When arranging floors in the house, in addition to choosing the type of flooring, you need to be especially careful in choosing the method of fastening the purchased material. Each building material has its own fastening methods, including floorboards. Let's look at how to fasten floorboards using the most reliable and popular methods.
Methods for fixing floorboards
The floor covering experiences quite serious loads, so it is necessary to approach the choice of fastening method with all responsibility. If some floorboards are not secured well enough, then after some time they will begin to loosen.
As a rule, this happens after a short period of time. The floorboards move, the initially flat floor begins to make an unpleasant creaking sound, and often it simply collapses.
There are several most common ways to attach floorboards:
- secret method, that is, the use of screws or nails;
- using glue;
- fastening with clamps.
Fixing floorboards with nails
In this case, the floorboard is fastened to a wooden base, which can be solid or made of joists. Initially, the width of the floorboard is taken into account, which is important.
The first row of floorboards is secured using nails, which are driven at a 45° angle through the tongue into the base. Then they are driven into place. You should pre-drill holes for fastening elements. This is done so as not to damage the ridges.
When adjusting the next row, the nails must be hidden. All subsequent rows of boards are fixed by driving nails through the surface.
When repairing a plank floor and replacing several floorboards, you need to ensure that all the floorboards end under the center of the crossbar. Otherwise, you may end up with a non-durable coating.
Glue method
If the floorboard is laid on a solid base, it can be fixed with glue. To do this, the grooves of the boards are coated with an adhesive, you can use regular PVA glue, and then they are placed on the tongues of the previous row.
The glue should be applied in a thin layer in 50 cm increments along the entire groove. The final tongue-and-groove edges should also be coated with adhesive.
Fastening with clamps
Some types of boards come with special clamps that fit into a slot on the inside of the board. These elements are designed to connect boards to each other. So, how to lay a floorboard using this fastening method?
To do this, you should adhere to the following technology:
- Waterproofing material is laid on the subfloor, which should be secured to the walls with construction tape.
- The clamps should be driven into the cracks of the boards laid in the first row using a hammer. This is done in the direction of the tongue.
- The ends of the planks are coated with glue, and then the first row is laid.
- Wedges about 1 cm thick should be inserted between the wall and the boards.
- Clamps are also attached to the second row of boards. The floorboards are secured in place by gently tapping a hammer through a block along the edges of the row.
- The remaining rows are laid out similarly.
- Then the wedges between the wall and the covering are removed.
- Installation of baseboards is in progress.
Special screws for floorboards
Professional craftsmen use special screws for floorboards to attach floorboards. The use of such fastening material allows you to obtain a reliably fixed floor covering with a fairly long service life.
Compared to conventional self-tapping screws, the cost of this type is an order of magnitude higher. However, in their properties they are more effective.
Special screws designed for floorboards have the following features:
- These fasteners are available in various sizes. Standard cross-section is 3.5 mm, length can be 35, 40, 45 and 50 mm. Depending on the thickness of the floorboards, the size of the screw is selected.
- This fastener for floorboards is not subject to corrosion, as it has a protective coating.
- There is a cutter at the end of the self-tapping screw, which allows it to be screwed into wood without pre-drilling holes. In addition, this structure allows the screw to fit more tightly, which means that the fixation of the floorboards to the base of the floor will be more durable.
- The self-tapping screw has a special milling cut. It has an angle at which the fastener easily enters the wood without splitting.
- Self-tapping screws for floorboards have another structural feature, which is the absence of a threaded thread in the upper part. This design allows the floor covering to fit more tightly to the base.
Here are some tips on how to properly lay a floorboard:
- It is necessary to fasten the floorboards to the base using screws in increments of 25-30 cm.
- Some craftsmen recommend that before laying the floorboard and fixing it to the base, apply glue to it, which is used when installing parquet flooring. This option can be used if the waterproofing layer (for example, polyethylene film) was not laid. The adhesive fixation method cannot be used alone. It is used only as an addition to the main method of fastening using nails or screws. Without them, it will not be possible to obtain a strong and reliable fastening of the floorboards (read: "").
- Along the entire perimeter of the room there should not be a tight connection of the boards to the wall. It is necessary to leave a gap between the wall and the floorboards of approximately 10 mm. It will act as an expansion joint.
- The screws used to install the plank floor can be completely hidden. To do this, the heads of the screws should be recessed into the wood by about 3-4 mm. The resulting holes can be hidden with pieces of wood that will match their shape and size. It should also be the same type of wood as the floorboards. Most companies that produce high-quality lumber complete their products with similar plugs.
The strength, reliability and service life of the floor covering will depend on how you lay the floorboard. Therefore, correct fixation of floorboards is a very important point in floor installation; therefore, it is worth approaching the choice of the method of fastening the boards with special care.
Recently, the market for artificial building materials has begun to develop more and more actively. However, natural wood is still in great demand among people. This is not strange, because such a material has natural beauty and strength, which is a necessary condition for construction and finishing work.
Wood floors have always been and will be in demand due to the fact that this material is natural, safe and attractive.
Next, we will consider the method of laying floorboards, which is used most often. All the main nuances of the work will be described here. Thanks to this technology, floor boards will always be smooth and durable. This is what is required for this type of work. The technology for laying floorboards will be discussed in more detail a little further, but first you need to select all the most necessary tools and materials.
Tools and materials
To lay floorboards you need: a screwdriver, a hammer, nails, screws, a jigsaw, a tape measure, etc.
To carry out work related to laying floorboards on the base, you need to acquire the following tools and materials:
- tongue and groove board;
- glassine;
- mineral wool;
- bars;
- mount;
- saw;
- hammer;
- screwdriver;
- self-tapping screws;
- Sander.
These materials will be sufficient to make the technology of laying floorboards feasible. When everything is assembled, you can proceed directly to the installation work, which begins with installing the logs.
Installation of logs: features
The technology for laying floorboards involves the use of logs. Most often, wooden blocks are used for their installation. The beam must be mounted on an edge. In this case, a certain gap must be maintained between each lag. Most often, it is made no more than 1 m. In this case, the floor will be more rigid, and this is necessary for the technology of laying floorboards. Here you can establish one very simple rule: the thicker the board is used, the larger the step can be left between each structural element.
After the logs are laid in their rightful places, it is worth checking their horizontalness again. This is done using a level. In this case, you can use the most primitive liquid tool. Now the logs must be secured. Self-tapping screws and dowels are used for these purposes. In some situations, anchor bolts can be used. This will be appropriate to do when the timber is too thick.
Thermal insulation and its nuances
Insulation must be laid between the joists.
The thermal insulation layer is an integral part of any floor. It will keep the house warm even in the most severe frosts. A variety of materials can be used to construct the thermal insulation layer. If we are talking about laying floorboards on the 2nd floor, then there is no need to organize thermal insulation here - this stage of work is skipped.
It is mandatory to install it on the 1st floor. Mineral wool is used for work. It can be in the form of slabs or simply in its normal form. It doesn't matter. The most important thing is to lay it out correctly. This is done quite easily. It should be located between the bars that were installed earlier. In this case, it is laid in a layer 10 cm thick.
A waterproofing material must be placed on top of the mineral wool. You can use glassine or roofing felt. Option 2 is preferable, since the material is cheaper and more reliable. It should be secured with a stapler. At this point, the stage of work related to floor insulation can be considered complete. Now you can proceed directly to laying the floorboard.
Floorboards must be thoroughly dried before installation.
This is the most important and responsible stage of all work. The future integrity of the structure directly depends on how well the floorboard is laid. The boards must be prepared before laying. They need to be dried thoroughly. To do this, the material should be placed in a warm and dry place for about a week. Only in this case will the board be properly prepared for work.
In fact, drying takes much longer, but this will be quite enough to prevent warping of the material. Warping is quite a dangerous phenomenon. Raw products cannot be used to lay boards on the floor. There is a very high probability of cracks appearing on them, which can appear both during the work and during the operation of the floor.
The first board must be laid at some distance from the wall. 2 cm is sufficient. This measure will help prevent deformation of the structure if the material changes its dimensions during operation. In order to fix the board before attaching it, be sure to install wedges in the distance between the wall and it. In this case, the gap will not change during the process of fastening the material.
The direction of laying the boards is chosen perpendicular to the previously installed logs. A tongue and groove board is used here. This means that the fastening is carried out using a lock. It's quite primitive here. The groove of one board fits onto the veneer of another. At the same time, do not forget about additional fastening. Self-tapping screws will be used for these purposes. They are screwed in using a screwdriver. Their length is selected in accordance with the thickness of the floorboards.
It is best to install self-tapping screws in the groove of the board. Then you will be able to avoid the appearance of caps protruding above the surface. They will be hidden very elegantly. When the work is completed, the screws will not be visible. That is why tongue and groove boards are the best option for flooring. All subsequent structural elements are mounted using the same method as discussed above.
Thus, the result is a very nice floor that can already be used for its intended purpose. However, it is better to sand it down to make it smoother and more attractive.
Floor sanding: some important points
After the wooden floor is made, all that remains is to carefully sand it. For these purposes, a special grinding machine is used. This tool can be purchased today in almost any specialized store. If you don’t want to purchase it, you can ask your neighbors or friends to rent it. Using a sanding machine, you can easily and simply get rid of all surface irregularities, as well as eliminate joints between boards. An excellent tool that is often needed on the farm. Instead of a grinder, you can use a regular grinder. With its help you can perfectly treat the surface. The grinding process itself does not take that much time.
The result should be an absolutely flat base without any defects. Joints and other irregularities must be completely eliminated. After the grinding process is completed, you can begin the final stage of work, which consists of treating the surface with a special protective compound.
This measure is necessary when working with wood.
You can cover floorboards with an antiseptic.
To preserve the original appearance of the floorboards, they must be treated with an antiseptic.
You can use a transparent or translucent version of this substance. This will preserve the original appearance of the wood. Often it is she who decorates the house. Antiseptics will protect the surface from the formation of fungus and mold. Microorganisms that can harm human health will not develop on it.
Alternatively, paint or varnish can be used. These coatings cope well with the aggressive effects of external factors.
Thus, the process of laying the floorboard can be considered complete. As is clear, there is nothing complicated about this. All work is done quite quickly. The most important thing is to strictly follow the instructions given above at each stage. This will make the floor truly strong, reliable and durable. The use of natural materials always brings its own zest to even the most ordinary-looking structure.
Absolutely any floor made from natural wood will serve its owner faithfully for many years. The above was specially created for those who in the near future are planning to start arranging a wooden floor in their home or country house.
Floorboards have been used in construction for a long time. It is used not only in private houses, but also in apartments. It is equipped with milling cutters that allow you to securely connect products to each other. Sometimes laying a floor causes certain difficulties, however, they can be avoided if all technological rules are followed.
Advantages and disadvantages of floorboards
The popularity of floorboards is due to the fact that they have a number of advantages. These include:
- service life - if you regularly care for the floor surface, it will last for several decades;
- environmental safety - all planks are made of natural material;
- antiallergic and antihistamine properties, which will be maintained if the surface is not varnished;
- strength - when installed correctly, floorboards can withstand heavy loads;
- low thermal conductivity, thanks to which the floors maintain their temperature for a long time;
- low cost - the cost of a floorboard is much less than the price of laminate or parquet flooring.
Laying floorboards can help you save a lot of money
This material also has its disadvantages, but there are not many of them:
- exposed to rotting - wooden products begin to deteriorate due to prolonged exposure to moisture;
- wears out quickly - the problem arises when the floor surface is not periodically varnished;
- poor sound insulation.
Main characteristics
Most often, floorboards are made from coniferous trees: cedar, spruce, larch, pine. Expensive products are made from beech, oak, and ash. However, not everyone recommends using them for flooring, as installation is complicated due to their high density.
During installation, floorboards with a thickness of 1.5 to 4.5 cm are used. Their average width is 5–7 cm and length is 100–500 cm. The hardness of the material is determined using the Brinell method and is about 7.
This figure is quite high and therefore the boards can cope with any load.
There are several classes of material that differ in their quality. High-end products have a beautiful pattern, smooth surface and high strength. They should be used in rooms with high humidity levels:
- saunas;
- bathrooms;
Boards of the second and third grade also have a pronounced pattern, but are much cheaper.
The best way to lay floorboards
Laying on joists
To understand how to properly install a floor, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this process. The technology of laying floorboards on joists consists of several stages.
Fixing lags
First, you need to take care of protecting the boards from moisture: a waterproofing layer is made from roofing felt and mastic. The roofing material is laid on the mastic close to the wall, after which the logs can be laid. To fix them, staples, dowels, and screws are used.
Wooden beams must meet the following requirements:
- Their horizontal surfaces must be in the same plane.
- When leveling the plank, it is trimmed a little and special pads are placed under the base.
- The distance between the joists should not exceed 55 cm. However, it can be slightly increased by using thick floorboards.
- The joists must be laid so that they lie perpendicular to the floorboard.
Fastening boards
When installing the floor on the joists, the planks are fixed at a distance of 2–4 cm from the ceiling.
This is done due to the fact that over time the size of products changes under the influence of temperature changes. When laying floorboards on joists, you need to consider the following nuances:
- If they are attached using self-tapping screws, then their length should be several times greater than the thickness of the planks.
- To install floorboards with a thickness of 30–40 mm, it is necessary to use self-tapping screws with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of about 80 mm.
- Narrow planks must be secured with one self-tapping screw or nail located in the center.
- Wider products are fixed using several fasteners.
- Before screwing in the screws, you need to pre-drill a hole in the strip.
Having secured the first floorboard, you should begin installing the second. It is placed next to it and moved to shift the groove with the tenon. Sometimes the tenon does not immediately fit into the groove and you have to use a mallet. After this, the plank is fixed with self-tapping screws.
The last board on the floor is laid after measuring the distance from the wall to the penultimate floorboard. This is done to prepare a strip of the required width.
After all the planks have been laid, you need to perform the following steps:
- Check the floor for unevenness and eliminate them by scraping.
- Cover the surface with a thin layer of varnish, this will reveal areas that were not sanded.
- Install the baseboard.
- Cover the floor with paint, oil, wax - they will protect its surface and give it respectability.
Laying on plywood
Laying floorboards on plywood is used if it is not possible to use logs. Quite often, the method is used in rooms with low ceilings and concrete floors. Laying the boards is carried out in several stages.
Surface preparation
First, using a moisture meter, the surface humidity is checked, which should not exceed 3–4%.
In the absence of a special device, you can use traditional methods. Place a small piece of cellophane on the floor and secure it with tape. If the humidity is high, drops of water will begin to appear on it during the day.
If the concrete screed turns out to be dry, then it is coated with a primer in two layers, after which a film is placed on top. This will protect the plywood from moisture coming from the concrete.
Installation
Moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of about 20 mm is used as a substrate. It is cut into several pieces no more than 400 mm wide and laid on the floor. The distance between the walls and plywood sheets should be 10–15 mm. The material is attached to the concrete with dowels and screws. In this case, their heads must be recessed, the surface must be perfectly flat.
To fix the short strips, polyurethane and epoxy resins are used.
Longer boards are attached with a special glue made from these resins. When using planks made of beech and other exotic trees, do not use water-soluble glue.
The process of connecting the boards together is the same as when attaching them to the joists.
Many people turn to special organizations for help when laying floorboards. However, installing floorboards yourself is not that difficult. To understand how to lay boards, you need to carefully study the features of their installation.
A plank floor is an ideal solution for creating a feeling of coziness and comfort in a room. You can do the laying of the floorboard yourself, or you can also seek the services of a company. One of such organizations is the repair company San Sanych in Moscow.
Taking into account all the nuances of the room where it is planned to lay the floorboards, several methods can be used:
- Using lag;
- Using plywood;
- Using a screed.
Before work begins, specialists from the repair company will help prepare the floor for installation, organize the correct temperature indicators, as well as humidity in the room. After covering the surface, workers will carry out finishing processes. The cost of installation directly depends on the preparation process, the chosen installation method and the materials used.
Cost of work
Using lag when working
The log is used mainly in those rooms where it is possible to raise the floor level. This method includes a number of advantages:
- Significant time savings during work;
- It is possible to place heat and sound insulating materials;
- You can run wires;
- Floor air circulation is significantly improved.
Among the disadvantages, one can only note that with this method the height of the room is reduced.
Using plywood
Laying on plywood is done only after the base of the floor has been prepared. The plywood is secured with screws or dowels. For greater strength, it is possible to use glue. Immediately after the plywood has been installed, the surface should be thoroughly sanded and primer applied. Then you need to clean up.
Advantages:
- Significantly saves time during installation;
- Immediately after installing the plywood, it is possible to carry out installation;
- The floor becomes more even.
This type of installation cannot be done independently. But specialists in this type of activity will do everything quickly, reliably and efficiently.
Using a screed during work
When using a concrete screed, you need to make sure that there are no fragments that can peel off. If there are any, then you need to remove them and level the surface. For strength, the concrete screed and boards are connected with a special primer, which contains two-component glue and solvents.
Advantages:
- Simple technique;
- Saving money;
- Reliability and strength;
The main disadvantages of this method:
- Long execution time associated with surface drying;
- Dirty and wet installation method.
Professional installation of floor boards
When deciding on the installation method, do not forget that excessive savings can lead to rather dire consequences. Among them, the most widespread are violations of floor geometry, the appearance of unpleasant creaking and play, as well as loss of wear resistance and aesthetic appearance when using low-quality paint and varnish coatings or violating the technology of their application.
In our company, the laying of floor boards is carried out by specialists who are well acquainted with the peculiarities of working with wooden coverings, which require a special approach and knowledge.
Rules for choosing a floorboard, preparing the base for laying floorboards, methods for installing flooring on different surfaces, methods of fastening the material.
The content of the article:
Floorboard is a building material made from natural wood, intended for the manufacture of floor coverings. The products have special milling on the longitudinal ends, which ensure gapless connection of elements and high strength of the floor. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the methods of laying floorboards and the rules for processing various substrates, ensuring high-quality performance of assembly work.
Features of choosing a floorboard
When purchasing material, it is important to consider factors that affect the durability of the floor. With the right choice of flooring boards, you will enjoy your flooring for many years.
Selecting floor boards based on manufacturing methods
Manufacturers offer users two types of floorboards: solid and jointed. Each type of product has its own characteristics, which determine the applicability of the material and the methods of its attachment to the base.
A solid board is obtained from a single piece of workpiece. Depending on the quality of the material, products are divided into 4 classes, but even the best samples have defects - knots, resin pockets, etc. There are few defects on the boards of the first and second classes, they look harmonious. Such samples are used to make the main flooring. After installation, the surface is not painted, but varnished to highlight the natural beauty of the wood.
Boards of the third and fourth classes must be coated with paint if the finishing coating is knocked down from them, or used as a rough base for the floor. It is difficult to obtain a perfectly flat surface from a solid board, but its relatively low cost makes it popular among buyers. After installation of the coating, the surface is ground or sanded.
Solid eurolining has higher quality. There are ventilation grooves on the back side of the boards, which provide air access to the underside and prevent the formation of fungus and mold. The front side is processed with high quality and rarely requires modification after assembling the floor, but euro-lined flooring is more expensive than a regular board.
A finger-jointed board is made by installing it on a mini-tenon or by gluing several small samples. Finger-joined boards differ from massive boards in their excellent geometry, absence of defects, and high strength. After laying the floorboards, the surface does not require any modification. In its finished form, a floor made from jointed elements is very similar to parquet.
Selecting floorboards by wood type
If you are in doubt about what kind of flooring to lay in a room, buy products made from larch or oak. These tree species are the hardest and are suitable for any purpose. They are laid even in rooms with extreme humidity - baths, saunas.
The lowest hardness is found in boards made from coniferous trees (pine, spruce). Soft floorboards are used mainly for subfloors. For finishing flooring, you can use lumber from coniferous trees if their thickness is more than 35 mm. Less thin boards can be laid on logs in increments of 30-40 cm or on a solid base, for example, on a concrete screed.
Walnut, aspen and alder are not hard enough for flooring and are used less frequently. Such boards can be laid in rooms with little traffic - a nursery or a living room. It is not advisable to lay poplar and linden boards on the floor because of their softness.
Selecting floor boards by size
Boards with a thickness of 18 to 40 mm are suitable for floors. The most popular thickness of floorboards is 30, 32, 35 mm. For floorboards of this thickness, the joists are placed in increments of 40 to 60 cm.
The beams for boards of maximum thickness are fastened at intervals of 70 cm or more. Products with a thickness of 15-25 mm are used to create double floors, but in this case it is recommended to use hardwood.
The width of the floorboards ranges from 60 to 135 mm. Narrow samples are used to create original designs. Wide floorboards are laid in large rooms or houses made of beams and round timber. In small rooms, elements of small width are used, because the more boards, the wider the room appears. The most optimal width of the floorboard is 100 mm.
Types of floorboards by connection method
To facilitate the assembly of floors and improve performance, milling of various shapes is performed at the ends of the floorboards:
- Tongue and groove boards have ridges and grooves at the ends, with the help of which a high quality connection is achieved and the strength of the floor is increased. But the cost of such products is quite high.
- The connection can be made “in a quarter”. At the ends of each board there are milling steps in the form of steps. Making grooves is cheaper than making grooves and tenons. The connection of elements is less dependent on the degree of deformation of the boards after drying, which is why floorboards with stepped fixation are quite popular among users.
- Connection using inserts that are installed in the grooves of adjacent boards. Used when installing short boards.
Preparatory work before laying boards
High quality floorboards are sold packed in plastic film. Before purchasing, inspect the packaging for condensation. Do not take goods with drops of water on the back of the film, this indicates that the material is not dry enough.
Check the moisture content of the boards, which should not exceed 12-16%. The exact humidity values are shown by a special device called a moisture meter. The indicator is also assessed indirectly:
- A very wet board can be determined by placing your palm on the surface.
- Tap your knuckles on the floorboard. A dry board will sound loud, a damp board will sound dull.
- Inspect the product carefully. Dry has a barely noticeable shine. The color of the wet board is matte.
Sort the remaining material. Set aside samples with knots, geometric distortions, and blue or orange cores; they can be used in auxiliary rooms. Make sure that the tongues and grooves of the tongue and groove boards are easily connected. The joints should close with a slight click.
To ensure that the floor retains its original condition for a long time, provide room humidity in the range from 40 to 80%. In dry air the board will dry out quickly, and in high humidity conditions the coating will swell. Temperature also affects the lifespan of the floor. At temperatures from 17 to 25 degrees, it does not lose its quality for many years.
Technology for laying floorboards on joists
The method of laying floorboards involves the sequential implementation of several stages of work, on which the quality of the floor depends.
Fixing lags for the board on the base
Floor installation work begins with waterproofing the base to protect the lumber from moisture. The easiest way to waterproof is to use mastic and roofing felt. The roofing material is laid over the mastic overlapping and butted with the wall, only visually laying it in the horizon. To install the logs, the base does not need to be flat, but rigidity is required.
Logs (rectangular beams) are laid on the screed waterproofing and secured to the floor with self-tapping screws, dowels, staples or another method.
Beams for floor boards must meet the following requirements:
- The horizontal surfaces of all beams must be located in the same plane. If necessary, place pads of the required thickness under the beams or cut off the excess.
- The optimal distance between the joists is 50 cm, but when using thick floorboards, the step can be increased.
- For jointed boards, the distance between the joists should not exceed 40 cm.
- Always lay floorboards perpendicular to the joists.
- In living rooms, the joists should be positioned so that the light through the window falls on the floor along the boards.
- In the corridors, boards are laid in the direction of the most intense traffic.
Attaching floorboards to joists
Laying the floorboards is done in two ways - without shifting the floorboards and with displacement. To install a floor with offset products, you will need to make many cuts at right angles. Not everyone can cut boards evenly, so you will need a template for your work.
Let's consider the technology of installing floorboards with milling in the form of grooves and ridges. The procedure for working with tongue-and-groove floorboards is no different from assembling other types of boards.
Place the first board on the joists with the tenon facing the wall and fix it at a distance of 1-2 cm from the ceiling, because product dimensions increase with increasing ambient temperature. The fastener can be screwed into the floorboard from above, near the wall, where it will be covered by baseboards. On other boards, marks from the heads are masked with sealant or plugs, which some manufacturers supply with them.
You can fasten the boards in the following ways:
- Using self-tapping screws, the length of which is twice the thickness of the board. To fix floorboards 30 mm thick, buy black self-tapping screws 60-70 mm long and 4-4.5 mm in diameter. Hardware is screwed in increments of 25-30 cm along the length of the board.
- If nails are used for fastening, their length should exceed the thickness of the floorboard by 3 times (the ancient name is troetes).
- Narrow thin products 90 mm wide are secured with one nail or self-tapping screw in the center of the product.
- Boards up to 135 mm wide - with two fasteners, with a width of more than 150 mm - with three.
- You can fasten them with self-tapping screws, which are screwed at an angle of 45 degrees into the tongue. To prevent the element from bursting when screwing in the fasteners, holes are drilled in the floorboards. The boards are also secured with self-tapping screws on the groove side.
- At construction markets you can find special screws for fixing floorboards. They have an anti-corrosion coating and are equipped with a small cutter at the tip of the fastener. It allows you to screw it in without first making holes. The geometry of the fastener prevents the wood from cracking when screwed in. Also, the screws have an upper part without threads, which allows the boards to be pulled more tightly to the joists.
The product is also pressed with wedges. To do this, nail a block to the joists, stepping back from the board by 100-150 mm. Between the board and the block, place a wooden block and two wedges with the tips facing each other. Hitting the wedges with a mallet, move the spacer all the way into the board and further until the gaps between the products disappear. Permissible gaps between floorboards are no more than 1 mm. After this, screw in the screws and secure the board. Secure all floor elements in a similar manner.
Before laying the last board, measure the distance between the penultimate floorboard and the wall and cut a board of the required thickness from the blank, taking into account a guaranteed gap of 10-15 mm near the wall. To eliminate gaps, drive wedges between the wall and the board. If the floorboards are slightly curvature, the tenons and grooves are coated with glue to increase the reliability of the connection, and then tightened with clamps or jacks.
If they are difficult to connect, inspect the tenons and grooves for burrs. If necessary, sand problem surfaces.
If the boards are not dry enough, secure them temporarily and leave them in this condition for 5-6 months. In this case, not all products are fastened, but only the fourth or fifth floorboard. After the lumber has dried, dismantle the temporary fasteners, remove the boards and fasten them again, pressing them as tightly as possible to each other.
- Inspect the surface for any unevenness.
- Eliminate them by scraping the floorboards.
- Coat the floor with a starter varnish, which will show poorly sanded areas. Remove any defects found with sandpaper.
- Install the baseboard and check its fit to the floor. If necessary, fill the cracks with putty to match the color of the wood.
- To increase the durability of the coating and give it respectability, cover the floor with paint, varnish, oil, or wax. The choice of product depends on the operating conditions and user wishes.
Technology for installing floorboards on plywood
Installation of floorboards on plywood is carried out if logs cannot be used. For example, if the ceilings in the room are low or it will be impossible to open the door after installing the floor. Most often, plywood is laid on a cement screed or on an old floor covering.
Preparing a concrete floor for laying floorboards
If the floor base is concrete, work begins by checking the moisture content of the cement screed, which should not exceed 3%. Concrete with a lot of water increases the humidity in the room, which causes the plywood and finished flooring to rot.
Humidity can be checked with a special device - a moisture meter or using traditional methods. Place a piece of cellophane on the concrete floor and secure it with tape. If after a day drops of water appear on the underside of the material, then the screed is not dry enough for laying lumber.
Check the horizontal surface of the concrete screed. A slope of no more than 0.2% of the maximum length of the room is allowed. The value can be measured using a hydrostatic level.
Check for flatness of the screed surface using a long ruler. To measure, place the tool on the floor and use a feeler gauge to measure the gaps between the ruler and the floor. At a length of 2 m, gaps of no more than 2 mm are allowed. Eliminate defects by modifying the screed: sand the high areas and fill the low areas with a self-leveling mixture.
If the concrete screed is dry, coat it with a polyurethane primer mixture in several layers. Place a foam film over the primer, which will create a moisture-proof barrier between the concrete and plywood.
Laying floorboards on plywood
For the substrate, use plywood with a thickness of 18 mm or more, preferably moisture-resistant. Cut the sheets of material into several pieces 500 mm wide and lay them on the floor. When installing, leave 10 mm gaps between sheets and walls and 3 mm between individual parts.
Secure the sheets to the concrete with screws and dowels. Sink the fastener heads into the material. Check the horizontalness of the top plane of the plywood. Sand the surface with a sander, vacuum and coat with sealant. After drying, the plywood is ready for laying boards.
Fix the floorboards to the plywood using glue. Short products are glued with epoxy or polyurethane resins. Long samples - glue based on epoxy resins or polyurethane. After hardening, such compositions are plastic and allow the boards to expand at high temperatures. The choice of glue is also influenced by the type of primer used to treat the plywood.
To glue boards made of exotic trees or beech, you cannot use water-soluble adhesives due to the specific properties of wood.
How to lay a board on an old floor
To use an old floor as a base, make sure it is strong. Reinforce or replace individual boards as necessary. Next, perform the following operations:
- Remove protruding elements from the surface, sand the boards with 40 or 60 grit sandpaper. It is advisable to do the work with a sanding machine.
- Clean the flooring from dust.
- Check the moisture-proof and thermal insulation properties of the old floor. If necessary, cover it with moisture-proof polyethylene foam film.
- Place plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm on the old covering.
How to lay a floorboard - watch the video:
Floorboards are manufactured using modern technologies with high precision, so installation can be done on your own. To obtain a good result, knowledge of flooring assembly technology and a serious attitude to the job are required.
