Laying of massive parquet boards. Massive board laying technology: methods of installation and finishing

Parquet from massive board lasts for decades. Such a floor will last more than half a century, and with careful use 100 years. The price of a laying error is huge, so it is better to trust it to parquet specialists. Do you want to learn or just know all the subtleties of stacking an array? Let's talk!

Solid board laying. 5 foundation requirements

Evenness. The gap between the base and the control level should not exceed 2 mm. If necessary, sand the base, or level it with a putty or leveling compound. Differences can also be eliminated with plywood, which is mounted on the base and then sanded.
Strength. Strength characteristics reinforced concrete floor, screed or self-leveling floor must be at least 150 kg / cm² (15 MPa).
Humidity. Maximum allowable value for reinforced concrete panels: 4%; leveling screeds: 5%, wooden bases: 12%. It is unacceptable to measure the humidity of the screed made during the repair process in a calendar way, without the use of a hygrometer.
Stability. The maximum allowable subsidence of the base: 1.5 mm (under a load of 200 kg). To eliminate subsidence in a wooden base, fix it with self-tapping screws or lay one or, if necessary, two layers of plywood over the base.
Purity. The substrate must be free of dust, dirt, grease and loose particles. If there are layers of used primer, glue or bitumen on the substrate, they must be completely removed.

How to lay a massive board with glue using plywood: step by step instructions

This is the most common, but most importantly, the most reliable way solid board laying. You lay the floor not on the screed, but on the plywood layer between it. In fact, this eliminates most of the shortcomings of the base - its looseness, unevenness, etc. So.

Before starting installation, it is imperative to carry out a thorough quality check of the entire delivered batch of solid boards. Do not install defective or damaged planks. Claims to the quality of a massive board must be made before it is laid.

1. For residential premises, use birch moisture-resistant plywood of the FC brand as a subfloor. The thickness of plywood should be at least 2/3 of the thickness of the board laid on it ( minimum thickness- 10 mm). Before starting installation, cut the plywood sheets into at least four pieces. Ensure that there is a technological (expansion) gap between plywood sheets, as well as in areas where it adjoins walls or tiles (recommended gap size is 10–15 mm). Lay the plywood perpendicular to the direction of laying the solid board. Next, apply glue with a notched trowel to the base and attach the plywood on top, securing it to the base with a dowel-nail. After the glue has dried, sand the plywood so that its surface does not have deviations from the flatness of more than 2.0 mm.

2. Start laying the solid board from the solid wall of the room, from left to right, placing the first board with the edge groove against the wall. The boards are connected to each other with the help of “comb-groove” profile joints that do not require gluing together. Apply the glue with a notched trowel directly onto the plywood base. Be sure to fasten each plank to the plywood with self-tapping screws (3 x 35-45 mm), screwing them into the outer corner of the comb from a 45 angle and observing intervals of 25-30 cm. To avoid chips and cracks, a board made of extra hard wood must be pre-drilled in the fastener area.

Attention! For the most successful work, it is recommended to pre-lay the massive board without the use of glue. Unlike the "floating" method, the adhesive mounting method does not allow correcting "problem" areas after the glue dries.

3. Ensure a sufficient width of the technological gap between the perimeter of the laid boards and the wall (or tiles). The optimal and uniform gap size (10–15 mm) must be adjusted using wedges, which are subsequently removed.

4. Laying the second row, start with the piece left when cutting the board that was laid last in the first row. In this case, the distance between the end joints of adjacent rows of boards should not be less than 500 mm, for short boards (less than 1200 mm), the length of the overlap zone should be at least 300 mm.

5. If there is a gap or ledge between the boards to be joined, make sure that the groove of the board of the previous row is clean. To improve the joint, carefully rub the boards with profile joints against each other several times. If necessary, delicately bring the boards together using a mallet and a specialized tamping block.

6. Before cutting the boards in the areas where the heating pipes pass, take a sheet of paper (or cardboard) and attach it to the place where the pipes pass, marking the intended holes. Then put the template on the board and use it to mark the place for the holes on the board. Next, cut holes in the board, the diameter of which is 5–10 mm larger than the actual diameter of the pipes, and then saw the board into two halves so that the cut passes through the center of the holes. Next, mount the boards in the desired area. Hide the resulting technological gap along the radius of the pipes with a decorative ring of a suitable diameter.

7. When laying the last row, measure the required width of the last row at several points (taking into account the technological gap), mark the cutting line and cut the boards to the appropriate size. After laying the boards, tightly connect them, using, if necessary, a tamping block and a mounting bracket.

8. Close the technological gap along the walls with a plinth. At the junction with the tile, the gap should be closed with a threshold, or filled with a cork or a sealing elastic compound.
The basis for laying a massive board is most often cement-sand screed or wooden "black" floor, laid on the logs..

Laying parquet has its own specifics - especially if we are talking about massive board or engineered array. We recommend entrusting this work only to parquet masters. For example, you can order turnkey parquet laying from us - in the Mont Blanc Decor flooring salons - with a preliminary departure for measurement and further full "support" of the project! They not only know, but also love parquet :)

The content of the article:

Laying a massive board is the final stage in the installation of a wooden floor structure. Forming top coat, this material is ideal for most rooms. The ecological cleanliness of the board is due to the absence of adhesive joints, as piece products are made from solid wood. Her drawing, created by nature itself, gives a delightful appearance floor covering. wooden decor excellent heat retention, it is durable, strong and easy to renew. How to lay a massive board on a stone or wooden base you will learn from this article.

Features of choosing a solid board for the floor

To the choice of board for floor covering it is necessary to approach with maximum responsibility, because the appearance and durability of the future cladding depends on its quality. A modern massive board has tongue and groove joints and is made from dozens of wood species, including exotic ones in our sense of the word. Depending on the financial possibilities, the purpose of the premises and the requirements for the future floor, you can choose almost any wooden flooring on this basis.

The most common and budget option is a massive board made of pine. Cedar and larch products are also quite popular, but they are more expensive. Ash and oak floor coverings are exceptionally durable, but their price is an order of magnitude higher.

Aspen and alder floors have a healing effect, but the strength of their wood limits the use of the material in rooms with heavy traffic. If the floor covering will be varnished after installation, it is recommended to use light-colored boards.

When choosing dies for the floor, their physical characteristics should be taken into account:

First of all, you need to pay attention to the moisture content of the material. For massive boards, its recommended value is 7-10%, the maximum is 12%. Industrial drying of wood on modern equipment makes it possible to achieve such indicators. Too wet board after installation on the floor shrinks during operation, forms cracks and loose joints in the locks.
Boards that have notches, cracks, chips and holes from knots should immediately be put aside. Material with traces of mold and fungus is also not suitable for work - it can ruin the entire floor.
The floor wooden board must be impregnated with an antiseptic, which will protect the future coating from the invasion of insects and the reproduction of microorganisms harmful to the wood. Data on such impregnation must be provided by the manufacturer in the technical documentation for the products. If solid wood flooring is to be laid on an existing wooden floor, all its structures, including logs, must also be treated with an antifungal agent before finishing.
Impregnation of boards with flame retardants, which increase the fire resistance of products, must also be carried out at the factory. You should pay attention to this when buying this material.
The geometric dimensions of a massive floor board must comply with accepted standards. Its length can be from 0.5 to 6 or even 9 m. This allows you to pick up the material entirely along the length of the room or perform it beautiful docking at the ends.
The width of the board can also be different. Her maximum value- 450 mm, minimum - 60 mm. The wider the board laid on the floor, the less durable coating can be obtained, this is due to the number of its fasteners. The most optimal width of products is 100-120 mm. Such boards are used more often than others.
Thickness range of solid wood flooring elements is 18-50 mm. Laying boards of maximum thickness provides the greatest strength of the floor, but the same parameter of the base under the coating should be much higher. The most popular boards are 20-25 mm thick. The strength of such a coating for home use is quite sufficient, moreover, it does not require a powerful substrate.

Many manufacturers are currently producing finished goods with a protective varnish coating or impregnation with wax and oils. When buying such a board, you will not need to finish its surface, however, in this case, you will have to lay the wooden floor very carefully so as not to damage its outer layer.

Preparation of the base for laying solid boards

Solid wood floor coverings can be laid in apartments and private houses, in public and administrative institutions on stone and wooden bases. In all cases, the principle of mounting external floor elements is the same, but there are some peculiarities in preparing the base for them. Let's take a look at them.

concrete base

Before laying a massive board on a concrete base, it is recommended to make an intermediate layer of moisture-resistant plywood. It allows you to easily and naturally fix the finishing floor covering on its surface, which will be perfectly even and protected from concrete moisture.

To lay plywood on the floor tightly and horizontally, you must first perform a leveling screed. To do this, the concrete floor should first be cleaned of dirt and debris, and then checked for slopes and irregularities using a two-meter rail and building level.

If there are gaps between measuring tool and the investigated surface is more than 5 mm, it will be necessary to perform a cement screed along the beacons, which can be raised to any reasonable height from base surface. If the gaps are less than 5 mm, the base can be filled with a self-levelling compound.

The finished screed must dry completely. Its required humidity is not difficult to check. To do this, after 2-3 weeks, a piece of plastic film should be laid on the floor surface and hermetically pressed around the perimeter with adhesive tape to the screed. If after a couple of days no condensation is found under the film, work with the floor can be continued.

Its essence is as follows:

The dried screed must be covered with a layer of waterproofing. The material for it can be a polyethylene film or a sealing mastic on a bituminous or other basis. Sheets of polyethylene film should be laid on the floor surface with an overlap of 10-15 cm, tightly gluing their joints with metallized adhesive tape. Coating waterproofing can be applied with a brush and roller.
Then the plywood sheets should be cut along the short sides into fragments of 500-600 mm wide and the finished samples should be laid on the waterproofing in a checkerboard pattern, keeping a gap of 2-3 mm between them. Between the wall and the outer sheets of plywood, you need to leave expansion joint, which will serve to compensate for the linear expansion of the material during temperature and humidity changes in the environment.
It is recommended to fix the laid plywood on the concrete floor with dowels and screws. There should be 15 fasteners per 1 m 2 of surface. The heads of all screws should be sunk into the thickness of the material by 2-3 mm. If instead of a film was used coating waterproofing, the plywood can simply be glued to the floor using a compound compatible with the sealing mastic.

To exclude all "wet" processes related to the screed device, a lag system can be used for laying a massive board. Usually they are made of timber with a section of 50x50 or 70x80 mm. Wooden beams can be short or correspond in length to the linear dimensions of the room. Logs with a section of 50x50 mm must be laid in increments of 250-300 mm, and thicker ones in increments of 700 mm.

The timber should be laid in a direction perpendicular to the future location of the massive board. The upper surface of all logs should be a single plane and the same level with or without a slope. The necessary adjustment of the position of the floor support system can be performed using the building level, cord and adjusting pads under the timber.

Fastening the log to the floor should be done using dowels, screws and metal corners. Fastening pitch - 50 cm. Insulation in the form of plates or rolled material must be laid in the cells between the lags.

Further work provides two options for its development:

You can lay a waterproofing film on the logs, fix it on the beams with stapler brackets, and then mount and fix with screws a one- or two-layer draft floor under a solid board of t. 25 mm from moisture-resistant plywood from above.
If the board has a thickness of more than 30 mm, it can be laid immediately after waterproofing on the logs as a top coat.

Important! A board can be laid on plywood, the thickness of which does not exceed 25 mm, that is, the intermediate layer should not be thinner than the floor covering itself.

wooden base

Even an old wooden floor can serve as the basis for mounting a massive board, if it is reliable and durable. In any case, before use, it should be examined before laying expensive material on such a base. During an external examination, it is worth paying attention to the presence or absence of cracks, rot, chips and heavy wear on its surface.

It will not be superfluous to check the creaking and shakiness of its floorboards. If they occur, part of the flooring in problem areas must be disassembled and the logs carefully inspected. If they are rotten, it is better to dismantle such a floor and create a modern new foundation in its place.

If the inspection result is positive, the existing floor should be treated with a tape grinder, the grain size of its abrasive should correspond to the values \u200b\u200bof 40 or 63. After that, the surface must be cleaned of dust and covered with waterproofing plastic wrap.

The solid board must be laid in the direction of the base boards. When choosing another direction, sheets of moisture-resistant plywood t. 12-15 mm should be laid on top of the existing floor, sanded and dust removed. After that, a massive board can be laid on the resulting base.

Methods for mounting a solid board on the floor

A massive board on the floor can be laid in two ways. Let's get to know each of them better.

Locking method of mounting a massive board

It is used when laying products equipped with a tenon-groove fastening system, and does not differ in particular complexity. A massive board is usually laid perpendicular to the plane of the window openings, although another option is also possible, for example, along any diagonal of the floor.

3-5 days before the start of work, the board must be brought into the room where the flooring is supposed to be laid and freed from packaging. During the subsequent time, the material adapts to the humidity of the environment and will not deform during the laying and further operation of the floor. The relative humidity of the air in the room should not exceed 60%, and its temperature should be 10-30°C.

The order of work is as follows:

The installation of the first row of boards should begin parallel to the longitudinal axis of the room, placing the products with a spike directed towards its long wall. All boards must be leveled and fixed with screws, with the expectation that then the fasteners can be closed with a plinth.
The side of the board opposite the wall should be fixed to the joists or plywood base with screws, screwing them into the groove at an angle of 45 °. The length of the screws should be 2-2.5 times greater than the thickness of the product.
Each board of the next row must be inserted when laying the spike into the groove of the element of the previous row. The maximum tightness of the connection between the floorboards can be ensured by their adjustment with the help of special pads.
The last row of massive boards, just like the first one, must be fixed with screws, assuming the possibility of hiding the fasteners under the plinth. A deformation gap of 8-10 mm wide should be left between the walls and the extreme rows of boards.

Important! If the flooring from a massive board is laid immediately on the logs, all its elements must be attached to each beam in turn.

Adhesive method of mounting a solid board

The adhesive method of mounting a solid board is used in cases where the material is made of precious wood or there is a need to clad the floor of a large area, irregularly complex contour, or cover the area of the entrance openings. A board of valuable species of wood, as a rule, is always thinner, and its length often does not exceed two meters - the considerable cost of the material affects it.

The essence of laying a massive board with an adhesive method is that the wooden floorboards, tightly connecting at the joints to each other, are glued to the base special composition and additionally attached to it with self-tapping screws. They are screwed into the side joints of the boards at an angle of 45 °, and the fastener caps are recessed into the wood by 3-5 mm.

Finished glued floor natural wood very durable and resistant to deformation, it absolutely does not need expansion joints. However, such a coating is completely unsuitable for underfloor heating systems. In addition, in order to replace the damaged area on it, all floor boards laid on glue will have to be dismantled.

How to lay a massive board on the floor - look at the video:

Summing up, I would like to note that the practicality of solid parquet board flooring has been proven by centuries of impeccable service, it is respectable, spectacular and, finally, simply beautiful. Board made from solid wood, always fashionable and easily amenable to any processing, including her artificial aging. Therefore, use this wonderful material, which can become the main decoration of your home!

Laying a massive board is carried out exclusively at the final stage of the repair in the room. This is the only way to minimize the risk of damage or deformation of the flooring. This means that all work on the installation of a massive board floor should begin after the doors and windows are installed, the subfloor is prepared, the walls are leveled, and all wet work is completed. It is highly desirable that the plaster, concrete, paint have time to dry thoroughly. In no case should the humidity in the room exceed 60%. Optimal Humidity the material itself - no more than 12%. Although, for the sake of fairness, it should be noted that the last remark about 12% is pure theory, because with all your desire, you will not be able to reduce this figure. This figure is only a reflection of the features (and in some cases quality) of production. A study of the products presented on the market showed that the humidity of a solid board made of ash or oak (and other European species) is 12-15%; from exotic species (wood is processed in tropical countries) - about 18%. Perhaps it is for this reason that European breeds take root better in the microclimate of our apartments.

Unpacking and preparing for installation

Proper unpacking of the material and preparation for its installation will help you avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.

Remember: a laid solid board is a floor covering that you accept in terms of quality. And the presence of even obvious material defects is no longer a reason for a return. That is why, the unpacked board should first of all be carefully examined. If everything is in order, you can start sorting it - by color and pattern. Determine which boards will be used for trimming, in which places.

The unpacked and sorted board must undergo a three-day acclimatization in the room. The same recommendation applies to all materials that will be "involved" in the process of laying the flooring. Prior to laying the solid board (mandatory), activate all surface heating and air conditioning systems. For about seven to ten days, a stable temperature should be maintained in the premises - 20-22 degrees.

Important! Is it planned to lay a massive board on the ground floor? The basement should be thoroughly ventilated.

Rough surface requirements

The rough floor on which the massive board will be laid should be as even as possible. Maximum tolerance bases - two millimeters for every two meters. The reluctance to achieve a perfectly flat surface is fraught with consequences: after a couple of years, the board will begin to creak due to the movement of the floorboards. The creak of a solid board is a consequence of an unleveled floor, and not the terrible quality of the material.

Be sure to clean rough coating from dirt and debris. Remove shavings, remnants of building materials, nails, dust, stains from grease, glue from it. Make sure the base has no moving parts. If they are found, the floor is additionally strengthened.

Nuances in preparing the foundation

Concrete floors

First of all, it is necessary to form a barrier that can act as a buffer between wood and concrete. This role can be assumed by a polyethylene substrate (3 mm) or a layer of ground mastic. This barrier will ensure the stability of the coating and protect it from deformation.

Then you should equip the base for the massive board flooring. The scenario for the development of events provides for two ways to implement this item:

Method # 1 - joists on the screed

The role of the base in this case is taken by lags - wooden blocks rectangular section. They are attached to the screed with dowels / screws. If there is a danger of damaging the communications under the screed layer, a more reasonable solution would be to glue the log onto the mastic (adhesive or containing bitumen).

The maximum distance between the attachment points is 50 cm. The leveling of the bars is carried out according to the level by removing the excess tree with a planer / laying wood chips. The space between the lags, if desired, is filled with heat-insulating material. If you live on the ground floor in a building that does not have basement, then it’s still better to “wish” this. A moisture-proof film should be placed on the logs, fixed with brackets. And already on top of the last lay a massive board.

Method # 2 - plywood on the screed

Load-bearing wooden structures

If the laying of solid wood flooring will be carried out in a structure where the load-bearing structures are made of wood, they can be used to fix the base.

Plywood, OSB boards (18 mm) or plank flooring (20 mm) can be chosen as the base. The edges of the plates should be joined on the logs, but not between them. The gap between the sheets should be at least two millimeters, between the sheets and the wall - from ten (but not more than fifteen). Plywood and OSB are fastened with screws.

Finished wood floor

Does the room have a durable, high-quality wooden floor? Fine! belt sander. Clean the surface of fine debris and dust. It is recommended to lay a massive board over a wooden floor either in a diagonal or in a transverse direction.

Installation technology

Self-tapping screws are used to fasten the board - at least 20 cm must be maintained between them. It is desirable (especially for an “exotic” board) that these are specialized screws.

Laying this flooring also involves the landing of planks on the adhesive. It is convenient to apply it with a spatula, the glue should be distributed strictly over the area of the board. Remember that it is impossible to lay a massive board only on glue! In any case, additional fastening with self-tapping screws is necessary.

When joining planks, it is extremely important to take into account such a thing as gaps: in particular, between boards and walls. Too much long distance between floorboards can always be eliminated with wedges. The first row should be laid with a groove to the wall. The first and last rows are also attached through the front surface of the board. The attachment points are subsequently hidden under the plinth.

Video instruction will help to consolidate theoretical knowledge:

Sanding and protective coating

A solid board that does not have a factory coating must be processed with a disc and belt parquet grinder. In the corners and along the walls, it is better to use small hand-held and special corner fixtures.

After sanding, the surface of the solid board must be vacuumed or cleaned with a brush. should start on the same day. Experienced experts recommend applying three to seven layers of varnish. After each of them dries, the floor should be polished with a disk machine. In general, this process will take you about a week. The number of layers of varnish affects not only the strength, but also the specularity of the coating.

And finally, the final touch -. Carry it out in accordance with the recommendations of the specific manufacturer.

That's all! Solid wood flooring can rightly be considered complete. Now you can fully enjoy a high-quality and truly durable coating.

Now laying a massive board is easier, faster and cheaper thanks to the emergence of a unique adhesive backing, which has thermal, moisture and noise insulation properties.

Adhesive surface provides good adhesion, and the elastic properties of the substrate do not allow the board to move.

The installation of the flooring itself is done without the use of glue, nails or staples, but requires special skills in laying on adhesive materials.

Advantages of laying on an adhesive backing:

Quick and relatively easy styling
No glue, plywood, nails
Savings on laying costs up to 3-5 times
Excellent thermal, moisture and sound insulation
Smoothes uneven ground
Elastic properties do not allow the board to move with seasonal changes in air humidity
Service life over 25 years

The process of laying a solid board in a "floating" way on an adhesive substrate.

An example of laying a solid board in a "floating" way on a 360º adhesive backing

The requirements for a quality floor are simple:

it should not swell, sag, creak, “disperse”
should be even
serve without repair for a long time.

The adhesive backing is perfect for this.

Thanks to its unique structure, the adhesive backing has a long service life, evens out small allowable unevenness of the floor surface and provides an effective and economical solution to the problem of increasing the heat and sound insulation properties of floors.

The substrate is environmentally friendly and retains its properties throughout the life of the floor covering.

P.S. But for all the benefits this method However, we strongly recommend that you contact a specialist for installation and do not install it yourself. With the seeming simplicity of installation, laying skills are required both in “floating” and “classic” ways, and if you are laying for the first time, mistakes simply cannot be avoided.

Select solid board decor for laying on adhesive backing

View all features of adhesive backing

Choose an adhesive backing in the catalog

Preparing the room before laying solid board

The laying of a massive board is carried out at the final stage of the repair of the premises. This will minimize the risk of damage and deformation. Therefore, work on the installation of floors from a massive board should begin only after the windows, doors and walls have been installed, the subfloor has been prepared and all wet work has been completed.

It is very important that the wallpaper, plaster, paint, concrete dry thoroughly, and the humidity in the room does not exceed 40-60%.

At the same time, the humidity of a massive board should not be more than 12%.

However, the last remark about the moisture content of a solid board of 12% is purely theoretical, because you still cannot lower it and this indicator reflects the quality of production.

According to our research of the presented products on the market, the moisture content of solid boards made of oak or ash (and other European species) is 12-15%, and exotic species, the wood of which is processed in tropical countries, is about 18%. This is partly why European breeds are inherently more stable in our climate.

Without fail, before laying the massive board in the room, all available air conditioning and heating systems must be put into action.

The air temperature must be maintained between 18-22 °C, and for at least seven days before laying the solid board.

If the laying of a massive board is planned on the ground floor directly above the basement, then it should be thoroughly ventilated.

Requirements for the quality of the subfloor under the massive board

The subfloor on which the parquet board will be laid should be as even as possible, which can be achieved with leveling sanding.

The maximum allowable deviation when leveling walls and screed should not be more than 2 mm for every 2 m.

Subfloor leveling is the most important condition when laying a massive board and any parquet.

If you do not achieve a perfectly flat surface, a massive board will begin to creak in a couple of years due to the movement of the floorboards relative to each other. The creak of a massive board is always a consequence of an unleveled floor, and not of poor quality material.

It is very important to clean the subfloor from small debris and dirt.

Remove chips, small nails, residues from it building materials, if possible, dust, grease and adhesive stains.

The difference in humidity between the subfloor and the solid board laid on top of it should not be more than 4%. At the same time, the humidity of the subfloor itself should not exceed 12%. It is possible to achieve the installation of the necessary humidity indicators by thoroughly ventilating the room and eliminating possible undesirable sources of moisture.

Sometimes a dehumidifier can help solve this problem.

In addition, you need to make sure that there are no movements in the subfloor. If necessary, to eliminate them, the subfloor is additionally strengthened.

How to unpack and prepare for laying a massive board

In order to save yourself from unnecessary problems in the future, you should properly unpack and prepare for laying a massive board.

Remember that a massive board already laid by the master is considered to be accepted in terms of quality and, even if there are defects, cannot be returned.

After the solid board has been unpacked, it should be carefully inspected and sorted by pattern and color, planning in advance how it will be laid on the subfloor.

To create the most harmonious interior, set aside the boards that will best match the skirting boards and thresholds to lay next to them. Decide which boards you will use for trimming, and in what specific places.

The unpacked and sorted massive board must necessarily undergo acclimatization in the room where it is planned to be laid for at least three days.

The same applies to all materials that will be used during the installation of solid wood floors. Their humidity should not exceed 12% (theoretically), and it is desirable to be in the range of 6-10%.

True, it should be noted here that today it is impossible to find a massive board with a moisture content of 6-10% on the market, even the most expensive and exclusive. Alas, manufacturers are not ready to slow down production in order to create the perfect material.

Ways of laying a massive board on various types of subfloor

1.
Laying massive boards on concrete floors

First of all, a moisture-vapor barrier should be formed, which will serve as a buffer between concrete and wood. To do this, a special substrate made of foamed polyethylene, 3 mm thick, or a layer of soil mastic can be laid. The finished barrier will ensure the stability of the massive board and protect it from deformation.

After that, the base for the solid board flooring is arranged, which can be done in two ways.

The first way is "lags on the screed".

According to this technology, as a base for a massive board, wooden blocks of rectangular section are logs. TO concrete base such bars are fastened with dowels and screws, which are inserted perpendicular to the future floor. Alternatively, if there is a risk of damage to the communications under the concrete screed, you can glue the logs on an adhesive or bitumen-containing mastic.

The distance between the attachment points should be no more than 50 cm. After laying, the bars are leveled using a level. To adjust the height of the lag, wood chips are placed or an excess tree is removed with a planer.

Optionally, you can fill the space between the lags with thermal insulation materials. This is justified if the floor is laid on the first floor of a building that does not have a basement. Then a moisture-proof film is spread over the lag, which is fixed with staples. And already on top of it is laying a massive board.

On the photo correct styling plywood diagonal in relation to the massive board.
The size of the gaps should be from 3 to 5 mm.

The second way is laying on a plywood base along a screed.

Today it is the most popular way of laying a massive board. According to this technology, moisture-resistant plywood is used as the base, the thickness of which should be 15-18 mm.

Before laying, plywood sheets are cut into strips 40 to 60 cm wide. whole sheet plywood is carried along the smaller of its sides. Ready-made strips are laid on concrete, diagonally to the future floor from a massive board.

At the same time, gaps are left: between sheets - 3-5 mm, between sheets and walls - 10 mm. It is important to understand what to spread plywood tiles need to be offset relative to each other to minimize the possibility of corners touching. With the help of dowels and screws, the heads of which are recessed into the material, the plywood is attached to the concrete. At the same time, at least 9 attachment points should fall on each strip.

An alternative option for attaching plywood to concrete is landing on glue. One value of the bands in this case should be at least half as much. Before laying a solid board, the plywood must be sanded with a belt sander equipped with a belt with a grit of 40 or 60 and cleaned of dust.

2.
Laying solid boards for load-bearing wooden structures

If the laying of a massive board is carried out in a building with load-bearing wooden structures, they can be used to attach the base to them for the future floor.

Before fixing the base under the floor, the existing logs must be aligned so that their maximum deviation from the plane does not exceed 2 mm by 2 m, otherwise the massive board will begin to creak over time.

Using a level, remove excess wood with a planer or place wood chips in the right places.

12 mm plywood, 18 mm OSB boards or 20 mm boarding can be used as a base for a solid board. Plywood and OSB boards are laid on top of a moisture-proof film in the direction of the future solid board floor so that the edges of the boards are joined on the logs, and not between them.

Between the sheets, the gap should be at least 2 mm, between the sheets and the wall - at least 10 mm, but not more than 15 mm, so that you can close the opening with a plinth. Plywood and OSB boards are fastened with screws, which must be at least 9 pieces per sheet.

In this case, the screw heads must be sunk 3-4 mm into the material for possible subsidence of plywood.

When using plank flooring as a subfloor, the subfloor pieces are laid diagonally to the future solid wood floor.

3. Installation on finished wood floor

A solid and high-quality wooden floor available in the room must be sanded using a belt sander equipped with an abrasive belt having a grit of 40 or 60.

After that, the surface of the wooden floor should be cleaned of dust and small debris. Laying a solid board over a wooden floor is recommended to be carried out in a diagonal or transverse direction.

Application of two-component polyurethane adhesives

The best adhesives for solid boards are polyurethane two-components, which are used by all installers.

There are many similar adhesives on the market, there are several fundamental differences:

Working time until the glue thickens. The optimal time now, which is indicated by manufacturers of modern adhesives, is 2.5, sometimes 3 hours. It is important to remember that this time is based on ideal conditions of temperature, humidity, as well as the ideal composition inside the jar. From can to can, the parameters of the glue itself can also vary slightly. In reality, you need to count on an hour and a half of glue work.
Glue base.
Adhesives of the benzene group have strong smell but fade faster. Adhesives of the alkyd group are most often odorless, but all harmful fumes end a little longer. Remember that glue that has a smell is by no means less environmentally friendly than one that does not smell - this is a common misconception. If the moment of smell is important for the paver, we recommend Tover Tovcol PU2C hypoallergenic adhesive.
strength and elasticity of the adhesive.
These parameters are important for installation, but the buyer will never know from the available product cards which adhesive is stronger. Trust the opinion of professional craftsmen or no less professional sellers.

Adhesives also have additional properties. For example, adhesives based on water or solvents shrink the parquet and also transfer excess moisture to the solid board. Most adhesives leave stains when they get on the varnished surface of the parquet, some compounds can be removed before hardening with a cloth without leaving a trace (for example, ADESIV Pelpren PL6).

For all two-component adhesives, you need to use a wide-toothed spatula - be sure to buy one.

Only such spatulas create the correct glue line.

So, before laying, you need to thoroughly mix the two components of the glue with an electric mixer (an electric mixer allows you to do this efficiently and quickly, without reducing the glue’s working time).

Then you can pour some of the glue out of the can and smear it with a spatula. Sometimes you can see how the glue is spread not on the base, but on each plank before gluing. Spreading the composition on the planks creates an insufficient layer of adhesive, especially in the gaps between the planks, so this method is wrong from the point of view of adhesive manufacturers.

Correct glue line and correct use spatula.
Pay attention to how the spatula bends when pressed against the base.

The spatula must be held strictly vertically and pressed a little into the floor - this is how the correct glue line is created - glue grooves, only from below thin film or completely dry ground.

Fastening solid wood boards to the base and to each other

To fasten the massive board to the base, self-tapping screws are used, the distance between which should be at least 20-30 cm.

Before that, from the side of the crest, a solid board should be drilled at an angle of 45 degrees. There is no fundamental difference between which side of the planks to drill from, but theoretically it is more correct to drill into a spike. Specialized SPAX solid wood screws are the most popular for this purpose and without any of the closest competitors.

It is especially important to use specialized wood screws for high density exotic boards (however, pre-drilling is required for exotic dense woods).

Pulling the planks of a massive board to each other when screwing with self-tapping screws.

It is very important to pull the planks tightly together when twisting and leave the necessary gap between the boards and the walls (for most medium-sized rooms - exactly 1 cm).

Natural coating: solid board - do-it-yourself laying

To pull the planks to each other, carefully use a chisel or wedges if you have to press the spike. Or, most often, the planks are knocked out with a hammer through a bar.

Instead of self-tapping screws, professional parquet teams often use an air gun with staples, which allows you to lay parquet much faster. This method is correct, however, it requires an initial investment in the purchase of a gun, a compressor and a supply of special staples.

Too small a gap between the walls and the parquet during the expansion of the wood does not allow the internal stress of the material to escape, which is fraught with cracking or swelling of the boards.

Too much big gap it will be difficult to cover with skirting boards of ordinary sizes.

The first row of a massive board is always laid with a groove to the wall. Fastening of the first and last rows with self-tapping screws is carried out through the front surface of the massive board. Subsequently, the attachment points are hidden under the plinth.

Rules for grinding a massive board and applying a protective coating on it

It is recommended to use disc and belt parquet sanders to process the laid solid board without factory coating.

It is important to understand that light sanding is ideal for a massive board, removing only the varnish coating. Scraping will chamfer, therefore, with seasonal narrowing of wood, cracks will be noticeable on the floor surface.

At the end of sanding (if the solid board is uncoated), the surface of the solid board should be thoroughly cleaned of dust with a vacuum cleaner or brush.

Applying varnish or oil should begin on the same day. After drying, each layer is recommended to be sanded with disk machine. It is recommended to apply from 3 to 7 layers of varnish, which can take about 7 days. If you use a semi-gloss or glossy varnish, then in addition to strength, this affects the “specularity” of the board.

Oil after grinding should be applied in 2-4 layers. Hard wax oil does not require maintenance unless there is visible deterioration in appearance. Traditional oil needs to be renewed every 1-2 years.

The final touch is the installation of the skirting board, which is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of a particular skirting board manufacturer.

After that, the laying of solid wood floors can be considered complete.

What is solid board
Preliminary work
Self-laying an array of boards on a screed

Due to its respectable appearance and natural sophistication, solid wood is considered the highest quality material among natural flooring.

It belongs to expensive products, but its advantages are undeniable. Today, the most commonly used and simplest way to create a floor is to lay a massive board on a screed without plywood.

Carry out the arrangement of the surface from the array, as well as other wooden coatings, at the end repair work so that the material is not damaged during the finishing of the room. You can lay products with your own hands, both in city apartments and in private fashionable mansions.

For ease of installation, the board has a connection with tongue-and-groove locks.

What is solid board

These products are made with small grooves and ridges at the edges. This design of the boards allows you to quickly and easily dock adjacent floorboards, and the connection is tight.

On sale you can find solid wood floorboards with a width of 12 to 20 centimeters and a length of 0.5 to 3 meters. On the outside, the products have a chamfer, so after the installation is completed, a tiny gap is visible. In the event of the appearance of various types of deformations, it is filled, and the coating does not suffer.

On the back side of the products there are small transverse notches and longitudinal cuts, due to which the load on the floorboards is reduced and at the same time the tension of the fibers is reduced, their destruction is not allowed.

Preliminary work

Exists different ways solid wood flooring installation:

installation on a coupler without plywood;
installation on plywood;
creating a floating floor;
fixing to the old flooring.

Before laying a solid board on a screed, it should be borne in mind that it has a thicker thickness than other products intended for mounting the floor finish surface (for more details: "How to lay a solid board correctly: installation options and methods").

One of the conditions for creating high-quality flooring is the ideal condition of the base.

The concrete base must meet a number of requirements:

Humidity- no more than 2%. This indicator can be easily checked with polyethylene, which covers the concrete area: after 24 hours there should be no condensation on it, and the screed should not darken.
There is another way. A rubber mat is placed on the screed, and it is pressed on top with a concrete block and brick. You can also measure humidity using a special moisture meter.
Compressive strength- not less than 20 MPa
Tensile strength- not less than 6 MPa.
Horizontal deviation- cannot exceed 2 millimeters for every 2 linear meters.
This parameter is checked using a two-meter level.
Substrate must be clean and free of cracks. Grip on an uncleaned surface will be weaker, which will certainly affect the quality of the finish.

Subject to the above requirements, the laying of the array on the screed will be of high quality, and the floor covering will last for decades.

Experts believe that a massive screed board without plywood can be mounted directly on a concrete base not lower than the second floor, while the grade of concrete used must be at least M250.

In case of a significant deviation from the horizontal, self-leveling self-leveling floors are equipped to level the solid and dry surface of the base.

In the absence of funds for installation finishing screed on an uneven subfloor, you can eliminate defects yourself. Pits and cracks are covered with concrete, and with the help of special tools all irregularities and bulges are polished.

With changes in the moisture index, wooden floorboards begin to deform linearly. As a result, the fluctuation of dimensions leads to the appearance of tension between the concrete base and the floor covering. If, under these conditions, the screed does not have sufficient strength, then voids appear in it, it begins to flake off, the laid boards will begin to creak and, most likely, the floor will collapse over time.

After preparations completed, the packs of boards are opened and the material is removed outside so that the products acclimatize before the array is mounted on the screed. To ensure the circulation of air currents, the floorboards must be placed on a stand.

Self-laying an array of boards on a screed

When a massive board is mounted on a screed without plywood, it must be remembered that it is necessary to work with natural wood, which always has minor cracks and bumps.

But they will not spoil the appearance of the floor during the operation of the floor covering, but rather emphasize the naturalness of the material. After all, it is not in vain that solid wood boards are among the elite products for surface finishing.

The technology of laying a massive board on a screed involves the following procedure:

The cleaned base is primed using an epoxy primer, which improves the adhesion of the adhesive composition and increases the strength of the screed.
Glue is applied to finishing material and level with a notched trowel.
Initially, three rows of floorboards are laid out in the middle of the room. The place for this is determined based on the width of the products, so that the edge of the row closest to the wall is at a distance of 1 to 1.5 centimeters.
Boards on the screed can also be started from the wall.
Further, each row is mounted alternately on both sides of the first three.
If even the slightest difference in the level of the location of the flooring elements is detected, massive products must be loaded for a while until the polymerization of the adhesive composition is completed.
When laying between the boards and the wall, it is necessary to leave a gap, which along the longitudinal side should be equal to 10-15 millimeters, and along the end - 5-10 millimeters, since seasonal deformation of wood products is always present.

When a massive board is mounted, only modern two-component adhesives, for example, elastic polyurethane and epoxy-polyurethane, will help to lay the product on the screed.

It should be noted that solid wood floorboards should not be used for finishing"warm" floor: in the case of installation of a wooden coating, it becomes unusable.

Among the advantages of solid wood flooring, it should be noted its durability, low thermal conductivity, excellent sound insulation and environmental friendliness. Proper care behind such a floor covering made of natural wood is able to extend its service life up to 100-120 years.

Master class: laying a solid board

When choosing a massive board, you should be aware that coniferous products become unusable faster. For example, pine is not very resistant to mechanical stress and microclimatic changes. In order for the floor finish to serve for a long time, it is necessary to prevent high humidity air in the room.

What is a solid board: advantages and disadvantages
Solid board selection criteria
The main ways of laying massive boards
Preparation for installation work
Mounting an array of boards on plywood
"Floating" array mounting method
Fastening massive boards to wooden flooring

Floor coverings made of solid wood are now popular because of their presentable appearance and many other undeniable advantages.

When choosing the option of how to lay a massive board, you need to remember that only when correct installation such a floor can last more than a dozen years.

What is a solid board: advantages and disadvantages

The name of this product for creating a floor finish means that it is made from whole piece tree. This material, after laying, is very similar to a parquet board, which, unlike solid wood floorboards, is made from several wooden planks by gluing.

First of all, it should be noted that natural wood flooring is environmentally friendly, does not contain allergens, and has a beneficial effect on health.

In addition, it has other advantages:

beautiful appearance, the floor surface looks presentable, which confirms the photo;
good sound-absorbing and heat-insulating characteristics;
ease of installation compared to, for example, parquet;
resistance to aggressive factors;
strength and long service life.

Disadvantages of the floor from the array:

high cost, especially products from valuable tree species;
installation is expensive;
sensitivity to changes in humidity and temperature indicators;
the need to regularly care for the surface - varnish or oil;
installation on the "warm floor" system is undesirable;
combustibility, susceptibility to decay without treatment with special means;
it is impossible to carry out an artistic layout, unlike a parquet board.

When it is planned to lay an array of boards, first of all, what needs to be done is to decide on the installation method.

You can make your work easier if you study in detail the features of the product and know how to choose the right product.

Solid board selection criteria

The final result depends on the quality of the material for arranging the floor covering.

Therefore, when buying a massive board, you need to pay attention to a number of points:

The quality of the material and its geometry. First of all, you should examine the surface of the boards to check for cracks and similar defects on them, and then the edges of the floorboards: whether firing was used to finish them.
If it took place, then this indicates a violation of the drying technology. Laying a floor from an array of such boards will not make it possible to make a high-quality floor - it will look sloppy.

The geometric parameters of solid wood products should make it easy to connect the floorboards to each other. The final finishing coating cannot have dips or protrusions, otherwise the laid out surface will become uneven.
Product design. Before laying a massive board, you need to make sure that its appearance will match the designed interior. Select suitable option is not difficult, since the array is available on the market in a wide range of colors and a variety of structures.
In the manufacture of boards, not only ordinary wood, but also exotic and rare tree species can be used. Among them, the most popular is beech products - products made from it are characterized by strength, but at the same time they are sensitive to high humidity.

Therefore, in rooms with a high humidity index, instead of beech boards, it is better to lay floorboards made of foliage or teak.
Availability of documents. Confirmation of the quality of any floor products - the relevant certificates of manufacturers, which contain the information necessary for consumers about a particular product.
After viewing them, you need to find out what technology was used to dry the boards. The best choice- products, the production of which used the convective method. Humidity boards from the array should not exceed 9%.
Availability of GOST certificates.They are confirmation that the goods were manufactured by serious manufacturing firms.

The main ways of laying massive boards

When a massive floor board is chosen for arranging a beautiful floor covering, the laying should be done on a prepared base.

In practice, one of several ways to create a rough surface is used - products are mounted:

on a concrete screed;
on wooden logs;
on ordinary plywood;
on natural wood;
using brackets.

The installation of a massive board is most often carried out on a cement-concrete base.

Fixation is carried out using special adhesive compositions. They have high rates regarding temperature changes and are not toxic to humans.
Starting the installation of floorboards on the screed, they are checked for strength and the presence of defects.

The humidity of the base in this case should be 6-7%, otherwise the arrangement of a waterproofing layer will be required.

Laying a massive board: methods and technology

The gaps in the joints are carefully glued.

Thus, when choosing a method for mounting an array on a screed, they should not be allowed to come into contact with each other. This requires the arrangement of an intermediate layer using a primer mastic and a vapor barrier film.

The next popular technology is laying a massive board on plywood.

Peculiarity this method is that it will require the creation of a vapor barrier layer. The moisture content of the material cannot exceed 10%, and fixation is carried out with two-component adhesives.

The convenience of the method, when a massive board is mounted on logs, is that
the job can be completed quickly, since no cement mortars need to be kneaded. A waterproofing layer of penofol or polyethylene film is placed under the logs.

Laying a solid board in a floating way involves installation using brackets. This technology can significantly reduce the time of work.

Aluminum products are installed simultaneously with silicone expansion joints to improve edge bonding.

Sometimes the installation of massive boards is performed on top wooden surface. The old coating must be reliable and durable and have a moisture content of 8-10%. If the wooden base is varnished, then it is removed and the planks are polished to eliminate irregularities.

When laying the array, the boards should be placed in the same direction as in the previous coating. For fixing new floorboards, self-tapping screws with an anti-corrosion coating are used.

Self-tapping screws are fixed with an interval of 25-30 centimeters from one another. In order to prevent splitting of the material from the side where the spike is located, holes must be made.

It is impossible for the caps to “protrude” above the surface, it should be possible to subsequently close it with special rivets.

Having studied all the ways of laying a massive board, having analyzed their pros and cons, you can choose the option that will become optimal solution in this particular case.

Preparation for installation work

The rows between the elements of the flooring are fixed with staples or a massive board is laid on glue.

From the tools for the work you will need:

a simple pencil and square;
metal ruler;
wooden mallet;
drill and screwdriver;
pneumatic stapler;
putty knife.

Of the fasteners, self-tapping screws are needed - they are best purchased with galvanized coating and anti-corrosion properties, since they do not rust and are able to smooth out the negative effects of temperature fluctuations and other seasonal factors.

Stainless brackets are located at the bottom of the coating, which are necessary for fastening two elements - they are snapped into grooves or fixed with screwed screws.

Before starting the installation, the massive board is unpacked and left in the room where the laying is planned for about a week.

Floorboards are placed on stands to ensure air circulation around the products.

Mounting an array of boards on plywood

When buying plywood for a massive board, preference should be given to sheets with a thickness of 13-15 millimeters.

The installation process is carried out step by step in a certain sequence:

Plywood is cut into pieces half a meter wide.
On the concrete surface place a vapor barrier.
The laying of the array on plywood is carried out in compliance with the 45-degree angle in relation to the base.
Since there is a slight deformation of the floorboards during thermal expansion, 3 mm gaps are left between the sheets during installation.
Next, the surface of the plywood is sanded.
After the plywood base is ready, start laying the array.
They use a two-component polyurethane-based glue for solid boards on plywood. See also: "Laying a solid board on a screed without plywood with your own hands."

"Floating" array mounting method

In the event that, due to the arrangement of a warm floor, this technology is preferred, it is necessary to ensure that the base of the coating and the array do not touch. In the process of installation, structural elements are fixed with the help of planks of boards. The "floating" method allows compensation for temperature changes and changes in humidity.

Fastening massive boards to wooden flooring

In the event that the old wooden base does not inspire confidence, then it is better to dismantle it and change it to another one, which is not profitable from a financial point of view, since the creation of a new floor covering will be very costly. Array boards are laid similarly to laminate, so you can even do this work yourself. Experts recommend starting installation from the far corners - in this case, it will be possible to evaluate the results of your own efforts.

The installation of a massive board is quite specific and time-consuming, so even if you are a “jack of all trades”, it would be more correct to entrust this work to experienced specialists. Nevertheless, it is useful to know the basic nuances of laying: this will allow you to control the quality of work and save you from possible problems with the floor in the future, because the majority of flooring defects arise precisely because of improper installation.

The massive board is laid only with the help of a rigid fastening to the base with self-tapping screws and glue. This is a reliable and time-tested method that allows you to get a stable "monolithic" floor and then repeatedly carry out repair grinding (one of the advantages of a massive board). However, rigid fastening imposes increased requirements on the base and the quality of laying. And preparation for the installation of a massive board begins long before its purchase.

Room preparation

Installation of flooring is one of the final stages of repair. The less work left to do after laying the floor, the less likely it is to accidentally damage it. All indoor wet work must be completed at least two months prior to installation. The relative humidity of the air in the room should be in the range from 40% to 60%, and the temperature - from +18 to +24 degrees Celsius. Solid board is sensitive to parameters environment, therefore, it is necessary to strictly maintain them within the given limits.

Foundation preparation

The arrangement of the floor base is a responsible and scrupulous process, and all subsequent operation of the massive board depends on its quality. Many problems with a wooden floor (for example, creaking floorboards) arise precisely because of a poor-quality base.

The concrete base for the floor covering must be dry, level, hard and clean (dust-free). Humidity concrete screed should be within 2-3%. Already at 3-4% humidity, it is necessary to use a primer for glue. Permissible curvature of the base: no more than 2 mm per 2 m2 of area. Curvature is checked with a two-meter rule or spirit level ("level"). Any differences greater than 2 mm must be eliminated.

There are different ways of laying a solid board (for example, on logs - a method popular in times block parquet), but for the Russian climate Amber Wood recommends mounting on plywood sheets. Plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm is laid on the prepared concrete base. Plywood is sawn into small sheets (not larger than 0.5 m x 0.5 m), on which glue is applied, after which they are fastened with dowel-nails to a concrete base. Between the sheets it is necessary to leave technological gaps of 3-5 mm.

After two days, the plywood is subjected to grinding, during which the differences between the sheets are also eliminated (the curvature requirements here are the same as for concrete). After sanding, it is advisable to prime the plywood to remove fine dust.

The presence of any type of heating in the base is unacceptable: a “warm floor” will lead to rapid damage to the massive board.

Humidity control

A floor made of natural wood makes high demands on humidity, not only during operation, but also during installation.

The moisture content of the concrete screed is checked with a special device - moisture meter for concrete, and the relative humidity in the room is hygrometer. There are advanced moisture meters that can also measure the humidity of the environment. But the moisture meter for wood is not suitable for measuring the moisture content of concrete, even if you set the maximum density of the material in the settings. A high-quality moisture meter is an expensive device, but it must be available to specialists involved in laying parquet products. If the installers did not measure the humidity before starting work, then this is a serious “bell” that casts doubt on their qualifications. As for the hygrometer, it's pretty simple household appliance, which is useful to purchase for home use. It will allow you to constantly monitor the relative humidity of the air in the room, which is important for the health and durability of the wooden floor. There are beautiful wall-mounted hygrometers on sale that will fit perfectly into any interior.

Solid wood preparation

The purchased massive board (delivered in packs packed in polyethylene) must be allowed to mature for a week in the room where the laying will be done so that the wood “gets used” to the conditions of temperature and humidity. At the same time, it is important to resist the desire to immediately open and inspect the brought boards: it is better to unpack packs immediately before laying. Then it will be possible to make a troubleshooting. Never install boards that are defective or damaged during transportation: they can be replaced or returned, but only before installation begins.

Installation

Usually, a massive board is laid along the incident light (perpendicular to the window), so the floor looks the most harmonious. However, if the base is made of wooden flooring, then the floor must be laid across the base boards. "Designer" laying at an angle of 45o is also possible, but it entails a waste of material and a very large number of undercuts.

The massive board is attached to the plywood base by continuous gluing on a two-component adhesive, which is applied with a special notched trowel.

Additionally, the board is fixed with the help of parquet screws, which are screwed into the base of the ridge at an angle of 45° in increments of 20-30 cm (their heads will hide the boards of the adjacent row). It is impossible to fasten a solid board only with glue, self-tapping screws are necessary in any case!

The installation of the first row of boards is carried out with a groove to the wall, and fastening with self-tapping screws through the front surface (so that when installing the skirting boards, the caps are hidden). When laying adjacent boards, they are tightly joined in the transverse and longitudinal directions, if necessary, they are knocked out with a rubber mallet and pulled together with wedges.

During the laying process, you will probably have to go around various obstacles: for example, heating pipes. In this case, using an electric jigsaw with a small saw blade, the sections necessary for bending around are cut out in the board, taking into account the compensation gap.

Compensation gap

Due to seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity, the wooden floor expands and narrows, so it is necessary to leave a technological gap (compensation gap) of at least 10 mm between the wall and the massive board adjacent to it. In the process of laying, the gaps are fixed with wedges, and at the end of the work they are hidden with skirting boards.

An expansion gap is needed not only next to the walls, but also next to any other static structures that the flooring may abut when expanding. This door frames, heating pipes, ventilation ducts, poles and columns, as well as furniture with rigid attachment to the floor (wardrobes, safes, etc.).

run-up

Run-up, i.e. shifting the junction between the boards relative to the adjacent row is a necessary technique both from an aesthetic point of view and from a technological point of view. The same principle can be observed, for example, in brickwork. For a reliable connection, it is recommended to maintain a gap of at least 40 cm.

For convenience, a shift of 1/2 or 1/3 of the length of the board is usually used. For example, laying the first row and all subsequent odd rows begins with a whole board, and the second and all subsequent even rows - sawn into half or a third. Thanks to this, the floor pattern will be neat and symmetrical, and the connection will be strong.

But sometimes you want to intentionally get away from symmetry, especially when laying country parquet with a pronounced woody pattern and intricate texture. A geometrically balanced symmetrical run in this case may look boring and out of place. For a motley floor, you can use a run without repetitions, when the joints of the boards in different rows are not on the same line. The main thing is to withstand a displacement of at least 40 cm relative to the previous row.

Laying the last row and finishing work

Before laying the last row, it is necessary to measure the distance remaining to the wall: most likely, it will differ in different places due to the curvature of the walls. Therefore, each board of the row must be sawn lengthwise to the width required at the place of its installation (not forgetting the compensation gap). When installing the last row, there is very little space for work. For laying boards near the wall, it is convenient to use a special mounting paw.

The last row of a massive board, like the first one, is fastened with self-tapping screws through the front surface. After the installation is completed, it is necessary to hide the expansion gaps and caps of the self-tapping screws with a plinth or fillet of a suitable width.

Usually a massive board is supplied with a decorative and protective coating already applied at the factory. However, if it has yet to be applied, then this can be done no earlier than 2-3 days after the end of laying: first, the boards must lie down, and the glue must fully harden.

Compliance with the laying technology is the key to a long and reliable operation of the floor covering. A responsible approach to the installation of a massive board in the future will allow you to fully enjoy the benefits of a natural wooden floor and not have problems with it.