How to make a wooden floor. How to properly lay a wooden floor. Laying boards on a concrete base
Z knowledge on how to make a wooden floor along the logs is very useful information that sooner or later will definitely come in handy for you, or is already needed. Laying a wooden floor with your own hands will give noticeable savings, whether you are thinking of a new construction or a major overhaul. If there is no desire or time to do the work yourself, you will be able to effectively control the work.
The main elements of a wooden floor by logs
Consider the main elements of wooden floors laid on logs. This system is used both in the construction of bases with subsequent finishing coating, and in finishing floors.
The main elements of wooden floors by logs:
- Brick columns (arranged when the floor along the logs is done on the ground)
- Logs. Representing flat wooden bars of rectangular section;
- Coating. Boards, or artificial sheet materials (OSB, chipboard, plywood).
- Plinth or fillet - elements of the junction of the floor covering and the wall of the room.
For rough floors, unplaned (often not edged) boards, pressed boards from wood waste are used. Finishing floors are made of high-quality, well-dried, often milled boards with a figured edge for tongue-and-groove joints, a longitudinal groove for ventilation. Often, such boards are pre-treated with protective and decorative compounds.
Basic requirements for the correct installation of a wooden floor along the logs
Laying a wooden floor on logs with your own hands requires strict adherence to the following basic requirements:
- Logs are installed strictly horizontally (except in rare cases when the slope is provided for by the project)
- Legs must be stable.
- The moisture content of the wood used should not exceed 12%.
- Underfloor ventilation must be provided.
If a do-it-yourself wooden floor is arranged on the first floors of rooms where the base is soil, the logs are usually laid on brick columns measuring 250x250 in plan, made of ceramic (necessarily!) bricks on cement mortar.
Wood moisture determination
The moisture content of the wood is the most important factor in arranging the floor along the logs. If the wood is damp, not dry enough, then the logs and the boards themselves will soon dry out and may change shape, which will ruin the entire floor.
Before laying, you need to build a small foundation under the posts.
We dig square holes, 30 * 30 cm wide, 30-40 cm deep, level the walls of the holes and compact the base with crushed stone. To do this, on the "patch" where they will stand, we scatter crushed stone with a layer of approximately 1.5-2 sizes of the largest pieces. Rammer "drive" crushed stone into the ground.
We make formwork from boards so that our foundation protrudes about 10 cm above ground level. We let it dry for at least a week, we lay the roofing material waterproofing on top of the foundation. We start laying bricks.
The foundation formwork for our posts must be set in the same plane, for this we use a laser plane builder, or → (the link tells what a hydraulic level is and how to use it), so that all the posts are on the same level. If for the first time you will have deviations of about 1 cm - this is not scary, the main thing is to set the posts to the level. You can adjust the level with the help of masonry mortar, making its layer smaller or larger when laying brick columns.
Do-it-yourself lag installation
For lags laid on columns (pedestals) we use a beam of 50x100 mm. At the same time, we leave the distances between the centers of the columns (pedestals) per meter or so. With an increase in the distance between the columns, we also increase the cross section of the lag.
Performing a wooden floor along the logs with your own hands on concrete floor slabs, we lay the logs directly on the concrete. For logs laid on a solid base, you can use a beam of a much smaller section, because they will not experience a bending load. In fact, the logs in this case are needed for accurate alignment and for nailing the boards. The size of the bars 40x50 or 50x50 will be enough.
The simplicity of the construction of the boardwalk is apparent. And it's not just that the ultimate load must be taken into account; for example, for the floors of the basement floor of a private house and the attic, it is different. Wood is a material, although malleable in processing, but “capricious” in its own way, as it easily undergoes deformation when humidity and temperature change. In addition, there is a specificity of its laying, depending on the type of base (floor). It is realistic to mount a high-quality wooden floor with your own hands, only having dealt with all the nuances of this work.
A wooden floor is a somewhat vague concept. Basically, when it comes to such a design of the lower part of the room, it means laying boards on the supporting structure. But if further, “finishing” finishing with other material (laminate, parquet board or something else) is supposed, then mainly products (slabs, sheets) based on wood are used - multilayer plywood, chipboard, OSV, MDF.
The main purpose of such flooring is maximum leveling and ensuring sufficient surface strength. But there is no need to talk about a wooden field in a private house as such in such cases; this is his intermediate version, "finishing".
How to choose the right boards? When arranging a wooden floor in a private house, it is definitely not worth saving on them. Otherwise, such problems will arise (cracks, grooves in the flooring, deformation of individual floorboards) that subsequent repairs (taking into account the complexity of the work associated, among other things, with the need to free the room from everything) will be much more expensive.
Board type. Only grooved. Do-it-yourself processing at home is a very complex process, requiring practical skills, appropriate tools (which are not available in every home), time and a separate room.
There is another option - from the glue beam. But this lumber is used, as a rule, in rooms of a private house with an increased load on the floor, since it is not cheap.
- Linear parameters (mm). Here it must be taken into account that the tree must provide not only high strength of the flooring, but also good thermal insulation of the lower part of the room. The optimal dimensions are: total thickness - 45 ± 5 (depending on the specifics of the room), width - around 150.
- moisture content of wood. 12% is the acceptable upper limit of its value. Therefore, you should purchase an industrial drying board. Naturally, it will be expensive. But all recommendations on how to remove excess moisture from a tree on your own are nothing more than profanity. It is necessary to choose an appropriate place on the site, to properly stack the lumber, to organize its protection from moisture, good ventilation, and an acceptable temperature regime. And most importantly, wait. And this is time. Moreover, a high result is not yet guaranteed.
- The grade of the tree. And in this regard, it is irrational to buy cheap boards. Not only that, even paint, especially varnish, will not hide large flaws in the form of knots, chips, and so on. Defects in the floorboards during the operation of the wooden floor will become more and more pronounced. The cracks will only get bigger; knots fly out of the boards, and “pits” or through holes will appear in their place.
- Type of wood. Here it is desirable to maintain the optimal ratio between such properties of lumber as strength, beautiful texture and resistance to geometry changes under the influence of external factors. Experienced craftsmen recommend paying attention to oak and ash. Such boards are expensive, but for a wooden floor they are considered the best, as they are able to carry an increased load.
If this factor is not decisive, larch, fir, cedar or pine are perfect for floors.
- The degree of protection of the tree. In production, more expensive products are impregnated with special / preparations from decay, ignition. This can be implemented (even recommended) with your own hands, but only in terms of secondary (additional) processing. It will not be possible to recreate industrial technology at home, therefore, the quality of work will be low.
What lags are used? Here you need to understand that during operation, any materials (even if visually imperceptible) change their geometry. Consequently, the integrity of the structure also depends on how much the coefficients of deformation of its elements coincide. For the installation of a wooden floor, metal profiles (although it is more convenient to work with them) are not suitable, only lumber. The recommended timber parameters are 100 x 100. This is a universal choice for floors in any room. Smaller samples (for example, 50 x 50) will have to be tightly “fastened” to the screed (otherwise the flooring will “play”), and this is not always possible or rational.
When should you do wood flooring? Experts consider the best period to be the end of March - the beginning of April, that is, before the end of the heating season. There are several justifications.
- At this time, it is easy to achieve the most comfortable conditions for such work. If necessary, effective ventilation can be arranged so that wood dust does not overcrowd the room. Then technical devices will not be needed.
- The air humidity in the room is optimized. This ensures that the lumber does not absorb water, except perhaps in a minimal amount.
- The nuances of arranging the screed are such that you will have to wait for it to completely harden. And the worse the external conditions, the longer.
As an option - in the summer. But the arrangement of the wooden floor should be started if weather forecasters guarantee stable dry weather for at least the next 10 days.
Preparatory work
Further - all stages, regardless of the specifics of the premises in a private building. What needs to be done in relation to the features of a particular room (location in the house, size, degree of arrangement, etc.) is easy to understand.
The basis
This can be both a floor and a ground, if the floors are arranged on the basement floor. In any case, there are a number of activities.
Surface condition assessment and elimination of deficiencies
In relation to the ground, it is carefully leveled, compacted (the simplest rammer is easy to make with your own hands), and a sand cushion is arranged (the recommended layer thickness is about 20 cm). It performs two main functions - more accurate planning (leveling) and mitigation of the possible deformation of the upper levels when the load changes.
- If we are talking about a concrete floor (interfloor), then the slabs are thoroughly washed, after which, during the inspection, existing defects are revealed. Any cracks, loose joints are sealed. Otherwise, in the future, possible leaks into the lower room and heat loss cannot be avoided.
Foundation waterproofing
If the base is soil, then it is advisable to immediately cover it with a film. Depending on the size of the room, you can either buy a membrane that will completely cover the floor (it will be more expensive), or make its original analogue by fastening several canvases by welding (you will need a special tool) or with adhesive tape, laying them with an overlap. The nuance is that the edges of the film should be bent up, approximately to the level of the intended installation of skirting boards. They will also close the excess waterproofing.
Arrangement of the screed
This is a separate and rather large topic (composition of the mixture, ratio of components, kneading rules - there are enough nuances). Therefore, only the main points.
Materials are selected based on the financial capabilities of the owner of a private house and the type of surface. If we are talking about overlapping, then the screed is made thin, with leveling compounds. For a soil base, it is advisable to pour expanded clay on the waterproofing.
The advantages of this solution:
- round (comparatively) granules will not damage the polyethylene film under any circumstances. If you use crushed stone, then its breakthroughs in several places will appear unambiguously;
- expanded clay is a good heat insulator. Therefore, it is possible to save some money on the material of the insulation (if it is to be mounted).
The recommended layer thickness (in mm) is from 40 to 100. You should focus on the size of the "pebbles"; the larger they are, the more layer is required, since gaps are formed between them, increasing heat loss. Small granules are stacked quite tightly, therefore the layer can be made smaller.
Advice. Costs can be optimized if you purchase expanded clay of different fractions. Then its thickness will be no more than 50 - 70. But only well-dried granules should be laid; they will begin to draw excess moisture "on themselves" (that is, absorb), additionally protecting the tree from dampness.
It is advisable to install the beacons and level them immediately, before pouring the solution. After leveling it, you will have to wait for the screed to dry completely (at least 4 weeks, and then, under favorable conditions in the house). This largely explains why experts recommend certain periods for organizing wooden floors in a private house.
It is impossible to accelerate this process artificially (with the help of technical devices in the form of heaters, heat guns, and so on). Such rationalization will result in the fact that the screed will dry out unevenly over the entire depth. The top layer will grab quickly and literally clog the surface. This will drastically reduce the rate of evaporation of moisture from the lower levels. As a result, a decrease in the strength of such a base and the appearance of cracks.
Installation lag
In a private house, they can be laid directly on the base, without arranging a screed (for example, in the basement). In this case, it is advisable to prepare small brick racks. Here the main attention is on the upper sections of such supports. They must be in the same (horizontal) plane. To prevent the beam from moving, a metal pin or wooden insert is placed in the center of each post. It is not difficult to guess how to fix the lag in this or that case.
If the logs are laid directly on the ground or screed, then it is desirable to treat the lower planes of the timber with tar. The work is easy, and it does not require money. The advantage of this solution is the additional protection of wood from absorbing moisture from a damp surface.
Sometimes, a supporting frame (crate) is preliminarily mounted on the supports, to which the logs are “fastened” with self-tapping screws. As a rule, this is done when laying them directly on the ground or slab, since the pillow may not provide perfect alignment.
The recommended interval between lags is about half a meter. If more, the strength of the flooring decreases; less - increases the consumption of materials and the load on the floor. In addition, there will be problems with the installation of a heat-insulating layer.
Wooden floor insulation
Do it or not worth it - it's up to the owner. This largely depends on the specifics of the room. But if it is unheated, or residential, located on the lower floor, then additional thermal insulation in the form of expanded clay and the boards themselves are clearly not enough. The best choice for warming a wooden floor is mineral wool. It is sold in various modifications, but products with the prefix "eco" are considered the best for a private home.
The material is elastic, therefore, even if the lag axial lines do not coincide (the "cells" are curved), it is quite easy to lay the mats; they compress slightly and are easy to fit into place. And after straightening, they are securely held between the lags, while there are no gaps along the beam-insulation line. Therefore, gap sealing is not required.
When choosing mineral wool in thickness, you need to focus on the fact that after installing the mats (plates) between the lags, they are slightly lower than their upper cut. This is necessary to form a small space under the wooden floor, through which air can circulate freely. Natural ventilation helps to remove excess moisture from under the flooring, thereby protecting the boards and insulation from moisture.
Finished floor installation
It is carried out in 1 or 2 rows. A single-row floor is arranged, as a rule, in utility rooms, country houses, sheds and the like. For most of the rooms in a residential building - only if a thick board is chosen or a "finish" lining with parquet or laminate is supposed.
With a double plank field, the boards are taken thinner (the main thing here is the total thickness of the flooring). The advantage is that cheap lumber is suitable for the first level; and this gives some savings. Sometimes the owners of private houses lay a film between the rows, which also partially reduces heat loss and increases the degree of waterproofing.
Features of laying a wooden floor
- A small gap is left between the walls and the floorboards (about 1.5 - 2 cm) so that the flooring does not begin to warp when the wood expands or gets wet. In addition, this installation scheme guarantees effective natural ventilation of the space under the floor. Therefore, the risk of mold and mildew on the boards is minimized.
- The first board (from any edge) is rigidly attached to the joists; and self-tapping screws. If you use nails, then problems will arise in the future - individual floorboards will begin to “play”, and the creak of the boards will constantly be heard in the house.
- Their adjustment is done with a hammer and a piece of board, carefully so that the tenon fits snugly into the groove along the entire length of the sample. But this is the case with the profile board. If an ordinary edged one is bought, the technology changes.
First, the extreme boards are fixed on the logs. All the rest, in turn, fit between them simultaneously from both directions. Naturally, in the center of the room there will be difficulties; the last floorboards will not lie exactly in place. They are put in a “house”, and then they are pressed down, standing on his “horse”.
The last stage is screwing all the boards to the joists at pre-designated points. Beforehand, a chamfer is made in each of them so that the head of the fastener is completely “drowned” in the tree.
- It has already been noted that self-tapping screws should be used as fasteners. The nuance is that you need to choose not ordinary products, but with a coating against corrosion. Otherwise, rust spots will appear quite quickly in the places where the boards are fixed to the joists.
- It is advisable to “walk” along the lines of the joints of the floorboards with a grinder. If wooden floors are equipped in a private house, then it is worth buying it; it will be needed again, and more than once. Processing the seams will smooth out the existing irregularities between the boards. This is especially true for decks that are supposed to be varnished, which is most often done to preserve the grain of the wood.
It turns out that when installing a wooden floor in a private house, it is quite possible to do without the services of professionals. Following the above recommendations, all stages of work are easy to do with your own hands.
Natural wood floors are considered to be the most environmentally friendly. But many now refuse such coverage due to the fact that supposedly this material is outdated and uninteresting. But a plank floor may well outperform any floor covering, especially in terms of comfort. It is warm, reliable, is not a source of harmful substances and can be very beautiful if made according to all the rules.
Wood is one of the oldest building materials. Previously, everything that was possible was made from it - they built houses, fences, furniture, and the interior decoration of the premises was carried out mainly with natural wood. At the same time, now such material is considered one of the most expensive and speaks of the significant status of a person. Even despite the fact that a lot of synthetic materials have appeared on sale, which are distinguished by ease of installation and beauty, the tree does not lose its position.
Natural wood floors are still one of the most popular and in demand. The reason for this is the undeniable advantages of this material:
But it is also worth talking about the shortcomings of plank floors, which, fortunately, are very few. Cons of using a wooden floor from planks:
Despite a fairly large number of disadvantages, plank floors are still a very good floor covering, and with proper installation, it is possible to cope with most of the disadvantages of use.
Plank floor installation
The layout of a wooden floor made of boards is quite simple and includes only a few basic elements. These are wooden logs and the boardwalk itself. Also, when installing the floor, additional materials can be used - heat and waterproofing, which are laid directly under the boards.
Logs are long bars (usually those made of solid wood are used, or glued bars are allowed).
On a note! Previously, logs were made from large hewn logs, but now this option is unacceptable due to the high price.
The logs themselves are laid on the ceiling, which can be either made of a beam of a larger section or a concrete slab. Also, logs can be installed on bricks if the base for the floor is soil. In the private sector, a metal ceiling can serve as the basis.
The creation of a plank floor is completed by laying or applying a finish coating. It can be varnish, paint, and if the floors are laid as a rough base, then a number of other types of floor coverings.
Advice! If the plank floors are made of high-quality and beautiful wood color, then it is better to cover them with a transparent varnish, preserving the natural shade, and leave it as a floor finish.
Types of boards and their choice
Floor boards are usually made of larch or pine - these are the most affordable, but at the same time high-quality and reliable types of wood. Sometimes there are floors made of ash, oak, maple, alder.
On a note! Boards made from aspen or alder are considered the most environmentally friendly and are recommended for use by homeowners who take care of their health.
If varnish becomes the finishing layer, then the choice should be made in favor of light wood species with a pronounced beautiful pattern. Oak planks, as well as walnut or mahogany, will look best as a floor. Among the options listed, oak wood is the cheapest.
Table. Floor boards depending on the wood used.
Board type | Description and characteristics |
---|---|
Strength on the Brinell scale - 2.5. The texture of the birch is very beautiful and pleasant, and if it is additionally toned, the floor will turn out to be very beautiful. Price for 1 sq.m. is approximately 660 rubles. |
|
Such a board is not inclined to absorb moisture, and therefore can be used where the humidity index is quite high, that is, even in a sauna or bath. Larch almost does not rot, and its Brinell strength is 3.1 - it is not even necessary to varnish the material. The color of this wood is very beautiful, noble. Cost of 1 sq.m. boards can vary from 600 to 1620 rubles. |
|
Brinell strength is 4 and 3.7 - the material is very durable. Resistance to humidity is moderate, but lower than that of larch. Such floors look very noble and rich. The cost of this material is high - from 1800 to 4400 rubles / sq. m. |
|
floor boards There are several types of floor boards, the main ones are:
The thickness of the boards when choosing a material is often determined by the distance between the lags, and vice versa - the distance between the lags may depend on what thickness of the boards are used. Table. The ratio of the distance between the lags and the thickness of the boards. To create a finishing floor covering, it is recommended to use boards with a tongue-and-groove connection type. The most commonly used material is 28 mm thick - this is the most common board size. If the floors will experience a significant load, then it is recommended to use boards with a thickness of at least 36 mm. On average, the width of this building material varies from 68 to 138 mm. Plank floor mounting optionsPlank floors can be installed in different ways. Basically, three methods are used - installation of a wooden floor on ordinary logs or on adjustable ones, as well as installation using clamps. Basics of floor installation on ordinary logsIn this case, the installation begins with the laying of wooden bars with dimensions usually 5x5 or 4x6 cm on the concrete floor. The logs must be laid so as to be on the same level - for this it is most convenient to use the building laser level. Also, a soundproof gasket is often placed under the bars. The elements are fastened with anchors. The installation of the log is made from walls oriented perpendicular to the windows, and then the boards are laid perpendicular to the logs. During the laying of boards, their second row is mounted with a slight offset relative to the first (chess order). Then the floors will look better and more interesting. A small gap of about 1 mm is allowed between adjacent boards. The boards are attached to the logs with self-tapping screws or ordinary nails. In this case, the latter are driven at an angle of 45 degrees into the end of the board.
The basics of installing a wooden floor on adjustable joistsThis method of installing plank floors is used if the subfloor is uneven, with large height differences, which complicates the laying of any floor covering. It is the arrangement in this case of adjustable logs that allows you to speed up the installation process and place some communications under the boards. At the same time, the load on the floors, in contrast to the case when it is mounted, is minimal, and the thermal insulation properties of the floors increase significantly. To create such floors, you will have to drill holes in the logs in increments of about 40 cm, and screw special metal racks into them. The logs themselves are laid in increments of about 50 cm, leveled and fixed with dowels passing through the racks. Before laying the board, the excess racks are cut off. Prices for adjustable floor joistsadjustable lags Basics of floor installation using clampsClamps are special devices that allow you to connect boards to each other. These can be building brackets, wedge clamps, movable brackets and clamp brackets. Also, for this method, it will be necessary to make wooden wedges with an inclination of the sides of about 15-20 degrees. The wedges will be used as workers and spacers. Clamps for rallying floor boards: a - construction bracket, b - clamp-clamp, c - wedge clamp with a movable bracket; 1 - wedge, 2 - bracket, 3 - lag, 4 - wedge clamp, 5 - spur, 6 - movable stop The order of work is as follows: the first board is fixed, and another 10-15 pieces are placed next to it. When installing the last board, two clamps are installed so that wedges fit between them and the boards. The latter are driven in with a hammer so that all the boards are tightly, without gaps, docked with each other. After that, they are fixed with nails. The remaining gap at the wall will be hidden by the plinth. Material selection and base preparationThe key to a beautiful and high-quality floor is the use of good material. Floor boards should not have various defects - for example, knots, cracks, etc. Also, if the floor is varnished and serves as a finish, it is important to pay attention to the beauty of the wood texture. For floor installation, in addition to boards, you may need the following tools and materials:
The nuances of installing a wooden floorIt is not enough to know the technology of arranging the floor from the boards in the apartment. It is also recommended to listen to the advice of experienced craftsmen and know the nuances of such work.
Do-it-yourself wooden floorConsider the process of creating a floor from boards in the case when soil acts as a base. Step 1. The first step is to dismantle the old flooring, if any. At the same time, completely old boards and logs are removed. Step 2 If the room is located on the ground floor of a private house, then the sand cushion is also removed to a depth of approximately 30 cm. Step 3 Then the installation of metal frames for future pile-columns is carried out. This will raise the beams if the groundwater is close to the surface. To do this, recesses are created in the ground, into which metal bases are then dug. All columns are installed at the same level. Step 4 Rectangular shapes are made from plastic lining, which are put on metal bases. Then they are poured with liquid concrete. After drying, the mold is removed from the lining. Step 5 From metal 6 mm thick, small plates are cut, which are installed on the top of the concrete columns. Beams will be attached to the plates. A hole 14 mm wide is made in the middle of each plate. Step 6 A layer of polyethylene film for waterproofing is laid on the ground. You can fix the film on the columns using ordinary adhesive tape. Step 7 Metal plates are covered with paint, which will protect them from moisture. Step 8 With the help of metal cone washers and a powerful bolt and nut, wooden logs (100x60 mm) are fastened. Before that, a layer of heat-insulating material is laid on the concrete column.
Step 9 The required number of lags is set in the same way. Step 10 A layer of heat-insulating material is laid between the beams, and a layer of vapor barrier material is attached to them from above. The latter is attached with a slight slack. Step 11 For laying the flooring, a board with joint grooves will be used, which will allow the boards to be joined without gaps. Depending on the size of the room, the boards are sawn in such a way that after laying the flooring there is a gap of 1 cm between them and the walls on all sides. Step 12 Boards are treated with a brush with a special primer for wood. It is especially important to apply a greasy layer of the product to the inside and ends of each board. Step 13 The first board is laid along the wall. Don't forget to leave gaps along the walls! Step 14 The first 10 boards are laid. Part of the flooring just ends at the edge of the vapor barrier. Here the rest of the vapor barrier is laid. Joints are connected using double-sided and foil tape. The first allows you to connect two layers of fabric together, the second will protect the joint from above. The overlap of two sheets of material is about 10-15 cm. Step 15 A small bar is laid along the end of the last laid board. With hammer blows, the boards are more tightly knocked together. This will get rid of possible gaps between the boards. The board breaks through the entire length. Step 16 Using a screwdriver, the screws are screwed into the corner of the board at an angle of 45 degrees at the place where the lags pass. Step 17 The ends of the boards are also fastened with self-tapping screws. Step 18 Before the laying of the boards is continued, the chips and chips of wood that have appeared in the places where the screws are screwed in are carefully removed. Step 19 After all the boards have been laid, they are sanded. This is necessary to bring down the gloss. During grinding, it is recommended to wear safety glasses and a respirator, as the work is very dusty. After grinding, the floor surface is thoroughly cleaned of dust. Step 20 The final stage is the application of varnish on the surface of the boards. The varnish is applied with a brush along each board in two layers, the second is applied approximately two hours after the first is applied. Floors can be painted. Video - Wooden flooring
Video - Installation of a wooden floor along the logs
Features of wooden floor repairThe advantage of a wooden floor can be called the simplicity of its repair. In this case, all the work can be done independently. Repairs must be made if the floors begin to creak or damaged floorboards are found. It is also produced when large gaps appear between the floorboards, formed due to the drying of the tree. Wooden floor on logs - installation In the latter case, the boards are simply carefully removed and stacked on a new one without gaps. If the floors are springy, then it is also necessary to completely disassemble the floors and add a few lags to reduce the distance between them - then the flooring will not sag. Arrangement and repair of a plank floor in an apartment or house is a feasible task for almost everyone who knows at least a little construction tools and has free time to do all the work. But such floors will allow you not to be afraid for your health, and they will last much longer than any laminate or other artificially created floor covering. |
Floors made of wooden boards are among the most comfortable and environmentally friendly coatings. They are preferred not only for their noble appearance, but also for the opportunity to carry out styling with their own hands.
Types of wooden floors
Wooden decking can be created from different types of building materials:
- Solid wood boards.
- Parquet (small strips with grooves and tongues).
- Parquet board from solid wood with grooves. Standard length: 0.5-2m; acceptable thickness: 1.8-2.5 cm.
- Glued parquet board. It looks almost like a solid parquet board, has the same dimensions and similar performance properties. It costs a little less, since only the top layer is created from a valuable type of wood (thickness 5 mm), while the rest are made from inexpensive species.
Important! Glued board has at least 3 layers.
Choice of wood
Wooden coating is selected based on the ability to match: the type of room, temperature and humidity, the degree of expected loads and other operating conditions. Most often, in residential buildings, flooring is made of pine, spruce or larch. These species are durable, wear-resistant and much cheaper than hardwood species. However, aspen or oak will last much longer - not years, but several decades.
Important! Most often, edged board or tongue-and-groove wood is used for wood flooring. They do not need to be further polished.
Material selection criteria
How to choose a floor board?
- The material is carefully inspected for cracks, splits and stains. Wood with such defects is categorically not suitable for laying the floor.
What are the material requirements?
- The optimal length for boards is 2 meters. You can do more, but not less.
- The material must be dry. If you lay damp boards, after some time the coating will lose its shape, and an overdried tree may deform.
- It is recommended to buy 15% more than the required number of boards.
- The wood must be from the same batch, then the material will not differ in color or pattern, and there will be no doubt that the wood was processed using a single technology.
Important! Unpacking of boards is made just before laying. Otherwise, they may be deformed.
The following video will help you choose the material:
floor laying
Laying the floor in the house can be done in two ways. One of them involves laying boards directly on the base, the second - laying a wooden floor using a log.
For laying boards use the following tools:
- self-tapping screws;
- dowels;
- Pilu;
- Screwdriver / screwdriver;
- Hammer;
- Nails;
- stapler;
- Edged saw;
- Construction level;
- grinding machine;
- Mount.
Variations are possible.
Wood processing
Before installing the logs and laying the floor, it is necessary to carry out a complete processing of the wooden material: bioimpregnation - to protect against rot and fungi; flame retardant - to increase fire resistance.
How to properly process the boards can be found in the following video:
Waterproofing
Under the future floor, it is imperative to lay waterproofing. Penofol or polyethylene is perfect for this. It is better, of course, to put penofol. It will protect against moisture and noise, will become an obstacle to electromagnetic radiation.
Installing the base on the logs
In private houses, it is customary to lay the floor on logs. Proper installation of such a structure will hide the differences in the level of wooden flooring. By the way, various pipes and other communications can be placed under it. A wooden bar 5x10 cm usually acts as a log.
Important! You can lay the floor on the logs with your own hands only in a house with high ceilings, since when laying such a base, 7-15 centimeters of height are hidden.
Logs are brought into the room a few days before the start of work. It is necessary to lay the bars at a small distance from each other in order to exclude the possibility of deflection of the boards.
Log laying
First, two logs are laid at opposite walls at the same level. Threads are pulled between them every 1.5 meters. The rest of the lags are set, focusing on the threads. Between the beams you need to lay a heater or several layers of fiberboard.
Important! For laying boards with a thickness of up to 30 cm, the log is laid at a distance of up to 60 cm. To lay material with a thickness of 30-40 cm, you need to place the bars within 80 cm from each other. For wood thicker than 40 cm, it is allowed to install a log with a distance of 1 m.
The height of the lag is adjusted with plywood wedges. They, together with the bars, are attached to the wooden base with nails or self-tapping screws. They are fixed on concrete with dowels or anchors. Plywood should be laid on top of the fixed logs.
Plank flooring
The dimensions of the boards are selected with the expectation that each joint should be at right angles to the edge of the board, in the center of the log. The first row of wood should be laid on the bars along a stretched thread with a 1.5 cm indent from the wall. The boards are fixed on all logs. Holes for self-tapping screws are pre-drilled. Sometimes the floorboards are fastened with staples, and then with nails. The gaps between the wall and the coating are well masked by skirting boards. How to make a wooden floor on the logs can be seen in the video:
Flooring over plywood
Quite often draft floors in houses are made of plywood. The material is valued for its strength and reliability. It practically does not deform during operation. Laying a finishing floor from above is advisable only if the existing coating has dried out or loosened. If desired, it is easy to dismantle it with your own hands. The plywood base does not require pre-treatment. A new coating can be laid directly on its surface. If you plan to lay the floor in the house for the first time, you need to level the base with a log or fill it with a self-leveling mixture.
Before leveling, plywood is placed on the floor and a diagram of the future arrangement of the sheets is drawn. On its basis, lags are laid out. Alignment of the base begins with the placement of beacons around the room. The area is divided into squares (side 20-30 cm). Self-tapping screws are screwed into the corners.
Important! Plywood is not used in rooms with high humidity (or in places where the floor can flood) or frequent temperature changes.
Installing guides
Lighthouses are set using a level and fixed with a screwdriver. Then the lags are installed. The greater the thickness of the plywood, the further apart the bars are laid out from each other (an average of 40 cm).
Lag installation
To prevent the lags from sagging, pieces of plywood are placed under them. The bars can be attached to the base in different ways - using corners, anchors, linings (they need to be filled with adhesive) or self-tapping screws. So that the floor does not crack, the structure should be treated with glue.
Important! Anchor heads should be pressed into the wood by 2 mm.
To protect against condensation, the logs are covered with glassine, and only then with plywood. A gap of a couple of millimeters is left between the sheets in case of material deformation. They fix it with self-tapping screws (as a rule, 8-9 pieces go to a sheet). Plywood is sanded at the joints to avoid unevenness. Boards are laid on top of plywood, secured with nails or self-tapping screws. Be sure to leave a small gap against the wall.
Laying boards on a concrete base
To level the concrete base, you need to install beacons and pour a self-leveling mixture. Laying wood can only be done on a perfectly flat floor, but the cement should not come into contact with the wood. To do this, the screed is covered with foamed polyethylene. It is laid with an overlap, creating excellent waterproofing. You can use mask.
Finishing the floor
Upon completion of laying, the floor:
- Sanded;
- leach;
- primed;
- Paint or varnish.
Important! Impregnation, varnishes / paints are applied parallel to the wood fibers. Then the marks from the roller or brush are not so noticeable.
Wooden floors for baths have been used since ancient times. And today, despite the presence of a large number of new technologies, this option is rightfully considered optimal. We will consider several solutions for arranging floors, talk about the technology of their construction, the advantages and "problem" sides.
Logs on the ground
Making wooden floors
Under the floor lags only soil
Logs for the floor in the log house
It means that under the floor there is nothing but soil. The lags themselves, of course, never lie on the ground or various bedding, they must be installed on concrete or brick columns.
Lags on brick pillars
Columns from blocks for lag
The distance between the posts is calculated taking into account the thickness of the log, floorboards and the maximum load on the floor. During the construction of baths, in most cases, no one makes such accurate calculations, and they are not needed. The average universal values are chosen, in our case we choose the thickness of the floorboards 30 mm and the logs 50 × 100 mm.
In this option, the distance between the lags should be within 1.5 meters, the distance between the posts under each lag should be within 1.6 ÷ 1.8 meters. A few centimeters in one direction or another do not make the weather, move the columns, taking into account the specific dimensions of the room.
The main thing is that the columns over the entire area should be evenly spaced.
Step lag depending on the thickness of the floorboards
Log dimensions at a step of 70 centimeters
How are floors with lags on the ground made?
Step 1. Take measurements of the room, determine the level of the floor. Construction documentation has its own characteristics. One of them is that the zero mark does not touch the ground, as some people think, but the floor level. Everything above the floor is indicated with a “+” sign in the drawings, everything below the floor level is indicated with a “-” sign. This means that the level of the lag should be indicated by -30 mm (below the thickness of the board). One more note on the documentation. Accuracy in millimeters is indicated in mechanical engineering, in construction, in most cases, dimensions are indicated in centimeters. We will gradually move on to the standard notation for the size of construction objects, for now we use the usual, but not quite correct notation.
Support posts for a log on the ground - diagram
Construction of wooden floors on columns
Step 2 Considering the distances, pre-calculate the installation locations of the posts and their number. The depth of the columns is approximately 20÷25 centimeters.
Mark up the columns. On the opposite walls of the room, using a laser or hydraulic level, beat off the zero mark (the level of the upper surface of the floorboards). He subtract 30 millimeters (board thickness) and 100 mm (log thickness). The level of the upper surface of the column is -13 centimeters. On the walls of the bath, make another mark at this height.
Dig small square holes of this size along the rope at the required distances; it is enough to make the depth of the holes with one bayonet of a shovel. Level the bottom, remove loose earth.
It is highly desirable to pour a sand cushion with a thickness of 10 ÷ 15 centimeters to compensate for swelling of the soil during freezing / thawing. At the bottom of each hole, pour a layer of sand and tamp it down. There is a desire to fill holes - make a concrete solution in the proportions of 1 part of cement, 2 parts of sand and 3 parts of crushed stone. During pouring, make sure that the surface is even and horizontal.
Step 3 Prepare all materials. There are several options for posts: pour concrete into the ground or use concrete blocks. Above the ground, you can use red brick or blocks, between the concrete base and the brick, it is imperative to waterproof with roofing material. It is better to take a brick, its small size facilitates the work of bringing the columns to one level of the horizon. Blocks have to be cut, it takes a long time, the cut is uneven.
Brick support column - appearance
Step 4 Making columns. We make the dimensions of the columns under the brick, the standard length of the bricks is 25 centimeters, we take two bricks. This means that the side of the square of the column will be 25 centimeters.
Are there multiple concrete blocks available? Great, the work will go faster and easier, lay out the columns of them.
The concrete has hardened - you can lay bricks. The thickness of a standard brick is only 6.5 centimeters, such dimensions will allow, by changing the thickness of the solution, to accurately set the surface of the columns to the required height. You need to pull new ropes, pull them along the height marks of the posts. Check the position of the bricks with a level, the posts should be in a vertical position. Using a cement-sand mortar, accurately adjust the surfaces of all posts along the thread.
Step 5 Logs are laid on the roofing material, it is better to put two layers of waterproofing.
The length of the log should be 3–4 centimeters shorter than the length of the room, this is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the tree. The logs must be fixed to the walls in a sliding way to prevent them from tipping over to the side, but allow them to move slightly in the longitudinal direction. It is better to do this with the help of factory standard metal connections, such are used during the arrangement of the floating truss system. If it is not possible to purchase such connections - no problem, make them yourself. To do this, on one side of the metal corner, the holes must be made oblong. This side will be fastened with screws to the logs, do not tighten the screws with great effort, the log should be able to slide. The second side of the metal corner is fixed to the wall of the bath.
First you need to fix two opposite logs, pull the ropes between them and lay all the rest along it. If there are problems with the level, use different linings. A height variation of up to two millimeters can be tolerated, these irregularities are eliminated during the final finishing of the floor coverings.
Step 6 Board flooring. Check the quality of the boards, it is better not to use materials with visible signs of marriage. If the boards, as a result of a violation of the production technology, have a curved side surface, you need to purchase ready-made or make your own special devices for tightening them.
For these purposes, you can use ordinary metal staples and wooden wedges. Prepare several wedges at once with different slope angles. Metal brackets are driven into the logs, an unnecessary board is placed between them, and wedges are driven in between the floorboard and it. The driving force must ensure that the surfaces are leveled. The boards are fixed to the joists in such a clamped position, after driving in all the nails, the wedges are removed and a new floorboard is inserted.
Bowrench - floorboard tightening tool
Do not forget to leave a gap of 1 ÷ 2 centimeters near the wall to compensate for linear expansions, the gap is then closed with a plinth. For flooring, you can use both ordinary and tongue-and-groove boards. If all operations were carried out correctly and the boards do not have deviations in thickness, the floor is ready for finishing painting or varnishing. If there is a noticeable difference in the height of individual boards, then they will have to be leveled with a special manual planer.
To improve the quality of the coating, the floor surface can be sanded.
Step 7 Nail the skirting boards around the perimeter of the room - the floor is ready for use.
Fixing wooden skirting boards
There are two more nuances of flooring in the steam room. The technology of laying the boards changes slightly, taking into account how the water will drain. If by gravity in the gap - do not pull the boards tightly, leave a gap of several millimeters between them.
If the water will go into the drainage system - you need to make a hole. The best option is to have an electric jigsaw. Drill a “starting” hole in the board with a drill, insert a jigsaw knife into it and carefully cut a hole of the desired size. No jigsaw - use a chisel and chisel. The work is a little more complicated, but it's not scary. Small irregularities of the hole made in this way will be closed with a decorative drain grate.
Lags over concrete screed
A more complex and expensive option for arranging floors. The logs are placed on a flat concrete screed, the floors can withstand significant loads.
Step 1. Mark the floor level, put marks on the wall. It is necessary to note both the position of the lag and the position of each layer of the cement base.
Step 2 Level the surface of the soil, remove the top fertile layer. On the ground, you need to pour a base of sand or gravel, tamp the base with special vibration mechanisms or manually.
An example of tamping a sand cushion
Step 3 Prepare concrete solution. During the production of concrete, we recommend giving two parts of sand and three parts of crushed stone for one part of cement. Such a concrete recipe can be considered universal, it is suitable for the manufacture of most architectural structures of buildings using concrete.
Step 4 Pour the concrete base. You need to fill in the lighthouses.
For beacons, you can use purchased metal or ordinary wooden slats. Reiki can not be pulled out of the solution, they do not affect the final performance. Level check the plane of the concrete. If there are significant deviations, make a screed on top with a cement-sand mortar. Do the screed in accordance with all the rules, do not allow unevenness and horizontal deviations.
Video - Installation of beacons under the screed
Video - Screed on beacons
Step 5 Lay waterproofing between the concrete base and wooden joists.
If you do not plan to insulate the floor, then you can take 30 × 50 mm bars as a log and lay them flat. The large area of the lag stop completely eliminates their deflections, and the thickness is sufficient for a strong fixation of the boards. The length of the lag must take into account linear expansion due to changes in the relative humidity of wooden structures.
Video - How to put logs on a concrete floor
Step 6 The boards are laid in the same way as we described above using the example of their laying along the logs on the ground.
In cases of building baths, this method of flooring is used infrequently. Such floors can only be done in the rest room; the steam room or shower method is not suitable. Laminate flooring or soft floor coverings are laid on plywood. The thickness of the plywood is determined by the total loads, but in any case it should be more than one centimeter. Depending on the thickness of the plywood, the lag step is adjusted. Experienced builders advise joists to mount them at a distance of no more than 50 centimeters.
Laying plywood on joists
Plywood must be moisture resistant, ordinary cheap varieties are unsuitable.
Important. When marking the placement of the lag, it is tedious to take into account the dimensions of the plywood sheets.
The fact is that under all the joints there must be lags. It is better to first draw on paper the layout of plywood sheets; during calculations, both longitudinal and transverse joints should be taken into account. You can fix plywood to the joists with nails or self-tapping screws.
And, in addition, it has good heat-shielding characteristics, which makes it possible not to use additional insulation for floors. Do not forget to glue the joints of sheets of technical cork with adhesive tape. Otherwise, during the production of work, they will shift, which complicates the laying of the laminate and makes the work more "nervous".
Ways to insulate floors along the logs in the bath
Floor insulation along the lags - scheme
For insulation of pilaf, two types of heaters can be used. None of them are ideal. Why?
Let's start with mineral wool.
It has high performance in many performance indicators: it keeps heat very well, it is easy to work with it, the heat-insulating layer has no cracks. But cotton wool also has a drawback - the material quickly absorbs moisture and gives it away for a very long time. Prolonged exposure of wooden elements in direct contact with wet wool significantly accelerates the appearance of rot and fungi. Wooden structures must be impregnated with antiseptics, mechanical methods of steam and hydroprotection should be used. Such construction activities are quite expensive.
The second insulation is foam boards.
This material does not absorb moisture. The fact that there are comments on environmental friendliness to him is not critical for the premises in the bathhouse, no one is going to live in them. Styrofoam is not “ruined” by environmental friendliness and physical indicators, it is “ruined” by rodents.
None of the manufacturers warns that mice, for unknown reasons, really like this material, they gnaw it with great pleasure and at high speed. No one has yet been able to completely get rid of rodents in their summer cottage. We hope that this information will help you make the best decision when choosing a floor insulation material.
How to insulate floors with mineral wool
You can take both rolled and pressed material. The only remark is that if you take pressed mineral wool, then the dimensions of the sheets should be taken into account when laying the lag.
Nail thin slats or bars to the side planes of the log, a draft floor will lie on them. For its manufacture, you can take unedged boards, pieces of lumber, remnants of plywood or OSB sheets. Mineral wool must be reliably protected from the penetration of moisture from below, the ground under the bath will always have increased moisture levels.
For vapor protection, you can take any of the existing materials, they all have excellent performance characteristics.
Lay mineral wool on the subfloor carefully, do not leave gaps and gaps. The thickness of mineral wool cannot be greater than the height of the lag.
The upper surface of the insulation must be covered with hydroprotection and only after that begin to deal with the finishing flooring.
One of the options for floor insulation. The film is fastened with staples over basalt mineral wool
If there is an opportunity to replace mineral wool with glass wool, immediately take advantage of this chance. Glass wool is much cheaper than the "brand" material, and in terms of its physical and operational properties it is in no way inferior to it.
Glass wool - insulating material
One of the disadvantages of glass wool is considered to be its "thorniness". This is not a problem, work in working canvas gloves and nothing will “bite” you. For your information - fashionable mineral wool is made from mountain basalt, and this is the same glass, only with various impurities. Mineral wool "does not bite" only because the diameter of the glass fibers is much smaller, they break very easily and cannot damage the skin coverings. But there is much more fine glass dust from it, and this is harmful to the lungs.
In this version, the work is somewhat simplified and cheaper. The draft floor is made in the same way as in the case of mineral wool insulation. But steam and hydroprotection can be omitted, this can significantly reduce the cost of work. The problem with rodents will have to be solved independently. Some suggest laying a galvanized metal mesh with small cells on the subfloor, the latter will eat enough that the rodents will not spoil the entire foam. How to proceed - you will have to decide for yourself.
Styrofoam is perfectly cut with a special carpenter's knife. When cutting, make the sheets a few millimeters larger. The sheet will easily shrink, due to this, the density of fit to the logs will increase significantly. With proper cutting, the amount of unproductive material waste is reduced, the work is done faster and better.
Video - How to cut foam with a knife
You should have engineering network diagrams even before starting the construction of floors, they must be taken into account when marking the lag locations and laying insulation. We will give some practical advice on the installation of engineering communications.
- All connections must be made in the most reliable way and very carefully. This applies to both sewer pipes and electrical wiring.
- Electrical cables must be laid in plastic or corrugated metal pipes without fail. In fact, we do not recommend laying the wiring under the floor, it is much more convenient to do the wiring along the walls. Moreover, they will still get off with clapboard or other materials, and under them you can easily hide all the networks.
- For sewerage, it is necessary to provide for the most dangerous places in terms of blockages. Open pipelines in such places have special technological accesses; in case of clogging, pipes can be easily cleaned with their help. Most often, dirt accumulates in the knees and joints. Place them as close as possible to the walls of the premises. Moreover, the boards in such places should be parallel to the direction of the pipeline. This will make it possible, in case of unpleasant situations, to provide access to the problem area after dismantling just one or two boards.
Communications under the floor
During the installation of sewer pipelines, it is better to make a margin for throughput, to be safe from cases of clogging. The path of the pipe will be of a larger diameter, let their total length increase slightly. The main thing is to have confidence in the long-term and reliable operation of the entire system.
Video - Subfloor installation
Video - Floors on the ground. How to do it right
- The base for an orthopedic mattress: types, purpose and choice What distance should be between the slats
- Finishing a brick fireplace: painting and plastering How to paint a wooden fireplace
- Master class "Stencil painting of the wall": do-it-yourself wall painting in the apartment Stencil painting of walls in the interior
- Scandinavian landscape design