A tongue and groove board is a long-term investment in the comfort of your home. Everything about laying floorboards - from the choice of materials to installation technology Laying tongue-and-groove boards on joists

Without exaggeration, we can say that this flooring option has been tested for centuries. Laying technology wooden floor on logs with minor changes has been used for several centuries. This is the most environmentally friendly solution for flooring, but at the same time of this coverage there are a number of disadvantages and important nuances, which you need to know before starting work.

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

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

Sometimes plank flooring is a finishing coating and part of the designer’s idea when creating a renovation concept. In this case, beautiful wood species such as oak, larch or pine are chosen for the flooring. The boards are thoroughly polished, impregnated with an antiseptic and covered with varnish or wax. The result is a very beautiful and durable coating that pleases the eye with the natural texture of wood.

Wooden floors can be used even when arranging wet rooms, such as baths and bathrooms. However, this is not done often, as it requires careful selection of wood, reliable waterproofing and impregnation of boards with very expensive solutions that prevent moisture absorption.

Features of laying wooden floors on joists

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

The joists must be attached to the base and the floor boards to the joists as securely as possible; it is necessary to prevent the formation of cracks, voids and “sagging” of the boards and joists. When laying boards finishing coating It is imperative to use expansion wedges that will press the boards together as tightly as possible.

Wood screws provide maximum security of fastening. The length of the screw must exceed the thickness of the board being fixed by at least 2.5 times. To prevent the board from splitting when you screw in the screw, you must first drill a hole in it with a diameter 2-3 mm smaller than the diameter of the screw.

If the boards are planned as a finishing coating, then care should be taken to hide the heads of the screws or nails. To do this, use either a special putty or small plugs made of the same type of wood as the entire floor. But the best option is to screw the screw into the chamfer of the board at an angle to the joist. The disadvantage of this option is that it is more labor intensive.

You should also make sure that all the finishing boards are from the same batch, because the color of the wood depends on the growing conditions, and the shade of different batches may differ.

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

The biggest mistake you can make when laying a wooden floor is insufficient vapor barrier. It is usually made of dense polyethylene or foam foam, which will also provide additional sound insulation. If this step is neglected or the insulating coating is damaged, the floor will very soon begin to rot and mold will appear on it. This will not only significantly shorten the life of the floor, but can also negatively affect people’s health.

The second most common mistake is using wood that is not dry enough. The humidity of boards and joists should be no more than 15%. It is important to remember that in wet weather, even initially dry boards very quickly absorb moisture from the air. If there are prolonged rains outside the window, then it is better to refuse to lay the floor on these days. If you lay a floor with wet planks, they will begin to warp as they dry. This will lead to creaking, the appearance of cracks and differences in height between adjacent boards, which, in turn, will affect the finishing coating.

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

Another common mistake is insufficient distance from the end board to the wall; it should be at least 10 mm. This distance is necessary to compensate thermal expansion wood If it is neglected, then with seasonal temperature changes the floor will experience very serious internal loads, which will lead to cracking of some boards and the appearance of creaks.

Advantages and disadvantages of wooden floors on joists

The advantages of this coating

Disadvantages of wooden floors on joists

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

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

Laying logs on the ground base

If you are laying a wooden floor directly above the soil, then it must be cleared of turf and plant roots and a layer at least 20 cm thick must be removed. After which the soil is covered with fine crushed stone and thoroughly compacted.

On this basis they build brick pillars with a cross section of 250 x 250 mm and a height of at least two layers of brick. The tops of all columns should be at the same level, this will prevent sagging of the joists and floor boards.

If beams 100 x 50 mm and up to 3 meters long are used as logs, then two columns at the edges of the logs are sufficient. The distance between the logs, and therefore between adjacent columns, should be 600 mm. If the length of the log is more than 3 meters, then one is strengthened with an additional column in the middle.

The top of the column is lined with a rigid waterproofing material, for example, dense polyethylene film. Installed on top of it wooden spacers or wedges, which are necessary for the final horizontal adjustment of the joists.

After this, you can begin laying the joists. Initially, the two outermost logs are laid level. A fishing line is stretched between them, along which all other logs are set. Adjustment is carried out using spacers or wedges. The lags are fastened to the posts using anchor bolts.

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

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

Currently, the use of adjustable logs is sometimes practiced. These logs have drilled holes with threads into which a special pin is screwed, attached to the concrete base using dowels. Rotating the pin adjusts the height of the log.

After all the logs are aligned to the same level, the protruding parts of the studs are cut off using a grinder. This method greatly simplifies the horizontal alignment of the logs, but is not used very widely due to the noticeable increase in the cost of the structure.

Adjustable lags with clamps

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

Preparing for flooring

Before you begin laying the boards, you need to lay a layer of thermal insulation between the joists. It could be mineral wool or polystyrene. At the same stage, wires in plastic corrugation can be laid between the joists, if necessary. Standard width insulation sheets are most often 600 mm, which makes it easy to lay it between the joists.

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

Laying rough wood flooring

If laminate, carpet or linoleum is intended to be used as a finishing coating, then, as a rule, it is laid on the logs rough coating from uncut boards, plywood or fiberboard.

Sheets of plywood or fiberboard are laid on the joists and secured with nails or screws. You should not skimp on fastening points; screws should be screwed into each joist at intervals of no more than 30 cm. The head of the screw or nail should be recessed into the slab by 1-2 mm. It is important to leave a distance of at least 10 mm between the wall and the coating. This gap will also provide ventilation of the space under the floor. 2-3 weeks after completion of work, it can be covered with a plinth.

When laying a subfloor made of boards, you need to start work from the far corner of the room and move towards the entrance. The length of the boards is selected so that their joint is in the middle of the log. The boards are laid as closely as possible to each other and fixed with screws. To prevent the board from splitting when screwing in a screw, you must first drill a hole for it with a drill bit with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw. Using a drill of a slightly larger diameter, you need to make a small recess into which the screw head will hide.

After all the floor boards have been laid, you can begin scraping the floors; this procedure can be either manual or mechanized. The cycles cut off all the unevenness of the floor and small protruding parts at the joints of the boards.

After this procedure, the subfloor is ready for laying a finishing coating, such as laminate or carpet.

Laying finished wood flooring

As a final finishing coating Usually a folded board or a board made of laminated veneer lumber is used. These boards must be soaked in a protective antiseptic solution. There are some nuances in laying such boards. Since this floor will no longer be covered with anything, it is extremely important to avoid the slightest gaps between the boards, and it is also important to hide the screw heads so that they do not spoil appearance floor.

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

If everything was done correctly, then a wooden floor on joists can last for several decades without problems, creating an atmosphere of comfort in the house and delighting the eyes of your children and even grandchildren.

Batten. Prices

Floor board. Name, material, size	Price, rub./m2
Board Sexy Pine K1-2 (25x90) 1.8m	250
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (25x90) 1.0m	250
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (28x130) 1.8m	290
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (28x130) 2.0m	480
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (28x130) 6.0m	480
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (32x100) 5.4m	570
Floorboard Pine K1-2 (32x130) 5.85m	570
Floorboard Larch K2-3 (27x90) 5.4m	460
Floorboard Larch K2-3 (27x90) 5.1m	460
Floorboard Larch K2-3 (27x90) 4.8m	460
Floorboard Larch K1-2 (27x130) 3.0m	560
Floorboard Larch K1-2 (27x110) 3.0m	560
Heat-treated pine LUNAWOOD (Finland). Floor board (tongue and groove) 26x92	195 rub. /linear m
Europol (pine, 32 mm)	grade 0 (Extra) 970.56 rub/m2; grade 1 (Prima) 676.80 rub/m2; grade 2 (B) 460.00 rub/m2; grade 3 (C) 384.00 rub/m2; grade N/K (D) 301.76 rub/m2.

Video - Laying a wooden floor on joists

A competent choice of tongue and groove boards, laying the material on different bases, the advantages of coatings with a tongue-and-groove side connection.

The content of the article:

Tongue-and-groove boards are products made from a single solid wood with milled grooves and ridges on opposite ends of the material, which, when joined, form a gapless joint. Used to create high-quality seamless coatings for floors and other surfaces. We will talk about methods for laying tongue and groove boards in this article.

Advantages and disadvantages of tongue and groove flooring

Due to their design features, tongue and groove boards have significant advantages over other lumber:

The tongue-and-groove connection ensures uniform load distribution on the boards and increases their service life.
There are special grooves on the back side of the board to supply air to the underside of the material, which prevents the appearance of fungus.
The covering made of tongue and groove boards has good sound and heat insulating properties.
Thanks to the tongues and grooves, installation of the material is very fast.
Tongue and groove boards are produced standard sizes, which also speeds up installation work.
The board is made from a single solid wood, without the use of chemical components.
The coating has a beautiful appearance.
Boards connected by groove and tongue do not deform or warp.
The tongue and groove boards form a durable, seamless coating.
To restore its attractiveness, it is enough to cycle or sand the front side and cover it with drying oil or special varnishes.
Boards match European standards. Front part- smooth, does not require additional improvement, paint or varnish lies perfectly evenly on it.
In rooms with floors made of natural wood a healthy spirit is always present.
A tongue and groove floor looks good in any room decor.
The joining elements (groove and tenon) are made on a high-precision milling machine, so the quality of the connection is very high.

Tongue and groove coverings have weak spots: to protect the surface from mechanical influences and insects, boards must be periodically painted, varnished, and treated with antiseptics, which requires considerable funds; such material is expensive.

How to choose tongue and groove floor boards

When purchasing a tongue and groove floorboard, pay attention to the main characteristics of the lumber, which determine the durability and visual appeal of the flooring.

Type of wood for tongue and groove boards

Extra class tongue and groove boards made of hardwood (larch, oak or ash) are used to create a finished floor. This is the most expensive product, without knots, cracks and other defects, with a uniform structure and color shade. Extra class boards are highly water resistant, but are expensive.

The subfloor is assembled from softwood (pine, spruce), as well as any boards of class C. Lumber of this class is distinguished by the presence of knots, cracks, and single holes. In addition, pine and spruce boards are soft, quickly damaged by thin heels, and have poor resistance to moisture. TO positive aspects can be attributed to the low cost of the material.

Dimensions of the tongue-and-groove board blank

Measure the length of the room's walls. Determine which wall the boards will be laid parallel to. Calculate the approximate total length of the boards for the entire room and decide what length of blanks you should buy.

The following information will help you make a decision:

The length of the boards should be equal to the length of the room.
You can buy short samples, but on the condition that they will not hang in the air.
Boards from 1 to 6 m are sold on the market. For flooring, lumber from 3 to 6 m in length is most often purchased, which allows you to choose optimal length workpieces and reduce the length of scraps.
At the time of buying effective length increase the material by 10%, which may end up in scraps.
Recommended dimensions of tongue and groove boards: width - 70-145 mm. Thickness - from 28 mm.

Humidity of tongue and groove boards

For work, tongue-and-groove floorboards with a moisture content of 12-16% are suitable. If you have a choice, purchase products that have been dried in autoclaves - for them this figure does not exceed 10%. If the humidity is high, when drying the floor will deform, cracks and warping will appear.

Humidity is determined in several ways:

The most reliable way is to obtain this parameter using a moisture meter.
It is not difficult to distinguish very wet boards - just place your palm on the surface.
When tapped with your knuckles, wet material sounds dull, while dry material sounds ringing and loud.
Wet boards are darker in color than dry boards.
A well-dried board has a noticeable shine, while a wet board has a matte tint.
If the boards were in plastic packaging, inspect it for condensation. The presence of drops of moisture indicates high humidity boards

Checking the manufacturing quality of tongue and groove boards

Check the accuracy of grooves and tenons and the quality of processing front side:

The tenon should fit into the groove with a slight application of load, with a slight click when connected to the groove.
The front side must be carefully sanded.
The reverse side is usually roughly processed, but there must be grooves for ventilation of the flooring.
Buy lumber only in original packaging, which guarantees the safety of the product for a long time.

Requirements for the base for laying tongue and groove boards

The method of laying tongue and groove boards depends on the type of supporting structure of the floor. Classic option are considered to be logs or load-bearing supports that raise the floor 70 mm above the base. In low rooms, boards are laid on plywood.

Logs for tongue and groove boards

Logs are beams with a thickness of 50 to 70 mm, which are installed on a continuous, flat, hard surface, for example, on cement screed. If the base is uneven, instead of joists, load-bearing beams are installed, which are installed on point supports. Each beam of the supporting structure is leveled individually. For load-bearing supports use beams with a thickness of 100 mm.

When installing logs, follow these recommendations:

The distance between the lags depends on the method of fastening the material and the thickness of the tongue and groove board. If the boards are laid perpendicular to the joists, the step supporting structures should be equal to 60 cm. If the boards are laid at a different angle, the step is reduced. At a laying angle of 45 degrees, the distance between the support beams is 30 cm.
The space between the joists and the ground cannot be filled. The floor is ventilated through it.
So that walking is not accompanied by dull sounds, sound insulation is placed on the beams - glassine, laminate substrate, padding polyester.
In the room, the beams are fixed in such a way that the boards are laid parallel luminous flux coming from the window.
In the corridor, the boards should be located along the main direction of movement.

Plywood backing for tongue and groove boards

Plywood is used so as not to raise the floor level. Moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 18 mm is suitable for the substrate. Do not use thin plywood; it reduces the rigidity of the base and can lead to deformation of the boards.

Install plywood as follows:

Check the non-flatness and horizontality of the base on which the plywood will be placed, and if necessary, modify it. Most often, plywood is laid on top of a concrete screed.
Cut the sheet of material into several equal parts. For example, a sheet of 1.5x1.5 m is cut into 4 parts to relieve internal stress.
Place the blanks on the floor diagonally to the floor boards and secure with dowels at the rate of 15 pcs. per m 2. Leave gaps of 2-3 mm between the parts, and 15 mm between the walls and plywood for temperature expansion.
Press the fastener heads into the wood.
Treat the surface grinder or a drill with an abrasive head. For sanding use sandpaper with coarse abrasive, P24 or P36. After sanding, remove dust with a vacuum cleaner.
Make sure there are no greasy or other stubborn stains on the surface. If necessary, clean it with solvent.

Concrete floor for tongue and groove boards

Boards directly on concrete screed do not place it, only on joists or plywood. But the properties of concrete to absorb liquid lead to high humidity under the flooring and rapid rotting of the floor. Therefore, before installing a tongue and groove board, make sure that concrete base meets the following requirements:

The maximum moisture content of concrete is 3%. The value is determined with a moisture meter. If you don’t have a device, you can use the traditional method. Put plastic film on a concrete floor, glue with tape. If after a day droplets of water appear on the bottom of the film or a wet spot appears on the floor, it means that the concrete is not dry enough.
It is also necessary to check the condition of the surface of the screed, which should be smooth and flat. To check you will need a long ruler. Place the tool on the floor in random places and check that there are no gaps between it and the concrete. Surface deviations of more than 2 mm per 2 m ruler are not allowed. Unevenness causes creaking and sagging of the floor.
Using a hydrostatic level, measure the levelness of the floor. A slope of more than 0.2% of the maximum length of the room is not allowed.
To level the floor, high areas should be sanded, low areas should be filled with self-leveling mixture.
After leveling, impregnate the concrete screed with a polyurethane primer mixture in several layers.
To create a moisture-proof barrier between concrete and wood floors, foam film and soil mastic are used. The mastic is applied to the floor with a roller, and a film is glued to it.

Technology for laying tongue and groove boards on joists

There are several ways to lay tongue and groove boards. The choice of option depends on the type of load-bearing floor structures. Installation of coating on logs consists of several stages: preliminary installation, final fastening, finishing.

Pre-installation of tongue and groove boards

Preliminary work is performed as follows:

Bring the lumber into the room where you plan to lay it and leave it for 1 week. During this time, the humidity of the air and the material will level out.
Choose a flat board that is wall-to-wall length.
Place the board on the joists with the ridge facing the wall, moving 10-15 mm away from it. The gap allows the board to expand when high temperature and changes in humidity. At the end of the work, it will be covered with a plinth. The size of the compensation gap depends on the length of the boards; more precisely its value can be found in reference books on building materials.
Fasten the first board very securely. Screw self-tapping screws into each joist to the full thickness. Instead of self-tapping screws, you can hammer in nails.
Place the second board next to the first and align the tongue and groove. For a tight connection, hit the end of the second product through the block with a hammer. Attach three more boards in the same way.
At a distance of 10-15 cm from last board Hammer staples into the joists. Instead of staples, you can nail boards or bars to the joists, which can also be used to tie products together.
Place a block 50-70 mm long on the logs and slide it all the way into the board.
Install two wedges between the bracket and the block, with their sharp ends facing each other.
Pull the boards together by hitting the wedges with a hammer until the tenons fit tightly into the grooves, opening the gaps between the boards.
IN bottom bar In the groove of the last board, screw in the screws at an angle of 45 degrees and secure the board to the joists. To prevent the plank from bursting, make holes for self-tapping screws in the board and joists.
Instead of wedges, you can use screw jack. On the joists, nail bars or boards against which the jack will rest. Place the tool on the beam. Place between it and the board wooden block(spacer) and slide it all the way into the board. Through the block the jack will act on the boards.
Cover the entire floor with boards, securing every fourth to the joists with self-tapping screws.
The middle rows can be assembled from short boards, the main thing is that the edges are located on the joists. Place the short joints in a checkerboard pattern. Installation of boards in a staggered manner is made difficult by the large number of cuts, which must be strictly perpendicular to the ends of the boards. For reliability, cut the boards according to templates.
Tighten the last boards with wedges, which are driven into the gap between the wall and the board.
If the end board does not fit into the gap, trim the excess pieces with a circular saw.
The installed floor is left temporarily fixed for six months. The boards will age and take their final shape.

Final fastening of tongue and groove boards

At this stage, identified floor defects are eliminated and its re-laying is performed:

Inspect the surface for any cracks that may form due to shrinkage of the lumber.
To eliminate gaps, the floor is re-laid and each board is finally secured.
The cuts are fixed with 3x35-40 mm self-tapping screws (for boards 40 mm thick), which are screwed in at an angle of 50 degrees from the tenon side. Hardware is installed every 30-40 cm. It is recommended to drill holes before screwing in the screws.
During fastening, the boards must be tightened using one of the methods described above.

Finishing of tongue and groove boards

The front side of tongue and groove boards is usually processed very well at the manufacturing stage and does not require additional sanding. But products made from soft wood sometimes require modification.

Surface grinding is carried out using grinding machines - surface and angle grinders. The first device is used to treat the entire floor. Angular is necessary for grinding hard to reach places. In the absence of mechanisms, you can use grinding block or manual cycle.

Processing occurs in three stages - along, across and diagonally of the boards. After sanding softwood boards, pile rises. To eliminate it, use triple priming and sanding of each layer.

After sanding, pine and spruce boards must be varnished to increase strength, which compensates for their softness. The varnish is applied in several layers. Larch boards do not need to be covered with a protective layer.

Fixing a tongue and groove board with glue

The boards are glued to the base in rooms with low ceilings. To work, you will need glue that contains synthetic resins - polyurethane or epoxy-polyurethane. Such solutions are characterized by strength and ductility, which ensures the movement of the flooring during thermal expansion.

Fixing the boards in this way does not allow you to adjust their position, therefore, before laying the tongue-and-groove board with glue, perform a dry mock-up of the floor. Only after satisfactory results have been obtained can the boards be glued.

Laying boards on glue is done as follows:

Measure the length of the wall and cut a board from the workpiece 30 mm shorter than the result.
Place the first product near the wall with a gap of 15 mm between the canvas and the three walls. The tenon of the board should be facing towards the wall.
Trace the outline of the board with a pencil, which will allow you to apply glue to a section of plywood for only one board.
Place the second board on the other side and slide until the groove aligns with the tenon.
Similarly, cover the entire floor of the room. Don't forget to trace the outlines of the boards. Periodically tap them with a hammer through a wooden strip.
After installation, mark the position of the boards relative to each other and disassemble the floor.
Apply to plywood thin layer glue using two spatulas. The first one should be smooth, with its help the solution is spread on the floor. The second is serrated, it evenly distributes the glue over the surface. Apply it to the area highlighted with a pencil.
Place a board on the solution and press it well to the floor. For reliable gluing, secure it with nails, which are driven into the tenon at an angle of 50 degrees.
The remaining boards are glued in a similar manner and laid according to the relative position marks.
After installing all the boards, you should not walk on them until the glue has completely dried.

How to attach a tongue and groove board to the floor - watch the video:

Tongue and groove boards allow you to get practical and high-quality coating with minimal effort. The main condition for obtaining a good result is compliance with installation technology and serious attitude to work.

IN modern renovation, wooden floors are made mainly from tongue and groove boards. This allows you to avoid many disadvantages such as creaking, cracks, drops, etc., inherent in floors made from ordinary boards. If you also decide to make a floor from a tongue-and-groove board, then in our article you can learn how to choose a tongue-and-groove board, how to install it and how to repair floors made of this material.

To correctly select a tongue and groove board, you need to know about the features, classification, manufacturing method and categories of boards.

Manufacturing

The tongue and groove board is made from coniferous and deciduous wood. The boards are cut from the core of the logs, after which they are dried to 8-10% moisture content. After drying, the boards are cut to size and processed planer and using a cutter, a tongue-and-groove connection is made along their edges. The boards have dimensions: width from 80 to 200 mm, thickness from 15 to 22 mm, length from 600 to 6000 mm. The tongue-and-groove connection can be on either two or four sides; this criterion mainly depends on the length of the board. There are also boards with other parameters on sale. At the end of the manufacturing process, the boards are treated with antiseptics.

Advantages

A tongue and groove board has a number of advantages compared to a regular edged board:

Features of choice

When choosing floorboards, consider the load factor on the coating. For floors with heavy loads, buy tongue-and-groove boards made of hardwood: oak, alder, mahogany, birch. If a small load is expected on the floor, then it is quite possible to get by with cheaper coniferous species: pine, cedar, spruce.

When making a purchase, be sure to pay attention to the appearance of the boards. If there are white or dark spots on the surface, this may be a symptom of wood infection by fungus or mold. Also carefully inspect the boards for insects living in the wood.

Not all board sellers comply with the storage conditions for lumber. For this reason, the boards you purchase may end up being wet. To save yourself from a bad purchase, check the moisture content of the wood. This can be done using a moisture meter or traditional methods:

When buying a tongue and groove board, ask the seller to show you a certificate of conformity.

Installation of tongue and groove boards

It is best to make floors from tongue-and-groove boards after all finishing work has been completed. The temperature in the room where the boards are installed should not be less than five degrees Celsius. Air humidity should be no more than 30-20%.

As mentioned above, the material from which the tongue and groove board is made is selected depending on the expected load on the floor surface. When there is a heavy load on the surface, boards made of hardwood are used. In rooms with low traffic, coniferous boards will be sufficient.

Choose the quality of the boards and, accordingly, the category based on your financial capabilities and options finishing floor. If you want to cover the floor with transparent varnish, then buy a tongue and groove board of the highest category or category A. For a floor to be painted, boards of category B are suitable. If the floor is made as a base for another coating, then boards of category C will be suitable for its manufacture.

Installation of logs

Installation of logs is carried out on a concrete base or on beam floors. To install joists and boards you will need:

Bars with a cross section of 50x100 millimeters.
Brackets or connecting plates.
Wood screws or nails.
Hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
Hammer.
Screwdriver or screwdriver.
Yardstick.
Pencil.
Square.
Level.

The logs are laid on the base, perpendicular to the position of the boards.

Installation of boards

Please note that before installation, the boards must “acclimatize” by lying in the room where installation will take place for at least two days.

You can also see how to install tongue and groove boards in the video:

Finishing the floor

The final finishing of the floor is best done after all repair work. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage decorative layer coverings.
For finishing you will need:

Putty knife.
Vibratory and belt sanders.
Sandpaper.
Putty.
A set of brushes or a spray gun.
Solvent.
Stain.
Water based varnish or acrylic base. If the floor is to be painted, then paint.
Vacuum cleaner.
Mop bucket and rag.

Detailed instructions for applying varnish to a wooden floor are in the video:

Now it has become fashionable to use special oil to treat floors instead of varnish. There is a reason for using oil, especially for high-traffic areas, because oil is absolutely resistant to abrasion, unlike varnish. In addition, the oil perfectly emphasizes the texture of wood, giving it a soft and warm color.
It is much easier to coat a floor with oil than with varnish, since oil does not require sanding each layer. Oil is applied to wood using both cold and hot methods. Mostly cold application with a brush is used. The number of layers applied depends on the absorbency of the wood; usually two coats are enough.

When painting the floor with oil, make sure it is evenly distributed over the surface and promptly remove smudges. After the oil has dried, the floor surface can be treated with wax.

Please note that violation of the order of work and non-compliance with instructions when using paint and varnish materials, can lead to rapid wear of the coating, and in the worst case, to the need for a new floor finish!

You can also find out how to coat a wooden floor with oil by watching the video:

Floor restoration and repair

During the operation of a floor made of tongue and groove boards, certain problems may arise caused by low quality materials or violation of installation technology. Let's look at common breakdowns and how to fix them:

Gaps between boards– occur due to the high moisture content in the boards during their installation. After the laid boards have completely dried, the wood contracts, resulting in the formation of cracks. Most effective way To eliminate this problem, this means dismantling the boards and their new styling on the logs. If the cracks are not large, you can cover them with putty.

Floor creaking- a very common problem that occurs due to friction of joists and boards against each other. Most often, floors begin to creak due to improper installation technology. Perhaps the joists were spaced too far apart, so the boards began to sag when walked and squeak. Another reason may be weak fastening of the boards to the joists. You can try to eliminate the cause of the squeak by screwing in additional screws; if this does not help, you will have to redo the floor again.

Cracking of boards– can happen for two reasons. The first is the wrong choice of flooring material. If the boards are made of soft wood, and the load on the surface is too intense, then over time, the floor will not only crack, but may even completely collapse. The problem can be solved by reducing the load or replacing boards with stronger ones. The second reason is wet wood. After drying, the wood tends to crack. In this case, it is enough to cover the cracks with putty.

Appearance of resin on boards– caused by the final drying of the wood. To get rid of resin, just remove it with a spatula, sand the area where it appears, and if the floor is covered with varnish or paint, apply a new layer of coating.

Varnish peeling– can happen from getting a large amount of water on the surface or due to applying varnish to wet wood. In any case, it is necessary to remove the old coating with a spatula and a sander, let the boards dry and apply new layers of varnish.

Rotting logs and inside boards - occurs due to high humidity and insufficient air circulation under the floor. The problem will have to be solved by opening the floor, installing ventilation, replacing joists and rotten boards.

If after reading the article you have questions, you can ask them in the comments, we will be happy to answer them!

A modern tongue-and-groove board is a product made from wood that is dried in an autoclave. It is equipped with a tongue-and-groove system, which allows you to reliably fasten two elements together, carry out quick installation, and increase the strength of the structure. Fastenings can be located on the sides of the boards or on all four. The back side of the material has bevels that allow air to circulate, preventing the wood from rotting from the inside. The article will discuss the choice and method of laying tongue and groove boards.

By connecting tongue and groove boards, you get a flat surface with a representative appearance and excellent performance characteristics. The elements are so tightly fastened together that there is not the slightest gap left. Even during the production process, the material acquires excellent sound and thermal insulation properties. The floor is attractive, reliable, and wear-resistant. It is for these characteristics that tongue-and-groove boards have become widespread. It is used to create both rough and finishing coatings.

Grooved floor boards are reliable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. They will become even more attractive if you cover them with special products. Environmental friendliness is the main advantage of natural materials. It is impossible to remain indifferent to the sight of a wooden floor, the quality of which is amazing. After all, ordinary boards dry out quite quickly after laying, forming cracks.

The process of making tongue and groove boards

The boards are tongue-and-groove using special high-precision equipment. The machine itself is represented by a mechanism that feeds the board and a special cutter, which cuts the material on the sides. The whole process is mechanized, and the engineer only controls its work. It is impossible to achieve such a high level of tongue and groove at home.

But home craftsmen can try to create tongue-and-groove boards themselves. For this you will need manual frezer or jointer.

Stages of work

The material is carefully selected. It is easier to work with coniferous trees, but their performance characteristics are lower, so it is recommended to give preference to larch. The scope of its use is incredibly wide. Larch is used both to create indoor floors and to cover outdoor terraces.
The material must be well dried. If there is a need to dry the boards, they are laid in a well-ventilated room. Humidity should be low. Gaps are left between the sheets for ventilation. You cannot dry wood in the sun, because it will heat up on one side and remain damp on the other. This will lead to various defects in the future.
The board is laid on work surface and fixed with clamps.

On the side surfaces, the axes along which the work will be carried out are determined. They are marked with a pencil.
Then, using a milling machine, a quarter groove is selected on the side exactly in the middle.
On the other side, a spike is made, selecting quarters on both sides of the axis.

This manual tongue-and-groove process is inferior in quality to industrial wood and cannot be used for hard trees.

Tongue board photo

Variety of types of tongue and groove boards

Depending on the wood used to create the board, there are the following types floorboards, each of which has its own characteristics:

Pine or spruce. Soft wood, not moisture resistant enough. It has a low cost, but requires mandatory varnish treatment. They are used to create a rough coating.
Larch. Boards made of this material have a solid structure and excellent moisture resistance. They are not afraid of insect attacks. They have a pleasant structure and rich color. It is not necessary to varnish, but with a coating the boards will last much longer. The cost of floor tongue and groove boards made from larch is several times higher than from pine. Used to create a finishing coating.

Ash, oak. The floorboard is hard. It is characteristic of her average moisture resistance, susceptibility to insect attacks. The cost of the material is quite high.

How to choose a tongue and groove board

When purchasing tongue and groove boards, it is worth checking them for permissible level humidity. It should not exceed 12-16%. It is measured using a special device. If it is not there, then you can check the boards yourself:
- the material is tapped. The sound should be clear;
- to the touch. The skin should not feel wet;
- by shade. The wood takes on a shiny hue.
In addition to humidity, it would be useful to check the geometry of the material. From the end of the board they look along the canvas and evaluate the plane. If it is not even enough or there are any doubts, then it is better not to purchase this sample.
“Extra” grade boards are used to create a finishing coating. They do not contain knots, the surface is smooth and polished. Low grade boards are used for laying rough surfaces. This material allows the presence of knots in large quantities and through openings in the place where the knots were located.
The subfloor involves placing a floor covering on top of it. Lay out soft-pile carpet or hide the floor under plastic tiles. A surface made of coniferous trees will be an excellent base for fiberboard, laminate, linoleum. How self-flooring can only be used in areas of rare use. Be sure to treat the coating with antiseptic compounds and apply varnish.

Scope of use. The options for using tongue and groove boards are not limited to creating floors in houses and on balconies. Since larch material is not afraid of moisture, tongue and groove boards are often used even in saunas and near swimming pools. They are laid both on logs and on concrete, using a special substrate that will strengthen soundproofing characteristics material.

Material cost

If the question is whether to choose tongue-and-groove boards or edged ones, it is better to give preference to the former. The cost of pine boards starts from 5000 rubles. per m3. High quality edged board will cost the same amount. The most expensive material is the “Extra” class, the cheapest is the “A” class. Before purchasing, it is worth considering and calculating all the options in order to choose the one that suits you in terms of cost and quality.

An AB grade board made of pine costs about 6,000 rubles/m3;
grade B can be purchased for RUB 5,000/m3;
the highest grade costs 8000 rubles/m3;
Since larch is more valuable, its cost, depending on the variety, will fluctuate between 654-2000 rubles per 1 board.

The price is also affected by the size of the tongue and groove board. So, if the length and width remain standard 6000mm/135mm, then the width can vary from 28 mm to 50 mm.

Calculation of the required amount of tongue and groove boards

Before installing the floorboard, you need to purchase it in advance. But in order not to spend extra money, and also not to have to visit the store again, you should immediately correctly calculate the required amount of material. It is desirable that the boards come from the same batch, from the same manufacturer, so purchase required material at a time in the required quantity.

Calculate the area of the room by multiplying the length and width. If the room is presented complex shape, then it is conditionally divided into rectangles, calculating their area separately, and then summing it up.
It must be remembered that the starting and finishing boards should be the length of the entire room, and the rest can be purchased in smaller sizes.
Next, calculate the linear meter of material by multiplying the width and length of the board. Based on this, they calculate required amount linear meters for laying coverage throughout the room.

Laying tongue and groove flooring

There are 2 methods of fastening tongue and groove boards:

on a concrete base or screed;
on the logs.

Regardless of the installation method, the base must be fairly level and strong. If logs are laid, the tree will mandatory treated with an antiseptic.

Tools for installing tongue and groove boards:

nails, screws;
hammer, mallet;
yardstick;
hacksaw, circular saw;
staples.

Installation of tongue and groove boards on concrete

Waterproofing must be done between the base and the floorboard. It is used as moisture resistant plywood, the thickness of which is over 10 mm. Lay the plywood sheets perpendicular to the future layer of the floorboard. A small gap of 2 mm should be left between the sheets. There is a 1.5 cm gap between the walls and the plywood.
The sheets are fastened using dowel nails, the heads of which are recessed into the surface of the plywood. If necessary, grind the coating to obtain a smooth surface.
Then the tongue and groove boards are attached to the plywood using self-tapping screws.

Installation of tongue and groove boards on joists

The logs are a structure made of boards with a thickness of at least 50 mm, located at a distance of 50-60 cm. A layer of insulation can be placed between them. The logs are laid in a certain way, maintaining a gap of 2 cm at the joints. This is done so that the board does not deform due to the natural expansion of the material in the off-season.

Further fastening of the tongue-and-groove boards to the joists will be carried out using self-tapping screws.
It is necessary to leave voids under the wooden floor, since wood needs ventilation. You cannot install a heated floor system underneath it, because natural material susceptible to fire and high temperatures.
An exception may be an infrared film floor, which is laid on foil insulation on top of the boards.
Begin laying the first row by placing the board with the ridge to the wall, maintaining the required gap. The starting board should be the length of the entire wall. The same requirements apply to the finishing board. Fix the starting board with self-tapping screws screwed in at right angles. The length of the fasteners is 40 mm, and they are screwed in every 30 cm.
The next few rows of material are not fixed with screws. The tenons are tightly inserted into the groove, ensuring a tight fit of the blades. The rows in the center can be laid from short boards, the joints of which will necessarily be located on the joists. Alternate joints in a checkerboard pattern. The finishing board is laid at a distance from the wall; its length should be the entire wall.

During installation, adjacent boards are tightly connected to each other. If the need arises, they are attracted to each other by wedges. A gap of 2 cm is left around the perimeter of the room, which is then hidden with a floor plinth.
The finishing board is adjusted to the required size, taking into account the gap. Then it is laid in place, inserted into the groove of the previous row and fixed with wedges. After the last row will be screwed with self-tapping screws, the wedges can be removed.
To ensure that the boards do not change shape after installation, it is recommended to leave them in the room where they will be installed 1-2 weeks before installation. The moisture content of the wood will be optimal and the material will not deform.

Grooved board video

Helpful Tips:

To tightly connect the boards, each is tapped with a mallet along its entire length. To preserve the ridges, a piece of material with a groove is used between the hammer and the board;

For high-quality joining of boards, a bracket is temporarily driven in front of them, compressing the boards. This design holds the boards and allows them to be properly secured.

The tongue and groove board is probably the best option to create a wooden floor. It is reliable, durable and does not dry out like regular board. In terms of installation technology, it is similar to the designer, which will not cause the slightest difficulty for the master. If you coat the floorboards with varnish, you can leave it as a finished floor. It will look beautiful, elegant and original. If renovation is necessary, the tongue-and-groove floorboard is scraped and coated with a new layer of varnish.

The construction market offers wide choose quality floor coverings. Despite their diversity, many consumers prefer wooden floors.

Wood has many advantages, the main one of which is its naturalness. But the natural origin of the material is its main disadvantage - wood is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. Under influence unfavorable factors it swells, dries out, and cracks form between the lumber. Laying a floor made of tongue and groove boards can eliminate this drawback.

Will increase the service life of floorboards right choice materials. And you can get a perfectly flat, seamless surface if you lay the boards with your own hands in compliance with certain rules.

What is a tongue and groove board?

This definition applies to lumber that has a groove cut along one side and a tongue (tenon, ridge) along the other.

Thanks to this feature, the tongue fits into the groove, providing a strong connection that ensures there are no gaps.

During the production process, the material is dried and polished on both sides. In order to reduce the final cost of the product, lumber can be sanded only from the front side. Special grooves are cut on the back surface to ensure air exchange and prevent the formation of fungus.

Criterias of choice

When choosing lumber, the following indicators are taken into account:

wood type;
size;
quality category;
humidity.

Choosing a wood type

pine, spruce;
larches;
oak, ash.

Features of pine and spruce

The main advantages of spruce and pine include the following indicators:

low cost;
elasticity;
high heat capacity.

Pine and spruce grow throughout Russia. The pine lumber floor is pleasant to step on with bare feet. It remains warm even in the winter cold.

The disadvantages include the following:

softness;
high moisture absorption;
susceptible to rotting and insect damage.

Such material requires a mandatory multi-layer coating with high-quality varnish that protects the board from moisture and other adverse factors.

Features of larch

Larch – conifer. Unlike previous options, it is characterized by increased hardness. Under the influence of moisture, larch does not collapse or rot, but becomes harder.

Larch flooring does not require varnishing. She's being processed oil impregnation, preserving the natural texture of wood. The main disadvantage of this material is high cost.

Features of oak and ash

Oak and ash are deciduous tree species. The oak floor looks very good. And it can last for several decades. Floorboards made of oak and ash do not require varnish.

Oil impregnation treatment is sufficient. However, laying tongue-and-groove boards made of oak and ash is not affordable for most consumers. The material is highly expensive.

Laying a wood floor from oak will require quite a bit of capital investment.

Size selection

The size of the material is determined by the following indicators:

width (from 70 mm to 200 mm);
thickness (from 18 mm to 45 mm);
length (3-6 m).

The strength and durability of the floor depends on the thickness of the lumber. When laying on joists, it should be taken into account that the thinner the board, the smaller the distance between adjacent joists should be. The joists act as supports, preventing thin floorboards from sagging.

The choice of width depends on consumer preferences. Stacking too narrow material will take a lot of time. It is also not recommended to choose floorboards that are too wide. The optimal width is 130-150 mm.

The length of the material should be slightly longer than the length of the room in which it is intended to be laid. If the room is too long, it is possible to join the floorboards on the joists.

Quality categories

extra;
class A;
class B;
class C.

Class A - first-class material. It includes lumber that does not have defects on the surface, but differs in structure and shade. Class B is established if there are small brown spots, knots, and cracks on the surface of the material. All three options can be used for finishing floor.

Class C includes third-grade material that has knots on the surface, significant amount brown spots, cracks, through holes. Such boards are suitable for arranging a subfloor.

Humidity

Drying is one of the stages in the production of tongue and groove boards. Wood can be dried in autoclaves (chamber drying) and in natural conditions. Boards dried in autoclaves are of higher quality.

The optimal moisture content of materials should be 10-16%. This indicator guarantees that the boards will not shrink during operation.

Boards subjected to chamber drying, are packaged in polyethylene, which protects the material from environmental influences. During the selection process, you should pay attention to the following:

when tapping on dried boards it sounds ringing sound, for raw ones - deaf;
the plastic packaging must be undamaged and there must be no condensation inside;
high-quality factory boards have a light glossy shade, while raw floorboards have a dark matte shade.

Tips for laying floorboards

Installation features

The purchased material must remain in the room where it is intended to be installed for a week. During use, the boards can dry out, forming cracks.

Therefore, you need to lay the floor in two stages:

First, every 4-5 boards are fastened;
After 6-8 months, the floor is pulled together and each floorboard is secured to the joist.

During the drying process, wood can lose its attractive appearance. The initial fastening with the back side up will allow you to avoid unnecessary labor costs associated with grinding. After six months, the floorboards are turned over with the front side remaining clean.

You need to purchase material with a reserve, since during the process of shrinking and tightening several boards may not be enough.

Preparation for installation work

Most often, tongue and groove boards are laid on joists. The base can be a subfloor or brick columns.

Before starting work, you should prepare the following:

logs;
finished floorboards;
screws for wood (the length of the screws should be 2.5 times the width of the floorboards);
electric screwdriver;
jigsaw or hacksaw with a wide blade;
level;
hammer;
construction staples;
wooden wedges.

Installation stages

On initial stage the longest board is selected (preferably it matches the length of the room). The floorboard must be laid tongue-and-groove against the wall, leaving a gap of 1-2 cm between the wall surface and the board.

The gap is necessary to compensate thermal expansion wood Wooden wedges are inserted into the space between the wall and the board. Upon completion of the work, the wedges will be removed and the gap will be closed with a plinth.

The outermost floorboard is secured with self-tapping screws along its entire length to each joist.

Next, take the second board and insert it with a tongue and groove into the groove of the laid floorboard. To press the boards as tightly as possible to each other, you should attach a wooden block to it and tap it with a hammer along the entire length of the floorboard.

3 more boards are laid in the same way. A hole is drilled in the lower edge of the groove of the fourth floorboard at an angle of 45-50 degrees. Through the hole, the board is secured to the joist with a self-tapping screw.

Next, we lay the remaining boards, securing every fourth one to the joist with a self-tapping screw. In most cases, the last floorboard has to be cut using a jigsaw. The width of the board is calculated taking into account the compensation gap. The floorboard is screwed along its entire length to the joists, and the wedges are removed.

After six months, the floor is dismantled and reassembled. During the laying process, the boards are pulled together and secured to the joists with self-tapping screws.

Methods of tightening

Floor screeding is done in several ways:

wedges and staples;
wedges and emphasis;
screw jack.

In the first case, the bracket is driven into the joist at a distance of 1 cm from the floorboard. A pair of wedges are inserted between it and the bracket, which are driven in with a hammer. After tightening, the board is secured with self-tapping screws, the bracket and wedges are removed. The second case is identical to the first. The only difference is replacing the bracket with a wooden stop.

The jack is placed between the bonded floorboard and the joist. It is pressed against the floorboard through a wooden block.

The process of pulling together floorboards can only be avoided if you purchase “Extra” class lumber.

By covering the floorboards with impregnation or stain, you can get the perfect flooring. The floor surface can be renewed by scraping and re-coating with impregnation or varnish.