The interior and comfort in any living space depends not only on the decoration of the walls or ceiling. Flooring is of great importance. Today, there are various materials for surface finishing. But from all this range, many prefer wood. And this is quite understandable. First of all, it is an environmentally friendly and natural material. With proper processing, installation and care, the wooden floor in a private house will last for many years. Do-it-yourself flooring requires certain knowledge. Although in general, making a floor in a wooden house is not difficult. Next, we will deal with this process in more detail.
Before making the floor in a wooden house, you should purchase everything you need. What do you need to know in order to choose a quality material? Here are some recommendations:
Types of coatings
There are various options for how to make a wooden floor in a wooden house. The main types of coverage include:
- Solid wood boards.
- Parquet with grooves on all sides. Elements are also made from an array. The recommended length of boards is 0.5-2 meters, and the optimal thickness is 18-25 mm.
- Glued parquet. Here, the top layer is made from valuable rocks, and the other two are made from ordinary ones. Thickness of boards - no more than 5 mm. The advantage of this material is its cost.
Mounting Features
Depending on the layout, preferences and financial capabilities, the owners of a residential building can choose one way or another how to make a wooden floor in a wooden house. If the building is built of timber, then the flooring is carried out in two stages. First you need to lay a preparatory (rough) floor in a wooden house. On top of it, a finishing coating is laid. In wooden houses, as a rule, panel parquet or boards are used. There are two ways to lay the cover:
base for coating
Before you make a wooden floor in a wooden house, you need to prepare the surface. There are several types of bases:
- Concrete.
- Logs.
- Plywood.
Floor logs in a wooden house are used if the height of the room allows. It should be remembered that the surface will rise by about 7-9 cm. At the same time, arranging the floor on logs has undeniable advantages. First of all, all the irregularities of the base are hidden. In addition, various communications are carried out under the coating.
Waterproofing
Protecting the floor in a wooden house from moisture is a paramount task during repairs. The insulating layer is laid on the base. The most popular materials today are dense polyethylene or penofol. The latter also provides sound insulation, and also protects against various radiations. Of particular importance is the stability of the coating in the bathroom or bath. Laying waterproofing should be carried out with high quality, since the durability of the coating will depend on this.
How to lay the logs correctly?
First of all, it should be said that these elements can either be mounted on walls or installed on a foundation. Before starting installation, the logs are brought into the room and kept in it for several days. After acclimatization of the material, you can proceed with the installation. Two logs are first installed against the walls opposite each other. Between them you need to stretch the nylon threads. Distance - 1.5 m. In the future, these threads will become a guide for installing the remaining elements. Here it must be said that the distance between the lags will depend on the thickness of the flooring. If boards with a width of 30-40 cm are selected, then the supports are installed in increments of 80 cm. If the material is thin (up to thirty centimeters), then there will be a smaller distance between the lags. The step in this case will be 0.5-0.6 m. For laying thick (more than 40 cm) boards, a distance of 1 m is left between the lags. The height of the supports is adjusted using wedges. They can be made from plywood. Wedges are fixed with anchors or dowels.
Floor insulation in a wooden house
This stage should be given no less attention than the others. A warm floor in a wooden house is a guarantee of comfort and coziness. Today, there are many materials designed to create an insulating layer. Floor insulation in a wooden house can be carried out:
- mineral wool;
- sawdust;
- foam;
- isolon;
- polystyrene foam.
Often, the owners install a "water-heated floor" system in a wooden house. However, in this case, you need to take precautions and choose suitable materials for the finish coat.
Laying boards
It is necessary to step back 1.5 cm from the wall and start laying out the first row. You should navigate along the stretched line. Holes are drilled for fasteners (self-tapping screws). Boards are laid on each log and fixed. The gaps between the wall and the coating are covered with a plinth. You can also use staples. They are connected to the board, and then fixed with nails. 
Plywood base
This material is often used for arranging subfloors. Plywood is reliable and practically does not deform. With proper installation, such a base will last a long time. If necessary, such a coating can be easily dismantled and replaced with another one. However, plywood is not recommended for use in damp rooms and rooms subject to frequent temperature changes. Before laying the material, it is recommended to draw up an installation diagram. In accordance with the project, marking is done, lags are installed. The step between the supports depends on the thickness of the plywood sheet. Between the main lags, transverse ones are installed - at a distance of 50 cm. To prevent sagging of the supports, pieces of plywood should be placed under them. First you need to grease them with glue. Often after laying the floor begins to crack. To prevent this phenomenon, it is recommended to glue the entire surface with glue. To protect the coating from the accumulation of condensate, a layer of glassine is laid out between the logs and plywood. Sheets begin to be fixed after the glue dries. Their edges should lie on the logs. In this case, the distance between the elements is 1-2 mm. About 9 self-tapping screws are needed to fix the plywood sheet. Subsequently, the joints are polished.
concrete base
How to lay the boards on the screed? If the base is even, then the flooring of the coating is carried out directly not concrete. Previously, the base is smeared with soil mastic or foamed polyethylene. If there are differences, then it is better to level the base.
How to make a wooden floor in a wooden house correctly? Here are some helpful tips:
- In order to avoid their adjustment and subsequent grinding when laying the boards, it is recommended to number them before starting work.
- If nails are used as fasteners, then they must be driven in at an angle. In this case, the hat should be driven deeper.
- After laying the first board at a distance of 4-6 cm from the edge, a bracket is driven into the beam and a gap is left. A rail must be inserted into the slot. After the wedge is driven in, it is pulled out. As a result, the boards will be pressed tightly. In this case, the entire coating will turn out without cracks.
- After all the boards are fixed, the brackets are removed. It is advisable to compact the elements with a mallet before fixing them with nails.
- When installing the last board, some difficulties may arise. Installation can be facilitated by leveling the tongue with a planer. After that, the board is glued and fixed with nails.
Final stage
After laying the boards, they can be coated with paint or varnish. The composition is applied along the wood fibers. So there will be less visible traces of the movement of the brush or roller. If no top coat is to be applied, the floor must be sanded. After that, the surface is treated with a greasy soap. You can also carry out leaching. For this, soda is used. Next, the surface must be primed. For this, a mixture of drying oil and vegetable oil is used. And only after that you can varnish the coating.
Finally
One person can cope with laying the floor. The main task in all work is the correct preparation of the base for the flooring. If lags are installed, then they should lie flat. During the installation process, be sure to use the level. We should not forget about the technical gaps. If they are not there, with temperature changes and changes in humidity, the wood may begin to deform. Particular attention must be paid to thermal and waterproofing. Following the recommendations, you can make a reliable, strong and durable coating.
