home » Plumbing » Video: how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands, instructions and tips. Is it possible to put laminate flooring on a wooden floor? Is it possible to put laminate flooring on a wooden floor?

Video: how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands, instructions and tips. Is it possible to put laminate flooring on a wooden floor? Is it possible to put laminate flooring on a wooden floor?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Instability of the wooden base. Laminate flooring boards laid over a wood base may move. This will lead to additional stress on the laminate joints, which are the most vulnerable point of this flooring.

Loss of mechanical properties of wooden flooring during operation. This fact obliges, before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, to carefully check the wooden structure for defects and fix loose elements.

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

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

How to level a wooden floor under laminate

There are several options for leveling wooden floors under laminate:

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

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

Repairing an old wooden base

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leveling the floor with plywood under laminate

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

Before starting installation, it is a good idea to check the humidity level in the room. This can be done by placing a sheet of polyethylene on the floor measuring approximately 1x1 m. The polyethylene should be pressed tightly to the floor and left for three days. If after this time no condensation forms on the inside of the sheet, plywood sheets can be used in such a room.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on fiberboard?

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

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

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

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

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands

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

Selecting material: calculation and purchase of laminate

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

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

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

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

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

Preliminary preparation of the base

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

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

If a difference in the floor surface of more than 3 mm is detected, the scraping method should be used. If you don't have a sanding machine, you can always rent one. It will be more reliable to level the floor by laying chipboard or plywood. In addition to the leveling function, such a coating will provide additional insulation and sound insulation of the floor.

Leveling a wooden floor with chipboards

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

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

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

Necessary tools for work

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

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

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

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

Choosing a laminate underlay for a wooden floor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Features of laying the last row of laminate

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

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

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

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

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

Gaps around pipes and other iron elements should be treated with a matching acrylic sealant, while expansion joints near walls should be left unfilled. Subsequently, their unaesthetic appearance will be covered with baseboards. The material is laid in a similar way near thresholds, steps and other protrusions.

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

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

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

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

Video: DIY laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

On the Internet you can find a whole series of courses on how to lay laminate flooring. Video instructions for installing floor coverings contain visual information and practical advice from both experienced craftsmen and those who have tried to level a wooden base and lay laminate flooring on their own for the first time.

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

Video: how to lay laminate flooring near a doorway

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

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

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

Laminate flooring in a wooden house or apartment sometimes has to be laid on wooden floors. This process is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. In order to properly tile the floor covering, you need to familiarize yourself with a number of important nuances.

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on wood?

In a private house, the presence of a wooden floor does not surprise anyone; in some apartments, especially those belonging to the category of old housing stock, there may also be a similar covering. Laminate flooring is placed on different substrates: tiles, plywood, concrete, and boards.

Important! Laminate coating is suitable for any substrate that is as smooth and rigid as possible.

What is this connected with?

Boards are extremely capricious and sensitive to various factors (biological, seasonal, temperature). Their impact changes the structure and geometry of the panels, causing them to begin to warp, which negatively affects the strength of the locking fixation.
The wooden base has a much shorter service life than that claimed by the manufacturers of the laminated coating. Moreover, the floor made of boards, as a rule, had already served its owners for some time until the decision was made to change its cladding. For this reason, wood quickly loses its mechanical appearance.
This is not a stable base; during operation it is capable of bending in every possible way. For this reason, the integrity of the locks is compromised, causing the entire sexual base to be deformed.

However, experienced builders still allow laminate flooring over wood. This process has a number of features, which, when taken into account, significantly reduce the likelihood of negative developments.

The base on which installation work will take place must meet the following characteristics:

integrity, absence of cracks, lump inclusions, knots, and other defects;
dryness (optimal humidity should not be more than 12%);
the presence of bottom ventilation, allowing the tree to breathe properly, this will prevent the likelihood of rotting processes developing;
strength from 150 MPa;
smooth coating;
purity;
no infection by mold or pests.

Important! If you plan to install a “warm floor” system, then the maximum humidity here should not exceed 5%.

What are the advantages of laminate as a building material?

Laminate is an excellent building material with a number of advantages:

strength;
environmental friendliness;
long service life;
the ability to change its geometry (shrink, expand) under the influence of changes in air temperature and humidity levels;
ability to withstand short-term exposure to moisture and mechanical load (for a number of classes);
ease of installation work;
ease of subsequent maintenance and keeping the coating clean.

Laminate and old wood or parquet floors

You can lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor without plywood or with it, the main thing is to observe some subtleties that will help increase the service life of such cladding.

Sometimes it is simply not possible to lay one material on top of another, this is due to the fact that the subfloor is in poor condition. For example, the floorboards have already dried out from old age and are coated with multiple varnishes, which raise unattractive bubbles. In this case, you need to refrain from creating the finishing cladding. You will have to replace the subfloor, or bring it back to normal condition and, only then, lay laminate.

Defects in old wooden floors

To resolve the question of whether it is worth laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to consider the possible defects that it may contain.

Uneven shrinkage has caused the formation of different heights and ledges, the height of which can vary up to 3 cm. These places are subject to manual or mechanical scraping.
The instability of the surface has increased due to the fact that the joints of the nails and the joists have become loose. To eliminate this problem, you need to determine the location of the fasteners and screw in additional screws with a length of up to 100 mm (suitable for woodworking) next to them.
There are signs of rotting, infection with fungus and mold. These defects cannot be eliminated; in order to rid your home of their harmful effects, it is necessary to completely dismantle the old coating.
Exposure to moisture can cause the boards to warp, which requires puttying and sanding.
Some elements may swell or be completely absent. Defective components must be removed, the depressions that remain must be subjected to sealing of the seams, filled with a composition that is used to create self-leveling floors. Solutions of gypsum or cement with sand are prohibited here. They contain water, which will further disrupt the structure of the wood (the elements will swell, warp, swell).
Old parquet creaks: this problem is eliminated by tightening long screws that will press the creaking elements to the base.

Experts offer a variety of methods that will help level the existing surface and change height differences. For example, use a substrate in the form of plywood, fiberboard, chipboard. These works will entail additional monetary costs, as well as the treatment of these elements with hydrophobic agents, fire retardants, and antiseptics.

Preparing the base

To lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to carefully examine the existing surface. Laying laminate over an unprepared base is strictly prohibited; this will greatly reduce the service life of the laminated panels.

The inspection requires identifying the following defects:

stains from paint, grease;
cracks;
fallen knots and formed cavities;
areas blackened by fungus and affected by rot;
damaged, sagging elements;
loosely secured specimens;
bulges resulting from deformation processes.

Detected defects must be corrected. Sometimes puttying, sanding, sanding will help, in other cases, it is impossible to do without completely replacing the damaged elements.

Subfloor repair

Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor? This cladding method is not prohibited; the main thing is to carry out the necessary repair work.

They may include the following steps:

removing the coloring composition using an electric plane or sanding machine;
pre-recess the caps of the fasteners into the floor using a hammer;
replacing damaged boards with new ones;
poorly adhering floorboards are securely fixed using self-tapping screws and “ruff” type nails;
cracks and places where knots fell out are sealed.

Leveling the wooden base

Not a single room can boast of having a perfectly flat floor surface, and both concrete and wood bases necessarily require preliminary leveling.

If we neglect this stage, then the lamellas fastened with glue will last no more than a year, and those fixed using the locking method, about no more than three months. Afterwards they will diverge in different directions, creaking treacherously when walking.

Important! Manufacturers of lamellas consider a permissible difference of up to 2 mm per linear meter, while the slope should be within 4 mm for every two meters of width and length.

Modern houses allow you to level the existing surface using the following raw materials:

mixtures with self-leveling ability;
putties;
plywood;
OSB boards,

Important! You can use chipboard, but experts do not recommend its use due to the harmful fumes of formaldehyde into the space.

Each type of alignment of an existing plane has characteristic features. Let's look at each of them.

Self-leveling mixtures (for example, Vetonit 4310): require the following procedure:

lay a polyethylene film for waterproofing, making sure that there is an overlap on the walls and seams between the sheets. The latter are glued with paper tape;
a damper tape is attached around the perimeter to prevent expansion of the coating, eliminating the appearance of cracks;
dilute the mixture according to the instructions indicated on the package;
mix to obtain a homogeneous mass;
carefully pour the mixture onto the floor;
roll it with a needle roller to remove excess air;
give the mixture time to dry (about a week), only then can you continue working.

Important! You need to work with mixtures very quickly; some of them need to be poured out no later than 20 minutes after dilution.

Putty, which is a mixture of sawdust and PVA, involves the following stages of work:

clear the plane of future work;
install aluminum beacons with a height of up to 2 cm;
fill the openings with the mixture, creating a layer of up to 10 cm;
Apply each next layer after the previous one has dried;
align the last layer using the rule;
when the last level is dry, you can remove the beacons and hide the remaining traces with putty.

Plywood is the easiest to work with. This material is affordable, and it effectively levels the existing surface. Large differences can be easily removed by laying sheets on the floor; small differences can be removed by applying pads in the form of plywood scraps.

Important! The process of laying plywood requires constant monitoring of the correctness of the work using a bubble level.

For leveling, it is better to use sheets with a thickness of 10 to 15 mm. For an apartment, the FC brand is suitable, for non-residential premises - FSF (here the level of environmental friendliness is lower). Before starting work, the sheets must be treated with drying oil or an antiseptic that will protect against the effects of fungi and pathogenic microorganisms.

The work goes like this:

cut the canvas, taking into account the narrowing and expansion of the material due to the effects of temperature and humidity;
be sure to leave compensation gaps of 5-9 mm between each sheet, from the wall to 15 mm;
secure the workpieces with cone-shaped self-tapping screws, screw them in around the perimeter with a distance of 20 mm from the edge, about 15 mm between each other;
the corners of the four panels should not overlap at one connection point;
To avoid subsequent squeaking of the lamellas, the surface of the plywood must be vacuumed before laying the underlay or waterproofing.

Laying the substrate

Having decided whether laminate flooring can be laid on a wood base, you need to carefully consider each stage of this work. The next step, after leveling, is laying the underlayment.

It performs the following functions if laid on wooden coverings:

eliminates existing irregularities;
serves as a damper;
provides noise insulation;
protects against moisture if treated with a special compound.

On a wooden floor without plywood or with it, it consists of sequentially performed stages. The first of these is the acquisition of the necessary raw materials.

To lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you must first decide on the required amount of materials. These calculations are not complicated: you need to measure the area of the room, add 10% to the resulting figure (for scraps), provided that you use the direct installation method. Diagonal installation requires an allowance of 20%, and creating a pattern (checkerboard method) requires 30%.

Laying methods

Laying laminate flooring on top of a wooden base in a wooden house or standard apartment can be done using one of the methods.

Popular masonry methods:

straight;
diagonal;
chess.

Regardless of the chosen technique, you need to prepare some tools:

electric jigsaw;
hammer with rubber tip;
large crowbar or screwdriver;
block for padding panels;
spacer wedges;
electric drill;
roulette;
square;
marker.

To obtain high-quality, long-lasting coverage, you must follow important rules:

purchased raw materials must be from one manufacturer. It is important to check the release dates; they must coincide, otherwise the risks of mismatched lock connections increase;
Before installation begins, up to three days must pass from the day the raw materials were purchased. It should lie for that long in the place where it will be placed. This way the material will get used to the existing conditions of humidity and air temperature;
The first row of canvases is placed with spikes against the wall, along the length and end. The thorn, in this case, needs to be cut off;
it is necessary to place wedges along the entire length of the first row, retreating about 40 cm from the wall. They are needed to create a compensation gap;
Wedges are also placed at the very beginning of each row. To connect the end locks, tamping is carried out, resting the lamellas against the wall;
during installation, you need to remove elements from several packs, this way you can avoid the appearance of pronounced color spots (the color of panels from adjacent boxes may differ slightly);
The locking connections at the ends must not be allowed to coincide. These locks are weak and do not place unnecessary stress on them;
The following installation scheme is recommended: 1st row – whole lamella, 2nd row – 1/3 of the whole lamella, 3rd row – 2/3 of the lamella;
we lay down the panels, starting work from the back of the room;
when cutting door trims, you will need to start work from them. This is due to the fact that serious difficulties may arise with the installation of the platband under the lamella;
The rows must be laid perpendicular to the wall on which the window is located. If done differently, the sun's rays will highlight the seams, reducing the aesthetics of the appearance.

Direct laying technology

You can lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor in this way:

Lay down a layer of backing.
Install the first row.
Along the first line, place wedges from the wall, acting as spacers, to obtain the required amount of technological gap. This operation must be repeated starting each row.
After the second row, the slats are secured by connecting the locks along their length. Using a mallet, hammer the boards to create a strong joint.
When the first backing sheet is closed, the next one is placed, then the process is repeated in the same order.

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden surface is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. All work is completed with the installation of skirting boards. They perform a number of functions:

create an excellent appearance;
cables hide the presence of a technical gap between the wall and the base.

There are many types of skirting boards. The most commonly used are wooden, MDF laminated, and polyvinyl chloride skirting boards. Wooden ones are expensive and are often used to frame parquet floors. They are rigid, which makes installation difficult if the walls are not very smooth.

Laminated ones are cheaper, they also require a perfect wall, because they are highly fragile and break easily when bent.

Plastic skirting boards are an ideal solution; they have the following advantages:

affordable price;
aesthetic appearance;
durability;
lack of fear of water, light;
the presence of special channels to hide fiber optic cables;
flexibility.

The plastic plinth is secured using self-tapping screws with dowels, but it is more convenient to use liquid nails. The latter method is simpler, but dismantling such a structure becomes impossible.

The step-by-step installation of skirting boards is as follows:

remove the bar from the clip;
lay a polyethylene film along the contour of the room, this will avoid the occurrence of a sound bridge;
clips are attached, retreating up to 5 cm from the corners;
make a hole for the dowel at a distance of 5 cm from the clip;
the following are created with a distance of half a meter between each of them;
hammer the dowels into the resulting holes;
attach the clip to the wall and screw in the self-tapping screw, pressing the element tightly against the wall surface;
snap the bar into the clip;
attach locks at the corners to hide the connecting points;
Carefully remove the film.

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 specialists in repair work: on the Internet there are many information sites and step-by-step instructions for laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, after reading which you can install it 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 lays confidently on any flat surface. The wooden base was no exception. Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor is not difficult, especially if a floor heating system is not used. Next, we will consider the main points of installing a laminated coating, installation methods, and requirements for a wooden base. Let's consider installation methods, calculation of the required quantity and the possibility of flooring in an unheated wooden house.

Disadvantages of installing laminate flooring on wood floors

There are negative sides to both the base and the topcoat. For both the first and the second, these disadvantages can be corrected. Let's take a closer look at each of the floor elements.

Cons of a wooden base

A wooden floor is not a rigid, stationary base; its dimensions can change under external influences, which has a detrimental effect on the laminated finish. With temperature fluctuations and, more importantly, humidity, the linear dimensions decrease and increase, creating additional stress for both the base and the laminate. Also, when deformed, the joints between floorboards and joists may suffer (especially if the floor is old and fastened with nails).

The absence of a gap between the wooden flooring and the wall leads to swelling of the floor. This happens due to the expansion of floorboards when temperature or humidity increases. In this case, the resulting expansion goes from the center to the walls. The boards rest against the wall, and the floor stands on end; cracks form at the joints of the boards. If the finishing laminated coating has already been installed, then this problem can be eliminated only by completely dismantling the laminate and subsequent layers to the wooden base.

This problem is not only aesthetic in nature. The formation of moldy areas reduces the load-bearing capacity of the board. Over time, the affected locations fail under periodic mechanical stress. Lack of ventilation is one of the main causes of rot and fungus. Therefore, as a preventive measure, it is necessary to ensure free access of air to the lower part of the base. This method does not allow air masses to stagnate.

Cons of laminate

Let's move on to laminate. This also has its drawbacks.

The main point is the change in linear dimensions with fluctuations in temperature and humidity. With such negative influences, additional loads appear on the laminate locks, and the coating may swell at the joints.
low bending strength of the strip. Unlike parquet boards, the thickness of the lamella is smaller, so its rigidity is low. This point is offset by increased requirements for the base on which the laminate is laid.

The base must be leveled and differences in height must be eliminated. Otherwise, the lamella does not fit tightly to the wooden floor, voids are formed, and the load on thin planks increases. Naturally, such a negative impact causes the floor covering to fail in a short time.

Requirements for a wooden base under laminate

Laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor imposes several basic conditions, we list them:

leveled surface of the rough layer. The height difference for a wooden base should not exceed 2 mm per 1 m of floor;
the base boards must be firmly secured to the joists. A high-quality fit of floorboards will allow you to avoid unpleasant squeaking, sagging boards, and unnecessary stress in local areas when walking on the floor.
no cracks. The distances between adjacent floorboards should be minimal or absent altogether. Unlike a solid fabric, a base with gaps has less rigidity and resistance to mechanical loads. In addition, moisture from the basement can pass through the cracks.
the wooden base must be intact. If there are cracks, chips, or breaks, it is necessary to carry out repair work to replace damaged boards.
fasteners should not protrude above the floor surface. The heads of nails or screws are recessed into the board.
absence of mold and rotten areas.

If laying laminate flooring on a new, recently laid wooden floor, then most likely no additional preparation manipulations are required, provided that the requirements from the previous paragraph are met.

When using an old wooden floor as a base, repair work is carried out before installing the finishing coating. In case of significant damage to the base, dismantling is carried out followed by laying a new flooring.

Inspecting the surface of a wooden floor for defects

First of all, the paint layer is removed from the tree. The operation can be performed manually with a plane with a small protrusion of the cutting edge or sandpaper with large abrasive particles. This approach may be suitable if the room area is small. Otherwise, special scraping machines for parquet are used.

Tip: before removing the top layer, you need to make sure that the heads of the nails or screws do not protrude above the boards. If such elements are present, the caps are drowned using a hammer. If this is not done, there is a possibility of damaging the cutting edges of the sanding machine.

After removing the paint and sanding, use a vacuum cleaner to remove any debris, sawdust, or chipped paint. Next, the boards are checked for cracks, crevices, mold, and mildew.

If fungus or mold is detected, the damaged area is cleaned, an antifungal compound is applied and left until completely dry. The ventilation system is checked. Small cracks are sealed with sealant or putty, slats are hammered into large ones - slats are selected according to the size of the crack, the lower part of which is filed under the wedge. Next, such a strip is driven into the crevice using a mallet or hammer using a tamping block. After eliminating the gaps between the boards, these places are additionally sanded.

Checking the levelness of the floor

Next, the evenness of the surface will be checked. This can be done using a long and even bar (rule). In this case, when a distance is formed between the rule and the floor, the gap is measured using a tape measure. By moving the bar, the greatest irregularities are determined. Maximum deviations should not exceed 2 mm per 1 m of floor. If this is the case, then the floor does not need additional leveling.

Alternative methods for checking floor levelness are based on the use of a hydraulic level and a laser level.

Leveling a wooden floor under laminate

If the height differences exceed 2 mm, we proceed to the process of leveling the floor. The choice of method is determined by the degree of unevenness. For small deviations of the order of 3-6 mm, another 1-2 grinding cycles are performed.

More significant irregularities can be corrected using one of the following methods:

putty;
OSB boards or plywood on dry screed;
self-leveling mixtures.

Putty with sawdust and PVA

A fairly simple way to level the surface. It is based on the use of a mixture of sawdust and PVA soaked in water. Soaking is done to prevent sawdust from absorbing moisture from the glue.

Special aluminum guides are installed parallel to the entire floor area at approximately the same distance from each other. The height of the planks is no more than 20 mm.
The prepared mixture of sawdust and PVA is laid between aluminum slats. Level until a layer of 5-10 mm is formed. Wait until the laid layer dries. Next, the next layer is laid.
The finishing layer is laid, which is leveled when wet by passing a straight rule bar.
When the final layer has dried, the aluminum strips are dismantled. The installation sites are sealed with a mixture of sawdust and PVA.

Leveling a wooden floor under laminate with plywood

The most common method of leveling the subfloor surface. Small differences in height can be eliminated by laying plywood directly on the base. In case of serious unevenness, installation is carried out on logs or leveling pads.

Advice: before laying, plywood is treated with antiseptic and moisture-repellent compounds.

Let's consider laying plywood on joists using a dry screed:

If necessary, gaps are made near the wall to compensate for the expansion of the tree.
All debris is removed from the surface of the wooden floor, dust is removed using a vacuum cleaner.
A waterproofing layer of polyethylene film is laid. Along the edges, the film extends 2-3 cm onto the wall.
The logs are fastened with self-tapping screws directly to the floor.
The gaps between the lags are filled with dry screed, for example fine expanded clay or Knauf screed.
Plywood sheets are pre-laid on the joists. Using a level, the deviation from the horizontal is checked. If there are significant differences, the joists are trimmed using a hand plane. Next, the hewn areas are sanded.
Sheets of plywood are attached to the joists. The screw caps must be recessed into the sheet.
The joints between the plywood sheets, as well as the fastening points, are sealed with putty and polished.
The finished layer is cleaned of debris and dust.

Important: during installation, a compensation gap is left between the plywood and the wall.

Important: to ensure high stability, plywood sheets are laid with a slight offset from each other, in a checkerboard pattern.

Self-leveling mixtures

The use of self-leveling floors to level a wooden base is rarely used, as it contains a number of disadvantages:

relative complexity of the work
more than 1 person is required for pouring;
the weight of the structure increases. This is especially critical for old houses with unreliable floors;
Laying the laminate is carried out only when the self-leveling floors are completely dry; this may take more than 7 days depending on the thickness of the layer.

However, despite all the shortcomings, the finished surface turns out to be perfectly smooth. Therefore, this method is still used in some cases, for example, in new houses with solid floors.

Steps for installing a self-leveling floor on a wooden floor

The gap between the wall and the floor is sealed with a compensator, for example cork. This is necessary to leave a degree of freedom for the wood to expand, while creating a flat surface when pouring.
The floor is treated with water-repellent and antiseptic solutions.
A polyethylene film is laid over the wooden floor in an overlapping manner, overlapping the walls. The seams are connected with tape.
A damper tape is attached to the walls over the polyethylene to compensate for stress in the self-leveling floor and prevent the formation of cracks.
According to the instructions, the potting mixture is diluted.
The resulting homogeneous composition is evenly distributed onto the base. To obtain a smooth surface, it is necessary to eliminate air bubbles. This is done using a needle roller or special shoes for laying self-leveling floors. Elimination of bubbles must be done immediately after pouring, before the mixture has time to set, so during installation it is more convenient to work together.
The finishing layer is laid after the floor has completely dried, after about 7 days. You can check dryness as follows: place polyethylene on the surface and press it tightly on all sides or stick it with tape. Leave it like this overnight. If there is no condensation on the polyethylene in the morning, then the floor is ready for further installation work.

Important: when choosing self-leveling floors, preference should be given to those that are suitable in combination with wooden floors. See information on the packaging.

Stage of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

There are 2 main methods of laying laminate:

Straight.
Diagonally.

The first one is more common, since this option is more economical in terms of efficient use of material (less scraps remain). In addition, straight installation is faster and easier. This method will be discussed here. You can learn more about laying laminate diagonally in one of our articles.

Before installation, the laminate must rest for 48 hours with the packs placed horizontally. This process must be carried out in the room in which the coating will be used. During this time, the laminate will get used to humidity and temperature, and excess internal stress in the material will decrease.

Installation tools

We use a standard set of tools:

Wood saw or jigsaw.
Roulette.
Square/protractor for measuring angles.
Pencil for marking panels.
Hammer or mallet to adjust adjacent lamellas.
A tamping block to prevent damage to the panel locks when tamping.
A stationery knife for cutting the backing material.
Scotch tape for connecting adjacent substrate tracks.
A clamp is a metal clamp with a thin edge. Used to tamp a row on panels located near the wall.
Drill and feather drills for creating holes for pipes.

A more complete list of tools, including special devices, can be found in one of our articles.

Calculation of the required amount of laminate per room

The calculation is made based on the area of the room. In the most trivial example, when the shape of the room is rectangular, calculating the area is not difficult. In the case of more complex shapes, the approximate area is determined using a drawing of the room.

In addition to the size of the room, the amount of material is also affected by the installation method - for the diagonal method, 10-15% more laminate is spent.

Laying the substrate

The technology of laying laminate flooring requires a substrate that performs several functions at once:

acts as a shock-absorbing layer, reduces the load on the locking connections;
reduces footstep noise and squeaks;
additionally levels the base and reduces unevenness of wooden floors or plywood.

The entire first row is laid sequentially. The last bar of the row is cut to the required size and also installed in the row.

Using a clamp, the row is tapped. To do this, the clamp is installed in the gap between the last plank and the wall. Tapping is done by hitting the wide part of the metal bracket with a hammer or mallet.

Laying the second row begins from the side of the last plank of the second row.

After laying the second row, the entire row is tapped using a hammer and mallet. To do this, a wooden block is applied to the outer part of the lamella, on which light but confident taps are made. The block is necessary to prevent the lock from breaking.

This is how all the rows are laid out. The last row uses slats cut to the required size. Each plank is cut separately without a single stencil, since the shape of the room is rarely geometrically correct. After laying all the planks, the entire row is tapped using a clamp.

The spacer wedges are removed.

The baseboard is being installed.