How to properly lay tongue and groove boards on the floor. Laying tongue-and-groove boards, technology for laying tongue-and-groove boards, useful tips

Natural materials are ideal option for flooring. The tree serves as a reliable basis and can retain its qualities long years. Before choosing a specific option, you should find out how the floorboards are attached. For example, tongue and groove boards are considered the most popular and can be installed in several ways.

This type of flooring material is a board with ridges and a milled groove, which allows you to create a completely flat surface without gaps. Distinctive characteristics are high installation speed and structural strength.

Typically, connection locks are located on either two or four sides of the part. WITH reverse side The lock has bevels that ensure optimal air circulation in the structure being secured. The boards should be attached to the floor joists carefully, keeping to the same level. Thanks to the equal thickness of all elements, the floor covering is perfectly smooth.

Treatment with special protective compounds must be done on both sides. When choosing cheap copies, you may encounter a low-quality product that is processed only on one side. Experts advise paying attention to the presence of ventilation holes.

Advantages and disadvantages of floors made of tongue-and-groove boards on joists

The popularity of tongue and groove material is explained by a wide list of advantages:

  • The floor covering provides reliable thermal insulation and also has excellent sound insulation properties.
  • The underside of the boards has small grooves, which are designed for high-quality ventilation of products and prevent the development of fungus on the wood.
  • A special connection mechanism called “tenon and groove” allows you to distribute the load on the coating. This significantly extends the service life of the structure.
  • This installation method does not take much time due to the simple locking connection.
  • The sizes of the products are standard, which speeds up the installation process.
  • The absence of any chemical components makes the material absolutely safe for use.
  • Unique appearance.
  • If defects or significant damage to the coating occur, it is enough to sand the surface and coat it with high-quality varnish.
  • The need to frequently paint the surface of the boards.
  • The use of expensive antiseptics and varnishes.

Existing fixation methods

The floor covering is constantly under heavy loads. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the fastening method based on the performance characteristics of the material. With an irresponsible approach to resolving the issue, there is a high probability of damage to the floor within the first year of operation. The most important thing is to provide proper level fixation rigidity.

The first sign of poor-quality fastening is loosening of the boards. After some time, the elements begin to gradually shift, which is accompanied by a characteristic creaking sound. As a result, there are two scenarios for the development of events - either individual elements break, or the entire structure fails.

There are 4 main ways to attach floorboards:

  1. Nail installation.
  2. Fastening with clamps.
  3. Installation using special types of screws for floor slats.

Each of the presented methods differs in severity, so each method should be considered.

Fastening boards with nails

This method allows you to properly secure floorboard either on a solid base or on a structure made of logs. The mounting principle is simple:

  1. First you need to fix the first row of boards. To do this, nails are driven through the ridge at an angle of 45°. The task is to attach the element to the base without damaging the part.
  2. When the next row is adjusted, the nails need to be hidden. Next, fixation is made through the surface of the board.

Adhesive installation method

When laying boards on a perfectly flat base made of concrete or other materials, special glue is used. The grooves in the products must be carefully coated with glue and placed on the tongues of already laid boards. Masters, showing how to properly fasten boards, use regular glue PVA. This composition is able to reliably hold joints for many years.

In this case, the glue should be distributed in a small layer. The tongue-and-groove edges are also treated with glue to stiffen the corners.

Fixation with clamps

Products that are sold in a set with clamps deserve special attention. The fasteners are inserted into the slot located on the inside of the tongue-and-groove board. The parts are capable of rigidly fixing the material to each other.

  • The subfloor must be covered with a layer of high-quality waterproofing. The edges of the material should be secured to the walls with tape.
  • The clamps are driven into the cracks of the first row with a hammer. Be sure to follow the direction of the tongue.
  • The ends of the planks should be coated adhesive composition, after which the first row is installed.
  • Wedges are inserted between the sheets and the wall.
  • The second row is also equipped with clamps before fastening and is mounted by tapping the block with a hammer.
  • After this, you can lay all the remaining rows in the described sequence.
  • At the last stage, you should remove all the wedges and fix the baseboards.

Special screws, self-tapping screws for floorboards

The most popular fastening method is using self-tapping screws for fastening floorboards. This method is characterized by high speed of execution and durability of the finished structure.

The only difference from ordinary screws is the high cost of professional fasteners for floorboards. A special milling cut allows the self-tapping screw to quickly enter the wood and hold firmly in the material.

Step-by-step instructions for laying a wooden floor on joists

The process of installing tongue and groove products on joists includes several stages. By following a certain procedure, you can install it yourself.

Necessary tool

To lay and fix the elements you will need the following tools:

  • hammer;
  • roulette;
  • chisel;
  • pencil;
  • Bulgarian;
  • milling cutter;
  • bar.

This is a basic set that can be supplemented with professional equipment.

Laying the first row

Since the natural material will begin to dry out over time, the boards are laid in 2 stages. The first stage includes fixing every 4-5 strips. After 6 months to 1 year, all tongue and groove floor boards will be removed. This is done to ensure that there are no gaps. However, the first row is fastened immediately.

The boards should be distributed so that they are slightly separated from the wall. To do this, wedges are used, the thickness of which is 1 cm. After fixing them to nails or glue, the elements are removed.

When installing the first row, use a building level. Products must be perfectly aligned in relation to the joists and the wall.

Laying subsequent rows

The remaining rows of material are installed in strict sequence with the installation principle of the first row. You need to check for any cracks. When tapping the strip, a block is applied to its edge, which softens the blow.

How to tighten floor boards

It is best to fasten the elements together with special screws at an angle. This will prevent the structure from moving during operation. Self-tapping screws have different lengths - from 30 to 50 mm.

Additional tips for installing floorboards from the professionals

Useful tips from experienced craftsmen will help save time and money:

  • The pitch between the screws should be at least 25 cm. The most common scheme is with a spacing of 30 cm.
  • Before attaching the floorboard, it is recommended to coat the inside of the product with parquet glue.
  • The material should not be allowed to adhere to the walls of the room.
  • The screw heads should be slightly recessed into the wood.

Installation of the last row

When installing the last row of boards, it is necessary to check the entire plane and separately the location of the final row. No distortions should be observed. The products are secured to the joists, maintaining a distance from the wall.

The base can be any type of material. However, logs are best suited due to the simple and fast way fastenings If you follow the steps described high-quality coating you can assemble it yourself.

Flooring is a long-awaited stage 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 in outbuildings, the plank floor is laid from edged boards. But it contains...

How to lay tongue and groove floorboards

Flooring is a long-awaited stage 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 in outbuildings, the plank floor is 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 a more durable connection, eliminating “blow-in”. And this is a plus compared to edged or deck boards.

Another advantage is related to the technological process: the tongue-and-groove board is “adjusted” to its geometry by cutting off the sidewalls, grinding 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 take 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 is an additional cost in time and money. Therefore, most often they take a tongue-and-groove board of medium width - 130-150 cm.

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 type

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.

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.

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 tongue and groove floor? 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, during 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 scatter - 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 attractive 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.

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 a long length is needed due to the fact that when a hidden fastening occurs, the screw enters 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.

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.

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.

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 an angle for ceiling mount beams An 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.

The floor has fallen into disrepair and urgently needs to be repaired. What material to choose for finishing so that it is pleasant to walk barefoot and the covering looks neat, fresh and cozy? An excellent solution would be to use a natural material - wood. Modern technologies make it possible to make a durable and attractive tongue-and-groove floor board from ordinary wood with your own hands.

What is a tongue and groove board?

Classic edged boards have been used for floor finishing for many centuries. The result is a warm and even floor, but this coating has disadvantages that reduce comfort:

  • the annoying creaking of floorboards, which can be very difficult to get rid of;
  • gaps between the boards through which moisture and cold air pass;
  • splinters and irregularities dangerous to the skin;
  • protruding nail heads.

A tongue is a protrusion that runs along the entire edge of the board and is locked into a lock when connected to the opposite end of a similar product

A tongue and groove board is an edged floor board with side surfaces treated for tongue and groove for better installation.

Today the floor is out solid wood is devoid of unpleasant disadvantages, although traditional varieties of deciduous, oak and coniferous species:

  • Larch perfectly withstands mechanical loads, it is resistant to abrasion and does not rot at high humidity levels. This floor can be used outdoors for the construction of terraces and verandas; it does not require varnishing; if desired, you can use colorless or tinting oil for maintenance;
  • oak has dense and hard wood, oak flooring will last a long time and will not be scratched by chairs or heels;
  • Pine and spruce are soft and pleasant to the touch, but require varnish.

Boards are also produced from birch, alder, ash, mahogany, teak, and other valuable and exotic wood species.

Why is it needed and where is it used?

This natural material is used in construction for laying finishing flooring and subflooring in private houses and apartments, on balconies and loggias, verandas and terraces, saunas and public spaces.

For industrial and commercial premises with a large number of people and equipment, the need for frequent wet cleaning and constant mechanical loads, the use of wooden floor boards is not recommended.

For tongue-and-groove boards, the bottom layer remains untreated

Alder and aspen according to the current GOST 8242 can be used for flooring only in living rooms. Cheap grade C boards are usually used to make subfloors.

How it works

The tongue and groove board has its own design features, thanks to which she gains improved specifications to create a high-quality finished floor:


The dimensions of such boards are given in several standard dimensions for ease of calculation of material consumption and ease of installation. The length of the board is usually chosen equal to the length of the room. It is possible to produce longer or thicker strips for individual orders.

Standard sizes:

  • length varies from 100 to 400 cm;
  • width reaches from 8.5 to 10 cm;
  • thickness varies from 2.5 to 3.5 cm.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

Improved with modern technologies tongue-and-groove floorboards have many advantages over conventional edged ones:

  • lock connection provides uniform load distribution, tight fit and absence of gaps between boards, higher thermal insulation and noise absorption. The floor looks like one seamless fabric, it does not need to be looped;
  • The service life of the sheet pile is several decades. The renovation will get boring, but it will still look just as great. In this case, you can sand the surface and give it a different tone using stain or colored varnish;
  • Standard sizes make it easy to replace a separate strip or combine various varieties wood into an original ensemble;
  • the smooth front side of the material looks luxurious immediately after purchase, it does not require additional sanding, it can be coated with varnish or protective compounds without the risk of raising the pile, it is pleasant and safe to walk on barefoot;
  • The absolute environmental safety of this natural material and the glue-free connection allow it to be used in children's rooms and bedrooms. The antistatic effect does not attract dust to the floor surface and makes cleaning easier;
  • Thanks to the presence of tongues and grooves on the back side of the product, the floor is more resistant to moisture, does not warp, does not dry out, and does not creak. Bottom ventilation prevents the development of fungus and mold;
  • ease of installation allows even a novice specialist to lay the finished floor, which significantly reduces the cost of repairs;
  • a variety of wood species, processing methods and various decorative effects gives ample opportunities to decorate the interior and give the house a unique style.

Most often, tongue-and-groove boards are laid on reinforced joists

Grooved boards have disadvantages, like any natural material:

  • low resistance to water; if constantly wet, the material can swell and rot. To solve this problem, wood is impregnated with antiseptics and also coated with protective oils, waxes, and varnishes;
  • the high cost of the material is due to its naturalness, the quality of the raw materials and the complexity of the processing technology;
  • Fire danger is reduced by impregnation with fire retardants, which prevent the wood from igniting.

How to make a tongue and groove board with your own hands

Another important advantage of tongue and groove is the ability to make it yourself if you have certain woodworking skills. This painstaking work requires free time and knowledge of the intricacies of technology, as well as the rules for choosing quality raw materials. Based on the appearance and condition of the material, the board is divided into the following grades:

  • extra - the most expensive grade, there are no knots or defects on its surface, it has an absolutely smooth, uniform structure;
  • A - grade high class, but small spots and darkening are allowed on its surface without the presence of knots or other defects in the wood structure;
  • B - the most popular variety of medium price category. Knots and other inclusions and stains on its surface do not spoil the overall appearance, but create an additional decorative effect of naturalness;
  • C - cheap grade with acceptable various structural inhomogeneities and through knots.

The moisture content of the sheet pile can be easily determined with a moisture meter

Having decided on the grade, you should pay attention to other criteria for choosing the original lumber:

  • humidity should be 10–15%, and ideally up to 8%; such indicators are achieved using industrial drying in special chambers, after which the board acquires its stable size and will no longer dry out. High-quality drying can be determined by its shiny surface and ringing sound when tapped, and a high level of humidity is determined by the presence of condensation on the inside of the plastic packaging;
  • the integrity of the packaging will allow you to maintain a low level of humidity and the quality of the raw materials; when purchasing, you should also check for certificates, receipts and other accompanying documentation; it is recommended to choose products from well-known large brands that have earned the trust of consumers; a cheap board from an unknown manufacturer may be of low quality;
  • Violations of the geometry and smoothness of grinding, especially for high-end products, are unacceptable; they will complicate installation and can spoil the appearance of the finished coating. These parameters are checked visually and manually;
  • when combining several different breeds wood, you should select boards from the same standard size to reduce the amount of cutting. The type of wood depends on the purpose of the room and the planned loads and operating conditions.

Required materials and tools

The boards have been purchased, now you can start working.

In large factories, tongue and groove work is carried out on high-precision computer-controlled machines.

For home tongue and groove you will need the following tools and materials:

  • tape measure, level, ruler, square, marking pencil;
  • impregnation against fire and biological damage;
  • jigsaw or hacksaw for size correction;
  • jointer with quarter selection function, milling machine;
  • clamps for fixing the workpiece.

Step-by-step manufacturing process

Of course, it will not be possible to achieve production-grade extra-grade boards in a home workshop, but making a locking connection and subsequently getting a beautiful, flat floor without creaks and cracks is quite possible.

Stages of work to be performed:


Video: how to make a tongue and groove board with your own hands

A tongue and groove board will last for decades if the material is chosen correctly and the tongue and groove is done slowly and carefully. After laying the floors, it is advisable to cover them with several layers of protective varnish, then they can be washed and moved heavy furniture and walk on them in stiletto heels without the risk of scratching or pushing through them. Hardwoods that are resistant to mechanical stress can be coated with a special oil, which will highlight the beauty and reveal the texture of the wood.

How to properly install a tongue and groove floor

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.

What is a tongue and groove board?

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
thickness width tongue
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 chamber-drying boards packed in film with a humidity of 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 a minimum number of defects in the wood of the floor board.

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;
  • A tongue and groove with a wide face (the lower and upper surface of the board) has the original texture of a wood pattern, but is more susceptible to warping and drying out, therefore the service life and time between repairs of the floor covering are sharply reduced.

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

Soak with special liquids flooring after laying from below it is impossible. 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 of the protective liquid, treatment is carried out 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 the necessary tools are available in the arsenal home handyman default.

Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for selecting them. Just submit in the form below detailed description work that needs to be done and you will receive offers by email with prices from construction crews and companies. You can see reviews about each of them and photographs with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.

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 in outbuildings, the plank floor is 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 a more durable connection, eliminating “blow-in”. And this is a plus compared to edged or deck boards.

Another advantage is related to the technological process: the tongue-and-groove board is “adjusted” to its geometry by cutting off the sidewalls, grinding 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 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 type

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.

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 the costs of equipment (drying chambers) and fuel for drying.

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 attractive appearance. To prevent this from happening, the first time the tongue and groove board is fastened with the 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 a long length is needed due to the fact that during a hidden fastening the screw goes in at an angle, which turns out to be not very deep.

If you still decide to make a reliable fastening into the surface, 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, which is why when installing tongue-and-groove boards they prefer to use hidden fastening methods.

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.

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 the right is the traditional method of screeding 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.

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.

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.

The second is unusual homemade clamps made from a hairpin and an angle for ceiling mounting of beams. An interesting option - you can adjust the length of the clamp, that is, you can rearrange it every other time.

A 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.

A tongue and groove board made of hardwood is durable and environmentally friendly. Due to the ease of installation and operation, this coating has recently become increasingly common in low-rise construction. When choosing a board, it is important not to go wrong with the board. For each specific task, there is coverage of certain parameters. When choosing a coating, it is important not to overpay and choose the board that is ideal for your situation.

The board is a rather unique material, which has a number of both pros and cons. The advantages of tongue and groove boards include:

  • Environmental friendliness. Wood is a material that does not obstruct the passage of air through the house. For the first few years, the board saturates the air in the house with healthy essential oils. Wood is an ideal material for homes with many children, people with respiratory diseases and simple connoisseurs of wood texture.
  • Easy to install. The tongue-and-groove board takes its name from the word tongue and groove. A tongue and groove is a ridge that is placed on one side of a board. The tongue and groove is inserted into the groove, after which the boards are tightened with self-tapping screws for better fastening. This approach allows for quick and easy installation wooden floor. It is this quality that makes tongue and groove boards a popular material. There is simply no faster way to install flooring.
  • No cracks during installation. The last plus, frankly speaking, is far-fetched. Remember, the absence of cracks is determined by the preparation of the board and rough coating. Whether the board is tongue-and-groove or not is used to cover the floor, it doesn’t matter. A tongue and groove board is indeed easier to lay, but a master can handle any surface without any problems.

But at the same time, any tree is a rather capricious material. Therefore, when choosing wood as a covering, be prepared for some operational features. A tongue and groove board has the following disadvantages:

  • Difficulties in care. On initial stages wood requires high-quality sanding and painting. And during subsequent operation, it is advisable to repeat sanding and painting every 3-4 years.
  • An incorrectly chosen coating may crack or burst. An incorrectly selected coating means wet boards. Therefore, you need to be careful when choosing a supplier.
  • Another disadvantage is the difficulty decorative covering tree. Conventional wallpaper or any panels are quite difficult to install on a tongue-and-groove board. In addition, this significantly increases the already expensive cost of installing a tongue and groove board. Therefore, tongue-and-groove boards are chosen either by inveterate lovers of wooden texture, or for covering the floor in those places where wood is traditional - in dachas and country houses.

Material selection

The correct choice of board, firstly, saves money, and secondly, it allows you to create a floor for a specific construction task.

Wood type

The types of wood used to make boards can be divided into two large groups:

  • Soft woods. This includes coniferous trees: pine and edl. This is the cheapest lumber. The cheapness is associated with the growth rate and ubiquity of these breeds. In addition, due to the relative softness of wood, processing equipment wears out much more slowly, which also affects the final cost of the material. IN practice, it is not recommended to use pine or spruce in living rooms with heavy, massive furniture. The fact is that prolonged exposure can leave dents on the boards, regardless of the quality of care. That's why soft rocks Perfect for a bathhouse, dressing room, pantry and any utility rooms
  • Hardwoods. These are tree species from the deciduous family: oak, mahogany, larch, alder. These rocks have a richer color and clearer structure. At the same time, the breeds are quite expensive and more difficult to process. Therefore, there is no point in recklessly paving all the floors in the house with oak. The prerogative of such boards: living rooms.

Board sizes

Despite all the ease of installation, it is not easy to mount the boards by joining them widthwise. The manufacturer does not provide grooves and tongues at the end, so everything has to be done manually, which can lead to incidents and leaks in the coating. Therefore, it is better to select the length of the boards in accordance with long room, the floor of which is planned to be covered with tongue and groove boards.

Today, the maximum board length is 6 m, with a maximum thickness of 45 mm and a width of 20 cm. What determines the choice of thickness? Depending on the planned load and rough coating. The planned load refers to the maximum simultaneous presence of people in the room and the planned furniture.

For a subfloor in the form of logs or old wooden covering, it is better to use thicker boards, but if the floor is laid on a concrete screed or plywood, then thick boards are useless.

In addition, the heat-shielding properties depend on the thickness of the boards. Of course, all this is relative, because a normal craftsman will lay a thin board on the joists without any problems, just by choosing the right distance between the joists, but it’s better to be safe. Even though the coating will be a little more expensive, it will avoid small dips and uneven floors in the future.

Quality class

There are 4 quality classes for tongue-and-groove boards depending on the degree of processing:

  • The first class is called Euro tongue and groove. This is a board polished to an almost mirror-like shine, without the slightest knot or unevenness. Such boards are selected exclusively from the center of the log and carefully processed. It only makes sense to use them for cladding. If you are going to paint the structure in the future, then buying euro tongue and groove will be a waste of money, since this class is purchased by lovers of wood texture precisely because of the factory-made appearance of the material.
  • The second class is designated by the letter A and implies a board that is also well sanded and processed, but has some unevenness in shade. Shaded spots or, on the contrary, too light places arise as a result of uneven alternation of wet and dry periods of tree growth. For class A such deviations are permissible, for euro sheet piles – not. Therefore, class A is ideal for painting or oil coating.
  • Class B already allows for the presence of small knots and burrs, which will cause trouble during grinding. If the grinding is carried out by a hired worker, this will add quite a significant amount of money. Therefore, these boards in their factory form are used in utility rooms: storerooms, sheds, undergrounds.
  • Class C is the lowest quality, almost untreated version of the board. Quality control of this class allows even small cracks, and therefore, regardless of processing, it can only be used when constructing a rough coating.

Humidity

Humidity is an important element in choosing boards. Ideal humidity. It is considered 8-10%, but values ​​up to 16% are allowed. If your choice fell on softwood boards, then droplets of resin may form on the surface. From a distance they look like water, but upon tactile contact you immediately feel the raschka.

IN laboratory conditions The moisture content of the board can be measured using specialized equipment, but when purchasing from a warehouse, emergency methods for determining the quality of the board are required.

Let's highlight several options that will allow you to avoid getting into trouble when buying tongue and groove boards:

  • The first step is visual inspection. And not boards, but warehouse. Remember, boards that are stored outside cannot meet the required humidity parameters. Indoor drying conditions are created by ventilation and air conditioning systems. In outdoor conditions, variable humidity will not allow the boards to dry completely. Rain will not soak the boards through the polyethylene, but humid air will penetrate everywhere and the board will certainly pick up moisture. The board itself should not be a dark, wet color; moisture should not be felt upon tactile contact.
  • The second step is checking the documentation. You need to ask the seller for quality certificates for the products.
  • The third is verification. folk remedies. The most common and effective method is a knock test. You need to listen in advance to what a dry and wet board sounds like. The sound of a dry board is much more sonorous, while that of a wet board is muffled.
  • It would be a good idea to check the materials after purchase using a drill. It is necessary to drill a hole and evaluate the resulting chips. It must be dry sawdust light shade, and not crumpled wood fractions.

Nuances and criteria for choosing a base for installation

Almost any covering can be used as a base for laying the floor. Let's look at each of them:

  • The first and most common option is a floor on joists. The logs are installed on bricks or cutting boards. The advantage of this method is that, if necessary, those already installed can be corrected by adjusting the level of the future coating. The disadvantage is the need for relatively thick boards.
  • The second option is concrete screed. The board fits on it without any problems. The only obstacle may be the fastening. The boards are usually attached to the base with self-tapping screws. But they are not always properly attached to concrete. Therefore, for ease of installation, the concrete is covered with plywood, which is secured with the same self-tapping screws.
  • The third option is the old floor. Of course, this option will not last for several decades, since the old base may begin to rot. But for 5-7 years with proper preparation old coating and replacement of rotten boards, such a floor will last.

Logs are one of the base options for laying floors made of tongue and groove boards

Installation technology

The installation technology is quite simple. Not many tools required. The main thing is consistency and accuracy when laying and fastening boards.

Tools and materials

The tools you will need:

  • Hammer
  • Two small wedges
  • Wood block
  • Screwdriver

The materials required are the boards themselves and fastening material in the form of self-tapping screws.

Mounting methods

There is actually one mounting method. But the recommended fastenings for the first covering strip differ. You can install it like all subsequent ones, but some craftsmen advise neglecting aesthetics on the first plank and securing the plank with 6-8 vertically screwed screws.

All other boards are driven into the groove using a hammer, which is used to knock on a block leaning against the tongue-and-groove board. After this, to achieve maximum adhesion, an auxiliary rail is attached to the rough coating, one wedge is installed, and another one is driven between it and the rail. This way the boards stick together single canvas, which cannot be disengaged without great effort.

Rules and laying of boards

The first board is laid with a groove against the wall. Some advise cutting it down, but this can cause unevenness of the entire subsequent covering. Therefore, it is better to use a plinth to cover the weak part of the floor and protect the groove from the unlikely but probable pushing through.

Subsequent boards are attached one by one using the already indicated method. The last board will most likely have to be widened so that it fits into the space between the penultimate plank and the wall. There is no need to be afraid of this, the situation is absolutely normal.


It may happen that you have to lay two boards in one row, since maximum length There won't be enough boards to cover the room. It is better to avoid such situations, but there may be no other option. In this case, better boards Lay different lengths in a checkerboard pattern to increase the strength of the coating.

Finishing the floor

Finishing involves primarily sanding. Even on a floor made of Euro tongue and groove it is better to go through a sanding machine once, but on a class A board this will have to be done 3-4 times. After sanding, the board can be painted, varnished or oiled. For any class of board and any type of wood, 3-4 layers of coating are considered sufficient. The rest is unnecessary and can lead to damage to the texture of the wood.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about installing a tongue-and-groove floor. The main thing is to choose the right material and follow the instructions consistently. Handles installation similar material everyone can.

Floor plays a decisive role in creating an interior. Wooden floors, especially oak, have always been very popular. To make your floors look more attractive and impressive, you need to not only choose quality materials, but also to lay floorboards correctly. At first glance, this is simple to do, but laying the floorboard has its nuances.


Tongue-and-groove floor boards - dimensions and design

The most commonly used wood for making floor boards is coniferous wood: pine, larch, spruce or cedar. Material made from ash, beech and oak is considered elite. Oak has a very beautiful, unique texture, and over time the color of the wood becomes brighter and more saturated. However, oak wood, like other first-class varieties, due to its increased density complicates the installation of floorboards, but if it is laid according to the rules, the result will exceed expectations in beauty and durability.

Under technical parameters The dimensions of the planks are implied:

  • Length (3, 4, 4.5, 6 m).
  • Thickness (28, 30, 32, 35, 40 mm). This characteristic is taken into account depending on the distance at which they will be laid. If the gap between them is more than 70 cm, then we lay thicker boards.
  • Width (80-135 mm). The most commonly used planks are those whose width is 100-105 mm. When choosing them, you should take into account the size of the room and its design. A board that is too wide or, conversely, narrow can spoil the overall impression of the room.

Floorboards, like any finishing floor covering, have their own operating characteristics. Among the positive aspects, the following should be noted:

  1. Naturalness and environmental friendliness;
  2. Ability to withstand heavy loads (this is especially true for oak floors);
  3. Durability – depends on the type of wood;
  4. High level of sound and heat insulation;
  5. Antiallergic properties;
  6. Resistant to various kinds deformations;
  7. Moderate cost.

Among the disadvantages are:

  • Labor-intensive care;
  • Rotting;
  • Highly flammable;
  • Predisposition to abrasion;
  • Change in volumes in summer and winter season, which can lead to cracks.

At proper care and use, wooden floors will remain in good condition for a long time. good condition and will please the eye.

How to choose?

If you decide to lay floorboards, you must approach their choice with all responsibility. The main thing here is to follow certain rules.

  1. It is necessary to determine for what purpose you are buying boards. If a subfloor is required, then suitable material without traces of rotting or deformation. For finishing Absolutely even and smooth products are needed.
  2. The wood must be of proper quality High Quality. You need to pay attention to the presence of cracks, knots and the cutting method.
  3. It is important to consider the size of the board. Here you need to imagine what loads the floor will experience. The minimum thickness for residential premises is 25 mm.
  4. The humidity of the material should be no more than 8%.
  5. Before laying, the tree must lie indoors for seven days.
  6. There should be no difficulties when fitting and joining the planks.

More details about the nuances of choice in the video:

The right choice finishing material– the key to high-quality and durable coating.

Installation of floorboards

Laying floorboards is carried out in two ways:

  • On the logs;
  • For glue.

Floor pie when installing floorboards on joists

The first option is classic. It is recommended in cases where the house has high ceilings or interfloor ceilings made of wood. So, let's lay the floorboards on the joists.


Installing floor boards with glue is in many ways similar to. The only difference is that the bar is additionally secured with self-tapping screws. Before laying the floorboards, the base is waterproofed and moisture-resistant plywood is laid.


Adhesive installation method

How to choose glue? The main thing is that the glue is flexible and durable. Epoxy, dispersed or semi-urethane compounds are suitable for fixing boards no longer than 50 cm.

Dispersed adhesive is not suitable for boards made of exotic wood.

For planks longer than 50 cm, experts recommend using glue that contains synthetic resins (two-component epoxy-polyurethane, one-component polyurethane).

Types of base for floorboards

The installation method largely depends on the type of base:

If the house had a wooden floor and it is still strong enough to withstand heavy loads, the floorboard can be laid on it. First of all, the existing floor is roughed. Then the surface is cleaned of dirt and dust, and a waterproofing layer is laid. After this we lay down the boards. In relation to the old planks, they should be positioned either perpendicularly or diagonally.

When installing on concrete, it is necessary to create a certain microclimate in the room:

  1. Screed humidity – 12%;
  2. Temperature – +17 +25 °C;
  3. Air humidity – no more than 60%.

At the first stage, waterproofing is laid on the leveled surface. Here you can use plastic film, roofing felt, or cover the floor with soil mastic. After this, logs or are installed, and then floorboards.