How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor. How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands How to lay a wooden floor under laminate

In this article we will talk about the experience of laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor in a panel house. We will talk about budget repairs that everyone can afford.

This is what the floor looked like before the renovation...

The first problem that every resident of a panel house has encountered is the creaking of wooden floors. Here's why this happens: the floorboards are nailed to the joists, which have become loose over time, causing the floor to creak.

The next problem is a very uneven floor with large differences between the boards. To lay laminate flooring, such a floor must be leveled, and the maximum permissible height differences should not exceed 2 mm per 1.5 m.

To eliminate these problems, we decided to level the wooden floor using plywood. But if you just screw plywood on top of the creaking boards, then, of course, it won’t get any better. Therefore, you first need to strengthen the floor with screws.

We dismantle the old baseboard. If it is plastic, there will be no problems, but a wooden baseboard needs to be torn off with a pry bar or a nail puller. We pull out all the protruding nails and remove large protrusions with a plane. Before laying plywood, do not forget to thoroughly wash and vacuum the floor.

Preparing a wooden floor for renovation

Now it is important to determine at what height the wooden floor is raised above the slab; for this, 1-2 holes are drilled in the boards. You need to know the distance between the base and the boards to determine the size of the screws for the floor. Usually it is 8-10 cm, but on the first floor there are even 25 cm.

After raising the floor level, the door may not open: the thickness of the laminate with the backing is almost 1 cm + the thickness of the plywood (minimum 0.6 cm). If the door is old, then you can cut it without any problems with a hacksaw, simply by removing it from its hinges. And to trim a door with a laminated coating, be sure to place thick plywood underneath, otherwise chips will appear at the cut site.

Material calculation

Next you need to calculate how many screws you will need. To do this, we look at how many joists there are in the room (they can be found by nails or seen in a crack near the wall). Then we count the number of boards in width and multiply the resulting amount by the number of joists.
Each board is screwed with 1 screw to the joist, every 40-60 cm. For example, if there are 11 joists and 28 boards in the room, then you will need 308 screws + 10-20% for reserve.

It is better to screw the plywood every 15 cm; if less often, it will swell and dangle when walking. The length and width of the room are measured and the resulting amount is divided by 15 cm, and then the values are multiplied. For example, our room measures 3x5.6 m. Divide 3 meters by 0.15 = 20 pieces, divide 5.6 m by 0.15 = 38 pieces. Now we multiply 20 by 38 and get 760 pieces, + 10-20% for stock. For plywood, wood screws 25-30 mm thick and 3-3.5 mm thick are suitable.

Now we calculate how much laminate will be needed. To do this, you need to find out the dimensions of the room, and do the calculations in the store, because laminate panels have different parameters. Our room is 17 square meters. m. In one box there is a laminate with an area of approximately 2.6 square meters. m. Divide 17 by 2.6 = 6.53. We round up, which means we will need 7 boxes, and half the box will be in stock in case of defects.
This should be enough if you lay the laminate in the usual way: trimming costs are approximately 5%. If laying diagonally, the margin should be at least 10%.

When purchasing laminate, it is important that the delivery lot on all boxes is the same. In boxes with different batches, the shade of the design may differ. Also, the pack must be intact, otherwise the locks may be damaged.

Now we count the amount of plywood. We chose plywood with dimensions of 1.43x1.52 m, that is, the area of 1 sheet will be 2.17 square meters. m. We divide the area of the room (17 sq. m.) by the area of plywood and get 7.8 sheets. This means you need to buy 8 sheets of plywood. The thickness of the plywood must be at least 12 mm.

Strengthening boards with screws

So, all the materials have been purchased, let's start strengthening the floor with screws. There is an article on the site about what to do with a creaking floor in an apartment; it partially talks about this work.

Since the screws were difficult to insert into the wood, we first drilled holes about 70% of the length of the screw, and then used screws to tighten the boards to the joists.

We strengthen the floor in rows along the joists

Of course, if you have a powerful screwdriver, you will be able to do this much faster without additional drilling. In our case, the cheapest Chinese screwdriver, which quickly sat down, so the whole job lasted for several days.
The main thing is to screw the boards tightly to the joists so that they do not dangle when walking.
Since the doors will soon be replaced, we cut down the slopes to install the plinth.

During work, it turned out that there was too much blowing from under the floor on the street side, so we had to seal the gap with foam. In this case, you need to moisten the surface before treating with water, and also spray the foam after application, since the polymerization process of the polyurethane foam requires moisture.

There was a strong blow from the street from this gap

It got so much better

Leveling with plywood

To level the floor with plywood, place the sheet on the floor and screw it every 15 cm with screws. Don't forget to leave a small gap between the sheets and near the wall. The even position of the plywood sheets is controlled using a level. Sheets that require trimming are cut with a hacksaw or jigsaw.

Laying the substrate

The cat was scared...

We chose the cheapest substrate, made of polypropylene. Before laying, vacuum the floor again.
We lay the backing with a reserve on the walls so that we can cut off the excess later, and glue it together with tape. The substrate should lie in one layer, joint to joint.

Laying laminate

Having finished preparing the floor, we begin laying the laminate flooring. Before this, you need to store the laminate indoors for several days (to adapt the material to the temperature and humidity of the apartment).

Laying begins from the corner of the room, preferably from the most visible place. However, there is a small nuance here: if the door opens into the room and no one plans to remove it, then they begin to lay the laminate from there, otherwise it will not be possible to lay the last row.

We start laying from the door

It is best to place wide laminate joints along the light from the window, so the gaps will be less visible (over time they will increase).

Modern laminate is installed without glue, using the locking method. This type of flooring installation is called floating because it is not rigidly fixed to the floor, but lies freely on the underlay. During the change of season, the coating changes size slightly, so you cannot firmly screw the laminate to the floor. There are locks along the perimeter of the panel that connect if you insert one of the panels at an angle and then lower it.
To see how it works, watch the video tutorial:

Place the panel in the corner and join the next one on the short side. This is how we assemble the first row. The last panel will most likely have to be filed down. This can be done with a jigsaw or saw, but make sure the teeth are small, otherwise there will be chips on the laminated surface.

The first row is ready

The main rule when laying laminate flooring is to leave a gap of about 1 cm near walls, pipes, doors and other obstacles. However, you should not make a gap of more than 2 cm, because the thickness of the plinth will not be able to cover it.

A wedge is needed to support the same gap near the wall

For ease of installation, stores sell a special kit for laying laminate flooring. It includes wedges of the same thickness, a mounting foot for installing the last row and a wedge of panels.

To additionally seal the seams, you can buy a special sealant paste and coat the locks with it before joining. However, in wet rooms it is better to use tiles or porcelain stoneware.

The second row is laid in the same way as the first, and then inserted into the previous one. To simplify the task, we recommend laying the panels as close to the lock as possible, so that you can then simply lift the entire row and click it into place. This is done by simply pressing the row at an angle.

To connect, insert the panels at an angle

Then we lower the panel so that the second row lies next to the first

We join adjacent rows with our hands

As a result, the joint should not be visible

Some types of locks allow you to join the laminate not as a whole next to the previous one, but one piece at a time. For example, Quick Step laminate has universal locks: they can be inserted horizontally or at an angle. At the same time, there are Click locks that only hammer horizontally.

It is not necessary to immediately leave a gap between the first row and the wall. It will be more convenient to collect 3-4 rows, and then move them to the wall, and you can put something heavy on top. This is much easier, especially if the wall is not very smooth.

Another important feature is that the panels are laid in a checkerboard pattern. If the first row started with a whole laminate panel, then the second should start with half, and the third again with a full panel. This way the connections of the locks will be tighter, and the cost of cutting will be minimal.

Half the room is already ready

Thus, we lay the remaining rows of the laminate in a checkerboard pattern. When we reach the heating pipe, cut a round hole with a jigsaw or drill. Then we simply lay the scrap and press it with a plinth or glue it to liquid nails.

When we reach the last row, we need to file each panel to the width, taking into account the gap. Installation occurs in exactly the same way; press firmly on the panel at an angle.

The floor is almost ready

Installation of skirting boards

The plastic plinth with cable duct consists of two parts. The first is a wall mount, and the second is a decorative attachment that snaps on top. There is another type of fastening - first, metal brackets are attached, and then a plinth is put on them.

We drill holes for dowels approximately every 30 cm and fasten one part of the plinth. We fasten the main part, hide the wires, then put on the decorative attachment. For a beautiful connection, we use special components for the plinth: adapters, external and internal corners, plugs.

We put a special lining around the pipe to hide the gap (it costs about 50 rubles). In our case, the pipe was very close to the wall, so we had to trim the baseboard and saw off the lining, and then glue it with liquid nails.

Buy the plinth and all components together with the laminate. Otherwise, if there is a shortage of material, you will have to visit many stores before you can find the right color.

And the final touch is to attach the threshold to the door. It is needed to hide the height difference between rooms. The rules for laying laminate flooring require separating different rooms with a gap so that the coverings are independent. However, in practice, if the same covering is chosen for adjacent rooms, you can not use the threshold, but do everything without seams: it will be prettier and easier to clean. If some kind of defect later appears, it is more convenient to actually saw off the coverings in the doorway.

Floor repair cost

1. Birch plywood 6 mm thick, 8 sheets – 2300 rub.
2. Laminate Kronostar White Pear 31 class – 7 boxes. 1 sq. m. cost 235 rubles in Leroy Merlin. Total 4112 rub.
3. Backing for polypropylene laminate – 1 roll, 2 mm thick, 25 m long – 320 RUR.
4. Screws and dowels - about 600 rubles.
5. Plastic plinth with cable channel 8 pieces, 2.5 m each - 150 rub.
6. Piping around the pipe, connectors and corners for the plinth - 420 rubles.
7. Threshold – 160 rub.

As a result, the amount is: 9112 rubles.

The cat clearly didn't like the new slippery floor

It is better to take thicker plywood; 6 mm is still not enough, so you should not skimp on this. Next time we would take plywood of at least 12 mm. If the floor is too uneven, then you need to lay plywood in 2 layers, with the joints offset.
We advise you to choose screws that are not too thick or long, as they will be difficult to screw in.
You cannot buy a soft substrate thicker than 3 mm; it will spring strongly when walking, and the floor will be pressed under you. To find out more detailed information, we recommend reading our article about.
If the laminate is laid on a concrete floor, then before laying the backing you need to lay a layer of polyethylene for waterproofing.
For productive work you will need a good screwdriver with a powerful battery. This way you will save a lot of time.

By spending a small amount of money on repairing the old wooden floor, we got rid of the squeak and made it smooth and pleasant to walk on. It took three days to prepare the floor for the laminate, and one day was spent on the installation itself.

Most often, laminate flooring is laid on a concrete base, but recently many people have had success laying laminate flooring on an old wooden floor. The installation process in this case is not very different. To figure out how to install laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you should familiarize yourself with the features of this coating and identify all its advantages and disadvantages.

A material such as laminate gets along well with almost any type of coating. However, it is important to ensure that the floor is always dry and clean.

Important features of a wooden base

When installing any high-quality laminate flooring on a wooden floor, take into account the important features of such a coating:

a coating made of wood will sooner or later lose its properties, so before you put laminate on your wooden floor, carefully look at the condition of the coating, as well as the supporting beams and joists
wood coating is not particularly resistant and stable, so even a slight displacement of the laminate panels can lead to additional load on the laminate locks

Old wood floors often have an uneven, bumpy surface. Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to eliminate all visible defects. This is done so that the lamellas do not diverge and cracks do not form.

Preparing the floor for laying laminate

A common problem that can be encountered when laying laminate flooring is an uneven floor. You can check this using a level, which will allow you to identify areas of unevenness for further elimination.

Several methods are used to level the floor surface:

using special sheets of plywood or chipboard (chipboard). We take a thick sheet of plywood, treat it with a fungicide or drying oil to avoid mold, adjust its size using a special saw, then lay the finished sheets on the surface; You can use backing slats to level the level of inclination of the surface, and use self-tapping screws to secure the sheets
scraping for old wood with minor unevenness. If the unevenness on the floor surface is from 4 to 6 millimeters per square meter, then we conditionally divide the coating into several sections, each of which is gradually processed with an electric planer. If all the irregularities are concentrated in one place, then the coating can be treated with sandpaper or by hand scraping
securing support beams or joists. If the floor surface has a large slope or creaks, then it is necessary to fit and secure special wooden slats called joists to the concrete base.

Repair of wooden base

Before laying the laminate on a wooden base, you need to prepare the coating by repairing it and eliminating all defects.

If you find a completely rotten board, replace it. If the damage is only on one side, then it is enough to turn the board with the inside facing up. Shaky boards are secured with self-tapping screws. If the joists also wobble along with the boards, then they need to be secured to the base. To do this, drill a hole and secure the logs using an anchor.

If the floor covering sags, then special support wedges are placed under the joists. All cracks or crevices formed in the wooden floor are treated with putty.

After all repair work has been carried out, it is necessary to clean the coating from dust and debris, and then proceed to the next stage of laying a new laminate.

Laying underlays under laminate

When laying laminate flooring on an old floor made of wood, do not forget about the underlays, which perform several basic functions:

sound and noise insulation effect
heat saving effect
hiding base irregularities, the elimination of which was missed during the preparatory work

The underside of the laminate is more susceptible to moisture, so it is necessary to isolate it from liquids.

First of all, it is necessary to place a waterproofing polyethylene film on the wooden floor. The overlap when laying the film should be about 15-20 centimeters. After this, a backing is placed, which you can purchase in the form of rolls or sheets. The substrate is placed in the joint and secured with tape.

You can use various substrates for installing laminate, in particular:

substrates made of natural eco-friendly cork
foamed polypropylene
polyurethane foam substrates
coniferous substrates
foil linings
bitumen substrates, etc.

When choosing the material from which the lining for the laminate is made, it is also worth considering what kind of coating it will be laid on. For wood flooring, it is advisable to use a natural, environmentally friendly cork underlay. Experts say that this kind of substrate interacts well with wood. It is especially important to use this type of underlay if you are going to install expensive laminate flooring.

You can also use old-style linoleum, rolled cork fiber or turf as a lining under the laminate. To properly install an underlay on an old floor, you must avoid matching the seams of the underlay with the seams of the covering. This will keep the floor surface more even, particularly after you lay the laminate.

After choosing a substrate, you can begin installing a new high-quality laminate on the wood flooring.

How to lay laminate correctly: step-by-step instructions

To properly lay a laminate coating on a wooden base, follow the algorithm recommended by experts:

starting from the corner furthest from the door, lay out the first row of laminate panels horizontally. Laminate flooring is laid at the joints, and you must constantly monitor the alignment of the panels in relation to the wall. Laying the laminate on a wooden base should occur perpendicular to the location of the boards. To ensure that there is a gap between the wall and the panels, it is necessary to install special plastic or wooden stops
when the first row of laminate rests against the opposite wall, you need to cut off the required part of the panel using a jigsaw
the second row must be laid in such a way that its joints at the ends do not coincide with the joints of the first row; to do this, take a new panel and cut off about a third of it, and from the cut-off part of the laminate we start a new row
By analogy with the first row, the second row is laid
All boards of the second row must first be fastened together, and then connected to the panels of the first row. You can hammer the panel using a safety bar
Continue laying the laminate on the wooden floor, making sure there are gaps between the walls and panels
saw the panels of the last row to length

You can install laminate flooring on an old floor in various ways - in rows, herringbone or other convenient method.

After you have laid the laminate, you need to remove the wedges between the wall and the panels and start installing the baseboard. To decorate the cut areas, use special plugs. To exit technical communications, pre-cut holes of the required size.

After the laminate flooring has been completely laid, it is necessary to properly secure the door threshold. It will successfully hide the height difference between rooms.

In general, you can lay laminate flooring yourself in 4-5 days, of which approximately 3-4 days will be spent preparing the floor for installation of the new coating.

Now you know how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden base, and in the future you can carry out all repair work without any difficulties.

When renovating a house or apartment, one of the main problems is the flooring. The work of replacing it becomes one of the most labor-intensive. This is especially true for wooden bases. In a house whose walls are made of wood, or in apartments of an old building, wooden floors along joists are often found. Such flooring can raise a lot of questions, one of which is whether it is possible to lay laminate flooring on a rough wooden floor.

Base requirements

The question posed can be answered in the affirmative. A base with wood flooring can serve as a rough surface for the laminate, but certain conditions must be met, which are dictated based on the characteristics of the final coating:

Integrity of the flooring, absence of cracks and potholes, there should be no areas where boards are missing or laid staggered.
No large elevation changes. If there are serious irregularities, there is a possibility of damage to the connecting element of the laminate. Securing individual boards is carried out using a tongue-and-groove system, and if the base deviates significantly from the horizontal, the tenon may simply break, the floor covering will no longer be a solid surface, and there will be a need for repair work. The maximum possible vertical difference is 2 mm per meter of length.
Foundation strength. The flooring should not include damaged elements. It is also important that the support joists are in good condition. All parts of the structure must be securely fixed: when the boards move relative to each other, such an unpleasant phenomenon as creaky floors occurs.
No damage. Laminate can only be laid on a wooden floor that is not damaged by fungus, mold, rot or other microorganisms. It is important that the wood has normal humidity, since a high water content is ideal conditions for the development of destructive organic matter.

If all these requirements are met, you don’t have to worry about the safety and service life of the flooring.

Inspection of the base before starting work

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to assess its condition. You can do this using the following recommendations:

First, the subfloor is inspected visually. It is necessary to ensure not only the safety of the flooring, but also the log underneath it. The boards may be fine, but failure of the support bars will eventually cause the floor to warp, squeak, and sag. Piece materials can only be laid on a stable base that is in good condition. It is better to remove several flooring boards for inspection and make sure that there is no high humidity or rot underneath them.
After a visual inspection, use tools to measure the levelness of the deck. The most accurate device will be a laser level, but its high cost and the need for special skills during operation do not allow the device to be used for independent repairs. Available options are hydraulic and bubble levels. The first one is easy to make yourself, but working with it is quite labor-intensive. A bubble level can be purchased at any hardware store. The price depends on the length of the case and averages several thousand rubles. To lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor, a level 1-2 meters long will be enough. The simplest and most accessible tool is the rule. This is a long strip made of wood or metal profile. It is important that during manufacturing the accuracy of geometric dimensions (parallelism of edges, degrees of angles) is observed. Also, to work with the rule, you will need a ruler with which deviations from the horizontal will be measured.

After completing the research, you can begin further work. If the rough coating meets all the above requirements, then you can lay the laminate on a wooden floor immediately after treating it with antiseptic compounds. They are needed to protect the material from damage by fungus and mold. Fire resistance can also be increased by treating with fire retardants.

If the base does not meet the requirements, then laminate flooring can be laid on a wooden floor only after it has been leveled and reinforced.

Work to eliminate defects

It all depends on the degree of damage. Several main groups can be distinguished depending on the complexity of the problem:

the base is in good condition, unevenness is 1-2 mm, there are no cracks or gaps;
the base is in good condition, no cracks, unevenness no more than 5 mm;
the height difference exceeds 5 mm, there are cracks or potholes less than 5 cm wide, boards and joists are in good condition;
the boards and joists are damaged, there are serious defects in the elements.

If the floor is severely damaged, it must be completely replaced.

In the latter case, there is only one way out - replacing the subfloor. It is worth considering the degree of damage. Sometimes only the decking needs to be replaced, but the joists remain in good condition. In another situation, the support bars are also damaged. If you need to replace the entire subfloor pie, you should think about using a cement-sand screed as a base. This is only relevant for multi-apartment stone buildings, the floors of which were originally made of wood. With a wooden building structure, it is better not to overload the floors with a heavy screed.

Having determined the extent of the problem, you can begin to eliminate it, and then lay the laminate flooring on a wooden floor.

Irregularities 1-2 mm

The following measures will help eliminate such differences:

laying a substrate made of elastic materials, the thickness of which is taken to be within 2-5 mm (when using a laminate board with a thickness of 8-10 mm, thicker substrates up to 10 mm are used, the choice depends on the finished floor covering);
leveling mixtures;
laying cement screed;
scraping (removal of the top layer of wood with a special machine).

All these methods will not require serious financial and labor costs. It is only important to remember that when using cement, further work can be started only after it has hardened. Strengthening can take an average of 2-4 weeks.

For self-leveling mixtures there is also a drying period, but it lasts several days.

Irregularities up to 5 mm

Screeds made of various materials can also be used here. Sanding should be used with caution. It is important to ensure that the thickness of the layer being removed does not greatly reduce the load-bearing capacity of the flooring. The minimum cross-section of subfloor boards depends on the pitch of the logs of the expected load from furniture and equipment. Boards with a thickness of 32 mm can be taken as an average value. It is important that after scraping the thickness of the element meets the requirements.

Irregularities more than 5 mm

Plywood will help strengthen and level such a floor. Use sheets with a thickness of 14-22 mm. The method of fixing to the base depends on the height difference:

for unevenness less than 1 cm - with glue and screws;
for unevenness more than 1 cm - laying on joists.

Plywood will provide not only a flat, but also a strong base for a laminate floor, not a wooden floor, so it can also be used in case of minor damage, such as cracks, the absence of some flooring parts, and the like.

Manufacturers indicate on the laminate that it is best to lay it on a concrete base. But if you are planning to renovate a private house, then most likely there will be wooden floors. Is it possible to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor? Can. Let's look at how laminate flooring is installed on a wooden floor in this article.

Wood is a rather demanding material, and that is why laying laminate flooring on it is more problematic than on a concrete base. Manufacturers of the material still do not recommend laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, so you carry out the work at your own peril and risk. Of course, nothing bad will happen, it’s just that over time the wood will deform, which can lead to distortion of the laminate.

Wood can change depending on weather conditions; high humidity leads to swelling, and dryness leads to shrinkage. All this can affect the cladding.

Before you begin installation, you should still make sure that the wooden planks are intact. There should be no gaps or cracks on them. The planks should stand straight without bending. It would also be a good idea to check for mold or insects if the wood has not been treated with special means.
The tree should not crumble; check it for rot. If there are any, then not only can you not lay anything on such a floor, but it also requires a complete replacement. If you only have a few boards that are damaged, you can replace them and the adjacent ones. It is best to lift the entire floor and inspect the entire boards for defects. If there are no defects, but the boards move, then they need to be secured.

Advantages of laminate

Laminate flooring has recently been in great demand, which is not surprising. Its appearance can compete with many more expensive materials. The pattern of the laminate can imitate any other material, and it will look decent, and not ridiculous, as is the case with PVC panels. A wide range allows you to choose laminate for any interior.
Laminate is divided into classes, and the higher it is, the better its characteristics. Accordingly, the price will be more expensive. But in general, the material is considered wear-resistant and quite durable.
Caring for laminate flooring is easy; just vacuum it and wipe it periodically with a cloth. Just squeeze it well and use special detergents.
Laminate flooring is made from wood chips. Therefore, it is a fairly safe material. But, it is treated with special means for protection. And these are the ones worth paying attention to.

Unscrupulous manufacturers can save on this, so contact only trusted suppliers. And so laminate can be laid even in a children's room, it will not cause harm to human health.
When renovating, the budget is often limited and the question may arise: is it possible to lay laminate flooring yourself? Yes, the work can be done without special training; installation is not complicated or labor-intensive.

The service life of the laminate, if all installation and use conditions are met, reaches 20 years. In the process, it will not lose its appearance if it is properly cared for.

Preparing the floor for installation

Laminate flooring is installed using the locking method. You don't need glue during the process. Although it is sometimes used, then it will not be possible to replace a separate element, and the quality of such a floor will be inferior.

Laminate is made from wood, which means that it cannot be used in rooms with high humidity. The only exceptions are waterproof types. Therefore, if you are planning to install it in the kitchen, pay attention to this fact.
Before laying laminate flooring, you need to prepare the floor. How to do it? First, check if the floor is creaking. If this happens, the boards can be fixed using screws or anchors. The caps should not be higher than the surface of the bar; they must be carefully recessed.

Small cracks or holes can be sealed with caulk or foam. It is best to remove rotten boards completely. But if the damage is minimal, you can sand the damage and treat it with an antifungal compound, and then seal the gap with foam.
If the base is uneven and there are differences in altitude, then they must also be eliminated without fail. You can place wedges and plywood on top, thus securing the plank in the desired angle.

How to properly install laminate flooring on a wooden floor

How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor with your own hands? Before you begin installation, keep the laminate in the open package so that it adapts to the conditions of the room.

The laminate is laid only on the substrate. The service life of the material depends on it. Many manufacturers can even refuse a guarantee, since the instructions for the laminate always indicate the need for a substrate. Why is it needed? The backing acts as an additional protective layer for the laminate itself. It takes on the function of a base leveler.
The substrate can absorb a certain amount of moisture without allowing it to reach the planks. The laminate will lie flat on it and will not subsequently wobble or rub against the base, which significantly increases its service life. In addition, it acts as an additional material for heat and sound insulation.

The substrate is laid out end to end in sheets. There shouldn't be even the slightest overlap. Scotch tape is used to hold the sheets together. Installation of the laminate begins from the wall; attach spacers 1 cm thick to it, so that it does not swell or sag later.

The first planks are installed with a tenon to the wall. The boards are laid in a checkerboard pattern, so the next row starts with half the board. The planks are attached to each other in two ways: click and lock. With the click system, the board is tilted at an angle of 30-45 degrees and pressed against another board with force. You will hear a click when the lock engages. You can additionally tap the board with a rubber mallet to consolidate the effect.

The lock system immediately uses a rubber hammer. You just need to hammer one bar to another until it clicks. If there are obstacles in your way in the form of pipes, then simply cut the panel so that the hole is then placed on the pipe. The hole is cut out on the board. You need to make it a little wider than the pipe itself, and then lay a rubber gasket. The last panel may be wider than necessary. In this case, it needs to be cut off. This must be done very carefully.

Sometimes laminate is laid with glue. More often this method is used in rooms with high humidity. The process is almost identical to the locking process, only at the joints you do not fasten the planks to each other, but glue them.

During work, for better fixation, you can use tape at the joints. Then you need to wait until the glue has completely dried and you can remove the tape.

Apartment renovation very often involves not only updating the interior decor, but also replacing the old flooring with a more modern one. Often, it is this stage of repair that becomes the most problematic. This issue is especially acute for owners of apartments in Khrushchev, where the floors are made of planks, because, if you look at it, there are not so many floor coverings that are compatible with laying on wood. In most cases, it is necessary to dismantle the wooden floor and then prepare for laying a new floor covering. But this procedure is not only lengthy, but also quite expensive, which pushes you to choose a coating that can be laid without removing your old plank floor. The best option in this case is considered to be laminate, which can be quickly and easily laid on any wooden base without resorting to the services of specialists. How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor in an apartment will be discussed further.

To assess the feasibility of using a laminated flooring for laying on a wooden base, it is necessary to conduct a full diagnosis of the latter, because very often a wooden floorboard is susceptible to fungus or mold, the influence of external factors can lead to surface deformation, sagging and squeaks. Therefore, you should pay attention to the following points when checking the plank base to make sure whether laminate flooring can be laid on a wooden floor:

dryness - this indicator should be given special attention, since rotting of the surface or fungal infection of the board will continue after the installation of the lamellas. Over time, this problem will spread to the installed laminate flooring;
hardness - the strength of the wooden base under the laminate, another important factor that should not be ignored. This determines how long the new coating will last without flaws or deformation;
evenness - care should also be taken to ensure that the surface of the previous coating is as even as possible. A deviation of 2 mm per 2 m length is allowed. Otherwise, the laminate lamellas will begin to creak, and the locking joints will be subject to deformation.

First you should assess the condition of the wooden covering

Detailed requirements for working with wooden floors for laying laminate can be found by watching the video. If the base still has flaws that can be eliminated, then laying the laminate on a wooden floor is done only after they have been eliminated.

If there is a large amount of damage to the plank floor, it is still recommended to completely dismantle it and then fill the area with a concrete screed.

How to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor

The technology for laying laminated slats on a plank base consists of several stages of preparatory work and laying the laminate itself directly. Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, you need to prepare all the necessary materials and tools. Then you should evaluate the condition of the base surface and, if necessary, work to eliminate any deficiencies identified on it. At the next stage, the selected substrate is laid, on which the selected type of laminate is laid.

When starting to prepare the necessary tools and materials, priority should be given to the choice of the laminate itself, which consists of several layers and can have a different base.

The laminated board has the following structure:

overlay – a protective layer that prevents damage to the lamella from various types of influence: chemical, biological, mechanical;
decorative layer - a material that sets the color design of the board, its pattern. The reliability of the layer is ensured by melamine impregnation;
the base is a board made of high-density wood fiber materials. The quality of the panels and, accordingly, the scope of application depend on the density of the base. The basis can be MDF or chipboard;
stabilizing layer - protects against moisture seepage, as it contains paraffin or melamine paper.

The type of laminate is selected depending on the scope of its application and the traffic flow of the room.

Materials required for use:

laminate of the corresponding class from 31 to 33;
substrate;
fastening materials for wood;
mastic;
timber

To work you will need a set of the following tools:

carpenter's hammer;
square;
mallet;
ruler;
jigsaw;
construction vacuum cleaner;
nail puller;
saw;
level or level;
hacksaw;
perforator;
brushes;
screwdriver;
scraping machine.

Having equipped yourself with this set of tools and materials, you can move on to the next stage of work.
Tools for laying laminate flooring

Diagnostics and repair of the base

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of it and, if such a need arises, repairs, which you can do yourself. What points you should pay attention to and how to eliminate the identified shortcomings are discussed below:

wooden floors are leaky or rotten. If the material is slightly damaged, you can lay the same board by simply turning it over. A place that has been affected by mold or rot must be treated with a special compound. If the tree has deeper damage, it is better to completely replace the plank area;
If the floors creak or slightly sag in certain areas, it is necessary to additionally secure the boards using self-tapping screws or nails. Their caps should be driven deeply into the wooden surface. Otherwise, the metal that will protrude beyond the surface will damage the power tools used in the future - a sanding machine or an electric planer;
if the boards “play” under your feet along with the lags, then it is necessary to fix the lags themselves. To do this, the log is attached to the concrete base with an anchor, having previously drilled it;
small gaps or cracks between the boards can be filled with putty. Large gaps can be eliminated using polyurethane foam;
in case of significant subsidence of the floors or differences exceeding the norm, it is necessary to level the frame itself, having first removed the boardwalk. To eliminate minor shortcomings, support wedges are used, which are attached to the logs. If there are significant height discrepancies, a complete replacement of the frame is necessary.

Preparing a wooden floor for repair

Scroll the floor in rows along the joists

Upon completion of all preparatory work, the base for laying laminated boards should be perfectly level, which can be checked using a level or level. If you place laminate flooring on an uneven wooden floor, a squeak will inevitably appear; the life of the floor covering will be short, since the lamella locks will separate under load, thereby compromising the integrity of the surface.

Leveling a wooden floor

It was already mentioned above that the final result of the work directly depends on how smooth the base surface is. Therefore, the issue of leveling the plank base should be approached with all responsibility, because even a slight unevenness will subsequently cause creaks or breakages. There are several most common ways to level a surface on a wooden base.

Sanding a wooden floor - for minor unevenness of the wood base, you can use the sanding method or a similar surface treatment with an electric planer. This method will give the desired result with minor deviations from the standard height difference, which should not exceed 4-6 mm per 1 m2. For ease of use and easier control of grinding, it is better to divide the floor surface into several squares. Upon completion of all work, it is necessary to carry out a control check of the surface with a level and carefully remove sawdust and dust using a vacuum cleaner. If the irregularities occupy a small space, then you can get rid of them using sandpaper or by hand sanding. Floor sanding

Using a self-leveling mixture - if the floor is very old, and there is no desire or opportunity to replace it with a new one. Before pouring, preparatory work should be carried out: clear the floor of paint, fill voids, if any, with putty, prime the dried surface, mark the floor using a level, fill with the prepared mixture and level the surface.

Leveling a wooden floor with PVA-based putty. The use of such mixtures is more acceptable when working with large surfaces. Screeding with such mixtures consists of several successive stages: installing beacon strips, filling the gaps with wet sawdust and diluted mixture, checking the evenness of the surface, eliminating defects. If necessary, you can apply several additional layers of putty about 2 cm thick. A new layer is poured only on the dry previous surface, which requires time.
Sealing cracks and cracks with putty

Leveling with plywood - plywood under laminate on a wooden floor is the most common method of leveling the base plane. The grade of plywood should not be lower than 4/4, and the thickness should not be less than 15 mm. Plywood must be pre-impregnated with special compounds that will prevent rapid deterioration of the material. The final result will depend on these indicators. Laying plywood on a wooden floor under laminate begins with leveling the subfloor. To do this, wedges are installed under the logs. Then the plywood is laid with full horizontal control. If necessary, slats are placed under the chipboard sheets. Then the plywood is attached to the frame base joint to joint. You can learn more about the types of floor leveling with your own hands by watching the following video.
Leveling with plywood

Laying underlays under laminate

For additional leveling of the floor, a special waterproofing material is used - a substrate, which occupies the space between the sub-leveled floor and the laminate. The substrate can be laid using either an adhesive mixture or without additional fastening. In the second case, the joints are fixed with tape. The optimal material thickness is 3 mm. Wooden floors must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and small particles before laying the underlay.
Rolled backing

The substrate serves the following purposes:

enhancing heat and sound insulation;
preventing friction of the laminate on wooden floors;
increasing structural strength;
additional leveling of the base layer.

For work, use a substrate made of the following materials:

polyethylene foam;
cork;
bitumen sheet;
polyurethane foam.

To cover a wooden base, it is better to use a substrate made of natural materials.
Bonding the substrate at the joints

Laying laminate

Before laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor, it is necessary for the laminated slats to acclimatize. To do this, they are kept indoors for 2-3 days. This procedure helps the material come into balance with the environment.

Before you begin work on finishing the floor area, you need to figure out how to properly lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor and what determines the method of placing the slats. The laminate can be laid perpendicularly or parallel to the window, which is the light source, and diagonally. The diagonal placement of the slats contributes to the visual expansion of the room. Perpendicular masonry helps hide the joints.

Flooring work must begin with marking the floor, which is then used to measure the distance and calculate the number of boards to be laid. At this stage of work, it should be taken into account that the next laid laminated row must shift by a distance of at least half the length of the lamella, which creates the necessary mismatch of the seams. Let's look at how to lay laminate flooring on a wooden floor using different installation methods. Laying the first row Displacement of seams
Laminate lock padding

Click system

A relatively new and easiest installation method, which allows you to quickly and efficiently lay slats on a wooden floor with your own hands. Laminate with Click lock begins to be laid from the far corner in rows, leaving a gap of 10 mm between the wall and the first row with the installation of special wedges. This procedure helps to avoid deformation of laminated panels due to temperature changes or changes in humidity in the room. The planks are joined by connecting the lamella locks at an angle of 20-30 degrees and then clicking them by pressing the surface with force. The Click connection system allows you to dismantle the required section of the floor for repair work.

Lock system

Laminates with this system begin to be laid from the corner located farthest from the doorway. The lamellas are joined horizontally. To do this, the tenon of one lamella is inserted into the groove of the already laid panel and tapped until completely fixed with a rubber cue. A long row with full fixation is pre-laid. It is necessary to create a temperature gap of 3-5 mm between the wall and the floor. To lay the last row, the lamella is cut to fill the entire remaining space. It is better to tap not at the end of the laminate, but to use a buffer block for this purpose. This way you can avoid damaging the surface of the laminated board and deforming the lock.

Glued laminate

The most labor-intensive method of laying laminated boards, therefore this type of laminate is very rare. This masonry method is relevant for rooms with high humidity. The panels are connected using the tongue and groove method. The ends of the laminated boards are coated with excess glue and combined with the locks of the next board. To lay the second row, the first lamella is cut in half, which allows you to start laying with offset seams. For better fixation of the flooring, you can use tape. The finished surface can be used after no less than 12 hours. Thematic video will allow you to clearly understand all the nuances of working with laminate.

Installation of skirting boards

Upon completion of the work on laying laminated panels, it is necessary to carry out the final stage - installation of skirting boards. In the case of a laminate floor, any type of baseboard must be attached to the wall. Dowels, screws or glue are suitable for this.

Skirting boards can be used in all types and modifications - wooden, flexible, plastic or MDF, solid or with a cable channel. The main rule in this case is the organic combination of the new floor with the baseboard.

As you can see, laying laminate flooring is not such a difficult task. It is important, before laying laminate flooring on an uneven floor, to carry out all the necessary work to eliminate the shortcomings, and then the coating will delight its owners for a long time with its strength and reliability.
Fastening the baseboard

Video about laying laminate flooring on a wooden floor

The video explains in detail how to install laminate flooring on a wooden floor.