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Floors and floor coverings

City. Is it so good and comfortable for a person in it. This question increasingly excites the minds of city dwellers. They strive to escape from it to the bosom of nature, and if not to live here permanently, then at least for the weekend to leave the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.

And more and more people are building houses from natural materials - good old wood. Only they have that indescribable comfort, warmth and make it possible to inhale the aroma of clean air.

And what should be the floor in a wooden house? There can be no unequivocal answer - how many people - so many opinions. We will try to consider all the best options.

Coatings made from natural materials

The wooden house has its own special microclimate and natural ventilation. Reflecting on the question of what the floors should be in it, decide what you want to achieve from them:

  • aesthetics
  • evenness
  • durability

But first you need to understand the technology of their device, this will help you choose the most suitable option for your home. There are two main types of floors:

  • wooden
  • concrete

rare for wooden house use the latter, it is less suitable for such designs. But the choice of material for the floor is the final stage, in the beginning it is necessary to determine its design features.

Subfloor scheme

Usually, any floor resembles a pie in structure and consists of several layers:

  • draft
  • hydro and thermal insulation layers
  • finishing
  • floor covering

Moreover, this whole structure rests on beams built into the walls or on beams located on top of the pillars. At the same time, they must lie on all supports, and wooden spacers or wedges are used to level them, they are fixed with nails.

There is a constructive division of wooden floors into:

  • single
  • double

Installation of the first is carried out using a log, but can be performed without them. Double floor - requires fixing cranial bars on the bottom of the beams. Subfloor boards will be placed on them in the future. You can put insulation on top.

Draft floors in a wooden house must be required. They perform a number of important functions:

  • create an air cushion (thereby retaining heat)
  • form a rigid frame
  • are the basis for thermal insulation
  • protect the structure from distortion

Requirements for the floor in a wooden house

One of the most important structures in the overall structure of a building must satisfy a number of requirements. The device of the floor is a very complex work that requires certain knowledge. The very first of the requirements for it is its ideal evenness. In its own way, it is the hallmark of the entire room.

It does not matter what this structure is made of - cement, concrete or stone, it must comply with the following standards:

  • sanitary and hygienic
  • constructive
  • operational
  • decorative

Failure to comply with at least one of them can lead to its rapid failure and adversely affect the overall interior of the room. Depending on where it is used, it must be impact-resistant and smooth, water-resistant and have sound-absorbing properties.

All are divided into:

  • warm
  • medium
  • cold

For living quarters, warm natural materials based on wood are best suited for sanitary zones and kitchens - medium (tiles, linoleum), and for utility rooms - cold (concrete and stone).

What should it be?

Having considered the design features and structure, it is worth paying attention to other characteristics. What is the difference between the floor in a wooden house? And what can it be? The list of wood flooring options is long and varied.

It could be:

  • board (larch, cedar, pine)
  • parquet
  • ceramics (for sanitary areas)
  • laminate
  • linoleum

The wooden floor will look best, it most harmoniously fits into the overall style and is considered the most environmentally friendly. In addition, it is also one of the warmest, this material is characterized by low thermal conductivity.

Parquet also belongs to natural materials, and will look very beautiful and natural in a wooden house. It can be made from various types of wood and has good performance.


Ceramic tiles - do without it in modern home will not work. It is necessary in the bathrooms, in the kitchen, in the bath or sauna. Possessing good water-repellent properties, the tile is indispensable for those rooms where there is high humidity.

Laminate, as an alternative to board, can also be used in a wooden house. Outwardly, it has great resemblance to natural wood and is quite suitable for arranging the floor in a bedroom or office.

There is also a large list of materials that can also be used as floors in a wooden house, it all depends on the overall style of the room. For a classic design, the most ideal option would be a floor made of natural materials, while for modern styles any coating can be chosen.

Coating selection criteria

Any material can theoretically be chosen as a finish for the floor in a wooden house. But if we approach this issue from a practical point of view, then it is necessary to take into account the design features of the flooring and the entire building, while not forgetting the purpose of the rooms themselves.

  • massive board or block parquet
  • parquet board
  • laminate
  • cork

Which one to choose is up to you. They are all natural and have good performance characteristics, and only the cost and appearance distinguish them.

Having become the happy owner of a private house built of logs or timber, you involuntarily want all the finishing materials to be exclusively natural. This is consistent with the style of wooden buildings and their design features.

Therefore, the most ideal floors in a wooden house are, of course, from a massive board. It is integral with walls and ceilings and is able to pass air, which is an important factor for the natural ventilation of such premises. Therefore, the choice of a wooden floor will be the most correct.

When people build houses and it comes down to the floor, there is no doubt about what kind of floors to lay. Naturally, wooden floors that provide coziness and comfort. Warmth seems to emanate from this pleasant natural material, it can be considered an environmentally friendly material.

Despite the fact that there is currently a huge selection of various cool modern building materials on the market, natural wood is always in price. Therefore, in a private house, especially a wooden one, wooden floors suggest themselves. There is no thought and desire to do something else, from another finishing material.

Moreover, the tree has been used since ancient times. It seems that the processing technology of this material has been studied and worked out to the very nuances. But real skilled craftsmen do not stop making their own contribution: they constantly improve and simplify processes. The quality of the flooring depends on how the interior will look as a whole. Because floors are the most important part of the interior. Proper installation and proper care will ensure the durability of the coating.

First, it makes sense to understand what the floors are. This is the top part of the floor covering. If we are talking about wooden floors, then the following options are possible:

  1. Board covering;
  2. Parquet flooring;
  3. Floors from a panel parquet.

Laying wooden floors is not very difficult, so many people prefer to do it in their private home with their own efforts. Before you get started, it is important to study the theory. There is a sea on the Internet useful tips, recommendations.

Such floors are made according to the principle of a multilayer cake. Boards, insulation, insulation.

Clean coating from an environmental point of view


Wood floors come in different types.

When choosing, both price and prestige play a decisive role:

  1. A massive board is an expensive classic material that is often used for flooring. Perfect for a log house. Whole layers are always good enough.
  2. Parquet board - made of wood, it is equipped with grooves that give convenience when docking. The thickness of the standard material reaches 0.25 cm, and the length is up to 200 cm.
  3. Parquet adhesive board - does not differ much from the previous version and is not inferior in quality at all. Has a long period of operation. Its top layer is usually made of precious wood, its thickness can be up to 5 mm. Other layers are not so big.
  4. Ordinary parquet is a set of planks that have grooves. This material is the best suited and is often used for sophisticated floors.


If, nevertheless, the choice is stopped on a natural wood flooring, it is important to know how to do everything right. The structure of the structure plays an important role. Wooden flooring in the house is applied in layers. Boards are laid either on logs or laid on a concrete base. If you want to level the surface, plywood sheets should be used.

It's time to start laying the floors and, of course, you need to start from the ground. From preparatory phase depends on the end result. Then it comes to flooring, which can be done in two ways.

  1. The first one involves the use of lag.
  2. The second is the use of beam ceilings.

Which method to use depends both on the design of the house and on the finishing material that is planned to be applied at the final stage. Installation can be done on your own.

Installation

Logs are stacked on small columns, prepared in advance. You can use beams. An ordinary roofing material can serve as a waterproofing material. The layers are arranged in this way: beams or logs are installed on the waterproofing. They are securely fixed in place.


Logs are installed on poles that act as supports. To increase strength, put beams and only then logs. Make fasteners using self-tapping screws.

Both beams and logs are attached to the supports with metal corners. To make the design reliable and durable, the logs are carefully treated with an antiseptic solution.

Wood floors in one layer are a common option. If you wish, you can make a coating of two layers. The flooring technology is identical in both single-layer and double-layer versions.

The single floor is suitable for warm climates, as well as in country house used primarily in the summer. Such a device of the floors will require the construction of supporting pillars.

When it comes to double coating, it means the use of insulation. This is where experience is needed. At the very beginning, lags are installed, which are fixed with self-tapping screws, metal corners. Then, between the lags, plywood is laid, which has increased resistance to moisture. The edges of the plywood sheets should slightly extend beyond the boundaries of the supports.

Next, lay a special heater. For these purposes, mineral or glass wool is used, less often clay or expanded clay. Then you need to make a rough version of the floors. A board is used, the thickness of which should be 0.5 cm and in no case less. Fasteners are made with self-tapping screws, nails are not used.


When laying the board, a serious approach is required. The grooved material does not require pre-treatment. The board at the final stage is varnished, painted.

In general, there are two types of solid wood boards: regular and tongue-and-groove.

The difference between them is only in the installation. It is easier to produce a grooved board device. First, it should lie down for 3 days. Then it is laid on the draft version of the floor. Lay it across the lag. This method called "thorn in the groove." A rubber hammer is suitable for compacting the structure.

The parquet board is made in the same way. Only it fits from the side of the spike. Fastening is carried out with self-tapping screws. Plywood sheets can serve as the basis, but then the parquet board will have to be glued and, to top it all off, secured with self-tapping screws.

In order to protect yourself from mistakes, it is better to use the services of professionals. No wonder there is an opinion that everyone should mind their own business. And there is a sense in this.

If, nevertheless, an irresistible desire arose to make the floor in a private house with one's own efforts, then it would be good to heed the advice of specialists. And they advise you to perform actions in a strictly defined sequence.

  1. At the very beginning, you need to make a fitting. That is, try on boards. It makes sense to number them. This will help to follow the sequence, and subsequently avoid fitting.
  2. The device of floors begins according to the rules from the wall. But you need to leave a ventilation gap. The gap will then hide the plinth.
  3. After laying the very first board, the width of which is up to 6 cm, the building brackets are driven into the places where they join with the beams.
  4. When laying the last board, there are usually minor difficulties. To avoid this, the upper part is leveled with a planer. After the board is glued, fastened with self-tapping screws.
  5. When the coating device is almost completed, the joints are ground, the irregularities are eliminated by placing bars and roofing material.
  6. The cracks that appeared during the work are sealed and hidden, covering with skirting boards.
  7. If necessary, a laminate or some other modern material is placed on top of the wooden floor as desired.


If the rules are followed, the installation of a floor made of wood materials can give an excellent result, which in a private house will look great, and will also last a very long time. After all, high-quality installation is a guarantee of strength, and high-quality material is a guarantee of aesthetics, in this case, flooring.

On this stage green building has come to the fore. Tree - construction material in a leading position. This environmentally friendly material has been used since ancient times. And often in a modern private house you can stumble upon a combination of nature with modern trends and technologies. And one of the most important stages of construction is the installation of the floor. This is a very important stage that requires close attention.

It is very important to choose the right wood. For example, coniferous wood will be very useful for a warm and durable floor. Hardwoods such as oak or ash can also be used. But you should remember some points when choosing wood material:

  • The moisture content of the material should be 12% and this should not be neglected, since this fact is directly related to the ability of the material to hold its shape.
  • The boards should not have any chips, cracks, or any other damage, such material is not suitable, it is a marriage. If this rule is not followed, then the house is provided with regular repair of the floor.
  • The material must be treated with special compounds for its own protection.
  • To create a durable, durable coating in a private house, you should opt for hardwoods.

Foreword

Finishing the floor in the house is a stage fine finish, during which the premises are prepared for subsequent active operation.

Required Tools and materials

barplaned boardChipboardLaminatelenoliumOSBparquet boardplinthTilePlywood

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Content

Finishing the floor in the house is a stage of fine finishing, during which the premises are prepared for subsequent active use. How to make a floor finish is described in this material. Examples and variants of floor coverings are given. It is told about the laying of the log and the choice of flooring. We also present to your attention a video on laying piece parquet.

Do-it-yourself finishing floor

Making a finishing floor with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems. When the screed is ready, the waterproofing of the floors, the finishing of the room is carried out. In most cases it is preferable to do Finishing work top down. First painted, pasted or installed dropped ceilings, then paint the walls or paste wallpaper on them and, finally, finish the finishing work with laying parquet, tile or other flooring. With this sequence, you do not risk ruining the floors. In any case, before finishing any surfaces of the room, all underlying layers of the floor must be laid completely.

Choice of floor covering

The choice of floor covering, of course, is connected with your ideas regarding the interior of the house. It is also necessary to take into account the nature of the operation of the premises. If the house has an entrance from the street, the coating should be moisture resistant and easy to clean, such as ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware. But the open terrace should not be finished with such material: in winter, the floor will be quite slippery. Here it is better to use solid wood, pre-impregnated with antiseptic compounds that prevent decay.

for bathroom and kitchen fit tiles - large-format or mosaic. Carpet of all kinds can be laid in residential premises, and in those located above the ground floor. This coating attracts dust and is very difficult to clean.

For residential areas, floors finished with wood, such as piece parquet or solid board, are also preferred. Such a floor is resistant to dirt and retains heat well.

Floor finishing materials

When choosing materials for flooring, you should pay attention to their specifications. For sanitary facilities and kitchens, this can be a tile, for living rooms - a laminate or parquet. Recommendations for choosing a floor covering are given in the table:

room

Ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware

Linoleum

Parquet, solid wood

carpet

Laminate

entrance area

Corridor

bathroom

Kitchen

Bedroom

Living room

Children's

Cabinet

Pantry

Outdoor terrace

Strip finishing options: photo and description

Consider flooring options depending on the selected material. You can also look at the photo finishing the floor in finished form:

Floors from ceramic tiles should be laid immediately after applying a connecting layer of cement-sand mortar (thickness 15-20 mm), concrete or mastic.

Prior to laying, the tile must be kept for at least two days at an air temperature of at least + 10 °C. It is placed on the floor in even rows, leaving seams 5-8 mm wide. The mortar or concrete that has come out of the joints is removed from the coating before it hardens. In wet rooms (bathroom, lavatory, kitchen), before laying the tiles, a waterproofing layer is placed and a leveling screed is made.

Roll materials (carpet and different kinds linoleum) are glued to the prepared base, so it is worthwhile to pre-insulate with foamed polystyrene foam and leveling screed. Before gluing the coating, it is rolled out and left for a while until the waves disappear. This will provide a tighter fit.

Materials that were transported and stored at an air temperature of 0 ... +10 ° C are rolled out no earlier than in a day. If the temperature was below 0 °C, then not earlier than two days after exposure in a warm room. The moisture content of screeds on cement binder mortar should be no more than 4%.


Laying linoleum in the photo.

Glueing the carpet in the photo.

Before laying carpet and linoleum, uneven surfaces of the screed are sanded, primed and, if necessary, puttied. After puttying, the screed is dried.

Laying is carried out along the planned direction of movement of people around the room. The thickness of the adhesive layer should not exceed 0.8 mm.

When performing work, it is necessary to ensure that the coating lies evenly, without waves and swellings, and that there are no kinks or cuts on it.

Finishing floor device


Laying wooden floors in the photo.

For the installation of wooden floors, floor boards joined at the ends are chosen at least 2 m long, and parquet boards at least 1.2 m. The length of the floor log must be at least 2 m. not less than 40 mm, width - 80-100 mm. The thickness of the logs laid on separate supports is 40-50 mm, the width is 100-120 mm. The distance between the axes of the logs laid on the floor slabs is kept within 0.4-0.6 m. This is the simplest finishing floor device in the house.

Laying wooden logs: video and technology

Laying the log is carried out perpendicular to the planned movement of people in the room. The logs are butted together close to each other anywhere in the room with a displacement of the joints in adjacent logs by at least 0.5 m. A gap of 20-30 mm is left between the logs and the walls. The surface of the lag is leveled along their entire width and length. Laying wooden lag carried out at the beginning of the work.

Covering boards are fastened to each lag with nails 2-2.5 times longer than the thickness of the board, and parquet boards - with nails 50-60 mm long. In this case, the nails are hammered at an angle into the boards and into the lower parts of the groove on the edges of the parquet boards and parquet boards, and the nail heads are sunk. Hammering nails into the front surface of parquet boards and parquet boards is unacceptable.

The joints of the ends of the boards, as well as the joints of the ends and side edges with the ends of adjacent parquet boards, as well as the joints of adjacent parquet boards parallel to the joists of the edges, should be located on the joists.

Look at the video laying lag:

Covering boards and parquet boards connected to each other by their side surfaces in a tongue and groove, as well as parquet boards connected by dowels, must be knocked down so that they fit tightly to each other.

Laying strip parquet: video and explanation

Laying of piece parquet is carried out as follows: glue is applied with a thickness of not more than 1 mm on at least 80% of the area of ​​each parquet tile; adhesive mastic in strips 100-200 mm wide along the perimeter of the plates and in the middle zone with an interval of 300-400 mm. Prior to the laying of parquet or solid boards, the elements of wooden floors - logs and boards - must be treated with antiseptics, with the exception of the front side. The humidity of the lag when laying floors should not exceed 18%, and the humidity of the floor and base boards when laying type-setting and block parquet, boards and parquet panels - 12%. Look at the view of laying piece parquet:


Assembling the laminate in the photo.


Laminate: components and view after laying in the photo.



Bypassing pipes when laying laminated parquet in the photo.

Laminated parquet is laid with a preliminary thermal insulation of expanded polystyrene.

Correct laying of piece parquet on video:

To in country house there were comfortable conditions, it is necessary to carefully carry out all measures for warming. Properly carried out insulation can significantly reduce heating costs. If you decide to do this work yourself, then you should start with the choice of material. Modern manufacturers offer a variety of materials that allow you to effectively insulate the floors of a country house. You should take care of the vapor barrier of the floor and, of course, install the finish coat.

All materials that are used for installing floors in a country housemust differ in the following pronounced characteristics:

High-quality floor insulation is a prerequisite for creating comfortable conditions in the house

One of the traditional insulation materials is mineral wool. It is made by melting rocks of the basalt group. The binder is a synthetic binder. High heat and sound insulation characteristics, fire and moisture resistance, strength under mechanical stress - all these are clear advantages of mineral wool. Use this material in the form of mats and plates. Laying is done between wooden logs.


Extruded polystyrene foam is a durable, rot-resistant material. It is well suited for insulating floors made of various materials, both wood and concrete, and metal. Experts recommend using such a heater if the house has a basement. When forming concrete screed it is also recommended to conduct insulation using this material.

Such heaters as penoplex, polyurethane foam, expanded clay also have high qualities. It should be noted especially the environmental friendliness of expanded clay. An innovative material is gypsum fiber, which is also called a dry screed. Gypsum fiber sheets can be used regardless of what material the floor finish will be made of. Using gypsum fiber, you can safely carry out the installation of underfloor heating systems, since this material is fireproof.

Vapor barrier - a reliable barrier to moisture penetration


Installation of wooden floors in a country house implies the need for a vapor barrier of the floor. If you don't protect wooden structures from the destructive action of water vapor, then over time the floor begins to fall into disrepair. For a tree, infection with rot and fungus is very dangerous. Installation of a vapor barrier layer helps prevent problems that arise due to the penetration of moisture into the insulation material and wooden structures.

For vapor barrier, polyethylene, polypropylene films are used. The most high-quality, but also rather expensive material is diffuse membranes. Due to the microstructure, such materials are characterized by a high coefficient of vapor permeability. Breathing membranes are divided into two-sided and one-sided. Features of the material must be taken into account when installing it. In addition, diffuse membranes can have a different number of layers.

One of modern materials used to create a vapor barrier layer is liquid rubber sprayed on the base. It is very convenient to apply such material. This forms a seamless coating that provides heat, hydro and sound insulation.

Finishing flooring - variety of materials


Finishing materials for the floor today surprise with their diversity, so a wide variety of solutions are possible when decorating the material. Different materials for finishing coating differ in structure, level of complexity of installation, quality, as well as cost.

Expensive, but high-quality flooring - parquet. The main advantage of high-quality parquet is durability. The parquet floor can be renewed using grinders. It is believed that the service life of parquet is 100 years! For the bedroom, it is recommended to choose parquet made of soft wood (cherry, pine, birch). For the living room, durable hardwoods (ash, oak, beech, hornbeam) are better suited. Since natural materials are highly sensitive to climate change, it is preferable to choose parquet made from local tree species. Materials from exotic breeds in unfamiliar climatic conditions are largely at risk of deformation.

The special cosiness of the room is given by the floor, for the finishing of which the parquet board is used. Natural wood - looks great in a country house made of timber. If such a material has a cork substrate, then it also turns out to be the most silent. The parquet board coating during operation does not need to be scraped, polished, and varnishing of the floor is also not required. Wherein appearance such a coating of high-quality material due to special impregnation, as a rule, is characterized as excellent.

Using a solid board for finishing floors country house provides an ideal balance of reliability and quality. Such a floor is durable and completely harmless to people, as it is completely made of wood.

A variety of ideas for interior design can be realized using laminate. This material is an alternative to natural wood. Low heat and sound conductivity distinguish laminate flooring. The pronounced decorative qualities, strength and relatively low cost of this material - all this allows you to effectively solve design problems. Laminate floors are easy to clean, so dirt and bacteria do not accumulate on them.

Video - How to make floors in a private country house

Floors are a building structure, an element of the house on which people live, and therefore people's health largely depends on their material and condition.

Typically, floors are a multi-layer structure. Depending on the type, they may have the following main layers in their construction: screed or base, waterproofing, thermal insulation, sound insulation and topcoat.

Ceramic tile floors

Ceramic tile floors are most often arranged in damp rooms (bathrooms and toilets), as well as in kitchens and other areas of the house. Ceramic tiles are distinguished from other materials by increased rigidity, they are hygienic, easy to clean, non-flammable and resistant to chemicals.

Ceramic tile floors, in addition to their durability, aesthetics and ease of cleaning, form an environmentally friendly and favorable environment for humans.
Below are some types of floors, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as ways to do it yourself.

Self-leveling floors

A relatively new type of flooring from ready-made polymer mixtures. Allows you to get a smooth, durable, glossy surface in various colors.

Read more about floors and floor coverings in the articles: