How to even out the differences on plywood under the laminate. How to level a wooden floor under a laminate - we create an even structure with plywood

How to level a wooden floor under a laminate and, preferably, with your own hands? Our article will be especially useful for beginners in the repair business - you will learn about the easiest alignment option using plywood sheets.

If you decide to install laminate flooring, you must remember that it requires a very even base. And all because the crooked base can lead to breakage of the interlocks of the coating, which will cause cracks in the laminate. Many novice repairers who decide to do the work themselves, lay the laminate on a wooden floor without any substrate and make a very big mistake!

Laying laminate on wood without underlay

Wood is a living material that can dry out or bend under the influence of various temperatures. Therefore, the first step in leveling a laminate flooring is to inspect the floor, identify irregularities and check the level of curvature. It is imperative to replace the floorboards damaged by the fungus, and wedged the loose boards and put them on. If any knots stick out, they should be cut off to get a flat base.

Only after all the manipulations have been carried out, it is possible to measure the curvature of the floor using one of the following tools:

• Bubble level, considered the simplest tool. Its advantages include high strength, the ability to choose the appropriate tool length for a specific process, and ease of use. In addition, the bubble level is suitable for both professional builders and beginners. But among the minuses, it can be noted that it is not entirely accurate when working on large areas, so when doing a large-scale project, you better stock up on several tools of different lengths.
• Rotary laser level. Its main advantage is the ability to measure 360 ​​degrees in three different planes. Thanks to this, you will be able to carry out all work with high accuracy of readings. Another plus is the measurement range, which reaches about 1 km for professional models. And for the convenience of performing work, the tool has a small weight. True, there is a minus, and a very important one - a rather high cost.

It should be noted right away that the installation of plywood is considered the simplest and at the same time reliable, since it ideally protects the laminate from dampness and cracking. It is very important to choose the right type of plywood:

• The best variety, of course, can be called the first one, it is the strongest and most reliable, without cracks and drops. But such material is quite expensive.
• The second grade of plywood is cheaper, but it is considered quite optimal for leveling the floor, however, in some cases, glue may appear on it, inserts and small scratches may be noticeable - a maximum of 5% of the entire surface of the canvas.
• The third grade is much worse in quality, since scratches and dents can be noticeable on it.
• The worst is plywood of the fourth grade, on which you can see a lot of defects, which is why you should not use it for leveling.

Installation of plywood under the laminate

Some properties of the material and its characteristics depend on the adhesive composition. Plywood is divided into 3 types: FK, FSB, FBF. The first version of plywood is made using carbamide glue, which makes the material moisture resistant. PSF is made using phenol-formaldehyde glue, due to which the material is also considered moisture resistant and very durable (it is used for industrial purposes).

FBA sheets are considered non-moisture resistant, since they are produced using casein glue, but they are more environmentally friendly.

How to level wooden floors under a laminate? Your first step is to prepare the plywood for laying. To ensure that nothing happens to the material, it is necessary that the moisture content in the sheets be the same as the humidity level in the room where the repair is being carried out. To achieve this, dampen both sides of the plywood with water and leave it indoors for a few days. After that, carefully inspect the plywood so that there are no bundles on the ends - if you see them, replace the sheets.

Leveling wooden floors with plywood

Stick to the following instructions:

1. We install beacons, which can be taken as self-tapping screws. Just screw them all over the floor at the right height. They are installed at a distance of at least 35 cm between each other, while the thicker the sheets, the less frequently you can install fasteners.
2. We proceed to the installation of the lag. In our case, their role will be played by strips of plywood about 3-5 cm thick. We attach them either with wood glue or self-tapping screws. If you find small gaps between the surface of the old floor and the joists, cover them with small pieces of plywood, smeared with glue. Clean the entire surface of dust.
3. We put plywood on the logs only after the glue has dried - this can take up to two days. When installing with your own hands, make sure that the joining of the sheets takes place exclusively on the logs. Then we fix the plywood with self-tapping screws. And so that after completing the work, the caps of the fasteners do not protrude above the floor, make holes in them for self-tapping screws in advance and countersink them.

In conclusion, we put a substrate on the plywood sheets, after which you can proceed to - you can also do the work yourself, without resorting to the help of specialists.

Most often, experts do not recommend laying laminate flooring on the base, even if the floor surface in the room is even. This nuance equally applies to both wooden and concrete bases. Leveling the floor with plywood under the laminate is the best way to keep the heat in the room and create a beautiful draft floor suitable for installing a decorative coating.

Note! In any case, you cannot do without a layer between the base and the laminate coating.

As a result, you get:

• flat surface;
• shock-absorbing base;
• additional thermal insulation;
• sound insulation.

Features of plywood installation

As a rule, a plywood sheet of standard size has a square shape with parameters of 1500x1500 mm. It is very difficult to work with such a large format. In addition, during operational use, plywood will constantly shrink and expand under the influence of moisture and temperature. Therefore, it will be much more convenient to cut the sheet into equal quarters, so you can increase the number of compensation gaps.

Depending on the nature of the base, certain fixing elements will be used to fix the plywood. Self-tapping screws are suitable for a wooden surface. A concrete floor will require the use of a water-dispersion adhesive composition, which is based on PVA.

Note! It is very important that the plywood sheets that are intended for your room have the same humidity level as the room in which they will be installed. To do this, you need to moisten the material with water, which has room temperature, and leave it to dry in the same room for two to three days.

All sheets must be stacked in a checkerboard pattern. In other words, the sheets of each subsequent row are stacked with a shift of about 30 cm. As a result of this installation technology, the maximum level of rigidity of the plywood base is achieved.

Plywood substrate formation technology

Plywood installation work should begin with the preparation of an appropriate amount of material. Before the direct fixation of the sheets, a trial laying is carried out.

Note! Even if you are doing a test laying of plywood, you need to do it according to all the rules: leaving gaps, covering the entire area of ​​​​the room.

Compensation gaps between plywood sheets should be 5 mm, at the junction with the walls - at least 12-15 mm, in the areas of communication elements extending into the floor - about 10 mm. After a trial laying of the material has been made and all sheets have been adjusted to fit the room, each of them should be numbered so as not to be confused during installation. Designate not only the rows, but also the location of the plates in each of them.

The list of required tools consists of:

• electric jigsaw;
• building level (better than laser);
• electric drill and grinding attachment for it;
• screwdriver;
• vacuum cleaner;
• paint roller or brush.

Before installing plywood products, their surface must be thoroughly cleaned of all kinds of defects, such as distortion and damage. To do this, process the sheets with a special adhesive composition - mastic. After that, the mastic must be applied with a layer of 2 mm thick on the base and immediately lay plywood on top of it. For more reliable fastening, dowels and self-tapping screws are used.

Plywood is coated with a primer, even if you are installing on a wooden base. But there is no need to glue the sheets to the tree; in this case, only self-tapping screws are used for fixing.

Note! It is very important to sink the heads of the self-tapping screws deeply when installing plywood, as the protruding edges can damage the laminate.

In order to properly fix the screws, it is first necessary to make holes in the sheet with the same diameter as the fixing elements themselves. After that, in the same places, using a larger drill, the holes should be expanded in depth by about a third of the plate thickness. As a result, you should get a hole equal to the diameter of the screw head.

Fixing elements are placed along the perimeter of the sheet and along its diagonal in increments of 20 cm and at least 2 cm indented from the edge. To make the fixation strong and reliable, use self-tapping screws whose length is at least three times the thickness of the plywood sheet. Let's give an example: if you take plywood 1 cm thick, then the length of the screws when installing such material should be at least 3 cm. Therefore, with a plywood thickness of 1.6 cm, the length of the screws will reach 4.8 cm.

Note! In practice, a perfectly flat surface of the base is almost never found, therefore, when installing plywood, it is necessary to control and form a horizontal plane intended for laminate.

If you are working with a concrete base, then identifying and fixing the problem is quite easy. It is enough just to tap the laid plywood for emptiness under it. To eliminate this drawback, you simply need to increase the amount of glue in that place.

If you are working on leveling a wooden base, then the method of dealing with voids will be different: plywood strips, the width of which is 3-5 cm, are laid in the detection zones. These elements are fixed to the floor in any case, even if the fastening pitch of the screws jumps over them.

Starting a major overhaul or just deciding to change the old flooring, you will have to take the preparatory work seriously. If you are going to lay linoleum or laminate, the subfloor must be perfectly flat. However, concrete screed is not always the best option. If you value your time, you can level the floor with plywood. This method has some advantages.

The presented material has the following advantages:

• The sheets are natural, so they do not emit toxic substances and, accordingly, are considered environmentally friendly.
• Plywood bends wonderfully, while cracks do not appear on it.
• The material is characterized by equally good strength in all directions. Therefore, the floor after leveling can withstand heavy loads.
• Good hardness of the material allows you to create a perfectly flat surface to mount a laminate or linoleum.

• Leveling the floor with plywood is done quickly, as the sheets are large. With one plate, you can close a significant section of the base.
• Plywood is well transported.
• The material does not emit foreign odors.
• The small mass of the product makes it possible to reduce the load on the floor slabs.

As you can see, plywood is ideal for leveling the base. It will allow you to mount a laminate or linoleum quickly, which will significantly reduce the repair time.

How to correctly determine the height of the level differences?

This procedure must be performed to determine the zero level of the base. It is best to use a laser level for this purpose. However, if it is not there, then you can use the usual building level.

To begin with, in the center of the walls at the same height, mark the points that you connect with one line. So you define the "horizon line". On it you will determine the zero level. After that, the smallest and largest deviation in the horizontal level is determined on the basis. Video:

Naturally, the subfloor must be prepared for. If the boards have already been laid on the base, and they are in good condition, then you can leave everything as it is. Damaged and rotten elements must be removed. If necessary, it is necessary to eliminate the squeaks of the floorboards, it is better to fix the fasteners, check the heating systems (if any).

What tools are needed for the job?

To level the floor with plywood, it is necessary to assemble all those devices, without which the work cannot be carried out:

1. Electric jigsaw with the appropriate blade. It is useful for cutting plywood, as well as laminate.
2. Tape measure and pencil for marking.
3. Building level
4. Screwdriver.
5. Self-tapping screws.

Which alignment method to choose?

Leveling a wooden floor with plywood can be done in several ways. However, the quality of the future foundation also depends on the correct choice. You can define alignment like this:

• If the vertical difference does not exceed 2 mm per 1 m2, then the subfloor can not be leveled, even if you lay.
• With correctly laid floorboards and a uniform level difference, the height of which is not more than 5 mm, plywood can be fastened directly to the boards. This does not require additional elements. Please note that correct installation is the alternation of floorboards, which is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the standard.

• Height differences that are in the range of 1-8 cm can be eliminated with plywood mounted on tape or point supports. That is, you will have to build a special crate or attach the material to the laid logs. In the first case, a wooden beam is used. Please note that all wood materials must be pre-treated with a special antiseptic impregnation.

With large level differences, you will have to completely remove the floor covering. If it was fixed on the logs, then they should be carefully examined. When choosing a leveling method, it is also necessary to take into account how much the procedure will reduce the height of the ceilings.

Features of mounting plywood without lag

Before using the presented material, it must be left in the repaired room for several days. Plywood must "get used" to the conditions in which it will be used. In this case, it is not necessary to lay the support beam. Instead, evenly protruding tubercles of the floorboards can be used.

In addition to plywood, this leveling method involves the use of either GVL. You should also decide on the thickness of the sheets. For example, if the differences are small, and the width of the boards on the base is 20 cm, then it is necessary to take plywood, the thickness of which will vary between 8-10 mm. In other cases, plates with a thickness of 1.8-2 cm may be needed.

The laying of the material is done as follows:

1. Install the bosses around the entire perimeter of the room, observing a small indent from the walls (2 cm).
2. Plywood should be mounted with a gap between the sheets so that it does not bulge when expanding and contracting. A distance of 3-5 mm is enough. Please note that the sheets must be laid according to the principle of brickwork. The joints do not have to match.
3. Now you can fix the material on the "ridges" of the base. Please note that the holes for the screws must be drilled in advance. This will make it possible to drown the fasteners. In addition, a metal corner can be used during screwing.

If the plywood sheets have a rough surface on one side, then the non-sanded side should look up. This will improve adhesion with the adhesive composition, on which the linoleum may be laid.

Features of leveling the base using a tape support

Here you can’t do without crates or lags. If you will fasten, then the supports should be located at a distance of 3 cm from the walls. The step between them is 40-50 cm. The laying technology is as follows:

• Sample sheets. This is done without fastening. You just need to lay out the sheets on the supports, taking into account all the necessary gaps. If necessary, plywood should be cut. It is also advisable to number the sheets.
• Now you should install logs against the walls. If raising the level is highly undesirable, then second-rate boards can be used instead of timber.
• Installation of crossbars. They should be attached to the lags with self-tapping screws. In this case, the use of metal corners is desirable.
• Setting the vertical level of the resulting structure. If the height of the lag in some places is not enough, you can raise them with sand or roofing material.
• Final fixation of support bars, plywood flooring.

Please note that the space between the lags can be filled with insulation: expanded clay, mineral wool.

Features of alignment in other ways

Leveling a wooden floor with plywood can also be done with the help of small logs or pillars. In the first case, the difference in the vertical level should not exceed 8 cm. To create a single system of supports, short bars and slats are used. However, this method is very complicated, since it requires a lot of work to calculate the structure. It should be as accurate as possible, because you will install each support separately. If you want to lay linoleum in a large room, then it is better to abandon this leveling method.

For arranging the crate, cobs from an ordinary wooden board, slats and plywood () are suitable. As a result, you should get a kind of wooden grid, the size of the squares in which will be 30x30 cm.

Please note that when using any of these leveling methods, one must not forget about underground ventilation. Otherwise, the wooden elements may begin to rot. After the base is ready, you can begin to mount the linoleum or other coating.

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When it becomes necessary to level the floor, an association with a cement screed immediately arises. But this option is suitable for a concrete floor.

But what if the floors in the house are not concrete? Or the dismantling of the old coating is not included in our plans, but do you want to lay the laminate evenly? Here, the best solution would be plywood laid under the laminate on the old coating. The technology for laying laminate on plywood will be the same as on a cement screed.

Plywood will perform the function of heat and sound insulation, level the surface and increase the life of the laminate.

But the laying technology and the thickness of plywood will differ, depending on the base on which it will be laid.

If the base for laying is even and strong, then a plywood thickness of 8-10 mm will do. If, in order to achieve a flat surface of the base under the plywood, it is necessary to make gaskets, then the thickness of the plywood must be taken at least 12 mm.

Particular attention must be paid on what kind of plywood under the laminate we need if we lay it on the logs. The load on such plywood will be quite high and the thickness of such material should not be less than 15-20 mm.

Plywood under the laminate should cover the entire floor.

1. Sheets of plywood are cut into four parts.
2. Plywood must be laid in a checkerboard pattern to give rigidity and strength.
3. To remove a large area of ​​internal stress from a sheet, it must be cut into several parts.
4. Self-tapping screws are used to lay plywood under the laminate.

Laying plywood on a wooden base.

Ideally, under the parquet and laminate make self-leveling floors or screed. The drying time of the concrete screed can be up to 1.5 months, depending on the thickness of the layer. Such repairs cannot be carried out in a short time, and laying plywood under the laminate optimizes our costs and time.

How to do this, you can see in the video or in the description below.

Laying on a wooden floor.

It all depends on the quality and condition of the old coating. In the case of old plank flooring, you need to prepare for laying plywood under the laminate.

• We open the flooring and check the logs and boards. If there are rotten boards and logs, then they will have to be replaced and treated with an antiseptic.

• If the floor has a slope, we supplement it with guides and sheathe it with plywood.
• It is advisable to sand old, repeatedly painted floors so that they do not have a convex surface.
• To lay plywood under the laminate, we need to cut it and fit it. Having laid out the sheets on the floor, we determine their location.

note. If you look at the first photo, you will see that the sheets are stacked with offset seams, and a small gap is left between them for the expansion of the material with changes in temperature and humidity.

• We lay whole sheets in the center of the room. And then we cut out the pieces and fill the edges of the room. Remember: plywood should not fit snugly against the walls - leave gaps. The gaps should be 8-15 mm.
• As soon as each sheet takes the optimal place, we recommend numbering them and sketching the layout of the plywood sheets. Now we remove the plywood, clean the base from dirt, debris and dust
• We fasten the plywood under the laminate to the base, we sink the caps of the self-tapping screws. The evenness of the flooring is controlled using a two-meter rail. If necessary, we put any suitable material for leveling. It is convenient to use pieces of fiberboard as such material.

Laying on the logs.

Once again, it is necessary to recall the thickness of the plywood for the laminate, where the logs will serve as the basis - at least 15-20 mm. We treat logs and plywood with an antiseptic.

The difference is in laying plywood on a wooden floor and on logs in sawing. The joints of the sheets should lie on the logs, the plywood will have to be cut based on their location. If the logs are laid on a new one, then they should be laid under the dimensions of the plywood.

Important! We connect long logs with transverse short jumpers at the joints.

Laying plywood on a screed

Sometimes the question arises whether it is possible to lay the laminate directly on the floor slabs. No you can not. Floor slabs will have to be leveled with a cement screed or self-leveling self-leveling floor. In this case, the choice is yours - to lay the laminate on the screed or use plywood for heat and sound insulation.

Preparation for laying plywood concrete base:

1. To check the moisture level of the base, we lay a plastic film on the screed, firmly pressing its edges to the floor. After 3-4 days, we check for the presence of condensate under it. If condensation does not appear, then plywood can be laid. In the case of a fresh screed, it is advisable to take waterproof plywood.
2. Plywood must be cut into four pieces. The smaller size will be less prone to deformation. The cut areas are carefully polished.
3. We customize and cut plywood, clean the base from dust and debris.
4. We prime the surface to give the screed additional strength and protection against abrasion under the coating.
5. We cover the surface with adhesive mastic.
6. We lay the plywood according to the scheme and fasten it with self-tapping screws to the dowels along the perimeter and diagonally.

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 6 minutes

The durability and appearance of laminate flooring largely depend on the proper preparation of the subfloor. Many apartment owners who have chosen laminate as their quality complain about loose locks and cracking panels while walking. The main reason for these troubles is laying laminate on an uneven floor. In order for laminate floors to serve for a long time and not cause problems during operation, before installing them, you need to take care of a perfectly even base. Learn how to level the floor under the laminate in different ways.

In order to find out whether it is necessary to level the floor under the laminate, it is necessary to examine the surface for irregularities. To do this, you can use the rule, a meter-long ruler or a flat piece of plywood. When applying the tool to the floor on each surface area, pay attention to the gaps between the base and the rule. Laying laminate on an uneven floor is unacceptable, so if the height of the gaps exceeds 2 mm, then the base must be leveled. The same applies to height differences, which are determined by the building level. Leveling will be required if the difference between the highest and lowest point of the floor exceeds 2–3 mm.

Leveling a concrete base in different ways

There are many ways to prepare a concrete floor for laminate flooring. The choice of method depends on the scale of the irregularities, the time allotted for repairs and on your financial capabilities.

Standard cement-sand screed

This method is designed to prepare a subfloor that has significant flaws. The cost depends on its thickness, but in general the price of the material is relatively low. The main disadvantage of this method is the long waiting time - 28 days.

Leveling the floor under the laminate with your own hands with a cement-sand mortar is as follows:

1. Before starting work, the concrete floor is primed in 2 layers.
2. With the help of the level, the highest point of the base is determined, the boundary of the future fill is outlined on the walls and the cord is pulled. On the basis at a distance of 1.5–2 m, they are installed and leveled.
3. The solution is prepared from cement and sand in a ratio of 1:3.
4. The screed is poured between two beacons to the required level and leveled using the rule.
5. Within 48 hours, the screed is wetted with water, and then rubbed with a grater with a solution of sand and cement in a ratio of 1:1. At this stage, the beacons are removed, and the voids are filled with fresh mortar.
6. For 14 days, the floor is covered with a plastic film, after its removal, the screed is wetted with water for 5 days, then left to dry completely.
7. After the installation of hydro and sound insulation, the preparation of the floor for the laminate is considered completed.

Dry screed

Performing a dry screed using bulk and sheet materials allows you to prepare the floor for laminate as quickly as possible. The main disadvantage is the fear of moisture.

The essence of the technology is as follows:

1. A layer is placed on concrete slabs, on which a profile is set according to the level, fixed on a gypsum mortar and acting as beacons.
2. Expanded clay is poured into the space between the profile, on top of which a layer of vapor barrier is placed.
3. The top layer of the structure is made of plywood with a thickness of 10 to 12 mm or gypsum fiber sheets, which are glued and additionally fastened with self-tapping screws.

Leveling with plywood or chipboard

How to lay a laminate on an uneven floor with significant height differences? For this, plywood laid on is used.

Alignment using plywood is as follows:

1. Before starting work, the level of the future floor is marked on the walls, hydro and sound insulation, and a shock-absorbing lining are laid.
2. At a distance of 3 cm from the walls and about 50 cm from each other, logs are laid and fixed with dowels - wooden bars with a section of 50 × 60 or 40 × 80. Height differences are compensated by wooden spacers fixed on the base.
3. Sheets of plywood or chipboard are fixed on top of the screws so that their connections are located in the middle of the supporting module.

How to level wooden floors

Preparing a wooden floor for laminate flooring can involve a variety of steps, depending on how uneven the floor is.

First you need to assess the condition of the current flooring. Floorboards and logs are checked for strength, all elements are inspected for the presence of fungus and rot. Defects are eliminated - creaking floorboards are fixed, damaged ones are replaced with new ones, problematic logs are strengthened with the help of beams. The gaps between the floorboards are filled with a mixture of sawdust, putty and varnish.

Laying laminate on an uneven wooden floor is not allowed, however, it can be mounted directly on the old floor under certain conditions:

• the boards are not curved, do not creak or bend;
• there are no gaps between the floorboards, there are no traces of fungus on all elements;
• after measurements, no height differences of more than 2 mm were detected.

Tip: even in the case of a perfectly even wooden base under the laminate, do not forget about a special cork substrate.

For minor height differences, a scraping machine or an electric planer is used for leveling. Before sanding, be sure to fix the boards with long self-tapping screws and sink the nail heads into the wood to a depth of about 2mm.