Fastening the lag to the concrete floor without drilling. Fastening the floorboard, a description of all available methods

Flooring is a long-awaited stage in the transition from the state of “when will this construction be completed” to the state of “it seems that it will be completed soon”. The premises take on a more or less normal appearance, it is easier to assess the area and volume. On open tracks, verandas, in utility blocks, the plank floor is laid from edged boards. But there are gaps in it, which, in this case, is acceptable. In residential premises, a special tongue-and-groove board is usually used. Its installation has its own characteristics, which we will talk about in this article. So, laying the floor from a grooved board - details and techniques.

What is a grooved board and why is it better

A board is called grooved, along one side of which a groove is cut, along the other - a spike. When laying, the spike enters the groove, creating a stronger connection, eliminating "blowing". And this is a plus compared to edged or deck boards.

Another plus is associated with technological process: the grooved board is “customized” according to geometry, cutting off the sidewalls, sanding the front side, on back side cut longitudinal grooves for better ventilation. Then, a spike and a groove are formed on the machined sidewalls with a cutter. After that, the grooved board is ready. With such processing, there is certainly a difference (especially in low-grade goods), but not so big and grinding is needed, but not to the same extent as when using edged lumber.

A little about why it is so much more expensive. There is a lot of work, it is for this reason that this material is much more expensive, but the floor is stronger, more reliable.

How to choose quality material

Laying a tongue and groove floor begins with the choice of material. Let's talk about sizes first. The width of the floorboard is from 70 mm to 200 mm. To take too narrow - it will take a lot of time to lay, too wide - it is very likely that the edges of the board will rise when it dries, the floor will turn out to be ribbed. The problem is solved by grinding, but this is an additional cost in terms of time and money. Therefore, most often they take a grooved board of medium width - 130-150 cm.

The thickness of the grooved board is from 18 mm to 45 mm. Laying a thin one is unprofitable - so that it does not bend when laying on logs, they (logs) must be set often. Therefore, for the floor, lumber with a thickness of 28 mm, 36 mm, 45 mm is more often used.

The grooved board is sold in different lengths. The standard ones are 3 m and 6 m, but they produce 4 m and 5 m. The choice is simple here: the length of the material should be slightly longer than the length of the room in which it will be laid. Splicing in length is not very beautiful, because they often do it that way.

The choice of wood species

The floor board is made from pine and spruce, larch, oak or ash. Pine and spruce are not expensive, but their wood is soft. Traces remain from heels, fallen objects, are squeezed by furniture. In places of active movement, "paths" are formed over time. The situation can be saved by coating with wear-resistant varnish in several layers. If this option suits you, the choice is good.

Larch tongue-and-groove board is a more expensive material, but also more wear-resistant. The wood has a pronounced pattern, a pleasant color. Can be used uncoated or coated with oil-based formulations without creating a hard film on the surface.

Oak and ash are very beautiful hardwoods with dense, durable wood. But their prices are outrageous. As in the previous version, the floor of these types of wood can be used without coating or with more gentle formulations.

Type of grooved board and its characteristics

All lumber is divided into four grades:

Grade C is used when constructing a subfloor. There are too many defects in it for a fine one. The remaining classes are suitable for finishing, but which grade you choose depends on financial capabilities - the difference between the classes is decent.

Humidity

For a comfortable laying of a tongue and groove floor, choose kiln-dried wood. In this case, the raw material after sawing is aged in drying chambers, in which it is brought to a moisture content of 8-14%. Such material is unlikely to dry out after laying - this is almost impossible, but the cost is about 50% higher compared to natural drying material. This is due to the cost of equipment (drying chambers) and fuel for drying.

Humidity is measured with a special device that professionals have, and even then not everyone. You can also try to determine by appearance. Most often, kiln-dried lumber is packed in polyethylene - so that it does not absorb moisture from the air. Naturally, the packaging must be intact and free of moisture (condensation on inside). If you knock on dry wood, it makes a clear, ringing sound, while wet wood sounds muffled.

What will happen if you lay the floor from the grooved board high humidity? The first thing you will have to face is the formation of cracks as it shrinks. After six months or a year, the floor will have to be redone, removing the gaps that have formed. Secondly, cracks often appear during drying, the wood is twisted in different directions. Sometimes these distortions can be compensated by pressing the board harder, sometimes not. So you have to keep a couple of boards "in reserve": to add during the bulkhead from shrinkage and to replace badly crumpled fragments.

Geometry

When choosing, be sure to pay attention not to the geometry. In addition to the fact that the thickness and width of the board should match, there should be no significant curvature, it is necessary to pay attention to the correct formation of the tongue and groove:

In normal production, this is all monitored, but in reality there is a very large spread - 5 mm is not the limit. It is clear that such a floor will have to be sanded. But, the smaller the discrepancy, the less work will be done. Therefore, try to find a manufacturer for which this difference will be minimal.

Grooved floor installation

Due to the possible shrinkage of the wood, the laying of the floor from the grooved board is carried out in two stages. For the first time, only every 4-5 plank is fixed, after 6-18 months the coating is sorted out, eliminating the gaps that have formed. The second time they are already attaching each board, to each log.

If the premises are residential, the wood for a year, while it dries, is overwritten and loses its attractive appearance. To prevent this from happening, for the first time the grooved board is fixed with the back side up. When re-laying, turn it face up. We have clean coverage.

Laying the floor from the grooved board on the logs is the most acceptable option

When purchasing material, do not forget to leave a few strips so that you can add after tightening. Depending on the initial moisture and the width of the boards, one or two (or even more) additional boards may be required. They are also left to dry. Preferably in the same room, but possible in the attic. On the street, this is already a problem, since the appearance will be “not the same”.

Mounting method and fasteners

Laying the floor from the grooved board can be carried out using nails or self-tapping screws. Nails are made of flexible steel and endure significant loads. When “twisting” the boards, they bend, but do not break. Only there is another problem: it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to remove them without damaging the wood. And it is necessary to remove the fasteners when replacing too curved boards or when reassembling the floor after the wood has dried. Therefore, self-tapping screws are more often used, and not black, but yellow. Black ones are made of brittle hardened steel. With lateral loads that occur during the "torsion" of the boards, the hats simply fly off. So, for laying a grooved floor, it is better to use yellow self-tapping screws.

There are three ways to fix the floorboard, two of which are hidden:

With a hidden fastening, the self-tapping screw must be installed so that it does not interfere with the installation of the next board. To do this, a hole is pre-drilled (the drill is equal in diameter to the diameter of the cap), and then self-tapping screws are installed. The dimensions of the fastener depend on the thickness of the board, but most often they are used with a length of 70-75 mm and a diameter of 4-4.5 mm. Such a large length is needed due to the fact that with a secret fastening, the screw enters at an angle, it turns out - to a not very great depth.

If you still decide to make a reliable fastening in the face, it can be made less noticeable. This is achieved by deepening the head into the wood (you can pre-drill a hole). The resulting recess is sealed with wood putty and sanded. The second option is to cut out the chopik, install it in the recess and sand it too. But all this requires a significant amount of time and skills, therefore, when installing a grooved board, they prefer to use hidden mounting methods.

General rules for flooring

The first row is laid with a gap of 5-7 mm from the wall and fastened, retreating from the edge of about 1 cm, into the front surface - into the face. This place will be covered with a plinth, so you can do that. If the mounting method "into the spike" is selected, the groove is turned to the wall, and vice versa.

The last board is also laid so that there is some gap to the wall. It can be provided with the help of linings and wedges that are hammered between the wall and the last board. It is also fastened “into the face”, stepping back about 1 cm from the edge.

How to pull floor boards

If you take a grooved board of class AB or B, there will be a lot of curved board. The longer the board, the more pronounced the curvature will be. The first few pieces from the wall try to choose the most even ones. They are laid, fixed. This will be the basis on which you can navigate. Next, they try to select the boards so that the curved places alternate. They are pressed or they are said to be “pulled together”, trying to make sure that there are no gaps.

On right traditional way curved floorboard ties

For screeding the floorboard, different devices are used. For example, a support bar nailed at some distance and several wedges. This method is good for everyone, except that you have to screw the support every time. With rough laying, when only 4-5 boards are attached, this is still normal - you can pull together several pieces at a time. But if you need to fasten each, it takes a lot of time. Therefore, clamps, special staples, and other devices are used. The clamps are simply fixed to the joists, the staples are hammered into them, after which ordinary wooden wedges are used, which unite the coating, eliminating the gaps. Both options take less time.

There are also factory options (pictured below). The main thing here is a cunning mechanism for attaching to the lags on the clamp. The mechanism for holding the boards in the desired position is also interesting.

When working, make sure that the laying of the floor from the grooved board does not “leave”. This can be seen if you look at the laid floor from the side: the flooring can be bent along the edges to one side. To prevent this, periodically measure the distance from the board to be laid to the walls in several places, adjust its position to acceptable values.

The video shows in more detail how to work with such devices. The first is the traditional way with a thrust board and wedges.

Second, unusual homemade clamps from a hairpin and a corner for ceiling fastening of beams. An interesting option- you can adjust the length of the clamp, that is, you can rearrange it every other time.

A very interesting way to quickly install. But in this case, the laying of the floor from the grooved board is done by two: one presses, the second installs the fasteners. You just have to pre-drill holes for the desired width of the lumber.

Can a tongue and groove floor installation be done without this step? Maybe if you buy material of the “extra” class or lay meter-long (or so) pieces. If there are gaps on a meter-long segment, they are small and easily corrected without devices.

The floor plays a decisive role in creating the interior. The floor made of wood, especially oak, has always been very popular. To make the floors look more attractive and spectacular, it is necessary not only to choose high-quality materials, but also to properly lay the floorboards. At first glance, this is easy to do, but laying the floorboard has nuances.

Floor grooved board - dimensions and design

The most commonly used wood for the manufacture of floorboards coniferous trees: pine, larch, spruce or cedar. Elite is the material of ash, beech and oak. Oak has a very beautiful, unique texture, while over time the color of the wood becomes brighter and more saturated. However, oak wood, like other first-class varieties, complicates the installation of the floorboard due to its increased density, but if it is laid according to the rules, the result will exceed expectations in terms of beauty and durability.

Under technical parameters plank dimensions are:

Length (3, 4, 4.5, 6 m).
Thickness (28, 30, 32, 35, 40 mm). This characteristic is taken into account depending on the distance at which they will be laid. If the gap between them is more than 70 cm, then we lay thicker boards.
Width (80-135 mm). The most commonly used strips, the width of which is 100-105 mm. When choosing them, you should take into account the size of the room and its design. Too wide or, conversely, a narrow board can spoil the overall impression of the room.

The floorboard, like any finishing floor covering, has features in operation. Among positive sides the following should be noted:

Naturalness and environmental friendliness;
The ability to endure heavy loads (this is especially true for oak floors);
Durability - depends on the type of wood;
High level of sound and heat insulation;
Anti-allergic properties;
Resistance to different kind deformations;
Moderate cost.

Among the disadvantages are:

Labor-intensive care;
Rotting;
Easy flammability;
Predisposition to abrasion;
Change in volumes in the summer and winter season, which can lead to the appearance of gaps.

At proper care and operation, wooden floors will remain in good condition for a long time and will please the eye.

How to choose?

If you decide to lay floorboards, you must approach their choice with all responsibility. The main thing is to follow certain rules here.

It is necessary to determine for what purpose you are buying boards. If the manufacture of a subfloor is required, then a material without traces of decay and deformation is suitable. For a fine finish, you need absolutely even and smooth products.
Wood must be of proper, high quality. It is necessary to pay attention to the presence of cracks, knots and the method of cutting.
It is important to consider the dimensions of the board. Here you need to imagine what loads the floor will experience. The minimum thickness for residential premises is 25 mm.
The moisture content of the material should be no more than 8%.
Before laying, the tree must lie indoors for seven days.
When fitting and docking the slats should not be difficult.

More about the nuances of choice in the video:

The right choice finishing material- a guarantee of high-quality and durable coating.

Installation of floor boards

Laying the floorboard is carried out in two ways:

On the logs;
For glue.

Floor cake when installing floorboards on logs

The first option is classic. It is recommended in cases where the house has high ceilings or interfloor ceilings made of wood. So, we lay the floorboards on the logs.

Mounting floorboards on glue is in many ways similar to. The only difference is that the bar is additionally fastened with self-tapping screws. Before laying the floorboards, the base is waterproofed and moisture-resistant plywood is laid.

Adhesive mounting method

How to choose glue? The main thing is that the glue is plastic and durable. Epoxy, dispersed or polyurethane compounds are suitable for fixing boards no longer than 50 cm.

For boards from exotic wood dispersion glue is not suitable.

For planks longer than 50 cm, experts advise using an adhesive containing synthetic resins (two-component epoxy-polyurethane, one-component polyurethane).

Floorboard base types

The installation method largely depends on the type of base:

On an old wooden floor;
On the concrete floor(on plywood or logs).

If the house had a wooden floor and it is still strong enough to withstand heavy loads, floorboard you can lay on it. First of all, the existing floor goes through rough. Then the surface is cleaned of dirt and dust, and a waterproofing layer is laid. After that we lay the boards. Relative to the old planks, they should be either perpendicular or diagonal.

When mounting on concrete, it is required to create a certain microclimate in the room:

Humidity screed - 12%;
Temperature - +17 +25 ° C;
Air humidity - no more than 60%.

At the first stage, waterproofing is laid on the leveled surface. Here you can use plastic wrap, roofing material or cover the floor with soil mastic. After that, logs or are installed, and then floorboards.

The floorboard usually has tongue-and-groove on the side faces, its laying is somewhat more difficult than a conventional non-grooved board, but it provides a strong reliable connection. Floorboard laying technique and volume preparatory work depends on the foundation on which it is placed.

Ways of laying the floorboard

The support for the floorboard can serve as:

concrete base
Old wooden floor
Logs installed on any base
Bearing wooden structures (beams) of interfloor, attic floors
Sheet plywood screed

Laying on logs is good because it does not require additional costs of materials and time for plywood flooring. In addition, insulation can be laid between the lags. But this method is not suitable for rooms with low ceilings. On top of the floor beams, it is first laid or plywood, OSB, and then a finishing floor board is laid.

To attach the board to the base are used:

When laying on logs - self-tapping screws or nails
When laying on a plywood base - self-tapping screws or glue and self-tapping screws

The floorboard is usually laid in a straight line, parallel to the walls. In rooms, laying is carried out perpendicular to the wall with a window, in rooms with high traffic - parallel to the direction of movement. The floorboard can be laid both staggered and without displacement of the elements. When laying boards with an offset, they must be cut into fragments of the desired length so that the ends are strictly perpendicular to other faces.

Important Points

As a rule, the installation of a finished floor from a floorboard is carried out after other types of repair work have been completed. When laying it, you must follow a number of rules:

Humidity of the base (subfloor) should not exceed 12%, log - 18%
Boards should have a moisture content of 12-16%
The optimal range of air humidity in the room is 40-60%, temperature - 17-25 °
Before laying, the boards must be unpacked and kept for 2-3 days in an acclimatization room.

In the absence of a moisture meter, the moisture content of the board can be estimated by a number of indirect signs. If the packaging film is fogged up from the inside, the board is too damp, excess moisture can also be felt to the touch with the palm of your hand. Dry boards, when tapped, make a sonorous sound and have a slight sheen, wet boards respond with a dull sound and have a matte finish.

Laying on logs

Laying the floorboard on the logs is preceded by the installation of the logs themselves on the prepared base.

Training

If the base is compacted soil, not covered with a layer of screed, then the logs are mounted on brick columns at least 20 cm high, covered with pieces of roofing material. The columns can also be made from oak, larch, treated with antiseptic and bitumen. On the ground floor, waterproofing and insulation of the base are required, they are usually used.

Lags are also in without fail treated with an antiseptic, they are usually attached to the base with anchor bolts, less often fixed with mastic. The minimum distance between the lags for laying a massive board is 50 cm, spliced - 40 cm, the thicker the board, the greater the step can be. Logs must be mounted perpendicular to the direction of laying the floorboards.

If the base is uneven, the joists can be leveled with pads, but it is better to use adjustable ones. A heater is laid between the lags, its thickness should be slightly less than the height of the lags, so that a gap for ventilation is formed between it and the floor. The insulation is covered with a layer of vapor barrier. It is recommended to lay a sound-absorbing substrate between the lags and boards.

Laying

After completing the preparatory work, you can proceed directly to laying the board, observing a number of rules.

The first board is laid indented from the wall by 1-2 cm. A similar gap to compensate for thermal expansion must be left around the entire perimeter. Can be studded or grooved to the wall
After attaching the first board to the lags, the second one moves towards it, the spike is inserted into the groove, the second board is knocked out with a mallet through the bar until a gap of no more than 1 mm remains between the floorboards, wedges can be used for maximum compaction
If the length of the boards is not enough to cover the entire room, or they are stacked apart, the joints must necessarily fall in the middle of the lags, this must be taken into account when sawing
The last board is sawn in width in such a way that after laying it, the necessary compensation gap is formed. A clamp is used to tamp it

If the tongue is not perfectly shaped, the connection is prevented by burrs, they must be ground. The connection may deteriorate due to the slight curvature of the boards, in this case the spikes and grooves are smeared with glue and the boards are pressed with a clamp, the ends are also glued. If insufficiently dry boards are laid, only every 4th or 5th floorboard is attached to the joists. After about six months, this fastener is removed, and the boards are mounted according to all the rules.

Laying a grooved floorboard has much in common with a Lock type lock, only the laminate cannot be laid directly on the logs, it needs a solid base under it. Another important difference is that the boards are additionally fastened with hardware. Self-tapping screws are used as fasteners, the length of which is twice the thickness of the board, or nails are three times longer than its thickness.

Self-tapping screws are preferable, they are resistant to corrosion and reliably recessed, and nail heads can protrude above the surface over time. The optimal diameter of self-tapping screws is 4-4.5 mm. Holes are pre-drilled under standard self-tapping screws in the floorboards so that the wood does not split when the hardware is screwed in.

Special floorboard screws with a small cutter at the end can be screwed in immediately. The number of fasteners at each junction of the board with the joist depends on the width of the board. For narrow ones (90 mm), one hardware is enough, driven in or screwed in the middle, with a width of 90-135 mm, fastening is carried out at 2 points, 150 mm and more - at 3.

In the first row, fastening is carried out near the wall and the fasteners will be covered with skirting boards, so it can be screwed in vertically. In subsequent rows, one of 2 methods is used:

Fasteners are screwed (hammered) at an angle of 45 ° into the tongue, this method is better suited for fairly thick boards. Hidden fastening gives floors a more aesthetic appearance, but less secure
The holes are countersinked with a countersink, the hats are sunk deeper and covered with sealant on top

Laying on plywood flooring

Plywood flooring can be carried out on a concrete base, old wooden floor, and sometimes on lags. The process of laying the floorboard on it is the same in all cases, only the preparatory work differs.

A concrete base with a moisture content of not more than 3% is waterproofed, if necessary, irregularities are eliminated. Sheets of plywood are cut into strips 40-60 cm wide, laid apart, with an indent of 10 mm from the walls, a gap of 3 mm between the sheets. For fastening to the base, screws, dowels are used in the amount of 15 pieces per m².

Laying on an old floor is acceptable if it is strong enough. It is pre-reviewed, rotten, destroyed floorboards are replaced, loosened ones are fixed, if necessary, protrusions are cut off with a planer, the base is polished and dust-free. It is advisable to lay a polyethylene foam underlay on top of the subfloor for thermal and waterproofing.

For a sheet screed on a wooden base, plywood 12 mm thick is enough, it is fastened with self-tapping screws. When arranging a plywood base under a floorboard, it is important to carefully embed the fastener caps. After installation of the flooring, its surface is polished, cleaned of dust.

If the plank subfloor is capable of withstanding a significant load and the laying direction of the finish coat is perpendicular to the direction of the subfloor boards, the board can be laid directly on top of them. Fastening is carried out by analogy with lags.

Boards can be fastened to a plywood base with self-tapping screws, as well as to logs, but parquet glue is usually used, and self-tapping screws provide additional fixation. Plywood must be treated with a primer before applying the adhesive. The primer composition must be combined with glue, dispersed glue can only be applied to a dispersed primer, soluble with synthetic resins - to a soluble one. One-component polyurethane adhesives have the widest compatibility.

Also, when choosing glue, you need to consider the size of the boards and the type of wood:

Short, up to 50 cm boards can be glued with almost any composition (epoxy, polyurethane, dispersed, soluble)
For large-sized boards, plastic and durable compounds are suitable - based on MS-polymers and polyurethane
For exotic and moisture-sensitive wood species (teak, lapacho, beech), dispersed compositions on water based

Laying on glue is carried out in accordance with the instructions for a specific adhesive composition.

Regardless of the basis on which the floorboard was laid, at the final stage it is necessary to repair small defects with putty (if any), and process the coating with a grinder. Grinding by hand is also acceptable, but this is a more time-consuming process. After grinding and cleaning the surface around the perimeter, skirting boards are installed. Depending on the type of board, the floor is painted or covered with oil, varnish.

Video

Arrangement of the floor from a massive board along the logs from the installation of the log to finishing coatings

Outcome

The floorboard can be laid on logs or a solid base. over concrete screed a plywood underlay is mandatory; on a solid and even rough wooden floor, the board can be laid without a substrate, but the direction of the rough and finish floorboards must be mutually perpendicular. Any base under the floorboard must be flat, without height differences.

It is important to lay a well-dried board on a dry base with waterproofing, observe the temperature and humidity conditions during the laying process, and do not forget about the expansion gaps around the perimeter. The boards are connected to each other with the help of tongues, and fastening to the base - with the help of self-tapping screws (less often nails). Adhesive laying is possible on a solid plywood base, which does not preclude the use of self-tapping screws.

AT modern renovation, wooden floors are made mainly from grooved boards. This allows you to avoid many of the shortcomings such as creaking, cracks, drops, etc., inherent in floors made of ordinary boards. If you also decide to make a floor from a grooved board, then in our article you can find out how to choose a grooved board, how to install it and how to repair floors from this material.

For right choice tongue-and-groove boards, you need to know about the features, classification, manufacturing method and categories of boards.

Manufacturing

The tongue-and-groove board is made of a tree of coniferous and deciduous breeds. Cutting boards is made from the core of the logs, after which they are dried to 8-10% moisture content. After drying, the boards are cut to size, processed on a thicknessing machine and with the help of a cutter, a tenon-groove connection is made along their edges. Boards have dimensions: width from 80 to 200 mm, thickness from 15 to 22 mm, length from 600 to 6000 mm. The tenon-groove connection can be either on two or four sides, this criterion mainly depends on the length of the board. On sale, there are also boards with other parameters. At the end of the manufacturing process, the boards are treated with antiseptics.

Advantages

The tongue-and-groove board has a number of advantages, in comparison with a usual edged board:

The main advantage of a grooved board is the tongue-and-groove connection, thanks to which the floor elements are securely connected to each other and attached to the logs. The result is a perfectly flat surface, without cracks, drops and defects, which does not require additional sanding.
The grooved boards are produced in one size, so there is no need to adjust the elements, which greatly simplifies installation.
The boards are made from already dried wood, so there is no risk of cracking and deformation of the boards after installation.
During the manufacturing process, on the inside of the grooved board, special recesses are made for air circulation. This avoids the formation of mold and rotting of the boards, with high humidity under the floor.
The tongue-and-groove board is produced with an already planed surface, which, in turn, saves installation time.
Thanks to all the advantages listed above, the installation of a tongue-and-groove board is so much easier that you can do it yourself.

Features of choice

When choosing boards for the floor, consider the load factor on the floor. For floors with a heavy load, buy a tongue-and-groove board made of hardwood: oak, alder, mahogany, birch. If a small load is assumed on the floor, then it is quite possible to get by with cheaper conifers: pine, cedar, spruce.

When making a purchase, be sure to pay attention to the appearance of the boards. If there are white or dark spots on the surface, then this may be a symptom of wood infection with a fungus or mold. Also carefully inspect the boards for the presence of insects living in the wood.

Not all sellers of boards comply with the storage conditions for lumber. For this reason, the boards you bought may be wet. To save yourself from an unsuccessful purchase, check the moisture content of the wood. This can be done using a moisture meter or folk methods:

- Knock on wood, wet boards will make a dull sound, respectively, the drier the board, the louder the knock will be.
- Examine the board for resin that has come out. If there are droplets of resin on the surface, then most likely it is dry.
- Run your palm across the surface of the board. If you feel even the slightest moisture, then you should not buy such a board.

- There is more reliable way checking the board for moisture, but it requires a drill. Drill the board through, if the wood is wet, then steam will form during drilling, and instead of dry sawdust, wet fibers will pour.

And the last rule, in no case, do not buy boards from stacks under open sky. Even if the stack is covered with cellophane or tarpaulin, this does not save the boards from high humidity during precipitation, and they may turn out to be wet.

When buying a grooved board, ask the seller to show you a certificate of conformity.

Grooved board installation

The manufacture of floors from grooved boards is best done upon completion of all finishing work. The temperature in the room where the boards are being installed should not be less than five degrees Celsius. Humidity should be no more than 30-20%.

As mentioned above, the material from which the tongue and groove board is made is selected depending on the expected load on the floor surface. With a strong load on the surface, hardwood boards are used. In rooms with low traffic, softwood boards will suffice.

The quality of the boards and, accordingly, the category, choose based on financial capabilities and the option of finishing the floor. If you want to cover the floor with a transparent varnish, then buy a grooved board of the highest category or category A. For a floor to be painted, category B boards are suitable. If the floor is made as a base for another coating, then category C boards will fit for its manufacture.

Installation lag

The lag is installed on concrete base or on beam ceilings. For the installation of logs and boards you will need:

Bars with a section of 50x100 millimeters.
Staples or connecting plates.
Wood screws or nails.
Hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
A hammer.
Screwdriver or screwdriver.
Yardstick.
Pencil.
Square.
Level.

The logs are laid on the base, perpendicular to the position of the boards.

Install the first row of logs at a distance of 10-15 centimeters from the wall.
Connect the logs to each other with brackets, plates, or simply screw them together with screws.
Using the level, check the correct position of the entire row of logs. If necessary, level the position of the lag by placing wooden or plastic pads under them.
Set the second row of logs at a distance of 40-50 centimeters from the first row.
Install the remaining rows, not forgetting to check the level.
If you use boards less than the length of the room, which do not have a tongue-and-groove lock at the ends, then you need to install additional logs at the joints of the boards.

Installation of boards

Please note that before laying, the boards must “acclimatize” by lying in the room where the installation will be carried out for at least two days.

1. Install the first board on the logs with the spike against the wall, at a distance of 10-15 millimeters from the wall.
2. Attach the board to the joists with screws, driving them from the edge of the board and into the base of the tenon at a 40 degree angle.
3. Take the second board and insert its tenon into the groove of the first board. If necessary, carefully tap the board with a hammer to make a tight connection and also secure it with screws.

Thus, install the rest of the boards. Screw heads, try to sink 1-2 millimeters into the board so that they do not prevent the spikes from entering the grooves.
The installation of the last board is often associated with the need for its longitudinal sawing. To reduce the width of the board, you can use a hacksaw or an electric jigsaw.
Do not forget that around the entire perimeter of the coating, you need to leave compensation gaps from 1 to 2 centimeters.
If you are laying boards smaller than the size of the room, then it is better to join them not in one line, but in a checkerboard pattern, this will give the coating greater strength.
Since the door threshold bears the greatest load, it is recommended to install additional logs in this place.

How to install grooved boards, you can also see in the video:

Floor finishing

The final finishing of the floor, it is better to produce after the completion of all repairs. Otherwise, there is a risk of damaging the decorative coating layer.
For finishing you will need:

Putty knife.
Vibratory and belt grinders.
Sandpaper.
Putty.
A set of brushes or a spray gun.
Solvent.
Stain.
Varnish on a water or acrylic basis. If the floor is going to be painted, then paint.
Vacuum cleaner.
Mop bucket and rag.

1. Carefully inspect the floor for cracks, chips, rotten areas, knots and bumps.
2. All defects found must be leveled with a planer and covered with putty in the color of the wood from which the boards are made.
3. After the putty has dried, sand the treated areas with fine-grained sandpaper.
4. Check the smoothness of the puttied places and, if necessary, repeat the procedure again.
5. Use a vacuum cleaner to pick up all debris and dust from the floor.
6. If as decorative coating If you decide to use paint, then wipe the floor with a damp cloth and start painting.

If you want to use a clear varnish as a coating, then first, you need to do additional work on grinding and giving the floor the desired shade.
For sanding a grooved floor, it is best to use a belt sander. Use it to sand the entire surface of the floor.
After sanding, vacuum up all the dust and wipe the floors with a damp cloth.
To give the floor the desired shade, use the stain, applying it to the boards with a brush or roller.
After the stain has dried, you can apply the first coat of varnish. It is better to do this with a spray gun, spraying the varnish evenly over the surface.
Before applying the second layer of varnish, it is necessary to lightly sand the first layer. This can be done with a vibrating grinder and fine-grained sandpaper.
The number of layers applied depends on the quality of the varnish and your desire, but usually 3-4 layers are enough for a normal floor.
After applying the last coat of varnish, let the floors dry completely for a week, after which you can polish the floor and start using the room.

Detailed instructions for applying varnish on a wooden floor are in the video:

Now it has become fashionable, instead of varnish, to use special oil for floor treatment. There is a reason for using oil, especially for rooms with high traffic, because oil is absolutely resistant to abrasion, unlike varnish. In addition, the oil perfectly emphasizes the texture of the wood, giving it a soft and warm color.
It is much easier to cover the floor with oil than with varnish, since the oil does not require sanding each layer. The oil is applied to the tree, both cold and hot. Mostly cold application with a brush is used. The number of coats applied depends on the absorbency of the wood, usually two stains are sufficient.

When painting the floor with oil, make sure it is evenly distributed over the surface and remove smudges in a timely manner. After the oil has dried, the surface of the floor can be treated with wax.

Please note that violation of the order of work and non-observance of instructions when using paintwork materials, can lead to rapid wear of the coating, and in the worst case, to the need for a new floor finish!

You can also learn how to oil a wooden floor by watching the video:

Floor restoration and repair

During the operation of a grooved board floor, certain problems may arise caused by poor quality materials or a violation of the installation technology. Let's look at common breakdowns and how to fix them:

gaps between boards- occur due to the high moisture content in the boards during their installation. After the final drying of the laid boards, the wood shrinks, as a result of which cracks form. Most effective way elimination of this problem is the dismantling of the boards and their new laying on the logs. If the gaps are not large, you can cover them with putty.

floor creak- a very common problem that occurs due to the friction of the lag and boards against each other. Most often, the floors begin to creak due to a violation of the laying technology. Perhaps the lags were located too far long distance, so the boards began to sag when walking and creak. Another reason may be the weak fastening of the boards to the joists. You can try to eliminate the cause of the creak by screwing in additional screws, if this does not help, you will have to sort out the floor again.

cracking boards– can happen for two reasons. The first is the wrong material for the floor. If the boards are made of soft wood, and the load on the surface is too intense, then over time, the floor will not only crack, but may even completely collapse. You can solve the problem by reducing the load or replacing the boards with more durable ones. The second reason is wet wood. After drying, the tree tends to crack. In this case, it is enough to cover the cracks with putty.

The appearance of resin on the boards- caused by the final drying of the wood. To get rid of the resin, it is enough to remove it with a spatula, sand the place of its appearance and, if the floor is varnished or painted, apply a new layer of coating.

Lacquer peeling- can occur from getting a large amount of water on the surface or due to the application of varnish on wet wood. In any case, it is necessary to remove the old coating with a spatula and grinder, let the boards dry and apply new coats of varnish.

Rotting of the log and the inside of the boards - occurs due to high humidity and insufficient air circulation under the floor. The problem will have to be solved by opening the floor, a ventilation device, replacing the logs and rotten boards.

If after reading the article you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments, we will be happy to answer them!

Ways to fix the floorboard
Fixing floorboards with nails
glue method
Clamp fixing
Special screws for floorboards
Recommendations for installing floorboards

Equipping the floors in the house, in addition to choosing the type floor covering, it is necessary to carefully approach the selection of the method of fastening the acquired material. For anyone building material their own fastening methods are used, including for the floorboard. Consider how to fix the floorboard with the most reliable and popular methods.

Ways to fix the floorboard

The floor covering is experiencing quite serious loads, so it is necessary to approach the choice of the method of fastening with all responsibility.

If some floorboards are not fixed well enough, then after a while they will begin to loosen.

As a rule, this happens after a short period of time. The floorboards move, the initially flat floor begins to make an unpleasant creaking sound, and often it simply collapses.

There are some of the most common ways to fix floorboards:

secret method, that is, the use of screws or nails;
with glue;
clamp fastening.

Fixing floorboards with nails

In this case, the fastening of the floorboard is carried out on wooden base, which can be solid or made of lag.

The first row of floorboards is fastened with nails, which are driven at an angle of 45 ° through the comb into the base. Then they are driven into their place. Pre-drill holes for the fasteners. This is done in order not to damage the combs.

When fitting the next row, the nails must be hidden. All subsequent rows of boards are fixed by driving nails through the surface.

When a plank floor is repaired and several floorboards are changed, care must be taken to ensure that all floorboards end under the center of the crossbar. Otherwise, you can get a non-durable coating.

glue method

If the flooring of the floorboard will be carried out on a solid base, then it can be fixed with glue. To do this, the grooves of the boards are smeared with an adhesive, you can use ordinary PVA glue, and then they are mounted on the tongues of the previous row.

Glue should be applied in a thin layer with a step of 50 cm along the entire groove. Adhesive should also be applied to the end tongue-and-groove edges.

Clamp fixing

Some types of boards come with special clips that fit into a slot on the inside of the board. These elements are designed to connect boards to each other. So, how to lay the floorboard using this method of fastening?

To do this, follow the following technology:

Laying on the subfloor waterproofing material, which should be fixed to the walls with construction tape.
Clamps should be driven into the slots of the boards laid in the first row with a hammer. This is done in the direction of the tongue.
The ends of the planks are smeared with glue, and then the first row is laid.
Insert wedges about 1 cm thick between the wall and the boards.
Clamps are also attached to the second row of boards. The floorboards are locked in place by gently tapping with a hammer through the block along the edges of the row.
The rest of the rows are laid in the same way.
Then the wedges between the wall and the coating are removed.
Skirting boards are being installed.

Special screws for floorboards

Professional craftsmen for fastening floorboards use special self-tapping screws for the floorboard. The use of such fastening material allows you to get a securely fixed and with a fairly long service life of the floor covering.

Compared to conventional self-tapping screws, the cost of this type is an order of magnitude higher. However, they are more efficient in their properties.

Special screws designed for floorboards have the following features:

These fasteners are available in various sizes. The standard section is 3.5 mm, the length can be 35, 40, 45 and 50 mm. Depending on the thickness of the floorboards, the size of the screw is selected.
This fastener for the floorboard is not subject to corrosion, as it has a protective coating.
There is a cutter at the end of the self-tapping screw, which allows it to be screwed into wood without pre-drilling holes. In addition, this structure allows the screw to enter more tightly, which means that the fixation of the floorboards to the floor base will be more durable.
The self-tapping screw has a special milling cut. It has an angle at which fastener easily enters the wood and does not split.
Self-tapping screws for floorboards have another structural feature, which consists in the absence of threaded threads in the upper part. This design allows the floor covering to adhere more closely to the base.

Here are some tips on how to properly lay the floorboard:

It is necessary to fix the floorboards to the base with screws in increments of 25-30 cm.
Some masters recommend that before laying the floorboard and fixing it to the base, apply glue to it, which is used when installing the parquet floor.
This option can be used if the waterproofing layer (for example, polyethylene film) did not fit. The adhesive fixing method cannot be used by itself. It is used only as an addition to the main method of fastening with nails or screws.

Why is the floor fixed with nails and not screws?

Without them, it will not be possible to obtain a strong and reliable fixing of the floorboards (read: "How to lay the floors from the boards - step by step instructions").
Along the entire perimeter of the room there should not be a tight adjoining of the boards to the wall. It is necessary to leave a gap between the wall and the floorboards equal to approximately 10 mm. It will act as a expansion joint.
The screws that are used when installing the plank floor can be completely hidden. To do this, the caps of the self-tapping screws should be sunk into the wood by about 3-4 mm. The resulting holes can be hidden with pieces of wood that will match their shape and size. It should also be the same type of wood as the floorboards. Most companies that produce high-quality lumber complete their products with similar corks.

The strength, reliability and service life of the flooring will depend on how the floorboard is laid. Therefore, the correct fixation of the floorboards is very important point in the installation of the floor, therefore, it is worthwhile to approach the choice of the method of fastening the boards with special care.

home » Materials for giving.

Self-tapping screw or nail, what to choose?

Unfortunately, the question that became the epigraph to this material, what to choose during construction, self-tapping screws or nails, is not idle enough and is known to many developers when no one could really explain what exactly was needed? This question is not only not idle, but also does not have a clear answer in a period when some technologies will replace others. However, the advantages of connections on nails or self-tapping screws can be considered by choosing one or another fastener, depending on the type of work.

Pros of nails

The main advantage of using nails can be considered centuries-old traditions of their use, which revealed both weak and strengths fasteners. When hammering a nail, you can be sure that such a connection will last forever on a cut, pressing parts of the wood against each other, because. the steel body of the nail is stronger than wood and will give way to vegetation more quickly than hardened forging or rolling. Even a connection loosened over the years from swelling and shrinkage will remain reliable, meaning only a cut or shift, allowing the same house to change its geometry while sitting down, while remaining a solid structure. Self-tapping screws also withstand large linear loads, which, however, are inferior to the connection on nails. The reason for this is the smaller diameter of the self-tapping screws and their increased hardness, therefore, fragility, so the slightest weakening of the clamping forces entails the complete destruction of the structure. In everyday language, nails withstand wave loads, but self-tapping screws do not.

What are the advantages of self-tapping screws?

The weak point of using nails is their unreliability from loads along the axis of the nail, the so-called tearing force, almost everyone successfully pulled nails out of boards.

Fastening the floorboard, a description of all available methods

You can fight this by driving nails at an angle to the plane of the joint, or by punching them through and bending them from the back. Self-tapping screws in this regard have greater functionality, incredibly strongly pressing the connected parts to each other. But even here, the tension of the metal of the self-tapping screws can cause the opposite effect, when when the wood gets wet and swells, the caps come off, completely weakening the connection. By the way, when a tree swells, very large stresses arise, in the old days even stones were mined in this way, pouring dry wood driven into a crack in a rocky monolith.

Even if you decide to still use self-tapping screws, most deviate from the technology of their installation, when you need to drill a pressed part, countersink a hole for a hat, and only then tighten the fasteners. We simply twist the self-tapping screw without drilling and judge the amount of pressure by indirect signs, the deepening of the cap, completely ignoring the fact that even a gap can remain in the joint. When hammering a nail, we know that 23 of its length should be in the monolith, and 13 in the pressed part, which is true for self-tapping screws, but few of us choose them not only in length, but also in the size of the bare, without threaded part.

From all that has been said, some simple conclusions can be drawn:

self-tapping screws are still best used indoors, where there is less chance of moisture ingress and loads are more defined and static;
it is easier and more reliable to fasten sheet materials with self-tapping screws, for example, plywood, drywall, etc., pressing them against frames or other load-bearing, fixed elements;
nails remain a more reliable type of fastening of wood of external buildings, providing reliable and long-term operation, proven by time;
in addition, where it is difficult to predict displacements, the same gate or light structure, nails will be more durable.

Type of nails and choice of their size

When erecting wooden houses and temporary structures made of wood, any type of nails can be used (Fig. 1).

When choosing nails for building a house, the following factors must be considered:

whether the nails will be exposed to a damp environment;
what materials need to be connected;
what is the most suitable size of nails;
what is the surface to which the structure is fastened with nails covered (paint, varnish, putty).

When working with parts of structures exposed to a humid environment, galvanized nails are used. The same nails are used in structures located in the air or under a layer of water-based paint.
For fastening various materials serve different types nails. The length of the nail is chosen so that when connecting wooden parts it is 2.5 times the thickness of the attached material. In such cases, as, for example, in fastening roof coverings, the length of the nail is determined by the depth of its entry into the wooden base. The minimum entry for nails with a corrugated notch is 30 mm.
Untreated nails are used when attaching formwork, other temporary structures and parts of the frame that remain invisible (cork, lining boards on the roof, etc.).
Joining wooden parts with nails. When entering the wood, the nail pushes the fibers apart, which can lead to cracking. To prevent this from happening, nails should not be driven too close to the edge or end of the board (fig. 2), and the gaps between the nails should be large enough.

Wood's susceptibility to cracking when nailed depends on its moisture content.

Laying a wooden floor on logs

It is easier to hammer a nail into damp wood than into dry wood. Although raw wood will withstand nails and close to the edge, cracks will appear when the wood dries. Do not drive nails at the edge of thin and wide boards, as contraction stresses will cause cracks at the point of nailing.
Nails should be located in the shaded area. The distance from the edge depends on the thickness of the nail (Fig. 3). The size of the nail is indicated as follows: 75 (length 75 mm) x 2.8 (thickness 2.8 mm).

Fasteners for floorboards

You decide to make a wooden floor, but do not know what fasteners to use for the floorboards, then take self-tapping screws to fasten the floorboard.

Features of self-tapping screws for floorboards

For fixing the floorboard, self-tapping screws are much better than a regular nail. After all, an ordinary nail can slip out of the board during its operation.

How to fix a floorboard

But a self-tapping screw screwed into the board will hold very well.

But self-tapping screws are different, and not everyone can hold tight in a tree, it is flooring screws that are suitable for this. At the tip of such a self-tapping screw there is a special tip - a spatula, it is somewhat similar to the cutting edge of a pen drill. With the help of such a tip, the self-tapping screw is screwed into any kind of wood, regardless of its density, and there is no need to pre-drill the tree, it will not get stuck in it.

Wood fibers begin to be woven into the helical groove, which is located on the screw shaft, and therefore it does not move during the action of loads, both transverse and longitudinal. To unscrew a self-tapping screw of this type, you can only use a screwdriver installed on the reverse.

For floorboards, self-tapping screws with a special hidden cap are used, its diameter is three and a half millimeters, and the length ranges from thirty-five to fifty-five millimeters. This self-tapping screw will not split even a thin floorboard and will be able to pierce a fairly thick coating.

Also, the coating itself is also worth paying attention to. The coating gives a guarantee against corrosion and the visible part of the cap, as well as the core, which is hidden in the board. The screw is covered with a base of copper and zinc, and it is applied with a micron layer, as a result of which every millimeter of the self-tapping screw is covered.

How is a self-tapping screw attached to the floorboard

After we figured out the types of self-tapping screws, we move on to the process of installing the floorboard.

Ceilings between floors can be made from concrete slabs, or structures made of beams, then they are sheathed with finishing and rough materials. For the draft layer, you can use planed boards, the thickness of which should be five centimeters.

After laying the subfloor do thermal insulation layer, for which a polystyrene film is used, its thickness should be one and a half millimeters, and after that we proceed to the installation of the floorboard.

To attach the finishing floor, as well as to make the crate of the subfloor, it is the floor screws that are used. You can fasten it either through the boards so that the self-tapping screw pierces the plane of the flooring in a pre-drilled hole, and then it is hidden with a “hatch” of the same color, from the same wood, or through the edge of the tongue-and-groove lock, which is available from the side end of the floorboard.

But best of all, use the through fixing method, it is much easier and the job will be done much faster.

Mounting the board in practice, what it looks like

After the thermal insulation is laid, it is necessary to arrange the boards along the wall and lay them end-to-end. We do this so that a gap is formed between the very first row of the floorboard and the wall. this gap is then closed with a floor plinth.

Now the boards of the first row are laid along the wall and mounted with emphasis in the masonry located at the end. We put the next row with a run, the seam must be covered with a whole board from the previous row. After about the fourth row, all the boards need to be knocked down and moved to the wall, and now we make secret holes, fix the boards with self-tapping screws and glue the attachment points. We screw in the screws every forty centimeters, but not less than two screws on one board.

Correct fastening of the floorboard in the video below:

home » Roof calculation » Fastening the lag to the concrete floor without drilling. Fastening the floorboard, a description of all available methods