Modern flooring is often done using laminated panels. They are a universal, simple and inexpensive option that allows you to create a beautiful and pleasant to the touch flooring.
They mount such a cladding on various surfaces, including wooden ones. And if concrete finishing works are carried out according to the standard algorithm, then laying a laminate on a wooden floor has its own nuances.
How to lay panels on top of the boardwalk and what you need to pay attention to during the work, we described in our article.
A few words about the coating itself
The basis of the laminated panel is a plate made of wood fiber materials. Most often it is MDF or chipboard. The thickness of this layer plays a huge role in the operation of the finish: the thicker the plate, the more load the flooring can withstand.
The second layer is a decorative laminating film or the thinnest layer of veneer. It only affects the decorative properties of the product.
The protection of the panels is provided by a transparent finish. It is able to withstand moisture, chemical components and mechanical stress.
Depending on the characteristics of the protective layer and the thickness of the base, the class of the laminate is determined.
Most often, its three varieties are used:
- class 32 - with a minimum level of resistance to abrasion;
- class 33 - panels with average indicators of wear resistance;
- class 34 - the most durable and expensive options.
On absolutely equal grounds, you can use the products of the first group. However, the boardwalk is more mobile and unstable, therefore, more durable options should be chosen for its finishing (class 33 and 34).
Before laying the laminate on a wooden floor, you should carefully examine the base. Most often, floors made of natural material require prior preparation.
Inspect the rough floor for defects
Laminate is a fairly thin and vulnerable coating. If you put it on a crooked base, it will very quickly fail. This will entail high costs, especially in cases where the highest class of laminate is used. That is why, before laying it, you should make sure that the foundation is ready.
It is necessary to focus on the following factors:
- The presence of extraneous sounds. If you hear a creak while walking, it means that the boards are quite mobile, can bend or deform.
- The presence of rot and large cracks. If any elements are moldy, they will soon fail. This will cause a drop in floor level. Laminate in this situation will be damaged immediately.
- Large differences in floor height. Laying of panels can be done only if the difference in the level of the base is not more than 1.5-2 mm per 2 meters. If large deviations are found, the wooden floor should be aligned to the laminate.
Important! If the boardwalk is damaged by a fungus, it makes no sense to level it. In such situations, it is advisable to equip a new rough floor.
Eliminate minor defects
If you find several of these flaws, do not be upset. Many of them (except fungus) can be quickly eliminated in the shortest possible time.
For example, the creak of floorboards is easily removed by screwing in additional fasteners. To do this, use long screws that can pull the board to the lag.
If in several places the boards are bent, the leveling of the wooden floor under the laminate is carried out using additional support. The concave element must be torn off, put wooden blocks or brick under it. After that, the board can be screwed back.
Large slots can be clogged with slats of the appropriate size. Small cracks are well smeared with elastic varieties of mastic.
How to get rid of a large number of small irregularities
If you plan to lay the laminate on a wooden floor, which has a large number of chips, height differences (up to 5 mm) and tubercles, the base does not need to be completely changed, but it is simply necessary to smooth it.
This task can be quickly dealt with using a looping machine. If you do not have it, do not worry. In almost every city, this device can be rented. The cost of 1 day is approximately 1000 rubles. This time is enough to update the floor with an area of 100 m 2 .
You can do with a manual grinding machine, however, this work will take a lot of time, and the result is not always ideal.
Eliminate large swings
In the process of repairing old houses, it is often found that one of the corners of the rough flooring is simply littered down. Naturally, laying the laminate on a wooden floor (in this condition) is unacceptable.
What should be done? Most likely, the cause of this phenomenon was the failed logs. They need to be repaired or completely replaced. In this case, you will have to remove the flooring and check the condition of the supporting elements. After replacing the base, you can fix the boards again and begin laying the laminate.
The most common situations are when the logs are in good condition, but the differences between the boards and the slit do not allow laying the decorative flooring. In such situations, it is possible to level the floor with sheet materials. With their use, laying a laminate on a wooden floor will occur as quickly and comfortably as possible.
For these purposes, you can use plywood or OSB-boards. The thickness of the material is selected depending on the degree of unevenness. For minor defects, 10 mm sheets can be used. Differences of more than 5 mm are eliminated by plates having a thickness of 18 to 22 mm.
The technology of leveling the floor with sheet materials
Before arranging the flooring from the plates, you need to prepare the base. Remove all interfering elements. Drive deeper into the nails and brush off large mounds. Since the floorboard, plywood and the laminate itself are very susceptible to colonization with the fungus, it is advisable to treat the base with an antiseptic composition.
To lay the laminate on the wooden floor correctly, prepare the base as follows:
- Starting from the far corner, lay the first sheet of plywood. You can use solid plates, or you can cut them into elements 100x100 cm.
- Step back from the edge of the sheet about 2 centimeters and screw the first self-tapping screw.
- Lock the screws around the entire perimeter of the plate. Observe the installation step of the fasteners within 10-15 cm.
- If you lay the whole plate, the screws must be screwed over its entire surface. For small elements, it is enough to fix the perimeter and pull the center of the sheet to the base.
- Place the second sheet of plywood on the floor. Pay attention to the fact that between the plates you need to observe a distance of 5-7 cm. This gap will allow the material to adapt to the new climate. So you can prevent the swelling of the entire flooring.
- Leave a technological seam between the walls and panels. After laying the finishing material, it can be filled with sealant or polyurethane foam.
If, before laying the laminate on an uneven wooden floor, you perform all the indicated tasks, the service life of the finish coating will be significantly increased.
After leveling the base, the substrate is laid under the panel. Today there are many varieties of such materials. Consider the most popular.
Styrofoam backing
Polystyrene mats are often used as a substrate for a laminate. They are placed on a wooden floor in cases where the difference on the surface of the base ranges from 2 to 3 mm by 2 meters. In such situations, choose options whose thickness is 5 mm.
The material is optimal for rooms with high loads, since its structure has a large number of air bubbles. Due to them, the unevenness of the floor is compensated, the surface becomes warmer and does not allow noise.
Roll backing
If the base is relatively flat, you can use a roll substrate under the laminate. Polyethylene foam is most often laid on a wooden floor . The material has a low cost, so it is considered the most popular.
Despite the small price tag, the polyethylene foam film has excellent characteristics. These include:
- resistance to moisture;
- excellent thermal insulation qualities;
- resistance to insect colonization;
- ease of installation.
If the floor level difference does not exceed 2 mm by 2 meters, this substrate option is considered optimal. However, it should be noted that in the process of long-term operation, the material tends to sag.
Bamboo substrates
An excellent alternative to polyethylene foams is the cork backing. It is characterized by absolute environmental friendliness and has a long service life.
Bamboo substrates are a good heat insulator. They have a high density, which means they are not subject to shrinkage.
A significant drawback of this type is the fear of moisture. Therefore, before laying the laminate on a wooden floor, you need to pay due attention to the arrangement of waterproofing. For these purposes, an ordinary plastic film is perfect.
Preparation for laying laminated panels
Starting work on arranging flooring, you need to figure out how to properly lay a laminate on a wooden floor. First of all, you need to know that the acquired cladding should lie for 2-3 days in the room where it will be laid. If you skip this step, there is a high probability of expansion of the laid flooring.
While the material is in the process of acclimatization, prepare all the necessary tools. This list includes:
- punch (or drill);
- electric jigsaw;
- measuring tool;
- pencil or marker;
- a hammer and a wooden block;
- expansion wedges;
- self-tapping screws for skirting boards.
First you need to cover the entire surface of the floor with the selected substrate. If it's a roll, roll it across the floor. The places of docking of the strips should be glued with tape. Mats need to be fastened together using special grooves. Seams are also glued. On the finished surface, you can begin laying the finish flooring.
Laminated panel mounting technology
Laying a laminate on the floor with your own hands is not a difficult process. Work is carried out very quickly. The installation instructions for the panels are as follows:
- Install spacer wedges around the room. They should create a seam between the vertical plane and the flooring, 1 cm wide.
- Start laying from the wall, which is located opposite the entrance to the room.
- Lay the first panel on the floor. Attach the second bar to it. Thus, lay the entire first row. If the last plank does not fit completely, cut it with a jigsaw.
- Start the second row with half the laminate. You can use the piece that remains from the last element of the first row. This allows the layout to be staggered.
- Lay out the second row completely, connect it with the elements of the first row. To do this, insert the spike of each panel into the grooves of the previous strip at an angle. Thus assemble the entire flooring.
If the whole panel does not fit when laying the last row, it needs to be cut to the width you need.
Skirting Installation
Regardless of whether you lay the laminate on an old wooden floor or on a new base, it will be fixed due to skirting boards. They need to be fixed to the walls with a drill.
First you need to remove the spacer wedges, fix special metal latches on the walls. If they are not provided, the fixing of the skirting boards is carried out using self-tapping screws. Corner and straight joints of the strips are made out of special plastic elements.
There are no requirements for the appearance of the baseboard. It can be plastic, wooden, flexible or solid, the main thing is that it is combined with the floor covering.
findings
As you can see, laying a laminate is a fairly simple process. Even in those cases when it comes to the board, the work is carried out quite simply. The emphasis should be on preparing the subfloor.
You lay the laminate on the wooden floors in the apartment or equip the flooring in a private house, the technology of the work remains unchanged. Assess the defects, take the time to eliminate them and proceed with the installation of the decorative coating. Having done the work in this sequence, you will get the best result.