow safety precautions! All electrical wiring must be de-energized to avoid short circuits and accidents. It is better to perform all actions wearing protective glasses and gloves.

It is worth noting that dampness has a negative impact on wooden floors, which is why make sure that the wooden elements used have a humidity of no more than 19%, in addition, they need to be treated with antiseptics. Air humidity should not exceed 60%. Wooden elements Inspect them carefully to see if they are damaged.

About the preparatory stage

Clean the floor from dirt, dust and debris. Lay roofing felt or waterproofing polyethylene film over the entire floor area. The overlap is 15-20 cm. Secure the joints with tape.

If the material is thin, then it is better to lay it in several layers. For good sound insulation of the base, various layers are used. Size – 1.5 cm thicker than the log.

Wood blocks are used as the logs themselves (length - 2 m, width - 0.8 m, thickness - 0.4 m). Install a wide joist near the doorway (a couple of millimeters wider than the standard one).

Place the logs at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. There should be a gap of 30 mm between the wall and the joists.

Before proceeding with the installation of the logs, the floor surface is measured and the zero mark is set with a level, focusing on it, beacons in the form of self-tapping screws are installed. They are placed every 0.2 m. The screws should be opposite each other, thereby forming squares.

About laying joists

Logs are laid on the prepared base, focusing on the beacons. In places with large differences heights they are installed on posts (bosses) different heights, not forgetting to use pads. The height of the logs is adjusted with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver: the soundproofing layer is pulled together more tightly, the logs are lowered or raised.

If the logs need to be installed on a base made of soil, then they do it in the following sequence: pillars on brick foundations - roofing felt - soundproofing gasket - logs. Then the logs are carefully measured (in different directions: perpendicular, longitudinal, relative to each other) with a staff and a level, the plane should be perfectly flat.

The next stage of work concerns the sheathing. At a distance of at least 0.5 m between the logs, crossbars - crossbars - are installed on wooden posts and secured with self-tapping screws. The space between the logs is filled with a layer of heat-insulating material.

You can safely use mineral wool, expanded clay, ecowool. Eliminate the gaps between the insulation and the joists. Cover the top of the logs with a layer of bitumen paper or glassine.

Final stage: laying plywood over joists and sanding

We attach plywood to the base of the logs. First, lay it out, then adjust the dimensions of the slabs, make gaps (1-2 cm from the wall, less than 1 cm between the slabs). Attach the plywood sheets to the sheathing, fasten the screws every 5-10 cm. Make sure that the joints of the sheets fall on the joists, and lay the plywood offset.

To increase the strength of the floor, lay another layer of plywood, while securing it with the previous glue. Upper layer sand it down.

The prepared base will be well ventilated, warm, soundproofed, it will become a reliable starting coating for the subsequent installation of parquet, linoleum or laminate.

Alternative options

Option #1: “adjustable plywood”

New on the market building materials– adjustable plywood, which eliminates the need for glue. The holes here are drilled according to ready-made diagram in the sheet, the sheet is then placed on the floor, and similar holes are drilled into the base.

Set the level. Then the plywood is laid, it is fixed on top with nuts and washers.

Excess parts of the rods are cut off. Lay the second layer of plywood overlapping. This method helps fix a sloping floor without lags.

Option No. 2: “on glue”

This method should be used on the finished screed (when it is completely dry), if the height differences are small. First, check the humidity level: press a meter-long piece of polyethylene to the floor with something heavy, if after three days there is no perspiration, then start working with plywood sheets.

Before laying the plywood, cut it and lay it on the floor. This manipulation will allow you to adjust the size and cut out pieces with the required parameters for corners, arches, pillars, and doorways.

There should be no cracks or delamination on the plywood. Since this material is subject to deformation (it reacts to the slightest increase in air humidity), a small gap (about 5 mm) is left between the sheets.

The slots help air circulate. Lay the plywood offset. Number all the parts and sketch out the installation diagram. Remove the plywood. This was just the “trying on” stage.

If you decide to lay plywood without using joists, then your floor is perfectly flat. Thoroughly dust off and prime the base (a primer is suitable for this; it is prepared from plywood glue and solvent or bitumen mastic with gasoline). This composition (it will ensure the strength of the cement floor and improve the adhesion of plywood and the base) is used to cover concrete covering. The primer must be applied with a roller.

The diagram for laying the sheets is already ready, all that remains is to fasten the parts. As already mentioned, this can be done with glue or bitumen mastic. But that's not all! In addition to glue, you will also need anchor bolts or screws. The distance between them is 20 cm.

After laying down the plywood, drill holes in the screed. Next, the plywood sheets are sanded with sandpaper or a special machine.

Align by level

In most typical residential buildings, an inevitable part of the renovation is leveling the floors. Without this stage it is impossible to install a high-quality and even floor covering: even the most best materials laid on an uneven base will begin to deform. As a result, even expensive parquet may stop pleasing you with its performance and aesthetic qualities after just a couple of months. The most accessible and simple method of surface preparation is leveling the floor with logs.

Leveling the floor is an incomparably simpler process than installing a new one. concrete screed. Leveling using polymer mixtures and concrete requires the help of at least 1-2 people, and without special skills and experience you are unlikely to be able to make a perfectly level screed yourself. In addition, making a concrete screed is a long-term way to level the floor. Sometimes you need to wait up to 10-14 days for the screed to completely dry. Only after this can you begin to install finishing coat. If you decide to carry out floor repairs on joists, you will cope much faster.

The height above the floor should be from 7 to 12 centimeters

This is an effective alternative to a concrete screed, and it can be installed with my own hands, if you understand important technological points in advance. This method of leveling floors allows you to save a lot of money and materials, and the result is of almost the same quality. It should be noted that the level of thermal insulation of a plywood floor on joists is noticeably higher than that of a concrete floor: such a coating is much easier to insulate, and it is convenient to lay various communications (cables, wires, and much more) between the joists.

Another advantage of this technology is that it reduces the load on the slabs separating the floors, so it is possible to level the floors with joists even in old houses, where the weight of the concrete screed pressing on the floors is unacceptable.

What tools will you need for the job?

In order to install a floor on joists, it is enough to purchase ordinary household tools, which are sold in any construction supermarket. So, you will need the following tools:

• Hammer
• Liquid level 1.5-2 m long
• Screwdriver
• Electric jigsaw
• Drill
• Roulette
• Hammer
• Wood screws

If these simple devices are already in your home arsenal, you can move on to initial stage installation, which consists of checking and preparing the rough floor surface.

Surface preparation

The air humidity in the room where it is planned to level the floor with plywood on joists should not exceed 60%. It is also very important to check the moisture content of the old concrete screed. To do this, place a piece on the floor for a couple of days. polyethylene film and press its corners with something heavy. On inside film should not form condensation. Only in this case concrete surface is considered dry enough for further installation. After checking, you need to clean the concrete from dust and dirt, make sure that there is no greasy stains and wet marks.

Prepared logs must be thoroughly dried. They also need to be cleaned of dust, and then, using a brush, processed antiseptic impregnation. This will help prevent the future occurrence of mold and mildew, which can cause wood to deteriorate and rot in damp conditions.

The length of the logs should not be less than two meters. In cross-section, their size is usually 50 x 100 cm, but there are also square logs 100 x 100 cm. You will also need: a substrate, foamed polyethylene, moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 18 mm, insulating materials (Isover, Ecover, mineral wool). Instead of plywood, some craftsmen, seeking to save even more, use OSB or asbestos boards, but this is not recommended.

Natural birch plywood It costs slightly more than other materials, but it is an environmentally friendly product that will not release toxic substances into the indoor air. Asbestos boards and oriented strand boards containing formaldehyde resins are extremely harmful to health.

Now that the base is completely prepared for installing the joists, it is necessary to apply the final primer to clean and dry concrete. This primer allows you to completely remove dust from the surface and make it more durable. Be sure to wait until the soil dries. Logs can only be placed on a completely dried surface.

How to attach joists to the floor?

First, calculate at what level the new floor will be. To do this, calculate the thickness of the planned flooring. Draw a line for the future floor around the perimeter of the room using a laser or liquid level. Add together thickness decorative covering, plywood thickness and joist thickness, and then subtract the resulting figure from the total distance to the concrete base.

The remaining distance is the thickness wooden substrates, which need to be fixed to concrete using a hammer drill. In order to reduce the noise level, you can place pieces of foamed polyethylene or thick linoleum under the substrate.

You can set the logs to the floor level using a level. The air bubble should be in the center of the eye building level.

Now you can start. To do this, take the logs and start laying them around the perimeter of the room, not approaching the walls more than 30 mm. The distance between the logs should be 50 centimeters. They are fixed to the substrates using screws or wood screws. When the joists are installed over the entire floor space, fill the space between them with insulation and soundproofing material.

The final stage of installing the floor on the joists is laying plywood. Start laying the plywood from the far corner of the room, laying the sheets so that their edges are in the middle of the joists. Do not lay plywood close to each other: 2-3 mm should be left between the sheets for possible deformations. If you place the sheets close together, the floor may begin to creak in the future.

Between the wall and the resulting subfloor on the joists you can lay mineral wool or fill gaps with construction foam.

The floor consists of wooden blocks of various lengths and cross-sections. IN wooden log houses They mainly use logs made from round dry wood. Pine is used as such dry timber. It often happens that floor joists are not installed quite level. The reason for this may be that the wood was not dried well enough before installation, or it may be that the craftsman made a mistake during installation.

It is because of this that the owners have to eliminate all errors made during installation. Alignment of logs from round timber does not cause any difficulties, they just need to be planed.

To do this you will need a building level, a building pencil, two small nails, twine (you should first rub it charcoal), saw (preferably an electric saw or chainsaw), chisel, electric plane (a regular plane will do).

Step-by-step alignment instructions

• At the beginning of the work, using a building level, mark the part of the round beam that will be removed. To do this, you need to mark it with a pencil on both sides.
• After this, a small nail is driven from one side into the previously marked line.
• Then a string is tied to the nail. It must be stretched along the entire joist to the intended line on the other side. Take this string approximately in the middle and pull it back, like a bow string, and release it. She will return to her place, and at the same time mark a straight line along. Perform the same operation on the opposite side.
• Next, take an electric saw (chainsaw) and carefully, slowly, cut through the log along its entire length, leaving a little more than five centimeters above the marked line.
• After this, use a chisel to cut off the unnecessary part wooden beam almost to the very mark left by the twine.
• Then, using an electric planer, finally trim the structure.
• And now it will be possible to lay.

Fixation and alignment with bolts - racks

In apartments, a relatively new technology for installing and leveling wooden floor joists is currently used.

They are fixed using special fastening and adjusting elements, which are plastic stand-up bolts. This type of fastening simplifies position adjustment. In this case, the floor turns out to be perfectly horizontal, securely fixed, and any displacement is eliminated. Due to the fact that the ceiling does not come into contact with the joists, the underground space is ventilated and the development of mold and mildew, as well as rotting, is prevented.

This design makes it possible to completely hide various communication systems, such as heating, water supply, electrical wiring and others in the space between the beams and the base of the subfloor.

The very leveling of the floor with such constructive solutions produced in strict accordance with technology.

Adjustable leveling technology

IN wooden joists First, plastic stand-up bolts are installed. There are five of these stand-up bolts in each. Then mark the required floor height using one bolt. Next, using a building level, the logs are leveled by adjusting the height of the bolts. The specified height is calculated as the difference between the base and the highest point of the log. The height difference should not exceed two millimeters per linear meter of timber. After this, using a chisel, cut off the post bolts protruding beyond the upper plane. All irregularities (manufacturing defects, defects that appeared during transportation and installation) are eliminated either using an electric planer or using floor putty.

If the technology of the leveling process is violated, deficiencies can be noticed immediately after completion of the work.