How to replace the old floor in the apartment. Replacing the wooden floor in the apartment with concrete. Video - Eliminating squeaks with mounting foam

Natural wood floors, despite the abundance of finishing materials, are still popular due to their environmental friendliness, good thermal insulation and the beauty of natural wood. When repairing, questions often arise: how to re-lay the wooden floor in an apartment, is it worth changing it to other types of finishes? In this article, we will help you understand the intricacies of repairing a wooden floor.

How to understand that a wooden floor needs repair, partial or complete replacement? There are a number of signs that indicate this:

• creaking when walking due to the drying of the log, poor fastening of the boards to the logs;
• gaps between the boards, longitudinal cracks - a consequence of the drying of wood;
• subsidence of individual boards or parts of the floor due to rotting logs or damage by woodworms;
• deterioration in appearance, foci of decay on the floor boards;
• the unpleasant smell of rotting wood.

In addition, the floors in the apartment are covered during major repairs for aesthetic reasons, as well as when laying communications under the floor, during work on the insulation and soundproofing of rooms.

The volume of floor repair is determined after an external examination. If individual boards or sections of the floor have become unusable, you can limit yourself to replacing them. Squeaks and cracks can also be eliminated without completely dismantling the floor.

Note! If the damage is more than 30% of the floor area, it is not practical to repair it.

Repair of wooden floors

Repair of wooden floors is resorted to in case of minor damage, creaking or an increase in the gaps between the boards.

Gaps between floorboards can be eliminated in three ways:

• foam with mounting foam;
• putty putty on wood;
• close the cracks with wedges from a wooden lath.

If the boards creak and bend when walking, it is useless to seal the cracks with putty - it will crumble over time. In this case, you must first fix the logs and boards.

The creaking and deflection of healthy wooden floors in most cases appears for two reasons.

1. When installing the floor, not dried, raw wood was used.. Over time, it dried up, its geometric dimensions changed and gaps appeared. As a result, the fasteners weakened, friction of the wooden parts arose.
2. Floor installation was performed in violation of technology: the distance between the lags is increased, too thin boards are used, fasteners are located too sparsely.

There are several ways to eliminate the creak without resorting to dismantling the floor. The easiest way is to stretch the floors with self-tapping screws or nails, increasing the number of attachment points for the boards to the logs. The length of the fastener should be 2.5-3 times the thickness of the floorboard.

Note! You can determine the location of the lag on the painted floor using a magnet. They are carried along the boards until they find fastening nails under a layer of paint.

With a rare location of the lag or their drying out, the broach may not be enough. In this case, it is necessary to create additional support points for the logs and boards. This can be done using mounting foam or support bolts.

Video - Eliminating squeaks with mounting foam

Video - Eliminating squeaks using support bolts

As a rule, after such a repair, a wooden floor is used as a base for a laminate or linoleum, having previously covered it with plywood or a layer of dense insulation. To restore the decorative properties of the floor, it is necessary to completely remove the old paint, repair the cracks, sand the boards, and then varnish or paint them.

Replacement of individual boards

Wood floors often rot in certain areas, such as under the kitchen sink, under a window, at the front door, in corners, and under baseboards. In this case, you can limit yourself to replacing one or more boards.

Table 1. Replacement of the floorboard fragment.

Note! If traces of rot, fungus or mold are visible on the underside of the dismantled board, there is a high probability of violation of floor ventilation. In this case, it is better to completely re-lay the floor in compliance with the technology.

Prices for floor boards

floor boards

Complete replacement - how to re-lay a wooden floor

Replacing a wooden floor is not an easy task, it consists of several stages. First of all, you need to decide on the type of wood flooring, laying technology and select high-quality material.

Types of natural wood floors

Wooden floors can play the role of a finishing coating or a base for other finishing materials - laminate, parquet, linoleum. As a fine wooden coating in the apartment, a tongue-and-groove floor lath or a massive board made of expensive types of wood, as well as parquet, is used. A dry edged board, plywood or OSB is suitable for a rough base.

The choice of wood flooring and how it is laid, based on personal preferences, depends on several factors:

• from the type of flooring in the apartment - concrete slabs or wooden beams;
• from the need for thermal insulation and sound insulation of the floor;
• from the difference in floor height and the possibility of its alignment.

Floors along the logs allow not only to level the base and correct significant differences in height, but also to perform high-quality floor insulation. At the same time, they significantly raise the level of the floor - by 5-15 cm - and require additional material costs. On a concrete base without a ventilation gap, only solid boards and parquet can be laid.

Table 2. Various schemes for installing a wooden floor.

Material selection

As a fine wooden flooring, boards of coniferous and some hardwoods are used: pine and spruce, larch and cedar, oak and ash, as well as exotic types of wood.

When choosing wood, you need to consider the scope and features of operation. A larch board is resistant to moisture, it can be used in the kitchen, in the bathroom or on the open loggia. Pine and spruce at high humidity change geometric dimensions, which leads to floor deformation, rot and destruction. They are used mainly in dry rooms, providing good ventilation. Solid oak and ash are recommended for rooms with a high load: hall, living room.

As a log, a square section bar 50 mm thick or a 100x50 mm board placed on edge is used. The thickness of the folded floor board must be at least 24 mm when laying the log in 50 cm increments and 36 mm in 60 cm increments.

Wood for the floor should have a moisture content of no more than 12%, which can only be achieved by forced drying. Otherwise, after one or two years, the boards will dry out, creaks and cracks will appear.

Note! It is best to re-lay wooden floors at the end of the heating season, at which time the humidity in the apartment is minimal. The boards must be brought into the room being repaired, stacked, laying rows of slats, and kept for several days to equalize their moisture content.

Dismantling the wooden floor

The old floor must be completely dismantled. Boards with a thickness of 40 mm or more without traces of rot and damage by insects can be used as a log.

Dismantling begins with skirting boards. If the plinth is fixed on self-tapping screws, they are simply unscrewed with a screwdriver. If the skirting board is nailed to the floor, a nail puller is needed to remove it. Bring its sharp side under the plinth at the location of the nail and gently wring out the plinth by 2-3 cm. The same is done with all nails, gradually increasing the gap.

The floor boards, fixed to the screws, are dismantled quite simply: the fasteners are unscrewed, and the boards are sequentially removed, starting from one of the walls. The dismantling of the boards nailed to the nails starts from the largest gap in the floor. A crowbar is inserted into the gap between the boards where the lag with fasteners is located, and gently lift its edge, pulling out the nails. Do the same with the other edge of the board. If there are no gaps in the floor, you can cut out individual fragments and pick up the boards with a crowbar.

Logs are dismantled in several cases:

• they show signs of rot or damage by insects;
• the logs are at different levels, there is a noticeable difference in floor height;
• they do not correspond to the chosen technology for laying the finished floor.

Note! Dismantled boards with nails are best removed from the room immediately. It is easy to get hurt on protruding nails.

Foundation preparation

The concrete base must be cleaned of debris and dust with a broom and a vacuum cleaner.

Significant damage, cracks and shells worsen the sound insulation of the floor, so it is better to repair them with a cement-sand mortar or mounting foam, after wetting them with water.

The floor is covered with a primer on concrete to prevent the formation of dust. It is more convenient to do this with a sprayer. With increased humidity of the concrete base, the room is dried for several days with a heat gun.

Log laying

Before laying, it is recommended to impregnate the logs with a fire-retardant composition, this will increase the fire-fighting properties of the floor, protect it from rot and insects. Impregnation is especially relevant for apartments on the first floor, where humidity is usually high.

Using a laser level and a marker on the walls, mark the level of the finished floor. Having retreated from it a distance equal to the thickness of the floorboard, they get the upper level of the lag location.

The logs are made whole, and if they are not long enough, they are spliced ​​with boards fixed on both sides of the junction. Lay the extreme log on the end along one of the walls, stepping back 3-5 cm.

Align it in level with the help of mounting wedges, focusing on the height marks.

Note! Penofol must be laid between the mounting wedges and the concrete base, as well as between the wedges and the joists to reduce impact noise.

The step between the lags is chosen based on the thickness of the floorboard and the width of the insulation boards, usually it is 50-60 cm. For convenience, you can make a template from a bar with stops stuffed on it. Subsequent logs are laid with the selected step, using a bubble level with a length of at least 2 m. Mounting wedges are used for leveling, placing them in a checkerboard pattern.

Logs can be fixed to the concrete floor in several ways:

• with the help of metal corners - they are attached to the tree on self-tapping screws, to the floor - on dowel-nails;
• with the help of screws for concrete - dowels, twisted directly through the mounting wedges;

• with adjustable mounting bolts.

After attaching to the dowels through mounting wedges for additional fixation, they can be foamed with mounting foam.

Warming and soundproofing

For additional floor insulation, fibrous materials are used in the form of rolls or slabs - mineral and stone wool. In addition to thermal insulation properties, they have high levels of protection against acoustic noise: music, voices, TV sounds.

The main disadvantage of fibrous materials is the loss of properties when wet, therefore, a waterproofing film or penofol must be laid on top of the insulation. The film is laid in strips perpendicular to the direction of the log with an overlap of 15-20 cm. The overlap is additionally glued with mounting tape.

Plank flooring

A floorboard made of non-moisture resistant conifers - spruce and pine - before laying on the reverse side, it is advisable to impregnate with an antiseptic. This will extend its life and eliminate the occurrence of fungus and mold.

Laying boards start from the window or from the wall opposite the door. The first board is placed with a spike against the wall, leaving a gap of at least 10 mm, and when decorating the wall with decorative stone or panels - at least 20-30 mm. The gap is necessary for ventilation and compensation for the expansion of the boards when the humidity in the apartment changes.

Cut the board to the desired length, put it on the logs and check the level, if necessary, adjust the height of the log. Fix the board with 2 self-tapping screws in each log, sinking their hats by 1-2 mm.

Each subsequent board is driven through a wooden lath close to the previous one using wedges. A bracket or stop is attached to the log, wedges are made from a piece of board cut diagonally, and gradually hammering the wedge, a minimum gap is achieved. The board is fixed with screws. They do the same with the other end of the board, after which they attach it to the central lags.

Self-tapping screws can be screwed both into the front surface of the board at a right angle, and into a groove at an angle of 45 degrees - in this case, the fastening is invisible.

The last board is cut to size, not forgetting to leave a ventilation gap, the spike of the board is inserted into the groove and, tapping with a hammer through a wooden plank, set it in place. Press firmly with wooden wedges and fix on self-tapping screws.

Video - Laying a wooden floor along the logs

Rough coating of plywood and OSB

Installing a log under a plywood floor is practically the same as the technology above, the only point that needs to be taken into account is the step between them. It is better to choose it in such a way that sheets of plywood or OSB do not have to be adjusted and sawed once again.

Sheets are fastened to wood screws, sinking the cap by 2-3 mm along the edge of the sheet with an interval of no more than 20 cm, as well as in all logs with an interval of no more than 30 cm.

Video - OSB floor for decorative coating

Laying expensive types of wood is carried out according to a special technology using an adhesive layer. The process of laying solid oak boards is shown in the video.

Video - Laying solid oak boards

Decorative finishing of wooden floors

Finished natural wood floors are varnished or painted to give them an aesthetic appearance and protect them from moisture and dirt.

Close up with putty on wood the places of fastening of self-tapping screws, chips, cracks, fallen knots. Putty can be mixed with fine sawdust. The first layer of putty is dried, sanded, if necessary, repeat the operation.

Note! After varnishing, the putty becomes lighter than wood, so when choosing a shade, you need to focus not on the color of fresh wood, but on the color of the varnished sample!

If necessary, the floor is polished with a grinder or a bar wrapped in fine-grained sandpaper, vacuumed and wet cleaned. Waiting for the floor to dry completely.

The first layer of paint or varnish is applied with a roller or a wide brush, starting from the corner farthest from the door. Dry the coating in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

The first layer of coating is sanded in places of irregularities - brush hairs, small debris. Then cover it with a second layer of coloring composition.

Complete drying and curing of the coating takes from 5 to 14 days. At this time, you can walk on the floor in soft shoes, carry out dry and wet cleaning. It is not recommended to put furniture, walk on stilettos, drop heavy objects.

Fixing skirting boards

The final stage of finishing work is the fixing of skirting boards. For wooden floors, both wooden skirting boards and plastic ones are used. Skirting boards made of wood are best fixed before painting or varnishing, plastic - after the coating has dried.

Wooden plinths are attached to the board with self-tapping screws through pre-drilled holes, the caps are covered with putty.

Plastic skirting boards are usually attached to the wall with dowel screws or with the help of special clamps.

Video - Fastening a plastic skirting board with clip-on clamps

With proper installation and care, wooden floors are very durable, their service life reaches 30 years or more. Replacing the wooden floors in the apartment with your own hands, you can forget about repairing the floor for a long time and enjoy the warmth and beauty of natural wood.

This article will provide complete information regarding the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one. The main stages of replacement will also be highlighted, the rules according to which this procedure should be carried out.

Preparation for work

In the process of work, a person will need to perform several actions. First you will need to disassemble the wooden floor. Then you will need to level the ground, lay the insulation and fill the screed using a pre-prepared solution.

To replace a wooden coating with concrete, the following materials will be required: several plastic buckets, a building level, a number of shovels (one can be used for small rooms), a crowbar and a concrete mixing machine (concrete mixer).

Dismantling the wooden floor

When disassembling the floor, all safety requirements must be observed. To carry out this procedure, you can use a crowbar, as well as improvised means.

Ground leveling

Surely, a lot of debris has accumulated under the wooden base over the years. After disassembly, it will need to be removed. In this case, the soil itself must be leveled. For this purpose, a regular shovel is suitable. It is also not forbidden to use a rake.

Insulation bookmark

An excellent material that can be used as a heater will be polystyrene foam. In this case, close attention should be paid to its thickness. For greater effect, it should be at least 60 mm.

Insulation sheets have special locks, which, due to the tight connection, give the surface a perfectly even state without any gaps.

When laying insulation, waterproofing is not required. And all because polystyrene foam itself is not afraid of moisture. Insulation sheets must be laid fairly evenly. This can be achieved using the building level, which has already been discussed above.

Mortar preparation and screed pouring

In order to make a solution, you will need the following materials: gravel, sand, and a mixture of cement. All this can be purchased at almost any hardware store. The amount of these materials is calculated based on the size of a particular room.

The applied solution must be leveled. The screed must be at least 5 cm thick. A screed that is thinner may burst. After filling, you must wait two days.

During this time, the solution will have time to harden. At the second stage of pouring, the actions are similar. I would also like to note that the concrete itself reaches its maximum strength after a month from the moment of pouring.

Therefore, during this time, the screed should not be subjected to a serious load, jump, etc. To strengthen the floor, some experts recommend moistening the concrete with plain water for a month.

Are you ready to follow all the rules outlined in this article when installing a concrete floor? Share your experience in the comments.

The need to replace the elements of the flooring in the apartment may arise for various reasons. Regardless of why it was necessary to make major repairs, the amount of work to be huge. Replacing the floor in the apartment with your own hands is done in stages.

Reasons why you need to change gender

Reasons for flooring repairs may include:

• the need for installation of heat and sound insulation;
• making a decision regarding the arrangement of a "warm floor";
• the appearance of creaking sounds when moving on the surface;
• deformation of the wooden floor;
• increasing the level of humidity in the air coming from the basement;
• desire to change the interior of the apartment.

The list of works to be performed largely depends on the material of the old coating and the choice of a new type of floor surface. For example, dismantling tiles from the floor will not be so easy. In addition, it will be necessary to plan activities related to protecting the premises from dampness and improving heat and sound insulation.

Information on how to change the floor in an apartment with your own hands will help to plan in advance all stages of the implementation of the plan.

Removal of obsolete wood flooring

This process is the most time-consuming and unpleasant, but it is impossible to do without it.

When the old floor covering is wooden, then the following tools will need to be prepared for dismantling:

• hammer with a nail puller;
• hatchet;
• mount;
• screwdriver;
• electric saw or electric jigsaw (they will be required for cutting old boards);
• shovel;
• trash bags.

Dismantling begins with the removal of skirting boards along the perimeter of the room.

If it is planned to re-lay the floorboards or the old boards will be used for the construction of lags, then they should be dismantled with the utmost care, trying to minimize damage. With a nail puller, you need to pull out previously hammered nails, and with a screwdriver - self-tapping screws.

When the removed wooden elements are no longer required, they should be removed from the apartment. After freeing up space, they begin to dismantle the log. Very often they are securely attached to the rough base, so they must be removed carefully so as not to damage the base. Otherwise, you will have to spend time sealing the resulting holes.

When the old coating is removed from the room, it is necessary to carry out a thorough cleaning in it. At the end of this procedure, you can begin preparing the floor for installation.

concrete floor cleaning process

The old concrete pavement is removed only as a last resort, as it can usually be repaired. A major overhaul of such a floor is done on the condition that it cannot be saved. For example, when the concrete base was regularly exposed to water and was not dried. During this time, fungus and other microorganisms that are harmful to human health began to multiply in the concrete structure. The coating in this state must be dismantled without fail.

Also, sometimes the concrete floor is removed if the apartment has low ceilings, and it is planned to equip the floor with thermal insulation, as a result of which it will be raised a certain distance. The old coating is removed and thus frees up space for the installation of an insulating structure.

When deciding to remove the screed, it must be remembered that it was mounted on an interfloor ceiling, and therefore it should be removed very carefully. The concrete layer is removed with a perforator, splitting it into separate fragments. Usually the height of the screed is 50-120 millimeters. After its dismantling, construction debris is cleaned.

Carrying out preparatory activities

Before laying a new floor covering, the base cleaned of old material must be brought into proper form:

1. Dust is removed from the surface to see if there are defects in the base, for example, cracks or crevices, areas with peeled or crumbled pieces. Also pay attention to the presence of traces of mold and dampness.
2. If the above flaws are found, they must be eliminated - otherwise the effect of thermal and sound insulation will be less. To do this, use a cement mortar, sealant or mounting foam. The choice of material depends on the extent of damage to the base. If a fungus or mold is found, the concrete is treated with impregnating antiseptics.
3. After the subfloor has dried, the list of further measures depends on the type of new floor surface.

Creating a new screed

There are several ways to make a new screed. When there are slight height differences on the rough base and it is planned to lay wooden floors in the apartment on it with your own hands, then its surface can be made perfect using a self-leveling coating such as in the photo. It is able to level minor defects and flaws on the base.

The technology for using a dry mix for a self-leveling floor is as follows:

1. The solution is made according to the instructions on the package.
2. The finished mixture is poured and then leveled over the surface with a wide spatula or doctor blade. In order to remove air bubbles from the solution, the coating material is pierced using a spiked roller.
3. The leveled floor surface is left for a while so that it dries and gains strength.

All materials have their own maturation period, which depends on the components that make up the dry building mix.

• lay a thin layer of insulation and lay the finish on top of it;
• put sheets of plywood and mount an infrared warm floor;
• fix the wooden covering on the logs.

Screed plus expanded clay thermal insulation

A completely different version of the screed is used when it is poured onto expanded clay - a good heat and sound insulating bulk material (in more detail: ""). In addition, it is distinguished by its low weight and therefore its use will not exert a strong load on the interfloor ceilings.

This is a very important point in the arrangement of such screeds in the apartment, which are performed as follows:

1. When constructing a concrete layer on the lower floor, located above a cold basement, waterproofing is first done. It can be mounted in various ways, for example, cast, glued, plastered, etc. Waterproofing material must be placed both on the floor and on the lower part of the walls, treated in advance with a primer.
2. A dense polyethylene film is placed on the already prepared surface so that it extends 15-20 centimeters onto the walls. Pieces of material are fastened with special adhesive tape.
3. A damper tape is glued over the film along the perimeter of the room, which helps to keep the screed intact in case of temperature changes. See also: "".
4. On top of the waterproofing, they are placed and leveled according to the level of the beacon. Usually they are fixed with concrete mortar. The height of the landmarks must correspond to the sum of the thicknesses of the expanded clay layer and the screed.
5. Expanded clay is poured a little lower than the edges of the mounted beacons and leveled. Concrete solution is poured from above.
6. When the screed dries, it will sag a little and finally it can be poured with a thin layer of self-leveling compound.

On top of such a base, you can lay any kind of decorative coating.

Filling screed without insulation

The work is performed in the following sequence:

1. A waterproofing film is laid on the base, and a damper tape is glued around the perimeter of the walls.
2. Reinforcement (metal or fiberglass) is placed on the material for waterproofing, and beacons are mounted on top of the mesh, which must be set according to the level in the horizontal plane.
3. Concrete mortar is poured from the far wall above the landmarks by 1.5–2 centimeters. Laying the mixture is carried out by the rule, moving strictly along the guidelines.
4. In this way, the entire floor surface is leveled, after which the screed is left to harden - this will take up to 4 weeks (read also: "").
5. Then follows the installation of a log, laying insulation and flooring flooring.

Dry screed installation

Another way to level the base before changing the floor in the apartment is the so-called dry screed. This option of bringing the base is great for multi-story buildings. Its advantage is that there is no need to mix a solution containing water.

Equip the floor using a dry screed in stages:

1. A polyethylene film is laid on the surface of the base so that it captures the wall to the thickness of the future floor covering with a margin of 5-10 cm. A board is placed in the doorway, which should prevent the dry mixture from spilling out.
2. Beacons made of wooden beams or a metal profile are mounted on top of the film. Landmarks are leveled using the building level until a horizontal plane is obtained.
3. A filler is poured onto the film, the layer of which should be several centimeters thicker than the level of the mounted beacons.
4. Dry material is leveled according to the guidelines by the rule.
5. At the end of the process, GWP (gypsum fiber boards) with docking lock joints are laid. The mating points are treated with adhesive and the next panel is applied so that the locking elements dock evenly. Plates are additionally fastened with self-tapping screws.
6. A decorative coating is mounted on top of the prepared surface, depending on personal preference.

Wooden floor structures

The wooden floor in the apartment is being replaced with a pre-equipped screed. Flooring is done either on logs or directly on a concrete base.

Usually, property owners choose the first option, since it has many advantages. The fact is that it is possible to lay heat-insulating and noise-absorbing materials between the lags. In addition, the floor structure raised above the concrete enhances the insulating effect. Also, the logs give the flooring additional rigidity.

The lag in the apartment is being replaced in several stages:

1. After dismantling the old logs as described above, and arranging the screed, the installation of new bars begins.
2. First mark the room. For drawing lines, stretched twine, dyed blue, is used. Installation is done, observing the gap between the lags, which should correspond to the width of the insulation.
3. Then proceed to cutting the bars of the desired length. At the same time, one must not forget that they should be installed from the wall at a distance not less than the thickness of the insulation. Most often, mineral wool is used for these purposes. As for the use of expanded polystyrene in living rooms, low-quality products can adversely affect the health of residents.
4. During the next stage, the lags are fixed to the base. They can be fixed either on a concrete floor, or raised above it to a certain height using special studs or metal holders.
5. Between the racks of the logs attached to the concrete floor, a distance of 40 to 50 centimeters must be observed. By adjusting the height of the racks, the level of the mounted floor surface is brought to a horizontal plane.
6. Then the insulation is laid. First of all, this procedure is performed between the lags and the wall along the perimeter of the room and then between the bars.
7. At the next stage, the entire assembled structure is covered with a vapor barrier film, fixing it to the logs with a stapler.
8. Creating a flooring from boards is one of the most important processes. The first floorboards are laid at a distance of 5-7 millimeters from the wall, thereby creating a ventilation and compensation gap in case of linear expansions as a result of increased humidity or temperature changes in the room.
9. When the plank floor is laid, a plinth is attached on top of it. Fix it directly to the wall, and not to the wooden floorboards.
10. In the event that plywood was mounted on top of the logs, the joint of the two sheets should be located in such a way that it falls in the middle of the log bar. In order to give the surface additional rigidity, plywood sheets are fixed by analogy with bricklaying, shifting the next element by half the product.
11. After completing the laying of the material, it is necessary to seal the gaps between the sheets with putty, and after it has completely dried, the surface should be scraped off.
12. On plywood, you can mount different floor coverings, completing the design of the floor with the installation of skirting boards.

Often, a wooden floor is replaced with a concrete one in an apartment as a result of a decision to lay such a floor covering as tile, laminate, etc.

Self-dismantling and installation of the floor structure will help save a significant amount, since such services from professionals are expensive.

Replacing an old wooden floor with one can be done by hand with the tools and materials. When performing work, the accepted technical requirements must be observed.

Concrete floors are much more durable than wood floors.

Removing the old floor

Dismantling old boards is the first step. A sledgehammer and a crowbar are needed for work, but they should be used with caution in places where communications pass.

When the boards of the old flooring are completely removed, the base will open. You need to see if the lags are fixed. Often, during construction in old houses, they did not do this, but simply covered the free space with construction waste. He served as soundproofing.

Under the plank floor, there may be sand, broken boards, and dirt. Garbage must be poured into bags, after which the logs should be inspected. Rotten items should be replaced. If they are in good condition, they can be used as a base for a screed.

In this case, chipboard sheets or plywood are laid on top of the existing underlayment, but it must be understood that this will raise the level of the floor. Therefore, you need to decide whether to put a new coating on the old logs without laying the insulation, or remove them, and then pour the floors.

Most often, apartment owners choose the second option, which involves the dismantling of lags. After completing the work, you need to assess the condition of the pipes and plumbing. If necessary, they must be replaced.

Evaluation of the list of works

First you need to make all the measurements and calculate the errors.

The reinforced concrete slab needs to be inspected, and then the level should be measured. To do this, it is better to use a laser, with its help you can quickly determine if there is a height difference.

One of the following situations is often observed:

• several slabs are laid in the room, they form a step;
• in the center of the room a bulge or concavity is visible;
• the slab is placed at an angle.

The scope of work should be assessed. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the screed has a small mass, so the concrete layer is made minimal. It is poured on filling or a lightweight solution is used.

If the height difference is large, from 70 mm or more, then the order of work is as follows:

• concrete screed is made with a thickness of 40 to 50 mm;
• the remaining free space is filled with expanded clay concrete composition.

There are also cheaper ways. The first is that the rough surface is covered with sand, but such a pillow will have a large mass. You can choose the second option by making the base from plywood sheets. Under them, light, bulk material is poured on the ground. It could be expanded clay. It is needed in order to equalize the level.

The result is a smooth surface suitable for pouring the screed, and the rough filling will be of a small mass. It will additionally play the role of soundproofing. This coating is suitable for laying parquet.

Expanded clay is spilled with water, and then rammed. After the work is completed, you should wait 2-3 days until the layer is completely dry.

A little bit about very old houses

If there are no concrete floors in old buildings between floors, do the following:

• remove old boards;
• remove construction waste;
• inspect the logs, fix them in place and treat them with an antiseptic.

After that, expanded clay is poured into the ceiling between floors, and then sheets of plywood are laid. Instead, you can put sheets of chipboard. Similarly, the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one in a private house is carried out.

Construction of waterproofing and insulation

When the subfloor is ready, waterproofing material is laid on it. It can be glassine or roofing material, fiberglass or membrane is widely used.

Before laying the waterproofing, the room around the perimeter is pasted over with construction tape, and then coated with bituminous mastic. When it hardens, the waterproofing material is spread and the seams are processed. The strips should be on the walls and overlap each other by at least 15 cm. To increase the speed of work, you can purchase self-adhesive waterproofers.

Reinforcement laying

The job can be done like this:

1. First you need to put a steel mesh. It is better to use products with cells measuring 5 cm. At the same time, a gap is made for the insulation. If necessary, a 10 mm thick waterproofing layer is laid.
2. Plastic reinforcing mesh.
3. Introduction to fiber solution.

With a thickness of 40-50 mm, a chain-link mesh is often used, which is made of aluminum, but it is most convenient to choose the third option, based on the use of fibers.

This method is different in that when carrying out work, you do not need to think about leaving a compensation gap. If necessary, a warm floor can be placed inside the screed, and the fittings will not interfere with this.

Fibers have an affordable cost, they can be used to make a smooth concrete floor. But this method is suitable if the mortar is poured onto a reinforced concrete slab ceiling. In other cases, it is better to choose the classic version, which is based on the use of a reinforcing mesh.

Installation of beacons

During construction work, corners and special profiles can be used as beacons. They are installed on mounds made of gypsum putty.

After the installation is completed, you need to take the building level or several rails, and then check how smooth the surface formed by their upper points turned out to be.

If the preparation of the base was done poorly, a drop will be recorded. To create a flat surface, some of the lighthouses are removed, and mounds of putty are made of different heights.

When performing construction work, the beacons are placed from each other at a distance of a maximum of 50 cm. They are installed from the window, moving towards the door. It will be possible to remove them only after the putty has completely hardened.

Solution preparation

To reduce pressure on floors when replacing a wooden base with a concrete floor, ready-made mixtures are used. With their help, it is easy to create a layer whose thickness does not exceed 70 mm, and the minimum is 35 mm. The components do not have to be mixed, it is enough to pour in water.

In order to save money, you can make a screed yourself, for it you need the following:

1. Cement, 1 part. It is best to purchase its brand M400.
2. Construction sand, 3 parts. It is pre-screened.
3. To make the solution more plastic, lime dough is added to it. It needs 0.1 parts.
4. Fibers for reinforcement.

Before mixing the components with water, all components are mixed. As a result, a uniformly colored composition should form, only after that liquid can be added to it. At the same time, mixing is constantly done, a properly made solution is similar to thick sour cream.

Adhere to all rules for pouring concrete for the best result.

Screed laying

If you decide to do the screed on your own, work starts from the window. You can also move away from the wall that is farthest from the door. Beacons must be installed, they are guided by them during work.

The finished solution is applied in large portions; a long rule is used to level it near the corners and in the center of the room. You need to act quickly, then it will not grab, it can be easily smoothed out.

It is easiest to do concrete laying with two people. One person mixes the components, and the second distributes the concrete over the base.

Creating a finish

To achieve the most durable concrete floor that has an aesthetic appearance, you need to perform the following steps:

• sand the base with sandpaper;
• apply polymer compositions to it or paint it with paint intended for this type of coating;
• when the concrete has partially hardened, the screed can be ironed;
• cover with self-leveling floor, forming a thin layer.

If the base is planned to be covered with tiles, then the surface can not be processed. Ironing is done if there is a laminate coating or it is planned to lay linoleum. The use of expensive bulk mixtures allows you to achieve a flat surface.

The concrete coating will dry in 2-3 weeks. When choosing materials, it is worth considering that the self-leveling floor contributes to the fact that the overall level rises by 30 mm. The same is observed when using ceramic tiles, so you should think in advance about what the finish will be.

With the exception of a small percentage of secondary stock buildings with wooden floors, slab floors are used in multi-storey buildings. On the logs, either a floor covering made of grooved boards, or a draft floor made of edged boards, OSB, GVL, DSP, plywood or chipboard for other linings (parquet, linoleum, PVC tiles, cork, tiles, carpet and other materials) is laid.

Therefore, the repair of a wooden floor in Khrushchev can be done in a day (replacing the tongue) or delayed for several weeks (laying sound insulation, insulation, lag and subfloor under the parquet).

Due to the complex design and numerous layers of the pie, repairing a wooden floor in an apartment is diverse, time-consuming and budget-friendly. When the appearance is lost, the surface of the grooved board is cleaned of the existing layer of paintwork materials, painted in several layers to give the necessary aesthetics of perception.

In all other cases, partial or complete disassembly of the coating or subfloor becomes inevitable. To simplify the search for the reasons for the decrease in the operational properties of the structure, layer-by-layer dismantling is usually practiced:

Any structural element (floorboard, log or self-tapping screw) can become the cause of a creak when the mutual fixation with another part of the floor is weakened. Therefore, various methods are used to eliminate creaking - from filling the cracks in the floorboards with talcum powder to replacing the logs or screwing all the boards to the logs at an angle of 45 - 60 degrees in new places.

The causes of creaking are the wear of the elements of the wooden floor.

Advice! During the initial laying of a tongue-and-groove board as a floor covering, only the first, every fourth and last rows of material are rigidly attached to the joists. After drying, after 3-12 months, the floorboards are re-tightened with jacks, clamps or other tools. This operation is not a floor repair, it refers to the maintenance of the coating.

Repair technology

During the operation of a multi-layer structure, the repair of wooden floors in an apartment becomes necessary when defects are detected by ear and visually, which sharply reduce the comfort of living. In other words, they walk on the flooring until they get tired of the creak, or the user's leg fails.

A preventive revision is not economically viable, since for this it is necessary to take out all the furniture, dismantle the plinth, all or most of the floorboards. Repair is carried out as the structure is dismantled, depending on its complexity, special technologies are used:

Important! After the revision of the floorboards, boards unsuitable for further use are rejected. Or defective areas are cut out of them (rot, fungus, mold, warping, flying through knots).

Removing a squeak

In Soviet times, the exploitation of wooden floors in Khrushchev and Brezhnevka was practiced. The logs were laid on glassine, leveled with wooden wedges. The tongue-and-groove board was pulled together once - during the finishing of the rooms, users were usually not warned that the floorboards needed to be pulled together after drying again.

The reason for the creak is the weakening of the mutual fixation of two or more structural elements. Under load from the traffic of residents, they bend, make characteristic sounds.

To eliminate the squeak, the following algorithm of actions is usually used:

• identifying a creaking area by ear, outlining it with chalk;
• checking the presence of a fastener (nail or self-tapping screw);

• existing nails can be driven into the wood with a punch;
• with a self-tapping screw with a full thread, the floorboard is fixed in any convenient position relative to the log bar;
• with an incompletely threaded self-tapping screw, two wooden floor elements can be pressed tightly against each other, including if the hole in the floorboard has expanded over time;
• a polymer wedge is driven under the log hanging above the floor slab;
• upon detection of rotten, turned into dust sections of lumber, they are cut out, the timber / board is built up with new pieces treated with an antiseptic.

Boards in rows located far from the walls are very difficult to dismantle without destroying the interlock. Therefore, their spatial geometry and relative position relative to the floorboards in adjacent rows are regulated by longitudinal wedges:

• the wedge is cut from long wood chips;
• driven between rows of floorboards;
• prevents sagging, eliminates creaking;
• sanded flush with the surface of the floorboards.

After that, local staining of the defective area is performed or the floors are completely repainted.

Replacing the grooved board

In dry rooms, a complete replacement of the floor covering is usually carried out, since the wear of the boards is the same here. In rooms with high humidity and an abundance of cold water, sewage, hot water communications, the restoration of individual areas affected by mold, fungus or rot due to pipeline leaks is more often used. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the following factors:

• logs and the condition of the screed should be carefully examined;
• if these structural elements are in an unsatisfactory condition, the overhaul of the coating will cost less, since the operational life of the renovated area will be much higher than that of the existing floorboards, which will also have to be changed soon;
• the grooved board is laid according to the standard technology (fastening to the logs of each 4 rows), after 4 - 12 months, the flooring must be pulled together again with fixation to the logs of each row of boards;
• the plinth is attached exclusively to the walls to ensure high maintainability of the coating and mobility during the linear expansion of wood (about 0.15% for dry lumber).

Important! The height of the groove / crest of modern lumber may not match the similar locks of the exploited sheet pile, produced during the Soviet era.

Therefore, the flooring restoration technology is used according to the scheme:

Advice! It is forbidden to use gaskets between the joists and floorboards of the finished floor, since it is these details that cause creaking in the future. Plastic wedges should be laid under the logs, control the upper plane of the bars from which they are made.

Subfloor replacement

When renovating an old wood floor, it may be necessary to replace the worn out subfloor. With a lag step that satisfies the operational loads, these elements remain in place, only the black flooring is dismantled and replaced with a new one.

Depending on the finishing floor covering, materials can be used:

Works are carried out according to standard technologies with the provision of natural ventilation in the underground space.

Log replacement

If the wooden flooring does not have visual defects, but its surface is uneven, there are squeaks and other factors that reduce the quality of living, you will have to dismantle the parquet or tongue and groove board completely to provide access to the bars on which the flooring is attached.

Before repairing the logs, the screed should be revised, it is possible to replace the insulation, waterproofing and acoustic materials. In Soviet times, expanded clay or sawdust served as a heater, these materials are less effective than polystyrene foam, ecowool, and basalt heat insulator. Therefore, they are collected in bags and disposed of.

Log replacement is carried out according to the technology:

• beating the horizontal with a laser plane builder to find the top point;
• drawing a horizontal line on the walls at an arbitrary height;
• laying timber near the walls, taking into account the horizontal level.

Logs can be mounted on polymer wedges or special adjustable bolts (adjustable floor system). The bar must be securely fixed to the floor slab (screed) with anchors to prevent creaking and movement during operation. Therefore, when using wedges, long anchors are used; in adjustable floor systems, the stability of the spatial geometry of the structure is ensured by metal studs:

• they pass through the bar;
• attached to the base;
• adjustable in height with a nut, positioning the logs at the required level;
• the studs are cut flush with the grinder after alignment in a single horizontal plane of all the logs inside the room.

Advice! The logs have a certain thickness, so in the wooden floors (rough and finish), by default, an underground space appears in which it is necessary to provide natural ventilation. To do this, it is necessary to make cuts in the logs, and in the corners of the room, install the gratings diagonally into the flooring of the subfloor and floor covering.

Insulating materials

Despite the fact that the wooden floor in the apartment has soundproofing properties and reduces heat loss, additional installation of insulating materials is often required. Their relative position in the wooden floor cake is as follows:

• noise-absorbing materials - always fit on a screed or floor slab to cut off structural noise from the lower apartment;
• insulation - located on top of the acoustic material, the thickness is selected depending on the specific operating conditions;
• vapor barrier - preferably a membrane laid on top of the thermal insulation under the subfloor boards or wooden flooring to protect the insulation from getting wet by humid air vapor from the room;
• waterproofing - applied by gluing or coating on a screed or floor slab, in wet rooms the second layer of waterproofing is made on top of a wooden floor before laying moisture-resistant linings (protection against sewer leaks, water pipes).

Wooden floor pie in the apartment.

Advice! The presence of all the specified insulating layers is not a prerequisite. For example, the thickness of the floor slab may be sufficient for the concrete to completely exclude the penetration of airborne noise. In this case, you can do without soundproofing material.

Paintwork

Floor painting refers to cosmetic repairs. Before painting, the following work is done:

Wood floor color options.

After that, the repaired floor is painted in several layers.

Looping and grinding

While maintaining the bearing capacity of the wooden floor elements, it may be necessary to restore its flatness for a number of reasons:

• the boards have dried up and warped over time;
• gaps formed between the floorboards;
• sheet pile "curved like a hump" in cross section;
• in some areas of the board sank.

With a sufficient thickness of the tongue or parquet, these defects can be corrected without major repairs by grinding or sanding. Scraping equipment is expensive, it is rarely needed, so it is more reasonable to rent this equipment for the period of repair.

Grinding tongue with a belt machine.

Grinding does not require high qualifications, the necessary skills are acquired after processing 2 - 3 m² of flooring. The scraper is more difficult to use, so it is easier to order a service from qualified specialists.

Thus, when operating a wooden floor in an apartment, repairs are available to the home master on their own. The easiest way is to level the plane of the floor, get rid of the squeak of the floorboards and paint the surface. Overhaul and replacement of logs, floorboards will cost more and take more time.

Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for their selection. Just send in the form below a detailed description of the work to be done and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and firms by mail. You can see reviews of each of them and photos with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.