DIY parquet floor. Do-it-yourself parquet flooring and parquet installation. Parquet board

An elegant and beautiful floor is the dream of any owner. To create it, you can use various floor coverings, but among all their diversity, parquet stands out. This kind flooring has been known for many centuries and is still very popular, despite the labor-intensive installation process. All work on laying parquet should be entrusted to a master of his craft, but for those who are ready to work hard and know how to use tools, laying parquet with their own hands is quite a feasible task.

Laying parquet video - lesson

Parquet laying technology

Having decided to do all the work on laying parquet with your own hands, first of all you need to familiarize yourself with the laying technology. If you make a number of serious mistakes during the work, then even mastery of the tool will not save you from the need for subsequent repairs or rework of the entire parquet floor covering. Therefore, to avoid additional financial and labor costs, you need to know the following.

To create a reliable and durable parquet, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory work. First of all, this concerns the base on which the parquet will be laid. It can be wooden or concrete, but it must be strong, smooth, without depressions and various types of damage. The permissible difference in surface heights should be no more than 2 mm per linear meter.

If you have to lay parquet on wooden base, it is necessary to inspect the floor for failed or poorly secured floorboards and differences between them. If no gaps are found, but there are poorly secured and creaking boards, then we fix them with self-tapping screws. We eliminate differences and unevenness between the floorboards by scraping the surface. If it is not possible to cycle the boards and thereby remove differences, then you can putty them using a mixture based on PVA and wood sawdust. The most labor-intensive work will be in the presence of floorboard failures. To eliminate this drawback, you will have to disassemble the floor down to the joists. If the joists are in good condition, then you can make underlays under the floorboards and secure them to the joists using self-tapping screws. If rotten or damaged joists are found, they will have to be replaced and then the entire wooden floor structure will have to be reassembled. Having completed all the work to eliminate deficiencies and create a durable wooden base, we lay a plywood backing on it.

Before laying parquet, the floor can be leveled using a self-leveling mixture

Today, parquet flooring is more popular concrete base. It's a little less hassle-free to prepare and is more durable and strong than wood. But before laying parquet on it, it is necessary to inspect the concrete floor. If cracks, depressions or differences are found, they should be eliminated. To do this, you can make the surface screed with a self-leveling mixture and, after it has completely dried, begin laying the parquet. The work will be more labor-intensive in the case of crumbled concrete. Then you will have to completely remove the old one concrete screed, refill it and let it dry completely. As soon as all the preparation work concrete base completed, we lay a plywood backing on it.

The next requirement is a certain level of humidity during installation and subsequent operation. The tree is very sensitive to high humidity, therefore, using parquet in the kitchen, bathroom or toilet is extremely undesirable. During installation, you must comply temperature regime– not lower than +18°C, humidity level in the range of 35 – 65%.

Now it’s time to start choosing parquet, which today is quite large, so you can choose whatever your heart desires. In addition, to create a unique floor covering, you can contact a designer who will create a unique project with or without a pattern. You can opt for classic versions styling Or you can, by independently combining different types of wood and methods of laying parquet, get your own design. After purchasing and delivering the parquet home, it must sit indoors for 48 hours to “get used” to the microclimate. This is necessary so that after laying the parquet surface does not swell, the lamellas retain their shape, and there are no squeaks in the future.

Laying strip parquet step by step

Laying block parquet is painstaking work that requires increased attention and patience.

Laying parquet should begin with a plywood base. First, we carefully clean the leveled wooden or concrete surface from construction debris. We use an industrial vacuum cleaner to remove all the dust. If you leave everything as is, dust and debris will prevent good adhesion of plywood to the base surface, reducing astringent properties glue.

Now you need to cut large leaf moisture-resistant plywood 1525 * 1525 mm 12 mm thick into 4 pieces. This can be done using a manual circular saw. Such small sheets will ensure its better adherence to the base. We lay the resulting sheets away from the wall, starting from the corner opposite to the doors. We leave a gap of 10 - 15 mm between the wall and the plywood sheets, and in order not to disturb it during work, we drive special pegs between the wall and the plywood sheet. It should be noted that this gap must be maintained for parquet, so we select pegs of a sufficiently high height so that they are 5 - 10 mm higher from the edge of the parquet. This is done so that the wood has the opportunity to expand slightly during seasonal changes in the humidity level in the room, thereby maintaining the integrity of the floor covering.

It is more convenient and reliable to lay block parquet on plywood sheets

We also leave expansion joints of 2–5 mm between the plywood sheets, but without pegs. Before laying the sheets of plywood, apply special glue to the place where they are laid with a notched trowel, after which we lay the plywood. We lay the second row of sheets with a slight offset relative to the joining seams of the first row, in other words, “staggered”.

For additional fixation We use self-tapping dowels to the base of plywood. One sheet of plywood will require 8 pieces. To do this, drill deep holes with an impact drill and screw screws into them. It is better to do this work with a screwdriver, it is faster and easier. It is recommended to use galvanized self-tapping screws No. 8; when screwing them in, the head must be recessed 1 - 2 mm into the sheet so that during subsequent sanding of the plywood surface the drum of the sander will not be damaged.

Regardless of how even the base is created, when laying sheets of plywood, small differences are formed that need to be removed. To do this, you can sand the entire surface of the plywood backing, but to save time and money, you can sand only the joints of the sheets. In the grinder we use abrasive with grain P36 - P40. Then we vacuum the resulting surface and prime it. We apply the primer with a roller and make sure that it thoroughly saturates all the sheets of plywood.

Important! In the process of laying parquet, you will need various construction tools (parquet sander, industrial vacuum cleaner, surface sander, etc.). Some tools are quite expensive and are required only by people who professionally lay parquet. Therefore, it is easier to rent all the expensive equipment, and small tools such as a screwdriver, hand grinders, an air gun and a drill can be purchased for personal use.

Having completed everything preparatory work and having created a reliable plywood base, you can begin laying block parquet according to individual project, or using one of the classic styling methods. The most popular methods of laying parquet are as follows:

"Deck" is one of simple ways laying block parquet with a pattern reminiscent of the floor on the deck of a ship

Deck laying;
Herringbone;
Squares;

“Waitwork” is one of the most common methods of laying block parquet

Wicker with inserts from other types of wood;
Sheremetyevskaya star;
Diamonds.

As well as combinations of the above styling methods in combination with various patterns and shapes.

In order to do everything correctly, you will have to mark the future parquet on the plywood. And if with such installation options as deck, herringbone or squares, everything is quite simple, then in the case of artistic inserts everything will be much more complicated. To make marking easier, you need to make an exact scaled copy of the room and draw on it what the parquet will look like, and then transfer everything to the floor.

Important! You can mark out simple installation methods yourself, but in the case of artistic inserts, it is better to contact a professional.

To fix the parquet planks to the floor surface, apply glue

Now that there are markings, you can lay the parquet strips. We start from the opposite corner from the door. Apply glue to a small area of the plywood surface with a notched trowel and lay the first die with the “groove” to the wall. Then we fix it with pneumatic nails. To do this, we drive pneumatic nails into the “spike” of the die at an angle of 45 degrees. Next, we lay the second die of the first row, using a hammer and a block, we finish it off with the first die and fix it with pneumatic nails. Depending on the installation method, we form the first row of parquet. We repeat the entire algorithm of actions (apply glue, place the die, finish it through the block with a hammer, fix it with pneumatic nails) throughout the entire installation.

Important! We remember about the compensation temperature gap between the wall and the parquet. Upon completion of installation, it will be necessary to remove the spacer pegs from there. When performing work, for convenience, you should purchase special knee pads, since you will have to stand on your knees a lot, which is very uncomfortable for a long time.

When the installation of the room is completed, it is necessary to allow the adhesive to dry before continuing further work. Drying time is indicated on the packaging. Then we begin sanding the parquet. To do this we use a special grinding machine. drum type. Sand until the surface is smooth and uniform. Usually 2 - 3 passes are enough to achieve this. IN hard to reach places such as corners or near walls, we use an angle grinder. Then we bring it to perfection with another machine - a surface grinder.

We perform final sanding of the parquet surface using a machine.

Now all that remains is to fill the cracks in the parquet and begin final sanding of the surface. The final step will be to apply a protective varnish coating. All work on puttying and applying varnish should be carried out in personal protection and take a break from time to time.

Application of protective varnish coating on the parquet - this will protect it from mechanical damage

Despite the complexity and labor-intensive installation of block parquet, this type of flooring is the most beautiful and prestigious. Its creation will require from the master not only good ability to handle the tool, but also patience while performing all the work.

Plywood for parquet is not prerequisite for laying parquet elements, but in most repair cases it is the additional base that allows the coating to be installed with the proper quality.

In what cases does parquet need a plywood base?

Most floor coverings are not only parquet, but also laminate and tiles, and even linoleum - must be laid on a previously prepared and leveled floor. An exception can be considered the arrangement of classic floorboards; the use of guides allows you to compensate for unevenness of the base within a wide range.

For parquet, the critical level difference is considered to be 2-3 cm per linear meter gender. If the accurately measured slope is large, it is necessary to perform a fresh screed. Simultaneously with the cement stage of work, floor insulation can be carried out, but high-quality waterproofing of the base is much more important.

For quality styling and good result It is recommended to use Barlinek parquet boards.

Laying parquet on plywood is caused not only by the need to obtain a perfectly flat surface with identical and durable joints. It is plywood that provides optimal dryness to the parquet “substrate”, which is an indispensable condition for durability finishing coating . Without plywood base It is permissible to install parquet slabs on a self-leveling type - and then only if their humidity is low.

You can estimate the moisture content of a cement floor at home without complex instruments. True, the “payback” will be the long-term nature of the measurements. It is enough to place several pieces of dense transparent cellophane measuring 1x1 meter on the screed and press them around the perimeter with bars or strips. It is necessary to ensure that there is no ventilation from under the cellophane, otherwise the impromptu measurement will be inaccurate.

If after three days the central part of the transparent cellophane of all fixed pieces has not fogged up from the inside, the humidity of the floors is minimal, it is permissible to lay parquet tiles directly on cement. If at least one of the “tested” squares is covered with drops of moisture, if there are traces of fog underneath or at least a hint of dew, you cannot do without installing a plywood base.

Plywood for parquet - main varieties

Industry building materials produces a wide range of plywood sheets. Our task is to choose the optimal base for parquet from this assortment. First of all, let’s pay attention to the brand of plywood, as can be judged by the letters in its name:

Plywood of the FSF and FK brands is best suited as a standard base. It provides a reasonable repair budget and high-quality parquet installation at different humidity levels of the floor and the surrounding air.

When choosing between coniferous and birch plywood, two circumstances should be taken into account. Coniferous sheets weigh less and are easier to install. However, their birch counterparts are better able to withstand scraping and sanding during installation. All other things being equal, the answer to the question: “Which plywood for parquet is better – birch or coniferous?” consists in choosing birch sheets.

For a plywood base thickness, 12 mm is sufficient; when leveling floors with a fresh screed, it is permissible to use sheets of 10 and even 8 mm. If it is possible to scrape and sand plywood sheets after installation, it is wise to use grade III or IV plywood - it is noticeably cheaper than high-grade analogues, and bringing it to a “marketable” form will not be a quality base special labor.

Technology for laying parquet on plywood - step-by-step instructions

So, the floor is leveled with a screed, the parquet is stored in another room, and you can begin installing the plywood base. All work will be completed in several stages:

How to lay parquet on plywood - step by step diagram

Step 1: Marking the ground

It will look smooth on paper, but it makes more sense to lay the plywood directly on the floor in the form of ready-made square sheets - initially without fasteners. The size of the squares should be such that there are no interparquet seams on the lines of their joints. For example, if the tiles have a size of 15x15 cm, plywood sheets should be cut with a side of 70 cm. Sizes larger than 80 cm are not recommended to be used due to the possible “windage” of the sheets during fastening.

The placement of plywood squares on the floor should imitate brickwork. The displacement can be either half the sheet or only 20-30% of its size. The main thing is to ensure that the seams from the longitudinal and transverse sheets do not converge at one point. Along the perimeter of the room, cut sheets are installed last.

Step 2: We can easily handle it with a jigsaw and deftly cut it with a hacksaw

Standard plywood sheets have sizes of 125x125 and 125x250 cm. Naturally, you want to cut them with minimal waste and maximum accuracy. The best way to do this is to use electric jigsaw and a wide workbench - cutting 12 mm thick plywood into squares 60 by 60 or 75 by 75 cm will take no more than half an hour.

Sawing with ordinary hacksaws and saws will require a lot of effort and is unlikely to be done alone. Wide sheets will have to be held in order to hacksaw blade not clamped - for this you need to involve an assistant or special devices(spacers, wedges, clamps, etc.). Depending on the size of the room(s), one or more whole sheets are reserved for installation of cut plywood inserts around the perimeter.

Step 3: Preparation again

The leveled and dried cement-concrete base should be inspected again - after preliminary laying out the plywood, cracks, peeling of the mortar, potholes, etc. could have formed on it. They should be removed with a quick-drying sealant. The entire surface must be cleaned of debris and dust.

It is best to perform final pre-laying treatment with a vacuum cleaner; it will be quick and effective. An ordinary broom will also work, but you will have to wave it carefully (dust is unacceptable!). Under no circumstances should the broom be wetted when cleaning; installation of plywood sheets should be done on a dry surface.

The final ones preparatory stage is priming. In fact, this is an analogue of priming ceilings, only it is done on the floor. Glue for plywood - it is often identical - is diluted several times and the entire surface is coated with a wide brush. Thanks to priming, dust and small debris are once again removed from the floor, and the adhesive mass penetrates into the cement base for reliable installation of plywood sheets.

Step 4: Attaching the Plywood to the Floors

Pre-cut sheets are mounted on adhesive mastic. It is convenient to apply the glue to the floor, and not to the underside of the plywood, using a notched trowel. The fasteners are supplemented with self-tapping screws, screwed in in increments of 15-20 cm. For plywood squares with a side of 60-75 cm, 4 screws along each side and 4-5 in the central area are sufficient.

It is very important to achieve complete “recession” of the screw heads; even a minimal protrusion will interfere with the installation of the parquet itself. And the metal notch will obviously not help with subsequent grinding. Therefore, it is necessary not only to drill out the plywood sheet for the self-tapping screw, but also to accurately countersink the hole with a drill bigger size. Each screw that is screwed in is checked for sufficient depth (at least 2 mm from the base).

Laying plywood under parquet in the corners of the room is done by cutting the sheets in place, leaving a gap of 10-15 mm between the wall and the floor. For processing, use a grinder and sandpaper with a grain size of 1-2 mm. When sanding, pay special attention to the joints of the sheets. After cleaning the sanding results, you can begin installing the parquet on a new base - dry, strong and reliable.

No matter how the developers of innovative flooring try to improve the material, the eye of a reasonable residential property owner invariably turns to parquet and solid classics. Despite the enormous number of advanced achievements in this area, the question of how to properly lay parquet with your own hands is still relevant. After all, the number of home craftsmen who are trying to independently lay an amazing patterned floor from wooden planks has not yet ceased and is unlikely to cease.

The main secrets of laying parquet

Parquet flooring is a complex structure consisting of one or more underlying layers and a top covering made of wooden blocks. Dies are also called planks, parquet flooring or staves. Presented wooden elements predominantly rectangular in plan, front and profile. Along the perimeter the dies are equipped with grooves and ridges for fastening.

Observable components of a parquet floor

The width of the riveted strips is usually a multiple of the length, thanks to which a variety of geometric patterns can be created without any problems. The standards for the width of parquet flooring are 5-7.5 cm, length 21-49 cm according to GOST, numbered 862.1-85. The thickness values indicated in the data sheets start from 14 mm and end at 22 mm.

Note. Optimal thickness parquet flooring for residential premises is considered to be 15-18 mm. For thinner planks, the working layer is quickly erased, especially if sanding is carried out frequently. Thick parquet flooring is not elastic.

The material for parquet flooring can be supplied not only in the form of rectangular planks. On sale are ready-made panels with parquet floor fragments assembled on a coniferous base and modules fastened on top using the principle of ceramic mosaic with cardboard or paper.

Base hidden from view

The number and technical characteristics of the underlying elements depend on the type and condition of the rough foundation, which most often includes:

concrete floors: precast or monolithic floors with or without screed;
wooden beams with joists installed for laying the flooring;
a plank floor, the floorboards of which, after repair and sanding, serve as a rough base.

According to the instructions of SNiP number 3.04.01-87, it is allowed to lay rivets or finished parquet panels on a prepared base. Within 2 meters of the completed preparation, deviations in height of no more than 2 mm can be recorded. Those. when installing a 2-meter strip on a subfloor in an arbitrary vector direction, the maximum clearance between this control device and the surface can be only 2 mm, preferably less. The slope is permissible, but its size is limited by the same reference book: max 0.2%, not exceeding 5 cm.

The primary goal of a do-it-yourself parquet installer is to form a rough subfloor that meets technical requirements. The number and type of upcoming operations determines the material from which the rough base is made and the degree of wear.

Objectives of using moisture-resistant plywood

The second stage, the result of which you will admire and show off, consists of individually laying the elements on the prepared base. Top layer preparation according to the overwhelming majority of technological schemes is a moisture-resistant plywood substrate, because it:

serves as a reliable module for fastening small-caliber parquet floor rivets;
compensates for the difference in temperature expansion of the concrete base and wood covering;
eliminates the leakage of moisture from the ceiling and from the subfloor, which can render expensive natural material unusable;
performs the function of a cutting element in the case of a floating floor;
plays the role of a leveling layer.

If it is possible or necessary to reduce the height of ceilings by 5 cm or more, you can simply purchase sets of adjustable floors with the Knauf brand and carry out the preparation for both concrete and wood in one day. Products from the same manufacturer should be used if you are going to use expanded clay as insulation over a cold basement.

This means that we have found out that plywood should be used. There are plenty of ways to level it with its help. Let's forget for a moment about the existence of factory kits for dry screed and look at budget preparation options, the implementation of which will require inexpensive building materials and our own efforts.

Three preparation options

The quality of leveling carried out before installing a parquet floor affects the number of finishing operations and the service life of the coating. Those who want to lay parquet flooring reliably and aesthetically with their own hands should know that due to defects in the base:

the ridges of the parquet flooring will become loose, crack, and break after a very short period of time;
the floor will creak mercilessly;
additional grinding will have to be carried out, thinning the working layer of the material. As a result, the number of scraping and sanding operations required for subsequent restoration of the parquet floor is reduced.

To avoid such unsightly consequences, let's look at how the three types of bases for parquet are leveled.

Conditions and schemes for pouring screed

The screed is poured mainly to eliminate defects in concrete floors:

Height differences and defects within 1-2 cm are removed by grinding the concrete floor followed by pouring either cement-sand or polymer leveling mortar. Before installing the screed, the base is primed twice with a penetrating compound. A two-component polyurethane primer will stabilize and strengthen the top layers of the subfloor and act as a waterproofing agent.
For defects of more than 2 cm, the leveling layer will need to be re-filled with the installation of polyethylene as a waterproofing and cut-off layer. From strips of polyethylene you need to build a kind of pallet with 10-centimeter sides. Because The thickness of the layer is usually 3-4 cm, it is used for leveling mainly sand- cement mixtures with reinforcement. It is more economical and convenient to reinforce with polypropylene fiber, but you can also use mesh.

The cement-sand leveling layer under the parquet should harden for at least 4 weeks. According to rounded popular calculations, 1 week is allotted for hardening 1 cm of screed. Upon completion of the specified period, you should also not rush into installation if you plan to attach the dies directly to the leveling layer. You need to wait more than 5-6, or even better, 7 weeks, until moisture stops escaping from the screed.

Attention. If you plan to glue parquet flooring directly to a primed screed, you need to use cement mixtures with grades M150-300 to fill it. They are characterized by high compressive strength. The adhesive for parquet flooring will need to be flexible.

There is no need to wait for complete hardening if moisture-resistant plywood is laid on top of the fill. 28 days are enough, and it can be fastened with self-tapping screws or dowel nails to a leveled floor. For this purpose, sheets of plywood are cut into 4 parts and laid staggered according to the principle brickwork. Cut to minimize expansion and eliminate undulations. Gaps of 2-3 mm are left between the quartered segments for linear compression and expansion. Hardware caps are recessed 3-5 mm into the plywood so as not to damage the disc later grinding machine.

Attention. If, in addition to self-tapping screws, glue is also used to fix plywood sheets to the screed, it is recommended to purchase it with the same brand and properties as the primer to optimize adhesion.

When using glue, the process of laying parquet on a plywood base will need to be postponed. You will have to wait for the curing period specified by the manufacturer for the binder. After that, the plywood preparation is sanded along the seams in order to remove differences in height of adjacent sheets, as well as dirt and factory flaws.

Between the walls and the plywood layer around the perimeter you need to leave technological gap 0.9 – 1.2 cm. It is formed using spacer wedges. The spacers are not removed until the parquet flooring is completely laid. Only upon completion of installation should they be pulled out and the gap created by the wedges filled polyurethane foam so that moisture does not get on the side faces in the future. The foamed seam is covered with a plinth on top.

Attention. The plinth is attached only to the walls; its slats do not fit tightly with the parquet. There should be at least 1 mm between the parquet flooring and the baseboard.

Logs as a method of leveling

It is also the dry screed method, which allows you to avoid stretching out the floor construction process for many months due to long technological interruptions. For the construction, timber with sides of 4 and 5 cm is used. The work is carried out according to the following algorithm:

Install logs every 30 cm, fasten them with screws or corners to a concrete or wooden rough base. Between the ends of the beam and the walls you need to leave a traditional gap for linear expansion.
Level in a horizontal plane by adding sand if the rough base is made of concrete, by placing wedges, roofing felt or parchment inserts if the base is made of wood. The excess is cut off with a plane.
In the plywood cut into 4 equal parts, 9 holes are drilled in advance, through which they are fastened to the joists with self-tapping screws. The principle of brick laying is observed by default, as is the deformation offset around the perimeter. No cross connections are allowed.
By analogy, the second layer of plywood base is constructed. Only quartered sheets are laid offset so that the seams of the first row do not coincide with the seams of the second. The first layer of plywood is treated with primer, then with glue. Then screws are screwed in, the size of which depends on the total thickness of the plywood layer.
After the glue has dried, sanding is performed.

The plywood backing is laid on the joists in two layers, the total height of which should be approximately 30 mm. The thickness of the plywood laid on the screed is determined by the thickness of the parquet flooring. Usually it is 5 mm smaller than the equivalent parquet size.

Preparing the plank floor

It consists of repairing and sanding the floorboards if their thickness after processing with a sanding unit does not become less than 30 mm. Otherwise, the boards will have to be dismantled and laid new material, on top of which the parquet strips will be attached.

If the board simply replaces the first layer of plywood, its thickness combined with the thickness of the substrate may not exceed 3 cm. And it can be laid with centimeter gaps to ensure ventilation and temperature movement.

Note. It is advisable to choose a primer for adhesive for wooden floors with antistatic properties.

Technological procedure for laying parquet

Parquet layers have a lot of options for laying out the tiles: from the simplest “deck” with a herringbone pattern to complex artistic drawings with mosaic modules and borders. In anticipation of the work, a layout plan is drawn up, which can be directed along any of the walls or at a 45º angle. It is recommended to start corner laying from the central row. You should do the same if you don’t get whole rows of the selected pattern.

To orient the first row, they construct something like a mooring cord. Two nails are driven into the plywood on opposite sides of the row planned for laying, and a fishing line is pulled over them.

It is not forbidden to use one-component glue, but it is better to spend money and buy a two-component one. It will definitely not emit water harmful to the parquet.

In principle, the technology for laying parquet is not at all complicated; it consists of sequentially performing the following steps:

the prepared surface is carefully covered with soil;
Using a spatula-comb, glue is applied to a small area, because the binder dries extremely quickly;
A pre-assembled fragment of two or three dies is placed on the glue, taking into account the mooring reference. Parquet flooring is glued with some effort. Excess glue squeezed out from under the parquet flooring should be removed immediately;
Each installed plank can be secured with two or three nails or studs through the ridge. Hammer the hardware at an angle of 45º. The nail heads should be sunk into the ridge with a parquet tamper. Parquet flooring can be fixed through three elements;
the fully laid parquet is left for the period of glue curing;
then they sand in two or more steps, changing the sanding paper at each stage to an analogue one with smaller grain sizes. Grind until the defects that appeared during work are cut off;
open with stain if there is a desire to change the color of the floor, then with varnish in 3-9 layers.

There are many intricacies in the technology of constructing a parquet floor. However, there is nothing extremely complicated. Of course, the first time parquet is laid will hardly look like the floors in Versailles, but it’s worth a try. What if it turns out better?

There is also a laying method with the additional use of nails, but it seems unreasonable to us if the first two methods can perfectly hold the parquet together.

Floating method

Laying parquet using the floating method is the most simple option. Parquet planks are joined to each other using the “tenon-to-groove” principle. Since the floating method does not fix the parquet to the base, it will expand and contract depending on the humidity and temperature in the room. Therefore, when laying, you need to make a 1 cm indentation from the walls. If you do not make an indentation, the parquet will soon begin to creak, and this is very unpleasant.

Parquet should be laid using the floating method on a previously laid layer of vapor barrier and then sound insulation. As soundproofing material cork insulation, which also has good thermal insulation characteristics, thanks to the porous structure.

If the parquet is laid using a floating method, it can be repaired.

Glue installation method

Laying parquet with glue requires more time and labor (and, of course, purchasing glue, having a notched trowel and a drill with a mixing attachment). Also, in the case of fixing parquet with glue, the base (usually plywood) must first be primed for good adhesion to the glue. Wood and concrete have their own types of primer.

The disadvantage of laying block parquet with glue is the impossibility of repair.

How to lay strip parquet correctly

The first thing you need to know is to lay parquet when room temperature and normal humidity.

Laying block parquet is a process consisting of the following steps:

Preparing the base for laying parquet. Often the subfloor is made first ( various types We have a whole series of articles dedicated to rough floors). If a subfloor is not required, you can simply install roll and slab sound insulation (it can simultaneously have both thermal and waterproofing characteristics; an example is cork backing, CBPB slabs, sometimes moisture-resistant plywood is sufficient: it depends on the conditions of your room and what is underneath). If, for example, this is the floor on the second floor, and there is a bathroom underneath it, then it makes sense to take care of waterproofing.
The distance from the walls is 1 cm. When laying any type of parquet, a distance from the walls is required (even when laying with glue). When laying in a floating manner, the indentation is necessary for the natural expansion of the wood. When laying with glue, an indentation is needed to create additional sound insulation, due to the absence of abutment of the floor to the walls. During installation, a distance from the walls must be provided with plastic liners 1 cm thick.
Laying parquet according to technology. We'll talk about them below. If you are laying parquet using deck laying technology, then in each next row the board should be offset by at least 30 cm, or preferably by half.
Sanding (aka scraping) parquet (if it does not have a finished front surface). For grinding you need to use a special grinding machine. It can be rented.
Parquet tinting as needed. Tinting is needed to emphasize the contrast of the wood structure: for example, the fibers will be better visible.
Parquet varnishing. It is required, first of all, to protect the parquet, and only then to create a glossy effect.
Installation of baseboards.

Tap the parquet boards together either with a rubber-tipped hammer or through wooden plank(the plank must be pressed to the floor so that it does not fly out from the impact and scratch the parquet flooring). When laying the last row, it must be tapped to the already laid row using a special tamping strip (bracket).

Technologies for laying block parquet

Laying parquet planks can be done according to different technologies, each of which looks different:

Deck laying (regular);
"Herringbone";
Squares;
Diamonds;
Braids (mosaic);
Sheremetyevo star.

Deck

Deck laying is the usual longitudinal laying of parquet planks with the next row offset by about half to increase rigidity. It is better to start laying from the wall opposite the door, moving towards the exit.

If the finished laid coating is to be a seamless gloss, then lay the planks longitudinally to the light.

Before laying the first row, lay the planks along their entire length, taking into account a distance of 1 cm from the walls, if necessary, mark the cutting line from the final plank, and lay. Depending on the type of connection, piece parquet can be simply pushed into the grooves of adjacent planks, or it can be smoothly inserted at a slight angle, gradually lowering it.

To make sure that the joint is even before laying the next row, after each connection of two planks, you need to connect a piece of the plank at their junction, as if it were the next row, and wobble it a little to align the horizontal of the connection. And repeat this with each joint. The second row must first be secured to each other, then check the joints with a piece of plank, then connect to the first row.

From the planks located near the walls, you need to saw off a groove or tenon (depending on which side the wall is from the plank) so that the distance from the walls is uniform. This must be taken into account when taking measurements for cutting. Sawing, by the way, is done with a jigsaw.

Deck laying can also be done diagonally. It can be positioned at an angle of 45 degrees, or diagonally from one corner of the room to the other. In any case, you need to draw a laying line that will start from one corner of the room.

The first row of parquet is laid along the line, starting with sawing off the corner at the first plank. When the first row is laid, we align the joints with a piece of plank. Then we lay the subsequent rows with a distance between the joints of the rows of about 50 cm (if the boards are long) or half a plank (if they are short).

Herringbone

For herringbone installation, the planks must have a tenon on 2 corner sides and a groove on the other 2 corners. Laying is carried out in such a way that the connections are directed in one direction.

The planks can be laid at an angle of 45 degrees to all walls, or at a right angle of 90 degrees to the walls (steps).

The laying technology begins with the lighthouse “herringbone” - the first two laid rows. They set an even line for laying the remaining rows, so the lighthouse “herringbone” must be perfectly aligned. To do this, you need to either draw or stretch a line between the nails, relative to which the “herringbone” will be equal.

It is better to lay the “Christmas tree” with glue. By the way, if you lay it with glue, the parquet planks do not have to have tongue-and-groove locks - you can do it without them, it will still be attached with glue.

Squares and wicker (mosaic)

The easiest way to lay parquet is with wicker in the shape of squares (if, of course, the dimensions of the planks allow them to be adjusted to this shape) and rectangular options. The installation principle is very simple: join the first square of planks and lay them out; join the second square of planks and lay it out perpendicular to the first. And so you alternate perpendicular squares. Every other row moves the squares by one to create a checkerboard effect.

This is a standard technology, but you can also lay out a mosaic, alternating, for example, a circle of planks in one direction, and a circle inside in a perpendicular direction, and so move towards the center. You can just lay it out in strips, you can make crosses, you can put it in large cubes... There are a lot of options.

Laying the planks with braided or squares begins with a lighthouse row, which is perfectly aligned.

Also, wicker mosaic squares and rectangles can be placed at an angle of 45 degrees to the walls (diamonds). But for this, as for the herringbone, you will have to cut a lot of parquet boards, so buy the material with a reserve.

To lay block parquet using the Sheremetyevskaya Star technology, it must be made of two types of shapes: simple rectangular and inclined diamond-shaped. The result of a mosaic made using this technology pleasantly pleases the eye with possible combinations geometric shapes and the play of texture and color.

To avoid confusion, the Sheremetyevskaya Star must be laid according to the diagram.

Do-it-yourself parquet sanding

After laying the parquet, it needs to be sanded. >Grinding used to be called scraping because a scraper was used for it. But the scraper can deform the parquet too much. Therefore, special parquet sanding machines are used. They work like sandpaper– rub the surface to a single level so that all the joints of the planks are on the same level. There are different grinders with different grinding power attachments.

But a grinder is a rather bulky piece of equipment, and you can’t sand corners with it. For this, a sanding boot is used - a hand-held sander for processing corners and other places that are difficult to reach for a large grinder (for example, a place under a heating radiator).

It is better to sand the parquet with your own hands 2 times:

First, sanding is carried out with a hard attachment to remove all irregularities.
Then the nozzle is changed to a less rigid one and sands the parquet to a pleasant smoothness.

If, after laying the parquet, other construction or renovation work indoors, you need to wait until they are finished and only then begin sanding and subsequent varnishing.