If you choose a material such as laminate for finishing the floor, you should know that it is quite demanding on the quality of the base. Its appearance after completion of work, service life, and so on depend on this.

With the help of fiberboards you can level well flooring. But still, most people do not know whether it is possible to lay laminate on top of fiberboard boards. This question interests many people.

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on fiberboard?

When purchasing laminate flooring, be sure to read the instructions on its packaging. They usually indicate the requirements for the base on which the laminated parquet will be laid. In general, a cement-sand screed meets all these requirements.

However, when performing such installation you will have to wait for the floor to dry completely. In such a situation, you can find another solution. Laminate flooring can also be laid on fiberboard. This way, you can complete the process as quickly as possible. To do this, first attach particle boards To subfloor, and then the laminate is laid.

How to finish a fiberboard floor with laminate?

In this case, laminated parquet is laid according to the same principle as on a cement-sand base. It is important to prepare a perfectly level base, and then everything is done in the usual manner.

First, a special underlay is laid on the fiberboards, and it is secured with tape at the seams. As a substrate, you can use cork, foamed polyethylene, as well as extruded polystyrene foam. The substrate should be no more than 3 millimeters thick. If you neglect this factor, then the laminate panels will most likely not last long due to poor-quality connections.

Before using laminated parquet, it is recommended to keep it indoors for at least a couple of days. Special wedges are placed around the entire perimeter of the room, thanks to which the gaps between the elements will be the same. Laminate flooring is very easy to install.

You need to start from the corner. The panels are attached to each other using the locking method. To create a checkerboard pattern on the floor, you need to start the next row with half of the panel. So the rows alternate with each other, and it turns out to be a “chess” pattern. To firmly fasten the panels, you simply need to press them and they will close themselves.

If necessary, the laminate can be lightly hammered with a rubber hammer. Finally, skirting boards are installed around the perimeter of the room.

When leveling bottom surface premises, the most practical and affordable way remains to lay fiberboard on wooden floor. This method is advisable when laying on old lumpy floors, a plane with unevenness, defects or with some slope. Fiberboard sheets are most often laid on joists, but another method is also possible. It is possible to lay them under linoleum or carpet with insulation. This material is not always advisable, for example, under heavy loads, and all the features of the coating are worth considering in more detail.

Basic conditions for laying fiberboard on a wooden floor

Each flooring has its own advantages and disadvantages, and installing fiberboard over a wooden floor remains the simplest and most practical. It doesn’t always make sense to tear old boards off the floor, especially in old houses and country buildings. They provide surface integrity and give extra heat. However, the boards become deformed over time and require partial or complete replacement.

Experts recommend leveling the surface using sheets of plywood, fiberboard or chipboard (not to be confused) using joists made from high-quality timber. However, thin layers of these materials cannot always withstand significant loads, for example:

• for working machines that produce high vibration;
• under thin metal furniture legs;
• under heavy and bulky furniture, especially if the supports are located not on the logs under the covering sheets, but on the gaps.

The choice of materials for installation and how professionally the installation work was carried out is very important. Whether or not there will be floors in the future directly depends on this:

• smooth;
• solid;
• durable;
• sustainable.

The horizontal surface is a fundamental criterion for the quality of floor laying work. Therefore, prepare the necessary tools in advance, including a universal construction level, without which it is difficult to verify the accuracy of the floor geometry.

It is equally important to properly prepare the old foundation:

• thoroughly clean and remove all construction debris;
• remove the plinth, which prevents the installation of the base under the fiberboard;
• seal all cracks in the floor for tightness;
• clean off everything that is peeling and crumbling on the floor;
• mark the level of the lower horizontal lines near the walls along which the surface will be leveled;
• if in the floor of the dacha, country house or the building is supposed to have an entrance to the cellar, it is better to start with its arrangement and then lay the floors.

Attention: If the logs are set perfectly, then poor quality work when laying fiberboard sheets, it can ruin the whole impression!

Fiberboard should not be laid too tightly without a gap, otherwise, when the level fluctuates, their edges will rise, splitting. The sheets should also retreat from the walls by about 4-7 mm - this edge will still go under the baseboard.

Experts recommend starting laying out fiberboard sheets from the opposite wall to the front door. If there is no experience in how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor, experts recommend immediately checking the first layer with a level for leveling if any inaccuracies are identified. Each subsequent row is checked horizontally using the same method - haste in the event of inaccuracies is inappropriate. When gluing slabs, it is advisable to place a weight on top of the seams, but if they are nailed, then there is no need. If the floors are laid under linoleum or carpet, then no further processing is expected.

Advantages of fiberboard floors

Wood fiber boards are a fairly common construction and finishing material, applicable for repairs and cladding. various surfaces. Fiberboard is used not only for rough installation of various structures, but also for flooring. It is noteworthy that even those who do not know how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor prefer this material due to its reasonable cost and practicality. Fiberboard sheets are irreplaceable:

• when leveling the old floor;
• under rough laying linoleum or parquet;
• for covering surfaces (floors, walls, arches).

Main advantages:

• easy installation, but you need to know how to place joists on a wooden floor;
• high strength of a fragile-looking material resembling wood cardboard;
• tolerates temperature changes well with moderate air humidity;
• durability (in the absence of excess moisture);
• environmental friendliness, thanks to which fiberboard is a natural material used by allergy sufferers intolerant to chemical components in residential premises;
• convenient packaging;
• affordable price.

At the same time, fiberboard floors have their “disadvantages”:

• required when leveling the floor additional costs on timber under the logs as a base;
• insufficient protection from water, although this is quite suitable material for a nursery or bedroom;
• with great pressure or impact with a sharp, heavy object, a small gap may form between the joists;
• poor fire resistance in case of fire;
• the look is too simple for cladding;
• without protective treatment, the surface wears out quickly, especially with heavy loads and furniture movements;
• in a damp, unheated room it may delaminate.

Attention: Regarding environmental friendliness, this is a controversial issue, since the old form of release involved a different technology for gluing materials, so it is not advisable to use the remains of fiberboard sheets lying around workshops and garages in a residential area!

If you have any doubts, see expert advice: how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor, video at the end of the article.

How to choose materials

Buying fiberboard sheets is a responsible business, and a large list of building materials from different manufacturers not only gives more choice, but also, to some extent, creates confusion. Today there remains a risk of purchasing a low-quality or unsuitable product.

1. If leveling the floors is done for painting, then it is better to purchase decorative plywood, which can be laid out in patterns, like parquet or laminate floors high quality will cost much less.

2. If appearance is not so important, since fiberboard flooring on a wooden floor is planned under laminate or carpet, then visual parameters are not as important as technical characteristics. Fiberboard sheets are different sizes, soft and hard, and are classified according to their standardization scale:

• grade T with a regular front surface;
• T-S has a front layer with a finely dispersed mass of wood fibers;
• T-P has a color on the front surface;
• T-SP finely dispersed front layer is tinted;
• T-B has increased water resistance without tinting;
• NT - semi-hard sheets;
• ST - super-hard sheets with a regular front surface;
• ST-S - super-hard sheets with a finely dispersed front layer.

Quality groups A and B are found in hard slabs of brands T, T-P, T-S, T-SP, and their front surface assumes grades 1 and 2. Density soft sheets varies: M-1, M-2 and M-3. Separately, hardboard is distinguished - fiberboard brand T, which is produced wet method. It is used for various purposes:

• insulation and finishing;
• soundproofing and thermal insulation of the floor;
• construction of internal partitions;
• wall cladding;
• underlay for parquet, laminate, linoleum;
• for decorative cladding of various panel structures.

Tip: When purchasing, pay attention to the appearance of the hardboard. They must be free of defects, have the same thickness around the entire perimeter, with the same shade of the surface of the sheets in one pack (batch).

Key quality indicators:

• identical sheet sizes;
• uniform thickness of fiberboard sheets;
• uniform, homogeneous front surface.

Choosing timber for logs

When choosing timber for logs for installation, it is important to adhere to some recommendations:

• wood laid under fiberboard on a wooden floor must be dry (light timber - dry);
• You should not purchase it in advance and display it in a damp room - it will warp and become unusable;
• use wood treated with special antiseptics of the 2nd or 3rd grade from healthy wood without knots from coniferous trees;
• it is recommended that the beam cross-section is at least 40mm and up to 70mm;
• knots will “lead” the logs later due to the heterogeneity of the wood, but trimmings without these defects can be used;
• a small number of cracks is acceptable, since this is a natural state for timber beams;
• * absence of fungi and germination on damaged areas of wood (quality indicator);
• It is better to immediately discard warped or “winged” bars or use the trimmings on short sections of the joist sheathing.

Attention: You can check the “winging” (screwing of a warped beam) with a plumb line or a thin elastic cord stretched along any wood edge.

How to cut fiberboard correctly?

When laying sheets such facing materials like hardboard or plywood, you have to deal with the need for cutting, especially in the outer rows. Construction supermarkets offer such services, but they need exact dimensions of the room with its deviations from the norm, for example, not all angles are 90°.

Attention: Remember that it is better to make the sheets shorter - they will go under the baseboard, but it is very difficult to cut off the excess.

When cutting with a machine, the cutting of sheets is carried out most evenly and with a high-quality edge. If this is not possible, you will have to do it yourself:

• jigsaw;
• circular saw with a laser guide and disks for working on hardboard;
• universal construction tool for cutting building materials;
• grinder according to precise markings.

Tip: It is better to use a special homemade machine holding the grinder. Metal scissors will help you remove the edges a little. If you have no cutting experience, it is better to practice on an unnecessary piece, first studying the video at the end of the article.

Often it is necessary to trim sheets to make holes for pipes for radiators and plumbing, niches or wall projections. Special holes made with a jigsaw, universal tool or a reliable, sharp knife. Take care of this tool in advance, for example, rent it. Prepare a template from cardboard and check everything on site; if everything is accurate, transfer the markings to the fiberboard.

Technology for laying logs and fiberboard on the floor

It is unacceptable to store fiberboard slabs and timber in a damp room; it is best to place the timber horizontally on the floor, and the sheets vertically along the wall in conditions close to room temperature.

The logs are laid on previously prepared surfaces - screed, self-leveling mixture or old wooden floors. As a rule, the method of laying fiberboard on a wooden floor is applicable both for leveling the surface and for updating the surface. If there are slight curvatures, differences in floor level from east to north or from west to east, a noticeable slope or obvious unevenness, then it is worth trying to either eliminate them or close them.

If you have no experience in how to lay fiberboard on a wooden floor, then you can ask for advice in the video. In many cases, you can turn to specialists to install the logs, and lay the fiberboard sheets yourself. However, there is nothing difficult about this if you have a tool, patience and experience working with wood. It is necessary to carefully inspect the entire surface of the old floor, and if fungus or mold is found there, it should not be left under the fiberboard sheets, otherwise over time they will “eat up” all the new floors. The remaining areas are treated with a special fungicidal primer or construction antiseptic for wood and other surfaces.

Tip: It’s also worth removing those boards that creak - don’t think that anything will change under the weight of the new floors. Sometimes, due to defects, a significant portion of the old wood flooring has to be cleared away. Don't worry - it will all be hidden under the joists and new cladding!

1. If the old floors are relatively smooth, but the surface needs to be updated, it is enough to sand them and then cover them with sheets of high-quality fiberboard - hardboard. With this method of installation, the old base must be thoroughly cleaned after sanding for primer. It must dry for at least 8-12 hours, depending on the composition and air temperature. Just after this, apply glue and lay down sheets of hardboard, pressing well with weights on the corners and edges.

2. In the design of the joists, special galvanized locknuts with a nylon ring are usually used, which prevents the nuts from moving along the thread.

The devices do not allow them to unwind and weaken the structure. When tightening the top locknuts, which secure the joists in the position required on a given area of ​​​​the floor, they are slightly buried in the wood structure. Because of this, the surface level may be slightly lower than expected. By tightening the upper locknuts, the boundary of the laser level is monitored, taking this error into account. Experts also sometimes create 2 levels, an additional one under the locknut.

3. All logs are laid in a similar way - see the diagram:

Preliminary calculations for the interval between them and the floor level correlate:

• with a beam section;
• floor slope;
• sizes of hardboard sheets.

The bars are mounted directly to the old wooden base, and where there are no boards in the base, instead of them, pieces of timber or other pieces of wood are installed under the logs. It is not recommended to make partial sheathing of joists or leave gaps in the floor under them before laying fiberboard. Before laying them on the floor, it is worth remembering that for the subfloor, as a substrate for linoleum, parquet or carpet, less expensive slabs with a small thickness are used, and for finishing - high-quality hardboard.

Attention: Purchased fiberboard sheets stand for 2-3 days in a living room - for acclimatization 2-3 days. Before sticking, you can lightly spray the back side with a spray bottle or treat it with a primer - for better adhesion. When installing with nails, this is not necessary.

Features of fastening fiberboard to logs:

• the sheets are laid on the logs so that the seams meet on the bars;
• hardboard (fibreboard sheets) are nailed with screws, self-tapping screws or nails at intervals of about 100mm along the edge and at intervals of 120-150mm in the center;
• the next row does not fit tightly, with a small gap - about 2-3 mm;
• All parallel sheets are laid in the same way.

Features of fastening fiberboard with glue:

• assembly adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the sheet and is well distributed without smudges,
• the sheet should be soaked for 25-30 minutes;
• glue is also applied on top of the primer on the floor;
• the sheet is pressed down and checked horizontally.

Peculiarities finishing gender:

• it is important to remove all remnants of glue that has protruded into the cracks;
• large gaps between the sheets are sealed with putty or glued with reinforcing tape - under the subfloor;
• The fiberboard surface can be varnished or painted.

Nowadays, laminate is one of the most common flooring options. But masonry Any material has its own invisible moments. This is exactly what we will talk about next.

Invisible styling moments

If you are asking whether it is possible to lay new laminate on hardboard, then you have come to the right place. We will try to figure out what the difficulties of such work are and how to avoid them.

Laying laminate on fiberboard sheets

During the installation process laminate based coatings The evenness of the floor base is extremely important. Only in this case is it possible to correctly lay the panels.

Main! Differences in height are checked using a bubble level. In this case, the value should not be more than 2 millimeters. All bumps and holes should be removed. Most manufacturers dictate their own values ​​for height difference. But under any circumstances, the base must be particularly even, otherwise the claps of the lamellas cannot be avoided. Yes, and panels covered with laminate can jump out of their connections, which are called “locks”.

Therefore, before laying laminate flooring, it is recommended to correctly assess the condition of the floor. And if the base is uneven, the problem must be removed. Typically, you can apply putty mixtures to the surface without even removing the fiberboard. This is when the sheets are laid on concrete.

It is best to straighten the base under the laminate by removing the plywood. And if the floor is flat, lay the panels directly on it. If not, make a screed. This best option. Practice demonstrates that if there are a considerable number of unevennesses, then it is easier to make a screed than to level everything with putty.

Laying a laminate flooring on concrete screed

The main thing is to adequately assess the condition of the base of the floor, so as not to unnecessarily lay the laminate on the fiberboard and damage everything. No one is against laying laminate panels on fiberboard sheets. This ordinary material, and it is permissible in this case. Let's just return to the fact that the floor must be level.

Conclusion

Whether to lay fiberboard sheets on the floor or not depends only on your desire. There shouldn't be any problems. Look carefully at the quality of the material and ask the store for quality certificates for any products so that masonry was high quality.

How not to lay laminate flooring. Laminate on wooden floors in Khrushchev, without plywood

There are many options for leveling and finishing the floor; you can select materials for these purposes according to different prices and the complexity of the flooring. One of them is laying fiberboard on the floor. These are practical, inexpensive sheets that will make the base smooth and even. Like any other material, chipboard has a number of specific features that must be taken into account when installing. This article will talk about the types of fiberboard panels, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

Fiberboard is a shortened name (abbreviation) for wood-fiber board. This is a finishing or sheet construction finishing option. The price of fiberboard is not too exorbitant, so it is always in demand. The material differs in density. Before you buy it, you need to figure out which one is suitable for your floor.

There are soft, hard and super-hard fiberboard. In this case, the thickness of the sheet can fluctuate in different ranges. This point must be taken into account when purchasing. Some sheets are 2–3 mm thick, while others are 12–15 mm thick. The most voluminous are materials with a thickness of 40 mm. They are used least often in practice.

Fiberboard has high strength and density. But thin sheets have the plasticity necessary for covering curved surfaces. Slabs are used everywhere. In construction they are used for covering floors and walls, and make partitions in passenger-class railway cars. Fiberboard has good sound insulation properties and is suitable for partitioning rooms with excessive noise effects.

Pros and cons of using

Advantages of the material when leveling fiberboard floors:

• Cheap, always wide range. Anyone can choose their taste and color while spending a minimum of money.
• Easy to use, easy installation of sheets on the floor. You will not need virtually any additional parts for installation (except for mounting ones).

  When installing slabs, you must ensure that the surface is even and that the preliminary work has been carried out correctly. No other incidents or difficulties were found in the work of laying the material.

• Light weight. You can work with the material alone, without involving assistants.
• Environmental friendliness. The boards are made from recycled wood waste. This natural material, which can even fit in a children's room.
• There are no foreign odors after installation. At first, the aroma of wood will be felt, but after several months it will disappear.
• Durability. This quality applies to the case when the installation of fiberboard was carried out in compliance with all necessary conditions(correct measurement, selection of slab width and step-by-step installation according to the instructions).
• Possibility of use as an insulating layer.

This material has significant disadvantages:

• Fiberboard is afraid of water. Minimal contact with moisture on the surface leads to its deformation (it begins to swell and increase in volume). The top coat of paint that is applied to the final finish also suffers. Therefore, you need to know that you cannot lay the material in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Fragility. When the surface on which the material is applied is deformed, the slab breaks, cracks, and loses its normal appearance.
• High fire hazard. In the event of a fire in the room, the fiberboard will burn first. This situation may then lead to the spread of the fire over an even larger area.
• Rapid wear on the front side. Without a finishing coating, it quickly wears out and cracks.

Fiberboard can easily peel off if it is not positioned correctly on the surface. Any vibrations, movements and touches in this case are very dangerous for the material.

Types of slabs

There are several types of fiberboard for flooring, depending on the density of the source material:

1. Soft. The density of the material is no more than 350 kg/m3. Sound insulation properties are not very good, so it is more often used as finishing rear walls cabinet furniture. The soft format is suitable for making the bottom of furniture drawers. There are soft grades - M1, M2 and M3.
2. Semi-solid. The density is much higher (about 850 kg/m3). Abbreviation marking - NT. Semi-solid materials are also best used in furniture production.
3. Solid. Density ranges from 850 to 1000 kg/m3. The low-porosity composition can be used to make doors and furniture. There are the following types: T, T-S, T-P and T-SP. Sheets are produced under marked T-B. They are more resistant to moisture and are not tinted with outside unlike other brands.
4. Super hard. The maximum density of such sheets is slightly more than 1000 kg/m3. Raw materials must be treated with pectol. This is a substance that increases the initial strength of the material by 20%. Such sheets are used in construction. They can be used to make partitions, cover floors and sheathe walls.

   The front side can be coated with varnish, paint or primer. They are marked as ST, which has a standard front side, and ST-S, which has a finely dispersed front layer.

Mounting methods

On glue

1. A special glue is first applied to the sheets.
2. Then you need to wait for half an hour for the adhesive layer to dry.
3. While waiting, the same composition must be applied to the base of the floor, which must be well cleared of debris and primed.
4. After all these manipulations, the sheets are pressed tightly to the base of the floor.

   To avoid unevenness during installation, use water or laser level. This must be done as quickly as possible before attaching the slabs so that the glue does not have time to dry.

5. When laying sheets, the joints should not move relative to each other by more than 50 cm. This condition is mandatory, since in this case the coating will be very durable and will not deform when exposed to external factors.

For mastic

The method is suitable for sheet covering Fiberboard concrete screeds.

1. The base is well cleaned, swept or vacuumed. When the contamination is very strong, wash with a wet cloth.
2. When the surface dries, a layer of primer is applied to it. Prime the base as many times as necessary to achieve a slow absorption effect. The faster the primer absorbs, the more you need to apply.
3. The completely dried base is covered with a small layer of mastic (layer more than 0.6 mm).
4. Before this process, the mastic is applied to the sheets and dried well.
5. To the processed floor surface The sheets are laid in even layers and pressed tightly.

If hot mastic is used, it is applied immediately before laying the sheets, without waiting for drying. In this case, its contact with air should be minimal.

Stages of work

Preparing the base

1. Before installing the slabs, rough finish grounds.
2. The floor is thoroughly washed to remove dirt and dust and dried.
3. Primer is required.
4. All skirting boards must be removed to make room for easy installation.
5. The integrity of the wooden floor must be checked.
6. All poorly reinforced elements must be carefully secured. By tapping, they look for voids, which must also be eliminated.
7. Deep cracks must be covered with an even layer of putty.
8. If the structure is old enough, additionally treat the surface with an antifungal mixture.

Installation of sheets

Before placing the sheets on the subfloor, you need to make sure they are the correct size. If necessary, you need to cut off the protruding parts. Cutting tools: jigsaw, lathe, circular saw and metal scissors.

Sheets can be attached to the base in two ways:

1. For glue or mastic.
2. With nails.

Attention

Fiberboard can be laid on logs, and if the floor is wooden, then it will be enough to use drying oil or tar.

Most easy way fastening slabs to a wooden floor - nails:

1. First, the base is cleaned from dirt and dust. To do this, walk over the surface with a wet cloth or vacuum cleaner.
2. Then the material is laid out on the floor, its dimensions are adjusted to the size of the room, and the sheets are cut.
3. The first one is laid from the far corner of the room towards the exit from the room. The sheet is fastened with nails with a diameter of 1.1-1.6 mm and a length of 20-25 mm, and nailed to the rough wooden floor. Fastening begins from the middle of the room. The caps of fasteners should not rise above the surface.
4. The subsequent sheets are laid in the same way. The resulting deformation gap along the walls is covered with a plinth.

Laying options

Under laminate

You can level the surface under the laminate using a dry screed. Apply GVL sheets, moisture resistant plywood, asbestos sheets and drywall.

1. The surface is tapped well for the presence of voids and gaps.
2. Only after this is it sanded and washed to remove dirt.
3. When the surface is perfectly clean, apply a small layer of primer.
4. Once the primer has dried, apply it to top layer base prepared mixture. All this should dry within a few days, then you can start laying the laminate.

Under linoleum

It is advisable to place fiberboard under the linoleum, having made preliminary calculations. This is the installation option when a lack of sheets can lead to an error in the location of the entire structure. It is important to observe the following conditions during installation in order to achieve good results:

1. It is important to pre-treat the surface with drying oil to minimize contact with moisture and protect the entire surface from water.
2. After processing, the sheets are left to dry and then stacked to achieve maximum evenness and a smooth surface.
3. You can put weights on top. This is done to speed up the leveling. Under the influence of gravity, the sheets are better pressed and aligned more perfectly.
4. Special glue is applied to the surface, then the sheets are placed and pressed tightly to the base.
5. It is necessary to maintain the distance between the sheets. The gap should be no more than 7 mm, but there is no need for a distance that is too small. You should not make a gap less than 5 mm.
6. The work is carried out from the far wall, farthest from the door of the room.
7. After the composition has dried, the joints are treated. The surface is smoothed by sanding, removing all unevenness and dust, and the seams are sealed with putty.
8. Before laying linoleum, the surface is thoroughly cleaned and dried.

Experts advise adhering to the following recommendations when installing:

1. Very often people use adhesives or mixtures as fastening. This option for attaching sheets is simple, but time-consuming: you have to wait for the glue to dry, and then make sure that the slab adheres tightly to the base. The easiest way is to use simple nails. It is better to fasten the slabs to a wooden floor with small nails (15 mm).
2. It is important to put high-quality waterproofing under the base. Those who consider additional protection of the floor from moisture to be unnecessary trouble should be warned. Even a slight ingress of moisture on the sheet leads to its severe deformation. In a few years, such an overlap will be left with dust. You will have to change the entire base, carrying out unnecessary work and spending a lot of money on materials.
3. If the old floors are relatively smooth, but the surface needs to be updated, it is enough to sand them and then cover them with sheets of high-quality fiberboard - hardboard. With this installation method, the old base is thoroughly cleaned after sanding for primer.

To level the floor, you must first draw a diagram of the planned work. You need to have everything at hand necessary materials, tools. The laying of sheets begins with thorough cleaning of the surface, only after which installation begins. If this condition is not met, the sheets quickly become unusable. In a few years, repairs will be needed again.

Do-it-yourself laminate on a wooden floor: video instructions. Laminate is a coating that requires the preparation of a perfectly flat base. But what if it is not possible to dismantle the old floor and install a new cement screed? Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor? These questions are of interest to those who have decided to refresh the interior without resorting to capital investments. You can learn about methods of laying material on an existing surface from the recommendations and video given in the article: how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands.

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor is a common method of laying new flooring.

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor?

The question of the possibility of laying laminate flooring on an old wooden floor often arises due to the fact that the cost of dismantling and installing a new cement base largely exceeds the cost of purchasing the floor covering itself. In addition, the feasibility of carrying out overhaul is not always justified, as it is associated with the duration of the process, while you can change the interior of the room by resorting to cosmetic repairs.

Laying laminate flooring in an apartment

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor and not be afraid that the coating will deform, creak when walking, or come apart at the seams? Knowing how an old wooden base behaves and what measures need to be taken to comply with the basic requirements for laying laminated floors, you can safely begin the work. The technology for laying laminate panels on a wooden floor is similar to the procedure for installing a covering on a screed.

Despite the warnings of manufacturers and some laying specialists, it is possible to lay laminate flooring over a wooden floor, taking into account two main differences between a wooden and a cement base:

1. Instability wooden base. Laminate flooring boards laid over a wood base may move. This will lead to additional stress on the laminate joints, which are the most vulnerable point of this flooring.
2. Loss of mechanical properties of wooden flooring during operation. This fact obliges, before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, to carefully check wooden structure for defects and fix loose elements.

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor is one of the simple work, which a novice master can do

In order for the laminate to be perfectly smooth, not come apart in locks and serve for a long time, it is necessary to prepare the base taking into account all the requirements for the surface when laying this material. The base should be:

• flat - deviation from the horizon should not exceed 2 mm per 1 linear meter of surface;
• absolutely dry;
• clean - it is necessary to remove from the surface all debris and dust that arose during the preparation process;
• stable - there should be no displacement of the base elements relative to each other.

How to level a wooden floor under laminate

There are several alignment options wooden floors under laminate:

• scraping a wooden floor;
• covering the floor with plywood or chipboard;
• leveling with plywood using pads and bars.

Leveling the floor under the laminate using plywood sheets

The choice of one or another surface correction option depends on the degree of unevenness of the wooden base.

Repairing an old wooden base

Work on preparing a wooden floor for laying laminated flooring is carried out either immediately before installation, or in advance. It depends on how complex the process will be and how long it will take to fully meet the technical requirements. First you should check the condition of the wooden floor for any possible defects.

Most often, boards that have been in use for more than one year have a slightly convex surface as a result of applying several layers of paint to them. The edges of the boards or parquet slats may be damaged in the form of cracks, holes and gouges. In addition, it is possible that the floorboards do not adhere tightly to the joists at the joining points. Sometimes there is a significant slope of the floor in one or more directions. All these shortcomings require elimination.

Repair of individual wood floor panels

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you should fill all the potholes, wedge and secure the loose elements with glue and screws. If there are cracks in the wood, they are stapled together using a construction stapler. Moldy and rotten boards must be replaced with new ones. To eliminate the creaking of a wooden floor, you need to go through all the floorboards.

Useful advice! To avoid squeaking, when reassembling the floor, you should use self-tapping screws rather than nails, since most often the sound appears precisely at the junction of the nail with the wood.

Get rid of squeaking wooden covering It is also possible by driving wedges between poorly fixed boards and joists, as well as between adjacent floorboards. This method will help neutralize the friction of the boards against each other. If the plank flooring is very worn, this method may not be effective. However, the main threat to the integrity of the laminate remains the unevenness of the base.

Restoration of a wooden floor before laying laminate

How to lay laminate flooring on an uneven wooden floor: surface treatment by scraping

If all the floorboards of the wooden base are well secured and the surface does not have a significant slope, you can use a scraper or power planer for leveling. This method is appropriate for surfaces whose unevenness does not exceed a slope of 5-6 mm per square meter. Local irregularities are eliminated by sanding the defective areas with sandpaper or using a hand scraper. This treatment is also used in hard to reach places.

To facilitate the process, it is recommended to begin leveling by dividing the entire surface into several sections. After processing, the plane of each section and the quality of grinding are controlled. Before starting work, it is necessary to deepen the heads of all self-tapping screws 2 mm into the wood in order to avoid contact with the metal knives of the power grinding tool, which could lead to their damage.

Upon completion of leveling, check the entire surface of the wooden floor using a level, then carefully sweep or vacuum away sawdust and dust. If the small debris remaining after leveling is not removed, there is a possibility that it will get into the locks of the laminated covering, and this, in turn, will lead to unwanted squeaking when moving on the laid laminate.

Checking the horizontal level of the floor using a level

Before laying the laminate on a wooden floor after leveling, it is necessary to treat the entire surface with an antiseptic compound or dry it and dry thoroughly. To reduce possible deflection of the laminated coating, it is recommended to lay panels of material perpendicular to the direction of the boards.

Useful advice! Before starting leveling work using scraping, you should take care of the safety of the interior items in the apartment: furniture and accessories should be covered with polyethylene to prevent fine dust from getting on them.

Leveling the floor with plywood under laminate

One of the simplest and at the same time low-cost methods of adjusting the surface to the required level is the method of laying plywood on a wooden floor under a laminate. To perform such work, you should purchase plywood sheets with a thickness exceeding the thickness of the finished laminated coating. It is recommended to choose the thickness of plywood for laminate flooring in the range from 12 to 15 mm.

Before starting installation, it is a good idea to check the humidity level in the room. This can be done by placing a sheet of polyethylene on the floor measuring approximately 1x1 m. The polyethylene should be pressed tightly to the floor and left for three days. If after this time the inside sheet does not form condensation, in such a room you can use plywood sheets.

Installation of plywood sheets on the floor

The process begins by cutting plywood sheets. They are cut into squares measuring 60x60 cm. Individual outer sheets are adjusted to the contours of the room, fill niches and go around protruding areas. When laying, gaps of 7-10 mm are left between the sheets, acting as expansion joints. The distance between the outer sheets and the wall should be between 15 and 20 mm. In order not to mix up the cut plywood sheets during assembly, it is recommended to number them.

You can attach plywood boards to the floor using glue, but you can do without it. Using the laying diagram and numbering, the sheets are laid out on the wooden floor in their place and fixed with self-tapping screws in the corners of the square and along diagonal lines in increments of 15 cm. For fastening, it is important to use self-tapping screws, the length of which is three times the thickness of the plywood. After final assembly, plywood sheets are carefully sanded with coarse sandpaper.

Laying plywood under laminate on a wooden floor with fastening to joists

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you can use the method of leveling the surface by laying plywood and attaching it to joists. This method is quite labor-intensive and expensive. The principle of this method is to install the logs in such a way that their upper edges are in the same horizontal plane. To achieve this position, wedges or blocks of wood are placed under the joists. When laying adjustable joists, their position is fixed using adjusting screws.

Leveling the base using joists and plywood

Plywood boards are cut using circular saw and laid on the logs, while checking the horizontal level of the plane of each sheet. Laying is done in a checkerboard pattern to avoid combining the seams at one point. The sheets are fastened to a wooden base using self-tapping screws along the perimeter and diagonally in increments of 20 cm. For quick and convenient installation, it is recommended to pre-mark the fastening locations.

Useful advice! Do not use plywood sheets with phenol-formaldehyde adhesive for installation in residential areas. This material has excellent moisture resistance, but can harm human health, being toxic.

After complete installation, the sheets are sanded and treated with an antiseptic solution, and then the laminate is laid on the plywood. On wooden floors leveled in this way, the floor covering will remain durable and long lasting. The only drawback of laying plywood on joists is that this option is not very suitable for rooms with low ceilings, since their height may decrease to 8-10 cm. In addition, trimming the door leaf may be required.

Sanding plywood sheets

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on fiberboard?

When renovating an apartment, many people wonder whether it is possible to put laminate flooring on a wooden floor covered with fiberboards? Some recommendations note that if the fiberboard boards are laid flat and held tightly, they can be used as a base for a laminated coating. However, some experts do not agree with this statement.

The thing is that wood fiber panels do not have the ability to redistribute the load over a large area, unlike plywood or chipboard sheets. In addition, when fiberboard sheets are laid, there is no way to carefully examine the condition of the old wooden floor. How to lay laminate on a base whose elements may be rotten or worn out? This can lead to the fact that over time, all existing defects will appear on the finished floor covering.

The use of fiberboard, which is based on pressed paper, as a base for a laminated coating raises serious doubts about the durability of the repair. On old floors, under load, a play of up to 0.5 mm may appear, which will cause the laminate locks to become loose. This can lead to squeaking and broken locks. And if you consider that wooden floor joists can be cracked, the gap can be significantly larger.

Installation of fiberboard under laminated covering

Considering that not everyone has the opportunity to dismantle an old wooden floor or rebuild it (which is also expensive in itself), you can lay laminate flooring on fiberboard. However, the condition must be met that the fiberboards are sufficiently firmly fixed to wooden floor. And if the base for the laminate is strong, then there is not much difference whether the base is chipboard, plywood or fiberboard.

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands

To understand how to properly install laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to have an understanding of the material itself, its classes, types of substrate used, calculations and installation technologies. This information will help when carrying out work to avoid mistakes that lead to damage, waste of material, and will also contribute to high-quality and durable installation.

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

Selecting material: calculation and purchase of laminate

The amount of laminate required is calculated based on the area of ​​the room, material consumption rate and installation method. First of all, you should determine the surface area to be covered. Quantity square meters the room is divided by the area of ​​one laminate board. As a result, the required number of coating strips is obtained. Knowing that each pack contains 8 boards, you can easily determine the number of packs.

When purchasing material, you should also take into account the consumption coefficient, which varies from 5 to 14%. This or that coefficient value depends on how the laminate panels are laid. If you decide to lay the laminated coating diagonally, the maximum coefficient is taken. Consequently, there will be more material waste.

Useful advice! When purchasing laminate, make sure that all packages are from the same batch. The same material from different batches may differ in color.

In addition, it should be taken into account that during installation work, the plate lock may be accidentally damaged or incorrect trimming may be performed. In this case, it would be useful to purchase several boards in reserve.

Installing laminate flooring is a simple but responsible process.

To work with laminate in residential premises, choose a coating with certain technical parameters. Manufacturers present four classes of material, the main indicator of which is wear resistance. The most common slabs are 6, 8 and 10 mm thick. The thicker the board, the stronger the coating. For household use Class 31 and 32 material are quite suitable.

In addition to strength indicators, laminate slabs are distinguished by locks. There are two types of locks - CLICK and LOCK. The CLICK lock is more common; it holds the seam perfectly and allows unevenness up to 3 mm on linear meter surfaces. Panels with the second type of lock are difficult to install, require a perfectly level base and are used less frequently.

Preliminary preparation of the base

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you should analyze the condition of the existing subfloor. It is necessary to identify all existing defects: potholes, cracks, holes. Loose boards should be wedged and secured with glue and screws. Potholes should be filled with wedges using glue, and if possible, the ventilation holes should be cleaned.

Repairing old wood flooring

A completely old floor should be dismantled down to the supporting joists. If the inspection reveals that some elements are rotten, they should be replaced. Flooring boards that are leaky on one side can be turned over with the unworn side up, and completely rotten ones can be replaced with new ones. Checking the slope of the floor is carried out using a building level and a lath.

If a difference in the floor surface of more than 3 mm is detected, the scraping method should be used. If scraping machines If you don't have one, you can always rent one. Leveling the floor using laying will be more reliable chipboards or plywood. In addition to the leveling function, such a coating will provide additional insulation and soundproofing of the floor.

Leveling a wooden floor with chipboards

Laying chipboard slabs is done after strengthening all elements of the wooden floor and impregnating the base with an antifungal compound. The baseboard is dismantled and unnecessary objects that could interfere with the process are removed. The slabs are laid from the corner of the room. A gap of about 10 mm is left from the wall. Have chipboard sheets so that the joints of the material fall on the lines of the beams.

Chipboard slabs are secured with self-tapping screws, and care must be taken to ensure that the heads of the fasteners do not extend beyond the surface. The pitch of the screws should be about 30 cm. After laying all the chipboard panels, the joining lines must be putty with thin-layer compounds specially designed for working with wood. When the solution dries, the surface of the chipboard boards is sanded.

Installation of tongue-and-groove chipboard

The base of freshly laid chipboard should be thoroughly dried. Ideally, the slabs should be left for about a week to allow acclimatization and excess moisture to evaporate. If during this time it turns out that some joints have swelled or shifted, they should be sanded, puttyed and cleaned with sandpaper.

Useful advice! The chipboard floor leveling technology allows you to prepare a wooden floor of any quality for laying laminated flooring.

Necessary tools for work

For people who do not do professional repairs, but are planning to lay laminate flooring themselves, a logical question arises about a set of tools for the job. To lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you will need a tool that should be in the arsenal of every owner:

• construction tape;
• ruler, pencil;
• construction knife;
• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• rubber mallet;
• pliers.

Tools needed for flooring installation

Do not forget about the plinth, for fastening it you will have to slightly expand the range of tools. If you intend to install wooden skirting boards, you will need a miter box. In the case of plastic skirting boards this device will not be needed. You will also need a screwdriver or drill to tighten the screws.

A hammer drill can also be useful for making holes for mounting baseboards. Not everyone has this power tool, but it can be rented for the duration of the work.

Choosing a laminate underlay for a wooden floor

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is correct to cover the surface with underlay. This layer allows you to compensate for minor unevenness, provide moisture and sound insulation of the laminate, as well as the space between the coating and the base. There are quite a lot of types of substrates, and they differ in composition, properties, cost, appearance and other signs.

Heat-saving underlay for laminate

The material for making substrates can be synthetic (polyethylene foam), natural (cellulose, cork, pine needles, etc.) or combined. The most budget option is foamed polyethylene - lightweight, easy to install, but fragile material that quickly compresses and does not provide proper moisture exchange. A more durable substrate is made of polystyrene in the form of 1x1 m slabs; it does not cake and provides high-quality sound insulation. But these types of substrates are more often used when the base is made of concrete.

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is recommended to arrange a backing layer of natural material. The cork substrate has excellent properties; in combination with laminate, it demonstrates excellent heat and sound insulation. Its cost is quite high, but this is compensated by the long-term preservation of the wooden base. The thickness of the substrate is selected based on the same parameter of the laminate board.

Useful advice! You cannot use several layers of substrate to level the surface of the base. An uneven floor surface can be eliminated in other ways.

For example, a 3 mm thick substrate is selected for an 8 mm board. As for laying the material, it should be noted that the strips of the substrate are placed end-to-end without overlaps and permanently attached to walls or a wooden base. The connecting lines are taped along the entire length or in periodic places.

Laying laminate flooring on a synthetic substrate

How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor: installation technology

Once all the preparatory work has been completed, you can proceed directly to laying the laminated panels. The process of laying laminate flooring is relatively simple and does not require special knowledge and skills. However, it is still worth familiarizing yourself with some installation nuances. Choose a place where the laminate packages will be located, remove the doors from their hinges, and clear the room of unnecessary items.

Before laying the substrate, it is necessary to remove all debris and thoroughly remove dust from the surface of the base. The backing strips are laid parallel to the future location of the laminate boards. If a single piece of backing is not enough, you need to connect several parts with tape, cutting them using the mirror cut method. All connecting lines are also taped.

Next, lay the first row of covering. Don't forget that the laminate panels should be positioned across the wooden base boards. Carefully connect the slats of the first row to each other. First, we assemble solid panels, and then measure the length last board row and mark the cutting line. When trimming, you must turn the board 180 degrees, otherwise the locks will not match. At the mark, cut off the excess part. As a visual aid, use the video: how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands.

Do not forget to leave gaps between the end of the panel and the wall, into which you can place 8-10 mm wide stops made from laminate scraps. After formation starting line, the next one is going. The distance between adjacent rows should be small to make it easier to connect them. The formation of the next row begins with the cut lamella.

Laminate manufacturers have done everything to ensure that its installation does not cause much trouble.

After assembling the second strip, it must be carefully lifted, holding the end joints, and turned slightly so that the lock snaps into place. You need to go along the entire length of the strip, alternately lifting the end joints and snapping the locks. In order for the locks to fasten tightly, it is necessary to tighten them by tapping them with the palm of your hand or a mallet.

All other rows of coverage are assembled using this principle. It is best to lay laminate panels in a chaotic order, i.e. Some of the rows should not be started from the cut board of the previous strip, but from the whole board or from a shortened piece.

Useful advice! When laying laminate flooring, it is recommended to separate the covering of each room from other rooms using an expansion joint. He is accommodated in doorway between adjacent rooms.

Features of laying the last row of laminate

The closer the installation moves to the last row, the more inconvenient it will be. When the room is 80% covered, you need to lay the panels, turning in the opposite direction and standing on the already laid laminate. Some difficulties are caused by laying the last row, which must be carefully measured and cut along the strip.

The quality of laminate installation will directly determine its service life.

When the laying process reaches the last strip, the distance from the edge of the penultimate row to the line of the opposite wall along the entire length may not be the same. In view of this, marking the last row is done in stages: first, the first board is marked and cut, then the next one is measured and cut, and so on until the end of the row. We outline the outlines of the first panel with a pencil and cut out the required strip according to the markings.

As soon as the laminated coating is laid, begin attaching the baseboards. The connecting points between rooms are covered with special thresholds to prevent dust from entering there. At the end of the work, remove sawdust and debris from the coating and wipe the surface with a slightly damp cloth.

How to properly lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor in hard-to-reach places

Laying laminate flooring in places where pipes pass, heating radiators, around doorways and in other hard-to-reach places does not present any particular difficulties. Bypassing the pipes is done in the following way: make marks on the board with a pencil and cut out the corresponding holes in it, not forgetting to take into account the temperature gap between the coating and the pipe (8-10 mm).

Laying laminate around pipes

Gaps around pipes and other iron elements must be treated with a suitable color acrylic sealant, while expansion joints near the walls should remain unfilled. Subsequently, their unaesthetic appearance will be covered with baseboards. Likewise lay the material near thresholds, steps and other protrusions.

As for going around doorways, before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it would be correct to remove the panel from its hinges and determine whether the door will close after laying the coating. To do this, you need to sum up the thickness of the laminate, the substrate and the leveling layer (if there is one). Subtract the resulting value from the distance from the edge of the door to the wooden floor. If less than 3 mm remains, the door leaf will need to be trimmed.

After all the calculations, lay the laminate around door frame, leaving an allowance of 8-10 mm, return the door to its place and check its movement. If necessary, file the door to the desired size.

Installation of laminate flooring in a doorway

Training video: how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands

According to the principle that it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times, home craftsmen are invited to familiarize themselves with the instructional video of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor. From the videos you can learn everything related to the installation of coating on a wooden surface.

Video: DIY laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

On the Internet you can find a whole series of courses on how to lay laminate flooring. Video instructions for installing flooring contain visual information and practical tips on how to experienced craftsmen, as well as those who first tried to level a wooden base and lay a lamination coating on their own.

In the training videos you can see master classes on leveling the floor with plywood and chipboard, learn about the features of a wooden base, choosing a substrate, as well as step by step instructions for laying laminate. In addition, in the video materials you can find recommendations for eliminating possible defects in wood flooring.

Video: how to lay laminate flooring near a doorway

There are many educational videos about the installation of skirting boards, the features of interlocking floor coverings and the technology of fastening panels of material to each other. Thematic video tutorials contain information on how to lay coating around radiator pipes, in niches, ledges, near doors and steps, as well as in other hard-to-reach and inconvenient places.

Some video tutorials are devoted to eliminating and repairing defects in already laid laminated coating. From them you can learn how to disguise scratches and dents formed on the laminate from fallen heavy objects or heels, as well as how to eliminate damage caused during the installation process: chipped corners and edges, seam divergences, swelling of the coating.

Leveling a wooden floor with any of the following existing methods allows you to use it as a base for laminate flooring. If all work on preparing the floor surface is carried out in accordance with technical requirements, the floor covering will last quite a long time, without requiring repairs and at the same time maintaining an aesthetic appearance.