We lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor. How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor - careful preparation, all the nuances of technology, advice from professional installers
For any decorative finishing coatings, the most optimal base is considered to be a base made of concrete, mineral screed with a strength of 15 MPa. A wood subfloor is less desirable. Some reputable manufacturers do not directly recommend installing laminate flooring on such flooring.
Permitted and prohibited bases for laminate flooring.
The reason is that wood is a very capricious material, which is influenced by seasonal, biological and other factors. The concerns of manufacturers are understandable: the geometric dimensions of the base periodically change due to changes in humidity, the planks can bend and warp. All this violates the integrity of the finish. Therefore, most often factories indicate that warranty obligations do not apply to products mounted on top of wood.
If you still plan to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, then the base must meet the following conditions:
- Integrity. The coating installation guidelines from reputable manufacturers indicate that the wood must be healthy, free from cracks, deterioration, loose areas, fallen areas and other similar defects. In difficult cases, it is possible to carry out a complete overhaul of the flooring and replace defective areas.
- Humidity - 8-12% (which corresponds to 40% Rh at a relative surface temperature of +20 ° C). When using the “warm floors” system, the boards should have an indicator of 5%, no more.
Do not underestimate the problem of water vapor diffusion, which leads to the formation of dampness inside the floor structure. That is why manufacturers of laminated and vinyl flooring recommend installing them on wooden structures with bottom ventilation. This arrangement of the floor “pie” will allow the wood to “breathe”, and therefore achieve a unique temperature and humidity balance. Even when using a waterproofing film and a substrate with zero vapor permeability.
Thus, it is allowed to lay laminate flooring with your own hands or by an experienced craftsman on a wooden floor, but provided that the base is of good quality or has been carefully prepared.
Preparing the base for installation
The best subfloor is considered to be stabilized old parquet or plank flooring. It is quite dense and dry, that is, it does not absorb water, is not afraid of seasonal changes in humidity and temperature, and any deformation changes are already a thing of the past. But at the same time, such a base is characterized by multiple irregularities, the presence of gaps between the planks and other defects.
Old wooden base.
Regardless of the age of the base flooring, the installer's first priority is to check the condition of the subfloors in all rooms where laminated parquet is planned to be installed. It is necessary to identify:
- Local irregularities;
- Rotten, moldy or blackened areas;
- Damaged planks;
- Areas with gaps between boards;
- Loosely attached or falling out elements;
Areas with damaged lamellas must be replaced; they cannot be covered with putty or a mixture of sawdust and PVA. Poorly fixed planks are repaired in two ways:
It is easy to close the gaps between the planks yourself using elastic wood putties or sealants. It is advisable to use colorless, non-pigmented formulations.
But you will have to tinker with the unevenness. When installing a laminate, each defect will appear in the form of a damaged section of the coating, so deep grooves and chips are filled with putty or a paste made from wood flour and PVA, which you can prepare yourself. And differences and bumps are leveled in the following ways:
Grinding
Small areas with curved slats can be treated with a plane, a hand angle grinder with an abrasive attachment, or regular sandpaper. If the surface is uneven over the entire area, then it is better to use a professional parquet sanding machine complete with a construction vacuum cleaner. All necessary units should be rented, but consumable components will have to be purchased separately.
Dry prefabricated screed
For differences of more than 5 mm, it is recommended to completely level the base using sheet materials for the floor: moisture-resistant plywood, chipboard, OSB, gypsum fiber board, etc. Slabs with a thickness of at least 16 mm are laid in 1-2 layers, along the perimeter they are rigidly pulled to the base with self-tapping screws, dowel-nails, and suitable hardware in increments of 30-40 cm. Before leveling, preventive treatment of the wooden flooring with antiseptic primers is allowed.
Dry screed is a great way to additionally insulate the floor. The most common options:
- place on the floor dense thermal insulation boards made of standard or extruded polystyrene foam (PSB-50, Penoplex Foundation), mineral wool with a density of 125 kg/m³. Sew plywood or chipboard on top of the insulation;
- form a frame from logs, lay a vapor barrier membrane, fill in the gaps or put insulating material - expanded clay, ecowool, stone wool, pine mats, etc. Place sheets of gypsum fiber board, chipboard, and SML on the slats and secure them.
Dry plywood screed over joists with insulation.
Self-leveling filling compounds
If the floor has differences of more than 10 mm? The sanding machine will remove too much layer, and the prefabricated screed is inapplicable in some cases. To minimally raise the floor level and get a perfectly flat surface, you need to use industrial bulk mixtures. Moreover, not all are suitable, namely elastic ones, on the label of which in the section “type of base” boards, plywood, chipboard are indicated.
Although many people believe that it is possible to pour the solution directly onto the wood, excess moisture can cause damage. Therefore, it is better to make a so-called floating screed on a separating layer of film or waterproofing membrane. It is recommended to lay the material over the entire surface of the floor, placing it on the walls and installing a damper tape. This will eliminate the risk of cracks. The thickness of the filling layer varies - from 20 to 70 mm.
Instead of film, you can use waterproofing compounds for wood: polymer primers, water repellents, etc. That is, any liquid product that is absorbed into wood without leaving an oil, bitumen or other film on the surface.
The procedure for working with bulk mixtures is described in detail in the instructions on the packaging of the material. The composition is mixed with water, thoroughly mixed until smooth, carefully distributed over the floor and rolled with a roller or brush to remove air bubbles. After 5-7 days, the base for the laminate is ready.
Laying technology
Our step-by-step instructions will help you cope with the last stage and avoid mistakes when installing the finishing coating.
For work you will need the following tools and materials:
- Laminate of suitable design with a margin of 1-4 m². Decide in advance whether to lay the covering along the walls or diagonally. In the first case, a reserve of 1-1.5 m² is sufficient, in the second, at least 3 m² will be required;
- Coniferous substrate, made of foamed polyethylene, cork, extruded polystyrene foam with a cross-section of up to 3 mm;
- Waterproofing film 150-300 microns or membrane, tape for fixing layers;
- Hydraulic level;
- Cutting hand or power tools for adjusting the lamellas to size;
- Kit for laying laminated floors, including spacer wedges to create a temperature gap around the perimeter 8-10 mm wide, mounting bracket and tamping block made of wood or PVC;
- Square, pencil and tape measure.
Installation of the laminated coating is carried out in 5 steps:
Checking conditions
Can I start styling immediately after purchase? No. First, check all the packs to ensure they are from the same batch or identical year of manufacture. Otherwise, there may be a difference in tone, a mismatch in the decor or even the locking part. This is especially common when purchasing finishing materials on sale. You can, of course, return or exchange the product within 2 weeks from the date of purchase, but do not forget the receipt or invoice.
The optimal period for acclimatization of the floor covering.
Check the climate conditions. They must comply with the requirements of the instructions:
- Air temperature – from +16 to +25 ºС;
- Relative humidity - 40-70%;
- “Warm floors” - switched off 5-7 days before the start of work, in winter 3 days;
- The normal moisture content in flooring boards is 8-12%, if there is a heating system - no more than 5%.
The laminate must be brought in and, without unpacking, left in the room for 2 days.
Preparing the base
As noted above, the surface must be dry, smooth, solid and clean. Even the slightest defects must be eliminated in advance so that you do not have to disassemble the laminate or repair it later.
Laying waterproofing and underlayment
It is necessary to lay strips of film or membrane on the base with an overlap of 10-20 cm. It is recommended to glue the joints with tape. Then the substrate is laid end-to-end, the slabs or layers are secured to each other using adhesive tape.
Most often, laminate flooring is laid on a concrete base, but recently many people have had success laying laminate flooring on an old wooden floor. The installation process in this case is not very different. To figure out how to install laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you should familiarize yourself with the features of this coating and identify all its advantages and disadvantages.
A material such as laminate gets along well with almost any type of coating. However, it is important to ensure that the floor is always dry and clean.
Important features of a wooden base
When installing any high-quality laminate flooring on a wooden floor, take into account the important features of such a coating:
- a coating made of wood will sooner or later lose its properties, so before you put laminate on your wooden floor, carefully look at the condition of the coating, as well as the supporting beams and joists
- wood coating is not particularly resistant and stable, so even a slight displacement of the laminate panels can lead to additional load on the laminate locks
Old wood floors often have an uneven, bumpy surface. Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to eliminate all visible defects. This is done so that the lamellas do not diverge and cracks do not form.
Preparing the floor for laying laminate
A common problem that can be encountered when laying laminate flooring is an uneven floor. You can check this using a level, which will allow you to identify areas of unevenness for further elimination.
Several methods are used to level the floor surface:
- using special sheets of plywood or chipboard (chipboard). We take a thick sheet of plywood, treat it with a fungicide or drying oil to avoid mold, adjust its size using a special saw, then lay the finished sheets on the surface; You can use backing slats to level the level of inclination of the surface, and use self-tapping screws to secure the sheets
- scraping for old wood with minor unevenness. If the unevenness on the floor surface is from 4 to 6 millimeters per square meter, then we conditionally divide the coating into several sections, each of which is gradually processed with an electric planer. If all the irregularities are concentrated in one place, then the coating can be treated with sandpaper or by hand scraping
- securing support beams or joists. If the floor surface has a large slope or creaks, then it is necessary to fit and secure special wooden slats called joists to the concrete base.
Repair of wooden base
Before laying the laminate on a wooden base, you need to prepare the coating by repairing it and eliminating all defects.
If you find a completely rotten board, replace it. If the damage is only on one side, then it is enough to turn the board with the inside facing up. Shaky boards are secured with self-tapping screws. If the joists also wobble along with the boards, then they need to be secured to the base. To do this, drill a hole and secure the logs using an anchor.
If the floor covering sags, then special support wedges are placed under the joists. All cracks or crevices formed in the wooden floor are treated with putty.
After all repair work has been carried out, it is necessary to clean the coating from dust and debris, and then proceed to the next stage of laying a new laminate.
Laying underlays under laminate
When laying laminate flooring on an old floor made of wood, do not forget about the underlays, which perform several basic functions:
- sound and noise insulation effect
- heat saving effect
- hiding base irregularities, the elimination of which was missed during the preparatory work
The underside of the laminate is more susceptible to moisture, so it is necessary to isolate it from liquids.
First of all, it is necessary to place a waterproofing polyethylene film on the wooden floor. The overlap when laying the film should be about 15-20 centimeters. After this, a backing is placed, which you can purchase in the form of rolls or sheets. The substrate is placed in the joint and secured with tape.
You can use various substrates for installing laminate, in particular:
- substrates made of natural eco-friendly cork
- foamed polypropylene
- polyurethane foam substrates
- coniferous substrates
- foil linings
- bitumen substrates, etc.
When choosing the material from which the lining for the laminate is made, it is also worth considering what kind of coating it will be laid on. For wood flooring, it is advisable to use a natural, environmentally friendly cork underlay. Experts say that this kind of substrate interacts well with wood. It is especially important to use this type of underlay if you are going to install expensive laminate flooring.
You can also use old-style linoleum, rolled cork fiber or turf as a lining under the laminate. To properly install an underlay on an old floor, you must avoid matching the seams of the underlay with the seams of the covering. This will keep the floor surface more even, particularly after you lay the laminate.
After choosing a substrate, you can begin installing a new high-quality laminate on the wood flooring.
How to lay laminate correctly: step-by-step instructions
To properly lay a laminate coating on a wooden base, follow the algorithm recommended by experts:
- starting from the corner furthest from the door, lay out the first row of laminate panels horizontally. Laminate flooring is laid at the joints, and you must constantly monitor the alignment of the panels in relation to the wall. Laying the laminate on a wooden base should occur perpendicular to the location of the boards. To ensure that there is a gap between the wall and the panels, it is necessary to install special plastic or wooden stops
- when the first row of laminate rests against the opposite wall, you need to cut off the required part of the panel using a jigsaw
- the second row must be laid in such a way that its joints at the ends do not coincide with the joints of the first row; to do this, take a new panel and cut off about a third of it, and from the cut-off part of the laminate we start a new row
- By analogy with the first row, the second row is laid
- All boards of the second row must first be fastened together, and then connected to the panels of the first row. You can hammer the panel using a safety bar
- Continue laying the laminate on the wooden floor, making sure there are gaps between the walls and panels
- saw the panels of the last row to length
You can install laminate flooring on an old floor in various ways - in rows, herringbone or other convenient method.
After you have laid the laminate, you need to remove the wedges between the wall and the panels and start installing the baseboard. To decorate the cut areas, use special plugs. To exit technical communications, pre-cut holes of the required size.
After the laminate flooring has been completely laid, it is necessary to properly secure the door threshold. It will successfully hide the height difference between rooms.
In general, you can lay laminate flooring yourself in 4-5 days, of which approximately 3-4 days will be spent preparing the floor for installation of the new coating.
Now you know how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden base, and in the future you can carry out all repair work without any difficulties.
Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor
This material can be laid on any subfloor: concrete, tile, linoleum or boards. The most important thing is that they are strong, rigid and perfectly smooth. Today we will look at the main nuances of how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, and also describe this process step by step.
Surface preparation
To identify defects, wooden floors must be carefully inspected before laying laminate flooring. Floorboards require repair if:
Deflection or deformation;
Instability (displacement of boards when pressed);
The presence of large cracks, knots and depressions;
Damage caused by fungus.
It is better to disassemble old wooden floors down to the supporting bars. It is quite possible that over the years of use they have become overgrown with mold and fungi. In this case, the damaged logs are replaced with new ones, and all remaining ones are treated twice with an antiseptic.
Rotten joists need to be replaced
Any damaged floorboards are also removed and replaced. The gaps between the boards are filled with a special putty for wooden floors. Small differences in height, including those formed by layers of paint, can be eliminated using an electric plane or sanding machine. In small areas, sagging is removed with sandpaper.
Sanding painted floors
If the floors were laid recently, they do not need to be removed. In this case, only the fasteners are checked, and those that are not securely fastened are replaced.
Important! Before scraping, the heads of nails and screws must be recessed a few millimeters into the wood.
Elimination of differences in height
As a rule, when laying laminate floors, uneven floors are the main problem. There is probably no apartment in which the floorboards are laid perfectly.
Interlocking lamellas (boards) of the laminate are, in fact, a single canvas (such floors are called floating). This is what explains the strictest requirements when laying them. After all, the slightest deflection can deform the entire structure.
Uneven laminate flooring
Allowable differences in the height of the surface on which the laminate will be laid are no more than 2 mm for every 2 m. Moreover, if its locks are damaged during the warranty period, the manufacturer may refuse to replace the lamellas or refund the money due to a violation of the installation technology.
Permissible differences in height
That is why, after repairing wooden floors and eliminating their damage, the surface must be perfectly leveled. In case of strong differences in heights, pads are installed under the logs of the support wedges. The final leveling of the floors is done using linings from scraps of plywood sheets, fiberboard or wooden beams.
Important! Do not lay plywood or fiberboard close to walls. Indeed, when temperature or humidity conditions change, it is capable of changing its size. The size of the compensation (technological) gap - the distance from the wall to the outer sheets - is 0.5 cm.
When laying diagonally there will be 10-15%;
With the usual method of laying waste there will be less - up to 5%.
Advice. Since the color of the lamellas, even in one batch, can vary, in order to obtain a uniform pattern, when laying it is better to take the laminate alternately from different packs.
Why do you need a substrate?
Another important requirement when laying this flooring is the presence of a substrate. It performs the following functions:
Finally levels the floors;
Evenly redistributes the load between the lamellas;
Filling all the free space between the surface and the laminate, it protects it from deformation;
Absorbs noise from footsteps;
Performs the function of a heat insulator.
The best option is a substrate made of expanded polystyrene. It is much cheaper than cork, but it holds its shape perfectly. For laying on wooden floors, a 2mm underlay will be sufficient. It is better not to use cheap foamed polyethylene - over time it will quickly sag and lose its shape, and the floors will begin to deform and creak.
Polystyrene laminate backing
Laying underlay under laminate
After leveling the floor and clearing it of debris, a springy damper tape is laid along the walls to dampen sounds. To ensure that the seams of the underlay do not fall on the joints of the boards, sheets or roll underlay are rolled out across the floor across the direction of the laminate lamellas.
It is laid only with the smooth side up and connected end-to-end, without overlap. To avoid shifting of the substrate, all sheets are fastened together with construction tape. If damper tape is not used, you can bring the edges of the backing slightly onto the wall by a couple of centimeters. Subsequently, the excess is cut off. To avoid crushing the porous material when walking, it is not recommended to lay the entire backing at once - it is better to spread it out as needed.
Laying laminate step by step
1. To protect the laminate from swelling during temperature changes, small lamellas are placed between the lamellas and the wall. spacers from plywood or small blocks 0.5-1 cm thick.
2. To ensure that the joints between the slats are not conspicuous, they should be located in such a way that the light passes along them (the narrow side towards the window).
3. The first row is positioned with the tenon facing the wall.
4. Further installation is carried out only with offset seams(in a checkerboard pattern), that is, the center of the board of the next row should be at the junction of the previous lamellas. In order to obtain a similar offset, the first board of the second row is cut in half or (long boards) by 2/3.
5. The slats can have two types of fastenings. Each package has a pictogram indicating the type of fastening and how to connect it.
6. When fastening the click type (the most common), the board that needs to be joined is slightly tilted at an angle of 30 and, with a little force, is pressed against the second lamella until a characteristic click is heard. To strengthen the connection, the connected boards are knocked against each other using a rubber hammer. Boards with lock-type fastenings are simply driven into adjacent ones by lightly tapping with a hammer until they click.
Procedure for laying laminate flooring
Advice. To avoid damaging the fragile lamellas, when aligning boards to each other, you can use a wooden block through which the boards are hammered.
7. The lamellas adjacent to the pipes are cut in half so that the cut falls on the center of the pipe. Next, holes are cut into the boards a couple of millimeters larger than the diameter of the pipe. To seal the connection and dampen sounds (metal and bimetallic pipes are very good conductors of sound), rubber gaskets are placed.
Installation of laminate near batteries
8. To obtain a neat joint, the door jambs are slightly filed at the bottom according to the thickness of the lamella.
The jamb is filed at the bottom so that the lamella fits in
9. The transition to another room can be made with an aluminum threshold, which is inserted between the laminate boards, or a special wooden threshold with grooves.
Video: Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor
How to lay laminate flooring on wood floors
Wood floor finishes vary. A suitable option would be a wood covering, since the natural material will remain environmentally friendly and fit harmoniously into the interior. The wooden surface is pleasant to the touch and retains heat for a long time. In addition, the material is easy to install and process. You can easily achieve the desired color, shade or shine.
Laminate is a high-density fiberboard that is characterized by an attractive appearance and long service life. At the same time, the material is cheaper than cork, parquet or solid boards made of natural wood. For information on installing and finishing a wooden floor in a country house, see the link http://marisrub.ru/uslugi/vnutrennie-otdelochnye-raboty/otdelka-polov.
As a rule, laminate flooring is laid on a leveled concrete screed. However, the material can also be laid on wood flooring. In this article we will look at how to properly install laminate flooring on a wooden floor.
Features of laminate installation
There are locks installed on the sides of the laminate slabs, which must fit tightly with the adjacent board during installation. Therefore, laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor can only be done on a hard, flat surface. If the flooring is uneven, the locks will quickly wear out and come apart, and cracks will form at the joints. This leads to deformation and damage to the material. The technology for laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor allows a surface difference of 1 mm and two meters.
Thus, the floor boards should be free of cracks, rot and other noticeable damage. They must have a sufficient margin of strength and a smooth surface without knots, depressions or protrusions, and not sag under load or creak.
If you plan to lay laminate flooring on an old wooden floor, first level the surface and replace the boards if they are rotten or creaky. Let's take a closer look at how to prepare the coating and how to properly lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor.
Preparing a Wooden Floor
Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is important to eliminate sagging boards, creaks and other defects. To do this, logs are firmly fixed to the concrete base, and then the floorboards are rigidly tied to each other. First, floorboards are laid across the joists and secured with screws or nails. When the boards and joists are secured, the loose boards are additionally secured with another material. You can take chipboard with a thickness of over 15 mm.
Chipboards should be laid on top of the floor boards and secured with self-tapping screws. Before installation, a grid with 10x10 centimeter cells is marked on the chipboard slab. The materials are fastened along the grid intersection lines and the slabs are laid at a distance of 3-5 mm from each other. This gap is necessary so that the wooden slabs can expand if necessary without deforming the floor.
After laying the chipboard panels, the floor area is sanded in strips overlapping by 10 centimeters. If the floor is new and smooth, then it is possible to install laminate flooring without plywood directly on a wooden base. However, before starting work, the surface must be leveled with a grinding machine. Now let's take a closer look at how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor.
Types of laminate fastening
Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is important to choose the right material and connection method. The boards are divided according to the type of castle. The “Lock” connection system assumes that the tongue and groove are located in the same horizontal plane. In this case, the laminate boards are laid horizontally, inserting a tenon into the groove. This connection is easy to install. But it is not very durable, as the spikes can break off. Therefore, experts do not recommend using this type of laminate.
The “Click” system is stronger and more reliable. It involves a three-dimensional design in which the panels are laid at a certain angle. This is the most popular connection, which is durable and has a long service life. In addition, the coating can be easily disassembled if necessary.
For kitchens and rooms with high humidity, adhesive laminate is chosen. It forms a single monolithic surface, which is characterized by high density and strength. But the installation of such materials is complicated by the fact that glue must be applied to the locking joints. This surface is not applicable to heated floors! In addition, the resulting surface can be used no earlier than 10 hours after installation.
Technology for laying laminate flooring on wood floors
- After leveling, the floor surface is covered with a waterproofing film to protect wooden materials from rotting, mold and mildew;
- Then install a 3 mm thick substrate. The substrate is made of strips of balsa wood or polypropylene and mounted joint to joint, then secured with construction tape or tape;
- Installation of the laminate is carried out from the window to the front door, starting from the corner. The first row is placed in the gap from the wall 8-10 mm from the walls, and a wedge is placed between the wall and the material. This gap is needed to compensate for the expansion of wooden slabs due to changes in temperature or humidity;
- The first row is laid completely and starts with the whole panel. The second row begins with half the board. He also fits to the end. Thus, even rows start with whole panels, and odd rows with half;
- If a “Click” lock is used, each subsequent row is laid in an end lock to the previous one at an angle of 25 degrees. To do this, the last board of the first row needs to be trimmed;
- Each subsequent row of laminated panels is placed with a displacement of the joints of the previous one by 40 centimeters or more;
- After installing the laminate along the perimeter, remove the wedges between the material and the wall, and then install the baseboard.
Final work
After completion of the work, plinths are installed. In this case, it is important to attach the plinth only to the wall, and not to the laminate slabs! Experts recommend choosing only wooden planks. Such products will harmoniously complement the design, give the room a finished look and preserve the naturalness of the floor. Before installation, the materials are left in the room for two to three days so that they “get used” to the temperature and humidity in the room.
Products are laid along the walls as they should be installed. Installation begins from one of the corners. When fastening, make sure that the plinth fits as tightly as possible to the wall. The first plank is sawed at an angle on one side, and for connection on the other. The cut for the connection is made at an angle of 45 degrees. The remaining skirting boards are laid in the same way, making cuts and attaching them to the wall using self-tapping screws.
After installation, the baseboards are puttied and varnished. There is no need to varnish laminate flooring! The plates are already covered with a protective film that cannot absorb liquid materials. In addition, the material may crack in some places due to the application of varnish.
Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands requires care and precision in your work. It is important to lay the slabs correctly; the service life of the floor covering will depend on this. If the work is not done correctly, the products will soon begin to move away from each other, the surface will become uneven and ugly. In addition, water can penetrate into the cracks, causing the wooden floor to become deformed and unusable. To avoid such problems, contact professionals!
“MariSrub” craftsmen will perform installation and finishing work on the floor in a wooden house, including laying laminate flooring. We guarantee quality and reliability! Have you decided to build your own country cottage or country house from logs or timber? We offer a full range of works, which includes installation of a log frame, construction of a foundation and roof, installation of floors and ceilings, installation of utility networks and final finishing. We build wooden houses on a turnkey basis and for shrinkage according to an individual or standard project.
How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor - careful preparation, all the nuances of technology, advice from professional installers
Laminate is a very beautiful finishing material that can make your interior very attractive and cozy. It can be used both in an apartment and in a private house. In this case, such cladding is mounted on any base, the main thing is to prepare it carefully. Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor has some special features.
Features of a wooden base
Laminate is an unpretentious material, so preparation for installation will be quick. Naturally, the base must be clean and dry. In addition, the rough layer must be stable.
The underlayment under the laminate will not be able to remove all the problems of the base.
Wooden floors have some features:
This means that laminate flooring should only be installed on a wooden floor after careful preparation.
How to properly inspect the floor surface?
Material can be laid only after a thorough diagnosis of the rough foundation. This must be done correctly. Diagnostics involves checking not only the external surface of the floor, but also its internal frame.
It is necessary to disassemble the wooden base only if the fault cannot be eliminated.
A visual inspection of the boards will help you detect unevenness and minor damage. By tapping you can determine if there are any cracked or rotten elements. How level the base is is checked by the building level.
Laminate flooring should be laid on a wooden floor if:
- The floor surface is smooth, without any knots or protrusions. In this case, the difference in height should be no more than 2 mm per 2 m.
- There are no squeaks.
- The base has a sufficient margin of safety.
- The boards do not sag while walking.
- No damage was found on the coating, for example: cracks, large gaps between boards, rotten elements.
How to properly prepare the base?
Before you lay laminate flooring, you need to eliminate all the shortcomings that the old floor has:
You can lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor only after preparing the base - it is smooth, has no cracks or crevices, and there is no creaking. Boards and joists should not be rotten, the floor surface should be sanded.
Features of base leveling
Before laying laminate flooring, you need to check the level of the floorboards. A small difference in height can be removed in two ways:
- By cycling. After this procedure, you should definitely check the level using special devices.
- Laying plywood. This alignment method is the simplest, but everything needs to be done correctly. First you need to level the subfloor. To do this, wooden wedges should be placed under the joists. In some cases, plastic elements can be used. It is necessary to lay plywood, constantly monitoring its horizontalness. If necessary, slats can be placed under this material.
Sheets of plywood are attached to the base so that the seams meet in different places.
This material must be fixed using self-tapping screws every 15 centimeters. This is necessary so that the plywood sheets fit tightly to the base.
The photo shows the process of installing plywood on a wooden base. Pay attention to the location of the seams between the sheets.
The material should be laid taking into account the technological gap between it and the walls. The fact is that wooden elements can expand and contract under the influence of temperature and moisture. Try to keep the seams as small as possible along the boards. To prevent plywood sheets from being subject to fungal growth, they must be well treated with antiseptic agents or drying oil.
After completing the work, you need to vacuum the floor well. Otherwise, remaining dust may cause squeaking after laying the laminate.
Installation technology
After all the preparatory work, you can lay the laminate on a wooden floor. This process cannot be called very fast. It provides for the following actions:
- Installation of the substrate. Before this, a waterproofing polyethylene film is laid on the plywood base. You can lay a special underlay for laminate on it. It not only compensates for all unevenness, but also provides good sound and thermal insulation. This is especially important if the rough layer is already old.
- Laying the first row. Now you can lay the planks on the old plank floor. It is correct to start work from the corner. The panels should be joined end to end, while always trying to ensure that the elements are aligned with the walls. During work, do not forget about the technological gaps between the wall and the slats. To ensure that they are the same, you can use special wooden stops. After you have managed to lay the laminate to the opposite wall, you need to measure the required length of the last panel and cut off the excess part. A jigsaw is used for this.
Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor must be across the boards.
Laying technology for the first and second rows.
- The following rows must be laid offset. That is, the end seams between the elements of both rows should not coincide. To do this, first of all, you need to lay the plank that remains after trimming the material in the first row. But keep in mind that this fragment should not be shorter than 20 cm.
- If necessary, you can use a block and a mallet to join two rows.
- It is necessary to continue collecting the coating, constantly monitoring the correct installation.
- Before you start laying the panels of the last row, they can be trimmed a little lengthwise. Naturally, this must be done very carefully, although the cut will be hidden under the baseboard.
As you can see, laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands is done quite quickly. But this is only possible if the installation technology is followed. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact specialists.
Laminate is a very beautiful finishing material that can make your interior very attractive and cozy. It can be used both in an apartment and in a private house. In this case, such cladding is mounted on any base, the main thing is to prepare it carefully. Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor has some special features.
Laminate is an unpretentious material, so preparation for installation will be quick. Naturally, the base must be clean and dry. In addition, the rough layer must be stable.
The underlayment under the laminate will not be able to remove all the problems of the base.
Wooden floors have some features:
- Over time, its stability deteriorates. In this case, the laminate tiles will move, which will lead to breakage of the fasteners.
- During operation, the base may lose its mechanical properties.
This means that laminate flooring should only be installed on a wooden floor after careful preparation.
How to properly inspect the floor surface?
Material can be laid only after a thorough diagnosis of the rough foundation. This must be done correctly. Diagnostics involves checking not only the external surface of the floor, but also its internal frame.
It is necessary to disassemble the wooden base only if the fault cannot be eliminated.
A visual inspection of the boards will help you detect unevenness and minor damage. By tapping you can determine if there are any cracked or rotten elements. How level the base is is checked by the building level.
Laminate flooring should be laid on a wooden floor if:
- The floor surface is smooth, without any knots or protrusions. In this case, the difference in height should be no more than 2 mm per 2 m.
- There are no squeaks.
- The base has a sufficient margin of safety.
- The boards do not sag while walking.
- No damage was found on the coating, for example: cracks, large gaps between boards, rotten elements.
How to properly prepare the base?
Before you lay laminate flooring, you need to eliminate all the shortcomings that the old floor has:
- If you find rotten elements, then it all depends on the degree of damage. To eliminate a small defect, you just need to clean the board, turn it over and lay it with the wrong side up. Otherwise, the element will need to be replaced.
- Creaking or sagging can be eliminated by tightly securing the boards with self-tapping screws. Please note that the fastener heads will need to be recessed inward. Otherwise, problems with scraping and grinding may occur.
- If there is a defect in the joists, for example, they are loose, then they will need to be properly secured. To do this, you need to make a small hole through the wooden element, and then fix it to the screed using anchors.
- A large difference in height can only be eliminated by global dismantling of the frame.
- If you notice large enough gaps between the floorboards, it means they have simply dried out. This problem can be eliminated with polyurethane foam.
You can lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor only after preparing the base - it is smooth, has no cracks or crevices, and there is no creaking. Boards and joists should not be rotten, the floor surface should be sanded. Features of base leveling
Before laying laminate flooring, you need to check the level of the floorboards. A small difference in height can be removed in two ways:
- . After this procedure, you should definitely check the level using special devices.
- Laying plywood. This alignment method is the simplest, but everything needs to be done correctly. First you need to level the subfloor. To do this, wooden wedges should be placed under the joists. In some cases, plastic elements can be used. It is necessary to lay plywood, constantly monitoring its horizontalness. If necessary, slats can be placed under this material.
Sheets of plywood are attached to the base so that the seams meet in different places.
This material must be fixed using self-tapping screws every 15 centimeters. This is necessary so that the plywood sheets fit tightly to the base.
The photo shows the process of installing plywood on a wooden base. Pay attention to the location of the seams between the sheets. The material should be laid taking into account the technological gap between it and the walls. The fact is that wooden elements can expand and contract under the influence of temperature and moisture. Try to keep the seams as small as possible along the boards. To prevent plywood sheets from being subject to fungal growth, they must be well treated with antiseptic agents or drying oil.
After completing the work, you need to vacuum the floor well. Otherwise, remaining dust may cause squeaking after laying the laminate.
Installation technology
After all the preparatory work, you can lay the laminate on a wooden floor. This process cannot be called very fast. It provides for the following actions:
- Installation of the substrate. Before this, a waterproofing polyethylene film is laid on the plywood base. You can lay a special underlay for laminate on it. It not only compensates for all unevenness, but also provides good sound and thermal insulation. This is especially important if the rough layer is already old.
- Laying the first row. Now you can lay the planks on the old plank floor. It is correct to start work from the corner. The panels should be joined end to end, while always trying to ensure that the elements are aligned with the walls. During work, do not forget about the technological gaps between the wall and the slats. To ensure that they are the same, you can use special wooden stops. After you have managed to lay the laminate to the opposite wall, you need to measure the required length of the last panel and cut off the excess part. A jigsaw is used for this.
Laying technology for the first and second rows. - The following rows must be laid offset. That is, the end seams between the elements of both rows should not coincide. To do this, first of all, you need to lay the plank that remains after trimming the material in the first row. But keep in mind that this fragment should not be shorter than 20 cm.
- If necessary, you can use a block and a mallet to join two rows.
- It is necessary to continue collecting the coating, constantly monitoring the correct installation.
- Before you start laying the panels of the last row, they can be trimmed a little lengthwise. Naturally, this must be done very carefully, although the cut will be hidden under the baseboard.
As you can see, laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands is done quite quickly. But this is only possible if the installation technology is followed. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact specialists.
Laying laminate flooring on an old wooden base constantly raises many questions. Some argue that it is undesirable to do this, others do not see any problems. How to understand this issue?
If the choice in favor of panel parquet has already been made, then it will be useful to know some of the nuances and rules for placing laminate flooring on a wooden floor.
Laminate on a wooden floor: installation features
Laminate is an affordable alternative to expensive parquet. This coating is used in residential and commercial premises. Laminate flooring is quite easy to install, but at the same time it is demanding on the quality of the subfloor.
Owners of old houses and apartments in which the floor is made of wood are often faced with the question: “Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor?” Experts assure that this technology is quite acceptable if the basic requirement is met - high-quality preparation of the wooden base.
To understand the features of laying panels, it is necessary to understand the specifics of the wooden base and determine the possible reasons for the violation of the integrity of the laminate.
- Wood is not a stable enough material. It is characterized by drying out, spoilage, etc. These processes lead to the formation of gaps between the boards. If laminate panels are laid on top of a loose wooden floor, the load on the parquet locks will increase significantly. The lock joint is the weak point of the floor covering.
- Wooden floors lose their characteristics over time. Therefore, it is very important, before laying the laminate, to inspect the floor and identify the weaknesses of the floor itself and the underground structures (support beams, joists). If any problems are identified, repair work must be carried out.
You will have to avoid laying laminate flooring in unheated rooms and in rooms with high humidity - bathrooms, kitchens. Under the influence of moisture, the planks can become deformed and lose their original appearance.
Laying laminate on a wooden floor: choosing a material
The durability of the floor covering largely depends on the correct choice of laminate. There is a certain classification of panels, the main selection parameter is the purpose of the room.
- Class 31 - for installation in houses, apartments and commercial premises with low traffic;
- Class 32 - suitable for finishing rooms with medium traffic - kitchens, corridors;
- Class 33 - laminate is intended for public buildings with high traffic;
- Class 34 - scope of application - large shopping centers, airports, clinics, schools and other premises where many people constantly gather.
Its cost also depends on the type of laminate. Class 31 coating is the most affordable. Class 34 laminate is very durable, wear-resistant and can withstand significant mechanical loads. The only drawback is the high cost.
The pricing policy of flooring is also influenced by additional characteristics:
- thickness of the HDF board (laminate base) - the larger this size, the more expensive the coating;
- thickness of the protective layer;
- presence of embossing, chamfers, additional processing, etc.;
- country of origin - European manufacturers price their products more expensive than Chinese and domestic ones;
- brand - laminate of popular brands that have proven themselves in the construction market will cost more than panels from unknown companies.
Preparing a wooden floor for laminate
Diagnostics of old flooring
The subfloor must be carefully inspected before laying laminate flooring. It is recommended to check the serviceability of both the external covering and the internal frame. Usually there is no need to dismantle the floor - a visual inspection is sufficient.
A number of factors indicate the satisfactory condition of the floor and the possibility of laying laminate:
- The floorboards do not sag while walking. Minor changes in floor level under heavy pieces of furniture, for example, under a cabinet, are acceptable.
- The wooden covering has no depressions, protrusions or knots.
- Horizontal level of the floor - the maximum permissible difference in height of the base plane is 2 mm for every 2 meters.
- No gaps between floor boards. The presence of places affected by rot is unacceptable.
- The wooden floor does not creak when walking.
If the listed requirements are met, then you can proceed to the next stage - placing the substrate. Otherwise, the base will have to be repaired.
Important! To identify rotten floorboards or make sure the wood is in good condition, you need to get rid of the old layer of paint. The appearance of the coating should be almost the same color over the entire floor plane.
Repair of wooden base
Eliminating squeaks. It is necessary to walk along the floor and identify places where the base creaks strongly underfoot. If some of the floorboards sag, then the boards are additionally fixed to the joists with nails or self-tapping screws. In the event that the measures taken did not produce the desired result, more major repairs may be required - strengthening the logs themselves. Bricks or beams are installed under the inner body of the floor - they securely fix the wooden base, preventing it from loosening.
Important! If, after strengthening the subfloor, it is planned to level it with an electric planer or scrape, then nails must be used to secure the joists. Nail heads should be buried into the wood before scraping.
Floorboards may squeak due to friction against each other. To eliminate this phenomenon, sometimes it is enough to fill the gap with talc or graphite and fill the visible gaps with putty.
Damaged/rotten boards must be replaced. To identify them, tap the floor surface with a hammer. The sounds from tapping on healthy wood are louder, while on rotten wood they are dull.
Even if the boards are only partially rotten and at first glance look reliable and durable, they still need to be replaced, otherwise the rot will spread to the “healthy” elements of the floor.
It will be possible to prevent the appearance and spread of mold/fungus by treating the wood with an antiseptic composition and providing the base of the floor with good waterproofing.
Important! If there are depressions (small grooves) on the floorboards, then the surface must be treated with a bioprotective compound. The presence of grooves indicates that the flooring is infested with woodworms.
Floor subsidence. The damaged area is dismantled - several floorboards are removed. Several support wedges are placed under the logs. If the vast majority of wooden joists are in unsatisfactory condition, then the floor will have to be dismantled and new frame parts installed.
Leveling the floor for laying laminate
Let's look at three ways to level a wooden floor:
- surface scraping - the method is optimal if the unevenness is not significant;
- laying sheet materials;
- arrangement of wet screed.
To scrape the floor you will need the following tools:
- sandpaper;
- rubber spatula;
- scraping machine;
- hand plane;
- building level.
Before treating the floor, you need to deepen the nails. After passing through the scraping machine, check the evenness of the coating with a level. If chips and cracks are found on the floor, they must be repaired using wood putty. When the solution is completely dry, the floor must be sanded again.
Floor scraping is a very dusty and noisy process. Upon completion, shavings and dust must be removed with a vacuum cleaner before laying the laminate.
You can qualitatively prepare the base for the laminate using chipboard, OSB, GVLV, plywood and other sheet materials. For these purposes, sheets of plywood 12-15 mm thick, 50*50 cm or 75-75 cm in size are well suited. It is advisable to use moisture-resistant material.
Some nuances associated with the use of plywood:
- The coating is laid out in a staggered manner, the offset step being half a sheet. Thanks to this technology, the load on the floor covering is distributed evenly.
- The plywood is “set” with glue and secured to the wooden base with self-tapping screws. The glue is applied with a notched trowel over the entire area of the sheet, the screws are distributed along the edges of the plywood.
- There must be technological gaps (10 mm) between the plywood slabs, as well as between the wall and the plywood covering. This distance is necessary for the thermal expansion of plywood.
The laid plywood sheets should be processed with a sanding machine and, upon completion, covered with drying oil.
Another way to level a wooden floor is with a wet screed. A smooth concrete surface is an ideal option for installing laminate flooring. To implement it, you will need to strengthen the structure of the beams and joists. This is necessary so that the base can easily withstand the weight of the concrete solution.
The process is quite labor-intensive, but the result will allow you to use the laminate coating for a long time without carrying out repair work. This is due to the practicality and immobility of the concrete layer.
Choosing a laminate underlay for an old wooden floor
Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is necessary to cover the base with an underlay. This layer performs a number of important tasks:
- eliminates minor floor unevenness;
- increases heat and sound insulation;
- serves as additional protection against moisture;
- prevents contact of the subfloor with laminate slabs, preventing friction and rapid wear of the floor covering.
The construction market offers three main types of underlay for panel parquet.
Polyethylene foam backing- the most popular option, as it has an optimal price-quality ratio. The material contains a layer of aluminum foil or metallized film. Main characteristics: thermal insulation, moisture resistance and biostability. Disadvantages: sagging and exposure to UV rays.
When choosing a polyethylene foam substrate, you need to pay attention to the density of the material - the higher it is, the better and more durable it is. A 2 mm thick substrate is suitable for “apartment” laminate. For laminated panels with a thickness of 9 mm or more, it is necessary to select polyethylene with a thickness of at least 3 mm.
Good performance characteristics are shown by two-layer polystyrene backing. The protective material consists of aluminum foil and a layer of polystyrene. The substrate is not affected by fungi, mold, is not afraid of moisture and is relatively inexpensive. Disadvantages of the material: polystyrene is pressed under heavy load and does not roll out well when laid.
Advice. Extruded polystyrene has minimal moisture absorption rates. Laying such a substrate under the laminate allows you to do without a moisture-proof layer. When placing polystyrene along the walls, leave a ventilation gap of about 10 mm.
Cork backing made from pressed oak bark chips. Such material can be completely natural or combined with bitumen or rubber.
The main advantages of the substrate include:
- rigidity of the material - the substrate is not pressed under loads;
- safety of use;
- good heat and sound insulation qualities;
- better than others, the coating masks uneven subfloors;
- biostable;
- unlimited service life.
The main disadvantage of cork material is the fear of moisture. Therefore, such a substrate is not suitable for installing heated floors or for furnishing kitchens, bathrooms and rooms with high humidity levels.
Advice. The high quality cork backing is not translucent. For laying laminate on a wooden floor, a “cork” 2 mm thick is suitable.
Laying laminate on a wooden floor: installation technologies
Laminate flooring can be installed on a wooden floor in several ways:
- Click system;
- Lock system;
- glued laminate.
The Click connection is the most common way to install laminate flooring. The panels are easy to install - fastening the tongue into the groove at an angle of 30-40°. The laminate panel is lowered onto the adjacent lamella and fixed in the lock. The seam is almost invisible. Installation work should begin from the corner opposite the door.
Lock fastening is rarely used, since such a laminate needs a flat base. Lock is installed by hammering the groove of one lamella into another with a hammer. Due to this fixation, it will be difficult to disassemble the coating for repairs.
The most expensive method is glue. This method is reminiscent of parquet laying in the use of tenon grooves and screed. Glue is applied to the ends of the panels, after which the planks are securely fixed to each other. Adhesive fastening is used where the floor is subject to high loads - public spaces with high traffic. For domestic use, this method is rarely used due to the high labor intensity of the process.
Laying laminate flooring differs not only in the method of fastening, but also in the layout options for panel parquet:
- Classic masonry is the most common and economical. Waste from such an installation is about 5%. The laminate spreads from the window in the direction of the light. Panel trims 30-40 cm long are used at the end of the row.
- Diagonal laying is identical to the classic arrangement, but the panels are laid at an angle of 45°. This type of masonry looks very beautiful and visually expands the room. The disadvantage of the diagonal method is the increase in waste of finishing material up to 15%.
- Brickwork - each subsequent row of panels is shifted by half relative to the previous one. The brick method ensures maximum durability of the coating. The disadvantage of the layout is the high overconsumption of laminate (15-20%).
- Herringbone masonry - arrangement of lamellas at an angle of 90° according to the principle of parquet. For this method it is necessary to use strips with special locks.
How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor: step-by-step instructions
The first step is to decide on the method of laying the laminate and calculate the required material. The procedure for calculating the amount of laminate when arranging lamellas using the traditional method:
- Calculate the total area of the room - multiply the width of the room by its length.
- Increase the resulting value by 10%. This gap will compensate for the consumption of panels when cutting.
Laminate laying sequence:
If there are heating/water supply pipes in the room, you will have to bypass them:
- Measure the distance of the wall to the pipe and mark the lamella where the cut will be.
- Measure the diameter of the pipe.
- Cut a circle in the laminate with a diameter 15 mm larger than the pipe.
- Cut the panel crosswise, passing through the center of the cut circle.
- Lay the laminate pieces on the floor and connect them together. It is advisable to “plant” the laminate fragments with glue.
- Secure special plugs around the pipe.
Maintenance and care
In order for the laminate to please you with its beautiful appearance for a long time, you will need to follow some rules for the maintenance and care of the floor covering:
- avoid getting large amounts of water at the joints of the panels;
- place soft fabric or use felt pads under the legs of sofas, armchairs, massive tables and cabinets;
- clean the laminate immediately after contamination, using special products;
- It is not advisable to sweep panel parquet with a broom - it is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner or mop for dry cleaning.
Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor: video
