If we consider the elements of a living space withIn terms of the load on the surface that they constantly experience, floors will clearly take first place. The endless movement of feet, the weight of furniture, falling objects - all this is far from a complete list of the tests that fall to the lot of flooring. When planning a renovation in an apartment or finishing the construction of a new house, it is worth trying to lay the floor with your own hands not only from the point of view of saving the family budget.
Types of floor coverings:parquet board, linoleum, ceramic tile, cork. Independently performed work will lead to the best result, will allow to use the material economically and carefully, will not allow defects in work and will protect the nervous system from communication with a hired team. A possible lack of experience will be compensated by turning to reference information and help of responsive friends who have ever had such practice in their lives. The result will be a reliable and beautiful floor, ready to gratefully endure all types of loads and not lose its appearance.
Choosing a floor covering
Work on installing floors begins withpreparation of the base, and in order to finally decide on the technology of future work, you need to choose one of the many types of material, the number of which is increasing every day. Several decades ago, it was much easier to consider the available finishing options and not get confused in the list of wood, linoleum and ceramic tile coverings. Only a consultant in a specialized store can study the modern assortment and understand it thoroughly. Therefore, it is better to consider the pros and cons of each material from the point of view of its practicality when laying in each room of an apartment or house, while not forgetting to analyze the possibilities of the family budget.
Comparative table of floor covering materials. The suitability of floor coverings for use in different conditions is assessed according to the following main criteria:
- cost;
- simplicity of installation;
- strength and durability;
- hygienic and easy to care;
- hygroscopicity;
- fire hazard.
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Features of flooring materials
When choosing an option for a bathroom out of ordersuch fashionable leaders as laminate and parquet board immediately come out, due to the complete impossibility of resisting not only spilled water, but also simply too humid an atmosphere. Advertisements of waterproof types of these coatings modestly mention that water resistance lasts only a few hours, and if during this period the liquid is not removed and thorough drying is not arranged, then at best it will be necessary to restore, and at worst - completely change the floor. The ideal choice for humid conditions is ceramic tiles. They are waterproof, easy to wash, you can safely use any types of cleaning and chemical preparations to remove limescale and dirt. These same qualities make tiles a contender for the installation of kitchen floors, and in addition, it is possible to note its non-flammability and complete indifference to high temperatures, steam and frequent cleaning. But ceramics also has a weak side. You can not drop heavy objects on it - it splits. If, despite having grandma's cast iron frying pans in the household, the decision is still made in favor of tiles, you need to buy only tiles with a rough surface on which spilled water will not create a slippery film.
Scheme of the parquet board structure.Linoleum has always been distinguished by an excellent combination of price and practicality, it is good for flooring in any room. Those who are distrustful of synthetics can buy the natural look of this product, but one should not forget about its excessive fragility during installation and use. A regular PVC product is devoid of these drawbacks and, in addition to being unnatural, has weak points in the form of frequent stains and low thermal insulation. The latter problem can be solved with a thick underlay or by purchasing linoleum with an insulated inner side. Bedroom floors are not subject to intense stress. The main requirement for them is related to the amount of time a person spends in this room while sleeping. The material should not emit harmful fumes into the air, its environmental friendliness cannot be below the permissible level. Ideally, for this case, it is better to lay a covering made of natural wood - parquet, solid or regular board. Materials that at least partially contain natural raw materials, such as laminate or parquet board, are also suitable. The new-fangled cork is considered to have no disadvantages in use and is environmentally friendly, but its cost is quite high, and its relatively recent appearance does not allow us to draw final conclusions about its properties. There are no such strict requirements for floor coverings for living rooms, and the best option for a hallway floor would be tiles, preferably made of porcelain stoneware. Only it can withstand daily loads, dirt, abrasive sand and regular cleaning. Return to contents</a>
Preparation of the substrate for styling
Durability of any floor coveringdepends on the installation being done correctly, and this process will never lead to a good result if the subfloor does not have a stable and even surface without cracks, holes and bumps.
Scheme of floor tiling.Parquet boards and laminate are particularly capricious in this regard. The specifics of these floors are such that the slightest excess of the permissible deviations of the horizontal level disrupts the reliable connection of the boards, they become loose and damage the locking systems and the panels themselves. A long life for these coatings can only be ensured by leveling the base to the standard, according to which the height differences cannot be higher than 2-4 mm per 1 sq. m of surface. This requirement applies to any type of subfloor. If the base is concrete, the problem is eliminated with a cement screed. Old plank floors can be leveled with sheets of chipboard or plywood, and the boards can be secured to the joists with self-tapping screws and large cracks can be eliminated. Laying ceramic tiles will be much easier if the floors are sufficiently even, but small errors are eliminated with a layer of tile adhesive. However, much more adhesive is used in this case, so it is advisable to prepare the surface to save on its consumption. The base for linoleum can be absolutely any. An exception is old carpet, the excessive softness of which will lead to the linoleum sheet being pressed through. The flexibility of this material and its small thickness do not tolerate the slightest bulges or pits. In these places, the material is damaged very quickly. When laying any type of floor covering, it is important that the subfloors are well dried. Otherwise, the moisture of the lower layer will lead not only to the formation of mold and mildew on it, but also to a completely ruined floor. Return to contents</a>
Warming and waterproofing
Structure of household linoleum.Depending on the characteristics of the living space in which the floor is to be installed, there is a need to carry out additional work aimed at isolating the rooms from excess moisture and insulating their lower part. This problem is especially relevant for apartments located on the ground floors of apartment buildings and in private buildings. For this purpose, various methods are used using roll or sheet materials. But a mandatory condition for laying modern floor coverings, especially those containing wood, is the use of a substrate. Situated between the base and the decorative floor, it not only protects it from cold and dampness, but also serves as a shock absorber when walking and compensates for minor irregularities that could not be eliminated during the preparation of the base. It is not necessary to purchase expensive products made of cork or composite materials; polyethylene foam samples have good characteristics and serve as excellent insulators. Return to contents</a>
We make a floor from a laminate
Laminate flooring is not the new thing anymoreinvention, but still very popular. One of the reasons for the people's love for this material is its very simple installation, which does not require much effort and occurs quickly and without unnecessary dirt. This is due to the locking method of connecting the panels, which allows them to be assembled into a single plane. This method is also called floating, since the coating is not rigidly attached to the floor, but lies only on the substrate and the surface of the base. To lay the laminate, a minimum set of tools is required:
- electric jigsaw or saw-saw with small teeth;
- Rubber hammer;
- a block and wedges made of wood;
- ruler, tape measure, pencil;
- clamp.
Tools for laying laminate flooring.It is important that the laminated boards get used to the temperature and humidity of the room before starting work. It will take at least 2 days for the wood to adapt to the new climatic conditions. If the preliminary preparation stage is complete, the floor base is absolutely flat, dry and clean, then you can start working, which begins with laying out the underlay. It should be evenly distributed over the surface, overlapping the strips with a margin of 10-15 cm, and the joints should be fixed with strips of tape. There are three types of laminate laying scheme: longitudinal, transverse and diagonal arrangement. If you do not have enough experience, you should not undertake the implementation of the last point. This is a labor-intensive process that requires certain skills. In addition, it is quite uneconomical - diagonal laying leads to a large amount of waste. For the first time, it is better to use the classic method of longitudinal arrangement of panels, and choose their direction so that natural light is directed parallel to the boards. In this case, the seam at the joints between the panels will not be so noticeable. Before starting work, it is necessary to unpack the laminate packs and carefully inspect all the boards. If a defect is found, it is more convenient to immediately exchange it for a quality product in the sales store. Laying any floor covering begins from the corner farthest from the entrance. The first board is located at a small distance from the wall. A gap of 0.5 cm will serve to compensate for the expansion of the material when humidity and temperature increase. The connection with the second board is made by placing the ridge on its end into the groove of the first panel. This is done by pressing at a slight angle, and a characteristic click will indicate that the contact was successful. The last board of the row is shortened with a hacksaw or jigsaw and the second strip is formed from its remainder. For a tight joint, the panels are lightly tapped on the side with a rubber hammer. A clamp is used to install the last row of panels. The finished covering is decorated with baseboards and thresholds.
