Over time, you can turn an ordinary country house into a beautiful country mansion, where you can live all year round. Therefore, it is important to insulate it well in order to save money on heating. Most people think that it is enough just to insulate the walls, but this is a wrong opinion.
In the very first frosts, a draft will blow on the cold floor, and even woolen socks will not save you from this. In this article we will tell you how to make the floors in the country with your own hands warm, inexpensive and durable.
Wooden floor
- First of all, you need to dismantle the old coating to the subfloors. They need to lay wooden blocks - logs, in increments of 50-80 cm. The optimal distance is 50 cm, because many heaters have a standard width of this size. Before this, it is desirable to treat all the wood with an antiseptic.
- All lags must be leveled. For this, wooden linings are placed under them. If the laying takes place on wooden floor beams, then the logs are best attached to their ends, so it will be easier to immediately fix them evenly.
- The main thing when installing a lag is to make them stable. To do this, it is desirable to tie them together with transverse trimmings of boards into corners.
Setting the lag on the posts
Often in the country they make single-layer plank floors, which are installed on brick columns.
- To do this, they make a small foundation for each column, fill it in and lay out several rows of masonry 1 * 1 brick in size. Above and below the brick must be protected with roofing material waterproofing.
- The columns must be started to be installed, stepping back from the wall 30 cm, the step between them should be 90-110 cm, and the distance between their rows 50-60 cm.
- Then lags are installed on these columns in the usual way. They are leveled with wooden linings.
Warming
Between the beams it will be necessary to lay insulation on plywood shields. In private homes, most often, mineral wool, polystyrene foam, sawdust.
Note! It is imperative to protect the insulation from moisture ingress and condensation inside. Therefore, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing under it, and a vapor barrier on top.
Mineral wool
This material is quite popular for warming floors, walls, facades. Mineral wool does not burn, has good heat and sound insulation. It is sold in the form of slabs or a flexible mat.
Price for 1 square meter min. cotton wool 5 cm thick is about 80-90 rubles. The coefficient of its thermal conductivity is 0.037 W / Mk.
The main thing when using this method is to protect the insulation well from moisture, otherwise it will lose its properties. In some types, a water repellent is specially added to repel water.
Extruded polystyrene foam
Extruded polystyrene foam is the best thermal insulator. This is a synthetic material, so it is not affected by microorganisms, fungus and mold, almost does not absorb moisture and is very durable.
The price of this material is about 200 rubles per square meter 5 cm thick. The thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.031 W / Mk.
Sawdust
One of the cheapest and easiest types of floor insulation in the country is falling asleep between sawdust lags. This option has a high environmental friendliness and almost zero cost, which is very important for giving. Their thermal conductivity is approximately 0.07-0.09 W / Mk.
The coefficient increases along with an increase in their density and humidity, so you need to lay them without ramming and protect them from moisture.
Expanded clay
Expanded clay also refers to economical types of insulation. It consists of fired clay, which becomes very light due to the large amount of air inside. From the point of view of thermal conductivity, this is the least efficient material (0.1-0.18 W / Mk).
Teploizol
Separately, it is worth talking about another way to quickly and inexpensively insulate a wooden floor - thermal insulation. The main advantage of this option is that you do not even need to remove the floorboard. Thermal insulation (liquid foam) is pumped into the wooden structure through small holes of 25 mm. The cost of such material is 100-250 rubles per square.
Floor sheathing
After insulation, you can fix the vapor barrier layer with a stapler and start laying the floorboard. Do-it-yourself floors in a country house can be sheathed with 3 or 4 grades of boards to save money, or even take unplaned boards. All irregularities and cracks can then be closed with inexpensive plywood.
Conclusion
Once, having spent money on floor insulation, you will forever forget about the cold in frosty weather. It will be enough to heat the stove once a day in the winter. If you choose the optimal section, the step of laying the lag and sheathing the floorboard, then the floor will turn out to be strong and durable. The device of the floor along the logs allows you to correct even significant irregularities in the base.
Currently, many people want to have not only apartments in megacities, but also seek to purchase real estate outside the city. Dachas are again becoming more widespread and popular. Here you can raise children in the fresh air, grow natural vegetables and fruits in your own garden and enjoy unity with nature. Everyone has their own country house. For some, this is a whole cottage, while for others it is a small wooden frame or a brick building.
For owners of country houses, an urgent problem is the choice of flooring. Despite the abundance of materials that the construction market offers today, consumers are tormented by the question: “How to cover the floor in the country? How to choose the right flooring to ensure the quality and durability of the repairs made in a private house?
The article provides an overview of the most common types of building materials for flooring, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each type of coating, its scope.
Types of flooring for a private house
In any private house, there are different types of premises, depending on their areas of operation. To determine what material is better to cover the floor in a particular room, you need to know all the factors that are typical for this area (temperature, humidity, the influence of aggressive environments, proximity to heat sources, and others).
The main types of flooring for summer cottages:
- concrete screed;
- linoleum;
- laminate;
- parquet;
- ceramic tile;
- wooden floor.
Let's consider each material in more detail, determine the areas where the coating will most effectively perform its main functions.
Concrete screed
If you paint the concrete floor with paint in any color, you can get rid of an important drawback of this kind of coating - the formation of cement dust. Coloring the concrete will help fill in the pores of the material and give the surface additional abrasion resistance and a favorable appearance.
The main disadvantage of concrete pavement was considered to be the fact that the floor remains cold at any time of the year. Because of this, the concrete floor was not used in the living rooms of the building. Modern technologies have made it possible to correct this feature of the material by introducing the concept of "warm floor" into the construction. Now heating elements are laid on the prepared base and the surface is poured with concrete. Once hardened, the floor covering forms a monolithic structure, the temperature of which is controlled by the owner. Even in an unheated room, underfloor heating is an effective solution.
The concrete floor is the base for other floor coverings such as laminate, parquet, linoleum, etc.
However, it must be taken into account that it is difficult to lay a concrete screed evenly. Such a coating is almost never smooth. You can correct irregularities, while spending a minimum of money and time, by laying plywood on the base. Linoleum and parquet are laid directly on plywood, and a substrate is preliminarily laid under the laminate.
Linoleum
There are several varieties of linoleum. This material can be single-layer and multilayer, smooth and embossed, thin and dense. The price of linoleum varies from 150 to 800 rubles per square meter. The color of the material is varied, often the coating imitates wooden parquet or laminate.
Linoleum is an excellent solution for flooring in a private country house, since the material has a low cost, aesthetic design and moisture resistance. Such flooring can be used in living rooms, corridors, kitchens, on a covered veranda and even in a summer cottage bathroom. Laid on plywood or other leveling coating, linoleum forms an even, smooth and aesthetic floor.
The disadvantages of linoleum include the softness of the material, under the influence of loads, the coating sags, forming creases, preserving traces of furniture.
Attention! It is not recommended to cover wooden floors with linoleum. Air does not penetrate through the roll material. Wood can be deformed, destroyed and rot under the influence of condensate, which forms under a layer of linoleum.
Laminate
A coating of such material will improve the appearance of any surface. The color of the laminate and the shade may be different, as well as its price category. However, in order to use such a coating, it is necessary to take into account the positive and negative aspects of the material.
In a private house, laminate is laid in living and dry rooms. The material is resistant to abrasion, it is very difficult to push through furniture. Panels are easily laid on the prepared covering. Laminate is an environmentally friendly material without chemicals and other toxic components, it is resistant to fungus and mold. Regular wet cleaning and careful operation will keep the original appearance of the floor for 7-10 years.
When laying laminate, special requirements are placed on the horizontality and evenness of the flooring surface, since even slight deformations of the interlocking joints of the lamellas affect not only the appearance of the floor, but also its performance. You can properly prepare the floor by laying plywood on the base, and then using a substrate under the laminate.
Another feature of the laminate is the negative impact of moisture on it. Moreover, the cheaper the material, the worse it reacts to the humid environment of the room. Swelling of the laminate, creaking of the floorboards can occur if the coating is not properly used.
When laying laminate, it is better to choose a higher quality product class, which is close in cost to parquet. Of course, do not mount this flooring in rooms with high humidity.
Parquet
Wooden flooring from selected boards existed in the XIII-XIV century in the noble houses of Europe. And now parquet is an expensive material, because it is formed by piece products with grooves made of hardwood: oak, ash, beech, wenge, mahogany, etc.
The benefits of parquet include:
- environmentally friendly natural material;
- durable, there are ways to update and repair decking;
- exquisite appearance, it is possible to lay planks in the form of an artistic ornament.
The disadvantages of parquet include the following:
- high cost of coverage;
- the complexity of laying;
- moisture sensitivity;
- requires constant care.
To extend the life of the parquet, it is required to paint it with varnish in several layers. Painting is carried out with a brush and roller, controlling the thickness of the layer. Keeping the natural color of the wood, painting the parquet with varnish will give the flooring moisture resistance and protect the surface from abrasion.
Ceramic tile
In a private house, you can not do without ceramic tiles. This material equips the floors and walls of bathrooms, bathrooms, work surfaces and kitchen areas, it can be used on the veranda. You can choose any color and pattern of tiles. There are glossy and matte ceramic surfaces.
Ceramic tile is an eco-friendly, hard and durable material that will last for many years. Ceramics is not afraid of moisture, aggressive environments and temperature effects. When laying tiles, you can adjust the evenness of the surface yourself with the help of an adhesive composition.
The only drawback is the fragility of ceramic tiles. If you drop a hard object on the surface, the tile may break.
Wooden floor
The most common flooring in a private country house is a wooden floor. As a rule, such coverage meets the ratio "price - quality". The board is often inexpensive, and the painting of the material gives the wood a number of advantageous properties and allows you to perform any interior design.
Initially, a wooden board has several disadvantages:
- susceptible to fungus and mold;
- may dry out and deform over time;
- moisture adversely affects the material.
You can protect a new wooden floor by painting it with varnish or paint.
Attention! Before painting a wooden floor with varnish or paint, it is necessary to prepare the surface: level the base by sanding the wood with a grinder, apply a primer to the surface.
To preserve the natural look and natural color of wood, it is better to paint the boards with a special varnish. However, it should be noted that the varnished floor must be used carefully, without scratching the coating with heels or furniture.
Often, wooden floors and plywood are coated with paint to ensure the durability of the coating, to protect it from deformation and the effects of fungus and mold. The question arises: “What paint is better to paint wooden flooring in a private house?”
During the construction of any cottage, special attention should be paid to the floor - the comfort of all residents will depend on its strength, durability and performance characteristics. If the floor is not strong enough, it will have to be repaired every few years. The floor covering should not be afraid of accidentally spilled water or drink, not absorb the juice of berries, withstand repeated cleaning, etc. The specifics of country life imposes its own requirements, so in this article we will talk about how to cover the floor in the country.
The construction or overhaul of a country house always involves the installation of a strong, even floor. The work consists not only in laying a new coating, but also in heat and waterproofing, since without them the life of any surface, whether it be wooden or even concrete, is minimized.
A dacha, unlike an apartment where people live permanently, is used much less frequently, so it makes no sense to make expensive floors there. Fortunately, today's construction market can offer a lot of budget suitable materials for the construction of the subfloor and for its topcoat.
When choosing a floor covering, you should take into account the specifics of the rooms where it will be located, so it is worth looking at several materials with different characteristics. For example, a tile that looks great in a bathroom is not suitable for a living room or a nursery. Warm comfortable carpet, laid in the bedroom, in the kitchen will constantly collect small rubbish and will be erased much faster. Of course, there are universal materials suitable for laying in any room - wood, for example. Below we will consider the options that can be used for a country house. All of them are relatively inexpensive, durable and easy to use.
Concrete floor
Concrete is not highly decorative, but with proper installation it will last more than 50 years without repair. The concrete floor is a cement-sand mortar screed reinforced with a reinforcing mesh and varnished or painted. Thanks to a large selection of colors, even gray concrete can be given an aesthetic appearance.
The advantages of a concrete floor are obvious - it is very durable and unpretentious in maintenance. It is enough to tint it once every few years to maintain a neat appearance. It will not work to destroy the surface with an inadvertently dropped tool or other “household” method. Another weighty argument in favor of a concrete screed is that it automatically smooths out all the bumps, so in some cases it is deliberately used for this purpose.
The concrete floor itself is very dusty, no matter how much you sweep it, so it must be covered with paint or polymer varnish. If this is not done, the porous structure will absorb spilled liquid and leave permanent stains. Such a floor is very cold, so you will have to additionally buy a carpet, linoleum or carpet for it. But even in this case, the floor will be quite cold in winter, so it is recommended to make a concrete screed in makeshift houses and summer houses.
Wooden floor
The classic and most common option. Such a floor is found in every second dacha, and earlier the floor in the house was made only of wood. Wood has a lot of positive qualities - it keeps heat well, does not heat up in the heat, provides natural ventilation in the room, creates a comfortable and cozy atmosphere. With good thermal and waterproofing of the wooden floor in the country, such a coating will last for many years and even decades without major repairs.
Wooden floors include not only ordinary plank flooring, but also a parquet board. The difference between these two materials lies in the size of the individual elements and the way they are laid. Naturally, the cost will also be different, and you will have to pay a little more for a parquet board. Such a coating looks more “expensive”, aesthetically pleasing and, unlike conventional flooring, does not need additional processing. Do not confuse parquet and parquet board - these are two different materials, and the cost of parquet is much higher.
If you want to make a plank floor in the kitchen or bathroom, it should be covered with a moisture-resistant varnish and provide good vapor barrier, otherwise such a coating will not last long. Another obligatory nuance is that before laying the finishing floor, the boards must be treated with protective compounds (flame retardants, from pests and rodents, etc.). For rooms with a high level of humidity, only dense, expensive wood can be used - ordinary pine boards will deteriorate very quickly.
Laminate on the floor
The laminate differs in beautiful sustained design, the high durability and durability. Another important advantage is pressure resistance. If recesses from the legs of heavy furniture may appear in a wooden floor over time, then the laminate can easily withstand the weight of any cabinet or bed.
Caring for a laminate is very simple, and since you have to work in the ground in the country, harvest, build, and so on, it will be enough for a clean housewife to simply sweep and wipe the surface with a damp cloth. Dust does not accumulate on the laminate and there are no places where dirt could clog - the floor is absolutely flat and smooth.
Installation of laminate panels is very simple, and even a beginner can handle it. The average service life of the material is 7 to 10 years. The only downside to laminate flooring is that you need to properly level the subfloor before installing it. Often, a cement screed is made for this, which requires additional financial and time costs.
When buying a laminate, pay attention not only to its cost, but also to the class - it determines the performance characteristics of the material (durability, ability to withstand moisture, strength, etc.). Unfortunately, in most cases, high-quality laminate costs almost the same as good parquet. But if you definitely want to use it in a country house, you can lay a laminate in any one room, for example, a hallway or a living room.
Linoleum on the floor
One of the most popular floor coverings, which is used not only for cottages, but also in apartments and public buildings. This is an inexpensive and practical material that can give comfort and warmth. It is easy to care for it, installation does not require special knowledge and skills, and the design (drawing) can be chosen for every taste.
Linoleum is recommended for use in high traffic areas, as it is resistant to abrasion. It is not afraid of moisture, so it is suitable for the floor in the bathroom or in the kitchen. A significant drawback of any linoleum is its extensibility. Over time, dents from furniture appear on it, so experts recommend installing rubber pads on the legs of cabinets and beds to relieve pressure. Linoleum should also be protected from temperature changes - it can crack from frost, and wrinkle and swell from heat.
Ceramic tile
Ceramic tiles are environmentally friendly, strong and durable material. A variety of shapes, colors and textures allows you to create a completely unique interior. Floor tiles can last from 10 to 50 years, and with careful operation even longer. It can be used in almost all rooms, with the exception of the nursery and bedroom, as it is quite cold.
This is an ideal floor covering for bathrooms, toilets and kitchens - the tile is not afraid of moisture, and it is a pleasure to care for it. Unlike laminate flooring, ceramic tiles do not need to level the substrate - this is done by applying more or less adhesive solution. Installing tiles will not cause absolutely no difficulties, even if you have never done this before.
Useful advice: you should not choose glossy glazed tiles for giving, as they are more demanding than matte ones, they need careful handling and special care.
The disadvantages include the fact that ceramics can break if a heavy object is dropped on the floor. Also, such a coating will always remain cool, so it needs to be covered with a carpet or a path, but in the summer, such a floor will be a real salvation from the heat.
There are a large number of all kinds of flooring, but we have listed only those that are best suited for a country house. The rest either do not withstand the operating conditions, or are too expensive, or their installation requires special equipment and professional skills.
Wooden floor on logs
Since the wooden floor in the country is the most common occurrence, we will consider its construction first. Depending on the design features of the house, it is possible to lay a finishing floor on floor beams or on logs. Beams are needed to increase strength if there is a spacious basement under the house, or load-bearing walls are quite far apart. Also, beams are placed for the construction of the floor on the 2nd floor or higher. In all other cases, the floor is laid on the logs.
Experts recommend giving preference to logs, as they allow you to make a warmer and more high-quality floor, provide sound insulation and strength. Even if you attach support beams for mounting the floor on the second floor, logs can be laid on top of them. In other cases, logs can be installed on pillars of a columnar foundation or directly on top of a concrete screed.
If there are no supporting beams in the house, the logs should be installed along the wall so that one element is enough for the entire length (width) of the room. It is advisable to choose a wall with a window, so that later you can lay a finished plank floor across the log - this way, due to the lighting features, the room will look wider and more spacious.
To make a wooden floor on logs, it is necessary first of all to determine the optimal level (height) of the floor and, based on the data obtained, select the thickness of the beams for logs, floorboards or parquet. When calculating the floor level, take into account the height of the thresholds at the doors - ideally, the wooden floor should be flush with them (no more than 20 mm high).
The best logs are obtained from dried planks of coniferous trees. Dry the material should be from 8 to 10 months in a dry, well-ventilated area. The thickness of the bars should be at least 40 mm (optimally 45-50 mm). In length, the logs should fit along the entire length or width of the room, not reaching the walls by 10 mm.
How to make a floor in the country:
Useful advice: to make the floor even, lay the boards in such a way that adjacent elements have annual circles that diverge in different directions.
raw board
When making a floor from wet boards, you risk getting cracks and deformations on the surface, however, under conditions of good ventilation of the room and careful operation during the “trial period”, it is possible to get a reliable floor.
The work is done in two passes. First, the boards are laid on logs and adjusted to each other, but so far without nails. If the last board does not fit, leave an empty space. Be sure to stock up on replacement boards in case some of the floor elements crack or deform during drying. The plank "raw" floor is left to dry for 8-10 months, after which the damaged parts are replaced. Then they are adjusted again and only after that they are nailed.
dry board
The floor from the usual dried board is laid somewhat differently. Each element is nailed to the log with two nails, the distance between which should be equal to 1/3 of the width of the board itself. It is very important to hammer the hats to the end so that they do not stick out.
The maximum allowable gap between the boards can be 1 mm wide, so they need to be adjusted very tightly to each other. This is easy to do as follows: saw off a bar 40-50 cm long from the board and cut it in half diagonally, stepping back from the edge of about 10 mm - you get two identical wedges. With these wedges you will press the boards. To make an emphasis, drive in a bracket along the log, but not deep - about 20-25 mm - so that after laying it can be removed.
Insert wedges between the bracket and the board so that the saw cuts “look” at each other. Hammer the wedges on the ends, pressing the floorboard. When she gets as close as possible to the next one, nail her. For long floorboards, it is recommended to make two spacers with wedges in order to pound at two points at the same time.
Useful advice: in order not to “riddle” the log by repeatedly driving in and pulling out staples, lay 3-4 boards at once.
grooved board
As we said above, a grooved board floor is more preferable, since there are almost no gaps between the elements. Experts recommend joining boards in a tongue, quarter or insert rail, since these types of joints are able to provide the most snug fit.
Grooved boards have different side parts - on some there is a comb, on others there is a groove. When the board is nailed to the joist, the nail is inserted slightly at an angle so that it enters the ridge and provides a secure connection.
Tongue-and-groove boards are also adjusted to each other, but you should not hit the sidewall with a hammer - you can damage a flat surface. Use a wooden block for this - attach it to the board and lightly hit it with a hammer, then the groove will firmly fit into the ridge and the board will remain intact.
Installing the final wood floor board
This is a particularly delicate moment, which can cause a lot of questions and difficulties for beginners. The installation of the last floor board takes place in a special way. Usually, it turns out to be a little wider than necessary, and what to do in this case - cut off the excess or try to squeeze it in like that?
To calculate the correct width of the last plank, measure the remaining opening in 3-4 places along the entire wall (the walls may not be completely even), and then subtract 10-15 mm from the resulting width. Remove the necessary fragment of the board with a planer and nail it to the log close to the next one.
To ensure a tight connection, drive wedges between the wall and the last board. Cover the remaining gap with a skirting board around the entire perimeter.
Important: The skirting board should only be installed after you have completed the interior walls, ceiling, and door frames.
The final stage of laying any wooden floor is sanding. After cycling, all dust should be carefully removed, cracks and holes from fallen knots should be sealed with putty on wood to match the color of the wood. After the putty has dried, the floor is covered with paint or varnish in 2 layers.
Concrete floor
Despite the fact that the concrete floor is cold and requires additional insulation, many people prefer this option. You can make a concrete finish or use it as a base for laying tiles, logs, laminate or other finish flooring. In addition, cement screed is sometimes the only economical way to level the surface.
Making concrete floors in the country with your own hands is much more difficult than wooden ones, but the result will fully pay off all the efforts - you will forget about the need to repair the floor for many years or even decades. It is enough to renew the paint layer every couple of years, and the coating will become like new! If you get tired of the “bare” floor, then it can be used as a perfectly flat and ready-made base for ceramic tiling, parquet laying, etc.
It is very easy to pour a concrete floor in an apartment - you just need to remove the old coating and clean the base. In a private house, everything is much more complicated, since in most cases you have to work directly on the ground, and this requires additional costs of money and time. Let's consider this case in more detail.
How to make a concrete floor in a country house:
- Prepare the base and mark up. If the floor is poured during the construction of the dacha, everything can be done quickly, if the dacha has already been built, then you will have to disassemble the subfloor to get to the ground. From this follows a logical conclusion that it is better to pour a concrete floor in houses without basements.
- Put a mark in a meter from the base of the doorway and, focusing on the readings of the building level, transfer it to the rest of the walls of the room around the entire perimeter.
- From these marks, go down 1 m and mark the “zero line” - this is the level of your future concrete floor. For greater convenience, drive cloves into the “zero” marks and pull the thread between them.
- Remove 25 cm of soil, level the bottom and tamp well. The easiest way is to tamp with a vibrating plate, but if it is not available, use an ordinary log, hitting the ground with its butt.
- Spread a layer of gravel 5 cm thick on the leveled ground, pour it with water from a watering can or from a hose with a sprinkler. Tamp again and check the evenness with a spirit level.
- Pour 10 cm of fine river sand over the gravel pad, pour water over it too, tamp it down and check the evenness.
- The next layer 8 cm thick is made of crushed stone with fractions of 45-50 mm. Sprinkle it with a little sand, pour it over and tamp down to get a relatively flat surface. Thus, you will create a drainage cushion through which all excess moisture will leave, and the concrete floor will not become damp from the back.
Helpful Hint: If you've never prepared a subfloor for a concrete floor, you can make marks for each of the "cushion" layers to make it easier to navigate and not accidentally overdo it. The thickness of the floor itself must be at least 2 cm, otherwise it will crack. - Now it is necessary to lay waterproofing so that the moisture coming from the ground through the gravel pad does not get to the concrete. To do this, you can purchase an ordinary thick polyethylene film of 200 microns or use materials specially designed for waterproofing - membranes, roofing felt, etc. If you have chosen a film, please note that it will need to be laid in 2-3 layers, and materials specially designed for such purposes - only in 1 layer. Therefore, before buying a film, calculate how much it will cost - it may be cheaper to buy an ordinary roofing material.
Regardless of the material chosen, lay the waterproofing with an overlap of 15-20 cm, fastening the pieces with a wide adhesive tape. Be sure to leave approximately allowances for the walls along the edges so that they reach the “zero line” (so as not to interfere, glue them to the walls with electrical tape). - So that the concrete floor in the country house is not too cold, you should take care of thermal insulation. Expanded clay has proven itself as an inexpensive and effective insulation for concrete. Styrofoam, mineral or rock wool (slabs), extruded polystyrene foam, perlite granules, etc. can also be used.
- As for reinforcement, it is recommended to do it for floors that will be subjected to a strong and constant load, for example, in a garage or warehouse. For summer cottages, it is not necessary to lay reinforcement, or you can limit yourself to the “light” option - a soft reinforcing mesh for greater durability of the coating. To lay it in the base, it is necessary to hammer in several pins, onto which the grid itself is subsequently pulled and then poured with concrete.
- In rooms with a wall width of 4-5 m, formwork should be used to fill a flat floor. Visually divide the space into equal rectangles of such dimensions that concrete can be poured into them at a time. For the manufacture of formwork, use ordinary boards or thick moisture-resistant plywood. Lay guides that will divide the room into equal fragments. The height of the guides should be limited to the "zero border". Usually they are made from metal pipes or ordinary boards. Lay the guide on the base and fix it with a thick cement mortar. Between them, install the formwork to get approximately the same rectangles. Do not forget to check the evenness of each cell with a building level.
Helpful Hint: Once you've poured the concrete, formwork and rails need to be removed somehow. So that they can be easily removed from the viscous solution, lubricate them with a special oily formwork agent. You can buy it at any hardware store.
- Ideally, a concrete floor should be poured in one go - two or more layers will make it less strong and durable. But at home it is impossible to immediately make the required amount of the mixture and quickly fill the base with it, so it makes sense to order a ready-made solution from the factory. It will be delivered in a concrete mixer in the required quantity.
If you want to save money, then you have to do all the work yourself. Rent an electric concrete mixer (or construction mixer), cement, crushed stone and river sand. It is not worth saving on cement - choose a brand not lower than M400, since the strength of the future floor depends on it. - Prepare the mortar by mixing cement, sand and gravel in a ratio of 1:2:4. Gradually add water until you get the consistency of thick sour cream.
- Pour the solution into one of the cells and stretch over the entire surface. Attention - you should always start pouring concrete from the corner opposite to the doors, so as not to drive yourself into a trap at the end. Pierce the concrete in several places to eliminate the formation of air pockets, then level it with a shovel or board. To definitely avoid the appearance of "bubbles" inside the floor, it is better to use a construction vibrator. Shrink (pierce and level) until the so-called concrete milk, a whitish liquid, appears on the surface. By the same principle, fill in the remaining formwork compartments.
- When you fill in several cells, take a building rule (emphasis on "and") at least 100 cm long, lean it on the guides and stretch it towards you to level the surface. Place excess solution in empty compartments.
- Carefully remove the formwork from the leveled areas and fill the voids with mortar. So keep working until you reach the door.
- After that, cover the concrete floor with plastic wrap and leave to dry for 3 weeks. The film is needed in order to prevent too rapid evaporation of moisture, as a result of which the surface may crack. If the weather turned out to be too dry and hot, once a day you can lift the film and sprinkle the floor with water.
When the floor is completely hardened, pour it with a liquid cement mortar or a self-leveling mixture with an admixture of polymers or dyes for greater aesthetics. Start at the corner opposite the door, as you would when pouring concrete. After the screed has dried, you can start painting the surface or laying the finishing floor covering.
As you can see, pouring concrete is much more difficult than making flooring on wooden logs, but it will last 5 times longer than any boards. It is up to you to decide which floor to choose in the country, however, before making a final verdict, keep in mind that an additional load will be placed on the foundation of an already built house, and in the case of a concrete floor, it will be very strong.
Floor in the country - varieties and manufacturing features
The question of what to make the floor in the country is relevant among the majority of compatriots who have started repairing a country house. In fact, all floors in the country can be divided into two types: monolithic cement and prefabricated wooden beams.
Let's try to determine the characteristics of each of the two types and understand how they are made.
Pine board flooring
Choosing a floor for a summer residence
The choice of how to cover the floors in the country is determined by criteria such as:
- Features of the building object;
- Climatic conditions characteristic of the region;
- The price of materials in combination with the budget allotted for the project;
- The time allotted for the manufacture of the floor.
Construction technology of a monolithic concrete floor on the ground
Leveling the finish layer
Do not know what kind of floors to make in the country, so that they are relatively inexpensive, strong and durable? Of course, these are monolithic structures that are poured in a continuous layer and can be used for their intended purpose throughout the entire operational life of the house. .
In general terms, the technology for building a monolithic floor on the ground is as follows:
- Before you make the floors in the country, the soil is cleared of debris and vegetation.
- The soil is compacted with a vibrating plate and simultaneously wetted for maximum surface compaction.
- At the next stage, a layer of sand is poured, on average 10-20 cm, wetted and rammed until a dense surface is formed.
- A waterproofing film is laid over the compacted layers.
- A reinforcing metal mesh is mounted on top of the waterproofing film (membrane).
- Next, a rough screed is laid out with a layer thickness of not more than 10 cm.
- After the rough screed has dried, a layer of insulation and a waterproofing film are lined.
- The final stage of construction is the pouring of the final finishing cement-sand floor screed.
This instruction for the construction of a monolithic base on the ground is general, at the same time, the floor for a summer residence can be built with some deviations. For example, if desired, any of the layers of the floor pie can be made thicker and thus reduce the thermal conductivity of the structure or increase its degree of strength.
Underfloor heating pipes embedded in a cement screed
For example, if a summer cottage project provides for a heated floor with a liquid coolant, most often a rough concrete screed with a layer thickness of 150 mm is laid on a compacted sand bed or soil. And after that, thermal insulation is laid in the form of foam plates or blocks of extruded polystyrene foam with an average thickness of 50 mm.
After that, a cement-sand screed is built with a layer thickness of up to 100 mm. The parameters of the floor pie on the ground without a “warm floor” system are not much different from a monolithic structure with a built-in pipeline. A feature, in this case, is a thin finishing screed with a layer thickness of up to 50 mm.
Important: Despite the widespread belief that a rough screed is an excess, it is necessary.
Of course, laying the floor cake directly on the compacted sand bed is cheaper, but in this case you cannot be sure of the durability of the finished result.
Even if the backfill and soil are well compacted, periodic settlement of heaving soils can lead to uneven settlement of compacted sand or ASG.
As a result, there is a high probability of cracking in the floor without a basic rough screed.
The technology of building a floor on beams
All ready for boarding
A plank floor built on beams, despite the considerable cost of lumber, is the best choice for both a small country house and a full-fledged cottage.
So, before laying warm floors in the country, let's decide what logs are. The technical definition makes it clear that joists are long beams with a rectangular cross-sectional shape with a minimum width of 160 mm or more. The same definition includes logs hewn on both sides with a cut size of at least 150 mm.
The photo shows an example of fastening beams
In individual housing construction, it is allowed to use, as a log, boards paired in two and installed on the edge with a width of at least 100 mm with a thickness of the edge of 25 mm.
And finally, as a log for flooring a wooden floor, it is allowed to use a hardwood beam with a dimensional minimum of a section of 100 × 150 mm (lag installation step is not more than 60 cm).
Scheme of the device of floors on logs
Regardless of what the logs are made of and what size their section is, they serve as a support for a finishing coating or for a subfloor.
A lag-based design can rely on:
- on support poles;
- on the mortgage crown;
- on concrete blocks;
- on wooden beams
- on pre-compacted soil.
Installation of boardwalk on logs
Floor board installation
A simple cold floor on dry ground is built as follows:
- completely remove the layer of soil and vegetation;
- sprinkle the cleaned soil with a layer of clay 2 cm thick, moisten and tamp down until a hard crust appears;
- we fill the compacted surface with sifted sand or small-sized crushed stone with sandy aggregate and again carry out tamping;
Tip: If there is no vibrating plate available, it is easy to make a rammer with your own hands from a log, to one end of which a strong handle is attached.
By holding the handle and making rhythmic blows with the butt that does not have a handle, you can compact the required area of soil in a short time.
- next, add another layer of backfill made of river sand or clay (the thickness of this layer should be twice as large as the thickness of the beam used as a log);
- we immerse the logs into this backfill layer, so that their upper line is flush with the backfill surface;
Important: given the fragility of natural wood, it is advisable to cover the logs with mining or antiseptic compounds before installation.
- we lay the logs with a step selected in accordance with the width of the floorboards (for the use of a tongue-and-groove board with a width of 37 mm, the step is 60 cm);
- we check the evenness of the installation of beams by means of a water level;
- we lay a vapor barrier film with an overlap on the walls;
- lay the boards and fix them with screws.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to lay the floor in the country house, you can handle this work yourself and, thus, save money on attracting highly qualified builders. You can find more details by looking at this article.
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To determine how to make a floor in the country the most optimal and in an inexpensive way, you need to know some of the nuances. After all, the dacha is different, and there are also many options for the sexes:
1. For a small house, which is used only in the summer to relax after working in the beds, an ordinary one without insulation is suitable. In this case, it is enough to fill a thin layer of expanded clay into the subfloor and close up the cracks in the floor well.
2. For a house that is used all year round, but occasionally coming to rest on weekends, you will have to make a more reliable floor with insulation. This is necessary so that in winter the heat from the house is not blown out through the uninsulated floor.
3. The third option is a dacha where they live all year long without leaving. In this case, you will need to make a two-layer warm floor with thick boards. You can, of course, arrange a concrete screed and lay insulation on top, but this is a more time-consuming process, although its result will not deceive expectations - the house will be warm, dry and not dusty, since the soil will be covered with a screed.
4. A large country mansion, which serves not only as a summer residence, but also as permanent housing, requires a solid floor, Not only insulated with appropriate materials, but possibly with the installation of electric or water heating.
So, it is necessary to consider different types of floors that can be arranged in a country house, based on its intended purpose.
It’s not difficult to make an ordinary plank floor on logs, the main thing is to purchase high-quality material. Depending on the overall design of the foundation, the choice of supports for the board deck will be determined.
- If the rooms in the house have a small area, and the house is installed on a strip foundation, then the floor logs can be built into the basement, after wrapping them with waterproofing material, for example, roofing material. In this case, it is not worth saving on the thickness of the log - they can serve as logs of medium thickness, hewn on one side in the right way.
- If the rooms are large, then for the lag device, one way or another, it will be necessary to install retaining pillars.
Whether the floors are single or double, it is recommended to cover the underground with a 15-20 cm layer of expanded clay. This material will not allow cold and moisture to penetrate from the ground to the floors, which means it can serve as an additional natural insulation. In addition, there will be much less dust in the house, as it will be nailed with expanded clay.
There are a lot of advantages of wooden flooring, but the main one is its environmental friendliness. In addition, it will perfectly fit into the interior of a country house.
The material for the floors must be of high quality, having the necessary moisture, since the wood should not be either overdried or damp. Floor boards should not have damage and cracks or a large number of knots. The material, before its flooring, needs to be prepared, covered with antiseptic agents that will protect against insect damage, mold, and from dampness and decay.
Preparing for installation
If the floors are to be made in an already built house, instead of the old ones, then first of all, it is necessary to dismantle the existing coating.
Having lifted the old boards and found that the logs lie on the ground, the owner will be forced to correct this, since the tree, which cannot be ventilated from below, quickly deteriorates and rot appears on it.
In order for the logs to serve for a long time, it is necessary that they be located at a height of 15-20 centimeters above the ground.
If the height of the ceiling allows, then new logs can be raised above the surface of the underground by installing them on brick posts. To do this, at a distance of a meter or one and a half from each other, pits are arranged, which will serve as foundation pits for the foundation of the columns. The depth of the pits should be at least 40-50 centimeters.
The bottom is rammed and a ten-meter sand cushion is poured on it, which is also compacted. Then, on top of the sand, crushed stone of the middle fraction is also laid out, also 10 cm thick, and it also needs to be compacted.
The next stage of work can be built in different ways:
In the pit, waterproofing is laid from a thick polyethylene film and a wooden formwork is installed - a kind of box.
Reinforcement is installed on the prepared waterproofing material, drowning it in the ground, it should rise to the height of the pit, to its upper edge. A rough concrete mortar of gravel and cement at the very top is poured into the formwork. The concrete is leveled and left to dry - this will become the foundation for the brick columns. When the base is ready, a piece of roofing material is laid on it - this is an additional waterproofing for brickwork.
Foundation "patch" for columns
A column of the desired height is laid out on top of the finished concrete "patch". The top edge of all columns should be at the same height, so they are adjusted according to the level.
Another option would be a post made entirely of concrete. In this case, the bottom of the pit is rammed in the same way as in the first case, but the reinforcement is placed to the full height of the column. When the concrete hardens in the formwork installed in the pit, it is raised above the ground to the full height of the future support. To prevent concrete from leaking through the gaps between the boards, they can be sealed with clay or fixed inside the box plastic wrap. Next, concrete is poured into the box and left until fully ripened. Before laying the log on the posts, you will need to lay pieces of roofing material.
In the case when the ceiling is low, and it is undesirable to raise the floors, the following work will have to be done:
It is necessary to loosen and select the soil to a depth of 30-40 centimeters, and only then pits for posts are dug in this pit to bring their height to the previous floor level.
When the columns are ready, it is recommended to completely cover the underground with roofing felt waterproofing, and it is better to lay the sheets with an overlap of 10-15 centimeters and glue them together using tar or sealant. The roofing material should go onto the walls by 15-20 centimeters, and it must also be hermetically fastened in the corners.
Expanded clay can be poured onto this base, which will create an insulating pillow.
Floor device
Lag mounts are installed on the posts, then the guides themselves are laid. If they are made of massive bars, then they can only be fixed to the walls, because due to their gravity, they are unlikely to be able to budge.
If a single floor is laid, then most often they arrange a counter-lattice on the logs, and only then do the flooring from the boards.
If the coating is planned to be insulated and made double, then settles down first draft floor.
To do this, bars of 5 × 5 cm in size are attached to the bottom of the side surfaces of the log, on which the black floor boards will be laid.
Also, the boards can also be fixed to the lower edge of the lag, but this is far from always convenient simply for reasons of tightness of the subfloor.
If there is a desire to make the floor warm and reliable, then it is better to nail the board solid, as shown in the photo. All cracks are recommended to be sealed with clay mortar.
You can do it differently - fix the boards at a distance of 20-30 centimeters from each other, and lay on top with sheets of vapor barrier material, which is fixed to the logs with brackets using a construction stapler.
- Insulation is laid on the vapor barrier material between the logs. Most often, mineral wool, expanded clay, slag, shavings, ecowool and other materials are used for a wooden floor.
- Another layer of vapor barrier is fixed on top of the insulation material.
- On top of it, 5 × 3 cm bars are attached to the logs, on which the floorboards will be mounted.
- It is very important when laying the floorboard to retreat from the walls by 5-7 millimeters for air circulation. When the board is laid, a plinth is installed around the perimeter.
Concrete floor
Another option for flooring in the country can be a concrete screed. Concrete is a cold material, so the floor will require mandatory insulation if you plan to use the country house all year round.
A concrete screed can have several schemes according to which this work is done. The figure shows a more complex scheme, which is used mainly for devices in country houses, where living is carried out all year round. In this case, a rough screed is provided, which can be dispensed with if the house is used only in summer. But it is worth considering both options for flooring.
Preparation for laying a concrete floor is carried out in the same way:
Leveling and compacting the soil underground;
The device and tamping of a sand cushion, a layer of 10 centimeters.
Concrete floor with rough screed
A rough screed is laid on the sandy layer, the solution for which is made from a gravel mixture and cement. The screed should not have a perfectly smooth surface structure, but it should be well leveled in terms of level.
Next, the screed should dry very well. Since the rough screed is laid with a thickness of 12-15 centimeters, it will take up to fifteen days for its preliminary maturation - this period will depend on temperature and humidity.
A vapor barrier film is laid on the finished rough screed.
Insulation is poured or laid on a vapor barrier. For these purposes, it is best to choose extruded polystyrene foam, as it has a fairly solid base. Natural materials can also be used for insulation - this is expanded clay of the middle fraction or slag.
If loose insulation is used, it is desirable to compact it as tightly as possible.
A polyethylene film is laid on top of the insulation, which will act as a waterproofing for the upper, final screed. The film must be glued with waterproof tape and lifted onto the walls by 15-20 centimeters.
On the lower part of the wall, around the entire perimeter of the room, a damper tape is glued, which keeps the screed from destruction when the temperature changes.
A metal mesh is laid on the film to reinforce the screed, and beacons are installed - from reinforcement or a galvanized metal profile. They are leveled to the ideal, since they will determine how even the floor will be.
A semi-dry mixture or liquid concrete solution is laid out on the prepared surface. The volume of the solution should be such that it is slightly higher in thickness than the installed beacons.
Then, using the rule, the laid cement mixture is leveled.
After leveling and drying the screed, carrying out, if necessary, hardening and dedusting the surface with impregnating compounds, it is possible to lay a decorative coating or logs for mounting a wooden floor. In the case when raising the floor with lags is unacceptable, but it is necessary to insulate the floor, then you can use electric infrared film heaters that will heat up the rooms very quickly after the owners arrive at the dacha.
Simplified version of the tie
- As mentioned above, the first two preparatory stages - tamping the soil and laying the sand and gravel pad, are the same for both cases. Further, in a simplified version of the screed, expanded clay is poured onto the compacted base and well leveled
- From above it is spread waterproofing from a thick polyethylene film. It is arranged with an overlap of 15-20 cm and glued with special adhesive tape. The waterproofing should also extend at least 15-20 cm onto the walls. In the corners, the film must be glued with waterproof tape so that there are no cavities in which moisture can accumulate.
- Further, pouring the screed differs little from the method described above - the same principle of reinforcement, sizing the damper tape, placing beacons, laying out and leveling the concrete solution.
- The finished floor, which has gained the necessary strength, can be additionally leveled with self-levelling bulk composition.
On top of a concrete base, it is often the most beneficial to arrange a wooden flooring.
Wooden flooring on a concrete base
There are two options for fixing the logs to the concrete pavement: by fixing them directly to the concrete, or by raising them 10-15 centimeters above the base.
The ability to raise the logs above the surface of the concrete pavement will depend on the height of the ceiling and on the height at which the heating radiators are located, if they are installed in the country.
- In the case of laying the log directly on concrete, a polyethylene film is first spread for waterproofing and for protection against cement dust.
Then the logs are fixed in place (to the walls, or with anchors - directly to the base) with a distance of 60 cm (standard insulation width) from each other, and at a distance of the thickness of the insulation - from the walls.
Along the perimeter, between the wall and the lags, strips cut from mineral wool or polystyrene are laid - they must be higher than the lag by the thickness of the board or plywood.
On top of the vapor barrier, you can lay a massive floorboard or thick plywood. Plywood is quicker to install, but usually requires an additional decorative finish, such as linoleum or laminate. Floors made of solid wood can simply be covered with tinted varnish, while maintaining the textured pattern.
- If, however, it is decided to raise the logs above the concrete floor by a few centimeters, then you will have to try harder and set the logs according to the level - this can be done using bars or special stands adjustable by threaded connection.
To align the bars with them, you just need to twist the legs, pre-installed on the logs, in certain places, based on the level readings. The advantage of this option is that a thicker insulation can be laid under the wooden covering without spending money on massive lumber. In addition, this approach eliminates the need to deal with the alignment of the screed curve. The legs of the stands have special holes through which they can be fixed to the concrete surface.
Video: a good practical guide to the floors in the country
Since there are several ways to arrange floors in a country house or mansion, and you can choose the one that is more suitable for a particular house and does not weigh down the pocket of the owner of the home.