Do-it-yourself laminate flooring. Laying laminate on a wooden floor - the old base will shine with new colors

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor is quite common when renovating a living space.

To obtain a durable and high-quality coating, it is necessary to follow all the rules and recommendations of specialists in the work. Some masters who have been doing repairs for more than a year claim that in order to lay a laminated board, you need to remove the old floor, make concrete screed.

Many people cannot afford to pay for such expensive work. Then you can put the laminate on the wooden floor with your own hands. In order for the installation to be of high quality, it is necessary to strictly follow all technological processes from the very beginning.

structure of the laminate.

It is important to remember that the laminate consists of several layers:

The top layer is a high-strength film, resistant to sunlight, mechanical damage and moisture.
Second - special paper with an invoice.
The third is a board made of wood fibers, thanks to this layer, the lamellas receive high strength and wear resistance.
The final is paper impregnated with special resins to prevent moisture from penetrating the material.

Knowing how to lay a laminate on a wooden floor, you can not worry about the result.

Laminate is not fixed by any building materials, stacked end-to-end, fixed with a lock. It can be mounted on any flat base. Plywood can be used to level the surface.

The process of laying laminate on a wooden floor

Layered scheme of laying laminate on a wooden floor.

When carrying out repair work, many apartment owners ask themselves the question: is it possible to put a laminate on a wooden floor? To answer the question, it is enough to understand the installation technology.

Laminated boards are interconnected, it is not required to attach them to the floor or walls. The floor assembled in this way lies on a rough base, which allows it to expand or contract. Therefore, the laminate floor can change its dimensions under the influence of high temperature and humidity.

Laminate boards do not need to be bonded together with a special adhesive solution, so this coating is ideal for wooden floors. It is thanks to this that damage to the floorboard does not occur, natural aeration is created. A freely breathing floor lasts for quite a long time.

The basis of the laminated board includes an MDF panel, which is in perfect contact with the wooden floor. In addition, the laminate is not recommended to be placed in those rooms where frequent wet cleaning is carried out, as this will have a detrimental effect on the material.

Wood floor preparation

Laying laminate on a wooden floor is impossible without special surface preparation. First you need to carefully examine the floor, evaluate its surface. The floor may be old, with planks painted several times. IN wooden floor sometimes gaps of different sizes are observed.

Depending on the condition of the floor, different preparatory work is carried out:

The old plank floor must be dismantled down to the support beam.
This is done because over a long period of operation, the surface could suffer from long-term use. It is impossible to assess the condition of the floor if there is no underground under it. In this case, you can troubleshoot, remove the old floorboards, turn them upside down, you will have to close up large gaps. Old unusable boards can be safely replaced with new ones. After that you have to walk electric planer, and treat the surface of the boards or plywood with an antiseptic composition.
A new floor made of boards or plywood is placed on bars, covered with protective solutions from bacteria and mold.
After that, you can check the general condition, deepen all protruding nails and screws, mask the cracks mounting foam.
Old wooden floor with construction defects.
If various irregularities are observed in the floor, then it is necessary to eliminate them. The range of work is quite wide. If there are uneven floorboards, then they need to be straightened, while making a special reinforcement. An uneven floor can be corrected with an additional layer that is placed on top of the existing cross. In some cases, floor irregularities are eliminated with a layer of special fiberboard sheets or plywood. Laying laminate on a wooden floor after leveling will be much easier.

There are situations when the floor has numerous surface damages that are simply impossible to eliminate without special mixtures. In this case, the mixture is prepared according to the instructions, it is poured on the floor surface on its own.

The technology of laying lamellas on a wooden floor

How to lay laminate on a wooden floor? To understand this issue, it is necessary to carefully study the laying technology.

The order of work is as follows:

It is better not to lay a waterproofing layer on a wooden base, as it will interfere with ventilation.
If it is nevertheless decided to make insulation, then for this purpose it is necessary to use a diffusion membrane.
Before laying the laminated board, lay the substrate on the base.
For this purpose, it is best to use only natural material. The thickness of the underlay should be chosen based on the dimensions of the laminate board. If the thickness of the lamella is 8 mm, then the substrate should be 3 mm. It is not necessary to glue it to the floor or walls, only at the junction of the canvases you can stick the adhesive tape in straight lines.
The direction of the laminate boards depends on the floorboards.
They must be laid across the floorboards. Underlayment strips are laid along the floorboards.
Laying starts from the corner farthest from the door.
For this, 4 boards are taken, for two that will be near the wall, the edges are cut off, the groove does not need to be touched.
Note how far the panels will be shifted, it should not be less than 30 cm.
At the same distance, you need to cut the second board.
After that, boards 1 and 3 are docked, 2 and uncut 4 are connected to them.
The resulting structure is moved to the intended place, leaving a gap of about 1 cm. Further, the number of lamellas in 1 row will depend on the length of the room.
With the help of 5 boards, the first row is built up, and 6 is lengthened.
The laminate that completes both sides is cut to the correct size, snapped into place with a special staple.
The boards of the last row must be measured according to the dimensions, the laying should be carried out with indents.

When laying, it is important to leave gaps at the pipes and batteries. According to the recommendations on how to lay a laminate on a wooden floor, gaps must be left not only along the walls, but also every 10 m wide and 8 m long. The gap is closed with a plastic or aluminum profile.

Do-it-yourself laminate laying technology must be observed during the entire work, otherwise you will not get a perfectly flat surface.

Laminate is a beautiful floor covering that turns any cottage or house into a cozy room.

concrete;
tiles;
parquet;
boards;
plywood.

The main thing is that the base of the floor should be rigid and even. However, few people pay attention to the fact that lamella manufacturers do not recommend laying laminate on a wooden floor.

Can laminate be installed on wood?

Refusal of warranty obligations of manufacturers of laminate panels when they are mounted on wood is due to several factors.

Wood flooring is a tricky material. It is very sensitive to the influence of seasonal, biological, temperature and other factors. Under their influence, the geometric parameters of the base of the floor change, as a result of which the boards can warp, which negatively affects the integrity of the lock joints.
Life time wooden base significantly less period of operation of the laminate, especially if it was laid on the old floor - over time, the wood loses its original mechanical characteristics.
The wooden floor is not a stable subfloor. As the boards are used, they begin to sag, which leads to the inevitable destruction of the locks and deformation of the entire floor covering.

but experienced builders still cover the wooden base of the floor with laminate. What is the feature technological process how to install laminate flooring on wood floor There are several subtleties that must be taken into account. The wooden base must be:

Holistic. All boards must be healthy, without cracks, loose pieces, not have tobacco knots and other defects;
Dry. Humidity of boards should not exceed 12%;
With bottom ventilation, which allows the wood to "breathe". In this case, the problem of drying the subfloor with a change in humidity is solved - rotting is prevented;
Durable, 150 MPa or more. The specified indicator is achieved by replacing weak boards and impregnating the entire floor with water-dispersion varnishes (AquaLead Exterior, VD-UR-202, Tex, etc.);
Rovny;
Pure.

Attention: the installation of "warm floors" on a wooden base is possible with its humidity not more than 5%.

Preparation of the subfloor for laying the finish coating allows you to take into account the above requirements for subfloor from wood.

Foundation preparation

Laying laminate on a wooden floor with your own hands begins with a thorough revision of the subfloor. Note that the best wooden floor base is the old plank flooring. During operation, it dried up and, therefore, became dense, as a result of which it does not absorb moisture during seasonal changes in temperature and humidity.

At the same time, all internal stresses during drying are already behind. Therefore, such a foundation is not threatened by various deformation changes. During the inspection it is necessary to identify:

stains from grease and paint;
fallen knots;
cracks;
rotten, blackened and fungus-damaged areas;
sagging and damaged boards;
weakly fixed floor elements;
bulges that appeared during the deformation of wood.

Identified defects are eliminated.

Subfloor repair

Repair work begins with the removal of paint. This can be done with an electric planer or scraper. In order not to damage the knives of the tool, the hats of the hardware are sunk a few mm into the floor with a hammer.

Damaged boards are replaced with intact ones. Poorly attached floorboards are additionally attached to the joists with self-tapping screws or "ruff" nails. Slots and places of fallen knots are sealed. Detailed instructions for preparing a wooden floor base for laying a laminate are discussed in the material "".

Leveling the wooden base

Neither private house, nor the apartment does not have a perfectly flat surface for installing laminate. This applies to both concrete and wood floors. If, nevertheless, the laminate is laid on an uneven floor, then after a while it will have to be laid in a new way - the service life of the floor covering is sharply reduced:

when attaching the lamellas to each other with an adhesive method, the floor will last for about a year;
the laminate laid on the locks will last 2-3 months, after which it will begin to creak and diverge.

Manufacturers of lamellas allow the difference in local differences, bumps, depressions at the base of the floor up to 2 mm per linear meter. The slope should not exceed 4 mm per 2 meters of length or width.

How to lay laminate on a wooden floor with an uneven surface? To do this, it must be aligned with various technologies. In houses old building, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where instead of concrete floors lie wooden planks on channels or I-beams, only a dry screed will help. The technology of its device is shown in the work "".

IN modern apartments or private houses, leveling a wooden base can be done using:

self-leveling compounds;
putties;
plywood or OSB boards.

Self leveling compounds. To eliminate the curvature of the wooden base of the floor, self-leveling floors are actively used, for example, Vetonit 4310. In this case, only elastic materials can be used that indicate the type of base on which they are applied: boards, plywood, OSB or chipboard.

The procedure is as follows:

A polyethylene waterproofing film is laid on the prepared floor, overlapping the walls along the entire perimeter. The seams are sealed with tape. Some experts recommend treating the floor with a moisture-proof polymer primer or water repellent, which ensures good adhesion (adhesion) of the self-leveling mixture and the wooden floor. However, in this case, it is necessary to seal the connecting seam between the wall and the floor along the entire perimeter with a strip of polystyrene foam and seal it with waterproofing material.
A damper tape is attached along the entire perimeter of the wall, which eliminates the appearance of cracks in the bulk field.
In accordance with the instructions printed on the package, the mixture is prepared for use - it is poured with water and mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
The resulting mixture is carefully poured onto the floor and rolled with a spiked roller to remove air bubbles. The work must be done in parallel: one person pours the mixture, the second immediately after him rolls the filled layer with a roller.
You can continue laying laminate flooring 5-7 days after pouring the floor.

Putty. IN last years leveling the subfloor with sawdust putty and PVA glue is gaining popularity. Sequence of work:

Beacons made of aluminum guides are installed on the repaired and cleaned floor base (the technology for installing beacons is discussed in the article ""), no more than 2 cm high;
The gaps between them are filled with a mixture of wet sawdust and PVA (the sawdust is pre-soaked so that water is not drawn out of the glue) up to 10 mm thick. Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has dried;
The final layer is aligned with the rule;
After the last layer has dried, the guides of the beacons are removed, and the traces of them are sealed with putty.

Plywood. The simplest, cheapest and effective method level the base of the subfloor. Minor irregularities are removed by simply laying plywood sheets on the floor. The presence of large curvatures is removed with the help of gaskets for this material of scraps of fiberboard, plywood, boards. Therefore, in the process of leveling the base of the floor with plywood, it is necessary to constantly monitor its horizontalness using a bubble level.

It is necessary to purchase plywood with a thickness of 10-15 mm of the FK brand for an apartment (house) and FSF for non-residential premises (at plywood FSF low level of environmental safety). Before laying, plywood sheets are treated with drying oil or an antiseptic to protect against fungi and microorganisms.

Work begins with cutting sheets. In this case, the expansion and contraction of plywood under the influence of temperature and humidity changes should be taken into account. To do this, compensation gaps are created between sheets of 5-9 mm, plywood and wall - 10-15 mm.

Plywood blanks are fastened with long self-tapping screws with a cone-shaped head. Along the perimeter of the sheet, they are screwed at a distance of 20 mm from the edge, between themselves - 15-20 cm. For a snug fit of plywood to the boards, self-tapping screws are also screwed in at a distance of 15-20 cm over its entire surface, which is clearly visible in the photo.

Important: the connecting seams of the plywood sheets must not match, i.e. 4 corners of different workpieces should not converge at one point.

Holes for self-tapping screws are drilled in stages:

first, a secret recess for the hat of the hardware;
then a hole for the screw to pass through the plywood sheet.

Before laying the underlay or waterproofing film, the plywood is vacuumed to avoid squeaking after the installation of the lamellas.

Substrate laying

The technology for mounting lamellas requires laying them on a substrate that performs several functions at once:

eliminates uneven plywood or dry screed;
serves as a damper for the laminate;
provides sound insulation.

If the substrate is treated with moisture-proof materials, then it additionally serves as a waterproofing layer. If not, then it is necessary to cover it with a plastic film, overlapping, with a call to the walls, which prevents the floor lamellas from getting wet.

Laying laminate

How to lay a laminate on a wooden floor yourself, where to start? Any repair begins with the purchase of materials.

Calculation of the amount of laminate

Define required amount material is simple. The area of \u200b\u200bthe room is calculated and 10% of the resulting value is added to the trimming if the laying is carried out in the usual (direct) way, 20% when installing the lamellas diagonally and 30% when laying the laminate with a pattern (builders call this method chess).

Laying methods

How to install laminate flooring on wood floor? There are several ways to lay lamellae:

straight;
diagonally;
pattern (chess method).

Regardless of the installation method, the following tools will be required for work:

electric jigsaw or wood saw for cutting lamellas;
mounting bracket (can be replaced with a crowbar or a large flat screwdriver);
wooden (rubber) hammer (mallet);
a special tamping block for laminate (you can use a piece of lamella 30-40 cm long), if there is no mounting bracket;
expansion wedges;
drill;
square;
construction pencil;
long ruler or tape measure.

To get a durable and aesthetic laminate flooring, you must follow the following rules.

The purchased laminate must be of the same manufacturer and the same year of manufacture. Otherwise, you may run into the problem of incompatible locks.
Before installation (2-3 days in advance), the laminate packs must be placed in the room where the floor will be installed so that the panels take on a geometric shape in accordance with the local temperature and humidity.
The first row of slats is laid with a spike against the wall both along the length and at the end. The spike must be cut off.

Along the length of the first row, at a distance of 30-40 cm near the wall, expansion wedges are installed to form a compensation (technological) gap, as well as at the beginning of each row (when connecting the end locks, padding is required - the lamella will simply rest against the wall and remove the necessary gap).
When installing a laminate panel, it is necessary to take one of several packs in order to avoid pronounced color spots - the color of the surface of the lamella in each package may differ from each other, which is allowed.

The end locking joints of adjacent rows of laminate should not match, so as not to increase the load on them - this type of locks is much weaker. Therefore, at the beginning of the first three rows they fit: the first row is a whole panel; 2nd row - lamella shortened by 1/3; 3 row - cut off by 2/3. The scheme of laying the lamellas along the length is clearly visible in the photo.
Work should begin from the far corner of the room. However, if the door trims are cut under the laminate, you will have to start from the corner from them, since it will not work to get the last lamella under the trim. As a way out, dismantle them while laying the floor.
Rows of lamellas are laid perpendicular to the wall with a window. If they are laid across the room, the sunlight will highlight the connecting seams, which will reduce the aesthetics of the floor.

Attention: if the instructions for laying the slats say that in the 3rd row a panel is laid, cut off from the first in the second row, immediately go to the second site, because the author did not even see how the slats were mounted. Such a piece of laminate board cannot be placed at the beginning of the row - the end lock is cut off. It can only be used at the end of the row, adjusted to the desired size.

Direct laying technology

How to lay laminate flooring on wood floor in the usual way? A detailed step-by-step method for installing a laminate in a direct way:

A strip of substrate is laid on which the first row of laminate is mounted. If you lay the substrate throughout the room, you will have to walk on it, which is undesirable, and in some cases unacceptable. Many craftsmen are laying three rows of lamellas at the same time.

Spacer wedges are installed along the first line of the laminate from the wall to form a technological gap (10-15 mm). The same operation is carried out at the beginning of each row.
Starting from the second row, the lamellas are first installed in the lock connection along the length, and then they are knocked out with a mallet to connect the end locks. Hitting directly on the lamella is strictly prohibited - you must use a mounting bracket or a piece of laminate. In this case, a piece of the lamella is installed in the lock of the adjusted panel.

Important: the use by manufacturers of two types of locks: Lock and Click, do not affect the laying technique of the laminate. There are differences only when two lamellas are connected along the length, which is clearly seen in the figure.

After closing the first strip of the substrate, the second one is laid and the process is repeated in the same order as it started.
Before laying the last row of laminate, it is necessary to carefully measure the distance between the wall and the penultimate line of lamellas. When calculating the width of the stacked panel, it is necessary to take into account the technological gap.

Installation of skirting boards

The process of laying laminate flooring is completed by installing skirting boards. In addition to the aesthetic function, they hide the technical gap between the floor and the wall, as well as cables if they are laid along the walls. On sale are plinths made of wood, MDF (chipboard) and plastic.

The high price of a wooden skirting board (470-1350 rubles / running meter) limits its use for laminate floors - it is mainly used for parquet. At the same time, it is almost impossible, due to rigidity, to mount it on uneven walls.

In terms of decorative properties, laminated MDF skirting boards are not inferior to wooden counterparts, but they are much cheaper - 100-500 rubles per linear meter. However, they also need a perfectly flat wall - they are very fragile and break during installation if there is curvature.

Plastic skirting is ideal for laminate floors. He:

cheap - 55-100 rubles / linear meter;
looks aesthetically pleasing;
durable;
not afraid of water and sunlight;
has special channels for TV and fiber optic cables (Internet);
flexible, which allows the skirting board to be used with walls with any curvature.

Such a plinth is fastened with liquid nails or self-tapping screws with dowels. The use of liquid nails is technologically a very simple way, but in this case it is impossible to dismantle the plinth. Therefore, this method is rarely used in practice.

Mounting skirting boards with dowels and self-tapping screws is a little more difficult, but a novice builder can do it on their own. The fastening technology is step by step as follows.

The bar is removed from the plinth clip.
A plastic film is laid along the wall along the laminate along the entire contour of the room, which is removed after installing the plinth. Many people ignore this operation, believing that if the skirting board does not fit snugly against the laminate, dust will accumulate under it. But when the skirting board and the laminate come into contact, a sound bridge is formed between the wall and the floor. Therefore, it is necessary to choose between dust, which is easily removed with a vacuum cleaner, and increased noise in the apartment.
The clip is installed at a distance of 5 cm from the corner from which the installation will be carried out, and is firmly pressed against the wall and laminate.
The first hole for the dowel is drilled 5-6 cm from the edge of the clip. Subsequent drilled through 50 cm from each other. In this case, the diameter of the drill must match their size.
Dowels are driven into the holes obtained.
A plinth clip is applied to the wall and a self-tapping screw with a large head or washer is screwed in to firmly press the plinth against the wall.
The bar snaps into the clip.
Special locks are installed at the corner and joint of the plinth, hiding the joints, after which the process continues in the same sequence.
Carefully remove the film from under the plinth.

Conclusion

Laying a laminate floor on your own is within the power of a novice builder. All you need is attention and strict adherence to the instructions:

repair a rough wooden floor, and then level it with fiberboard sheets, plywood or self-leveling compounds;
carry out waterproofing of the base;
lay the substrate;
install laminate flooring
close the technological slots with a plinth.

The end result is beautiful and durable flooring.

Wood floor diagnostics

The first step in renovating your flooring is assessing the condition of the old one. It is impossible to lay a laminate on an uneven base, especially if there is a strong difference from one corner of the room to another. Laminate board is installed by floating method, high angle slope will cause the boards to slide to the bottom point. If the old wooden floor is strongly bonded, has wide gaps, and individual boards are rotten, it must be sorted out to the ground, replaced with old beams and strengthened.

To accurately determine the degree of suitability of the floor, it is necessary to carefully measure it with a building level. Measurements should be taken alternately in all corners, in the center of the room and in the middle of the walls, and then compare the results with the table.

Suitability of the floor for laying laminate	Board height difference	The size of the gaps between the boards	Jump from one wall to another	Depth of grooves on the surface of the boards
The floor is even, ready for laying, the thickness of the substrate is minimal	Not more than 2mm/m2	There are practically no gaps	Not more than 0.5 mm	The boards are even, do not fasten, firmly fixed
The floor has irregularities, it is possible to level it by sanding or a denser substrate. The thickness of the laminate is at least 8 mm	Not more than 5 mm/m2	no more than 2 mm	no more than 2 cm	Boards are curved or concave, the depth of recesses and pits is not more than 3 mm
The floor needs to be leveled. Without leveling, the thickness of the laminate must be at least 12 mm, the substrate is made of expanded polystyrene	Not more than 10 mm/m2	Not more than 5 mm	about 2cm	Boards have depressions up to 3-5 mm
The floor must be leveled beforehand (including sheet materials)	More than 10 mm/m2	More than 5 mm	More than 3 cm	The boards creak strongly, have deep depressions of more than 5 mm

Floor leveling methods

Acrylic putty or sealant used when the total difference does not exceed 3-5 mm. The advantage of such a putty is its high plasticity, which means that when the boards are displaced under load, it will not collapse. Before applying it, the boards should be treated with a primer to increase adhesion. You need to putty 1-2 times. Instead of acrylic, you can use a stronger mixture with PVA glue. The putty on the adhesive is applied in the same way, however, after applying it, the surface must be sanded.

Plywood cope with large and medium height differences. This material is often used when leveling floors because of its lightness, hardness and resistance to various loads. On sale there is a wide selection of moisture resistant varieties. Depending on the degree of unevenness, choose either plywood fasteners on the logs, or directly to the floor. Under the laminate, the plywood thickness must be at least 10 mm.

Fastening plywood without using lags:

If the width of the boards does not exceed 20 cm and the floor is without significant irregularities, plywood can be chosen with a thickness of up to 8-10 mm. For a floor with large defects, deflections and a difference of more than 0.5 cm, the thickness should reach 18-20 mm. When there are wide gaps, the joints near the walls must be sealed with mounting foam. For ease of installation, plywood sheets can be cut into 1250x1250 squares with a jigsaw.
The first step in leveling the floor with plywood will be the removal of the old baseboard, nails. Irregularities and protrusions are smoothed out with a planer, and then the floor is thoroughly cleaned from dust and debris.
Plywood is fixed with screws or self-tapping screws with a gap of 15 cm, leaving small gaps near the walls and between the sheets. Gaps of 0.5-1 cm will be enough to avoid squeaks and swelling due to the expansion of the material.

Mounting plywood on logs:

Logs are installed with a significant curvature of the floor, a height difference from one wall to another, or in a room with high humidity.
The direction of the lag is determined by the direction of the sunlight. They need to be installed perpendicular.
sunlight or parallel to the movement of people in rooms without windows.
In the case when the difference from opposite walls is large (up to 8-10 cm), mini-logs are made - special linings of different thicknesses made of plywood or timber. Where the difference is not strong, a beam of small section is installed, but it is fixed more often, approximately every 30-35 cm, and where it is large, a beam of greater thickness is accordingly attached.
Before starting work, engineering calculations must be made to determine the height of each support element.
Then the logs are installed around the perimeter of the room at a distance of 40-50 cm and transverse bars.
You should not put heat-insulating material like mineral wool between the lags, because it is not durable and over time the floors will have to be sorted out again and the insulation changed. If expanded clay is used for thermal protection, it must be hermetically covered with plastic wrap.
After the crate, plywood sheets are attached with a gap of 0.3-0.4 mm. Installation is completed by sealing the gap with elastic mastic.
The surface is primed and the laminate is glued.

Before starting work with plywood, it must be kept for two days in the room where the work will be carried out so that the material has time to acquire the necessary moisture characteristics.

Wet screed suitable for solid wood floors with a maximum unevenness of 1 cm. It cannot be used for larger distortions. For maximum strength and elasticity of the screed, special dry mixes with plasticizers and fillers for a wooden floor are selected. Alignment begins with the imposition of a reinforcing mesh, followed by a primer floor. The screed is a layer of no more than 1 centimeter.

For a wooden floor, constant ventilation is important to avoid rot. Therefore, often in the corner of the room a channel with a diameter of up to 50 mm was drilled through the board. Such channels must not be covered during the renovation and repair of the flooring.

How to choose a laminate

Quality and cost-effectiveness have made laminate flooring so popular. flooring. Its characteristics include strength, moisture resistance, ease of installation and maintenance.

A solid laminate is similar in properties to natural wood: the same texture, pattern, shade. Before choosing a laminated board for certain rooms, the quality of the top layer and the required thickness are evaluated.

The wear resistance of a laminate is determined by the quality of the outer coating, which is indicated in the classes. Usually on the market there are classes 31, 32, 33, 34. The first two options are universal for any residential premises. A higher class is set if there is a large load on the floor, for example, in shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, etc. The service life of the coating also depends on the class. At proper care Class 31 laminate can last up to 12 years, and the most durable Class 34 laminate can last up to 25 years.

The thickness of the laminate is 5, 8, 10 and 12 mm and the higher it is, the stronger the coating. Sometimes a large coating thickness is used to eliminate irregularities. However, it is more correct and more reliable to pre-level the floor and use boards of medium thickness.

Laminate for the kitchen use moisture resistant so that it does not deteriorate from frequent cleaning. A textured surface will be preferable, because it does not slip and makes stains or stains less noticeable. Due to the high load in this room, class 33 is the most optimal.
For bathrooms produce a waterproof laminate consisting of PVC boards with a rubber seal. Such boards do not let water through, do not deform and are similar in properties to the usual ceramic tiles. Laminate is warmer than ceramic and can be embossed to prevent slipping on wet floors.
When replacing flooring in a residential area the main decisive factor is color, design and soundproofing properties. Although the board is sold with a special rubber layer glued to the decorative surface, you still need to additionally install a separate substrate for more reliable sound insulation. For living rooms, a class 31 or 32 laminate will suffice.
Hallway- this is a room with high traffic and a significant load, so 33 or 34 coverage class will be chosen for it. The board must be moisture resistant so that frequent cleaning from dust and dirt does not disturb the decorative layer.

It is better to buy a laminate from one manufacturer, because sometimes the thickness may differ from one company to another. Even a difference of a few millimeters can complicate installation.

Types of substrates

The underlayment is a layer of insulating material that spreads between the subfloor and the decorative floor. It protects the flooring from friction, deformation, as well as from moisture and heat loss. The underlay smooths out floor irregularities up to 0.5 cm.

Choosing a substrate is not an easy task due to the wide variety of options on the construction market. In principle, they are all suitable for laying on a wooden floor and differ in price, service life, physical characteristics.

Cork backing are made from pressed crumbs of oak bark - an environmentally friendly material. Sometimes bitumen or rubber is added to the composition. Such a substrate is durable, long-lasting, has good thermal and sound insulation properties. Suitable for children's bedrooms. Among the disadvantages: high cost, poor resistance to moisture.
another eco-friendly material with a density that allows you to hide the unevenness of the subfloor. It has increased thermal insulation, which is a big plus for the northern regions. Easy to install, but not suitable for damp areas due to the risk of mold.
Extruded polystyrene- synthetic moisture-resistant material that is not subject to deformation and decay. Due to its high thermal insulation properties, it can be installed in an unheated room. The exact geometric shape simplifies installation, and the low price makes it affordable. However, the material does not have high leveling properties.
Polyethylene backing light, moisture resistant and cheap, but wears out quickly from mechanical damage. It needs to be changed 4-5 years after installation.
Foil isolon consists of two layers: foil and polystyrene. Suitable for wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens. The material is durable, but it should be borne in mind that it sags over time, so the optimal thickness should be about 5 mm.
Integrated underlays. Some types of laminate are sold already with a substrate.

The thickness of the substrate should not exceed 2 mm, because due to the uneven load on the laminated boards, the coating will deform and the locks will become unusable.

Calculation of the amount of materials

The calculation of the amount of materials must begin with the installation of the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. The main problem is that the total area often does not correspond to the actual area. If there is a room 3 meters wide and 5 meters long, the total area is easy to calculate by multiplying one value by another. However, for the actual area, all ledges, doorways, thresholds, niches must be taken into account. That's why the best way calculate the area will be the production of measurements meter by meter.

The second step is to do detailed drawing premises, taking into account all protrusions. A plan diagram will help you identify difficult spots and possible additional material costs. At this stage, it is good to determine the method of laying the laminate. The simplest and most economical laying methods are parallel and perpendicular, but it is worth remembering a material reserve of 10-15%. With a diagonal laying pattern, the margin reaches 15-20%.

There are more complex laying methods, for example, in the manner of a herringbone parquet. These methods are the most difficult and expensive, up to 30% of additional materials are needed. Due to the difficulties in installation, it is better to leave such work to professional craftsmen.

The calculation of the amount of laminate is done on the basis of information on the label, which indicates the area covered by the boards of one pack. But this figure is valid only for the simplest installation scheme, without taking into account the characteristics of the room. For more accurate calculations, it is necessary to add the percentage of waste to the actual area of \u200b\u200bthe room, and thendivided by the area indicated on the package. The resulting number is rounded up.

The number of screws and self-tapping screws is calculated by the number of logs and plywood. Let's say 10 lags are installed on the floor, on which 20 boards are laid. Multiplying these numbers, we get the number of fasteners. Additional margin should be 10-20%. Plywood needs to be fastened every 15 cm, so the number of screws is easy to calculate by dividing the length and width of the room by 15, and then multiplying by the total number of sheets.

Installation Tools

Laminate installation is not difficult to do on your own. You don't need to buy complex and expensive tools for it. The only thing worth spending money on is a good jigsaw. With any layout scheme, the last laminate boards in a row will have to be filed.

tape measure 3 to 5 meters long
soft construction pencil for precise marking
square up to 30 cm
jigsaw or handy saw
hammer or kiyak

Special tools for laminate flooring are necessary so that the locks and decorative coating are not damaged during work:

metal brace or fitter
wedges
doboynik (or bar)
set of flat milling drills

Laminate brace- This is a thin plate with bends at the ends at an angle of ninety degrees. It helps when laying laminate boards near the wall, evenly distributes the load when pressed and does not deform the edges. The wide thin part of the bracket is placed under the board, and then tapped with a hammer on the opposite end.

Due to the fact that the laminate is a hygroscopic material that can expand, special gaps of 10 mm must be left along the walls. These temperature gaps are formed by wedges.

The plastic material of the hammer or bar softens the impact force of the hammer and helps to avoid the formation of chips on the decorative part. A set of drills is needed for large diameter holes for the pipeline and radiator.

Additional tools

Additional tools may also be required to quickly install laminate flooring. The cutting machine and square help to quickly and reliably fit the board to corners and niches. For complex patterns, stencils are used.

Substrate laying steps

The underlayment process is simple. It does not require any special equipment to be purchased.

Minimum set of tools:

roulette
Scotch
stationery knife
pencil

As with steel materials, the sheets of the substrate must be left indoors for a day to accept the temperature.

Further stages of work:

clean the floor from dust
lay the sheets of the substrate on the floor with the smooth side up, overlapping in a checkerboard pattern to prevent coincidence of the joints of the insulation and the floor covering
joints are sealed with adhesive tape
the protruding edges of the substrate are cut off
start laying laminate flooring

If not a sheet substrate was chosen, but a roll one, a transverse or longitudinal laying method is selected. When the underlay is placed across the laying of the laminate, it is installed immediately over the entire floor. With longitudinal laying, the material is laid in strips and a layer of laminate is immediately installed on top.

Before laying the underlay on the wooden floor, it is not necessary to lay waterproofing.

Laying methods

Before choosing a method for laying a laminate, you need to familiarize yourself with the existing fastening systems.

Adhesive fastening system reminiscent of fixing parquet board tongue-and-groove method. After applying glue to the edges of the lamella, the boards are firmly pressed against each other. This method is used to increase the strength of joints and seams in very wet rooms. Gluing protects the coating from environmental influences. However, fixing with the adhesive method is very time-consuming work and over time the adhesive loses its properties, which reduces the life of the coating and the impossibility of re-installation.
Locking system "Lok" installed on the ends of the laminate board. The figured spike is fastened by driving an already laid board into the groove. Sometimes the spikes are pre-glued. This method is most convenient for horizontal laminate laying. Installation begins in adjacent rows, and then proceed to the end.
"Click" locking system the most common because of the ease and ease of installation. Fastening occurs as follows: the spike of one row is inserted at an angle of 30 degrees into the groove of the previous row, and then pressed against the floor until a characteristic click. Then the laminated board is slightly knocked out for a stronger fixation.

Laying schemes

The most common way of laying laminate flooring is similar to laying parquet: the boards are laid in the direction of the window light. However, the design or construction of the room allows for a different arrangement of boards.

Laminate can be installed in one of the following ways:

parallel to the direction of the sun
perpendicular to the direction of the sun
at different angle

If you want to visually change the width, height or length of the room by adjusting the flow of natural light, various laying patterns are selected: classic, diagonal or checkerboard. Regardless of the scheme, laminate boards are mounted with a shift of each subsequent row by 20-25 cm relative to the previous one. This gives the coating a reliable strength.

1 Classic scheme laying is the simplest and most affordable for self-updating a wooden floor. Installation starts from the wall closest to the solar stream. Boards are laid out parallel to natural light. The first part of each subsequent row will be the cut off part of the previous one. The segments are used when laying near radiators and doorways. For this installation method, you need to buy laminate boards with a length of at least 30 cm. Waste with the classic scheme is minimal, no more than 5%.

2 Chess scheme the most reliable, but the material overrun increases to 15%. The pattern of the laminate floor is formed by mixing each next row strictly at a certain distance relative to the previous one and resembles a checkerboard pattern or brickwork. Do not use this scheme with a colored decorative layer. It will look neater with a plain canvas.

3 Diagonal pattern styling is used to visually expand a small room. Consumption of material for the room square shape much less than with a narrow one. On average, the segments are about 15%. The installation is similar to the classic scheme, however, the boards are installed at an angle of forty-five degrees with respect to the wall with the window.

Laying sequence

After leveling the floor, carrying out all preparatory work and laying the substrate, further actions of the wizard should be as follows:

For longitudinal and transverse mounting

installation of the first row of boards begins at the wall opposite the exit
wedges are installed around the perimeter to separate the flooring from the walls
the first panel is placed close to the gap made by the wedge
the second board is attached in the manner recommended by the manufacturer and tapped with a hammer through the bar so as not to injure the locks. Installation will be easier if the locks on the boards are fastened with the Click system
in this way the first row of laminate flooring is assembled
for the first board of the second row, sawing across the laminate board
starting the rows alternately: either from halves or from solid boards, creating a stronger grip. So the load on the floor is distributed evenly
when the first two rows are assembled, it is necessary to dock them with each other. To do this, we raise the second line at a certain angle and connect the groove with the spike until a characteristic click
lay rows to the extreme
to assemble the last row, you need to measure the width of each board separately and make appropriate notes on the back side. Careful measurement of each board will help to avoid problems due to the possible unevenness of the walls. Be sure to take into account the gap between the wall. The laminate is cut along the drawn line.
to fit the extreme row of panels, it is worth using a clamp-clamp. For the sake of economy, some craftsmen refuse to buy this tool and use a nail puller.
after completing the assembly of all rows, the selections along the walls are removed, and the slots are closed with a plinth or a decorative threshold

For diagonal mounting

diagonal mounting is mounting at any angle relative to the walls. You can start the installation in two ways: either from the central point of the room to the corners, or from the corner near the window to the opposite corner of the wall with the front door
to accurately align the direction of the laminated board, you can pull a dense nylon thread onto the screws from opposite corners of the room
the main difficulty with diagonal installation is the correct cut of the last boards in a row. It must be made under a certain bevel in order to precisely dock with the walls and the baseboard. After installing the penultimate panel, the remaining distance to the wall is measured from the two end corners of the board. The segments of the resulting length are applied with a construction pencil to the back of the laminate, and then the points are connected. On the inside, trimming is done with an electric jigsaw or saw
protrusions and niches are also a difficult moment with this type of installation. They are found in the form of decorative elements of the room or with a continuous flooring of boards in several rooms of the apartment at the same time. Laying panels in such places requires careful calculations and accuracy.
Laminate boards are cut exactly to the shape of the protrusions and laying should begin right next to them
the gaps between the flooring and the doorway are usually closed with a panel, which is two times thinner than the laminate, respectively, and the gap should be less

Laying laminate around pipes and other communications

During the installation of laminate flooring in many rooms there are problematic places, such as pipes or radiators set too low. In this case, the board must be sawn to the desired length, and drilled so that the hole is larger in diameter than the diameter of the pipe. Then the board is sawn across in the place of the sawn circle. Most of it is fixed with a lock to the previous panel, and the smaller one is led behind the pipe and fixed with glue. They also come with radiators, the sawn off pieces are placed under them and glued.

The door frame can be designed in different ways. You can simply saw the last boards in the row to match the distance to the door, and then close the joint with a small plank. But more often a different method is used. The base of the door frame is sawn to the thickness of the laminate and the plate is pulled close under the jamb beam.

The width of the temperature gap near front door should be no more than 5 mm.

Optimum gap width between wall and laminate

First of all, it is worth describing in detail what this gap is for. The temperature gap is more correctly called a compensation gap, it is necessary for the free movement of laminated boards when they decrease or increase due to changes in temperature or humidity in the room. If it is not observed, then the extreme panels installed close to the walls will begin to deform from expansion.

To prevent the board from deforming during use, it is necessary to carry out climatic adaptation of the floor covering. To do this, the purchased boards are taken out of the package and laid out in the center of the room. The material gets used to the temperature conditions of the room. It is important to lay out the laminate in the center, and not against the walls, so that it does not absorb their moisture. Acclimatization should last several days.

For standard rooms with normal temperature and humidity, a gap of 7-9 mm is enough, but for long and narrow rooms it should be increased. In particularly humid rooms, the gap width can reach up to 15 mm. To form them, you can buy special wedges or make them from the remnants of plywood or timber.

The plinth is attached not to the floor, but to the wall with glue. Its width must be at least 5 mm larger than the width of the gap. The fact is that if the laminate was installed without acclimatization, the boards can move and the gap between the coating and the plinth will become visible. There have been cases when, due to insufficient leveling of the subfloor, the laminate rolled into one corner and a gap formed at the opposite wall. Between boards and convex corners or niches, the gap can be masked with sealant.

Selection and installation of skirting boards

In addition to the practical benefits of the floor border in the form of protecting walls from dirt and masking the expansion gap, the plinth plays an important aesthetic role. It can change the geometry of the room and give a neat finished look. Skirting boards of various structures and colors are sold on the construction market, and in order not to get lost in them, you should pay attention to several basic characteristics: color, thickness and material compatibility.

The closest to the laminate in terms of material composition and texture is the plinth made of laminated MDF. The same dense films are applied to the laminated board and the plinth, and it is very easy to choose a border in the color of the flooring.

The correct selection of the color of the skirting board can either visually expand the space, or reduce it and emphasize all the shortcomings of the repair. Plinth in the same tone with the floor makes the room wider. If you choose a color to match the color of the walls, the ceiling will seem noticeably higher. Sometimes designers advise using floor borders in contrasting shades to emphasize expressiveness. In order not to waste time on careful selection of the color of the plinth, you can buy wooden or veneered and repaint.

Under unusual colors laminate flooring is difficult to choose the right skirting board. Therefore, a plastic profile with a suitable texture would be a universal option.

The skirting board is installed in two ways. At the first, the plates are fastened together with a bayonet-groove system, and then on the wall with brackets and nails, or on glue. Due to the constant sliding of laminate boards under the influence of different temperatures, fixing the skirting board directly to the floor covering is impossible. Another problem arises, often the walls are not quite even, and in order for the profile to fit snugly against them, you should choose a plinth with a rubber backing along the entire length of the whip. Rubber additionally protect the coating from moisture and protect it from mold and decay.

The stages, as well as installation methods, depend on the specific type of skirting board model. plastic profile consists of a mounting plate and decorative panel. First, the base is adjusted to the dimensions and fastened with dowels or glue. The decorative part is installed with additional docking elements.

Aluminum multi-level thresholds

Between two types of laminate. Joints between several types of laminate appear when boards of different fastening systems are used, the floor area is too large, and the surface needs an additional expansion joint or protrusions or steps are formed by the material. To hide the joints, decorative moldings are used. They keep the gap, while covering it from dust and dirt. Moldings are different types and solve several problems. Straight lines mask joints at the same level, leveling boards are designed for height differences up to 2-3 mm, multi-level planks eliminate differences up to 2 cm, and corner planks connect laminate boards arranged crosswise.

Between laminate and parquet/linoleum the gap is closed with a sill. Depending on the level of floor coverings, the sills are single-level or multi-level. Sometimes the joint with linoleum is filled with glue.

Flexible PVC profile in the interior

Different floor coverings are used in design, for example, for effective zoning of large rooms. In this case, it is necessary not only to choose the method of joint design, but also the features of the installation. In many apartments you can find a combination ceramic tiles and laminate when the board is installed in the hallway, and the tiles are in the kitchen.

At the first stage, you need to find out the thickness of the coating, draw up a template for further installation and outline the junction. The next question is which of the materials should be put first. When it comes to tile and laminate, the tile should be installed first. It has standard parameters and thickness, while the final thickness of the laminate depends on the substrate and can vary by several millimeters under load.

It is not difficult to install the tile directly along the intended connection line with the laminate. The gap between the surfaces must be at least 5 mm. The laminate is easily adjusted to the joint due to the simple processing. Then one of the nut options is installed at the joint:

flexible PVC profile is suitable for multi-level joints and even joints. Has a decorative part and is customized in color
aluminum nut a good option if two floor coverings are joined under a doorway. Such a threshold can hide a height difference of several millimeters. According to the method of fastening, they are self-adhesive, for self-tapping screws and with hidden fasteners
a box threshold is a large threshold, up to 3 cm high. According to popular belief, it can protect against drafts and stop the flow of water in case of a leak in the bathroom
however, in practice, the box threshold does not protect against anything, it causes inconvenience when washing floors. Many builders recommend leaving a gap of at least 2 cm between the door and the threshold.
the profile from the array is very beautiful, but is considered the most expensive. Attached with glue
cork compensator closes the temperature joint without forming significant protrusions. However, such material does not protect the gap from dirt and dust.

During repair, the surface must be thoroughly vacuumed.

On the one hand, the laminate is an affordable coating that is easy to install thanks to the convenient castle system. However, problems sometimes arise with it, because the board is susceptible to uneven subfloors. For correct installation all instructions must be followed exactly, but even in this case, sometimes even a new floor may begin to creak. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the exact cause of gender problems.

uneven base

May be the cause of creaking when depressions form under the laminate board. At this point, the board begins to sag, and when stepped on under pressure, bend. If the creak is heard only under a few boards, they must be carefully disassembled, find a notch, cover it with mortar or put a layer of cardboard, then put it back together.

When the problem is global, the entire surface creaks, it is necessary to completely sort out the floor. For ease of reassembly, the panels should be numbered. The base needs to be leveled and the substrate replaced.

thick backing

Often installed when they want to level the surface, but this approach is wrong. A soft and thick underlay causes the boards to sag a lot over uneven flooring, and under load, such a board can even crack. The optimum thickness of the substrate should not exceed 3 mm.

Need to sort out the floor and replace it. If this is not possible, it remains only to get used to unpleasant sounds and not to allow this mistake during the subsequent replacement of the coating.

small gap

Between the laminate and the walls, not only does it impede the natural movement of the boards, but also creates high pressure for fastening mechanisms. Because of this, a creak occurs. Fixing this problem is relatively easy. It is enough to take out the boards around the perimeter of the room and cut them along so that the gap is at least 5 mm.

Variable Humidity

It strongly affects the condition of the laminate floor, it begins to creak over the entire surface. It's best to wait until the season changes. If the laminate was installed during the cold season, it is worth waiting for warmer weather to find out if the squeaks will disappear. If the problem is inconstant humidity, it will soon resolve itself.

Sand and dust

A common cause of a strong squeak. Foreign particles are not only a source of unpleasant noise, but also damage to the locks of laminate boards. Particles entering the locks, due to friction, begin to deform them little by little. To avoid this, when repairing, it is worth carefully vacuuming all the debris with a vacuum cleaner, and it is advisable to cut the boards in a separate room.

The problem is much more serious if the dust did not arise as a result of replacing the flooring, but due to shedding of the screed. To avoid destruction, the surface of the screed must be carefully primed. To clean the floor of dust, it will have to be completely sorted out and then vacuumed. The outdated screed should be re-primed and a new substrate applied.

When renovating an apartment, a situation often arises when old plank floors need to be covered with new flooring, for example, laminate. In this case, specialists from repair organizations assure that before laying the laminate, it is necessary to completely dismantle the old coating and make a new concrete screed, leveling the floors. However, dismantling and screeding work often turns out to be much more expensive than a new coating, so the question arises: how to lay a laminate on a wooden floor without dismantling it?

Let's try to understand the requirements for the surface for laying the laminate. The surface must be flat, the height difference must not exceed 2 mm per 1 meter of floor length in any direction. The floor must not sag. If these requirements are not met, there is a risk of breaking the laminate lock under load, as a result of which the integrity of the floor will be violated, cracks will appear. Also, the base for laying the laminate must be strong, dry, and free of debris. Based on these requirements, it is necessary to inspect the wooden floor and, if necessary, prepare it.

Checking and leveling the floor

First you need to carefully inspect the floors. Old wood floors that have been repainted many times often have a convex surface of the boards - this is due to the many layers of paint in the center of the board and the partial destruction of its edges. Also, they can have gaps of various widths. If the board is relatively new, tongue-and-groove, tightly fitted, the floor surface is usually flat, without drops.

Check if the floorboards bend, if there is a creak when walking, you should also make sure that the boards are tight at the point of attachment to the logs, and the logs themselves have not failed or sagged. In addition to irregularities, the floor may have a significant slope towards the corners or the center of the room , it is checked using a laser or bubble level. This defect also needs to be corrected before laying the laminate.

An old board with a lot of drops can be leveled in two ways:

To cut it off, I use an electric planer or a parquet leveling machine;
Upholstered with plywood, plywood thickness from 8 mm.

If the floor has a significant slope, it will be necessary to level it with additional guides and sheathe it with plywood.

If the floor boards sag, it is necessary to check the condition of the lag. To do this, determine the place of passage of the log, in the area of \u200b\u200bwhich there is a deflection, and cut out part of the board. This can be done with an electric jigsaw, and it is better to place its blade at an angle so that the cut out part forms a narrowing towards the bottom. The part of the board cut out in this way will not be difficult to put back without additional fastening. Through the resulting hole, the logs are examined, and if they subside, a wooden wedge is hammered under them until they are completely leveled.
Grooming the floor makes sense only if the boards are tightly fixed and do not have a significant slope in any direction. Before leveling the floor with an electric planer, it is necessary to eliminate squeaks by fixing the boards on the logs using long self-tapping screws. Self-tapping screws can be screwed both into the holes from the previously removed nails, and next to them. The heads of self-tapping screws and nails must be sunk to a depth of about 2 mm. The leveled floor is carefully swept, impregnated with an antiseptic for internal works or drying oil and dried. After that, laminate flooring can be laid on the floor. In this case, the laying direction must be chosen so that the joints of the laminate are perpendicular to the floor boards - this will reduce the possible deflection.
Electric planer floor leveling technology
If the boards have small numerous drops, but the overall slope of the floor is satisfactory, the floor is sheathed with 12 mm plywood, fixing it directly to the boards. To eliminate squeaks, it is necessary to fix the plywood with long screws through the boards to the logs - in this way, all layers of the floor will be pulled together with high quality.
Plywood floor technology
Small humps, dips, and irregularities can be corrected by lining pieces of plywood or timber under the plywood sheets. If the irregularities are significant and reach 5 cm, you will have to level the floor with the help of bar guides. It is necessary to calculate in advance the required number of bars of various thicknesses, so that it is easier to adjust the height. Pre-cut plywood, laying it on the old wooden floor. The joints of plywood sheets are drawn on the floor with a marker - this will facilitate the laying of the bar. The bar is fixed to the floor with self-tapping screws with a minimum step of 50-60 cm, while supporting bars are necessarily placed at the joints of the plywood sheets. For additional noise and heat insulation, the space between the wooden floor and plywood can be filled with insulation, for example, mineral wool. Plywood is attached to self-tapping screws with a cone-shaped cap, deepening them flush with the surface. The gap between plywood and walls should be 3-5 mm. It should be remembered that leveling the floor in this way will raise it relative to the level of the rest of the floor in the apartment, and may require replacing the doors.
Video - how to lay laminate on a wooden floor

Laminate step by step

A plywood or leveled floor is ready for laminate flooring. Under the laminate, a polyethylene foam substrate is required. The substrate is necessary in order to avoid the knock of the laminate on the base. The thickness of the substrate is from 1 to 3 mm, but during operation it tends to cake, so there is not much point in buying a thick substrate. The substrate is placed end-to-end on the floor, the joints are glued with construction tape to fix it on the floor. Additionally, you can fix the substrate with adhesive tape around the edges.
The technology of laying laminate on a polyethylene foam substrate
Before laying the laminate, it is necessary to keep it in the room for 2 days so that it acquires the temperature and humidity of this room. Before laying, it is necessary to decide on the installation method: parallel to the light, perpendicular to the light or diagonally. Diagonal laying requires a more careful fit, and is recommended for narrow spaces in order to visually expand them. Usually the laminate is laid perpendicular to the window - so the joints are less noticeable.
Once the installation direction is chosen, measure the distance between the walls and calculate the number of laminate boards, as well as the width of the last board. If the width of the last board is less than 1/3, it is advisable to start laying the first row of boards sawn in half. The sawn-off parts of the laminate will come in handy for the last row.
Laminate is of three types: with locks such as "Click", "Lock", as well as adhesive laminate. The “Click” lock is fastened when the board is set at an angle of 45 ° to the previous one and the lock snaps into place. This system is collapsible. Lock "Lock" is fixed by lightly tapping on the opposite end of the board until it clicks, while the laminate spike is inserted into the groove. It is necessary to tap the laminate through the bar so as not to damage the groove. Adhesive laminate is more often used in wet rooms; special glue is used to fasten it.
The technology of the correct joining of the laminate
Laying laminate with a "Click" lock is carried out in rows. First, the ends of the boards of the first row are fastened, the row is aligned in place and the laminate is wedged between the walls using thin rails. This is necessary to create a gap that regulates the thermal expansion of the coating. The second row is assembled in the same way and, placing it at an angle to the first, they lead it into the lock, after which it is lowered, and the lock snaps into place. So continue laying to the end of the room.
Laminate laying technology with "Click" lock
Laminate with a "Lock" lock is laid apart - this will help to fasten the boards into a single surface. To do this, measure the length of the board, the length of the room, calculate the number of boards in one row. If, as a result, about half of the last board remains, then it is used at the beginning of the next row. If an even number of boards is laid in the length of the room without a trace, then in every second row one board is cut in half, starting from half the board. A gap of 3-5 mm is also left between the wall and the coating, installing a wedge from the rail there.
Lock Laminate Laying Technology
The adhesive laminate is laid using the same technology, but the groove-thorn junction is coated with glue, and after laying, the boards are temporarily fastened with adhesive tape. After laying, the wedges are removed and the skirting boards are installed.

Laminate flooring is becoming more and more popular due to its excellent performance, aesthetic appearance, ease and speed of installation.

1. Sanding is carried out if the difference is insignificant, and the issue can be resolved by removing a small layer of wood on a certain area of the floor, thereby ensuring an acceptable surface evenness.

2. An electric planer is useful when the local difference in the boardwalk in a particular place is more significant. But, using this tool, you need to make sure that the floor boards are of sufficient thickness, and that the heads of the nails or self-tapping screws are deep enough.

Since the planer is able to remove a sufficiently large layer of wood, after each passage it needs level control. After carrying out such a procedure on too protruding areas of the floor, it is quite possible to achieve the desired result.

3. With a strong slope of the surface in one direction, one electric planer is not enough, since the point is not in the boards, but in the subsidence of the lag.

That's why , have to dismantle the boards and inspect the logs and floor beams. Perhaps over time they have become unusable from time to time or damaged by insects or microorganisms. In this case, the logs and bars of the beams will have to be replaced with new ones. If they are in good condition, then you can lift the boards on them with wooden linings, also controlling the leveling process. When the boards are installed on the linings, and the floor becomes even, the surface must be carefully cycled.

The leveling process with raising the floor is quite laborious and time consuming, but it must be carried out. Otherwise, the base will not last long, which means that the boards will still have to be lifted and repaired soon, but this will already be associated with completely unnecessary procedures - dismantling the recently laid laminate.

4. Another leveling process for a wooden floor will require additional costs, since plywood is laid on top of the boards. However, this method will help not only to make the floor even, but also to insulate it well. A similar method can be used if the floor and logs are strong enough.

Plank flooring should also be checked by level, and in places where the floor is below the main flooring, plywood or chipboard pads are fixed, and boards may have to be used. If boards are used for leveling, then they are nailed perpendicular to the base boards.

Sheets of plywood, 10-12 mm thick, are attached to the floor at a distance of 1-3 mm from the walls and screwed to the base using self-tapping screws. When using small sheets of material, they are stacked with an offset of rows by half a sheet.

5. You can also level the wooden floor with self-levelling self-leveling floor or screed. In this case, a dense waterproofing polyethylene film is laid on the plank surface. Its edges are lifted and fixed to the walls. The film should create an airtight space, so its individual sheets are overlapped by 15-20 cm and fixed together with waterproof tape.

Further along the perimeter of the room, an elastic damper strip is installed, which will serve as a compensator for the screed with a possible expansion of the material.
Then, the surface is leveled, and in the area where the surface is much lower than the main coating, a beacon from a metal guide is installed. Its height should correspond to the difference in floor height. The beacon must be fixed with a plaster solution. The guide cannot be screwed with self-tapping screws, otherwise the tightness of the waterproofing will be broken.
Then, the solution is mixed and laid out on the surface in the area where the lowest point of the floor is located. The screed is leveled using the rule.
If the floor difference is small, then it is quite suitable for pouring self-levelling floor. The special mixture is diluted into a homogeneous mass and poured over the waterproofing, leveling the doctor blade and rolling it with a spiked roller to release air bubbles from the solution.
After the poured composition dries, the surface is again leveled. In the case when it meets the requirements of horizontal alignment, you can proceed to further work. If it was not possible to achieve the desired evenness, then another thin layer of self-leveling floor can be arranged on top.

6. The wooden floor can also be leveled with the recently popular dry screed method.

For this method, just like for the previous one, you will have to make reliable waterproofing. In this case, it is needed not only so that moisture does not penetrate the wooden surface, but also to bulk material, consisting of expanded clay of a fine fraction, did not wake up in the cracks of the floor.

Backfilling is carried out from the place where the lowest point of the surface level is located and it is necessary to fill in expanded clay there more than it will remain after leveling.
Then, on to the rash set beacons - guides, most often - from a galvanized metal profile used for working with drywall. They are set in such a way that when the material is finally leveled, at the highest point of the screed, expanded clay rises above wooden coating no less than two to three centimeters.
On top of the expanded clay embankment, special gypsum fiber panels that are glued and then twisted with self-tapping screws. This creates a reliable hard surface for laying laminate. In addition to the leveling function, this material will perform another one - it will become a good insulation for the floor.

Substrate for laminate

According to the technology, one of the types of substrates is laid under the laminate. It is necessary so that the coating lies evenly, has a kind of soft shock-absorbing “pillow” and is sufficiently insulated. For these purposes, the following materials are used:

Foamed polyethylene;

Cork backing;

Linoleum;

Dornit.

In addition to the functions described above, the underlay softens the noise of steps on the surface of the laminate and protects it from mechanical damage both from above and below due to its springiness.

The cork substrate has the highest qualities - it has recently been very popular. This environmentally friendly material has a number of special advantages over others - it is an excellent sound and heat insulator, even its thinnest layer can replace thicker polymer substrates.

It is easy to install, and it is easier to lay a laminate on it than on other substrates, since cork mats do not gather "in an accordion" and do not wrinkle. Such material is produced in rolls and plates, so you can choose a form that is convenient for work.

Dornit is an environmentally friendly non-woven material, which is also called geotextile. It is made from polypropylene fibers, so it has good elasticity and calmly perceives heavy loads.

The material is not costly in price, but it is mainly used for reinforcement pavement. It is also suitable as a substrate for a laminate, however, you need to know that dornite does not have special sound and heat insulation qualities, but it is quite capable of drowning out the sound of footsteps on a laminate.

Foamed polyethylene is used not only as a substrate, but also as a full-fledged insulation, as it is produced in different thicknesses.

This is a roll material, it is quite convenient to lay it, but so that it does not gather during the installation of the laminate, it is better to fix the strips on double-sided tape to the base. Polyethylene foam dampens noise well and gently springs when walking on it.

If linoleum was laid on a wooden floor, then after leveling the surface it can be put back in place and used as a substrate. He is also able to insulate the floors and create sound insulation. When walking on a laminate in heels, the sound from steps will be partially extinguished.

Laminate panel connection system

To date, several types of laminate are produced by connecting panels to each other - this can be a glueless lock or adhesive connection. The most popular laminate has a lock connection, which comes in two main types, usually referred to as "Lock" or "Click".

Lock system

Panels with the "Lock" connection system have a groove and a tenon located in the same horizontal plane. They are quite easy to connect - they are placed horizontally and the spike is inserted into the groove. Then, on the other side of the panel, an even and smooth wooden block and, gently tapping on it, finally connect both canvases.

"Lock" are essentially snap locks, they are more economical to buy, but not as strong in grip as "Click". In addition, if it is necessary to dismantle the surface, difficulties will certainly arise - the spikes break off easily. Therefore, this system is being released, and has been used less and less lately.

Click system

“Click” locks have a special three-dimensional design, and engage only when the panels are connected at a certain angle. They give good strength to butt joints, cracks do not form even after long-term intensive use of the coating. If circumstances force it, it is easy to disassemble a laminate floor with such locks, and then re-mount it in the old or in another place.

This interlocking system is currently used by almost all leading laminate manufacturers.

Adhesive laminate

Adhesive-laid laminate has the advantage over other systems in that it forms a secure, almost monolithic surface. This allows the material to be used in rooms with high humidity or in places where it is likely that water will get on the floor (for example, the kitchen).

There are some inconveniences that may arise during the installation of the coating - this is the constant application of glue to the locking parts of the panel.
If an adhesive laminate is laid, then after completion of the work it can only be operated after ten hours.
Laminate, planted on glue, cannot be dismantled without damaging it, so it will not be possible to reuse it.
It is also not recommended to use this material to cover underfloor heating, as the glue may dry out over time under the influence of elevated temperatures and the laminate will not adhere to it. In addition, the adhesive may release unfavorable for the human body evaporation.

Laminate installation

Laminate flooring starts from any angle. The first thing to do is to cover the entire room or some part of it with a substrate, and you can start working on it. The next section can be laid only after the first one is almost completely filled with the mounted laminate. Between themselves, the sheets of the substrate are fastened with a special construction adhesive tape.
The first row starts with a solid panel and is laid at a distance of 10 mm from the wall. In order to maintain the desired gap, spacer wedges are inserted between the laminate panels and the wall. This provides an expansion joint, which is necessary so that the surface does not swell during thermal expansion of the coating.
The first row fits completely. If a part of the panel is to be laid at its end, then it is measured and cut off using a jigsaw.

The second row starts with half of the laminate panel and is also laid to the end. So continue on, the entire floor will not be finished. Thus, all odd rows start with a whole panel, and even
-
- If the first row contains all the whole panels, and there was no need to add halves, then the second row you still need to start with half of the laminate board, and use the other half at the end of the second row. This is necessary in order to observe the "dressing" of laminated boards in rows. To save money, you need to use the cut-off parts from the panels, laying them at the beginning
  even
  - Laminate with "Click" type locks has a characteristic installation feature. They are inserted at a certain angle, and when rotated in one plane, they snap into place. Thus, no additional tapping with a hammer is required.
  - However, it also defines another important feature assembly of such a coating. During installation, it is necessary to completely assemble each next row with a separate strip, and only then connect it with the already laid laminate. Without an assistant, especially when large sizes premises, it is almost impossible to cope with this.
  - After laying the last row, you can remove the expansion wedges installed around the entire perimeter of the coating. It remains only to attach the plinth. At the same time, it must be remembered that the skirting boards are in no case attached to the surface of the laminate - only to the wall!
  Video: a small lesson on the correct laying of the laminate
  It is not difficult to lay a wooden floor with a laminate, the main thing is to choose a quality one. material with the lock that will be most convenient when laying. In addition, it is very important to properly prepare the surface. If these conditions are met, then the work will go quickly without much difficulty.

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Do-it-yourself laminate flooring. Laying laminate on a wooden floor - the old base will shine with new colors

The process of laying laminate on a wooden floor

Wood floor preparation

The technology of laying lamellas on a wooden floor

Can laminate be installed on wood?

Foundation preparation

Subfloor repair

Leveling the wooden base

Substrate laying

Laying laminate

Calculation of the amount of laminate

Laying methods

Direct laying technology

Installation of skirting boards

Conclusion

Related videos

Wood floor diagnostics

Floor leveling methods

How to choose a laminate

Types of substrates

Calculation of the amount of materials

Installation Tools

Substrate laying steps

Laying methods

Laying schemes

Laying sequence

For longitudinal and transverse mounting

For diagonal mounting

Laying laminate around pipes and other communications

Optimum gap width between wall and laminate

Selection and installation of skirting boards

Checking and leveling the floor

Video - how to lay laminate on a wooden floor

Laminate step by step

Substrate for laminate

Laminate panel connection system

Laminate installation

Video: a small lesson on the correct laying of the laminate