Laying gvl on wooden floors

Practical use

• installation of the sub-floor. OSB-3 and OSB-4 are used quite often for this purpose. Note that slabs can be laid on both the upper and lower sides of the log;
• leveling the surface. We already know that any flooring requires an even floor. By installing OSB on top of a wooden or concrete floor, you will make the surface perfectly flat;
• heat / sound insulation. OSB is 90% natural materials (wood chips). Thanks to this, OSB boards have thermal insulation properties and can be considered as a universal insulation. And thanks to the multi-layer structure, the board perfectly absorbs vibrations (noise).

Types of substrates

The market offers a variety of types of substrates. It is rather difficult for a layman to choose which type is suitable for his repair. Consider what is placed under the floor base:

• Jute. Natural textile material made from the fibers of the jute bast plant. The fibers are treated with a flame retardant to give the material protection against water and fire. Jute is able to absorb excess moisture without decomposing, and after drying, there is no smell of dampness.
• Cork. The cork lining is made of oak bark. The bark is crushed, pressed under pressure. It is produced in the form of rolls with a thickness of 2-4 mm and sheets up to 1 cm. This is a completely natural material, bactericidal and environmentally friendly. A floor with a cork backing will be soft and warm.

Linen. Linen lining is composed of linen fibers. Flax is similar in its characteristics to jute

An important property of linen is ventilation between the base and the top coat. This will help eliminate putrefactive processes, the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Combination of natural materials

A mixture of natural fibers of linen, jute and wool will provide climatic comfort in the room. It is produced in rolls and has a high density.

• Akuflex is a synthetic non-woven fabric in the form of rolls. Akuflex is used as a highly efficient sound and impact noise absorber. The material allows air to circulate, which prevents moisture build-up.
• Infrared floor. Infrared radiation comes from carbon heaters, which is an excellent way to quickly warm up a room. Underfloor heating will create a comfortable and safe environment in the house. They produce rod and film types of infrared systems. Film floors are easy to install, they do not make a screed, but immediately spread linoleum.

Let's consider some substrates in more detail.

Foamed backing

It includes a whole group of synthetic linings: penofol, extruded polystyrene, isolon, expanded polyethylene, penoizol, expanded polystyrene. Penofol is made of foil and polystyrene or isolone. The foil-clad product provides enhanced heat-reflecting qualities.

The Penoplex company produces extruded polystyrene foam. It has high water-repellent, hydrophobic and insulating properties. Laying foam under a soft coating has a significant drawback - the furniture will push through the material, the floor will be wobbly.

Foamed artificial pads are moisture resistant, durable, absorb sound. A weighty minus - it is punctured, which leads to deformation, after a while it loses its functions. The disadvantages of a polymer lining can be eliminated by laying a product that does not exceed 2 mm in thickness. The lifespan of the foam backing depends on the amount of wear on the floor.

Wood-based products

Oriented strand board consists of three to four layers of pressed long shavings with synthetic resins. The strength of the plates is given by multidirectional laying of layers.Ease of processing and installation of OSB allows you to easily sheathe the floor.

Plywood is glued wood veneer plates. The number of veneer layers (from 3 pieces to 23) gives the product different thickness and strength.

Cement particle board and gypsum fiber sheet

A separate type of particle sheets are DSP and GVL.

Cement particle boards are made of wood shavings and a special cement mortar. CBPB is resistant to fire, humidity, temperature extremes; it contains no harmful substances for human health. The difficulty of installation causes the large weight of the boards and low deformation strength.

Gypsum fiber sheet - a mixture of cellulose waste paper and gypsum. GVL is an improved analogue of drywall. Drywall is fragile, but the wood base gives the gypsum board strength. It is a warm, harmless material, fireproof, maintains a comfortable indoor humidity.

Algorithm for laying laminate on chipboard

The algorithm for laying the laminate is simple. It is enough to adhere to the required sequence of actions. So, lags are initially mounted. Chipboard is laid on top of them.

It is important to use a level for work in order to achieve the proper evenness of the floor and eliminate distortions. If during installation you see distortions, do not panic

Pieces of foamed polyethylene, which align the logs, will help to correct the situation.

The next stage of work is the fastening of chipboard sheets to the logs. For this, self-tapping screws are used. Holes are pre-drilled under them in the chipboard so that the caps do not stick out. In this case, it is not required to fasten the logs to the floor with the help of self-tapping screws.

The next stage of work is the laying of a special substrate. A laminate is laid on top of it. This completes the work on creating a laminated chipboard floor.

Laying chipboard boards on top of a layer of heat-insulating coating

Leveling the wood floor

There are many materials for leveling floor defects, and you can choose any of them. But, it is necessary to be determined with the choice taking into account the curvature of the floorboards. In this case, it makes no sense to install thin sheet plywood. Compared to chipboard and fiberboard, wood-based panels are characterized by high strength, maximum thickness, depending on the product category. Correcting the curvature of a wooden floor on your own is not difficult. They are easy to install, do not require special technologies or devices.

Laying OSB on the floor

OSB sheets are suitable for rough work on finishing floors, both concrete and wood, and preparing the surface for laying laminate. In addition, the material has a number of other functions, such as:

1. strong foundation of the future floor;
2. rough alignment of surfaces;
3. soundproofing.

The presence of several layers of overlap prevents the penetration of extraneous sounds into the room and softens the impact with the floor when walking, and the room is also insulated. Modern production of OSB boards fully complies with environmental requirements. Manufacturers have completely abandoned the use of toxic substances.

How to install laminate flooring on a sub-floor?

Laying laminate on chipboard is fast. Most of the work is preparing the substrate directly for the coating. The lamella assembly stage takes 10% of the total time. In addition to chipboard, the subfloor is leveled using a self-leveling floor or screed.

Concrete screed and its device

Concrete screed is a demanded procedure, which many people prefer. A ready-made mixture is poured, which is easy to buy at a hardware store, or a self-prepared solution. To do this, acquire cement and sand in a ratio of 1: 3 and mix. After the screed is poured and dried, the substrate is laid. For this, expanded polystyrene foam is used. Only then is the laminate laid.

Laying laminate flooring on a concrete screed in a small room

Before pouring the screed, carefully prepare the surface.It is cleaned of dirt, seams are closed, deforming cracks or chips. Additionally, a layer of primer and thermal insulation is applied. When all the work is completed, they begin to fill the main layer.

If the room is small, you can prepare the solution right away for the whole process. If the room is spacious, the mixture is prepared in parts. The solution is poured onto the floor, leveled for half an hour. Additionally, you may need a wide trowel, wooden slats or a pinned roller. After that, the screed is left to dry.

If you are preparing the solution yourself, take care of the selection of the appropriate materials. The recommendations are as follows:

• Better to take cement grade 500 or 400.
• For cement grade 400, the proportions of cement to sand are selected - 1 to 1, 1 to 2 or 1 to 3.
• For cement grade 500, the following proportions should be preferred - 1 to 2 or 1 to 3.
• The solution is poured so that the layer thickness is 20 to 40 mm.
• For a floor area of ​​15 sq. m. and 40 mm thick, 0.6 cubic meters of the mixture will be required. Calculations involve multiplying area by thickness.

Choosing a lumber floor

The process of laying a laminate on a lumber base

The second possible option is a lumber floor. Such work has significant advantages that add demand to it:

1. Low labor intensity when compared with a screed device. Laying lumber is an easy and affordable job for everyone.
2. The ability to insulate the floor due to the fact that an air cushion remains between the chipboard and the lumber.
3. such a solution turns out to be profitable from a financial point of view.

Laying a chipboard layer on an unusable subfloor for subsequent laminate flooring

The main thing when choosing a lumber floor is the selection of the most basic surface on which the laminate will lie flawlessly. Particleboard is suitable for this. It is not recommended to take plywood, since it is inferior to chipboard in quality, but it is more expensive. During operation, plywood sheets often crack, which leads to damage to the laminate as well.

Marking

Today on the market you can find a huge assortment of fiberboard boards. In order not to get lost in their variety, you should focus on the following markings:

• T - hard slabs, the front surface was not additionally refined;
• Т-П - the frontal surface is tinted;
• Т-С - the frontal surface is made of finely dispersed wood pulp;
• T-SP - the front surface is made of tinted wood pulp and painted;
• M-1 - M-3 - soft plates;
• ST - superhard plates, the front surface is not refined;
• ST-S - the front surface is made of finely dispersed wood pulp.

Leveling the floor

The best option and most often used for this is plywood. Her can be glued on liquid nails, parquet glue or water-based, such as PVA or Bustilat. Can be nailed or tightened with self-tapping screws. The holes for the self-tapping screws must be pierced with a cap-sized drill in order to drown them. Before tightening, it is advisable to drill plywood with a thin drill 2-3 millimeters. This is done in order to loosen the fasteners, if necessary, if the lags rise during installation.

Plywood differs in the different composition of resins used in its manufacture. Bakolyzed plywood of the FSB, BFS, BFV-1 brands is distinguished by high moisture-repellent properties and a density of 1000 kg / m2. It is used mainly for outdoor work, and it is not recommended to make a substrate out of it. It is a little expensive to use birch aviation plywood of grades BP-A, BP-V, BS-1. It is moisture resistant, above average and its density is 500 kg / m2.

But the construction plywood brand FC, in which the veneer is glued using FKM carbamide resin, made on the basis of FBA melamine resins, is just suitable for leveling the floor. It is environmentally friendly and cheaper than others, has an average moisture resistance. FSF plywood is less environmentally friendly.Due to the use of phenolic resin, but it has increased moisture resistance.

There is also additional labeling. H - not ground, Ш1 - ground on one side and Ш2 - on both sides. In this case, the choice is a matter of cost savings. The thickness for choosing plywood is ¾ of the topcoat. The best option is 10 mm. The distance between the fasteners is 15-30 cm. This prevents the veneer from swelling.

Before installation, it is advisable to dry the plywood in an upright position for two to three weeks. Cut it on a hard surface to avoid delamination of the veneer. The edges are cleaned with emery from chips. During installation, leave a distance of 8-10 mm from the wall, and 2-4 mm between the plates. Seams are putty with mastic. After drying, they are sanded with sandpaper. Before linoleum flooring, plywood is covered with hot drying oil or wood primer. Several coats of acrylic varnish can be applied to increase durability. This is desirable but not required. The appearance in this case is hidden, so it is cheaper to purchase second or third grade plywood.

Advantages over other materials

Despite the simplicity, OSB boards are multifunctional. They are used in various areas of the construction industry, in rough and fine finishing, construction of structures and floors. This material has a lot of benefits useful to the consumer:

• Simplicity. There is no need to buy special equipment or tools for installation. Anyone can do this work.
• Convenience. Due to its dimensions, a large area of ​​the room is leveled with one OSB plate. The length is designed for installation of lags with a step of 56 centimeters, which allows you to insulate the space under the floor.
• Cheapness. The cost of OSB is optimal, and the price-quality ratio will delight consumers.
• Durability. Plates are well fixed with popular fixing elements, do not deform, do not loosen and withstand loads perfectly.

OSB is one of the newest and most practical flooring materials that is gaining popularity every year. Now you don't need to think long about how to level the floor using OSB. Compared to other similar products, they are resistant to moisture, wear and tear and mechanical stress

An excellent specimen for its price category, meeting the requirements for building materials, and, importantly, multifunctional

What is this material?

Fiberboard is the abbreviated name (abbreviation) of fibreboard. 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 buying it, you need to figure out which one is right for your floor.

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

Fiberboard has high strength and density. But thin sheets have the plasticity required for sheathing curved surfaces. Plates are used everywhere. In construction, they are used for sheathing the floor and walls, they make partitions in railway passenger cars. Fiberboard has good sound insulation properties, it is suitable for partitioning rooms with an excess of noise effects.

Recommendations for laying OSB

Two types of laying are used: on logs and using a point support. The actions are not complicated, you can do it yourself. Logs are wooden beams, laid from one wall of the room to another, in one direction. Point fixing is the installation of small cobs, in the form of a grid throughout the floor, with a mesh size of up to 35 centimeters. With a sheet thickness of 20 millimeters and above, you can increase the distance of the cobs up to 40 centimeters.The frequency of the supports will provide resistance to dynamic surface stresses.

Installation of OSB to logs

In the corners of the room, holes are made in the floor sheets so that air passes under the floor and mold does not occur. All joints with the walls and between the canvases, as well as the air ducts, must be glued with gauze with PVC glue so that insects living under the floor do not go upstairs.

Pros and cons of using

Advantages of the material when leveling the fiberboard floor:

• Cheap, always wide assortment. Everyone can choose the taste and color, while spending a minimum of funds.

• Ease of use, easy installation of sheets on the floor. You will not need practically any additional parts for installation (except for fasteners).
  Advice
  When installing the slabs, it is necessary to make sure that the surface is even and that the preliminary work has been carried out correctly. There were no other cases or difficulties in the work of laying the material.

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

This material has significant drawbacks:

• Fiberboard is afraid of water. The minimum ingress of moisture on the surface leads to its deformation (it begins to swell, increase in volume). The top coat that is applied to the fine finish also suffers. Therefore, you need to know that you cannot lay the material in the bathroom or in the kitchen.
• Fragility. When the surface on which the material is applied is deformed, the plate breaks, cracks, and loses its normal appearance.
• High fire hazard. In the event of a room fire, the fiberboard will be the first to burn. Further, such a situation may lead to the spread of the fire over an even larger area.
• Rapid wear on the face. Without a finish, it wears out quickly, cracks.

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

Installation of laminate on a plank base

It turns out that you can put this whimsical material on a plank base. Let's take a closer look at each stage of installation.

Floor revision

Placing expensive material on an untested surface is pure adventure. If the house was built recently, the floor covering was laid on new logs treated with an antiseptic, observing the optimal distance between them for the strength of the structure, then there is no need to open the floor.

Lag system

Remove all floorboards and move them out of the room. Then turn over the logs and make sure they are reliable. Since they were lying on a concrete floor, including without waterproofing, it is possible that the wood has already rotted.

Strengthening the wood floor

Rotten logs must be replaced by first laying a layer of waterproofing under them and treating the tree with antiseptic agents. This will seriously increase the lag life.

Lags that are still useful for business can be left by diluting them with new ones, thereby reducing the distance between them. The smaller the gap between the lags, the stronger the floor will be. A distance of 60 cm with a floorboard thickness of 30 mm is optimal. It should be borne in mind that even on top of the floorboards, leveling plates will lay down, which will further strengthen the structure.

After the logs have been laid, their horizontal level has been checked, you can begin to mount the floorboards.It is better not to use deformed boards, because in the future there will be problems in leveling the surface. Leave only flat boards, and replace the old ones with new ones of the same thickness. The floorboards should lie in the room and acclimatize in it, therefore they are prepared in advance, 2-3 days in advance.

It is impossible to lay the floorboards butt-to-end, because if they subsequently gain moisture, they will push the boards upwards, which will cause serious damage to the laminate. Gaps of 3-5 mm are left between the floorboards.

When installing floorboards, also remember to check the overall horizontal level and each board separately. Differences of 1–2 mm are compensated for by slabs. It is very difficult to achieve the maximum evenness of the floor from the boards.

Don't skimp on fasteners. It is necessary to sink nails or screws into the array of boards so that the plates do not lean on them. It is better to use self-tapping screws, because they do not come out like nails, and do not subsequently cause squeaks.

Leveling the surface of OSB plates

After the floor is covered with boards, proceed with the installation of the tile material. The tiles will serve as a leveling layer. Plus, they will distribute loads from one point to several floorboards at once, so the floor will not bend.

OSB sheets are attached to the floor using self-tapping screws. At the same time, the heads are recessed into the stove. Lay the leveling material back to back. Plates are moisture resistant, therefore they practically do not change their linear dimensions.

Leveling OSB

The question arises, what thickness of plates to use, and in how many layers to lay them. There is a lot of controversy on the forums about this. To select the desired thickness, proceed from:

• thickness of floorboards;
• distance between lags.

The thickness of the slab does not really matter if the installation is carried out over the floorboards, because the OSB serves only as a leveling layer and distributing the weight over them. But if the slabs are laid directly on top of the log, then you will already have to determine the thickness and layers.

Hats must be sunk into the material

In such cases, it is advised to lay the material in two layers at a distance, with plates, 18 mm thick. Thus, the stress from the upper layer of the slabs will be distributed over the adjacent slabs of the lower layer, and the risk of deformation will be minimized as much as possible.

Advantages and disadvantages

The positive qualities of this material include:

• The high density of the boards is characterized by the strength and rigidity of the coating, especially if the sheets are laid on logs.
• The chipboard structure evenly distributes the load over the entire floor area.
• Manufacturing technology allows you to eliminate dents and protrusions, while maintaining the ideal evenness of the layers.
• Convenience in installation and removal of both individual elements and the entire structure due to the presence of grooves for tight joining and small dimensions of the slab.
• Immunity to changes in temperature and humidity, harsh climatic conditions, as well as all kinds of mold and insects.
• Heat capacity and sound insulation.
• Subject to the SanPiN standards, such a chipboard can be used for finishing in kindergartens and hospitals due to the environmental friendliness of raw materials.
• Affordable, in comparison with similar building materials, price. Reusability of used plates.

As for the disadvantages of this choice, here it should be highlighted:

• An unattractive appearance, has little aesthetic features, does not at all look like a wooden finish, therefore it is better to use the material for a rough leveling of walls or floor, and on top of it, decorative parquet is already lined.
• Resins added to shavings during manufacturing may contain toxic substances that evaporate at room temperature. Therefore, before purchasing, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the composition and recommendations for use - is it allowed to use it for the manufacture of furniture and in residential buildings.
• With a low resin content, additional insulation will be required to keep the chipboard from environmental factors.
• Not suitable for wavy and convex surfaces.
• More weight than wood panels.

How to glue

Before laying linoleum, you need to figure out how to glue it. If the room is small, household linoleum is laid in one piece on a smooth base (sheet material, old linoleum, etc.), you can fix it on double-sided tape. It is fixed securely, but due to thermal expansion, humps can form between the adhesive tape. Therefore, if you glue linoleum, then with glue.

There are two types of adhesives:

• Glue, which, after drying, creates a rigid bond between the floor and the coating (the most famous and often used for linoleum flooring is PVA);
  • wet adhesion, applied with a roller or brush (for absorbent substrates);
  • dry gluing are applied with a spatula (universal, including for non-absorbent substrates);

• Fixation - the composition, which is first applied to the base, dries up, forming a sticky layer (like on scotch tape). Linoleum is rolled onto this layer, which sticks and, during operation, does not move.

The first option is more familiar to us, but when changing the coating, we have to suffer for a long time, tearing off the coating and the remnants of glue from the base. The fixation holds it “on shift” no less reliably, but allows it to be easily rebuilt several times (from 5 to 8, depending on the composition).

Fixation

Fixings are used for laying household and semi-commercial linoleum. If we talk about the price per liter, then fixation is much more expensive. But her consumption is much lower (100-180 g / square), so gluing one square meter will be cheaper. From all points of view, this is the best option. Here are a few normal clamps to work with:

• Homakoll 186Prof (Homakol) is a universal fixing compound for multiple re-gluing of flexible floor coverings.

• Fobo 541 Eurofix Anti Slip - fixing for materials with vinyl or bitumen backing on absorbent or non-absorbent substrates.

• Fobo 545 Polaris is a glue-fixer for residential and public premises with medium load (any substrates are absorbent).
• Arlok 39 (Arlok 39) - adhesive fixer for flexible floor coverings, including linoleum.

There are other manufacturers, new products appear every day. But, before buying, please read the instructions carefully. See to it that can be used on your substrate, with your type of coverage.

Linoleum adhesive

You should definitely not use solvent-based glue (neoprene). Technologies have changed so that such glue gives a color change (red spots appear). This glue can only crate marmoleum (material based on natural ingredients).

If you decide to use glue, here are the brands that give good results:

• Forbo 522. Adhesive with high adhesive power for roll-up flooring, can be used in rooms with furniture on casters. Suitable for gluing linoleum on linoleum or for underfloor heating. It is applied with a notched trowel, consumption 220-270 g / m2.

• Polynomial 105. Designed for gluing household and semi-commercial linoleum without a base or on a foam base. Applied with a notched trowel. Consumption 300-400 g / m2.

• BOLARS LinoleumFix. Suitable for gluing commercial linoleum on a PVC basis, semi-commercial and household - on a pile basis, on fabric or on a foamed bottom layer. It can be used for gluing on a warm floor. It is applied on concrete, gypsum-sand screed, cement, plywood, fiberboard and chipboard. Consumption 400-500 g / m2.

If you need to save money, household linoleum "with nap", on a jute or foam base, can be glued on PVA or Bustilat M. If it is placed on concrete, screed or other similar coating, first the glue is diluted with water (1 to 1), the surface is primed with this compound (you can do it twice). After that PVA or Bustilat is applied and the coating is rolled "wet".

How to glue the joints of linoleum

There is a special glue to connect the joints of linoleum. He's called "cold welding for linoleum ".These are small tubes with a sharp nose, with which the composition is filled directly into the joint. It does not so much glue as it dissolves the adjacent areas of the coating, creating a sealed seam.

There are two types of cold welding for linoleum:

• type A - for joining freshly laid canvases (for example, SINTEX H44, Werner Muller, Tytan (Titanium);

• type C - for repairs (if it is necessary to fill a gaping seam, a broken sheet, etc.).

When laying linoleum, naturally, type A is used

Pay attention to the instructions for use. They are of different types and require different drying times.

One more point: glue for joining linoleum joints until polymerization releases harmful substances. Therefore, windows and doors are opened in the room, providing ventilation. It is better to work with gloves, and a respirator will not hurt.

Review overview

It is worth noting that the chipboard floor has quite a few opponents. Common grades of this material are extremely unstable to moisture ingress. The swelling is literally catastrophic. Damp products sharply lose their ability to carry the load. Some people think that it is more correct to glue such a material, rather than nail it down - because due to mechanical instability, poorly distributed load can destroy the panels.

However, complaints about chipboard subsidence are usually associated with a violation of technology. Either the distance between the lags is too great, or they are moving themselves. It is recommended to use linoleum as a front layer over chipboard. But tiling is not the best idea. In any case, it is better to weigh the pros and cons in advance, to clarify the nuances of the work performed.

How to properly install the chipboard, see below.

Advantages and disadvantages

The choice of lining material is determined by its characteristics, pros and cons when used. Let's define the main strengths and weaknesses of each type of linoleum litter.

Next, watch a video on how to independently lay a roll substrate on a concrete floor.