Laminate is one of the most popular floor coverings these days. It is used both in apartments and in private houses. The main advantage of this type of flooring is the quality and relatively inexpensive price per square meter. The cover will last a very long time. The parquet board is many times more expensive. The advantage of the laminate is also a wide range of colors on the market. It fits perfectly into any interior.
The only disadvantage of laminate flooring is that it is thinner than parquet. To make floors warmer, people are laying laminate on plywood.
What conditions must be met in order to lay the material evenly?
In order for the coating to be used for a long time, you need to put it on a perfectly leveled floor. If you do not carry out alignment work, then soon cracks will appear between the laminate panels. Garbage clogs in them, the material deteriorates.
Before work, the room where the installation will take place must be ventilated. Do not install this flooring in a room with high humidity.
How to pre-level the floor?
The advantage of laminate flooring is that it can be placed on almost any surface. Some lay it on concrete floors, others on wooden ones. Experts say that even old linoleum can be left, provided that the floors are even. Then it will serve as a floor insulation.
If obvious floor defects are noticeable, they must be corrected immediately. These include various cracks, depressions. The slope of the floors also needs to be corrected. Starting repairs, people are interested in what to put plywood on for laying laminate. You can leave concrete or any other old coating.
Most often, the job of leveling the coating takes more time than laying the laminate.
To make the alignment process quick, experienced professionals offer laying laminate on plywood. The sheet is fixed on wooden boards. If earlier there was parquet in the room, then plywood is placed directly on it. You can get underfloor heating without even using a heating system. Plywood also provides soundproofing.
How to choose material?
Before starting work, you should carefully consider the choice of plywood, especially the components in its composition. It must be completely safe for people, and also not contain toxic substances. The material is taken as the basis of the coating, so it should not be expensive.
Plywood is divided into three types:
- FOF. This is a specialized material used in industry. It has its own characteristics in the application.
- Moisture-resistant plywood (FSF) contains substances hazardous to human he alth in the glue. It is unacceptable to use it for decoration in the bathroom and in the kitchen.
- Special for residential use (FC).
Wood for plywood production is taken from coniferous trees or birch is used. The material obtained from coniferous species will not rot over time, but substances hazardous to human he alth remain in the glue. This type is suitable for roofing.
Birch plywood (FC) is widely used for interior work, decoration, as well as for the manufacture of furniture.
When choosing a material for the base of the laminate, you should focus on this type. The plywood you are looking for has its own quality classification. It can be divided into four classes.
The first class includes perfectly smooth material, without knots. It is believed that plywood of the fourth quality is the most fragile. For the floor, you can safely take the material of the second class.
Required tools
Laying plywood on the floor under the laminate is carried out using special tools:
- Square for marking. Only after proper marking can the panel be cut.
- You can't do without a jigsaw. It cuts laminate panels to the desired length.
- Five-meter tape measure. It is necessary for panel measurements.
- Bar for tamping laminate. With it, the panels are knocked outbetween them at the optimum distance. Experts recommend choosing bars made of plastic. They are easier to work with than wooden ones. Such tools will not leave chips on the laminate.
- Wedges will be needed to create gaps between the floor and the wall.
- Perforator. It helps in installing the baseboards, and the dowels attach them to the floor.
How is floor leveling done?
There are several alignment methods:
- Using plywood.
- Scraping the old floor, if there are irregularities. Irregularities should be no more than 6 millimeters on one square. The floor is marked into several sections and alternately processed by an electric machine. If there are few irregularities, then you can use sandpaper.
- Laying laminate on logs and plywood is possible. This method is used when the floors are sloping or they creak. The slats must be fixed to the concrete base. These are the lags.
How to make DIY plywood flooring?
Laying plywood before laminate flooring is a rather painstaking process that does not tolerate haste. There are several stages in this work:
- It is necessary to divide the sheet of plywood into squares. Most often they are sawn, after which they need to be decomposed and adjusted to each other. It is important to take into account the features of the room where the floors are laid. After laying out the sheets should not be close to the walls. There should be a small gap, no larger than 20 millimeters. You will need a pencil that needsnumber the sheets so as not to confuse the laying order. It is better not to make long seams, so it is more convenient to offset each sheet during installation.
- The next step is the floor screed. It is made with concrete. It is advisable not to avoid this stage when wooden floors are taken as the base. To proceed to the next step, you need to let the screed dry. This process takes a long time, up to a month. The screed is covered with polyethylene, along the perimeter it is held by wooden bars. After three days, the coating is removed. If there is no excess moisture, then you can start laying the laminate. When there is moisture on the film, you need to wait until it dries completely.
- Plywood is coated with a special primer. A layer of glue is applied to the screed, a sheet is placed on top and fixed with self-tapping screws. At the end of this stage of work, the plywood must be sanded. Many treat the surface with drying oil. It helps in the future not to become covered with mold. You should think about waterproofing the floor in advance.
Pros of using plywood
Among other underlay options, plywood has a number of advantages: it provides sound insulation as well as thermal insulation. The biggest plus is the heat-saving effect of the coating. It's nice to walk on warm floors. Plywood helps to skillfully hide all defects and irregularities that were not eliminated at the stage of preparatory work. Laying laminate on plywood with your own hands will not give you any trouble. You can handle this operation with your own hands.
Installation tips
Technologylaying laminate on plywood has its own nuances. It is necessary to start work from the far corner, preferably further from the door. The first row of panels is laid horizontally. It is necessary to monitor the joints and how exactly the boards lie in relation to the wall. In order not to shift the gap between the wall and the floor, you can put limiters. They are sold in wood and metal.
After the first row is finished, one plank usually rests against the wall. The excess part is cut off with an electric jigsaw. The trick to laying the second row is to ensure that its joints at the ends do not coincide with the first row. A new panel is taken, a small part (about a third) is cut off from it. A new row starts from it. The second row should be laid in the same way as the first.
On the second row, the boards are initially fastened, and then they are attached to the first row. When laying laminate on plywood, it is important not to damage the panel when knocking it with a hammer. For this you need a bar. They put him against the panel and beat him. Keeping a gap between the wall and the laminate, the rows are completed.
Covering options
Laying laminate on plywood can be done in several ways: herringbone pattern and others. Herringbone is considered one of the most difficult techniques, and covering the entire apartment with one sheet, removing thresholds, is considered a high level of skill.
Panel connection depends on lock type. Ideally, there should be a minimum of waste.
Actions upon completion of laying
After the laminate is on the floor, it's worth reminding yourself of the wedges. Themmust be removed. After that, you can install skirting boards. The cut points can be masked with plugs. It is better to think about communications in advance by cutting out special holes.
After the installation process is completed, the door sills are attached. They are needed to mask the differences in floor height between rooms.
How long can you handle it?
Laying laminate on plywood usually takes approximately five days. Most of the time (this is three days) is spent on preparatory work before installation. Days are spent on the screed and its drying. You can put laminate flooring in your apartment on your own in a week.
Process Features
It is important to consider that laminate flooring is referred to as a "floating floor". This naming is based on the fastening. Laminate is not glued to the floor. The coating rests on the adhesion of the elements to each other.
Laying and fastening of plywood under the laminate should take place in a heated room, with a normal level of humidity. Otherwise, the coating will rot and will have to be redone soon.
When laying the floor in the kitchen, experts recommend sealing the seams of the laminate. This is explained by the fact that the kitchen is the place where water is most often spilled, and the laminate is afraid of water. With increased moisture, it may swell. If it was laid in a monolith, then in order to replace one component, you will have to disassemble the entire structure. Therefore, sealant is the optimal solution for seams. It is mandatory to use it.
It is important to observecaution in the subsequent operation of the floors. Do not abuse water. Wet cleaning must be carried out carefully, making sure that no water remains on the floor.
Many are wondering if there is a substitute for plywood when laying laminate flooring? There are many options. The most popular is a special substrate made of water-repellent material. But its main disadvantage is that the floors will be cold with it. Plywood will win in this sense.
Conclusion
So, we found out how the laminate is laid on plywood. As you can see, this work can be done by hand. But so that the result does not upset, you must always follow the instructions and advice.
