Wood is often used for interior decoration. She has a lot of positive qualities. This is a very beautiful material, and the interior in which it is applied looks stylish, spectacular and noble. At the same time, the wood finish is universal, easily fitting into almost any interior style.
Very often, wooden floors are made in apartments and houses. Moreover, there are several options for its device, laying methods, insulation materials. How wood floor is created and repaired will be discussed later in the article.
Types of Wood Coating
The wooden floor in an apartment or private house looks spectacular. This coating is practical and durable.
There are several options for finishing the floor with natural material:
- These are wooden boards, which differ in production technology, installation and operational qualities. One of the most popular types of materials for flooring is parquet board - a durable material that looks luxurious and rich. However, this type of boards is quite moody in leaving, but installation does not cause any special difficulties.
- The second option is a grooved board. It has special grooves for joining along all sides. They are called "locks." With this method of joining the panels, there are no gaps in the wooden floor. It turns monolithic finish. It is important that in the future the distance between the boards will also not increase, and they will not "walk", creak. This is one of the most practical types of wooden flooring, in addition, quite easy to clean. Since there are no gaps, trash and dust do not accumulate in them.
- Another option for finishing the floor is a deck board. It has no locks, so small gaps remain between the individual bands. But this material is resistant to various adverse effects. It can even be laid in the bathroom, bathhouse or kitchen. Changes in temperature and high humidity are not afraid of this floor. Another advantage of this material is its non-susceptibility to the development of fungus and mold, as boards are treated with antiseptics during the manufacturing process. Most often, deck boards are made of larch.
- One cannot but mention the engineering two-layer board. She has a decorative top layer. The lower one serves to strengthen the structure. It is a durable and practical material.
How to choose a material?
How to make a wooden floor? This question is of interest to many owners of apartments and private houses. Before considering the nuances of installation, you need to pay attention to the quality of the material itself. The simplicity of laying boards, as well as the durability of the finish, will depend on this.
Material that is of high quality will be resistant to scratches, chips, browning on the surface. Also, it should not be deformed if water accidentally enters the surface. Wood must be resistant to mold and mildew.
In order for the floor finish to meet all the requirements, you need to purchase boards from certain types of wood. They are created both from coniferous and deciduous species. They differ in a number of technical characteristics:
- Experts say that one of the best options for flooring is oak. This is quite expensive material. It is characterized by high strength, noble texture and a specific brown color. This material is well resistant to the development of fungus. At the same time, the oak tree is not afraid of moisture and absorbs it rather slowly. You can always have time to collect water if something accidentally spills in the room.
- Since oak is expensive, not everyone can buy it. But the ash board is quite capable of replacing this type of wood. Its appearance is very similar to oak, and at the same time the material is characterized by good resistance to various adverse influences. The cost of finishing from ash will be an order of magnitude lower than oak.
- A wooden floor is rarely made of beech. This material absorbs moisture and can be deformed. It is better to purchase a larch board. It is somewhat inferior to oak in strength, but in other indicators it even surpasses the classic material for flooring. Larch is not afraid of moisture.
- No less often do the floor from pine. This material is relatively inexpensive, but it is inferior in strength to larch, ash and oak.
Floor gluing
If the base of the wooden floors is even, made of concrete, you can apply the simplest method of arranging the finish. It is suitable for a new building or a private house where a cement screed was recently made. In this case, the boards can be glued directly to the base. The floor level in this case will rise to a minimum.
The advantage of this method of laying is a relatively low cost. The amount of materials that will be required for installation will be minimal. Even a novice master will be able to lay the board this way (provided that the base is really perfectly flat). Another important advantage is the fact that in this case it will be possible to install a warm electric floor system under the floor covering.
To mount the coating from the boards, you need:
- On a clean screed, apply a layer of glue with water-repellent qualities.
- A layer of plastic film is laid on top. Waterproofing must be at least 1 mm thick. If the polyethylene is thinner, you will need to lay several layers. Waterproofing should go on the walls.
- After this, another layer of glue is applied. Parquet is mounted on it. It is better to use grooved boards in this case. Their fixation will be stronger. After which the surface is finished.
However, it is worth considering that in the presence of irregularities and level differences of more than 3 mm for every 2 m², this installation option will not work, such a coating will quickly wear out and deform. Repair of wooden floors in this case will need to be completed very soon.
It is also worth considering that a self-leveling mortar cannot be poured onto a cement screed. Adhesive may not be compatible with this material. If the master does not have sufficient experience in carrying out such work, the floor will be less reliable if there is a self-leveling solution on the basis of.
Thermal insulation application
Quite often, when installing wood flooring, thermal insulation is used. This material is also additional soundproofing. Warming of a wooden floor allows you to make its operation more comfortable. The steps will not be so booming, you can step on the surface quietly, and the coating when using this method of installation will be warmer. In winter, you will need to spend less on family bills to pay energy bills.
In this case, rolled or sheet materials can act as thermal insulation. It is best to choose foil insulation or panels from technical cork for these purposes. They have a minimum thickness, which will minimize the level of the base.
Cork is a natural material. Its use is welcomed by builders more, but the cost of this material is quite high. Roll insulation is cheaper. They may have a foam or rubber base. The second option is preferable. The base of the roll in this case is black. Such thermal insulation significantly outperforms cork insulation, much better retaining heat indoors.
Warming of a wooden floor is laid in the space between the film and the boards:
- First you need to lay on the prepared floor a plastic film with a thickness of at least 1 mm.
- Next, glue is applied to it.
- Sheets of insulation are spread on it.
- When the fixing composition dries, you can proceed to finish the floor with a board.
This laying method is also suitable only for flat surfaces.
Leveling the floor with plywood
It is possible to equip a wooden floor without screed. If the base is made of old boards, you can not remove them. In this case, plywood is used. The aforementioned technique is also suitable for uneven cement substrates. The thickness of the plywood should be large enough - no less than the layer of the board itself. Thin sheets can be used, which will be stacked in two layers. Instead of plywood, material such as OSB can also be used.
- First, clean the base of the floor from debris.
- Old boards need to be soaked with an antibacterial composition.
- When the base has dried, you can begin to work. First, a waterproofing layer is arranged. He must go on the walls.
- Sheets of plywood are fixed with glue on a concrete base. If the bottom layer is made of boards, it is better to use screws for fastening.
- If plywood sheets are thin, first line the first layer of boards.
- Panels are mounted on top of it, but with a shift. This allows you to make the construction of the base stronger. Even significant irregularities can be removed using this method.
Such a device of a wooden floor is one of the best options if the base is uneven. A primer for glue is applied to the plywood. When it dries, you can begin to lay the boards on a special fixing composition.
If you compare the method of laying the floor on a special leveling composition and the use of plywood, the second option will be much cheaper. This technique is used if floor level differences do not exceed 1 cm. In this case, it will be possible to level the floor not only in one room, but also in other residential premises.
Lag construction
More difficult is the arrangement of the wooden floor on the logs. This method is the only possible option for finishing the base with level differences of more than 1 cm. Logs are most often equipped in private houses or apartments with high ceilings. This design will significantly reduce the height of the room. At the same time, the cost of finishing will be higher than in previous installation options:
- First, a waterproofing layer is laid on the prepared base.
- Logs are mounted on it. For this, a beam with a cross section of 5 × 10 cm is used. It must be installed on the waterproofing with a step of 50-60 cm.
- Logs are fixed with screws.
- A layer of thermal insulation is laid between the lags. It is best to use mineral wool for these purposes. It is an environmentally friendly material that is not susceptible to decay and burning.
- Plywood is laid on top. Its thickness should be at least 22 mm. Sheets are fixed with screws to wooden beams.
- Then plywood is covered with a primer for glue. Top you need to apply a fixing composition.
- And finally, mount the boards.
The wooden floor in the apartment, which is mounted on the logs, allows you to create a warm coating. At the same time, it will be perfectly smooth.
Floating design
The device of a wooden floor may involve the use of a "floating" technique. To do this, you need to purchase a substrate, waterproofing and, in fact, the boards themselves. And the adhesive composition in the named case is not used. Boards do not have strong adhesion to the base of the room, as well as its walls. Therefore, this coating is called floating.
- First, waterproofing is laid on the leveled floor.
- Next, thermal insulation is installed (cork sheets or rolled insulation).
- A wooden board is laid on it. Panels must be grooved. And their design should have a special type of mounting "spike-groove". This will ensure a strong fixation of the material even without the use of glue.
This type of installation is one of the easiest. Work can be done well even by a novice master. It should be borne in mind that the cost of this type of flooring will be much less than the option with the use of glue. Installation does not require a lot of effort and time.
When considering how to lay a wooden floor according to a “floating” method, it must be taken into account that this type of decoration requires a flat base. Not even slight differences are allowed. When choosing a heater, one should give preference to dense materials. In this case, expanded polystyrene may even be suitable. However, its thickness will be greater than that of rolled insulation. The presence of a layer of expanded polystyrene will allow the structure to be more rigidly fixed on the base. In the room where the "floating" floor was assembled, dimensional furniture cannot be installed.
Floor finish
After the floor is assembled, it must be sanded with a disc machine. This is an expensive finish, but it allows you to achieve high quality. After it, you can cover the surface with varnish. The floor will look interesting and luxurious, since such a finish allows emphasizing the natural texture of natural wood.
On sale are varnishes with a shade and transparent. This will give the floor the desired look. You can also use stains. In addition, the surface is artificially aged, which is done manually by the master.
If the floor is old, it may require restoration. In this case, paint is applied to the wooden floor. You can choose any shade and give it a second life, as the paint will be able to hide various defects. In order for the coating to fit well on the material, you must adhere to the established painting technology:
- First, oil is applied to the surface. It dries within 3 days.
- Then apply the first layer of the selected paint. It should dry.
- You will need to apply another or even two layers. It will take about 5 days for all three layers to dry.
- Paint for a wooden floor needs additional fixing. It is varnished. This will avoid premature abrasion of the decorative coating.
- Special oils can also be used for these purposes. They also additionally protect the painted surface. In this case, the floor becomes glossy.
Grinding
After laying the floor or in the process of its restoration, the surface is polished. For this, special equipment is used. Previously, the so-called scrubbing of the wooden floor was carried out. It was manual or machine processing, which made it possible to level the surface of the board. However, it was rough processing, and today this method is practically not used by masters.
The hingeing of the wooden floor was replaced by such a technique as grinding. She allowed to achieve finer processing of the material. Today, two types of equipment are used in the grinding process, and drum processing of a wooden board will be much cheaper. Such equipment is used if it is necessary to polish a large floor area.
True, drum grinding has several disadvantages. The device is not able to create an even coating over the entire surface of the room. Even a master with extensive experience will not be able to achieve the perfect result. Therefore, today, drum grinders are more suitable for removing the old layer of paint and rough finish.
An excellent result is demonstrated by disk grinders. They allow to qualitatively and finely process a wooden surface. Even a worn board takes on a spectacular appearance after such treatment. Therefore, in the process of restoration, it is recommended to use expensive, but high-quality equipment.
Coating Repair
Over time, all owners are required to repair wooden floors. First you need to tap the board with a hammer. If a dull sound is detected on some strips, this indicates the presence of rotting processes inside the material. Such boards will need to be replaced. In this case, they are dismantled and new strips from the array, treated with an antiseptic, are installed.
If cracks appear in the wooden floor, they must be repaired with special compounds that can be purchased at a hardware store.
Before starting work, you need to remove the furniture from the room. The crevices are thoroughly cleaned. It is necessary to allocate places that need restoration. They are treated with a composition. Then, after drying, the surface is treated with sandpaper. You can also eliminate the creak if you strengthen the fixation of the boards.
Having considered the features of the installation and restoration of the wooden floor, you can achieve the perfect finish. All stages of the work, if desired, can be done with your own hands.