Linoleum flooring is one of the most economical ways to create beautiful floors. It also has good external performance. Its only drawback is the thickness, which does not allow it to cover even the smallest irregularities of the rough surface on its own. Therefore, before laying the material, it is necessary to level the floor. Very often, builders perform floor leveling with plywood under linoleum.
Benefits
The use of such a wooden base has a number of advantages:
- formation of a single flooring that does not acquire relief over time;
- no need to dismantle the old coating;
- removed the cost of rough work;
- small material price;
- use of moisture-resistant types of plywood, which makes a similar method available for the bathroom, bathroom and kitchen.
Material selection
In order for the final result to be pleasing to the eye, it is necessary to choose the right rough finish. The thickness of the sheets should be in the range of 10–22 mm. Plywood of 10 mm is the minimum allowable value for such sheets, but it is recommended to use it extremely rarely. After all, it can not withstand a significant load. When choosing the thickness of the material, you need to remember the patency of the room and the severity of the furniture that is installed. The stronger the load, the more you need to choose the thickness.
It is strongly recommended to give preference to moisture-resistant wood, which in wet rooms will not deform and change its shape. Although linoleum does not let water through, but the joints and seams between the canvases remain weak points.
Tools
For successful installation of plywood under linoleum, the following tools will be required:
- level;
- jigsaw;
- marker;
- roulette;
- screwdriver;
- self-tapping screws;
- substrate;
- broom or construction vacuum cleaner.
You may also need a roller, primer, sander, sealant and glue.
Surface cleaning
Before you start laying plywood under the linoleum, the base must be cleaned of various bumps, material residues and dust.
Removal of debris must be taken very scrupulously, so many craftsmen use a construction vacuum cleaner. Some use a regular broom, however,at this stage, you need to be careful, since the broom cannot be moistened. Otherwise, the screed urinates, and this is not recommended, because excess moisture is fraught with negative consequences for plywood sheets.
Primer coat
As a basis, it is recommended to take mastic mixed with glue. Plywood under linoleum will be attached to this base. This mass is recommended to be slightly diluted with any solvent, and then applied with a paint roller.
Why cover:
1. Excellent dedusting of the surface, thanks to which the particles also adhere to the floor, and a stronger bond is formed.2. It has the ability to penetrate deep into the base, which gives the concrete a special strength.
Marking and fitting plywood
Sheets must necessarily have a rectangular or square shape. Most often, plywood 1525x1525 in 10 mm is adjusted after 2 days from the moment the material is delivered to the facility. This is done in order for the flooring to acclimate to the current humidity and room temperature conditions. If you follow the technological processes, then plywood sheets should be laid in squares with overlapping joints and offset. The size of the blanks starts from 60 × 60 cm or more. The spacing between the wall should remain 8–10 mm.
It is necessary to cut plywood in such a way that the floor area is filled to the maximum with whole canvases. Before starting cutting, it is recommended to draw up a diagram of their location. For preparatory cutting work, it is recommended to use an electric jigsaw. After rough grinding is performed to remove small roughness.
Fixing sheets
1. Initially prepared material must be treated with an antiseptic and varnished. This step is optional but adds strength and rot resistance.
2. The surface is cleaned and then degreased. You can also use a primer for this purpose.
3. Next, a sheet of plywood 10 mm thick is fixed on the adhesive layer. Later, the same procedure is repeated with all the details.
4. After drying, the material is additionally fixed with self-tapping screws.
5. All cracks that have formed must be closed with wood putty.
6. Next, the joints are polished with sandpaper.7. Linoleum unfolds.
Preparatory work
Birch plywood is considered the most popular floor leveling material. This raw material has good environmental characteristics and affordable cost. For leveling, sheets of plywood 1525x1525 and 10 mm thick are selected, since such dimensions are the most popular.
If the parts will be laid on top of a concrete screed, experts recommend pre-waterproofing it with a mortar or plastic film.
When the floor is wooden, the plywood is laid out both on logs and without them. Initially, it is necessary to cut plywood into convenient sheets. At the time of fastening, it is required to leave small gaps to compensate for thermal expansion. And also between the plywood and the wall you need to leavegap. After laying it, the surface is treated with any primer.
Styling instructions
There are two types of mounting linoleum on plywood.
1. Glueless - after the plywood base is prepared, the flooring stage follows. For rooms from 12-15 square meters, this method is optimal. But if the room has increased traffic, then it is better to give preference to the second method. Since it is already known about the method of laying plywood under linoleum, it is necessary to figure out how to lay out the coating with high quality and with maximum evenness. To do this, you need to adhere to the following algorithm:
- after purchase, the material must be left indoors for several days to acclimatize;
- the purchased roll is rolled out in another room, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich will be larger than that of the declared one;
- according to the measurements, it is required to cut a fragment with a margin of 50–100 mm on each side;
- next, the prepared piece is laid out in the room so that there are identical protrusions of the stock;
- starting from the center, the surface is leveled towards the edge;
- excess material is cut off with a sharp clerical knife (you need to retreat 1 cm from the wall);
- you need to use skirting boards for fixing, and you need to place a steel strip in the form of a threshold on the threshold.
2. Adhesive - involves fixing the coating with the help of adhesive mixtures. Initially, the material must also be cut in accordance with the parameterspremises. For these purposes, it is recommended to use only a sharp knife. Linoleum is laid out and its compliance with the shape of the room is checked. Next, half of the floor covering is moved away and glue is applied to it. For this, a special grater or a toothed spatula is used. Then you need to wait such an amount of time as indicated in the instructions. After the material is laid out on the surface and well leveled. The same needs to be done with the other half.
As the masters say in their reviews, if plywood is laid on the floor under linoleum, then when choosing an adhesive material, it is better to stop at PVA or water-based compounds. Indeed, during operation, there is a possibility of lagging behind plywood. As a result, the material will puff up.3. Another quick option for attaching linoleum is to use double-sided tape. Among the main advantages of the provided method, it should be noted:
- cheap and easy to work with;
- ease of execution;
- such linoleum is easier to dismantle than the one fixed on the adhesive base;
- Reliable fastening of the coating.
Double-sided tape is required to be glued to the plywood floor around the entire perimeter of the room. It is also recommended to apply the strip on the butt sections.
Styling Tips
Many beginners in construction are wondering if plywood is needed for linoleum. Experts almost unanimously give an affirmative answer in this case. Indeed, thanks to this manipulation before layingmaterial does not require surface leveling. Also, professionals give practical recommendations that will help simplify the process.
1. Before starting work, linoleum must be in the room for at least one day, and preferably two. Thanks to this maneuver, the flooring will get used to the temperature regime of this room.
2. In the area of doorways, batteries, the material must be laid very carefully, since there it must fit closely.
3. After the flooring is completed, it is recommended to leave it alone for several days, and only after this time to start using it.
4. When cutting linoleum in areas near the wall, it is required to leave a little margin, as after laying it may shrink a little.
5. In order to fix the coating near the doorway, it is advisable to use double-sided tape.
6. Before you start trimming linoleum, it needs to be leveled from the inside, and then twisted into a roll.7. There are two main ways to connect several sheets of material together:
- Cold welding method - the prepared sheets are overlapped, and then, using a knife, the sheets are cut off at the junction. It is very important to use only a sharp knife for this, since you will need to cut two canvases at once. After this procedure, double-sided tape is placed under them, and they are fixed on it. Next, you need to apply liquid glue to the surface, which will seal the ends together.
- Forin order to make hot welding, it is recommended to use a building hair dryer, which melts a special cord laid at the junction. After this procedure, everything needs to be sorted out with a trowel.
