What makes fiberboard come in waves? How to level a wooden floor under laminate: do-it-yourself leveling with plywood, the old is better, fiberboard and putty

Fiberboard, or fiberboard as it is called, is most often used in construction and renovation. It can be used as a base for flooring or act as self-flooring. A special feature of fiberboard is the ability to be laid on any type of surface, including old coatings.

Fiberboard slabs can hide many defects of the lower base, for example, cracks, crevices or uneven places. In most cases, fiberboard with a thickness of 3 mm is used. Slabs that are resistant to moisture and impregnated with oil are mainly placed on the first floors of buildings. On uneven bases, slabs with a thickness of 6 mm are used.

Brand	Description
M-1	Soft slabs
M-2	Soft slabs
M-3	Soft slabs
T	solid slabs with untreated front surface
T-P	solid slabs with tinted face layer
T-S	solid boards with a face layer of fine wood pulp
T-SP	solid boards with a tinted face layer of fine wood pulp
ST	hard slabs of increased strength (superhard) with untreated front surface
ST-S	hard boards of increased strength (super hard) with a front layer of fine wood pulp

The advantages of this building material the following:

• low cost;
• ease of installation;
• environmentally friendly, since the board contains natural wood;
• dense structure, due to the fact that fiberboard is produced by hot pressing of sawdust. The addition of antiseptics and synthetic resins gives it better properties even compared to natural wood flooring;
• high resistance to mechanical damage;
• strength and durability, but subject to correct operation. This involves creating a protective layer of waterproof paint or water-repellent varnishes, which also allow for much improved appearance coatings;
• Excellent heat and sound insulation, which is why fiberboard is often used as insulation. The slabs are laid on the first floors of multi-storey buildings, as well as in private houses, that is, in cases where the floor surface cannot be raised to a greater height. Insulation of any floors is usually carried out using types of fiberboard such as PT-100, as well as M-20. Fiberboard is laid on top different coatings. The exception is thin linoleum or ceramic tiles;
• The flat surface of this material allows you to get a perfectly flat floor on which you can install any covering.

Stage 1. Preparing the slabs

Before laying the fiberboard, preparatory work. They consist in preparing sheets of material for room humidity. This way you can protect them from swelling. To do this, each fiberboard sheet with reverse side moisten with a brush a small amount warm water. Then all the sheets are folded with their backs and left alone for 24 hours. But in a constantly heated room, this procedure can not be performed, but simply keep the sheets of material in it for 2 days.

Fibreboards are used to level surfaces with small level differences. For large uneven areas, you need to lay the flooring with logs or pour a mixture that will level the surface. Whether the floor is level or not can be checked with a level, which is used to make marks at the same height along the entire perimeter of the walls. After connecting the marks with one common line, it will become clear whether the floor requires leveling.

Stage 2. Base for laying fiberboard

The basis can be wooden floor. When laying fiberboard on a wooden floor, slabs with a thickness of about 6 mm are used.

A perfectly flat surface is also obtained by using a sand-cement screed, which is made in accordance with the drawn line. Before starting work, sand no more than 50 mm thick is poured onto the coating, which must first be cleaned and well dried, and the finished solution is distributed on top of it.

The photo shows a self-leveling screed poured in a thin layer onto a concrete base

Then a primer or bitumen dissolved in gasoline is applied to the screed. In this case, it is important to wait about 8 hours for them to dry until they begin to “come off.” Only after this can you lay fiberboard sheets on it using mastic or glue.

The screed is covered with a thin layer of glue or mastic over the entire surface.

Fiberboard boards are also lubricated with glue. Bituminous mastic dries very quickly, so it is not used completely, but only for one sheet. Layer hot mastic applied immediately before laying the slab. It is leveled with a rubber comb and the slab is attached. After the slab is glued, it must be pressed down with a weight and left to dry for a while. The coating can be used in a few days.

If chipboard sheets are laid on logs, then before installing them, measure the size of the sheets. After this, they mark on the floor where the logs will be installed. For this purpose, dry and antiseptic-treated beams are used or edged boards, which are attached directly to the floor. The distance between the logs should be no more than 40 cm. Using undried wood leads to rapid rotting and also makes the floor uneven and creaky. As a result, in 2 years it will be necessary to start new renovation floor.

To keep the logs at the same level, chipboard linings are used. Those that are already on the floor are carefully inspected and repair work is carried out if necessary. Before laying a fiberboard floor, carefully measure the room. It must be taken into account that the width of the slabs should not exceed the width of the joists, otherwise the floor will become uneven and the furniture will fall over.

Stage 3. Laying features

Before starting work on laying fiberboard slabs, you need to carefully inspect the floor. If there are signs of mold on it, it is necessary to apply an antiseptic primer to the surface. If the old coating has a smooth and intact surface, then fiberboard is laid directly on it. In other cases, it is stripped down to the very core.

Fiberboard flooring is made with a slight deviation from the walls of 5-10 mm, which is necessary in order to form a “temperature” seam. Upon completion of the work, it is covered with a plinth. The plates themselves must fit well to each other so that there are no distortions.

Begin laying fiberboard in the corner of the room that is opposite the exit. The slabs are usually laid with the bottom, rough side up. This creates conditions for strong adhesion of the applied mastic to the coating used. In this case, the slabs must be laid out near adjacent walls. In addition, it is important to prevent the formation of a narrow strip of fiberboard along them.

In the case where fiberboard is attached with glue, it must be well leveled over the entire surface of the sheet and allowed to dry a little. To make the coating more durable, the floor must be primed before applying the glue. To secure the slabs to the base, a weight is placed on top. The laying of each fiberboard slab, that is, gluing and pressing, is accompanied by checking their horizontal and level position. If there is a vertical pipeline in the room, a gap is left near it around the circumference of the pipes, which is filled with cement-sand mortar.

When laying fiberboard on logs, the sheets are aligned and laid so that their edges are in the middle of the bars. This is necessary to ensure that the floor is strong and reliable. In addition, thanks to this method, there will be no need to subsequently redo the entire floor. Subsequent slabs are also aligned and joined with previous sheets with a slight offset, which makes the coating more stable.

You should not place slab joints in places where there are the most people, for example, kitchen stove, sink or refrigerator. Fastening is done using screws, self-tapping screws or nails. Slabs with a thickness of 19 mm and more are attached with 50 mm nails. They are driven in at an angle of 30 degrees and in increments of 10 cm. It is important that the nail heads are driven tightly and do not stick out from above. Nail marks are also sealed with wood putty, which is matched to the color of the floor covering.

To secure the boards, special nails designed specifically for fiberboards, as well as staples, can be used. Do not use long nails as this may damage pipes or wires located under the subfloor. All joints must be well lubricated with putty so that the floor does not lose its attractive appearance.

Fiberboard slabs placed on joists make it possible to obtain a warmer floor than on a screed. This method also makes the places where the slabs are attached to the joists completely invisible. In order for them to lie evenly on the prepared base, they need to be trimmed with a sharp knife, hacksaw, saw or jigsaw. If it is necessary to perform complex cutting of a slab, then a specially designed cardboard template is used for this. When fiberboard is laid on a wooden base, no bitumen primer is applied. Regular nails are used to attach the slabs to the boards.

Video - Laying fiberboard on the floor

Stage 4. The final stage of laying fiberboard

Upon completion of the work, the final treatment of the floor is carried out, which consists, first of all, of a careful inspection of the seams. If there is any glue left on them, remove it with a rag. The resulting gaps, if they are more than 2-3 mm, are sealed with putty. At the joints, the slabs are glued with a special reinforcing tape. Thanks to this, high strength connections can be achieved.

The subfloor can subsequently be sanded and primed. But this does not have to be done if parquet, linoleum, carpet, laminate will be placed on top of the fiberboard slabs or painting will be done.

To paint fiberboard coatings, alkyd enamel or a painting composition that has water-repellent properties is used. If linoleum is used, you can get a durable and wear-resistant floor covering that can be used in a week.

Video - Cutting fiberboard sheets

Before installing laminate flooring, it is strongly recommended to level the wooden floor. Laminate is a fairly popular floor covering. But required condition its installation is on a flat floor. That is why it is leveled using plywood or other methods.

Why is it necessary to level a wooden floor under a laminate?

Before installing laminate flooring, you need to ensure that the floors are perfectly level. The leveling process depends on the original condition of the floor covering. If you neglect this procedure, the laminate will quickly become unusable, begin to crack, and lose its attractive appearance.

By leveling the wooden floor before laying the laminate, you can significantly extend its service life

In places of unevenness, the finishing coating will crack and change shape. If there are elevations, the laminate will begin to swell. If the base is loosened, then the coating itself will begin to diverge. That's why everything needs to be done necessary measures for leveling the floor.

If the presence of unevenness is a couple of millimeters, then there is no need to level the coating. It is enough to use a thick substrate.

Laminate is quite popular among floor coverings. It is made of wood and covered on top protective layer, which prevents mechanical and chemical influences. It is widely used in both residential buildings, and in office buildings.

Advantages of laminate:

• Attractive appearance;
• Acceptable price;
• Easy installation;
• Quality.

Perform alignment wooden base with your own hands really. Wherein price policy question is acceptable. You don’t need a lot of tools for the procedure, just desire.

How to level an old wooden floor under laminate: methods and techniques

The alignment procedure has several methods. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. To determine best option For your own case, you need to familiarize yourself with each of them.

Methods for leveling flooring:

• Manual or mechanical scraping;
• Using OSB, chipboard or fiberboard plywood;
• Self-leveling mixtures;
• Putty made from shavings and PVA glue;
• Use of lags;
• Concrete screed.

Sanding involves the use of special grinding machines. This technique will take a sufficient amount of time and effort. You will have to deepen all the nails and screws so that their caps do not peek out. If this is not done, then breakdown of the unit is inevitable.

Old wooden floors need to be leveled using grinder

If the floor has some differences, then leveling with plywood is suitable. It's simple and effective method. Plywood raises the floor by only a couple of centimeters, which is very convenient in a room with a low ceiling.

For the best effect, you need to use two layers: the first from fiberboard, the second from plywood. In this case, the joints should not coincide.

For minor unevenness, self-leveling mixtures can be used. Before leveling, you need to carry out preparatory work: replace damaged boards, fill the cracks, fix loose boards, prime the floor and take care of waterproofing. You can use additional reinforced polyethylene mesh, which should be laid on a small layer of the mixture. It is used if the self-leveling floor height should exceed 1 cm.

Leveling with putty is the most cheap way. Preparatory work with this method includes securing the guide strips. The interval between them should be 50-60 cm. The mixture should be applied to a clean floor treated with degreasers. After drying, you need to secure the plywood on top.

When the old floor has completely deteriorated, it is better to use joist mounting. To do this you need to get rid of the old boards. Expanded clay is poured between the joists, then there is a layer of polystyrene foam or gypsum fiber board and the whole thing is covered with plywood.

Concrete screed is often used to level the floor. The disadvantage of this procedure is the large weight of the concrete. That is why the rough wooden floor must still be strong enough to withstand the required load.

Leveling a wooden floor: how to determine the presence of unevenness

To properly level the floor and ensure the durability of the floor covering, you must take the necessary measures. This can be done in several ways. But before such a procedure, it is necessary to inspect the quality of the wooden base.

You can determine the presence of unevenness in a wooden floor using a level.

Parameters for assessing floor quality:

1. Presence of insects and rot. Need to study carefully wood covering at both sides. If there are no traces of harmful influence, the floor does not need to be changed.
2. Evenness of the floor covering. This can be done using a laser level or visual assessment. If you have the skills, you can resort to the help of a building level.
3. The presence of irregularities and bumps. To do this, pull two ropes and monitor the contact of the thread with the floor.

Before the procedure for determining unevenness, it is necessary to clear the floor of any objects. This will help more accurately determine the presence of flooring defects. You can use any of the methods to check the evenness of floors. You can also use a mounting level or hydraulic level.

Degrees of roughness:

• Small – 5-20 mm;
• Medium – 20-60 mm;
• Large - from 60 mm.

After identifying the unevenness, you can choose the leveling method. Laying plywood is considered the most optimal. This is a simple option that anyone can do on their own.

The sequence of leveling the floor with plywood under the laminate

This technique does not take much effort and does not require special skills. We level the floor ourselves with our own hands. To do this, you only need desire and a set of necessary devices and materials.

Tools for leveling plywood floors:

• Medium hammer;
• Hammer;
• Screwdriver;
• Roulette;
• Level.

Thanks to plywood, you can hide even serious unevenness in the floor, resulting in a smooth surface.

Fastening plywood is the most effective way to level the floor. It can be used when the base has completely deteriorated or has severe unevenness. But at the same time, all power components must be strong enough.

Sequence of work on leveling the floor with plywood:

1. First you need to secure the logs. To do this, you need to determine the zero point to which the plywood will be attached. This point starts from the highest point of the old floor. To it you need to add the thickness of the planks (joists) themselves. Next, you need to make marks around the entire perimeter of the room, indicating the height of the new floor.
2. Then you need to stretch it with construction thread. Screws need to be secured along the entire floor at the level of the cord. This will serve as a guide for further work.
3. At the pointer level, you need to install lags. The interval between the centers of the planks should be no more than 60 cm. If the lag does not reach the floor, then you need to make a lining.
4. After the evenness of the planks is determined using a level, you need to begin securing the plywood. The material is attached to self-tapping screws when the cap is deepened by 2-3 mm.
5. After this, you need to check the evenness of the floor again.

The plywood joints must coincide with the joists. They should not be in the air and create a gap. Otherwise, this coating will not last long.

After leveling, you should take care of ventilation. This will increase the lifespan of the floor. To do this, just make small holes in opposite sides of the room.

Tips: how to level a wooden floor under laminate (video)

The process of leveling the floor when using plywood does not have any difficulties. You need to prepare in advance and study all the nuances and features of using plywood. It is also advisable to have on hand necessary tools.

When leveling the bottom surface of a room, the most practical and in an accessible way All that remains is to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor. This method is advisable when laying on old lumpy floors, a plane with unevenness, defects or with some slope. Fiberboard sheets are most often laid on joists, but another method is also possible. It is possible to lay them under linoleum or carpet with insulation. This material is not always advisable, for example, under heavy loads, and all the features of the coating are worth considering in more detail.

Basic conditions for laying fiberboard on a wooden floor

Each floor covering has its own advantages and disadvantages, and fiberboard flooring on a wooden floor remains the simplest and most practical. It doesn’t always make sense to tear old boards off the floor, especially in old houses and country buildings. They provide surface integrity and provide additional warmth. However, the boards become deformed over time and require partial or complete replacement.

Experts recommend leveling the surface using sheets of plywood, fiberboard or chipboard (not to be confused) using joists made from high-quality timber. However, thin layers of these materials cannot always withstand significant loads, for example:

• for working machines that produce high vibration;
• under thin metal legs furniture;
• under heavy and bulky furniture, especially if the supports are not on the logs under the sheets of covering, but on the gaps.

The choice of materials for installation and how professionally the installation work was carried out is very important. Whether or not there will be floors in the future directly depends on this:

• smooth;
• solid;
• durable;
• sustainable.

The horizontal surface is a fundamental criterion for the quality of floor laying work. Therefore, prepare the necessary tools in advance, including a universal building level, without which it is difficult to verify the accuracy of the floor geometry.

It is equally important to properly prepare the old base:

• thoroughly clean and remove all construction debris;
• remove the plinth, which prevents the installation of the base under the fiberboard;
• seal all cracks in the floor for tightness;
• clean off everything that is peeling and crumbling on the floor;
• mark the level of the lower horizontal lines near the walls along which the surface will be leveled;
• if in the floor of the dacha, country house or the building is supposed to have an entrance to the cellar, it is better to start with its arrangement and then lay the floors.

Attention: If the logs are perfectly aligned, then poor-quality work on laying fiberboard sheets can ruin the whole impression!

Fiberboard should not be laid too tightly without a gap, otherwise, when the level fluctuates, their edges will rise, splitting. The sheets should also retreat from the walls by about 4-7 mm - this edge will still go under the baseboard.

Experts recommend starting laying out fiberboard sheets from opposite wall To front door. If there is no experience in how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor, experts recommend immediately checking the first layer with a level for leveling if any inaccuracies are identified. Each subsequent row is checked horizontally using the same method - haste in case of inaccuracies is inappropriate. When gluing slabs, it is advisable to place a weight on top of the seams, but if they are nailed, then there is no need. If the floors are laid under linoleum or carpet, then no further processing is expected.

Advantages of fiberboard floors

Wood fiber boards are a fairly common construction and finishing material, applicable for repairs and cladding of various surfaces. Fiberboard is used not only for rough editing various designs, but also for the floor. It is noteworthy that even those who do not know how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor prefer this material because of its reasonable cost and practicality. Fiberboard sheets are irreplaceable:

• when leveling the old floor;
• under rough laying linoleum or parquet;
• for covering surfaces (floors, walls, arches).

Main advantages:

• easy installation, but you need to know how to place joists on a wooden floor;
• high strength of a fragile-looking material resembling wood cardboard;
• tolerates temperature changes well with moderate air humidity;
• durability (in the absence of excess moisture);
• environmental friendliness, thanks to which fiberboard is natural material used by allergy sufferers with intolerance to chemical components in living quarters;
• convenient packaging;
• affordable price.

At the same time, fiberboard floors have their “disadvantages”:

• when leveling the floor, additional costs are required for timber under the logs as a base;
• insufficient protection from water, although this is quite suitable material for a nursery or bedroom;
• with great pressure or impact with a sharp, heavy object, a small gap may form between the joists;
• poor fire resistance in case of fire;
• the appearance is too simple for cladding;
• without protective treatment the surface wears out quickly, especially with heavy loads and furniture movements;
• in the raw unheated room may delaminate.

Attention: Regarding environmental friendliness, this is a controversial issue, since the old form of release involved a different technology for gluing materials, so it is not advisable to use the remains of fiberboard sheets lying around workshops and garages in a residential area!

If you have any doubts, see expert advice: how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor, video at the end of the article.

How to choose materials

Buying fiberboard sheets is a responsible business, and a large list of building materials from different manufacturers not only gives more choice, but also, to some extent, creates confusion. Today there remains a risk of purchasing a low-quality or unsuitable product.

1. If leveling the floors is done for painting, then it is better to purchase decorative plywood, which can be laid out in patterns, like parquet or laminate floors High Quality will cost much less.

2. If appearance is not so important, since fiberboard flooring on a wooden floor is planned under laminate or carpet, then visual parameters are not as important as specifications. Fiberboard sheets are different sizes, soft and hard, and are classified according to their standardization scale:

• grade T with a regular front surface;
• T-S has a front layer with a finely dispersed mass of wood fibers;
• T-P has a color on the front surface;
• T-SP finely dispersed front layer is tinted;
• T-B has increased water resistance without tinting;
• NT - semi-hard sheets;
• ST - super-hard sheets with a regular front surface;
• ST-S - super-hard sheets with a finely dispersed front layer.

Quality groups A and B are found in hard slabs of brands T, T-P, T-S, T-SP, and their front surface assumes grades 1 and 2. The density of soft sheets varies: M-1, M-2 and M-3. Separately, hardboard is distinguished - Fiberboard brand T, which is produced by the wet method. It is used for various purposes:

• insulation and finishing;
• soundproofing and thermal insulation of the floor;
• construction of internal partitions;
• wall cladding;
• underlay for parquet, laminate, linoleum;
• for decorative cladding of various panel structures.

Tip: When purchasing, pay attention to appearance hardboard They must be free of defects, have the same thickness around the entire perimeter, with the same shade of the surface of the sheets in one pack (batch).

Key quality indicators:

• identical sheet sizes;
• uniform thickness of fiberboard sheets;
• uniform, homogeneous front surface.

Choosing timber for logs

When choosing timber for logs for installation, it is important to adhere to some recommendations:

• wood laid under fiberboard on a wooden floor must be dry (light timber - dry);
• You should not purchase it in advance and display it in a damp room - it will warp and become unusable;
• use wood treated with special antiseptics of the 2nd or 3rd grade from healthy wood without knots from coniferous trees;
• it is recommended that the beam cross-section is at least 40mm and up to 70mm;
• knots will “lead” the logs later due to the heterogeneity of the wood, but trimmings without these defects can be used;
• a small number of cracks is acceptable, since this is a natural state for timber beams;
• * absence of fungi and germination on damaged areas of wood (quality indicator);
• It is better to immediately discard warped or “winged” bars or use the trimmings on short sections of the joist sheathing.

Attention: You can check the “winging” (screwing of a warped beam) with a plumb line or a thin elastic cord stretched along any wood edge.

How to cut fiberboard correctly?

When laying sheets such facing materials like hardboard or plywood, you have to deal with the need for cutting, especially in the outer rows. Construction supermarkets offer such services, but they need exact dimensions rooms with deviations from the norm, for example, not all angles are 90°.

Attention: Remember that it is better to make the sheets shorter - they will go under the baseboard, but it is very difficult to cut off the excess.

When cutting with a machine, the cutting of sheets is carried out most evenly and with a high-quality edge. If this is not possible, you will have to do it yourself:

• jigsaw;
• circular saw with a laser guide and disks for working on hardboard;
• universal construction tool for cutting building materials;
• grinder according to precise markings.

Tip: It is better to use a special homemade machine holding the grinder. Metal scissors will help you remove the edges a little. If you have no cutting experience, it is better to practice on an unnecessary piece, first studying the video at the end of the article.

Often it is necessary to trim sheets to make holes for pipes for radiators and plumbing, niches or wall projections. Special holes are made with a jigsaw, a universal tool or a reliable sharp knife. Take care of this tool in advance, for example, rent it. Prepare a template from cardboard and check everything on site; if everything is accurate, transfer the markings to the fiberboard.

Technology for laying logs and fiberboard on the floor

It is unacceptable to store fiberboard slabs and timber in a damp room; it is best to place the timber horizontally on the floor, and the sheets vertically along the wall in conditions close to room temperature.

The logs are laid on previously prepared surfaces - screed, self-leveling mixture or old wooden floors. As a rule, the method of laying fiberboard on a wooden floor is applicable both for leveling the surface and for updating the surface. If there are slight curvatures, differences in floor level from east to north or from west to east, a noticeable slope or obvious unevenness, then it is worth trying to either eliminate them or close them.

If you have no experience in how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor, then you can ask for advice in the video. In many cases, you can turn to specialists to install the logs, and lay the fiberboard sheets yourself. However, there is nothing difficult about this if you have a tool, patience and experience working with wood. It is necessary to carefully inspect the entire surface of the old floor, and if fungus or mold is found there, it should not be left under the fiberboard sheets, otherwise over time they will “eat up” all the new floors. The remaining areas are treated with a special fungicidal primer or construction antiseptic for wood and other surfaces.

Tip: It’s also worth removing those boards that creak - don’t think that anything will change under the weight of the new floors. Sometimes, due to defects, a significant portion of the old wood flooring has to be cleared away. Don't worry - it will all be hidden under the joists and new cladding!

1. If the old floors are relatively smooth, but the surface needs to be updated, it is enough to sand them and then cover them with sheets of high-quality fiberboard - hardboard. With this method of installation, the old base must be thoroughly cleaned after sanding for primer. It must dry for at least 8-12 hours, depending on the composition and air temperature. Just after this, apply glue and lay down sheets of hardboard, pressing down with weights on the corners and edges.

2. In the design of the joists, special galvanized locknuts with a nylon ring are usually used, which prevents the nuts from moving along the thread.

The devices do not allow them to unwind and weaken the structure. When tightening the top locknuts, which secure the joists in the position required on a given area of ​​​​the floor, they are slightly buried in the wood structure. Because of this, the surface level may be slightly lower than expected. By tightening the upper locknuts, trace the boundary laser level, taking into account this error. Experts also sometimes create 2 levels, an additional one under the locknut.

3. All logs are laid in a similar way - see the diagram:

Preliminary calculations for the interval between them and the floor level correlate:

• with a beam section;
• floor slope;
• sizes of hardboard sheets.

The bars are mounted directly to the old wooden base, and where there are no boards at the base, instead of them, pieces of timber or other pieces of wood are installed under the logs. It is not recommended to make partial sheathing of joists or leave gaps in the floor under them before laying fiberboard. Before laying them on the floor, it is worth recalling that for subfloors, as a substrate for linoleum, parquet or carpet, less expensive slabs with a small thickness, and for finishing- high-quality hardboard.

Attention: Purchased fiberboard sheets stand for 2-3 days in a living room - for acclimatization 2-3 days. Before sticking, you can lightly spray the back side with a spray bottle or treat it with a primer for better adhesion. When installing with nails, this is not necessary.

Features of fastening fiberboard to logs:

• the sheets are laid on the logs so that the seams meet on the bars;
• hardboard (fibreboard sheets) are nailed with screws, self-tapping screws or nails at intervals of about 100mm along the edge and at intervals of 120-150mm in the center;
• the next row does not fit tightly, with a small gap - about 2-3 mm;
• All parallel sheets are laid in the same way.

Features of fastening fiberboard with glue:

• assembly adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the sheet and is well distributed without smudges,
• the sheet should be soaked for 25-30 minutes;
• glue is also applied on top of the primer on the floor;
• the sheet is pressed down and checked horizontally.

Peculiarities finishing gender:

• it is important to remove all remnants of glue that has protruded into the cracks;
• large gaps between the sheets are sealed with putty or glued with reinforcing tape - under the subfloor;
• The fiberboard surface can be varnished or painted.

Fiberboard is made from wood fibers that are bonded together through heat and pressure. The attachment of fibers to each other is achieved through adhesion and own properties wood adhesion. The fibers on the surface layer of the board are often coarser than those in the middle layer. This gives the slab a flat and compact surface. Glue and other additives can be used to improve the properties of the board. The main raw material for fiberboard is wood fiber, and the amount of additives is usually less than 1%.

The scope of application of fiberboard is very wide

Paraffin is commonly used as a water-repellent adhesive. Starch, artificial resin and hardening oil are used as binders to increase strength.

Its scope of application is quite wide: from use as the back side of furniture, arches and to floors when performing repair work and finishing new premises.

Fiberboard is environmentally friendly pure material

Advantages and disadvantages of coating

The advantage is the evenness and smoothness of the sheet. This is why it is used to level fiberboard floors in old buildings and in new construction. It can act as the base itself or be laid on the surface of a dilapidated coating in need of replacement, concealing its unevenness and defects. This is also practical - there is no need to dismantle the old floor, which is used as the basis for a new one.

Fiberboard has its advantages and disadvantages

Ease and speed are of utmost importance installation work due to the ease of processing and cutting, packaging, low weight, that even one specialist can handle the installation. And also having a moderate price for many buyers, durability, good sound insulation, and high material strength. It can withstand loads very well thanks to the dense structure of the pressed wood material, which allows it to withstand mechanical stress and place massive pieces of furniture on a seemingly fragile fiberboard floor. Coating with varnish or coloring compounds with water-repellent properties, along with synthetic additives and antiseptics added to the composition, gives the slabs advantageous qualities in comparison with floors made from natural wood species.

Fiberboard sheets are distinguished by their plasticity, due to which they retain their original properties under conditions of temperature changes while maintaining moderate humidity.

It is worth noting the environmental composition of the fiberboard flooring material, as a result of which it can be laid in rooms where allergy sufferers live.

Fiberboard sheets are very plastic and durable

IMPORTANT!

1. Special composition of the material, high density and breathability are the reasons why fiberboards do not change their shape and are therefore able to effectively insulate buildings for over 80 years.
2. In the unlikely event of a fire, fiberboard surfaces slow the rate of fire spread through a structure - this is Class E flammability. This results in increased fire resistance for the entire building structure.

The disadvantages of fiberboard for flooring are the following: a simple texture for most interiors, flammability, fragility when the canvas bends, if not properly treated, it is absolutely not moisture resistant (deforms, swells), the surface without a paint layer wears off in a short time, which immediately becomes apparent when moving cabinets, sofas, tables, chairs and similar loads.

Fiberboard sheets can last 80 years if used properly

How to wisely choose fiberboard for the floor

First of all, it is necessary to get an idea of ​​the nature of future loads on the floor to be covered, the conditions of dampness or dryness and the regime of low, normal or high temperatures.

The most commonly used standard size of one slab for most floors is 1.7 m x 2.745 m with a thickness of 3 - 3.2 mm. They also produce moisture-resistant boards with oil impregnation 6 mm thick, which is advisable to lay on the floors of the first floor and in wet rooms.

Selecting fiberboard sheets for specific purposes is not difficult

By brand they are divided into M – soft sheets Fibreboard, T - hard, ST - super hard with unpainted or painted front layer. Based on the purpose of the rooms, slabs of a suitable brand are selected.

Harder boards (hardboard) are used as a substrate for laminate (laminated flooring), parquet or parquet board, linoleum and for better thermal and sound insulation of the floor. In addition to installing floors, such fiberboard sheets are used for installing interior partitions, wall cladding, and for cladding panel systems.

Give preference to trusted manufacturers

Particle boards can be painted and laminated. All general products intended for interior painting wooden surfaces, suitable for painting boards.

In the event that the floor is leveled with subsequent painting, it would be correct to choose special decorative sheets Fiberboard, which, like parquet, can be laid out in patterns.

When purchasing floor slabs, you should pay attention to the fact that all selected canvases are smooth, have the same surface appearance, size and thickness. By purchasing this material, it is important to consider the characteristics of the bars. They must be coniferous wood of second or third quality, dry, treated with special fire-bioprotective compounds, without visible large knots, fungi and other similar defects. However, small cracks in the wood are acceptable. If mold and fungi are found, these areas are cleaned and a fungicidal solution is applied on top of them to prevent damage to the new coating.

During transportation and storage, the boards must be protected from dryness and humidity, dirt, sunlight, contact with the ground, dents and scratches. Fibreboard is stored face down on a flat base. If necessary, support wood is used at 0.5 meter intervals.

During transportation, make sure that the plates are not damaged

Laying fiberboard on a wooden floor: installation features

When constructing a floor that involves laying out joists, it is necessary to level the surface cement-sand screed or pour a self-leveling mixture with a layer thickness of approximately 50 mm. Medium-sized construction sand is poured onto the prepared, swept and washed base and then poured liquid solution, evenly distributed over the surface.

After the preparation has hardened, it is laid in increments of about 20-40 cm. wooden joists, hiding slope, level difference and other defects. To ensure that the logs lie in the same plane, linings from particle board. Then the fiberboard is laid.

Before laying the slabs, prepare the subfloor

Before laying fiberboard on the subfloor, preparatory work should be done. You must first bring the sheets into the room so that they stay there for two or three days. Or, if you don’t have enough time, you can treat each slab on the reverse side with a cotton swab or brush slightly moistened with water, fold the back sides and leave for one day. Then they carefully sand (if there are uneven spots), clean, dry, remove dust and apply a primer, which should dry for eight to twelve hours, on the wooden base.

How to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor? It is required to mark the starting point for laying the first slab, fixing it in several places. Usually this is a corner by the window. Then it is recommended to check by preliminary dry installation that the dimensions and edges match. If necessary, the outer sheets are cut to fit the outlines of the room and openings. It is important to pay attention to leaving gaps of four to six millimeters wide from the wall surface to allow for possible expansion of the floor covering as the temperature rises.

Before laying, the slabs must be measured and cut

When the base is prepared, a fiberboard backing is laid on a wooden floor made of polyethylene film.

Glue or bitumen mastic and shades. Let it soak for half an hour. It is also evenly distributed on the floor thin layer glue or mastic.

Fibreboard is laid as follows: lay the first layer of slabs on the base. If such a need arises, how to lay the second and third layers of slabs on a wooden floor, their further laying is carried out. Then the resulting coating is fixed, for which there are three main types of fasteners:

• staples furniture stapler width 12-14 mm;
• nails with a closed head with a diameter of 1 to 1.5 mm and a length of 20 to 25 mm;
• self-tapping screws with countersunk head with a diameter of about 3 mm and a length of 25 to 35 mm.

The cracks formed during the installation process are puttied with special putties to deform the seams; after drying, the uneven areas should be sanded with sandpaper or using a sanding machine. Also remove any remaining glue that has come out between the sheets.

The cracks that form during work can be filled with putty.

Slab cutting process

Most often, the parameters of the slabs do not fully correspond to the room, which necessitates cutting them. To do this, you can use the following cutting equipment:

• a circular saw with a laser guide, equipped with discs for cutting wood blades;
• “grinder” with preliminary application of precise markings;
• tools for cutting wood, roofing felt, film, etc.;
• electric jigsaw with wood saw;
• metal scissors.

There are several ways to cut a slab

In order to carefully cut out the holes for engineering Communication, wall projections or niches for heating radiators, it is best to use sharp knife, universal tool or jigsaw.

If much more is cut than required, parts of the sheets can be hidden under the baseboard, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to trim off the excess.

If you lack experience, you can practice on an unnecessary piece and prepare cardboard templates in advance, according to which the markings will be transferred to the surface.

Retail, wholesale or supermarket locations may offer cutting services for cladding materials, including fibreboard and wood chip sheets, but must provide an accurate floor plan of the rooms. Cutting using a machine allows you to get a better quality edge. And you will have to do the adjustment of the recesses for pipelines yourself.

You can make a fiberboard floor yourself if you follow the recommendations.

If the fibreboards are intact and dry, they can be reused in certain cases. Reuse is the most popular in relation to the "recycling" of fibreboards.

Video: Laying fiberboard on the floor

Video: Types of wood panels

Among different options Leveling and finishing the floor is as cheap and simple as possible. One of them is laying fiberboard on the floor. It's practical and affordable option, which will eliminate minor unevenness from the surface. Fiberboard has its own characteristics and contraindications for use - all this, as well as how to properly lay the material, will be discussed in this article.

Fiberboard as a material is known to everyone. The sheets are used for upholstering the back wall of cabinet furniture and for various other purposes. Fiberboard is a sheet product made from waste from wood processing plants. This waste is steamed, ground, mixed with resins, water repellents and antiseptics, and pressed under high pressure. The result is flat and even, but at the same time quite soft sheets.

On a note! The abbreviation “Fibreboard” is simply deciphered - it is wood-fiber board.

The dimensions of the fiberboard sheet are standard - 3.2x1700x2745 mm, although the thickness can vary from 2.5 to 4 mm. On the front side the material is smooth, and on the back it is rough to the touch, having a mesh pattern, which appears due to the fact that during production the material is laid and dried on a special mesh with small cells. There is always a demand for fiberboard; you can purchase sheets at any construction or hardware store.

Fiberboard is also used for finishing and leveling floors. It can be found especially often in older apartments and houses, where the subfloor is usually made of wood rather than concrete. Here it acts as a leveling material before laying finishing floor coverings - carpet, linoleum, etc. Fibreboard can also act directly as finishing material, however, it requires the application of a final decorative layer - for example, paint.

Description and types of fiberboard for floors

There are several types of fiberboard. They mainly differ from each other in terms of density.

Table. Main types of fiberboard.

Types	Characteristics and description
	These types of fiberboard have a low density - it is no more than 350 kg/m3. Are not good soundproofing properties. Typically, such sheets are used as the back walls of cabinet furniture and are used to make the bottom furniture boxes etc. Types of soft fiberboard: M1, M2, M3.
	The density of these types of wood sheets is already higher - at least 850 kg/m3. Likewise soft species, these fiberboards are used in the manufacture of furniture, but are more durable and less flexible. Marked with the abbreviation NT.
	The density of these sheets ranges from 850-1000 kg/m3. They are low-porous and can be used in the production of certain types of doors, as well as for the manufacture of furniture. Types: T, T-S, T-P, T-SP; T has a regular coating, T-S has outer side covered with wood fibers, T-P sheets are painted, T-SP also have a slight tint. There is also T-B sheets, which differ high stability resistant to moisture, without any tinting on the front side.
	Sheets with a maximum density of over 1000 kg/m3. Raw materials are necessarily treated with pectol, a substance that increases their strength by 20%. It is these sheets that are used in construction: partitions are created from them, floors are covered with them or walls are sheathed, they are used for various finishing works. Also suitable for making furniture and door leaf. The front side can be coated with paint, primer, or varnish. They are marked as ST, which has a standard front side, and ST-S, which has a finely dispersed front layer.

Fiberboard brands T, T-S, T-P, T-SP may be marked with a quality group (A or B), front side they may have 1st or 2nd grade. By the way, T is a hardboard that is produced wet method. Hardboard can be used for wall cladding, as a backing for laminate and other floor coverings, for sound insulation and thermal insulation of floors, and room finishing.

Advantages and disadvantages of fiberboard flooring

Fiberboard is often used to level a subfloor or base and is suitable for almost all surfaces. This material has a lot of advantages, which is why it is in great demand.

Advantages of laying fiberboard on a subfloor.

Disadvantages of fiberboard as a floor covering.

1. The material is afraid of water. When moisture gets in, the fiberboard begins to deform - it bulges and swells. Thus, the sheet completely loses its appearance, the paint on it and other finishing coatings are also deformed. Fiberboard cannot be used in the kitchen or bathroom.
2. Fragility. If there are cavities under the fiberboard sheets, then under strong mechanical stress the material is easily destroyed. It also breaks easily when the sheet is strongly bent.
3. High fire hazard. In the event of a fire, the fiberboard will quickly be engulfed in flames and burn.
4. The front side wears out quickly. If the fiberboard is not covered finishing material, then quickly shuffles out and loses its appearance.
5. If fiberboard sheets are laid in an unheated and damp room, then they become deformed and begin to peel off.

How to choose the right fiberboard for the floor

In order for the final work to please the owner for a long time and serve without complaints, it is important to approach the choice of material responsibly and buy quality option. There are several criteria that will allow you to choose fiberboard that is ideal in each specific case.

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