Recommendation points
Parquet board is a worthy alternative to block parquet or solid board. Its strength is not worse, and thanks to its multi-layer structure, it is not capricious with changes in humidity, does not require finishing and its installation is much easier than block parquet.
The term itself appeared due to the fact that the top layer of a three-strip board imitates the pattern of a deck layout. In addition, there are manufacturers who have a range of samples, the top layer of which repeats another, no less popular way of laying parquet – “French herringbone”. There is also a single-strip parquet board, which is visually indistinguishable from a natural array. But it so happened that this particular floor covering is laid both as block parquet and as a tongue-and-groove floorboard..
Laying methods
The specific installation method depends on the area of the room, the size of the board and the type of substrate. By the method of fixation, there are three main installation methods:
- floating floors;
- on glue;
- fastening with nails.
Floating floors
This method is especially common for rooms with a small area. The parquet board lies “freely” (without fixation) on the prepared base.
The reliability of the floor covering and the inseparability of its elements is ensured in two ways: using glue applied to the groove-comb connection, and by snapping in the locks located at the ends.
Fastening a parquet board to each other with glue is more complicated in execution. But the parquet board itself with such a “simple” profile is usually cheaper. In addition, the ends coated with glue are less vulnerable to water and do not require treatment with hydrophobic compositions based on oil and wax..
The disadvantage is low maintainability. Such floors cannot be dismantled without damaging the board if an individual floorboard needs to be replaced. Also, during flooring, you must ensure that excess glue does not remain on the front surface..
The locking connection of the parquet board makes installation much easier and faster. The profile of the grooves and ridges has a special shape in the form of a lock. By snapping into place, the lock guarantees secure fixing of the floorboards without the use of glue. The “dry” installation method not only ensures an easy and clean installation – such floors can be repaired if necessary by replacing damaged floorboards.
The base for floating installation must be almost perfectly flat. The recommended height difference should not exceed 3 mm per two linear meters at any point on the surface, otherwise the locking joints during operation of the unfixed floor covering may weaken and collapse.
They compensate for small irregularities with a substrate – polyethylene foam or technical roll cork. It also improves the sound and heat insulation properties of the floor covering..
To protect against the effects of moisture vapor from the lower room, you can lay a plastic wrap under the substrate (this is recommended if there is no waterproofing layer in the subfloor).
Laying on glue
For mounting the parquet board on glue, only a solid and level surface can be used as a base.
In principle, the quality requirements for the subfloor are the same as for the floating method. The basis is used:
1. Screed. The most common method for leveling floor slabs and creating a solid, solid foundation. It is usually carried out with reinforcement, insulation and waterproofing. Disadvantages – it is difficult to provide a flat surface, dries for a long time to the design strength and the moisture level required for a parquet floor.
2. Self-leveling floors. A technologically simple way of leveling a screed (new or old) with small defects and height differences. Dries faster than cement-sand screed, but not much.
3. Dry screed. Used for weak floors during renovation and renovation. All work on the preparation of the subfloor can be completed within 1-2 days.
4. Plywood on screed or wooden floors. One of the most popular ways to prepare a base for parquet and parquet boards, if the base does not require serious restoration work. The plywood should be laid out in a staggered manner, observing the expansion gaps between the sheets and walls. Square standard sheet is cut into 4 parts, rectangular – into 8 parts.
5. Plywood on logs or adjustable logs. It is used if the unevenness of the base is significant and reaches several centimeters. Allows you to simultaneously carry out insulation, noise insulation and hidden wiring of communications.
The glue is applied to the surface of the subfloor and the parquet board with a notched trowel, the grooves are filled with it and the panels are joined. Wash off excess glue with a damp cloth.
Fastening with nails
Any parquet board can be laid on a solid wooden base. The installation process itself does not differ from the installation of parquet on nails. As a base, a floorboard with a thickness of 25 to 35 mm is usually used, laid on logs and leveled at the level of a sharp.
Old wood floors can be used as a base for laying parquet boards. But only if their condition is satisfactory. Although it is still necessary to pre-level the floors, eliminate creaking and subsidence of the floorboards.
For fixing directly to the joists, only parquet boards with a thickness of 20–22 mm can be used. But even for her, the maximum distance between the lags should not exceed 35 cm, although experts in this case recommend either filling with sand or laying polystyrene foam on the upper level of the lag. You can skip this if you reduce the distance to 25 cm.
For fastening, construction nails with an anti-corrosion coating (galvanized or copper-plated) are used. The length and diameter of the nail are chosen depending on the thickness of the parquet board: for “thin” samples use P 1.6×40 or K 1.8×40, for a thickness of 20-22 mm, take nails 60 mm long and 2-2.5 mm in diameter.
The nails are driven into the base of the thorn at a 45 ° angle. From the short end, 1 nail is hammered, from the long one – with an interval of 25-35 cm (according to the lag layout), stepping back from the corner of 5 cm. Already proceeding from the last requirement, one can understand that the width of the timber or board for the lag should be more than 10 cm (usually 15 cm).
General Provisions
As with any wood flooring, a gap of at least 10 mm should be left around the perimeter of the room (the larger the area, the larger the gap). It is needed to compensate for changes in linear dimensions when the level of humidity changes (the tree practically does not react to temperature fluctuations).
Parquet boards are laid with a joint offset between the rows. You can choose an “irregular” step – start the next row by cutting the previous one (if its length allows). But there are stacking schemes with a fixed pitch of 1/3 or 1/4 of the board length..
If the profile of the end has an ordinary, and not a lock, connection, then the board rallying, so as not to damage the spike, is carried out through a special pad.
Can anyone provide detailed instructions on how to lay parquet boards? I would also appreciate any professional advice or tips to ensure a successful installation.