Plywood - material practical in use and affordable. But it is recommended to use such a flooring only in special cases, since it is still not necessary to expect increased bearing capacity and durability from it. Especially when it comes to a wooden draft base, which will soon require repairs or a complete renovation. But in some rooms this is really the best solution - choosing the appropriate sheet format, all that remains is to properly assemble it. How to lay plywood on a wooden floor? Laying and fixing mechanism in general correspond to the technique of fixing many other floor coverings, but with some features that will be discussed below.
What is a plywood sheet?
First you need to understand the design of plywood, its components and capabilities for use as a flooring. Such sheets have a multilayer structure, the basis of which is previously prepared and dried veneer. These are thin sliced sheets of solid wood that stick together and form a fairly strong plate with an average thickness of 4 to 30 mm. Of course, for floor laying, models should be selected stronger and more reliable. The permissible thickness of plywood on a wooden floor starts from 10-12 mm, depending on the characteristics of the structure and additional impregnations. The number of layers also varies. For example, three-layer plates are quite sufficient for wall sheathing, but wear-resistant coatings should be made of a multilayer sheet, which will initially give the surface sufficient mechanical protection characteristics.
The nuances of choosing the right plywood
Determine which material is suitable in a particular case should be based on a wide range of data - from the local indoor climate to the features of the planned installation. At a minimum, the material should be able to cope with the loads imposed on it - not only mechanical, but also temperature-humidity. Especially for laying in the kitchen, you can apply moisture-proof plywood, which will protect the base from destruction. There are special refractory series, which are often used in the attic floors, hallways and living rooms.
At the next stage, the design parameters of the selection are determined. In this part, you should focus on a balanced placement of fasteners in the corners and at equal distances from the edges. What plywood to put on a wooden floor to ensure the integrity of the fixing scheme? Parkers are advised to use multilayer sheets in the format 122x244 cm. You can divide the floor into square segments using a size of 122x122 cm, but the frequent use of screws can negatively affect the structure of the hearts, therefore this nuance should not be discarded. As for betting on large fission, it optically increases the space, but creates a higher load on the carrier base. If we are talking about a large living room, for example, with the new lag system, then it is quite possible to apply such a scheme.
Preparation for work
By the time of work operations, both the floor itself and the plywood sheet should be prepared. Regardless of the type of flooring, the following procedures should be performed:
- Dismantling skirting boards.
- Replacement of rotten elements (log, boards, plates, panels).
- Even at the slightest sign of instability, the base is repaired in the problem area.
- If there are signs of biological damage, the design is also updated. Only with minor damage can you do with special antiseptics after sanding the area.
- Checks the horizontal position of the flooring. If there are significant deviations, then the leveling of the wooden floor with plywood is preliminarily performed using a substrate or other damping materials. However, small protrusions up to 5 mm can be removed from a wooden coating with a planer.
Next, we proceed to the preparation of a plywood sheet. What will be required at this stage? Each element should be checked for integrity, the absence of defective areas, dents and chips. Dust, dirt and fine chips are removed from surfaces. Next, a control “fitting” is made, on the basis of which the final markup is also made. It should be borne in mind and the possibility of preliminary holes in the sheets with the tightening of screws as a preparatory operation.
Plywood Cutting Tips
The most suitable tool for creating neat cuts in wood-based materials is an electric jigsaw. It allows you to process plywood with a thickness of 10 to 50 mm, while realizing a curved cut. But in this case, this is not required and only a direct cutting of the sheets into small segments will be sufficient. What will be the format of these parts depends on how to lay plywood on a wooden floor in specific conditions. It has already been said that the optimal solution would be an average factory molding close to the format of 122x244 cm. But with individual cutting, you can move away from the template and perform your own calculation with the marking of the attachment points.
The cutting work begins with the installation of a special saw blade in the landing hole. The sheet is located on a reliable platform and is fixed with a vice or clamps. Further in the process, it is worth adhering to the following rules:
- Relative to the planned line, the tool is not driven directly along the marker, but along, which will give the contour visibility. Plus, you can lay a safety width of 1-2 mm in case of chips.
- When maintaining a jigsaw, it is not recommended to exert strong pressure on it - usually the course of the equipment itself is enough to complete the cut.
- If the esthetic property of the front part is important (it is not planned to cover the plywood with a different coating after laying), then in order to avoid scoring, the sheet is laid with its outer side down.
- To minimize the amount of dirt in the workplace, a construction vacuum cleaner should be connected to the jigsaw. He will blow away sawdust and shavings during operation.
Technology for mounting plywood on a wooden floor
The peculiarity of the installation of plywood sheets is that they are stacked in a checkerboard pattern. Fastening is usually carried out with self-tapping screws with indents of the order of 20 mm. On coatings that are designed for intensive use, you can reduce the distance between fasteners to 15 cm. Again, the installation process can be facilitated by first making holes for the hardware at the sawing stage.
Further, the overall installation process is performed as follows:
- Plywood is laid on the floor in marked areas. Apertures of a suitable size are wound in and screwed into the prepared holes.
- If necessary, you can apply the gluing technique in addition to the basic method of screwing sheets.
- Screws are deepened into hats. How to lay plywood on a wooden floor so that there are no protruding elements on the surface? To do this, even at the stage of drilling the sheets, a countersink should be performed - that is, expanding the upper diameter of the hole for drowning the cap.
- Seams and joints are sealed. To do this, use special mastics, primers, sealing materials and sealing compounds.
Features of leveling a wooden floor with plywood
A key feature of leveling in this way is that surface preparation can be carried out both in relation to the finishing coating, and as a basic flooring for a different structural level of the floor. Of course, there is no question of further laying the screed or self-leveling floors, but it is quite possible to build a new crate frame for logs. Often, such methods are resorted to in order to install water-based warm floors. In the niche between the laid flooring and the top decorative coating pipes are held through which hot water will circulate. That is, moisture-proof plywood should be used, which in case of an accident will be able to fulfill its primary tasks.
Alignment by itself is required to maintain the horizontal laying of the pipeline, which will reduce potential costs for the circulation pump. The features of the installation process include an increase in the importance of sealing and the use of an adhesive laying method. The introduction of the same self-tapping screws is not excluded, but in the first place it will be important to protect the rough base with a waterproof insulator and ensure sufficient floor correction by levels.
Installation of adjustable plywood on stilettos
A rather specific technology that will allow you to arrange the floor with the possibility of its rise in height. It must be emphasized right away that the supporting base for such a coating must be extremely reliable and stable, otherwise the structure will collapse.
In addition to plywood sheets, thick studs will be required that can be passed to a depth of 10 cm. The distance between the regulators will be about 40-50 cm. How to lay plywood on a wooden floor with the possibility of height adjustment? Work begins with the integration of the studs into the base of the sheets for styling. Under the diameter of the studs, indentations are made to half the thickness of the plywood. In each depression, a through hole is already drilled in the center, but with a smaller diameter. A stud leg will pass into it. Next, washers are placed over wide openings, through which markings are made for drilling anchor fixation points on the floor. Anchor screws supplemented with a nut and washer are driven into the floor base. Using the electronic level, you should fit the washers to one plane and fix them at the desired level using the thread lock.
Lagging
This is the most critical part of the floor, so the plywood sheet is selected accordingly. It is advisable to use multilayer panels with a thickness of 25-30 mm. They will take the load without deformation and structural destruction. The most important thing is to create conditions in advance for an even distribution of severity. Support should be provided with thick lags with reliable fixation on the grillage.
How to fix plywood to the floor on the logs? In this case, large-format sheets can be laid directly along the contours of the flooring in the form of a usual sheathing, and not in a checkerboard pattern. Directly fastening is carried out by anchor joints at each lap point on the logs.
Features laying under the laminate
The differences of this method are that the master is faced with the task of maximizing heat and noise insulation with a damping effect, since it will be impossible to foresee these layers in the future. Installing plywood under a laminate on a wooden floor requires that the output produce both a stable and elastic coating. It is with these characteristics of the base that the characteristic operational disadvantages of the laminated panels can be eliminated. How to do it?
The substrate will be of great help. It will need to be laid after the plywood sheet so that the laminate organically interacts with it through the damping layer. She will act as a heat and sound insulator. What kind of plywood underlay on a wooden floor is better to use? The best solution would be a cork plate or coniferous-fiber panel. Firstly, both materials are environmentally friendly, and secondly, they give a sufficient effect of elasticity in combination with plywood and laminate.
Features of working with the old basics
The main problem with the old rough floor is its restoration. Plywood is not a concrete screed or a filler coating. It transmits to the surface the smallest noise and vibration effects that the old flooring can emit. And this is in the best case, since the oversight of the rotten log will eventually lead to the need to replace the entire coating. That is, laying plywood on an old wooden floor should be done only after a thorough inspection and replacement of rotten floorboards.
As for fastening, the same set of hardware is used - from screws and screws to dowels and nails. If previously new lags with boards were partially installed, it is better to choose the attachment points in these places - but only if there is a stable support under them. For the same reason, at the stage of troubleshooting the base, it will not be amiss to evaluate the condition of the bearing base with grillage.
Decorative plywood
First of all, it is recommended to grind the surface, since even after installation small flaws could appear on it. Fine-grained cleaning is carried out by a grinding machine using circles No. 80-100. The direction of processing is maintained strictly perpendicular. By the way, the success of varnishing will depend on the quality of this operation. But before that, all small chips and dirt must be removed from the surface.
Paints and varnishes are selected strictly on wood and with an emphasis on the necessary protective properties - from the same fire, moisture or biological damage. If plywood was laid on a wooden floor with pronounced decorative seams, then it is advisable to seal them with putty or grout from the same line as the main coating. In this case, negative chemical reactions are excluded. In addition to varnishing, you can also use the technique of lamination, impregnation or processing with a tint of paint.
In each case, special attention is paid to the ends. In these areas, if possible, it is worth using more elastic compounds - for example, acrylic paint in 2-3 layers. If the work is carried out in a room with high humidity, then it is possible to apply facade compositions as more resistant to external influences. As for the application technique, it is implemented with a spray gun or an ordinary brush. In the first case, the work is performed quickly, efficiently and without much effort, but the brush allows you to cope with hard-to-reach corner areas.
Conclusion
Against the background of the advent of all new plastic alloys, composites and synthetic resins, which in some areas replace even metals, plywood may seem to be an obsolete material both morally and technically. Nevertheless, in places that are not subject to increased requirements in terms of technical, physical and aesthetic properties, this is a suitable option for flooring. But it is important to know how to lay plywood on a wooden floor in order to get coverage not for a month, but for several years, at least. And for this it is necessary to comply with the installation technology, not forgetting the careful layout and fitting of each sheet. You should also think over the initial configuration of the interaction of plywood with future layers of decorative coating - this will determine the further tactics of insulation work and strengthening the floor structure.