DIY adjustable floors. Construction of an adjustable plywood floor Types of adjustable floors

The adjustable floor is new technology, which will give you the opportunity to reduce your time on arranging flooring.

Just like any other technology, it has its pros and cons.

But this is precisely what constitutes a certain professionalism of specialists (builders), in order to be able to large number variations of the flooring structure itself, choose the one that will be truly ideal and optimal.

How does an adjustable floor work?

Mechanism

The completed flooring is installed under wooden joists (if you are using floorboards, of course), or on a solid OSB base (if you are using soft coverings or laminate) or sheets of so-called plywood.

Important! During the construction of absolutely any floors, the so-called load-bearing surface must be located in a horizontal position, this is mandatory.

Basically achieve this result using fixed joists is incredibly difficult; you often have to use various kinds linings and wedges for leveling the spatial position.

These wedges have the ability to creak or sag in case of incorrect and careless fixation, or simply fall out for other reasons. You cannot eliminate these problems without dismantling the coating area, and the dismantling itself is associated with huge losses of money and time.

These adjustable floors excel at leveling almost any uneven surface. In addition, the leveling mechanism itself will give you the opportunity to adjust the gap between the load-bearing base and the floor, and this will already make it possible to place various kinds of engineering networks in such areas.

Adjustable floors generally consist of metal studs, plywood sheets, plastic post bolts, or floor joists. Enough is being done a large number of modifications of regulatory systems, but such a fundamental difference between them is simply not detected.

With the help of threaded rotation, the connection itself runs very smoothly (raising or lowering structural elements); in this way, you can set the very base of the floors in the required position as accurately as possible.

There are several types of flooring (adjustable) in the world, let's take a closer look at them.

Types of adjustable floors

Adjustable floor with plastic adjustment mechanism

Features (characteristics)): Most can be realized assembled with separate kits or lags. Floors are installed much faster from the factory because they have threads in the joists, so there is no need to drill and mark holes.

The dimensions of the logs themselves are as follows: thirty by fifty millimeters, and the distance between the bolts is exactly forty centimeters. We recommend installing logs in increments of thirty/forty centimeters, exact value must be selected taking into account the maximum expected load on the floor itself.

Adjustable floor with metal adjustment device

Features (characteristics)): For plastic connections, metal studs with washers and nuts are used. They can withstand heavy loads, but working with them is quite difficult.

Adjustable floor on metal corners

Features (characteristics)): The plus in these corners is the stability of the logs themselves, you can create very complex designs floors while taking into account the layout of your rooms. The only negative is that the installation time increases quite a bit.
Not only logs, but also slabs can be adjusted.

The second option is used only for laminate flooring and soft flooring. You can use the second option for almost all types of completed floor coverings.

With your own hands

You also have the opportunity to make adjustable floors yourself, this option has its advantages. The main ones are quite large savings in money (lower cost), as well as the ability to select the parameters yourself, especially depending on the specific features of the application.

Also, if you wish, you can insulate the floor using adjustable floors, which is considered quite important in conditions of very high prices for energy resources themselves.

Installation technology

Adjustable logs with plastic bolts

For a load-bearing foundation, cement-sand or concrete screed, a special kit is used adjustable joists, made directly from the factory. We can tell you right away that this option is considered the most expensive for adjustable floors.

The first step will be measuring the room. This is necessary in order to determine how many joists are needed for a given room. If you are planning to make floors in a bathhouse, then know that they do not have a huge load; the distance between the logs should be up to forty-five centimeters.

The next step is to mark the distance between the lags on the screed. For at this moment A rope with blue is used, with the help of which the beating work will be done with great quality and, most importantly, quickly.

After this, the third step is to cut the joists to the required length. Basically, the length of the logs from the factory is about four hundred centimeters. You should think very carefully about how to mark the logs in order to minimize the amount of waste as much as possible.

The distance from the cutting line to the closest adjustment bolt must be at least one hundred millimeters. If the end is much closer than the above mark, then there is a risk of various cracks forming under load.

After this comes the fourth step, namely the decomposition of the lags around the intended lines. To install you will need:

• A special key for screwing in bolts;
• Screwdriver;
• Hammer;
• Chisel;
• Doboynik for fixing dowels;
• Drill with hammer drill.

Then you need to install the first joist in a vertical position - just screw the threaded hole into simple plastic bolts. After this, you will need to place the ends of the bolts on a line and then drill a hole in the base for the dowel itself.

The depth of such holes (for the dowel itself) should be approximately two by three centimeters, and should exceed its length. This is connected with the hole, since a certain amount of concrete almost always remains in it, but if you do not make a reserve in length in advance, then it will be problematic for you to completely hammer in the dowel.

The next step is to install the dowels, but do not push them all the way. The dowel should not resist the rotation of the bolts. Using a sufficiently long level, establish the correct and at the same time neat position of the lag. If your joist is already installed, and quite firmly, then simply firmly fix the dowel. It is worth continuing to install the logs one by one in places with marks, while monitoring the position of the marks with a level.

This installation algorithm, one might say, is offered to people by the manufacturers themselves, while most builders listen and apply this technology, mainly such builders are those who receive their wages every hour, not by output.

Those builders who earn money from production do it a little differently. To your question “How?” we'll tell you. Builders take a simple hydraulic level and hit the so-called zero level log on opposite walls (two).

After this, dowels or nails are driven into those areas, everything will depend on the material from which the wall will be made, after which the ropes are pulled. If the logs need to be connected, then three walls should be taken. The rope will only be tensioned when all the logs have already been placed in their fixation areas.

After that everything goes very quickly and easily. Absolutely every lag is installed along that rope, the main thing is that it should not touch it, it is necessary to constantly check it so that the gap between the lag and the rope is as minimal as possible. That's all, with this method you can achieve a very high speed of installation of an adjustable floor, and you can also increase the quality of this floor.

In general, there is a direct relationship between the number of measured planes and accuracy. Now we will explain to you. There is a fairly high probability that the position of the first lag will deviate from the very low level by about one millimeter.

By real standards, this is quite normal. It was for this purpose that a template was produced - if you need to cut off a fairly large number of identical parts, and at the same time do not take measurements from each ready-made part in turn. In this case, the rope will act as a template.

The seventh step will be cutting down, namely, with a wide sharp chisel it will be necessary to cut down the protruding area plastic bolt.

Installation of logs on metal plates

The main advantage of these floors is the increased stability of the fastening due to an increase in the area of ​​the lower support. There is also a drawback, namely, the deadlines increase, that is, the inability to continue and generally do the work yourself.

The logs themselves must be fixed to the U-shaped plates using self-tapping screws, while the process of adjusting the height of the logs themselves must be carried out using a series of holes on both sides of the plate, made in a vertical position.

Installation of logs on iron studs

Adjustable floors of this type can be installed independently, and we will tell you specifically about this option. Select the dimensions of the logs taking into account the characteristics of the floor and the greatest loads. Iron studs with zinc coating, optimal caliber 6÷8 mm. To produce the system, studs, nuts and washers are useful.

Step 1. Beat off parallel strips on the supporting base at a distance of 30÷50 centimeters. The greater the distance, the stronger the logs you need to choose.

Step 2. Make calculations based on the number of joists, washers, nuts and studs. The recommended distance between the studs is 30÷40 cm. Prepare all the materials used, additional components and equipment for performing the work.

Step 3. Mark the holes in the joists for the studs; all of them must be located on strips of symmetry. In the designated places, first drill a through hole Ø6 mm for the stud (if the caliber of the stud is different, then the corresponding hole must be drilled). WITH outside drill out the joists feather drill hole for washer caliber. The depth of the hole must exceed the required sum of the height of the nut and the thickness of the washer by a certain number of millimeters.

There is a second method for marking the holes in front of the anchor, but it takes more time, but, despite all of the above, it eliminates the possibility of errors.

Everything is done like this: first you need to mark only the last 2 holes in front of the anchor, screw them into the studs, and secure the joist on 2 nuts in a suitable location. Now during the upcoming marking the log will not move anywhere.

In this arrangement, it is possible to immediately drill holes in front of the anchor to the full depth. The work is completed - the joist is removed, all the studs are screwed into the space.

This function will need to be done with each joist, labor productivity is minimized by a factor of 2. You yourself must make the final conclusion on the marking method, taking into account the position of the concrete floor and the experiment of performing a similar family of tasks.

Step 5. Screw a nut onto any stud and place a washer. It is better to immediately make your choice and place their location according to the height. Screw the studs into the anchors tightly.

Step 6. Place the logs on the studs one by one, using a wrench of the required volume by turning the bottom nut left/right to straighten the state of the logs. Keep in mind that the thread pitch of iron nuts is much smaller than plastic ones.

Step 7 The logs are exposed - it is allowed to begin fixing them. Use a washer and nut and insert them into the top hole.

Important! Tighten the top nut with great force, even a slight decrease can be a prerequisite for the appearance of nasty squeaks while walking on the floor covering.

Step 8. Cut off the protruding ends of the studs with a grinder. Be careful with the lags, do not damage the unity of the lumber with the saw blade.

Installation of adjustable floors with a straightening board

Rough flooring is only suitable for laminate or soft flooring. For installation, you must purchase a set of commercially produced parts.

Step 1. Make a mark on a sheet of plywood where the bushings will be installed, and drill holes of this diameter. The bushings must be no more than 30 cm. Drill the holes vertically; if the boundaries are placed before the roll, it will be necessary to redo them, which will significantly waste time and increase the installation time of the adjustable floor.

Step 2. Insert threaded bushings into the holes on the bottom side, secure them with small self-tapping screws; when adjusting the height of the floor, they should not rotate in any way. Manufacturers provide 4 places for fixing the bushings, so many are not necessary at all, it is enough to fix it with 2 self-tapping screws.

Step 3. Make markings on the floor, take care so that the sheets do not have to be “cut” into small pieces. It is better to depict it on paper, think over a number of varieties, and only later will you be able to choose the best one.

Step 4. Screw in all the plastic bolts, turn the sheet of plywood over to the desired position. Screw the bolts in the same number of turns. After installing the main sheet of plywood, pay attention to what level the bolts are placed. Try to screw the bolts into the next sheet of plywood in the same location.

Step 5. When using a special wrench, screw in/unscrew the bolts until the sheet of plywood is in a horizontal position at the desired height. Continuously check its condition in several planes with a level.

It should be borne in mind that the fastening components to concrete base are not strengthened in any way, the flooring comes out “floating”. This should be taken as an interest when deciding on the installation of flooring in any given room.

Step 6. After installing the outermost plywood sheet, test the condition of the subfloor again. Do not forget that the regulation characteristics do not exceed 2÷3 cm. If concrete base has very large bulges, it will be necessary to level it again.

Just recently about adjustable floors no one heard, they could only grin when they heard such a phrase. However, today everyone is talking about them, studying them and even trying to install them without the involvement of expensive hired workers.

We will lift the veil of secrecy for all those who have never heard of this type of flooring, providing the necessary information in this article, and we will tell you how to make adjustable floors.

Advantages of adjustable coverings

The installation of adjustable floors has received Lately widespread in construction, especially in the reconstruction or repair of old buildings.

The adjustable floor system has gained such popularity because:

• Having a low weight, it can be used for floors with low bearing capacity. Installation of an adjustable floor allows you to raise the level of coverage to the desired level, without constructing a heavy concrete structure or house.
• Due to its perfectly flat surface, it is suitable as a base for almost any type of finishing coating, be it parquet, laminate, linoleum or ceramic tile. In this case, no additional procedures are necessary when arranging the surface.

Note!
These are just the main advantages for which this type of floor is famous, according to technical indicators it is also a level above all the available options.

Why choose self-regulating floors

The following should also be added to the main advantages of this type of flooring:

• Self-adjusting floors are easy to make with your own hands. One person can easily cope with work in a room of 20-25 m2 in one day.
• The absence of “wet” processes eliminates dust and dirt and significantly reduces repair time. You don't have to wait for the base to dry before you start painting. next stage works
• In the underground space of such a system the following are possible:
  
  • Installation of additional hydro-, sound- and thermal insulation.
  • Laying utility lines.
  • Heated floor equipment, both water and electric.

• Since wooden joists are located above the base of the floor (not on the concrete itself), the lumber is protected from rotting and destruction.

For your information!
However, this does not mean that the material should not be treated with antiseptics.

• High levels of strength and noise insulation.
• If the work technology is followed, the self-regulating heated floor of an apartment or house will last you up to 50 years.

Types of adjustable floors

Features of the technology for constructing self-regulating floors divide them into two types:

• Adjustable logs.
• Adjustable plates.

Let's talk about how to make an adjustable floor on joists.

In fact, the installation of adjustable floors can be divided into two stages:

• Installation of adjustable logs.
• Rough flooring.

Advice!
The material for decking over adjustable joists should be selected based on the type of final covering.
Under laminate or parquet will do plywood,.
If you plan to cover ceramic tiles or linoleum, it is better to use sheets of moisture-resistant plasterboard, DSP or similar materials.
For those wishing to install wooden floors, Euro-boards (dry, planed and tongue-and-groove) will be useful.

Let's move on directly to the work on installing self-regulating floors on joists.

There are also two options here:

• Adjustable floor with stiletto heels.
• The same thing, only on the corners.

In principle, both options follow the same principle and differ only in the mechanism for regulating the lag. Let us describe in more detail the construction of the floor on adjustable joists using studs.

For work you will need the following materials:

• High-quality, dry, planed timber with a cross-section of 50x50 mm without knots.
• Regulating mechanisms (list for one set):
  • M6 hairpin.
  • Two washers.
  • Two nuts.
  • Anchor for adjustable floor.

For your information!
Can be purchased ready-made kits adjustable floor, including adjustment mechanisms and timber prepared for assembly.
Naturally, this will increase the final cost of adjustable floors.

Money issue

The approximate price for installing an adjustable floor is 20-25 dollars per square meter. It should be noted that the cost of such a floor system for further tiling will be much more expensive than for laminate. This is due to the fact that more joists are laid under the tiles.

If you want to save money, all the components for adjustable floors can be purchased in bulk at any construction or hardware store, and the work can be done with your own hands.

Installation process of adjustable joists

To carry out work on installing a self-regulating floor you need:

• Construction level (great if you have laser equipment, but you can get by with ordinary equipment).
• Technique for drilling holes with drill bits for concrete and wood plus a feather drill.
• Hammer.
• Hacksaw or angle grinder (can be purchased for rent at a hardware store).

Now directly instructions for installing floors with adjustable joists:

• We lay out the bars on the base in increments of 30 cm (for subsequent covering with ceramic tiles) and 50 cm (for parquet and laminate). A distance from the walls is required, but no more than 2-3 cm.
• We drill holes for the pins in the bars at a distance of 50 cm from each other, with a diameter of slightly larger diameter hairpins. Most often, a stud with a diameter of 6 mm is used, and for an 8 mm anchor we drill holes of the same diameter.
• Next, you should counterbore the lag, that is, use a feather drill to select a piece of wood at each hole with a depth equal to the thickness of the nut along with the washer. The diameter of the sample should exceed the diameter of the washer by 1-2 mm. This is necessary in order to recess the nut and washer flush with the top of the joist.
• After that, using a drill or hammer drill, we drill holes for the anchors in the concrete.

Advice!
It is better to do this directly through the holes in the bars, then there is a chance to minimize the possible mismatch of the pin with the prepared hole.
If you hit a concrete void or reinforcement while drilling, you should change the position of the stud.

• We drive the anchors into the floor carefully but firmly, and screw in the studs. We screw the nuts onto the studs at approximately the same level and put on a washer that will serve as support for the beam.
• After installing all the studs, we apply the joist. We put washers and nuts on top of the beam, without tightening them completely (just tighten them).

• At this stage, you should set the lag to the desired position, adjusting using a level. The adjustment is made using the two lower outer nuts. Then we tighten the nuts on the remaining studs and tighten the upper nuts.
• The remaining logs are installed in a similar way. The main task at this stage is to set all the logs so that they top part was on the same level.
• After aligning and securing all the joists, we cut off the bolts for adjustable floors (unnecessary excess) with a grinder or a hacksaw.
• Third stage - filling underground space insulation, hydro- and noise insulation, laying the necessary communications.

• The final stage is laying the rough floor covering with screws.

This completes the installation process of the self-regulating floor. You can then proceed with your chosen final finish.

There is no fundamental difference in the technology for installing adjustable joists on corners, except that the adjusting mechanism here is not studs. With this method, the bars are attached not to studs, but to corners rigidly fixed to the base of the floor.

Briefly the process looks like this:

• We lay out the bars and mark their location on the base of the floor.
• Using these marks, we fix the corners in increments of 50 cm. The height of the corner is selected according to the required floor level (slightly less than this value).
• Next, using a level, we set the logs.

Advice!
To give rigidity to the lags, the corners are secured on both sides in a checkerboard pattern.

• Then, as in the previous method, we install the flooring, taking into account the nature of further finishing.

Another feature when using corners is the need for precise leveling of the joists without possible adjustment after completion of the work. Therefore, if the adjustable floor initially lies at an angle, then it will be possible to get rid of unevenness only with the help of pads for the finishing coating.

As for fastening elements, you should not purchase non-galvanized screws and bolts; high humidity can greatly affect their strength, which will affect the entire surface.

And finally, I would like to say that it is worth paying special attention to the locations of the anchors or screws for the corners. If the fastener is located next to a knot, then there is a high risk that the joist will soon (under load) crack in this place. Try to place fasteners in clean and level places, with a pitch of no more than 60 cm.

Conclusion

In the video presented in this article you will find Additional information on this topic." width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">

Conclusion

The process of installing an adjustable floor itself, as you understand, is not particularly difficult; all the work may be familiar to many. Your biggest concern should be quality. building materials, used in this process. You should not save on this, as you will have to invest in repairs in the future.

In the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

Device wooden floor on the logs - the same one, long forgotten old technology, which was reborn like a Phoenix and took on the shape of a new, advanced one. Engineering achievements contributed to the return of the idea: concrete plates And modern methods production of hardware.

Wooden floors: advantages and disadvantages

Traditional flooring was based on the following operations: in the house, logs were laid along the base every meter, to which the plank flooring was attached. The advantages of floors on joists over the concrete screeds that replaced them are undeniable:

• Flooring from natural wood warm. This is known to those residents of old buildings, whom household members often reproach for the unforgivable sin - the habit of walking around the apartment barefoot
• Its surface can withstand significant loads, impacts, repairs, and rebuilding. At the same time, it does not chip, does not crack, nothing falls off of it;
• In most cases, coatings laid decades ago still exist. They were refined, covered with parquet and carpet on top, but the natural basis was preserved;
• The price of the material – wood – is relatively low: by the middle of the last century, this material completely replaced clay coatings.

The technology had a significant drawback. This is the complexity of installation and, accordingly, its cost. The difficulty was leveling the plane of the board. Finding adjustable supports (brackets) for the beams was not easy, and it was even more difficult, almost impossible, to secure them: the ground was an unreliable foundation, and there was nothing to break through the concrete (which already existed).

Preparing for work

You need to find a solution to the problem:

• The floor should be wooden, fixed to joists;
• The bases for installing plank flooring must be adjustable.

At the same time, the complexity of installing joists should be such that wooden flooring in a house could be done by one craftsman (at most two) in a couple of days. There are such solutions. Their price corresponds to the average cost of installing floors. Installation is so simple that the work can be done by one person. At the same time, the reliability of fastening remains one hundred percent.

The principle of installing floors on adjustable joists

Modern concrete structures, in which slabs serve as a rough base, made it possible to return to an environmentally friendly, reliable, warm wooden floor on joists. Thanks to the widespread use of power tools, the development of technology, and a wide selection of hardware, it is possible to lay flooring in the house on adjustable joists.

There are many options for how to install and how much to pay: beams, for example, are mounted on adjustable prefabricated anchors, the price of which is 3-6.5 USD. a piece. You can buy carpentry corners (which is cheaper) and install the floor in the apartment yourself. You can invite a specialized team: the estimated installation price will be 19-20 USD. for 1 m 2.

Innovative way

Patented technology using plastic threaded bushings and dowels. The sequence of work is as follows:

• IN wooden beams are drilled through holes;
• Threaded polymer sleeve fingers are screwed into them. In the future, these fingers will serve as support posts;
• The beams are installed in their proper places;
• The lower part of the sleeve is attached to the concrete base using a dowel. The fasteners must be located exactly in the center of the sleeves, allowing them to rotate around their axis;
• Now the bushing serves as a worm - its rotation leads to the movement of the beams in height;
• Using a spirit level, all the bars are brought to the same level;
• The remaining shank of the sleeve on top is cut off with a chisel;
• After leveling is completed, boards, plywood or other covering are laid.

A similar technology is used for laying plywood without boards. The base structure is carried out as follows:

• Select support bushings-brackets with internal thread. Through holes are drilled in the plywood with a feather in the places where the supports are installed;
• The bushings are inserted into the holes and secured to the sheets with self-tapping screws;
• Polymer sleeves are screwed into the formed sockets.

Further actions are similar to the previous technology. The manufacturer offers a video that can be viewed at the end of the article.

Costs are determined based on how many and what sets will be used. The price of one set of four logs with bolts, set by the manufacturer, depends on the length of the beam: 1000 mm costs 20 USD, 2000 mm – 33 USD, and 3000 mm – 45 USD.

Available option: brackets

In addition to polymer sleeves, adjustable joists in the house are mounted on U-shaped racks. Each stand-bracket on the side surface has pairs of holes located at different levels with a pitch of 5 mm. If you modify the brackets yourself, you can provide as many levels as the master deems necessary. The installation of a wooden floor is carried out as follows:

• Every meter, mark the axes along which the beams will be laid;
• Install on the lines U-shaped fastenings and screw them to the concrete slab;
• Measure the degree of deviation from the horizontal of the rough base, determine the points of minimum and maximum height;
• Calculate the height of the middle level fastening;
• The outer beams are installed and their horizon is brought to a given level;
• They install all the intermediate beams, checking their level along the outer joists.

Upon completion of the installation of beams, the extra “ears” of the racks are cut off and the flooring is installed - boards, other slabs.

Floors supported by furniture studs

Another way to lay joists on adjustable supports is to use a furniture pin, double-sided - with metric and single-start threads. They have long been used for attaching hanging elements to concrete, brick, and wooden surfaces. To lay a wooden floor on joists, studs with a cross section of 8-10 mm are suitable.

The bars must be prepared in advance. To do this, every 30 cm they are drilled:

• Holes corresponding to the cross sections of the studs;
• Coaxial half-holes with a diameter of 20-25 mm and a depth of 20 mm are for screw-on nuts.

The installation of floors in the house is carried out as follows:

• The beams are laid in increments of 1 meter;
• Holes are drilled in the concrete base, coinciding with the holes in the beams;
• Install polymer dowels;
• Screw in the studs.

The next step is preparing support brackets: screw two nuts onto the studs and put on washers whose outer diameter exceeds 30 mm. Install the beams so that they rest on the washers; Place another nut on top. The heights are leveled: the level is set with one lower nut, and the second – the locking nut – is secured. The installation of the subfloor is completed by tightening the top nuts. Using a grinder, cut off the protruding ends of the studs and prepare the flooring - boards, plywood, OSB.

The cost of the work is minimal: you can do it yourself. The cost of hardware matters, but they are considered consumables. Compared to the costs of basic raw materials, this value can be neglected.

Are you planning to independently make repairs in your house, apartment, cottage, warehouse or office space? Then you will find our advice, recommendations and step by step instructions for assembling an adjustable floor.

There are several types of “adjustable flooring” depending on the purpose of the room, the quality of the base and the design height of the floor. To solve the problems of raising the floor level to the required height and placing various communications under it, a floor structure on adjustable DNT joists is used, which provides not only the required levelness of the floor for laying any types of coverings, including wooden floor coverings that require minimal differences in the base, such as parquet , parquet board or laminate (no more than 2 mm per 2 linear meters), but also allows you to make a floor frame if wooden beams are used as an interfloor floor.

This design raises the floor to a height of 5 to 20 cm or more, depending on the height of the polymer bolts and the cross-section of the logs, and also allows it to be fixed to a concrete, wooden or any other base.

To solve the problems of leveling the base of the floor without loss of height, an adjustable floor design is used adjustable plates DNT. Its use allows you to prepare the base for parquet, laminate or parquet board with a difference level of no more than 2 mm per 2 linear meters. At the same time, the floor will rise to a height of 2 to 5 cm, which does not exceed the thickness of a conventional screed.

All of these DNT adjustable floor designs allow the shortest possible time(there are no wet and dusty processes associated with concrete) install a flat and reliable floor that has increased sound and heat insulation of the room, the cost of which is no more expensive traditional types leveling (concrete screed, semi-dry screed or Knauff floors), and with a floor lift height of more than 5 cm, it allows you to significantly save on preparing the base for the finishing coating.

Pros and cons of "adjustable floor"

The disadvantages of an adjustable floor may appear if the requirements for proper installation of the floor are not met, which also applies to other methods of leveling the subfloor.

At correct installation and compliance with all material quality requirements, the “DNT adjustable floor” is a reliable and durable base for any finishing coating on which you can not only walk, but also drive a car.

If you do not follow the DNT adjustable floor assembly technology, entrusting it to “woe to the specialists”, or use a regular plastic dowel and nail to attach polymer adjustable bolts to a concrete base, the adjustable floor will look like this:

DNT adjustable floor installation technology

Features of adjustable floors

1. You can install an adjustable floor yourself without the help of a professional. To do this, it is enough to purchase necessary materials and stock up on simple tools.
2. Installing the floor takes very little time: 1-2 days. For comparison, a concrete floor screed must dry for several weeks.
3. An adjustable floor allows you to hide communications in the technological space, which means you can save space and remove all visual defects under the base of the floor.
4. Using an adjustable floor, you can significantly increase the sound insulation of a room, which is why this type of flooring is often used in concert halls, studios and residential buildings.
5. The adjustable floor is quite light in weight. Therefore, you can install it in rooms with weak ceilings - in private houses or on loggias.
6. When installing an adjustable floor, virtually no dirty work is carried out. Accordingly, this coating option is ideal for rooms where it is important to maintain cleanliness.
7. The adjustable floor can withstand loads of up to 2.5 tons per square meter. This means that this coating can be used for almost any type of premises (residential buildings, offices, shops, warehouses).

Using adjustable floors

Despite all the advantages of adjustable floors, many owners still think about the advisability of installing this type of covering. So, in what cases is it best to use an adjustable floor?

1. If the floor surface is difficult or almost impossible to level (there are strong differences or unevenness).
2. If to level the floor according technical specifications It is impossible to use heavy materials.
3. If you need to make a floor with different height levels.
4. If there is a need to hide communications under the floor.
5. If you want to create additional insulation from noise or cold.

Before we move on to a detailed description of the installation process of an adjustable floor, let's understand its key features. Today there are two types of adjustable floors on the market: floors on joists and adjustable floors on slabs. The main difference between these types of floors is minimum height rise.

When installing a floor on joists, the rise is 5-20 centimeters or more. For an adjustable floor on slabs, the minimum lift height can be from 3 centimeters.

The process of installing adjustable floors on joists or on slabs is almost identical, but we will still describe the installation of each type in detail so that you can do it yourself at home.

Technology for installing adjustable floors on joists

Logs are planed timber. Its dimensions, as a rule, do not exceed 50x50 centimeters. So, before we begin installing the floor on the joists, we will decide on the materials and tools that we will need.

Video - Adjustable joists on homemade racks

Tools

For self-installation flooring you will need: logs, wear-resistant bolts, drill, laser or water level, hammer, dowel-nails.

Now we will look at step-by-step steps that will help you quickly and efficiently install an adjustable floor on joists.

Preparatory stage of work

Video - Adjustable joists preparatory process

Installation phase

1. We lay the wooden joists evenly on the base of the floor. The distance between the joists depends on the choice of floor covering. If you plan to cover the floor with linoleum or lay tiles, the distance between the joists should be small. Experts recommend taking a step between lags of no more than 30 centimeters. It is advisable to leave a distance from the joist to the wall of at least 1 centimeter. This will create the necessary ventilation.
2. After laying out the joists, we move on to rigidly attaching the bolts to the base. To do this, take a rigid drill and drill a hole in the concrete through the bolt. The depth of the hole should be about 40 millimeters. Next, we insert a dowel-nail into the prepared hole.
3. We hammer in the dowel-nail with a hammer, securing the polymer bolt to the base of the floor. Try to drive the nails as firmly as possible so that the entire floor structure does not move in the future. Also good fastening will avoid squeaks and noises when using the floor.

Alignment

After the wooden logs are installed around the entire perimeter of the room and tightly bolted, we proceed to leveling. To do this, we need a water (or laser) level and a special tool (key) for adjusting the height.

1. We carefully measure the level data. The height difference can be no more than 1-2 millimeters.
2. Using a special wrench, raise or lower the bolts, focusing on the level. We are trying to achieve perfect alignment, since the quality of installation of the final floor covering depends on this.

The final stage of work

1. After leveling the joists, firmly secure the nails to the floor using a hammer.
2. We cut off the unnecessary remains of the post bolts using a knife or any other cutting device.
3. If necessary, we lay materials between the joists for soundproofing or thermal insulation of the room.
4. We place the flooring on the upper base of the joists. The choice of decking materials depends on what type of flooring you plan to use. Most often, plywood is used as flooring. It is suitable for further installation of laminite or linoleum. GVL or DSP is also used as flooring.
5. After installing the flooring, we lay tiles, linoleum, laminate, parquet or any other covering on the adjustable floor.

The second type of flooring is done on slabs. It is chosen if the height of the floor should not exceed 3 centimeters. It is difficult to hide communications in such a space between the base of the floor and the covering, but it is quite possible to place cables from the telephone or the Internet here.

The process of installing this type of floor is somewhat reminiscent of installing an adjustable floor on joists.

Materials and tools

Before installing an adjustable floor on slabs, you need to prepare the following tools and materials: sheets of plywood or other material, bushings, stand-up bolts, drill, self-tapping screws, hammer, water or laser level.

Type of plywood	Description
Plywood FC	moisture-resistant appearance; urea resin is used for gluing veneer sheets. This plywood is intended for indoor use.
FKM plywood	has increased water resistance and is made on the basis of melamine resins. This type of plywood is unique, since environmentally friendly melamine resins are used for its production. Due to its environmental characteristics, plywood is used in furniture production and for interior finishing work
Plywood FSF	Veneer sheets are glued together using phenolic resin. This type plywood also has increased water resistance. It is not recommended for interior decoration premises, so phenolic resins are harmful to health. Typically used for exterior finishing work
Laminated plywood	It is based on FSF plywood, which is covered on both sides with a special film. Laminated plywood is used for the manufacture of formwork. This type can be used repeatedly
Bakelized plywood	Bakelite resin is used to glue veneer sheets together. This type of plywood is used in aggressive climates, sea water, aggressive environments, and sometimes for monolithic work.
Marine plywood	similar to bakelized, but less durable. Made from foreign wood species
Plywood Flexible	foreign version. Distinctive feature is the ability to bend well in the transverse and longitudinal directions

Video - Which plywood is better

Preparatory stage of work

1. Just like when installing an adjustable floor on joists, installing a floor on slabs requires certain preparation of the working surface of the floor. Be sure to remove excess debris and correctly distribute communications that you plan to hide under the floor. Remember that the maximum lift height will be about 3 centimeters.
2. Carefully place the sheets around the perimeter of the room. The distance between the sheets should be 2-3 centimeters on each side of the sheet.
3. Mark the points for drilling holes. With a sheet size of 1.5 by 1.5 meters, 9 holes will be enough. One hole should be located in the middle (center of the sheet), four holes can be at the corners of the sheet and four more should be located in the central part of each side of the sheet. This arrangement of holes will ensure reliable fastening of the sheet.

First and second layers of plywood flooring

Final stage

1. If necessary, we place thermal insulation or sound insulation of the floor on top of the sheets.
2. After installing the sheets, we also lay out laminite, tiles, parquet, linoleum or any other selected floor covering.

Secrets to successfully installing an adjustable floor

After finishing installation work Be sure to thoroughly clean the floor surface before installing the flooring. Excess debris, sawdust, and pieces of plastic can create squeaking and noise after laying the top layer of the floor.

Carefully hammer and tighten all floor fastenings. The reliability of the entire structure depends on this.

If you are making a high floor, it is advisable to place it between the joists soundproofing material. This will avoid unnecessary noise when using the floor.
Don't skimp on the quality of materials. It is more profitable to immediately choose more expensive materials for installing the floor, instead of already through a short time completely redo all the work.

If, after installing the floor, you need to move communications, you can simply remove several strips of the adjustable floor in the right place. After completing the necessary work, you can easily put the floor back in its original place.

We hope that our tips, as well as step-by-step instructions, will help you install an adjustable floor in your home, cottage or office yourself, quickly and without any difficulty.

Video - Adjustable floors

The new technology involves the use wooden logs or slabs (sheets of moisture-resistant plywood), which rest on stand-up bolts screwed into them, usually made of high-strength plastic. By rotating the bolts around their axis, the height of the joists or sheets changes, which allows you to accurately level the subfloor. After leveling the substructure, the bolt is firmly fixed to the base with a dowel-nail. Moreover, the base can be either concrete (monolithic, hollow, base with a screed) or wooden (beam). Sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are usually laid on top of the logs, and any type of floor covering is fixed on them - parquet, parquet boards, laminate, linoleum, carpet, etc. In order to save money, massive boards are sometimes mounted directly on the logs.

Adjustable joists

• Possibility of leveling from 5 cm or more (at no additional cost)
• No risk of flooding neighbors
• Pleasantly warm floor
• High sound insulation (necessary for home theaters)
• Reduced costs for communications (all types of communications, including electricity, can be placed under the floor)
• No dirty or wet work

Adjustable plates

• Mechanical leveling method (without the risk of squeaking or shrinkage)
• Cheaper than concrete
• No dirty processes
• Opportunity step-by-step assembly(if the apartment has furniture)
• Completely cuts out impact noise that will disturb your neighbors
• Assembly speed (from 20 m2 per day!)

Advantages of the system

Such adjustable structures have a number of advantages. First of all, they have advantages over concrete leveling. They are cheaper than a concrete screed if it is necessary to level a surface with a difference in height of more than 3-5 cm. In addition, they allow you to save money when installing a base for plank floor coverings (parquet, parquet boards, laminate), because concrete preparation in this case, it will include not only a screed, but also a self-leveling mixture (do not forget also about the need to create a plywood flooring on top of the screed, on which the plank floor will be laid).

In total, the costs of such preparation will be higher than the costs of installing an adjustable structure. An equally important point: the concrete screed acquires the necessary strength within 28 days. While the installation of adjustable joists usually takes less than a week, since one worker installs an average of 20-25 m2 of adjustable joists or slabs per day. Moreover, according to VSN 9-94 “Instructions for installing floors in residential and public buildings", the moisture content of the screed should not exceed 5% to avoid deformation of the wooden floor. Note that European standards require drying the screed to 3-4%. It is a mistake to assume that it dries to this level in 28 days: this process takes longer than the curing process and usually takes several months. There is no direct contact in the design of adjustable supports wooden elements with the base of the floor, and therefore, you can lay logs on top of the concrete floor, and then plywood and parquet without waiting for the concrete to dry completely. In case of overlapping with high humidity, you can lay it on top plastic film, thereby cutting off water vapor, and then immediately begin installing the logs or slabs. Finally, the adjustable design allows air to move under the floor and thereby remove excess water vapor that can lead to warping and rotting of the wood. The supply and exhaust of air is carried out due to the gaps between the floor and the wall of the room (on top it is closed with a plinth, but there is also a gap between it and the floor). The standard size of this gap is 10 mm. If you need to increase the ventilation of the space under the subfloor, you can install decorative grilles in the floor in opposite corners of the room for additional air supply and exhaust. Let us add that in regulated systems It is recommended to use only moisture-resistant plywood (grades no lower?) and logs made of timber chamber drying humidity no more than 12%.

Another advantage of adjustable structures is that they increase the sound insulation of the room: the floor is not monolithic, but contains an air layer in its “pie” that dampens noise. In addition, plastic racks prevent the spread of noise. If necessary, significantly increase the sound or heat insulation of the floor (for example, in a home theater or ground floor) mineral wool slabs can be laid between the joists. The slabs are laid on metal plates fixed to the joists. The thickness of the insulating layer can be varied, and there is usually no contact between the slabs and the concrete floor (an air gap remains between them), so in the case high humidity the ceiling insulation will remain dry. The next point: height-adjustable structures allow you to lay under floor covering engineering communications (pipes with a diameter of more than 50 mm) and any wiring. Moreover, engineering communications will follow the shortest path, so there will be fewer connecting nodes, which means that the reliability of the system will be higher and the cost of its installation will be lower. One of the problems that arise when using a wooden floor is creaking. Is there a possibility of it appearing in floors along adjustable joists or slabs? Experts say that when high-quality installation There will be no squeaking system. It can occur when the floor elements do not fit tightly together, for example, when bolts are screwed incorrectly or the layers of plywood laid on top of the joists are poorly glued. However, with qualified installation, all elements of the system are so rigidly fixed to the base and interconnected that even a slight drying out of the wood, according to experts, will not result in a creaking floor. However, knocking noises in the floor may occur if the concrete base on which the joists rest is made incorrectly: for example, if the screed applied to the ceiling crumbles or cracks. Then it is recommended to remove the bad screed before installing the floor, and also select the correct dowel-nail model for attaching the bolt to the base. Let us add that the maximum permissible load for adjustable structures - at least 3 tons per 1 m2. Their estimated service life is at least 50 years.

Installation of the structure

If it is necessary to raise the floor to a height of 5 cm or more, install a structure of adjustable joists. If the required lifting height is from 3 to 5 cm, then a system of adjustable slabs (plywood) is used. Let's start with the first option. When installing a floor on a concrete floor, logs with a cross section of 45x45 mm and a length of 2 or 3 m are most often used. Their standard pitch is 30 cm between the axes of the bars. When laying the floor on a ceiling made of wooden beams Usually, logs with a larger cross-section are required, the size of which is selected taking into account the pitch of the beams (as a rule, logs with a cross-section of 45x70 mm are used). You can also vary the lag pitch. For each joist there are 5 stand-up bolts for which threaded holes are prepared at the factory. The length of the bolts is usually 100 or 150 mm: it is chosen depending on the height to which the floor needs to be raised. The installation of the structure begins with bolts being screwed into the logs, then the logs are laid out on the base with the required pitch, and holes for the dowel-nails are marked. Moreover, a gap of about 10 mm is left between the logs and the walls. Next, the bars are moved to the side, holes are drilled to a shallow depth, the bars are returned to their place and the dowels are driven through the bolts using a hammer and a punch into the prepared holes. Then they begin to level the joists by rotating the bolts with hex keys (the bolts have a hex groove), using a level. Having completed the alignment, the dowels are driven all the way into the base, and the protruding part of the plastic bolt is cut off flush with a chisel. Then the plywood flooring is installed. According to the recommendations of system manufacturers, the thickness of the flooring should be at least 18 mm. However, some parquet companies recommend installing under parquet, massive board and flooring up to 30 mm thick with a lag pitch of 30 cm. Usually two layers of sheets are laid (overlapping top sheet the junction of the two lower ones) to ensure maximum structural rigidity. As a rule, layers of plywood are fastened using self-tapping screws, however, when laying parquet, parquet companies also recommend gluing upper layer to the bottom. The flooring is installed on top of the plywood.

In the case of floors on adjustable slabs and on joists without ready-made threaded holes, the installation technology is somewhat different. A hole is drilled in the plywood or joist into which a plastic sleeve with a threaded hole is inserted. The sleeve is secured to the joist or plywood with self-tapping screws. Then the post bolt is screwed into the bushing, after which the entire cycle of the work listed above is performed.
Let us add that there are other adjustable designs on the market. In particular, systems where metal stand-up bolts are used, and adjustment occurs using a nut screwed onto them with a support washer. There are also systems with U-shaped metal brackets that “clasp” the lag from the sides and are secured to it with self-tapping screws. The bracket is provided with a number of holes, and after alignment, the screws are screwed into holes of suitable height.

“Adjustable floors on joists or on plywood slabs have obvious advantages over concrete leveling, if we are not talking about an abstract “concrete screed”, but about a base under parquet, parquet board or laminate, which includes a layer of screed, a layer of self-leveling mixture and layer of plywood. Adjustable structures are cheaper than such a base, especially when it is necessary to level a floor with large differences in height. In addition, a concrete screed gains strength within 28 days, while installation of an adjustable floor usually takes from 2-3 days to a week. In addition, utilities and wiring can be laid under the adjustable floor, and, if necessary, heat and sound insulation slabs. However, such a floor itself increases the sound insulation of the room due to the air “cushion” between the floor covering and the ceiling, as well as through the use of plastic bolts.

Technology comparison

Characteristics	Adjustable floor under the board	Adjustable floor for any finishing coating, including joists + plywood for parquet)	Raised floor	Rough concrete screed (primer, waterproofing, screed)	Finish concrete preparation for parquet coverings ( rough screed, leveling screed, FC plywood)	Dry screed KNAUF
Installation time 30 sq.m., day	1	1	1	21- 28	from 31	1
Cost of material with work per m2	from 1200 rub.	from 1350 rub.	from 1450 rub.	from 700 rub.	from 1200 rub.	from 1150 rub.
Difference of floor base*	Resp. SNiP	Resp. SNiP	Resp. SNiP	Resp. SNiP	Resp. SNiP	Resp. SNiP
less than 19	19-20	from 38	from 70	from 80	from 40
Increased sound-heat insulation	+	+	+	-	-	+
Possibility of placing utilities in underground space	+	+	+	-	-	+
Load-bearing capacity, kg per sq.m.	from 3000	from 3000	from 1000	from 3000	from 3000 kg	from 1000
Application area	All types of premises	All types of premises	Comm. wk.	All types of premises	All types of premises	All types of premises
Permissible floor lift height, cm	3-30	3-30	5-150	3-15	3-15	5-15
Application in damp areas	Dry rooms	Dry rooms	Dry rooms	Dry rooms	Dry rooms	Dry rooms
Prev. floor preparation	not required	not required	required	required	required	required
Types of floors for installation	Any	Any	Monolith. blocked	Monolith. blocked	Monolith. blocked	Monolith. blocked