Laying tongue and groove floor boards. Everything about laying floorboards - from the choice of materials to installation technology

The floorboard usually has tongues on the side edges; its installation is somewhat more complicated than that of a regular non-tongue board, but it ensures durable reliable connection. Floorboard laying technique and volume preparatory work depend on the base on which it is laid.

Methods for laying floorboards

The support for the floorboard can be:

Concrete base
Old wooden floor
Logs installed on any base
Bearers wooden structures(beams) of interfloor and attic floors
Sheet plywood screed

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

To attach the board to the base, use:

When laying on joists - screws or nails
When laying on a plywood base - screws or glue and screws

Floorboards are usually laid in a straight line, parallel to the walls. In rooms, installation is carried out perpendicular to the wall with a window, in rooms with high traffic - parallel to the direction of movement. The floorboard can be laid either staggered or without displacing the elements. When laying boards offset, they must be cut into fragments of the required length so that the ends are strictly perpendicular to the other edges.

Important points

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

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

In the absence of a moisture meter, the moisture content of the board can be assessed by a number of indirect signs. If the packaging film fogs up from the inside, the board is too damp, excess humidity It can also be felt by touch with the palm of your hand. Dry boards make a noise when tapped. ringing sound and have a slight shine, when wet they respond with a dull sound and have a matte tint.

Laying on joists

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

Preparation

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

Logs are also necessarily treated with an antiseptic; they are usually attached to the base using anchor bolts, less often fixed with mastic. Minimum distance between the joists for laying solid board– 50 cm, jointed – 40 cm, the thicker the board, the larger the step can be. The joists must be installed perpendicular to the direction of laying the floorboards.

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

Laying

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

The first board is laid with a distance of 1-2 cm from the wall. A similar gap should be left around the entire perimeter to compensate for temperature expansion. Possible installation with both tongue and groove to the wall
After attaching the first board to the joists, the second one is moved towards it, the tenon is inserted into the groove, the second board is hammered through the block with a mallet until there is a gap of no more than 1 mm between the floorboards; wedges can be used for maximum compaction
If the length of the boards is not enough to cover the entire room, or they are laid staggered, the joints must be in the middle of the logs, this must be taken into account when cutting
The last board is sawn to width in such a way that after its installation the necessary compensation gap is formed. A clamp is used to tamp it

If the tongue has an imperfect shape, burrs are preventing the connection, they need to be sanded. The connection may deteriorate due to slight curvature of the boards; in this case, the tenons and grooves are coated with glue and the boards are pressed using a clamp; the ends are also glued. If insufficiently dry boards are laid, only every 4th or 5th floorboard is attached to the joists. After about six months, this fastener is removed, and the boards are installed according to all the rules.

Laying a tongue-and-groove floorboard has much in common with a Lock type, only laminate cannot be laid directly on the joists; a solid base is needed under it. Another important difference is that the boards are additionally secured with hardware. Self-tapping screws are used as fastening elements, the length of which is twice the thickness of the board, or nails three times longer than its thickness.

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

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

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

The fasteners are screwed (hammered) at an angle of 45° into the tongue; this method is better suited for fairly thick boards. Hidden fastening gives floors a more aesthetic appearance, but is less reliable
Countersink the holes with a countersink, recess the caps deeper and cover the top with sealant

Laying on plywood flooring

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

A concrete base with a moisture content of no more than 3% is waterproofed and, if necessary, unevenness is eliminated. Sheets of plywood are cut into strips 40-60 cm wide, laid staggered, with a distance of 10 mm from the walls, a gap of 3 mm between the sheets. For fastening to the base, screws and dowels are used in the amount of 15 pieces per m².

Laying on an old floor is acceptable if it is strong enough. Its audit is carried out in advance, rotted, destroyed floorboards are replaced, loose ones are fixed, if necessary, protrusions are cut off with a plane, the base is sanded and dust-free. It is advisable to lay a foam polyethylene backing on top of the subfloor for thermal and waterproofing.

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

If the plank subfloor can withstand a significant load, and the direction of laying the finishing coating will be perpendicular to the direction of the subfloor floorboards, the board can be laid directly on them. Fastening is carried out by analogy with logs.

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

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

Short boards up to 50 cm can be glued with almost any composition (epoxy, polyurethane, dispersed, soluble)
For large-sized boards, plastic and durable compositions are suitable - based on MS polymers and polyurethane
For exotic and moisture-sensitive wood species (teak, lapacho, beech), water-based dispersed compositions are not suitable

Installation with glue is carried out in accordance with the instructions for the specific adhesive composition.

Regardless of the base on which the floorboard was laid, final stage needs to be sealed with putty minor defects(if available), sand the coating. Sanding by hand is also acceptable, but this is a more labor-intensive process. After sanding and cleaning the surface, skirting boards are installed around the perimeter. Depending on the type of board, the floor is painted or covered with oil or varnish.

Video

Arrangement of solid wood floors along joists from installation of joists to finishing coatings

Bottom line

The floorboard can be laid on joists or a solid base. On top concrete screed A plywood backing is required; the board can be laid on a strong and even rough wooden floor without a backing, but the direction of the rough and finishing floorboards must be mutually perpendicular. Any base under the floorboard must be level, without differences in height.

It is important to lay a well-dried board on a dry base with waterproofing, observe the temperature and humidity conditions during the installation process, and do not forget about compensation gaps around the perimeter. The boards are connected to each other using tongues, and fastened to the base using self-tapping screws (less often nails). On a solid plywood base it is possible adhesive installation, which does not exclude the use of self-tapping screws.

Depending on the type of wood, tongue and groove flooring can be budget option(spruce, pine) or used in luxury interiors (oak, larch). This type of flooring increases the construction budget, but ensures a highly environmentally friendly design.

The quality and dimensions of profile lumber are regulated by the domestic standard GOST 8242. It indicates what a tongue and groove board is - this is a profiled product “Floor covering board”, marked DP or BP (floor covering block).

Rice. 2 tongue and groove board according to GOST 8242

The main requirements for a tongue and groove are:

Marking	Dimensions, cm			Wood type
Marking	thickness	width	tongue	Wood type
DP-21	2,1	6,4 – 14		coniferous and deciduous, except poplar and linden
DP-27	2,7	6,4 – 14	tongue 6 x 6 mm, groove 7 x 7 mm	coniferous and deciduous, except poplar and linden, alder, aspen only for residential premises
DP-35	3,5	6,4 – 14	tongue 6 x 9 mm, groove 7 x 10 mm	coniferous and deciduous, except poplar, linden, alder and aspen
BP-27	2,7	4 – 6	tongue 5 x 6 mm, groove 6 x 7 mm	coniferous and deciduous, except poplar and linden, alder and aspen - only for living rooms

On the groove side, the longitudinal end of the board is beveled in such a way that when connecting the lock, the lower edge does not reach the previous row by 1 mm.

End processing to ensure full fit of the ridge into the groove.

A recess on the back of the board with a depth of 2 mm (distanced 15 mm from each edge) is made only on the DP-27 and DP-35 tongue and groove. It is not on the BP-27 block and the DP-21 board. On wide lumber it is necessary to compensate internal stresses and ensuring convection under the floor.

Important! In the building materials markets of the regions of the Russian Federation, you can find tongue and groove piles of almost any size, including those with a wedge-shaped lock, board thicknesses of 3.8 cm, 4 cm, 4.2 cm, up to 40 cm wide. This lumber is produced according to the specifications of local enterprises and GOST standards they don't match.

How to choose lumber

The choice of floor covering is significantly influenced by the installation of tongue and groove boards using existing technology. An individual developer needs to take into account the quality of lumber, size, type of wood and the method of processing it for use.

Quality

Standard laying technology involves fixing every 4-5 rows of boards to the joists with nails or self-tapping screws. Therefore, sheet piles with minor defects can be laid between them without serious consequences. The main quality parameters of a wooden floor covering are:

humidity – 12%, in practice you can find boards packed in film chamber drying with humidity 8%;
roughness – 500 microns for back surfaces and ends, 200 microns for painting, 120 microns for opening with varnish;
integrity - due to the above logging conditions, a wide sheet pile (20 - 40 cm), manufactured according to the specifications of a specific manufacturer, can be assembled using technology furniture board with extensions along the length using toothed locks, boards 6 – 14 cm wide are always produced in one piece.

When purchasing certified lumber, the number of defects (wane, wormholes, knots) is controlled at the factory and complies with the permissible regulations of GOST 8242.

The grade of tongue and groove affects the quality of the interior.

Tongue pile is a profiled product for floor cladding; the raw material for its production is edged board. The manufacturer chooses the lumber grade B, A or Extra with minimum quantity defects in wood floor boards.

Dimensions

For most individual developers, it is preferable to lay the floor from tongue-and-groove boards with a width of 20 cm or more, the length of which completely corresponds to the size of one of the sides of the room, in order to reduce the number of longitudinal seams and not join them along the length.

Longitudinal joints in small quantities are almost invisible.

However, this is too expensive for the budget for finishing and operating floors, since when laying solid boards along the length of the room, cutting waste sharply increases, short trims cannot be used in partitions, rafter systems. Which increases the construction budget.

However, knowing how to properly fasten the tongue and groove on longitudinal joints with your own hands, you can ensure a normal coating life and a sufficient design of the floor covering. The above-mentioned GOST 8242 allows for the production of sheet piles with a length of 2.1 m, usually within 4 m for hardwood and 6 m for spruce and pine.

It is very important to choose the correct tongue thickness:

tongue-and-groove floor board DP-21 should be laid on joists in increments of 30 cm maximum or on a continuous subfloor;
DP-35 tongue and groove and BP-27 beam can be mounted on beams without a subfloor in increments of 60 cm maximum.

Length is less critical, since for most standard projects 4 m of products is enough without longitudinal joints.

In this case, the following nuances must be taken into account:

perfectly straight trunks only coniferous trees, therefore, a board made of spruce and pine has a low cost compared to hardwood, whose trunks are shorter and have a natural curvature along the length;
however, spruce and pine need to be treated more often with paints and varnishes during operation; this wood is less wear-resistant;
from the trunks of cedar and larch, which are classified as coniferous species, long, smooth boards are obtained, by default impregnated with a natural antiseptic, highly wear-resistant, but they are less common and are classified as rare/valuable species by default;
tongue and groove with a wide face (bottom and top surface of the board) has the original texture of wood pattern, but is more susceptible to warping and drying out, therefore the service life and the period between repairs are sharply reduced flooring.

Laying base

Before laying any floor covering, it is necessary to provide a rigid base, the strength of which is higher facing material. This is necessary to distribute uneven operational loads on the elements power frame. In addition, factors to consider:

Taking into account the size and dimensions of the room, the beams should be positioned as follows:

screed or reinforced concrete floor slab - along a short or long wall taking into account that the tongue spreads across these structural elements, that is, if you install logs along the short side of the room, the length of the board may not be enough for the entire size of its long side, and longitudinal joints will appear, reducing the quality of the interior;
overlap along beams - there is no choice of options here, the logs are always mounted at right angles to the beams, and the tongue and groove across the joists, that is, along the length of the lower beams.

The diagram of the floor pie along the beams looks like this:

hemming - short boards or sheet material, laid between the beams on a tiled beam, less often a mesh is used, fixed with self-tapping screws to the beam;
waterproofing membrane - covers the sheathing and beams according to the cross-sectional profile of the floor structure (diagram in the lower figure);
insulation – basalt or glass wool, ecowool, extruded polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam;
vapor barrier membrane - immediately on top of the thermal insulation with a continuous carpet;
subfloor - flat board (edged or tongue-and-groove), OSB boards, chipboard, fiberboard, multilayer plywood.

Important! Instead of a subfloor, a subsystem of 5 x 10 cm boards on edge can be used as logs in increments of 0.3 - 0.6 m, if the spans between the beams are too large.

Laying technology on logs

After preparing the base, the horizontal surface of the joist or subfloor should be level by default. The first, every fifth and last row is installed with rigid fixation to the joists. The remaining boards are simply secured with a tongue/groove lock.

Board processing

It is impossible to saturate the floor covering with special liquids after laying it from below. Therefore, the entire board should be treated before laying with the following compounds:

fire retardant - imparting fire-resistant properties to wood;
antiseptic – protection against rotting;
fire bioprotection – complex impregnation containing both drugs;

When using impregnation with color, untreated areas are immediately visible.

Depending on the specific composition protective liquid is treated by brush or spray.

First row

Installation begins from the wall, ensuring a 5 mm ventilated gap. Only solid tongue and groove is used without longitudinal splicing, the length of which is equal to the size of the wall. The main nuances are:

After cutting the board to length, the end should be treated with fire protection before installation.

Important! The first board must be laid with a tenon against the wall. However, a narrow baseboard may not be enough to mask the gap, so the lock is cut off along its entire length.

Next 4 rows

To reduce the finishing budget in these rows, it is allowed to use tongues joined along the length, always with ligation in adjacent rows. Installation of the treated board is carried out using tongue and groove locks, the quality is controlled visually. There should be no gaps between adjacent rows; all boards should fit snugly against the joists.

Fifth row

For rigid fixation, clamps are attached to the logs of the next fifth row at a distance of 3 - 5 cm behind it at intervals of 1 - 1.2 m.

Possible longitudinal cracks in the flooring are eliminated due to expansion:

between the last tongue and the clamp, two wedges are driven in on each lag alternately;
installation is carried out using self-tapping screws in a groove at an angle of 45 - 50 degrees;
the head of the screw is completely recessed into the wood so as not to interfere with the next ridge.

Important! Without tightening the floor covering, installation will be carried out incorrectly, and a wedge may form near the opposite wall.

If the boards are perfectly flat and have a minimum moisture content of 8%, instead of tightening, you can tap each row with a hammer. To do this, a 30 cm piece is sawn off from a solid tongue, which is enough to be attached with a tenon to the groove to provide an impact surface without deforming the locks of the floor covering.

Tapping with a hammer.

The last row

At the final stage, installation is similar to the first row with minor additions:

there is no need to cut the lock, since the groove is inside the tongue;
There is not enough space to attach the clamp, so the boards are pulled together with a pry bar from the wall or a special device;
The last board should be laid after fitting; if its width is not enough, a narrow piece is cut from a solid tongue and groove, put on it with a lock and mounted together with this board.

Important! The thickness of profiled flooring elements may vary, even within the same package. The floor surface will need to be treated in the future. grinder or scraping.

Junction nodes

The main problems for an individual developer usually arise when covering the floor with tongue and groove in one room, and not in the entire house. A complex junction unit is the threshold. Therefore, depending on the direction of installation, they are used following methods fastenings:

A door frame with a threshold solves the problem of joining floor coverings at different levels.

Advice! The baseboard is attached to the walls, not the flooring in any case.

Thus, a tongue and groove board is the easiest to self-installation flooring option. Almost all necessary tool available in the arsenal home handyman default.

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The tongue and groove board is usually used for finishing floor. It is made from solid pine or spruce. There is a tongue and groove on one edge of the tongue-and-groove board, and a groove for it on the other. This greatly simplifies the installation of the material. The boards mounted by connecting the groove and tongue form a single solid surface. After installation, the floor surface is treated (sanded and varnished) to acquire an attractive appearance and extend its service life.

Exist various sizes tongue and groove boards for ease of installation. You can find mounting units from 2 to 6 meters in length, from 9.6 to 15 cm in width and thickness in the range of 2.5-4 cm. After production, the boards are dried to 10-15% humidity and hermetically packaged. Thanks to this, you can immediately begin its installation without prior preparation.

Installation procedure

The material is laid in a certain order. You need to keep it indoors for 3 to 14 days after delivery so that the humidity in the room and the moisture in the wood are equal. The duration of the holding period depends on the season of repair work. After a few days you can remove it packaging film and, if necessary, cut the material to length.

After cutting, the board must be laid on logs covered with insulation or film. The material is left in this position for a few more days to acclimatize. Only after this can the material be laid.

It is not recommended to use glue or any other synthetic substances during installation. To secure the board, self-tapping screws are used, with which the floor covering is screwed to each joist. The distance between the logs should not exceed 59 cm.

The first installation unit is located with the tongue-and-groove side facing the wall.

A small gap of 1-2 cm is left between them. The floor will be ventilated through this gap. In addition, if the floor's humidity increases over time and the board expands, this gap will prevent the floor surface from deforming. The boards should not be concave. You should make sure of this before starting work.

To secure it to the joists, it is best to use wood screws 5.5-6 cm long. They need to be screwed into the groove at an angle. You must first drill the holes with a drill with a diameter of 2.5 or 3 mm. Thanks to the hole, the groove will not crack when screwed in. Due to their small thickness, drills for this work break quite quickly, so it is recommended to stock up on them for future use.

The second board is attached to the first. It is unlikely that you will be able to perfectly match them to each other using a mallet, so you should not be overzealous with it. For best result you can use a wooden wedge, which you need to drive through the entire board, while screwing in the screw.

The fastest and convenient way- This is the use of a car jack. But in this case, it is necessary to protect the material from damage. For this purpose, small planks are used, which need to be rested against the following mounting elements. When using a jack, the use of a mallet is not required.

Thus, the installation of a floor made of tongue and groove boards is quite simple. You can install the flooring elements yourself. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the material.

Flooring is a long-awaited step in the transition from the state of “when will this construction end” to the state of “it seems it will end soon.” The premises take on a more or less normal appearance, and it is easier to estimate areas and volumes. On open roads, verandas, and utility buildings, plank floors are laid from edged boards. But there are cracks in it, which, in this case, is acceptable. In residential premises, a special tongue and groove board is usually used. Its installation has its own characteristics, which we will discuss in this article. So, laying a tongue and groove floor - details and techniques.

What is a tongue and groove board and why is it better?

A tongue and groove board is a board that has a groove cut along one side and a tenon along the other. When laying, the tenon fits into the groove, creating more strong connection, excluding “blowing”. And this is a plus compared to edged or deck boards.

This is what a tongue and groove floor board looks like

Another plus is related to technological process: a tongue-and-groove board is “adjusted” to its geometry by cutting off the sidewalls, sanding the front side, and cutting longitudinal grooves on the back side for better ventilation. Then a tenon and groove are formed on the treated sidewalls using a milling cutter. After this, the tongue and groove board is ready. With such processing, there is certainly a difference (especially in low-grade goods), but not so great and sanding is needed, but not to the same extent as when using edged lumber.

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

How to choose quality material

Installing a tongue and groove floor begins with choosing the material. First let's talk about sizes. The width of the floorboard varies from 70 mm to 200 mm. If you choose one that is too narrow, it will take a lot of time to install; if it is too wide, there is a very high probability that when it dries, the edges of the board will rise and the floor will turn out ribbed. The problem can be solved by grinding, but this requires additional time and money. Therefore, most often they take a tongue-and-groove board of medium width - 130-150 cm.

The choice of floorboard thickness depends on the distance between the joists

The thickness of the tongue and groove board is from 18 mm to 45 mm. It is not profitable to lay a thin one - so that it does not sag when laid on the joists, they (the joists) must be installed often. Therefore, lumber with a thickness of 28 mm, 36 mm, 45 mm is often used for flooring.

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

Choosing a wood species

The floorboard is made from pine and spruce, larch, oak or ash. Pine and spruce are not expensive, but their wood is soft. Traces remain from heels, fallen objects, and are pressed through furniture. In places of active movement, “trails” are formed over time. The situation can be saved by covering with wear-resistant varnish in several layers. If this option suits you, it’s a good choice.

Pine or spruce tongue and groove boards under varnish last a long time

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

Oak and ash are very beautiful hardwoods with dense, wear-resistant wood. But the price for them is completely inhumane. As in the previous version, floors made of these types of wood can be used without coating or with more gentle compositions.

Type of tongue and groove board and its characteristics

All lumber is divided into four grades:

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

Humidity

For comfortable installation of tongue and groove flooring, choose kiln-dried wood. In this case, after sawing, the raw material is kept in drying chambers, in which it is brought to a humidity of 8-14%. Such material is unlikely to dry out after installation - this is almost impossible, but the cost is approximately 50% higher compared to naturally drying material. This is due to equipment costs ( drying chambers) and fuel for drying.

Kiln dry tongue and groove board packed in polyethylene

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

What happens if you lay a floor made of tongue-and-groove boards with high humidity? The first thing you have to deal with is the formation of cracks as it shrinks. After six months or a year, the floor will have to be re-laid, removing the resulting cracks. Secondly, when drying, cracks often appear and the wood is twisted in different directions. Sometimes these curvatures can be compensated for by pressing the board harder, sometimes not. So you have to keep a couple of boards “in reserve”: to add when reassembling from shrinkage and to replace severely crumpled fragments.

Geometry

When choosing, be sure to pay attention to geometry. In addition to the fact that the thickness and width of the board must match, and there should be no significant curvature, you need to pay attention to the correct formation of the tongue and groove:

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

Installation of tongue and groove flooring

Due to the possible shrinkage of wood, laying a tongue and groove floor is carried out in two stages. The first time, only every 4-5 planks are attached; after 6-18 months, the coating is sorted out, eliminating the resulting cracks. For the second time, each board is already attached to each joist.

If the premises are residential, the wood will dry out over the course of a year and lose its attractiveness. appearance. To prevent this from happening, the tongue-and-groove board is fastened for the first time back side up. When re-installing, turn it face up. We have a clean coating.

Laying a tongue-and-groove floor on joists is the most acceptable option

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

Mounting method and fastening

Laying a floor made of tongue and groove boards can be done using nails or self-tapping screws. The nails are made of flexible steel and can withstand significant loads. When you “twist” the boards, they bend, but do not break. Only there is another problem: removing them without damaging the wood is very difficult, and sometimes impossible. And it is necessary to remove fasteners when replacing boards that are too curved or when reassembling the floor after drying the wood. That’s why they use self-tapping screws more often, and not black ones, but yellow ones. Black ones are made of brittle hardened steel. Under lateral loads that occur when the boards “twist,” the caps simply fly off. So, to lay a tongue and groove floor, it is better to use yellow self-tapping screws.

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

When using a hidden fastening, the self-tapping screw must be installed so that it does not interfere with the installation of the next board. To do this, pre-drill a hole (the diameter of the drill is equal to the diameter of the head), and then install self-tapping screws. The dimensions of the fasteners depend on the thickness of the board, but most often they are used with a length of 70-75 mm and a diameter of 4-4.5 mm. Such long length it is needed because during a hidden fastening the screw goes in at an angle, which turns out to be not very deep.

If you still decide to do reliable fastening in the face, it can be made less noticeable. This is achieved by deepening the head into the wood (you can pre-drill a hole). The resulting recess is sealed with wood putty and sanded. The second option is to cut out the chop, install it in the recess and also sand it. But all this requires a significant amount of time and skills, so when installing tongue-and-groove boards they prefer to use hidden ways fastenings

General flooring rules

The first row is laid with a gap of 5-7 mm from the wall and secured at a distance of about 1 cm from the edge, into the front surface - into the face. This place will be covered with a plinth, so this is possible. If the “tenon” installation method is chosen, the groove is turned towards the wall, and vice versa.

Laying a wooden floor with your own hands: you will need a hammer, screwdriver, drill

The last board is also laid so that there is some gap to the wall. This can be achieved using pads and wedges that are driven between the wall and the last board. It is also attached “into the face”, retreating about 1 cm from the edge.

How to tighten floor boards

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

On right traditional way ties for crooked floorboards

Various devices are used to screed floorboards. For example, a support bar and several wedges nailed at some distance. This method is good for everyone, except that you have to screw the support every time. During rough laying, when only 4-5 boards are attached, this is still normal - you can pull together several pieces at a time. But if you need to fasten each one, it takes a lot of time. That’s why they use clamps, special staples, and other devices. The clamps are simply fixed to the joists, the staples are hammered into them, after which ordinary wooden wedges are used, which hold the covering together, eliminating cracks. Both options take less time.

Clamps and a special bracket install faster

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

Factory version of the device for screeding plank floors

When working, make sure that the tongue-and-groove flooring does not “go away”. This can be seen if you look at the laid floor from the side: the flooring may bend along the edges in one direction. To prevent this, periodically measure the distance from the board being laid to the walls in several places, and adjust its position to acceptable values.

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

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

Very interesting way For quick installation. But in this case, laying the floor from a tongue and groove board is done by two people: one presses, the second installs fasteners. You just have to pre-drill holes for the desired width of lumber.

Can laying a tongue and groove floor avoid this step? Maybe if you buy “extra” class material or lay meter-long (or more) pieces. On a meter length, if there are gaps, they are small and can be easily corrected without tools.

In modern renovations, wooden floors are made mainly from tongue and groove boards. This allows you to avoid many disadvantages such as creaking, cracks, changes, etc., inherent in floors made of regular boards. If you also decide to make a floor from a tongue-and-groove board, then in our article you can learn how to choose a tongue-and-groove board, how to install it and how to repair floors made of this material.

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

Manufacturing

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

Advantages

A tongue and groove board has a number of advantages compared to a regular edged board:

The main advantage of a tongue and groove board is the tongue-and-groove connection, thanks to which the floor elements are securely connected to each other and attached to the joists. The result is a perfectly flat surface, without cracks, differences or defects, and does not require additional sanding.
Tongue and groove boards are produced in the same size, so there is no need to adjust the elements, which greatly facilitates installation.
The boards are made from already dried wood, so there is no risk of cracking and deformation of the boards during installation.
During the manufacturing process, special recesses are made on the inside of the tongue-and-groove board for air circulation. This allows you to avoid the formation of mold and rotting of the boards in case of high humidity under the floor.
The tongue and groove board is produced with an already planed surface, this in turn allows you to save installation time.
Thanks to all the advantages listed above, the installation of tongue-and-groove boards is so easy that you can do it yourself.

Features of choice

When choosing floorboards, consider the load factor on the coating. For floors with heavy loads, buy tongue-and-groove boards made of hardwood: oak, alder, mahogany, birch. If a small load is expected on the floor, then it is quite possible to get by with cheaper ones. coniferous species: pine, cedar, spruce.

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

Not all board sellers comply with the storage conditions for lumber. For this reason, the boards you purchase may end up being wet. To save yourself from a bad purchase, check the moisture content of the wood. This can be done using a moisture meter or traditional methods:

- Knock on wood; wet boards will make a dull sound; therefore, the drier the board, the louder the knock will be.
- Inspect the board for any escaping resin. If there are droplets of resin on the surface, then most likely it is dry.
- Run your palm over the surface of the board. If you feel even the slightest moisture, then you should not buy such a board.

- There are more reliable way checking the board for moisture, but it requires a drill. Drill through the board; if the wood is wet, steam will be generated during drilling, and instead of dry sawdust, wet fibers will fall out.

And the last rule, in no case, do not buy boards from stacks located under open air. Even if the stack is covered with cellophane or tarpaulin, this does not protect the boards from increased air humidity during precipitation, and they may end up wet.

When buying a tongue and groove board, ask the seller to show you a certificate of conformity.

Installation of tongue and groove boards

Making floors from tongue and groove boards is best done after all finishing works. The temperature in the room where the boards are installed should not be less than five degrees Celsius. Air humidity should be no more than 30-20%.

As mentioned above, the material from which the tongue and groove board is made is selected depending on the expected load on the floor surface. When there is a heavy load on the surface, boards made of hardwood are used. In rooms with low traffic, coniferous boards will be sufficient.

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

Installation of logs

Installation of logs is carried out on concrete base or on beam floors. To install joists and boards you will need:

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

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

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

Installation of boards

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

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

Install the remaining boards this way. Try to recess the screw heads 1-2 millimeters into the board so that they do not interfere with the tenons entering the grooves.
Installation of the last board often involves the need to saw it longitudinally. You can reduce the width of the board using a hacksaw or an electric jigsaw.
Do not forget that along the entire perimeter of the coating, you need to leave compensation gaps of 1 to 2 centimeters.
If you are laying boards that are smaller than the size of the room, then it is better to join them not in one line, but in a checkerboard pattern, this will give the coating greater strength.
Since the door threshold bears the greatest load, it is recommended to install additional logs in this place.

You can also see how to install tongue and groove boards in the video:

Finishing the floor

The final finishing of the floor is best done after all repair work has been completed. Otherwise, there is a risk of damaging the decorative layer of the coating.
For finishing you will need:

Putty knife.
Vibratory and belt sanders.
Sandpaper.
Putty.
A set of brushes or a spray gun.
Solvent.
Stain.
Water based varnish or acrylic base. If the floor is to be painted, then paint.
Vacuum cleaner.
Mop bucket and rag.

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

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

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

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

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

Please note that violation of the order of work and non-compliance with instructions when using paint and varnish materials, can lead to rapid wear of the coating, and in the worst case, to the need new finishes floor!

You can also find out how to coat a wooden floor with oil by watching the video:

Floor restoration and repair

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

Gaps between boards– occur due to the high moisture content in the boards during their installation. After the laid boards have completely dried, the wood contracts, resulting in the formation of cracks. Most effective way To eliminate this problem, this means dismantling the boards and their new styling on the logs. If the cracks are not large, you can cover them with putty.

Floor creaking- a very common problem that occurs due to friction of joists and boards against each other. Most often, floors begin to creak due to improper installation technology. Perhaps the joists were spaced too far apart, so the boards began to sag when walked and squeak. Another reason may be weak fastening of the boards to the joists. You can try to eliminate the cause of the squeak by screwing in additional screws; if this does not help, you will have to redo the floor again.

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

Appearance of resin on boards– caused by the final drying of the wood. To get rid of resin, just remove it with a spatula, sand the area where it appears, and if the floor is covered with varnish or paint, apply a new layer of coating.

Varnish peeling– can occur from contact with the surface large quantity water or due to applying varnish to wet wood. In any case, it is necessary to remove the old coating with a spatula and a sander, let the boards dry and apply new layers of varnish.

Rotting logs and inside boards - happens for a reason high humidity and insufficient air circulation under the floor. The problem will have to be solved by opening the floor, installing ventilation, replacing joists and rotten boards.

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