How to lay wooden laminate flooring correctly. How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor - video and installation features. Preparing the floor for installation

The most convenient way to update a plank floor in an old house is to lay a new material on the surface. With linoleum it’s as easy as shelling pears, but what to do with piece linoleum, laid in a floating manner and requiring the most even base possible? Have you decided to update the floor yourself and opted for laminate? Don't know how to install laminate flooring on a wooden floor? Learn the intricacies before starting installation, because during the repair process there may be a lot of pitfalls.

Laminate laid on a wooden base in compliance with the technology will serve no worse than other flooring

Wood is a rather capricious material, like most natural coatings. It is vulnerable to pests and rodents, is not moisture resistant and is highly flammable. Laying laminated boards on a wood base involves more difficulty than on other subsurfaces.

Manufacturers of laminated boards do not recommend laying the material on a natural wood subfloor. This is due to the property of wood to deform over time, which will also affect the evenness of the final floor.

However, if there is no particular choice and it is not possible to concrete the floor, be at least minimally careful.

First, make sure that the base is suitable for subsequent loads and is intact. It should not have chips, cracks or crevices.
If the flooring is made of untreated wood, inspect the boards for signs of fungus, rot, or pests.
The floorboards themselves should lie flat, without sagging.
Check that the boards are not rotten. The wood should not crumble in your hand, turning into dust.

Damaged boards and those adjacent to them must be replaced.

Important! If one of the above defects is present, the strips must be repaired or replaced.

If the floorboards have no flaws, but the entire covering is wobbly, simply secure the planks with any hardware. Laying the laminate ensures that the base is as level as possible and not wobbly.

Why laminate? Advantages of the material

Every year, the increasing popularity of laminate is due to its attractive appearance, which can compete with many expensive materials. Drawings applied to the coating can imitate any texture without losing a decent appearance.

A wide range of laminate allows you to choose panels to suit any interior

Laminate is classified depending on its quality and performance capabilities. Thus, the most expensive and high-quality material belongs to the highest class.

However, in general, laminate of any classification has the following advantages:

strength,
easy care,
environmental friendliness,
wear resistance,
long service life,
ease of installation.

If laminate flooring is properly cared for, it can last for decades.

The minimum service life of laminate flooring with proper care is about 17 years. During use, the boards do not wear out, do not fade, and do not lose their aesthetic and performance qualities.

Prices for different types of laminate

Is it worth using?

Laminate is an affordable replacement for expensive parquet. It is actively used for renovation of residential and commercial premises. The material is easy to install, but is too demanding on the quality of the subfloor. It is possible to lay laminate on old floorboards, but only if a certain number of requirements are met, the main of which is high-quality and competent preparation of the base, including repair or replacement of damaged elements, leveling the base and the use of a substrate.

The piece strips have locks for connection and fixation in the desired position. No additional fastening to the base is required. Laminate flooring is laid loosely on a prepared wooden base, allowing it to “breathe”, contracting and expanding in accordance with changes in temperature and humidity levels.

If the laminate is statically and securely fixed on a wooden base, the floor may deform along with the rough base

The structural difference of laminate boards is that during installation the material does not need to be firmly fixed with glue or hardware.

My article will help you lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, which describes all the features and methods in detail.

Laminate– modern flooring. Distinguished by its practicality and aesthetics, it has become especially popular in recent years. Nowadays, not only craftsmen, but also amateurs who do their own repairs have the skills to lay laminated panels.

Laminate can be laid on any surface. However, many people have a question about how to properly lay it on a wooden floor, what technology should be followed. On this matter, you can find practical advice, photos and videos on the Internet. At them, craftsmen share their experience of working with fashionable coatings and the secrets of using it for construction purposes.

To lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you should make sure of the quality of the latter. To do this, the boards are examined for safety. The most common defects are:

deflection of boards under weight;
gaps between individual parts;
deformation of floorboards, their curvature;
damage from dampness, fungus or pests.

It is especially important to eliminate any differences in base height, bulges and depressions. You cannot put laminate on. In the video, the masters show how to eliminate this defect using a grinding machine or plane.

A professional tool can be

Video on how to install laminate flooring on a wooden floor

Floorboards can creak for two reasons:

poor fixation of boards on rough flooring or joists;
friction of individual elements among themselves.

In the first case, the products are attached to the crossbars with screws or nails. In the second, for minor cracks, add graphite and talc and seal the resulting gaps with putty.

To find out the condition of a wooden floor, it is recommended to remove a layer of paint and expose the structure of the wood. Rotten and decayed floorboards are checked with an awl or tapped with a hammer. If such parts are found, they are carefully removed and replaced with boards of the same thickness and width, driving them into the resulting gap.

If the floorboards are in good condition, but gaps have formed between them, the wooden floor is knocked together. The distance that arises between the flooring and the wall is filled with a piece of board. Instead of hammering, thin bars are inserted into the cracks and driven in with a mallet. Then they must go over the floor with a sanding machine so that the uneven floor turns into a smooth surface.

For preventative purposes, it is recommended to soak floorboards that have been cleared of paint with an antiseptic against fungus and mold and some kind of bioprotective composition against wood insects.

Leveling a wooden floor

The most important problem for laying laminate flooring is. Height differences between boards should not exceed 2 mm per 1 square meter. For minor results, use a grinder or plane. They are passed over the entire surface, periodically checking the condition of the floor using a level or a wooden plank and a spirit level.

If the wooden floor is too uneven, use plywood, OSB or chipboard. This method is ideal for creating a basic base for laminate flooring. Recently, OSB has been actively displacing plywood from the field of construction work. These materials are similar in quality, but OSB products are preferable because

easy to process;
have good strength;
do not delaminate under mechanical influence;
moisture-resistant, do not warp from water and fumes;
have elasticity;
are cheaper than plywood;
have advantageous dimensions.

Today, OSB boards are one of the best materials for laminate flooring. The canvases are fully compatible with other wooden parts and rough flooring.

OSB is used as a substrate for laminate flooring. The choice of dimensions of this material depends on the thickness of the main coating. For a 7 mm laminate, 2 mm slabs are laid, 8-9 mm - 3 mm OSB. If you put a base under a laminate made of thicker sheets, they may sag during further use. This will negatively affect the locking joints: they will become deformed and break.

OSB boards are screwed with self-tapping screws or nailed with nails of suitable length to joists or rough boards. The distance between them is determined by the size of the canvas. Usually the step from one fastener to another is 20-25 cm. This procedure can be observed on a special video.

Do not place the slabs under the laminate, pressing them tightly against each other. It is important to leave a technical gap of 5 mm. Subsequently, it is covered with epoxy putty or filled with foam.

When watching a video on preparing the base for laminate flooring, you should pay attention to the waterproofing device. It must be laid under OSB boards in order to further avoid the accumulation of condensation, the formation of high humidity and damage to wooden products.

So, with the help of plywood or OSB boards, you can turn even a very uneven wooden floor into an ideal surface for laminate, the main thing is to lay everything correctly.

Laminate features

Laminated boards (lamellas) are multilayer products. They are based on a fiberboard or chipboard panel. It is this that provides the entire floor with strength and reliability in operation.

The aesthetics of the coating is given by a decorative layer consisting of paper impregnated with special resins made from artificial components. At the bottom of the laminate panel there is a protective waterproof layer – melamine. It provides rigidity to products and saves them from deformation.

Laminated boards have different thicknesses, from 6 to 14 mm. When choosing laminate flooring for rooms with different functionality, you should be aware that thick panels are more resistant to abrasion and durable in use. They are placed in living rooms, hallways and rooms with high traffic. Such panels have excellent sound-absorbing properties. Thick boards are easier to lay than thin ones. Therefore, it is better for beginners to train on such products.

Laminated boards are connected to each other using special locks. They come in two types - Click and Lock. Click lock is more practical. It is difficult to break or damage. When the tenon enters the groove, the latter does not expand. The laminate with such a lock is combined at an angle of 45 degrees, slightly rocked and gently, with little force, pressed the panel to the floor.

In a Lock-lock, when the tenon of one product enters the groove of another, it expands. If you carry out the procedure carelessly, you can damage the thin connection and ruin the laminate panel.

In order to correctly align and lay the laminate boards together and not leave gaps, the products are tapped along the entire length with a mallet. It is important not to damage the lock. Therefore, they use a wooden strip and a piece of unusable panel.

The laminate will be more pliable and will bond better if it is brought into the room where it will be laid in advance, about a day before installation.

How to lay laminate flooring

The laminate finish is classified as a floating structure. It is capable of contracting and expanding. Therefore, before laying, it is important to provide a gap of 7-10 mm between the wall and the floor. To make it the same, use planks of equal thickness. They are installed along the walls and lightly secured. Upon completion of work, carefully remove.

Substrate

Next, you should place an underlay on the wooden floor. It is sold in rolls and sheets, made from synthetic or natural components, serves as an excellent waterproofing for laminate flooring and can correct uneven floors with minor defects. When choosing a substrate, they are guided by the price and quality of the product. Natural cork fabrics are most preferred. However, they are expensive.

The substrate is laid along the wall, first in one row. You should not cover the entire wooden floor at once: this will make it more difficult to work with the boards. The pieces of the backing sheets are glued together with tape.

Laying boards

Lamels can be laid in different ways:

"scatter";
diagonally;
"herringbone";
in 2 minutes.

For beginners in the construction business, it is better to choose the simple “staggering” method. It is as follows:

Place the first row of laminate along the wall opposite the entrance, starting from the inner corner of the window.
In the second row, the first board will be a piece of half the product. The other half will complete this row.
Next comes the alternation of solid boards and sections at the beginning of the row.
In the last row, it may turn out that the solid board is wider than necessary. In this case, it is cut lengthwise using a jigsaw. The cut should be flush with the wall and the lock should connect to the previous board. When cutting the panel, it is important to be careful not to split the laminate. You should measure and cut it as evenly as possible.

This method allows you to give the greatest strength to a wooden floor. Laminate panels do not diverge and adhere tightly to each other. It is more economical and simpler than, for example, “herringbone”. Both methods of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor can be seen in the video. But in order to lay lamellas in the second way, you need to master a special technique for working with material and tools.

When laying laminate flooring on a plank wood floor, there is a danger that the joints of the boards and panels will overlap. And this is undesirable. In this case, you should choose the diagonal method of installing the laminate. The laying angle may be different. The advantage of this method of installing slats is that it allows you to visually break up the space and visually enlarge it. This method is described in detail and captured on video.

Upon completion of the work, remove the planks from the walls and attach the baseboards. They complete the overall composition and mask the gap between the wall and the floor. They are purchased in the color of the coating. Plastic products with a recess and cable channel are now popular. Mobile or stationary wires are laid in it.

Video on laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

Laminate: laying on an old wooden base

The technology of laying laminated boards on floors has been mastered not only by professional builders, but also by amateurs who do their own repairs. It is not difficult to carry out this work: modern flooring is easy to install and practical to use. However, questions often arise as to whether it is possible to lay laminate flooring on an old wooden base and how to do it correctly.

The work of laying “layered” wooden boards as a finishing coating consists of two stages: preliminary and main. On the first, the study and preparation of the base is carried out, on the second, the actual laying of the boards. In the case where the base is old wooden floor, carry out a more thorough check of all structural elements. This will allow you to avoid many troubles associated with the operation of the coating in the future.

Preparing the wooden base

Can be an excellent base for laminate . Both materials are of natural origin and harmonize perfectly with each other. This combination provides warmth and comfort of the coating. Therefore, there is nothing better than putting “ply” boards on old wood products.

At the stage of preliminary work, the plank base is carefully examined, the degree of preservation of the material, the presence of defects and damage are checked. Depending on this, further work is performed.

Elimination of defects in old wooden floors

If the floorboards are very loose and there are wide gaps, they need to be nailed down or the resulting gaps filled.

wooden dies, specially cut to fit the size of the hole formed;
putty;
strands impregnated with glue;
sealant;
polyurethane foam.

After the materials have dried, the protruding fragments are cleaned.

If the old wooden floor is relatively well preserved, but minor defects are noticeable, they can be eliminated in an accessible way:

small cracks and chips of the floor are puttied or filled with sealant;
protruding nail heads are driven flush;
wooden boards are sanded with a special machine or sandpaper.

In most cases, old wood floors are covered with paint. There is no need to remove it specially. It is enough to remove the exfoliated fragments. After using the sander, it is recommended to prime the boards or soak them with an antiseptic for greater reliability.

Sometimes an old plank floor is so bad that it requires complete replacement. In this case, a full range of measures is carried out to create a new foundation.

Leveling an old wooden floor

In order for laminate flooring to be laid on an old wooden floor without any problems and for the coating to lie flat, the base should not have any differences in height. All wooden floorboards should be at the same level. Protruding fragments are cut off with a plane and smoothed with sandpaper or a grinder.

To speed up the process of installing the floor covering, the old wooden floor is leveled with sheets of plywood or DSP. They are placed “randomly”, fastened with self-tapping screws or glued to a special compound. If necessary, you can put two layers of leveling material such as plywood. This is a very reliable way to create the ideal base required for laying laminate flooring.

Underlay on old floor

Before laying the laminate on the old floor, create a layer of hydro and sound insulation.

Polyethylene film does a good job of protecting against moisture. It is spread around the perimeter of the room. The strips are overlapped and secured with tape so that they do not diverge. The edges should protrude onto the walls.
Next, they “throw in” any soundproofing material: old linoleum, turf, polyurethane or cork. On the market you can choose an affordable product that will protect the room from noise and extraneous sounds.

This multi-layer structure will be an excellent support for laminated boards and will protect the old wooden floor from rotting. Although you can do without it.

Basic work: laying laminate flooring on an old floor

Options

From an aesthetic point of view laminate- excellent floor covering. The pattern of natural wood creates coziness and warmth in the living space. It is unobtrusive and pleasing to the eye, perfectly harmonizing with furniture and other interior items.

Laying of panels is carried out in three options:

simple: the boards are laid like ordinary floorboards strictly in one line;
parquet(herringbone): parts are placed at an angle to each other;
diagonal: laminated products lie at an angle of 45 degrees to the wall. This is the most original way to arrange the panels. But it is the most expensive, since with this installation the consumption of the laminate increases by half. This should be taken into account when purchasing products in a store.

Non-professionals who do the repairs themselves should start laying the flooring with simple installation. Diagonal and parquet patterns require a certain skill and skill in using tools. This is labor-intensive and time-consuming work.

Methods

At the stage of purchasing laminate flooring, it is important to decide on the method of laying it. There are two of them:

adhesive;
castle

The first method involves the use of a special adhesive composition. Construction work takes a lot of time. Then it takes a certain period for the product to dry. This increases the time it takes to start using the floor. However, this method is considered the highest quality, and the coating lasts longer.

Most often they resort to the castle method. Each laminated board is equipped with a fastening system that, during installation, is combined, snapped into place, and securely fixes the products to each other. Laying laminate flooring using this method significantly reduces installation time, and the floor can be walked on immediately after completion of the work.

Laminate is laid on an old wooden floor using both methods. With the adhesive method of fastening, you do not need to use a backing. The composition is evenly distributed and further serves as a natural shock absorber.

Tools

To carry out installation work on laying laminate flooring on an old wooden floor, you need a simple set of tools and accessories. It includes:

plastic or wooden die;
mallet (rubber hammer);
measuring instruments: tape measure, square;
small wooden wedges for inserting between the wall and the boards;
sharp knife for opening packages;
jigsaw or hacksaw.

Laminate laying technology

Laminate They begin to lay from the window from the left corner. The grooves of the boards should be directed toward the wall, the ridges outward.
Stepping back 10-15 mm from the wall, place a wooden block, which will create a uniform gap between the wall surface and the coating. Upon completion of the work, it is removed, the gap is sealed with sealant and covered with a plinth. This gap is necessary, since laminate is a moving product that will contract and expand during use; it needs “space.” Otherwise the boards will break.
First, lay the first row along the entire wall, fastening the laminated panels with a lock. The last board may be longer than necessary. It is cut with a jigsaw or hacksaw to the required size.
The remaining trim can be used when laying the second row, starting with it. In this case, the vertical joints of the panels will be additionally fastened with the long side of the board.
When combining the tongue and groove of products, you should act with extreme caution so as not to break the thin contour and not violate the integrity of the panels.
The boards of the second row are first fastened along the width, and then attached to the first row along the entire length of the room. The entire strip is carefully lifted at an angle of 35-40 degrees and lowered until a characteristic click is heard.
To ensure that the boards lie tightly and there is no gap between them, use a mallet. It is used to knock together parts with light movements.
Next, laying the laminate on a wooden floor is carried out according to an established scheme.
In the last row it may turn out that the width of the boards is wider than necessary. Then measure the segment to the wall and transfer the parameters to the wrong side of the laminated part. Along the resulting line, the board is cut lengthwise, keeping the ridge, which will need to be aligned with the groove of the previous row. These actions are performed with all products intended for laying in the last coating line.

If all measures for laying laminate flooring with your own hands are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technology, then with proper use the coating will last for many years. A flat, old, wooden floor as a base for the finishing sheet contributes to good preservation of the “layered” products. This floor will be warm and comfortable.

Do-it-yourself wooden floor under laminate
Laying tiles on a wooden floor: technology and its features

And many other options. One of the most common materials is because it is quite easy to install, does not require complex and specific maintenance, looks stylish and has a high level of strength.

One of the most important criteria in choosing a laminate is possibility to put it yourself without turning to repair specialists: there are many information sites on the Internet and step-by-step instructions for laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, after reading which you can install the laminate yourself in a relatively short period of time.

The main advantage There are no nails in laying laminate flooring, since the laminate tiles are fixed to each other at the points of contact or with a lock.

– one of the most durable materials, located in the middle price category. It appeared in Russia only in the 90s, although it became widespread in Europe 10 years earlier.

is a panel with a thickness of 6 to 11 mm, the color of which can be anything from classic wooden colors and textures to imitation marble or natural stone. The panel itself is multi-layered: on the surface there is a durable film that protects the second layer - paper with an applied texture - from exposure to the sun, liquids and abrasion. The third layer is a fibreboard, which determines the level of strength, and at the very bottom there is a layer of paper, which has a moisture-resistant impregnation.

To choose the laminate that is right for you, you need to focus on the laminate class: the range of classes is large (from 31 to 34), and the intensity should be taken into account
loads on the floor in order to correctly select the class.

The greater the expected loads, the higher the laminate class should be chosen.

But one problem often arises: when the repair budget is limited, and the old one is already in critical condition, the cost of its complete dismantling and subsequent formation of a new one with leveling will be high, and not everyone has the opportunity to immediately carry out this expensive and rather dirty procedure.

Is it possible to install laminate flooring on an old wooden floor without additional measures?

- This is a material that can be easily installed on any floor covering.

Preparatory work for leveling a wooden floor for laying laminate flooring

Features of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

You should consider in more detail such a process as laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands (it must be taken into account that the concept of “wooden floor” also includes hardboard, parquet and plywood).

If we are talking about these surfaces as a basis for laying laminate, then we must remember that they are quite easily deformed under mechanical pressure, exposure to moisture, etc.

Therefore, before you begin laying laminate flooring, you should carry out some preliminary procedures, because the technology of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor has some features:

Solving potential problems and preparing a wooden floor for laying laminate

If the floorboard is uneven, it can be processed / using a machine for leveling parquet floorboards, or, for example, covered with a coating, the thickness of which should be 8 mm or more.

If you have chosen the option of laying plywood, then it should be fixed with long screws through the boards directly to the joists, this is necessary to ensure maximum tightness of all layers of the floor;
Existing floor slope can be eliminated using additional guides, and then cover the surface with plywood sheets. Two layers of plywood will add evenness to the surface; the top layer of plywood is fixed with parquet glue;
If joists are falling through (which can be the cause of sagging floorboards), you can find where they go and cut out a section of the floorboard above that area. If the inspection shows that the joists are actually sagging, the subsidence can be removed by driving a wooden wedge under the sagging elements;
If they do not fall through, but the wooden floor sags, you can cut out squares from plywood sheets and secure them to the floor with nails or self-tapping screws (remember that the caps need to be recessed). If there is no slope and the floorboards are fixed tightly, you need to sharpen the floor. First you need to make sure that the floor does not creak, for which the floorboards are attached to the joists with long self-tapping screws. Self-tapping screws are screwed in where nails were previously. The nails and screw heads remaining in the boards should be recessed into the board (depth about 2 mm). After all these manipulations, the floor is leveled with an electric planer, then it is cleaned, processed /, and then thoroughly dried. Next, you can begin laying the laminate so that its joints are perpendicular to the floor boards;
If there are bulges, potholes or noticeable unevenness in the wooden floor, they should be removed by placing plywood pads or blocks that are placed under the sheets of plywood. It is recommended to use 4/4 grade plywood or higher. The larger the size of the irregularities, the more additional actions you will need;
If, for example, their dimensions are about 5 cm, then you will need
additional guides from the block to remove them. The bars help to adjust the height, therefore, to make your work easier, you need to calculate in advance the required number of bars with different thicknesses. To do this, you need to lay plywood sheets on the old wooden floor, the joints between which are marked with a felt-tip pen to simplify the laying of the timber. The beam is fixed with self-tapping screws at a distance of about 50-60 cm, and where the plywood sheets touch, support bars are installed.
If there is a need, it is possible to make an additional layer or thermal insulation between the wooden covering itself and the plywood sheets: it can be any one that suits you. The plywood is attached with self-tapping screws, and be sure to use self-tapping screws with a cone-shaped head so that it is flush with the surface. Leave a 3-5 mm distance between the plywood and the walls. This method will make the floor in this room rise higher and it will probably be necessary to change the doors, plus it is worth thinking about how the laminate will be laid in other rooms;
If the wooden base of the floor is in rather poor condition, you can resort to leveling it with special mixtures. To do this, the old floor is stripped of paint and varnish, sanded, and very large seams and holes are filled with putty. When the floor is dry, it must be treated with a moisture-proof material; it will reliably hold the mixture and the wooden base together. The walls around the entire perimeter should be covered with insulation, where the coverings meet - a seam is made of polystyrene foam. The height of the floor is marked with a level, already

The primed floor is secured with a reinforced mesh, at which time the mixture is diluted according to the instructions. After all these procedures, using a rubber spiked roller, air bubbles are removed from the poured solution, and the surface is leveled with a mop, spatula, etc. After everything is dry, the laminate can be laid;
You can level the floor with PVA-based putty. The floor is pre-cleaned, beacon slats are installed on it, and a mixture of PVA with pre-moistened sawdust is poured into the spaces between them. You can use several layers of putty, which are applied as it dries.

Laying laminate flooring with different types of locks

When the installation is completed, the wedges are removed and mounted

Laminate is a very practical flooring material; today it is one of the most common floor finishing options. However, when laying it on a wooden surface, difficulties arise that many are not aware of.

Therefore, this article will tell you everything about how to properly prepare the floor and what pitfalls may arise during installation.

Laying laminate flooring - what you need to know

What can't you work without? That's right, without a tool. Therefore, before we start renovating the floor, let's decide what we need.

Tools and materials for working with flooring

Drill, jigsaw and screwdriver. Power tools allow you to increase the speed of installation, facilitating manual labor.
Hammer and mallet. Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor simply cannot be done without them: hammer in nails, knock down the laminate, tap the boards.
Level and roulette.
DVPO or plywood. Used to level floors.
Nails or screws. Necessary for attaching a wooden “screed”.
Underlay for laminate. Purchased depending on the room.

Surface work

The answer to the question: “how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor” begins, first of all, with preparatory work, because the most important thing in this process is a high-quality wooden surface.

Most often, a floor made of boards begins to deform and bend over time, and individual elements may become loose.
To troubleshoot problems, you need to knock down all the old nails and, if necessary, use additional fasteners. As for unevenness, they can be identified using a level.

Advice!
If you want to achieve the best result, use a laser device.

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor that is starting to rot? Under no circumstances should you work with old and rotten surfaces - the flooring will last for several years, then it will also begin to rot and deform.

Note!
Re-laying floorboards, of course, is expensive, but you can’t leave them either; the best option is to trim the existing boards and cover them with fiberboard sheets: this option will significantly extend the life of the laminate.

As for removing floorboards: new boards need to sit in the room for some time to acclimatize.
It is not advisable to immediately lay them on the floor; temperature changes will begin to bend the wood, which will lead to unevenness.
In order to avoid squeaking, the floorboards are attached with self-tapping screws, not nails, this process eliminates the possibility of loosening, and therefore the appearance of unpleasant sounds.
How to properly lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor when the possibility of leveling the surfaces is excluded? – with small deviations (1-4 mm per meter), such a difference is not terrible, it can be easily corrected with a grinding machine, or laid as is, visual unevenness (1 cm per 3 meters) will not affect the floor in any way.
Differences over 4 mm can be eliminated with additional pads: plywood, fiberboard.
The use of plywood is mandatory; it replaces a concrete screed.

For your information!
There should be a gap of about 10 mm between the sheets of backing, otherwise there is a possibility of squeaking when “moving” along the floor. As shown in the photo.

As you can see, preparing a wooden floor for laminate is not a simple and labor-intensive process. But the final result depends on it, so it’s impossible to be lazy or negligent in any of the steps described above.

I would like to note that the instructions on how to prepare a wooden floor for laminate are only suitable for conditions where the operating temperature is not lower than 5 degrees, otherwise all work should be stopped until the most favorable time.

Features of laying work

Like any other material, laminate has certain nuances that should be taken into account when working with it.

In our case, we are using a wooden floor, this is possible, however, for the future, in case you have to lay flooring somewhere else: laminate planks cannot be mounted on carpet.
As we have already said, it is necessary to have a flat floor. The permissible error is 3-4 mm per 1 meter.
Having purchased a wood-look laminate, you should give it time to sit so that its surface acclimatizes to the ambient temperature, at least 2 days.

Advice! During these two days you can start preparing the surface.

It should be remembered that the underlay, which is usually sold complete with the floor covering. But if you purchased the material without film, then you should take care of it yourself.

Selecting a substrate

There are several types of materials used for laying laminate flooring.

Cork backing

Valued for its composition: it consists exclusively of natural materials, no chemical components.
Does not rot, does not spread mold.
Does not deform and retains its original appearance throughout its entire service life.

Bitumen substrate

When laying laminate flooring on wooden floors in an apartment, you can also use thick paper in combination with bitumen: this material protects the laminate from moisture and is perfect for uneven floors.

Polyethylene foam backing

The most common and affordable type of all: easy to use and inexpensive to purchase - polyurethane foam film, which insulates the room from external sounds and reduces the amount of lost heat.

There is a small drawback: if the laminate is severely deformed, the substrate is also damaged, after which it no longer returns to its original form - a void is created under the wooden planks.

How to properly lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor without underlay? – sometimes this question is asked by buyers in construction stores. Interestingly, some sellers find something to answer just to sell the product. However, remember once and for all: the floor covering cannot be laid without a backing, even if the surface is perfectly flat.

Advice from the experts
First of all, you should focus on the cost of the product; if the price is too low, then this should raise suspicion: shares are far from being charity on the part of the company, but a subtle marketing ploy, do not forget about it. Choose a product of decent quality.
All joints of the film and backing boards must be sealed with masking tape or adhesive tape to prevent moisture from entering.
Lay the film in stages, in those places where you are going to lay the laminate, so as not to walk on it and accidentally damage it.

Installing laminate flooring on a wooden floor

Here we come to the most important point, which requires attention and composure: every action will affect the final result, so be careful and strictly follow all the instructions described below.

Installing laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands can be done in several ways:

Click system

The work process begins from any corner opposite the front door: wedges (pieces of plywood) 1 cm thick are installed along the entire perimeter, along the walls.
This is necessary to create a wall gap so that the laminate can freely expand and contract later.

Reminder!

After finishing the installation work, the wedges are removed.

The very first panel is placed in a corner and pressed against the installed wedges.
We continue the row with a second panel, which joins the first at an angle of 20-30 degrees: pressing the ends tightly, using gentle pressure, click the lock and lower the laminate board.

Is it possible to lay the flooring at a right angle? With the click-system it is impossible, the lock will not be able to work and, most likely, the end part will be deformed.

We lay out the row until we hit the wall/door. The last panel is trimmed to fit the remaining gap.
The next row begins with the cut piece, this is how the checkerboard effect is created.

Note! You can cut the required amount from the new panel to create the design you want.

The length of the laminate is also snapped into an acute 30-degree angle.

Lock system

This method will answer the question of how to lay laminate flooring vertically and diagonally on a wooden floor.

The work process begins from the corner opposite the door.
The second panel is brought horizontally to the first panel (to the short end), inserted into the groove and hammered with a mallet.
Along the long end we match the already pre-assembled row to the existing panels.

Try to use a mallet or hammer with blocks, this reduces the risk of damaging the laminate.

Glued laminate

Another way that can answer the question of how to lay the flooring yourself, without special tools and skills.

There are no special notes on installation with glue, but there are some points that are worth knowing in advance.

The adhesive at the joints of the panels best isolates the base of the laminate from moisture, thereby extending the service life of the floor covering.
Before you can walk on such a floor, you must wait 10-12 hours at room temperature, without creating drafts.
It is no longer possible to reuse such a surface: during dismantling, most of the panels will be damaged.

The final stage

Now you know how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor yourself, saving money on a construction crew.

But we should not forget about maintenance and care of the flooring.

Avoid getting excessive moisture at the joints of the panels.
Place something soft under the sharp corners of the legs of sofas and other interior items.
Monitor the humidity in the room: with sudden changes in temperature and increased dryness, the laminate may separate, cracks will form, which will be problematic to eliminate, and you will have to disassemble the floor.

At this point, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor is considered comprehensive; all the necessary information has been given above. For those who still have misunderstandings about the work process, we suggest watching a video: how to correctly lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, with a detailed description of each stage.

In this article we will talk about the experience of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor in a panel house. We will talk about budget repairs that everyone can afford.

This is what the floor looked like before the renovation...

The first problem that every resident of a panel house has encountered is the creaking of wooden floors. Here's why this happens: the floorboards are nailed to the joists, which have become loose over time, causing the floor to creak.

The next problem is a very uneven floor with large differences between the boards. To lay laminate flooring, such a floor must be leveled, and the maximum permissible height differences should not exceed 2 mm per 1.5 m.

To eliminate these problems, we decided to level the wooden floor using plywood. But if you just screw plywood on top of the creaking boards, then, of course, it won’t get any better. Therefore, you first need to strengthen the floor with screws.

We dismantle the old baseboard. If it is plastic, there will be no problems, but a wooden baseboard needs to be torn off with a pry bar or a nail puller. We pull out all the protruding nails and remove large protrusions with a plane. Before laying plywood, do not forget to thoroughly wash and vacuum the floor.

Preparing a wooden floor for renovation

Now it is important to determine at what height the wooden floor is raised above the slab; for this, 1-2 holes are drilled in the boards. You need to know the distance between the base and the boards to determine the size of the screws for the floor. Usually it is 8-10 cm, but on the first floor there are even 25 cm.

After raising the floor level, the door may not open: the thickness of the laminate with the backing is almost 1 cm + the thickness of the plywood (minimum 0.6 cm). If the door is old, then you can cut it without any problems with a hacksaw, simply by removing it from its hinges. And to trim a door with a laminated coating, be sure to place thick plywood underneath, otherwise chips will appear at the cut site.

Material calculation

Next you need to calculate how many screws you will need. To do this, we look at how many joists there are in the room (they can be found by nails or seen in a crack near the wall). Then we count the number of boards in width and multiply the resulting amount by the number of joists.
Each board is screwed with 1 screw to the joist, every 40-60 cm. For example, if there are 11 joists and 28 boards in the room, then you will need 308 screws + 10-20% for reserve.

It is better to screw the plywood every 15 cm; if less often, it will swell and dangle when walking. The length and width of the room are measured and the resulting amount is divided by 15 cm, and then the values are multiplied. For example, our room measures 3x5.6 m. Divide 3 meters by 0.15 = 20 pieces, divide 5.6 m by 0.15 = 38 pieces. Now we multiply 20 by 38 and get 760 pieces, + 10-20% for stock. For plywood, wood screws 25-30 mm thick and 3-3.5 mm thick are suitable.

Now we calculate how much laminate will be needed. To do this, you need to find out the dimensions of the room, and do the calculations in the store, because laminate panels have different parameters. Our room is 17 square meters. m. In one box there is a laminate with an area of approximately 2.6 square meters. m. Divide 17 by 2.6 = 6.53. We round up, which means we will need 7 boxes, and half the box will be in stock in case of defects.
This should be enough if you lay the laminate in the usual way: trimming costs are approximately 5%. If laying diagonally, the margin should be at least 10%.

When purchasing laminate, it is important that the delivery lot on all boxes is the same. In boxes with different batches, the shade of the design may differ. Also, the pack must be intact, otherwise the locks may be damaged.

Now we count the amount of plywood. We chose plywood with dimensions of 1.43x1.52 m, that is, the area of 1 sheet will be 2.17 square meters. m. We divide the area of the room (17 sq. m.) by the area of plywood and get 7.8 sheets. This means you need to buy 8 sheets of plywood. The thickness of the plywood must be at least 12 mm.

Strengthening boards with screws

So, all the materials have been purchased, let's start strengthening the floor with screws. There is an article on the site about what to do with a creaking floor in an apartment; it partially talks about this work.

Since the screws were difficult to insert into the wood, we first drilled holes about 70% of the length of the screw, and then used screws to tighten the boards to the joists.

We strengthen the floor in rows along the joists

Of course, if you have a powerful screwdriver, you will be able to do this much faster without additional drilling. In our case, the cheapest Chinese screwdriver, which quickly sat down, so the whole job lasted for several days.
The main thing is to screw the boards tightly to the joists so that they do not dangle when walking.
Since the doors will soon be replaced, we cut down the slopes to install the plinth.

During work, it turned out that there was too much blowing from under the floor on the street side, so we had to seal the gap with foam. In this case, you need to moisten the surface before treating with water, and also spray the foam after application, since the polymerization process of the polyurethane foam requires moisture.

There was a strong blow from the street from this gap

It got so much better

Leveling with plywood

To level the floor with plywood, place the sheet on the floor and screw it every 15 cm with screws. Don't forget to leave a small gap between the sheets and near the wall. The even position of the plywood sheets is controlled using a level. Sheets that require trimming are cut with a hacksaw or jigsaw.

Laying the substrate

The cat was scared...

We chose the cheapest substrate, made of polypropylene. Before laying, vacuum the floor again.
We lay the backing with a reserve on the walls so that we can cut off the excess later, and glue it together with tape. The substrate should lie in one layer, joint to joint.

Laying laminate

Having finished preparing the floor, we begin laying the laminate flooring. Before this, you need to store the laminate indoors for several days (to adapt the material to the temperature and humidity of the apartment).

Laying begins from the corner of the room, preferably from the most visible place. However, there is a small nuance here: if the door opens into the room and no one plans to remove it, then they begin to lay the laminate from there, otherwise it will not be possible to lay the last row.

We start laying from the door

It is best to place wide laminate joints along the light from the window, so the gaps will be less visible (over time they will increase).

Modern laminate is installed without glue, using the locking method. This type of flooring installation is called floating because it is not rigidly fixed to the floor, but lies freely on the underlay. During the change of season, the coating changes size slightly, so you cannot firmly screw the laminate to the floor. There are locks along the perimeter of the panel that connect if you insert one of the panels at an angle and then lower it.
To see how it works, watch the video tutorial:

Place the panel in the corner and join the next one on the short side. This is how we assemble the first row. The last panel will most likely have to be filed down. This can be done with a jigsaw or saw, but make sure the teeth are small, otherwise there will be chips on the laminated surface.

The first row is ready

The main rule when laying laminate flooring is to leave a gap of about 1 cm near walls, pipes, doors and other obstacles. However, you should not make a gap of more than 2 cm, because the thickness of the plinth will not be able to cover it.

A wedge is needed to support the same gap near the wall

For ease of installation, stores sell a special kit for laying laminate flooring. It includes wedges of the same thickness, a mounting foot for installing the last row and a wedge of panels.

To additionally seal the seams, you can buy a special sealant paste and coat the locks with it before joining. However, in wet rooms it is better to use tiles or porcelain stoneware.

The second row is laid in the same way as the first, and then inserted into the previous one. To simplify the task, we recommend laying the panels as close to the lock as possible, so that you can then simply lift the entire row and click it into place. This is done by simply pressing the row at an angle.

To connect, insert the panels at an angle

Then we lower the panel so that the second row lies next to the first

We join adjacent rows with our hands

As a result, the joint should not be visible

Some types of locks allow you to join the laminate not as a whole next to the previous one, but one piece at a time. For example, Quick Step laminate has universal locks: they can be inserted horizontally or at an angle. At the same time, there are Click locks that only hammer horizontally.

It is not necessary to immediately leave a gap between the first row and the wall. It will be more convenient to collect 3-4 rows, and then move them to the wall, and you can put something heavy on top. This is much easier, especially if the wall is not very smooth.

Another important feature is that the panels are laid in a checkerboard pattern. If the first row started with a whole laminate panel, then the second should start with half, and the third again with a full panel. This way the connections of the locks will be tighter, and the cost of cutting will be minimal.

Half the room is already ready

Thus, we lay the remaining rows of the laminate in a checkerboard pattern. When we reach the heating pipe, cut a round hole with a jigsaw or drill. Then we simply lay the scrap and press it with a plinth or glue it to liquid nails.

When we reach the last row, we need to file each panel to the width, taking into account the gap. Installation occurs in exactly the same way; press firmly on the panel at an angle.

The floor is almost ready

Installation of skirting boards

The plastic plinth with cable duct consists of two parts. The first is a wall mount, and the second is a decorative attachment that snaps on top. There is another type of fastening - first, metal brackets are attached, and then a plinth is put on them.

We drill holes for dowels approximately every 30 cm and fasten one part of the plinth. We fasten the main part, hide the wires, then put on the decorative attachment. For a beautiful connection, we use special components for the plinth: adapters, external and internal corners, plugs.

We put a special lining around the pipe to hide the gap (it costs about 50 rubles). In our case, the pipe was very close to the wall, so we had to trim the baseboard and saw off the lining, and then glue it with liquid nails.

Buy the plinth and all components together with the laminate. Otherwise, if there is a shortage of material, you will have to visit many stores before you can find the right color.

And the final touch is to attach the threshold to the door. It is needed to hide the height difference between rooms. The rules for laying laminate flooring require separating different rooms with a gap so that the coverings are independent. However, in practice, if the same covering is chosen for adjacent rooms, you can not use the threshold, but do everything without seams: it will be prettier and easier to clean. If some kind of defect later appears, it is more convenient to actually saw off the coverings in the doorway.

Floor repair cost

1. Birch plywood 6 mm thick, 8 sheets – 2300 rub.
2. Laminate Kronostar White Pear 31 class – 7 boxes. 1 sq. m. cost 235 rubles in Leroy Merlin. Total 4112 rub.
3. Backing for polypropylene laminate – 1 roll, 2 mm thick, 25 m long – 320 RUR.
4. Screws and dowels - about 600 rubles.
5. Plastic plinth with cable channel 8 pieces, 2.5 m each - 150 rub.
6. Piping around the pipe, connectors and corners for the plinth - 420 rubles.
7. Threshold – 160 rub.

As a result, the amount is: 9112 rubles.

The cat clearly didn't like the new slippery floor

It is better to take thicker plywood; 6 mm is still not enough, so you should not skimp on this. Next time we would take plywood of at least 12 mm. If the floor is too uneven, then you need to lay plywood in 2 layers, with the joints offset.
We advise you to choose screws that are not too thick or long, as they will be difficult to screw in.
You cannot buy a soft substrate thicker than 3 mm; it will spring strongly when walking, and the floor will be pressed under you. To find out more detailed information, we recommend reading our article about.
If the laminate is laid on a concrete floor, then before laying the backing you need to lay a layer of polyethylene for waterproofing.
For productive work you will need a good screwdriver with a powerful battery. This way you will save a lot of time.

By spending a small amount of money on repairing the old wooden floor, we got rid of the squeak and made it smooth and pleasant to walk on. It took three days to prepare the floor for the laminate, and one day was spent on the installation itself.