The parquet is laid after all the “dirty” and “wet” processes are completed. Before laying parquet it is necessary to check the humidity of the base (humidity measured with a moisture meter should not exceed 5%). This is especially true for cement screed, which requires a fairly long period of drying. The ready time for a cement screed with a thickness of 4 - 5 cm for laying parquet is 8 weeks (4 weeks - the hardening phase of the mixture and 4 weeks - the drying phase); With a thicker screed, the drying phase increases significantly.
Particular attention must be paid to preparing the foundation for parquet flooring(according to SNiP 3.04.01-87; SNiP 2.03.13-88, as well as regulatory document VSN 9-94.). The base must be strong, level, dry and clean. Tolerance from the plane - 2 mm at a length of 2 m.
The base for parquet can be made of cement screed or modern modified mixtures. Parquet flooring can also be laid on a continuous wooden base, made of tongue-and-groove boards (impregnated with antiseptic and secured to the joists).
The most common scheme for laying parquet is on waterproof, pre-cut plywood (40x40 cm or 50x50 cm) with a thickness of 10 - 18 mm, which in turn is attached to a concrete or wooden base. In this case, the parquet is connected to the plywood with glue and nails, and the plywood is attached to the concrete base with dowels or screws.
The use of moisture-resistant plywood allows:
- protect the parquet from possible shrinkage deformations of the floor and screed;
- protect the parquet from premature separation from the screed (due to fairly rapid destruction of the surface layer of the screed under the influence of variable loads due to constant microdeformations of the wood);
- guaranteed to provide the necessary strength of the foundation;
- get the most even base possible compared to screeds and putty mixtures;
- ensure a longer service life of the parquet planks themselves, which in this case are in direct contact with wood, and not with mineral materials (for example, with cement-sand screed);
- increase floor insulation
The option of laying parquet using a screed is necessary if, when measuring the base of the floor, its unevenness is 2 cm or more. If the unevenness of the base floor is less than 2 cm, then it is possible to use self-leveling mixtures.
Before laying the screed, the concrete floor is waterproofed to prevent the solution from leaking onto the lower floor. To do this, use regular thick polyethylene or special foil and reinforced polypropylene film. Along the edges the film with some margin is brought out onto bottom part walls for laying under the baseboard.
Drying a cement screed requires a fairly long period of time, with a screed thickness of 3 - 5 cm - 4 - 6 weeks (in the first half of the period the solution hardens, then dries). If the screed thickness is more than 5 cm, the drying time increases by 1.5 - 2 times.
The next stage is plywood flooring. A large sheet of plywood 10 - 18 mm thick is pre-cut into squares (from 40x40 cm to 75x75 cm). This is necessary in order to relieve internal tension. With a parquet thickness of 15 mm, the plywood thickness must be at least 12 mm, with a parquet thickness of 22 mm, the plywood thickness must be at least 18 mm. For good adhesion to the glue, the finished screed is first primed and then a special glue is applied. After that, plywood is laid on the treated screed with the joints shifted so that the four corners do not converge at one point (“ brickwork") and leave gaps of 3 - 4 mm between the sheets and about 10 mm leave a gap between the edges of the sheets and the wall, which must be filled with sealant at the final stage of installation. Sheets of plywood are attached either using screws (self-tapping screws) through pre-installed drilled holes or on dowels. The heads of the screws (self-tapping screws) are recessed by 3 - 5 mm. After laying the plywood, a technological break of 2-3 days is required.
Before the next stage - laying parquet, the plywood must be sanded to eliminate differences. Before laying, the parquet must lie on the site for 3 - 5 days so that it accepts the humidity and temperature parameters of the room. After this, they proceed directly to laying the parquet, for which parquet glue is applied to the plywood with a special spatula, on which the quality of fastening and material consumption depend. Then, in order to squeeze out excess glue and ensure a long-term and uniform fit of the parquet during the polymerization process, the parquet is shot to the edge along the edge using a special mechanical or pneumatic tool. Depending on the type of installation and a number of other reasons, shooting can be carried out from several pins (nails) into each plank to shooting through several planks.
The next stage - sanding the parquet and treating the entire surface with putty - begins after a technological break. This break is explained by the fact that during the process of gluing the parquet to the plywood it receives excess moisture, and the parquet warps. Depending on the humidity of the room and temperature, the technological break is 5 - 7 days. Sanding the parquet after laying it, first of all, is necessary for 2 reasons: inevitable contamination of the parquet and slight deformation of some planks during a technological break. Parquet polishing is carried out by several types of equipment:
- a drum machine removes small defects (drops) and dirt;
- a surface grinder is used to polish the parquet to an absolutely smooth and ideal state;
- under the radiators and near the walls, the parquet is sanded with special equipment for hard-to-reach places.
Due to the formation of microcracks in interparquet joints after a technological break, it is necessary to putty the entire surface without exception. To ensure that the color of the putty matches the color of the parquet, the putty is prepared by mixing fine parquet dust obtained after sanding the parquet and a special liquid.
After sanding the parquet, they begin the most important and one of the most important stages - varnishing the parquet. When applying varnish, there should be no drafts in the room, and air conditioners and humidifiers should not be running. First, a primer layer is applied to the parquet, which impregnates the pores of the wood with a special composition, preserving as much as possible natural color wood, reduces varnish consumption during subsequent applications of finishing layers. Before the last finishing layer, intermediate sanding of the varnish with a special machine is necessary. This is necessary in order to remove wood lint that rises after contact with the varnish. Manufacturers of varnishes recommend applying 2 - 3 layers of finishing varnish after the primer coat of varnish, depending on the use of the room.
The varnish protects the floor from moisture and mechanical stress due to abrasion, which is why this type Parquet finishing is the most common. Depending on the different requirements and the recommendations of varnish manufacturers use a 3-5 layer varnish coating with intermediate sanding between layers and polishing. It is very important to maintain the drying time recommended by the varnish manufacturer for each layer. There is quite a wide variety of varnishes depending on their composition and base: polyurethane, acrylic, varnishes on water based, single- and multi-component varnishes with hardeners.
Varnishes can be used with different reflective surface properties: glossy, semi-matte and matte. Semi-matte varnish has the greatest variety of properties (sometimes called “satin”, “silk”, etc.). Its surface can be perfectly smooth or have some unevenness, reminiscent of the texture of fabrics. The choice of one type of varnish or another depends mainly on the taste of the customer. True, there are also several practical recommendations.
Gloss varnish- ceremonial, bright light reflected from it increases the illumination of the room, and therefore it is recommended for children's rooms and rooms where they read and study a lot, where there is a lot of strain on the eyes. The slightest dust is visible on the glossy varnish and you can always see when it is necessary to do a wet cleaning in the children's room. However, on a glossy floor, especially on reflections, the slightest defects and damage to the surface are better visible.
In the bedroom, matte or semi-matte varnishes are often preferred, which, to a greater extent than glossy ones, correspond to the feeling of comfort and intimacy. Glossy varnish better reveals the texture of wood and allows you to create an apparent optical effect of surface depth in artistic parquet compositions. At the same time, semi-matte and matte varnishes will smooth out the impression of contrasting combinations in the wood texture and balance the impression of an overly sophisticated installation pattern. Fashion also sometimes makes one or another type of varnish in demand.
There are other types of parquet surface finishing. You can apply a special wax impregnation - this will give the floor a pleasant matte shade and protect it from moisture and dust; subsequently, it will be enough to apply a new layer of wax to the worn-out part of the floor (in this case, the varnish would have to be removed from the entire surface and reapplied).
Another way is to treat the parquet surface with a special oil. Impregnation of parquet boards with oil (a special composition from a mixture of natural oils and natural resins or beeswax) is a new direction, still little familiar to the Russian consumer. It has a number of advantages compared to varnish coatings. Due to the fact that the oil penetrates into the pores much more easily, the texture of the wood is more pronounced and its beauty is emphasized. natural wood. The wear resistance of parquet floors also increases and they become more resistant to contamination. Oil treated coatings are suitable for use in areas with very high traffic loads. Disadvantage of this coverage is only that it requires more frequent care than a varnish coating - it is necessary to periodically (the timing depends on the intensity of the load) treat the floor with oil compounds.
The very last stage is the installation of a parquet plinth, which, if necessary, masks unevenness of the floor and walls near their junction, and hides additional cable or wires underneath. Most often, the width of the plinth is selected depending on the height doorways and the room itself. The plinth is attached depending on its type different ways: screws, special elements, nails, glue.
This option, compared to the option of laying parquet on a screed, eliminates wet and dirty processes, and most importantly, this option saves precious time spent on drying the screed. This option also allows you to lay any types of communications under the floor and makes it possible to improve sound and heat insulation by filling the space between the joists soundproofing materials go with insulation.
Logs are dry planed wooden blocks of rectangular cross-section (50 -55 mm x 70 -100 mm), the moisture content of which should not exceed 12%. As a rule, the bars are impregnated with an antiseptic.
When installing logs on a concrete base, they are positioned so that they are perpendicular to the direction of the future coating, with an axial distance between adjacent logs of 25 -30 cm. The logs are secured using screws (screws) and dowels at least every 50 cm, heads screws (self-tapping screws) are recessed 3 - 4 mm below the level. After the logs are installed, they are leveled (the logs are planed and special wedges are attached to them).
In addition to the main traditional method of installing logs, there is a method of installing adjustable logs. Adjustable logs are dry planed bars of rectangular cross-section that have through threaded holes. Plastic stand-up bolts are screwed into these holes, rigidly attached to the base, which are subsequently adjusted with a special key, raising and lowering the logs, thereby leveling the floor.
After installing the joists, first lay 1 layer of plywood on them, which is attached to the joists with screws (screws), and then 2 layers of plywood are attached with glue and also with screws (screws). The heads of the screws (self-tapping screws) are recessed by 3 - 5 mm. The total thickness of plywood should not be less than 20 mm. After laying the plywood, it must be sanded to eliminate differences and then, following the technology already familiar to us, lay the parquet.
This option is perhaps the simplest and most economical. There is no time required to dry the screed, just as there is no time required to install the joists. A “parquet cake” consisting of parquet glue on the subfloor, plywood, parquet glue on plywood, parquet, putty and varnish is laid directly on the old wooden base. But at the same time, despite its obvious simplicity, this option is the most responsible.
Before laying parquet on a subfloor, you must carefully check its quality.
If all the above requirements are met, the old floor can serve as the basis for laying parquet.
Waterproof plywood is laid on the old floor treated with glue, which is secured with screws (self-tapping screws) at a rate of at least 5 pieces. per linear meter and 9 pcs. per sheet. The heads of the screws (self-tapping screws), as in all previous cases, are recessed by 3 - 5 mm. After laying the plywood, the remaining part of the “parquet cake” is laid.
Laying artistic parquet
Artistic parquet is a type piece parquet. When laying artistic parquet, planks of not only rectilinear but also curved shapes from various types of wood are used, making it possible to create the most complex patterns. When laying, the main attention should be paid to the precise fit and fixation of each plank and insert. Valuable wood parts must be full thickness, or at least the thickness of the working layer, supplemented with less valuable wood to full thickness.
Parquet care
In order for the parquet to retain its appearance as long as possible, you must first of all avoid getting moisture on the floor, otherwise the wood will begin to swell; the consequences of this process do not need to be explained. The best option care - vacuum cleaner. Contaminated areas should be wiped with a damp cloth and then dried immediately. In addition, avoid getting grains of sand and dirt on the floor, which can scratch the coating and the parquet will no longer look glossy and neat. It is necessary to glue pieces of thick fleecy fabric onto the legs of the furniture.
The history of parquet begins in the 13th century. At that time, they were used to decorate the floors in the houses and palaces of the noble nobility of Gothic Europe. In Russia, parquet floors have been known since the 16th century, when, along with traditional boards, they began to use oak planks, laying out original patterns on the floor with them.
Today, packaged flooring is also considered the best option for interior design. Natural coating is made from wood of various species, for example: domestic beech, oak, ash, larch or exotic ipe, padauk, plane tree, mahogany, etc. In total, more than 300 types of wood are used to produce parquet based on the parameters of hardness, density and stability (resistance to deformation).
Main types of natural parquet
- Piece;
- Solid parquet board;
- Shield;
- Mosaic (compositing).
The most common types of parquet include piece parquet. It consists of individual strips or, in professional language, “rivets” made of solid massif wood Geometrically, the planks have a rectangular shape, 15-50 cm long, 3-6 cm wide (in some cases up to 7.5 cm), thickness 1.3-2.2 cm. There are ridges and grooves on the edges of each plank. With their help, the “rivets” are connected to each other. Depending on the side of the ridge, left and right slats are distinguished.
By laying wooden planks in a certain order, you can get a different pattern on the surface of the floor of the room. The most common ones include: deck, herringbone, wicker, diamonds, checkerboard layout. 
It should be noted right away that laying block parquet is not an entirely simple job. In order for the floor to turn out beautiful, durable, and the gap between the wooden “rivets” not to increase over time, it is necessary to strictly follow the installation technology. The covering is laid using glue with additional fixation of each strip with nails. For ease of use and increased productivity, it is recommended to purchase a nail gun. 
You will also need:
- A hammer drill with an attachment (mixer) – for mixing the mortar mixture.
- Level (2 meters).
- Spatula for applying glue (fine teeth).
- Grinder machine.
Unlike many other types of flooring, block parquet requires careful preparation of the base.
On final stage The plywood is sanded, debris is removed from the surface, and the entire floor area is covered with a primer.
Laying dies
The boards are installed using glue and secured with nails. The adhesive composition is selected in accordance with the type of wood. First, the floor surface is drawn according to the selected pattern (pattern); if necessary, the “rivets” are sorted out and divided into right/left. Installation steps:
To make installation easier, the first couple of rows of planks are assembled, glued along the tongue and placed on the end. The floor under them is coated with glue, after which the assembled “shield” is lowered. Next comes installation in the usual manner.
Unlike its piece counterpart, panel parquet is a multi-layer structure. It is a shield with sides of 40, 50, 60 or 80 cm, consisting of:
- Grounds. This can be a fiberboard board, pine bars glued together in two layers, or a frame made of slats.
- Front part. Valuable wood veneer glued to the base. Depending on the model, one or more types of wood may be used. On the front part by combining different varieties wood, a certain pattern is created, simple (regular geometric shapes) or complex (curly elements).
The thickness of panel parquet varies from 22 to 40 mm. On the edges of the shield there are grooves and ridges intended for connecting individual elements. Also, a special tongue or rail can be used for installation. They are inserted between the shields, fastening them together. But the tongue-and-groove option is preferable. 
Laying methods
There are two main options for laying this type of parquet.
- On the logs.
When laying parquet using the second method, you need to correctly position the logs. They are mounted in parallel with a step of 40 cm. It is necessary to ensure that the edges of the shields fall exactly in the middle of the logs. 
Installation starts with corner shield. It is attached to the joists using nails and then two parallel cords are pulled along the wall on the sides of the shield. They will serve as guides for laying subsequent elements.
Considering that the dimensions of panel parquet are larger than that of piece parquet, the process of installing flooring can be completed quite quickly, even without professional experience in such work. 
This type of flooring consists of shields or mats square shape, made from parquet planks. To prevent these strips from falling apart (separating) during transportation and installation, they are glued front side on paper, which is removed after installation. 
The sizes of the rugs can be different, usually with sides: 40, 48, 520, 60, 65 cm. The strips for the set of shields are made of valuable hardwood or coniferous wood.
They also produce mosaic parquet, where the strips are glued to a hard base, usually rubber. This coating has good soundproofing properties.
Parquet laying
Installing flooring is in many ways similar to laying ceramic tiles.
- Prepare a dry, hard, even base (preferably plywood, similar to block and panel parquet).
- Screw the support strip to the floor at a distance of twice the width of the panel (plus 1 cm) from the wall. It will serve as a guide for the second row of parquet.
- Apply notched trowel glue on the plywood and lay the second row of mosaic parquet panels.
- When the glue dries, lay the first row (closer to the wall); if necessary, trim the boards. This technology will allow you to lay the rows of parquet perfectly evenly.
Next, all subsequent rows are laid. Mosaic panels can be used as an independent floor covering or in combination with block parquet, creating artistic patterns and ornaments. 
One of the most popular types of flooring is parquet boards. She represents finishing material, consisting of three layers:
- The first or top one is valuable wood. Depending on the manufacturer, the thickness of the front layer can be up to 6 mm (standard - 4 mm).
- Medium - coniferous wood slats located perpendicular to the fibers. In this layer, the tongue-and-groove joint of the board is cut.
- The base is a homogeneous layer, usually made of spruce or pine.
All three layers are firmly connected to each other and form one whole. This structure makes the parquet board resistant to stress, cracking, and durable. 
It should be noted that the board is processed at the factory (it is varnished and impregnated with oil) and is a ready-made decorating material. After installing the floor covering, there is no need to sand it or apply protective layers.
Parquet board dimensions: length 180-250 cm, width 14-20 cm.
Laying parquet boards is carried out in three ways:
It must be remembered that the end seams should not coincide; laying is done staggered. 
Using adhesive compositions For any type of parquet, glue that gets on the front surface must be immediately removed with a wet/damp cloth.
A wooden floor is always beautiful, original and warm. The unique atmosphere of comfort created is incomparable with other types of flooring. Parquet is used to create an individual, refined and noble floor covering. Block parquet can be used to form a fashionable, unique pattern, which is why it is still popular today, despite the fact that laying block parquet is complex and time-consuming. However, it is not necessary to call a specialist; after studying the technology and following all the rules and recommendations, you can do all the installation work yourself. The task is also simplified by the fact that all modern parquet planks are made with a tongue-and-groove system, which helps to securely fasten the parquet elements together without gaps.
Block parquet flooring - choosing wood
Not only the color scheme of the parquet depends on the type of wood, but also its durability, since different types of wood have different hardness and resistance to moisture. For example, pine and other conifers are not used for parquet production due to their exceptional softness. On pine parquet, even if it is covered with several layers of varnish, marks from heels and other sharp objects will remain.
The most common species used for parquet are oak, walnut, maple, cherry, ash, beech and others.
Classics of the genre. It is hard, resistant to moisture, has a beautiful pattern, the color scheme of which can have various shades of brown. The only drawback of oak is that it darkens over time. The rest of it performance characteristics on high. At the time of buying oak parquet Pay attention to the duration of drying; the accelerated drying option is not suitable.
It has the same hardness as oak, but at the same time has an even warm and soft yellowish or reddish tint, for which it is valued. Beech is a capricious breed. Under the influence of changes in temperature and humidity, it bends and deforms, so it requires careful care and compliance with optimal operating conditions.
Maple parquet At first it appears white, but over time it turns a little yellow. In terms of hardness, it is practically not inferior to oak, and in some species this figure is even higher. You should pay attention to the drying time; quickly dried maple wood becomes deformed over time.
Cherry parquet - Brown with a distant shade of pink, but darkens slightly over time. It has less hardness than oak, however, it is quite popular because it can be easily processed and trimmed.
Exotic option. It is valued for its beautiful patterns in the cross-section of the trunk and for its extensive color scheme- all shades of brown. Merbau is not afraid of moisture, but is so saturated with resins that it is difficult to process.
Choose wood for parquet based on the operating conditions in a particular room. For example, cherry can be used in a child's room, maple in a den, and oak can be used everywhere. It is not at all necessary to make the entire parquet floor from one type of wood; you can combine it from different species different shades unique drawing.
We buy piece parquet - pay attention to quality
Parquet planks are available in various sizes. The length of the plank can be 15 - 40 cm, width 3 - 9 cm, and thickness 1.5 - 2.2 cm.
It is necessary to select planks according to size, taking into account the area of the room: small planks will visually enlarge the room, and large ones will reduce it. From an installation point of view, the size of the planks is also important. If the parquet strips are large, then the number of joints will be smaller, but then the requirements for the quality of drying of the material will be much greater. The larger the bar, the less elasticity it has.
The optimal width of parquet planks is 5 cm. If you need to use larger planks, buy those that have cuts for inside, they are more resistant to deformation.
What should you pay attention to when purchasing block parquet?:
- There should be no knots, chips or cracks on the front surface.
- The top layer (from the top to the beginning of the interlocking joint) should be large enough. The thicker the wear layer, the more times the parquet can be sanded and refinished.
- Products must be dried to 8%. Drying time is at least a month.
- It is necessary to check the quality of the tenon and groove cut. To do this, just fold 4 planks into a square. If the planks fit together easily and 90° angles are formed between them without cracks or gaps, then the tongue-and-groove system is made with high quality.
- Sort the planks according to the cutting direction, the presence of sapwood residues and knots.
The most durable and valuable are the planks of the so-called radial cut, i.e. loose along. A characteristic feature is straight lines on the surface and a single color. Radial parquet is more expensive than other types.
All work on laying parquet begins only after finishing the ceiling and walls, laying communications and checking them for leaks. When laying parquet, certain humidity and temperature indicators must be observed. So the residual humidity of the walls should not be higher than 6%, the humidity of the floor should not be higher than 5%, and the relative humidity of the air should be 35 - 60%. The optimal temperature is 18 - 23 °C.
Failure to comply with these conditions will result in deformation of the coating. If you lay parquet at high humidity levels, it will swell and take on moisture. And when all the work is finished, over time it will dry out, begin to “shrink” and gaps will appear between the dies. Fixing this is much more difficult and expensive than doing everything right from the beginning.
The surface on which piece parquet will be laid must be perfectly flat, maximum error 1 mm per 1 m2.
includes the following stages of work:
- Repair of old concrete floors, if required.
- Waterproofing concrete base.
- Fill the leveling screed 4 - 5 cm thick. Or laying joists for a wooden floor.
- Priming the screed for glue.
- Gluing moisture-resistant plywood to a screed or attaching plywood to joists.
- Gluing and nailing parquet to plywood.
- Sanding the parquet surface.
- Puttying parquet.
- Priming parquet for varnish.
- Opening the parquet with varnish from 3 to 9 layers.
All of the above measures must be completed, otherwise over time the parquet will dry out, begin to creak, or fall off altogether.
Preparatory work before laying parquet
Preparing a strong and level base is perhaps one of the most important tasks in laying parquet. The durability of the coating as a whole will depend on the quality of the fastening surface. The cost of laying block parquet, if ordered from specialized construction organizations, usually does not include preparation of the base.
Preparing the concrete base
If parquet is to be laid on a concrete floor, the first step is to waterproof it. To do this, the surface of the floor slab must be covered with a superdiffusion membrane or 200 micron polyethylene film. The joints of the film sheet are made with an overlap of 15 - 20 cm and are taped with construction tape. On the walls waterproofing film starts at 10 - 15 cm and is temporarily secured to it with tape.
Then you need to fill in the leveling screed, which will also serve as a mounting base for the plywood. The thickness of the screed should be 4 - 5 cm. It is imperative to check the horizontality of the coating and the absence of defects - holes, potholes, height differences and others.
Important! Before starting subsequent work, the screed must be completely dry. This will take about a month or two. You should not rush and continue laying parquet flooring, as the wood will draw moisture from the screed, and this will lead to inevitable deformations.
When the screed dries, its surface is covered with special primers, which increase the adhesion of the base to the glue and at the same time act as waterproofing.
Then moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of 12 mm is taken and cut into squares of 50x50 cm or 75x75 cm.
Functions of moisture-resistant plywood under a piece package:
- Protects parquet from shrinkage deformations.
- Ideally levels the surface.
- Serves as thermal insulation and partial sound insulation.
- Provides durability.
- Serves as a basis for fastening parquet strips. If you lay parquet directly on the screed, the planks may fall off due to the destruction of the top layer of the screed. Plywood holds them firmly.
Important! The thickness of the plywood should be 5 mm less than the thickness of the parquet strip. But using sheets smaller than 12 mm is impractical; they do not perform their functions. In this case, you can lay the plywood in two layers, staggered.
Next, the surface of the screed is lubricated with glue and squares of plywood are laid on it, pressed tightly and fixed with dowel nails or self-tapping screws. It is imperative to leave at least a 1 - 1.5 mm gap between the squares of plywood to prevent deformation of the parquet if the plywood begins to expand.
It is also important to leave a gap between the wall and the plywood of 2 - 3 mm, this will expansion joint. You can insert special wedges into the gap to prevent the gap from moving.
It is not necessary to attach the plywood to the concrete base; you can do it the old fashioned way - the floor is on joists. To do this, you don’t even have to level the concrete base. It is enough to waterproof it by spreading a waterproofing film.
Then the logs are laid in increments of 35 - 40 cm. You can use 50x50 or 50x80 mm timber as logs. The logs are secured to the floor using corners and dowels. In the process of laying the logs, it is necessary to ensure that their surface forms an even plane. To do this, in places where there are differences in heights of the concrete base, you can place wooden stands or trim off the excess.
When the logs are installed, plywood is nailed. Glue is no longer used here, only self-tapping screws. The step for attaching the plywood squares to the joists is 10 - 15 cm. It is necessary to nail the plywood not only at the edges, but also in the middle to all the joists. The gap between the squares is also required.
Preparing an old wooden floor
Before laying parquet on an old wooden floor, it must be checked to ensure it is in good condition. There should be no creaks, dips or other defects anywhere. If something similar is observed, it is necessary to partially disassemble flooring and repair the joists. After the renovation is completed, the surface of the old wooden floor is sanded. Parquet can be laid directly on a wooden subfloor, without plywood.
Laying block parquet with your own hands
The work of laying block parquet is very important; you cannot rush here, reducing the repair time. It’s better to take a break for a day or two or a week than to have to redo all the work. After all, one mistake and all the coverage is down the drain.
Methods for laying block parquet
The technology of laying parquet involves several ways of laying it:
- Floating installation method.
- Installation with parquet glue.
- Laying with fastening with nails or self-tapping screws.
- Laying on parquet glue and securing with nails or self-tapping screws.
Floating method installation involves fastening parquet planks only to each other using a tongue-and-groove system. They are not attached to the base in any other way. To prevent such a floor from creaking, they lay soundproofing material, for example, a traffic jam. Secured this way parquet planks will expand and contract freely depending on temperature and humidity conditions. The floating floor is repairable - just disassemble it and put it back together. But the strength of such a coating is very doubtful; it is enough for one locking connection to become loose for the entire floor to begin to warp and deform.
Laying parquet with glue It is considered more durable, but also less repairable. The base is generously lubricated with glue, then parquet flooring is laid, connecting with a tongue-and-groove system. This method is considered more labor-intensive and expensive due to the consumption of glue.
Installation with parquet adhesive and fastening with nails or self-tapping screws- the most durable and popular method. Such a floor is practically not subject to deformations, since they are restrained from all sides. But at the same time, it will no longer be possible to repair such parquet. All hope for a long service life.
How to lay piece parquet - stages of work
To make the pattern on the parquet smooth and beautiful, it is advisable to draw it on paper. It is important to take into account the exact dimensions of the room and the parquet planks. If suddenly the drawing turns out that some row is not whole, then the drawing must be redone so that there are trimmed rows along the edges of the room, and only straight rows in the center.
The beginning of laying parquet also depends on the pattern. Let’s look at the example of a “Christmas tree”.
- First, we mark out the room and find its middle. In the middle of the room, from wall to wall, we stretch a cord along which we will navigate.
- We take two parquet planks and connect them in a herringbone pattern, inserting a tenon into the groove. Apply glue to the tenon, groove and ends of the planks.
- Then we coat the plywood base with glue, starting from the far wall. We use a notched spatula for this.
- We apply the “beacon herringbone” to the plywood so that the left edge of the planks presses the cord to the base, and the right edge of the planks rests against the cord.
- Press the planks against the plywood so as to squeeze out excess glue.
- Then we secure the planks with nails or self-tapping screws, screwing them into the groove of the plank at an angle of 45 ° and recessing the head. There must be at least 2 nail fastenings per 40 cm long plank.
Important! During the installation process, the master must sit so that the tongue of the planks is located towards him.
- Next, we lay the planks according to the pattern. We coat the plywood base with glue to the width of the plank, 1 - 1.5 mm thick.
- We apply the bar, inserting it into the end and longitudinal groove the previous one, we finish it off with a rubber hammer. We fix it with self-tapping screws into the groove.
- First, we lay rows of planks in the “lighthouse herringbone” pattern, on the left and right.
- Then we lay a row of planks to the left of the “beacon herringbone”, then to the right. And so on we proceed, expanding the laying area until we reach the walls.
- We fill narrow spaces near the walls with planks cut to size.
- We insert wedges between the wall and the last row of parquet planks, leaving a gap of 2 - 3 mm.
All further work can be done after at least a week so that the glue has time to dry well. Although some experts recommend waiting six months, then the parquet planks themselves will take their final position.
The good thing about block parquet is that it can be laid in different patterns, placing the planks at different angles and in different sequences.
"Deck"- the easiest way to install. The planks are placed exactly, parallel to each other, offset by 1/3 or ½ of the length of the plank. The first plank is located near the wall; for a tighter fit, a tenon is sawed off from it.
"Herringbone"- the planks are connected to each other at an angle of 90 °. The planks should have two tenons - one on the longitudinal side, the second on the narrow end. There should also be two grooves on opposite sides. This method laying is quite complicated, since the rows must be perfectly aligned.
"Squares" and “braid” are formed quite easily. First, 2/3/4 planks of parquet are joined together and laid, then the other 2/3/4 planks are connected, but laid perpendicular to the first. This way the rows alternate, creating an organic geometric pattern.
"Braided" with inserts from different types of wood.
"Rhombuses" are laid from peculiar diamond-shaped parquet strips.
"Sheremetyevskaya Star" It is laid out from two types: rectangular planks and inclined diamond-shaped ones.
In addition to the above options, there are combinations of them with various shapes and patterns.
The price for laying block parquet depends on the layout of the planks. The simplest “deck” layout costs 7.5 - 8 USD. for 1 m2, “herringbone” will cost 9 USD. per meter, and artistic parquet can cost from 17 USD up to 35 USD and even more. All these prices are indicated without preparatory work and further finishing - grinding and varnishing. average cost laying parquet with sanding and varnishing is 17 USD. for 1 m2.
Grinding is necessary in order to make the surface as smooth as possible and remove defects that arise during the work. Grinding can be done with special grinding machines or an ordinary grinder with a circle of sandpaper. Of course, the option with a grinder is more preferable, and there will be less dust.
The first and second time grinding is carried out large grain to cut off large uneven areas. Third time - fine grain to achieve smoothness of the coating and remove roughness that appeared after the first sanding. Then the floor must be thoroughly vacuumed, removing all fine dust.
Puttying and priming of block parquet
It doesn’t hurt to fill all the cracks in the parquet, even if there are no visible large defects. The entire floor is rubbed with a special wood putty, all cracks and irregularities are filled. After drying, the floor must be sanded again with fine grain and excess putty must be removed. Then the floor is vacuumed again. To improve the adhesion of the varnish to the parquet and at the same time ensure that the varnish does not penetrate deep into the wood structure, the surface of the putty parquet floor is coated with a primer.
Opening a parquet floor with varnish or oil
The varnish protects the wood from moisture and mechanical stress. The total number of layers of varnish on parquet can be from 3 to 9. The more layers, the deeper the image. The varnish is applied with a roller to the entire surface at once, after which the floor is left to dry thoroughly for 24 - 36 hours. It is necessary to carry out varnishing work in clean soft shoes.
Important! While the varnish is drying, do not open the windows or leave them open. entrance doors, turn on air conditioning, ventilation, or otherwise provide a draft. The varnish should dry in as windless conditions as possible.
All subsequent layers of varnish are also applied with a roller with a drying interval of 24 - 36 hours for each layer. The last layer must dry for at least a week so that you can walk on it carefully, and you can bring furniture into the room only after at least a month, or even two.
Parquet varnish can be glossy or matte. Glossy makes the floor shine, brightens the room and highlights the pattern. Matt lacquer used to reduce the brightness of the pattern on wood and to create an atmosphere of warm comfort.
Laying block parquet can cost approximately 2 to 4 times more than laying solid boards. But at the same time, the coating will be more refined and durable, and there is also less risk of squeaking. The key to success in creating beautiful, prestigious parquet is the patience of the craftsman.
It is worth noting right away that laying parquet is a responsible and careful task. However, the result, if all technological principles were followed, exceeds all expectations.
In this article we will try to answer the question - what is laying parquet. In addition, we will consider the nuances of preparing the floor, working with glue, sanding parquet, as well as the specifics of applying decorative and protective coatings and caring for parquet.
Components of the parquet “pie”
Neatly laid lacquered parquet planks- only a visible result obtained as a result of careful preliminary work: preparation of floors, waterproofing, pouring cement screed, priming, laying moisture-resistant plywood, priming for glue, laying parquet planks, putty, sanding, priming with varnish, varnishing.
In some cases, you can do without some components of this process, but sometimes you have to include additional steps. However, everything is in order.
Base
First, it is necessary to evaluate the base for installation. It should be:
Smooth– differences of no more than 2 mm on a base of 2 m (this standard is prescribed in SNiP 3.04.01-87 “Insulating and finishing coatings”). To measure this parameter use special devices(due to their considerable cost, only specialized organizations and fairly wealthy people can afford to purchase them), but you can get by with inexpensive water levels.
Dry– relative humidity should be a maximum of 5%. Ignoring this requirement leads to disastrous consequences - sometimes you even have to completely re-lay the entire parquet. Approximate humidity indicators are set by the VSN 9-94 standard - “Instructions for installing floors in residential and public buildings.”
Clean- since even the highest quality glue will not hold on the remains of the old coating (especially bitumen). It is also bad to install parquet on an oily or dusty surface (for this reason, the site must have a good vacuum cleaner). The only exceptions are the remnants of old paint - they, in general, are not dangerous for most modern parquet adhesives.
Screed
Naturally this is not the only way eliminating uneven bases, but by far the most common. By the way, a screed may not be needed at all. For example, if the base is only slightly “hilly”, it is best to sand the floor with a surface grinder and an abrasive wheel.
Small unevenness (1–2 cm) is smoothed out with leveling compounds. And only when you have to work with a base that has a large difference in centimeters, for example, 7–8, special floor mixtures or inexpensive cement-sand mixtures are used.
Please note: before pouring the screed, waterproof the joints and floor openings through which water can leak. You should not neglect this stage - repairs will cost more for the neighbors below. A completely suitable and quite democratic material in this case is hydroglass insulation. Will also fit roll materials, for example, thick (about 200 microns) polyethylene film. It is taken out beyond the edges of the area on which the parquet will lie, wrapped around the walls.
Then special tapes are installed to show the level. It is much more convenient to level the mixture using them. However, first of all, consider whether the floors will support the weight of the new floor. With a thickness of 7–8 centimeters, the leveling mixture together with the parquet itself is no longer kilograms, but tons. Relieving such tension is sometimes a vital issue. They solve it using a layer of expanded clay, which, of course, is not the best option(since in case of leaks the material actively absorbs water and releases it very slowly), but due to its low cost it is very attractive. Extruded polystyrene foam is a dense and lightweight material, which also has excellent sound and heat insulation. It is preferable from all points of view, but has one limitation - at least another 3 cm of solution must be laid on top of it.
Laying on joists
There is a method for laying wooden base- These are logs with an outer covering layer of plywood. It has a number of obvious advantages: the “rough” floor is less sensitive to water (after all, under the parquet there is a reserve space where water can go; heat and sound insulation mats and communication pipes are also placed there), and the load on the floors is less.
With this method, the floor is laid out with logs, leveled, then covered with thick moisture resistant plywood. The method is not too labor-intensive, especially if you use it right away adjustable joists, the range of which is quite wide on the market.
Plywood
The most important element of the parquet “pie” is plywood, which binds two dissimilar materials - concrete and parquet, increases the thermal insulation of the floor, compensates for shrinkage processes in the building, thereby significantly extending the service life of the floor covering. Therefore, quite high demands are placed on it. Plywood, first of all, must be moisture resistant, and its thickness should be at least 3/4 of the thickness of the parquet planks (old masters recommend taking plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm or even more).
Standard sheets of plywood, for example, 1.525 x 1.525 m, are usually sawn into four or more parts (so that there is no stress inside the parquet structure, and the plywood itself is securely glued) or laid with offset joints using mastic or parquet glue. Leave between the sheets expansion gaps in 3–4 mm. The laid sheets are fixed with self-tapping screws with a plastic dowel (minimum 10 pieces per square meter).
At the end of the plywood laying process, the quality of the work is checked for evenness and the presence of a slope. If any unevenness is found, it can be easily removed using grinding machine, into which a belt with a large grain of abrasive is installed.
After sanding, it would be a good idea to prime the plywood. And the final stage is characterized by thorough cleaning of the workplace from dust and debris.
Glue
The adhesive largely determines the lifespan of the parquet.
There are three main groups: solvent based adhesives, water-dispersed And two-component polyurethane(reactive).
The first group is suitable for all types of wood, but at the same time is characterized by the lowest strength of the adhesive joint.
The second group of adhesives is stronger, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Many people prefer them because when the dispersion compositions dry, only moisture vapor (and not solvent) is released. However, there are some subtleties here: you should pay attention to the percentage content - 23-25 percent, and in the case of two-component water-dispersion glue - 11-12 percent. At the same time, adhesives of this type have certain limitations on their effect on wood. In particular, they are not recommended for use on some exotic woods.
The last group is two-component (reactive) adhesives. They set 100 percent in about a day. They have no effect on the wood at all, and therefore do not cause any deformation, but have a limited time of use (maximum 1 hour). And such adhesives cost twice as much as the previous ones. Two-component adhesives used for gluing thin varnished parquet, large-format parquet made of rare wood, as well as massive varnished boards.
Let us remind you that when working with any glue, you should additionally fix each parquet plank to the plywood (as experts say, shoot it - special nails are driven slightly obliquely into the ridge of the plank, 1-3 per piece), and after gluing is completed, maintain a technological pause.
Sanding parquet
This operation is performed in two stages: first, rough grinding is carried out, then finishing is carried out using surface grinding or belt equipment. To adjust corners and process the wall area for convenience, it is better to use an angle grinder.
The grain size of the abrasive used in the grinding process is different in each specific case. It directly depends on the condition of the floor. It is believed that it is advisable to start with abrasive tape with grain 40–60. It is not recommended to step over more than one grain size value, since otherwise it will be impossible to remove traces of previous processing. As a rule, the grinding process with each abrasive number is carried out in two mutually perpendicular directions at an angle of 45 degrees to the wood grain. In some cases, another pass is necessary - along the line of light. The procedure is usually completed with an abrasive with a grain size of 100–120.
Before final sanding, perform puttying(do not forget to completely remove excess putty from the front surface of the planks). If you do not follow the sequence, then unpleasant light stains may remain under the varnish layer.
Application of decorative and protective coating
The consumer can choose one of three types of coatings to suit his taste. In this article they are arranged in order of decreasing degree of protection and increasing environmental friendliness.
- Lucky. Like adhesives, they are divided into three groups: introduction-dispersion, two-component reactive and solvent-based varnishes (alkyd, alkyd-urethane, urethane, acrylic-urethane). There are matte and semi-matte, semi-gloss and glossy compositions. The degree of gloss is to the taste of the customer.
- Oils (or oil-wax mixtures). Impregnating compounds penetrate several millimeters deep into wood, increasing its wear resistance and significantly reducing hygroscopicity. But keep in mind that if you choose oil, you will have to use it all the time.
- Wax coatings.
The undoubted leader in this trio is varnishes. Moreover, acrylic-urethane compositions are in high demand due to the price/quality ratio that is suitable for many.
The technology of applying varnish requires careful preparation. First, pay attention to the temperature and humidity conditions: optimal conditions– temperature 18–22 degrees Celsius and relative humidity from 40 to 70 percent. Secondly, one of the most important conditions for varnishing is the absence of dust in the air (it will be necessary to close the windows and turn off the ventilation). The third component of success is the tool: the most convenient is considered to be a dosing roller, from which loose lint is removed before work.
The number of layers of varnish on parquet depends only on the specific composition. It is usually considered that the parquet is well covered when 350 g of varnish is used per 1 square meter, and this can be 2-3 thick or 7 thin layers. We must not forget about intermediate grinding between layers (for better “adhesion” of the varnish and elimination of microdefects that inevitably arise during the work - bubbles, sagging, etc.) - it is often performed with a surface grinder.
Parquet care
- You can't wash the floor big amount water with active detergents, and also rub it diligently with a rough sponge. Routine cleaning of the floor should be carried out with a damp, well-wrung out cloth or vacuum cleaner (but not a detergent).
- Soft heels must be secured to the legs of furniture being moved.
- It would be a good idea to install air humidifiers in the apartment - the parquet will not dry out.
- Some companies produce skin care products parquet floors. Depending on the decorative and protective type, these can be special polishes, wax mastics and liquid oils. Correct Application similar means will significantly extend the life of the floor.
- The most convenient are parquet planks that have tongue-and-groove connections on all sides.
- The newly laid parquet is fixed with wedges placed spaced between the wall and the edge of the floor.
- After initial sanding, the cracks between the planks are sealed with putty made from fine wood dust and a special composition that must match the varnish or oil used.
- After the varnish has completely dried, the resulting wall space can be filled with a sealant that does not contain silicone. However, this will not be cheap, so polyurethane foam is often used for this purpose.
- Women's stiletto heels are the most dangerous for varnished parquet (a woman weighing 56 kg in stiletto heels presses on the floor 20 times harder than an adult elephant).
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In any office or residential space, parquet always looks very dignified. Everyone associates this coating with coziness and comfort, success and homely warmth. The parquet laying technology has its own unique features that must be followed. When temperature and humidity change, parquet can deform, so in the room where you plan to lay it, you should take care to ensure that these fluctuations are minimal.
Parquet laying technology - start of work
First, a concrete base is prepared, waterproofing is placed on it (allowance is made for the walls). If you have to work with a very lumpy base, or it has a significant slope, then it is leveled using cement-sand screed, which should dry for about six weeks. If the base is level, you don’t need to do a screed - the main thing is to use self-leveling mixtures.
When the base has a perfectly even appearance, plywood squares (60 by 60 cm each) are placed on it, their thickness is about 15 mm. It is not recommended to lay a solid sheet of plywood - internal stress can bend it, usually this happens at the most inopportune moments. The sheets are fastened in a checkerboard pattern, the distance between them is 1 cm. For fastening, dowels - nails are usually chosen (you can also apply thin layer mastic).
After laying, the plywood must be sanded - especially in those places where the sheet joints are located. In a situation where parquet is laid in a room with a wooden floor, plywood can be laid directly on it - if it is perfectly flat and very durable. If the existing floor does not meet these criteria, it is dismantled.
Parquet laying
After another couple of days, parquet can be laid on the plywood. It should be noted that the material is brought into the room a week before it is laid. During this period, it is saturated with moisture and takes on the desired shape.
In the corners of the room, special parquet glue is applied to the plywood base. In this case, you need to try to keep the layer of glue as thin as possible. The parquet board is leveled and placed on the plywood with force (the material is carefully pressed). The next board is glued in exactly the same way.
You need to wait for the glue to be absorbed; often at this stage the material warps. To remove defects, the parquet is scraped and polished. After this, the entire surface of the floor should be puttied with a mixture of PVA glue, well diluted with water; parquet dust is also used in the work. This measure is necessary to ensure that microcracks on the parquet board do not expand, and they will certainly appear during the work process.
The most responsible important stage laying finished parquet - varnishing. It is performed 48 hours after puttying. The floor surface is covered with a primer, and after drying, thin layers of varnish are applied to it (5-6 layers). Each layer is sanded after drying - this is done so that the hairiness on the wood disappears. Lastly, install the baseboards.
It should be remembered that parquet requires constant care - it needs to be washed with special means, sanded as it wears, and varnished. In winter, when hot heating is on, or in the summer heat, it is recommended to humidify the air in the room. These are simple, but very important measures will significantly extend the life of the parquet flooring.