Subfloor under tiles in a wooden house. How to lay tiles on a wood floor. Inspection of the wooden base

The success of installation and long-term service life of the floor covering is 50% determined by proper preparation of the base. According to clear construction regulations, only a perfectly leveled surface capable of “holding” the weight of the ceramics and its own stable position can become a worthy basis for tiles. Due to the fact that “windy yoke” wood is not inclined to remain permanent, laying tiles on a wooden floor has long been considered a pointless procedure. However, there are construction schemes, the use of which can reconcile the “playful” nature of the building material with the harsh nature of the tiled or clinker finish.

How to reconcile ceramics with a wooden base?

Due to the organic origin of wood, it cannot be classified as an “unshakable” building material. It shrinks from lack of moisture, swells from excess. A new wooden floor still settles for one and a half to two years after construction, and even after the period set for post-construction shrinkage has expired, movement still occurs. Movement imperceptible to the human eye negatively affects the solidity of the tiled surface. Structural connections are broken, tiles peel off and crack. As a result, not only all the work goes down the drain, but also a lot of money invested in finishing.

This means that the task of a home-grown finisher is to create a kind of damper layer that absorbs the characteristic movement of wooden elements. The hard outer part of this layer must be turned towards the ceramic coating, and the elastic rear should be exposed to the shocks and blows of the wood. In addition, the wood hidden underneath needs to breathe, otherwise it will quickly rot, overcome by fungi and mold.

Preparatory stage - preparation of the base

By wooden floor we obviously mean not only plank floorboards visible from the outside. This is a multilayer structure consisting of powerful beams, lags laid “in a cross” along them and a substrate located under the boards. Before tiles are laid on a wooden floor, all elements of this complex system must be thoroughly inspected and tested.

Inspection of the wooden base

Since it is recommended to finish a new wood floor exclusively with tongue and groove boards, it is not difficult to guess that the floor will have to be dismantled for inspection. After all, the floor with wooden floorboards has already served its purpose. The absence of squeaks and wobbly boards is not an excuse for laziness. It is possible that the problem that is already brewing may simply not be felt.

Attention. If the joists were laid at intervals of more than 50 cm, the floor will need to be completely re-laid, otherwise it will not support the weight of the ceramic-finished screed.

Let's assume that the design completely satisfies us. Then we carry out inspection, repair and preparation in the following sequence:

• remove the existing floor covering;
• we check beams and joists, replace damaged or beginning to rot elements;
• we check horizontality and carry out alignment;

Please note. If it is impossible to raise the log in the usual way - by driving a wedge or placing scraps of lumber under it, the board must be sewn on top, then trim off the excess, focusing on the level readings.

• We generously treat all components of the wooden floor with antiseptic impregnations, preferably mastics with the maximum renewal frequency indicated in the technical specifications;
• After the antifungal impregnation has dried, fill all the spaces between the joists with fine expanded clay. We fill in the insulation so that between the top line of the log and the surface of this heat insulator there remains 5 cm for ventilation;
• We are preparing to re-lay the floorboards; they will serve as a rough base, since gypsum fiber board or waterproof plywood, despite the convincing assurances of the manufacturers, will not withstand intense exposure to moisture and repeated temperature fluctuations. Although dry leveling with plasterboard, chipboards or plywood is quite suitable for arranging a bathroom, a small bath kitchenette and a rest room;

Attention. If you want to install tiles on a wooden subfloor covered with used boards, you will need to remove the paint or varnish from the floorboards. It is easier and cheaper to remove the coating with sandpaper or a sharp scraper. You can quickly remove it using a special chemical “wash” or a hairdryer, which softens the protective and decorative coating.

• we lay back the boards that have become rough, leaving 3-5 mm gaps between the floorboards to ensure the possible expansion of the rough floor. We fasten the boards with galvanized self-tapping screws (one in each row joist, two in the outer ones);
• if there are minor defects, holes from former fasteners or knots, they need to be puttied;
• level the laid subfloor with a grinding machine or simply sand it if leveling is not required;
• There should be a centimeter technological gap around the perimeter of the floor. We fill it with silicone foam or glue it with a polymer membrane tape (we bend a 30mm strip of membrane in half, attach one part to the lower edge of the wall, the other to the floor);
• the gaps between the boards, between sheets of plywood, if it was used to level the floor in “dry” rooms, are also filled with foam or glued with membrane tapes;
• To form a monolithic insulating layer, we treat the subfloor with heated drying oil or latex impregnation without the notorious savings.

Please note. Instead of mastic, you can use parchment paper, bitumen or waxed roll equivalent.

If it was decided to carry out waterproofing with drying oil or impregnation, and not with roll insulation, without waiting for them to dry completely, the prepared surface must be completely covered with a painting mesh. This will create a continuous insulating layer for laying tiles on a wooden floor, protecting against moisture and compensating for the effects of wood movement.

Lightweight screed device

Now you need to form a solid, rigid base for the ceramic floor cladding. This will be a standard screed, but lighter and more sophisticated, since the wood does not need extra pressure at all.

The base for laying porcelain stoneware, clinker or tiles on a wooden floor can be arranged in three ways, these are:

• Pouring a standard cement screed, the thickness of which does not exceed 3 cm. First, we lay a metal mesh over the waterproofing and fasten it with self-tapping screws to the rough base, then pour in a traditional cement mortar, which can be replaced with a polymer screed.

• Instead of the compositions intended for forming screeds, we use KS glue with a base of liquid glass. A two-component polyurethane adhesive will do instead. After polymerization, it will also create an elastic layer that prevents cracking of the tiles due to the deformation vagaries of wood.

Please note. You can make a solution with liquid glass for pouring screed yourself. To do this, you need to mix one part of water, two parts of washed and sifted coarse sand and two parts of liquid glass.

• In the “dry” rooms of the bathhouse, you can do quick dry leveling with DSP boards or moisture-resistant plasterboard. We lay them “in a run” at an angle of 30º to the direction of laying the rough boards so that the butt seams do not coincide. The seams can be additionally glued with a compound designed for working with gypsum plasterboard.

Description of the tile laying process technology

Before gluing, we’ll do a preliminary “try-on” and figure out how to lay the tiles on the floor more beautifully. Trimming cannot be avoided, but it is better to place the trimmed parts in shaded areas and on the periphery of the room. Therefore, we will begin the preliminary layout from the central part and from the maximum illuminated area. We will immediately determine how many tiles will need to be cut and prepare them in advance. If you don’t need to cut a lot of tiles, just stock up on a tile cutter. For numerous cuttings of tiles, you will need a grinder.

Further steps for laying ceramic tiles on a properly prepared wooden floor are no different from standard methods, so:

• To begin with, it is recommended to find the center by intersecting the diagonals. We divide the room into four equal segments, drawing directions with coated painter's cord along the walls or diagonally, depending on the chosen layout.
• We prepare the glue in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. We do not spread it more than is required to finish 1 m² of floor.

• Apply the solution with a spatula-comb to the floor surface. The size of the teeth of a comb tool depends on the dimensions of the ceramic elements. For large tiles 0.8 mm, for small ones less.
• We lay the tiles on the surface treated with glue, inserting plastic crosses into the butt seams, or in extreme cases, matches.
• We constantly control the longitudinal and transverse directions, as well as horizontality, by applying a block to several tiles.

Please note. It is possible to level the masonry and correct defects only until the adhesive solution hardens. Longitudinal and transverse directions can be adjusted by slightly moving them. The “sunken” tiles need to be separated, the missing mortar added and laid again.

All adhesive “bloopers” from the surface of the tile must be removed with a damp rag, without waiting for the solution to set. After installation is completed and the glue has hardened, the seams are moistened and rubbed.

Ceramic tile flooring is a practical option for wet rooms. This is explained by its high performance characteristics - aesthetics, durability, resistance to moisture, rotting and deformation.

Homeowners often have doubts about whether they can install tiles over wood floors. Of course, it is possible, but with strict adherence to the installation technology of the facing material.

Is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

Ceramic tiles and wood are practically incompatible materials, since wood, like any material of organic origin, dries out and becomes deformed over time. It can also swell and crack, even if it is well secured.

If you put a layer of tile adhesive, or make a cement screed directly on the floorboard, then the movement of the wood will certainly lead to peeling of the tiles, cracks in the screed and, consequently, loss of money and time for the next floor repair.

The main task is to create a shock-absorbing layer between the wooden floor surface and the tiles that will compensate for the micro-movements of the base without transferring them to the layer of tile adhesive.

The demand and popularity of ceramic tiles allows them to be widely used for covering old wooden floors. Laying ceramics is allowed on the following types of substrate:

• frame,
• log,
• lumber,
• panel board

Laying tiles on a wooden floor requires taking into account the specifics of the surface, its high-quality preparation and compliance with installation technology.

Based on the results of the preliminary inspection of the wooden base, the following activities are carried out:

• The surface is in good operating condition without damage - floor preparation and tile laying are in progress.
• The surface is damaged or deformed - installation is impossible. To begin with, a complete or partial restoration is carried out with the replacement of damaged areas.

A damper layer is installed between the tile and the base to absorb possible movement of the floor. It also provides additional protection for the floor from increased moisture and prevents premature aging of the wood.

Difficulties in installing floor coverings

Neglecting the basic rules for preparing the base and laying floor ceramics can lead to:

• To deformation, cracking and damage to the cladding as a result of wood movement.
• To damage by rot and mold in rooms with high humidity.

In the process of installing tiles, novice craftsmen may encounter some difficulties:

• Insufficient rigidity of the base due to the mobility of wood for fixing floor ceramics.
• Insufficient oxygen access to the lower part of the floor structure.
• Uneven distribution of maximum loads over the entire surface area.

Installation of floor tiles in a wooden house after completion of construction, as well as installation of floors with wooden floors, is not carried out. Work is possible only after complete shrinkage of the structure after 3-4 years. If the house is built of brick, reinforced concrete or cinder block, then flooring can be done at any time.

Features of laying tiles in the bathroom and kitchen

Ceramic tiles are often used to protect wooden surfaces in rooms and buildings with high humidity - hallway, shower room, kitchen, corridor, bathroom, bathhouse and swimming pool.

The main difference is that in the bathroom, kitchen and other functional areas the air is oversaturated with moisture and steam. This requires additional waterproofing of the surface. For these purposes, PVC film or bitumen-based roofing felt is used.

An excellent alternative is moisture-resistant plasterboard and cement-bonded particle boards up to 2 cm thick. Waterproofing materials are mounted on pre-installed bitumen roofing felt and secured with self-tapping screws.

Important! The gaps between the waterproofing material and the walls are carefully filled with polyurethane foam. This will provide additional strength to the base.

The prepared surface is primed, after which the tiles are laid.

Preparing the wooden base

Before performing facing work, it is necessary to properly prepare the wooden surface. The construction of a multi-layer floor pie will ensure solidity and ventilation of the base, reducing the load on the wood.

First, the wooden floor structure is dismantled. Deformed and damaged elements are replaced with new ones. If necessary, the lag laying step is reduced and the surface is leveled. Additionally, the structure is treated with antiseptic compounds.

Instructions for the preliminary preparation of a wooden floor include the following steps:

Stage 1. Dismantling the base and preliminary cleaning of the paintwork. Surface cleaning is carried out in three ways:

• Chemical. Treating wooden floors with chemicals that help dissolve varnishes and paints.
• Teplov. Heating the base using a hair dryer and dismantling the coating with a metal spatula.
• Mechanical. Removing the coating using a power tool - an angle grinder with an attachment, a grinder or medium-grain paper.

Stage 2. Checking the condition of individual floor structural elements - joists and beams, replacing them with new parts and leveling the surface.

Stage 3. Antiseptic surface treatment. Wood is susceptible to high moisture and temperature changes, and therefore requires maximum protection from rot, deformation and mold. Treatment is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, observing the interval and intensity of application.

Stage 4. Arrangement of a thermal insulation layer. For insulation, fine expanded clay is used to fill the free space between the joists in the floor. To maintain natural ventilation, a 6 cm technological gap is provided between the lower part of the log and the insulation.

Stage 5. Installation of subfloor. For these purposes, a clean and level board is used, which is fixed to the base using galvanized screws. The surface is leveled with a thin layer of putty. The distance from the wall to the floorboard is filled with foam.

Instead of a floorboard, 12 mm plywood or chipboard sheets can be used after pre-treatment with antiseptics.

Waterproofing layer under tiles

Careful waterproofing of the surface will ensure a long service life of the floor cladding. For these purposes, a practical, wear-resistant and reliable material is used that is resistant to moisture penetration and condensation.

The surface is treated with heated drying oil or latex-based impregnation, over which a special damper tape is laid overlapping. It provides the necessary shock absorption and compensation for movements of the wooden base.

Double-sided shock-absorbing tape is installed with the elastic side facing the wood and the durable side facing the tiles. An additional benefit of using a damper layer is to maintain natural ventilation and prevent moisture penetration.

Methods for leveling the floor surface

To lay tiles on a prepared wooden floor, you need to create a reliable monolithic surface. This can be done in three ways:

• dry method,
• method of pouring cement-concrete screed,
• express way.

Dry leveling

A fairly popular method of obtaining a flat surface using moisture-resistant plasterboard, plywood and OSB boards. Such materials are characterized by increased strength and static properties, resistant to deformation and rotting.

Dry surface leveling is different:

• Increasing the thermal insulation characteristics of the base.
• Simplicity and accessibility of the technological process of laying insulation.

Among the disadvantages are:

• A significant rise in floor level, which is unacceptable for small rooms with low ceilings.
• Visual difference between a smooth and untreated surface.

Dry leveling is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Installation of thermal insulation, treatment with protective compounds and fixation of the overlapping paint mesh.
2. Filling with a leveling dry mixture of expanded clay chips, sand and other binding components. Uniform distribution of the mixture over the entire surface.
3. Installation of the selected material - plywood or slabs - in a checkerboard pattern so that the joints between the individual elements do not coincide.
4. Cleaning the surface and joints with a grinder and treating with a deep penetration primer mixture.

Wet screed

The method of leveling the surface is similar to creating a conventional screed for decorative finishing.

A floating screed is prepared from leveling polymer and cement-sand mixtures.

Its main advantage is the creation of a monolithic base that is resistant to movement of the wooden structure. The disadvantages include: an increase in the height of the floor cake, significant labor and financial costs.

Work on arranging a wet screed is carried out in the following order:

1. Increasing the strength of the base. If the logs are located at intervals of 50 cm from each other, then it will be necessary to check and replace the deformed areas with reinforcement of the structure using bars.
2. Installation of intermediate flooring from boards. For these purposes, solid floorboards up to 4 cm thick are used, which are fixed to logs while maintaining technological gaps of 1 cm.
3. Installation of plywood or slabs up to 12 mm thick, similar to brickwork. Technological gaps between individual elements are 3 mm.
4. Installation of a waterproofing layer of polyethylene film or oiled paper over the entire surface of the floor, secured with double-sided tape.
5. Pouring a ready-made leveling mixture or cement-sand screed up to 10 mm high over the entire surface.

Express method of surface leveling

It is used to level surfaces that are in excellent operating condition or have minor visual defects. For work, moisture-resistant cardboard is used, which is fixed to the rough board using self-tapping screws or special polymer-based glue.

The main advantages of the method include simplicity and low cost of installation, and resistance to temperature changes in wood.

The process itself is performed as follows:

1. Before installing drywall, the horizontalness of the floorboards is checked. Differences are eliminated using improvised means: wax paper, roofing felt or fiberboard.
2. Drywall is mounted on the surface using brickwork in two layers. It is important to ensure that the joints between the rows do not match.
3. A gap is provided around the perimeter of the base, and the seams between the individual elements are filled with sealant.
4. The base is carefully treated with a primer mixture.
5. The gap is filled with polyurethane foam, after which the baseboard is installed.

Laying ceramic tiles

The technology for installing tiles on a wooden surface is quite simple to master on your own. First you need to prepare working tools and materials:

1. Ceramic tiles.
2. Crosses for tiles.
3. Tile adhesive.
4. Construction mixer.
5. A spatula with teeth.
6. Rubber hammer.
7. Tile cutter
8. Level.

There are several options for installing tiles: rectangular and checkerboard, herringbone, diamond or pattern.

Important! First, the material is dry laid on the surface to select the optimal installation method.

The main stages of laying tiles on a prepared base:

1. Marking the perimeter and dividing the room into four zones diagonally.
2. Prepare the adhesive mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions per 1 square area.
3. Apply the mixture with a spatula and distribute it evenly on the surface for mounting two elements.
4. Installing the tiles on the adhesive mixture with soft tapping with a hammer to ensure that each element shrinks tightly. Placing crosses in the seam space to adjust the seam width.
5. Next, the material is laid to fill the entire floor surface.
6. Checking the quality of masonry using a building level.
7. After the adhesive mixture has completely dried, remove the crosses and grout the tile joints.

High-quality tiles laid on a wooden floor will provide a reliable and practical coating that will last for decades. The main thing in this matter is to follow the installation technology, as well as take into account professional advice and recommendations.

Subfloors have several types depending on their purpose and installation method. First, you should consider their features and differences, and then talk in detail about the construction method. As always, we will use an example to consider the most complex option; if it becomes clear, then it will be much easier to make simpler subfloors.

1. According to the lags. Most often used as a base for finishing floor coverings with low load-bearing properties: laminate floors, linoleum, parquet boards or piece parquet. In these cases, subfloors absorb loads and distribute them evenly over the floor area. Sometimes such floors are called the base; this name is used by inexperienced builders, but has the right to life.
2. Under the logs. At the bottom of the logs, cranial bars are fixed; they serve as the basis for fastening the subfloor, insulation, and vapor and waterproofing.
3. Along load-bearing beams. In our opinion, this is the most successful option, but it needs to be thought through at the stage of designing a wooden house. Why do we think this?

   The distance between the floor beams is ≈ 1–1.2 meters, specific values ​​and thickness values ​​are calculated depending on the load. Then logs are placed on the floor beams with a distance of 40–60 cm. Why do double work, it is much more expedient to install the floor beams a little more often, while reducing their size. These same beams will serve as joists. What will happen as a result? Significant savings in materials.

   If you calculate the amount of timber for beams and joists in the traditional construction option, then the second option makes it possible to achieve savings of at least 40%. At modern prices for natural high-quality materials (and only the highest quality lumber is used for this work), the savings in monetary transfers amount to significant amounts. Another undoubted advantage is the increase in the height of the interior premises; with the height of the logs within ten centimeters, this is a noticeable increase.

Any low-quality materials can be used for the subfloor, except if it serves as the basis for installing finishing floor coverings. These can be either pieces of boards, OSB sheets, plywood or chipboard, or unedged boards. The thickness of the materials does not matter; boards or slabs with a thickness of one to three centimeters can be used on one floor. Thermal insulating materials will be laid on it; for them, minor differences in the height of the base are not critical. Of course, unedged boards must be sanded; wood pests breed under the bark.

The second important point for all subfloors is protection from the negative effects of moisture. Currently, there are quite effective antiseptics available, which need to be used to soak the boards at least twice.

Important. Before impregnation, the lumber must be dried. The lower the relative humidity, the more antiseptics they absorb, the more reliable the protection.

No antiseptic - no problem. Just sand the boards, the effect will be exactly the same. Treat the ends of the subfloor boards with particular care. Inattention to the ends is one of the main mistakes of inexperienced builders. They first lay the cut boards on the supporting elements, and then use a brush to treat two surfaces, forgetting about the ends. The ends of the wood absorb the largest amount of moisture; in this place all the capillaries of the wood are open.

And one last thing. Keep in mind that no antiseptics will help if the underground of a wooden house does not have effective natural ventilation. The subfloor will sooner or later lose its original properties. You will have to change not only it, but also the entire floor covering.

If you are afraid of rodents entering through the air, place metal grilles on them. If it seems to you that in winter the floors in the rooms on the first floor are very cold due to the vents (and this may be the case), then close them during the cold period. But be sure to open all the vents as it gets warmer. Ventilation, by the way, is a prerequisite for the durability of the lower crowns of a log house.

Practical advice. Use smoke or a lighter to check the effectiveness of the products. Bring an open flame to the holes and observe how and with what force the flame reacts to air currents. Poor air movement - take immediate action to increase ventilation efficiency.

How to make a subfloor in a wooden house

Let's consider one of the most difficult options - installing subfloors on joists without floor beams. Such a floor is often found in small rooms of a private house or in cases of peculiarities of log house construction technology, when floor beams were not used.

Important. Be sure to soak all lumber twice with an antiseptic and dry it well before doing this.

Step 1. Marking. Make a zero mark around the perimeter of the room using a water or laser level. This will be the finished floor level. From this mark you need to minus the thickness of the final coating and the lag. Make a second mark; the supports for the joists should be located at this level. They can be made from concrete, blocks or bricks. There must be concrete in the ground; only the above-ground part is allowed to be laid with bricks.

Step 2. Make supports in any way; the distance between them should take into account the linear parameters of the lag and the total load on the floor.

Step 3. Place all the logs under the rope, do not forget to insulate them with two layers of roofing material.

Practical advice. If possible, nail long boards along the entire length of the log at the bottom; their width should be 6–8 cm greater than the width of the log. The subfloor will be laid on these projections. Doing this is much faster and easier than fixing cranial bars on both sides of the lag in an awkward position and cramped conditions. Of course, the thickness of the boards should be taken into account when marking the position of the support posts.

Step 4. Secure the joists. To do this, you can use metal corners and fix them to the walls of the log house.

Do not forget to leave a gap of approximately 1–2 cm between the walls and the ends of the joists; take metal corners with oblong slots to ensure free longitudinal sliding. Tighten the screws in such a way that the logs can move in the slots. For reliability, it is recommended to attach the logs with dowels through at least one post; the side of the corner fixed to the log must also be movable.

Step 5. Prepare the material for the subfloor.

We have already mentioned that in our case all the scraps are suitable, some can be covered with plywood or OSB, and some with pieces of boards or unedged materials. It is desirable that the sheets of plywood and OSB be moisture-resistant; if they are not, then soak them with drying oil or an antiseptic.

Step 6. Check the distance between the joists. If it is the same, then all the workpieces can be cut to a standard length.

Practical advice. It's much faster to work with a template. Cut one board to size; it should fit between the joists with a gap. With this template, go along the entire length of the joists. The dimensions are correct - use this piece as a template when cutting the rest of the pieces. Remember that measurements should only be taken from the template, and not from fresh cut boards. If you use a new piece each time, then errors will accumulate, and they will certainly occur, and the final boards may differ significantly from the required dimensions.

Step 7 Place the boards on the prepared shelves. We have already mentioned that these can be either wide boards nailed at the bottom of the joist or skull blocks installed later on both sides. You should not try to make the subfloor continuous; small gaps do not affect anything. In order to save materials, it is recommended to specifically leave a distance of 5–8 centimeters between individual boards. But this can only be done in cases where pressed mineral wool or foam boards are used as insulation.

Step 8. Steam and waterproofing. If you have extra money and time, you can install hydro- and vapor barriers in any case.

If you don’t want to act rashly, then figure out why such protection is needed. Mineral wool has excellent heat saving properties, does not rot, and does not promote the proliferation of microorganisms, including fungi. This is great, but it has two very significant drawbacks. First, with increasing relative humidity, thermal conductivity increases sharply. Water conducts heat perfectly; there is no need to talk about any heat-protective functions. Secondly, it takes a very long time to dry. This means that all adjacent wooden elements will constantly be exposed to high humidity. There is no need to explain what the result of such conditions is.

If you insulate the ground floor with mineral wool, then a vapor barrier is required. It will prevent moisture from the ground from penetrating into the thermal insulation. If foam-based materials are used as thermal insulation, then such vapor barrier is unnecessary, these materials do not absorb water.

Now about waterproofing. In any case, the subfloor below does not need to be covered with such materials; there are no “gushing” sources in the underground. But after thermal insulation is laid on the subfloor, it is necessary to protect it from moisture penetration from the finished floor. This applies to all types of materials, mineral wool and foam. Waterproofing protects not only them from water, but also the subfloor boards and joists.

Insulating layer over mineral wool

Subfloor for “soft” floor coverings

With its help, not only the loads are evenly distributed over the surface, but also the logs or concrete foundations are leveled. Such floors are used under laminate, block parquet and parquet boards or linoleum. The materials used are sheet plywood, OSB or fiberboard; all materials must be waterproof.

The screed must be level, the difference in height cannot exceed ±2 mm.

There are two ways to lay a subfloor over a screed: on slats or directly on the base. The first method is used in cases where the base has significant unevenness, utility networks need to be laid under the floor or additional insulation needs to be done.

Leveling a concrete surface using slats is much easier and faster than re-screeding using cement-sand mortars. Waterproofing must be placed between the slats and the screed; the height of the slats is leveled with various pads and fixed with dowels. The subfloor slabs are nailed down; the dimensions of the slabs must be adjusted to the distance between the slats. The side edges should be located in the middle of the rail; two plates are fixed on it at the same time. Make sure that the four corners do not meet in one place; this position of the sheets can cause swelling of the finishing flooring.

The second option for laying a subfloor over a screed is used on flat bases that do not require additional insulation. To achieve an ideal surface, construction adhesive can be used. It is spread with a comb under the slabs and eliminates even the slightest irregularities, the subfloor becomes a single monolith with the screed. Further, the algorithm for installing the floor depends on the materials used.

The heads of the hardware must be completely recessed; for this purpose, special or homemade hammers are used. If you plan to lay linoleum on the subfloor, it is recommended to sand the entire surface with an electric machine.

Putty plywood floor

Remember to always leave a gap of 1-2 centimeters between the subfloor and the wall. To prevent passage bridges from appearing in these places, place pieces of any heat insulators in them.

Video - Construction of a subfloor

Laying ceramic tiles should only be done on a solid, level and not subject to deformation base. Wooden floors, even the highest quality ones, do not meet these characteristics. Or rather, you can fix the tiles on wooden boards, and what’s more, they will even stay in their designated place for some time. However, very soon, due to the mobility of the boards, the cement screed (or glue) will crack and the tiles will fall off. Therefore, even if you can’t wait to finish the hated bathroom renovation and quickly lay tiles on wooden floors, we strongly do not recommend doing this using the technology described above. It will take longer to redo it. The situation can be complicated by the fact that wooden boards, tightly hidden under the cement surface of screed or glue, can easily rot and then you will also have to change the subfloor.

Thus, we conclude: in order to lay tiles on a wooden floor, you need to change its characteristics. This trick can easily be done by creating another, strong and rigid base on top of the wooden floor, on which the tiles are laid. Let's take a closer look at the technology for implementing this event.

Preparatory stage - replacing old boards

First of all, it is necessary to assess the condition of the wooden floor and, if deficiencies are identified, eliminate them. If the boards do not bend or creak when walking on them, then everything can be left as is. Otherwise, the floors will have to be rebuilt.

To do this, we tear off the boards and, armed with a level, check the horizontalness of the joists. It often turns out that they are not laid level and have to be leveled. If it is not possible to lower or raise the logs that have fallen out of the general level, additional boards should be sewn onto them in order to achieve the required height. It is imperative to protect the logs from rotting, so we treat them with a protective antifungal impregnation.

Between the joists we pour expanded clay, which will further enhance the “inflexibility” of the wooden floor and will also serve heat and sound insulating purposes.

After this, we lay the removed boards on the prepared logs. If some floorboards are rotten or destroyed, then we replace them with new ones. Instead of boards, it is permissible to use sheets of thick moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm - they are dense enough not to sag and withstand the necessary load.

We lay boards or plywood sheets on the joists not end-to-end, but with a small gap (3-5 mm is enough). This is necessary for ventilation of the wooden covering. Instead of gaps, you can make holes in the wooden base - the effect will be the same. To prevent moisture from the concrete, earthen or wooden floor from getting onto the substrate, we cover the rough boards with polyethylene, parchment, bitumen paper or other waterproofing coating. A more convenient way of waterproofing protection is to apply a special mastic or solution, for example, “Polyfluid”, to the plank floor.

Liquid glass coating for plywood base

In order to use this method, we first lay sheets of plywood or chipboard treated with a protective impregnation on the subfloor. Using a wide brush, apply a layer of latex to the surface, onto which we immediately lay a painting mesh. After the latex has dried, securely fasten the mesh to the base with several self-tapping screws.

Installation of the base for the tiles - reinforced cement screed

Traditionally, tiles are fixed to a cement screed. Well, we’ll use this idea too, but we’ll just make the screed not ordinary, but reinforced - that way it will be stronger. So, on the plank floor, on top of the waterproofing, we lay a metal mesh made of thin wire.

Further along the level we set the beacons and fill in a cement screed with a thickness of 3 - 5 mm. It is more convenient to use a self-leveling floor mixture for these purposes. In this case, there is no need for a level and beacons. Cement screed is good for everyone, but it significantly makes the floors heavier, which is undesirable for houses with wooden floors.

“Dry screed” - the use of gypsum fiber sheets or DSP sheets

It is much easier to create a base for tiles using the “dry screed” technology. In this case, we lay 20 mm thick gypsum fiber sheets (GVL), consisting of compressed gypsum and cellulose fibers, on the waterproofing coating of a wooden floor. This material is much stronger and more flexible than conventional drywall, so it can be used not only for covering walls, but also for floors. In rooms with high humidity, you should prefer GVL - moisture-resistant gypsum fiber sheets. As an alternative to gypsum plasterboard, you can also consider cement-bonded particle boards with a thickness of 10 - 15 mm.

We fix the sheets of the selected material on a wooden base using self-tapping screws in a checkerboard pattern, that is, the joints between the sheets of the previous row should not coincide with the joints in the next row. At the same time, pay attention that these joints are not located above the cracks of the plank floor. It is advisable to fill the seams between the sheets with elastic polyurethane mastic (for DSP) or special glue (for gypsum fiber board). As a rule, there are gaps between the wall and the “dry screed”. We fill them with polyurethane foam.

The last stage of work on constructing the base for the tiles is the application of a deep penetration primer to the sheets of gypsum fiber board or gypsum board. Voila! Now you can start laying the tiles.

Building a wooden house is not such a difficult task if you strictly follow all the rules and regulations.

The first stage of construction is the creation of a house project. Here you can give free rein to your imagination and design your dream home. After the project has been created and approved, construction begins - pouring the foundation, erecting walls, roofs, choosing facade coverings. Very often, the construction of a house lasts more than one year. And there is a need to do some work with your own hands. Installation of rough floor coverings is precisely the kind of work that does not require special skills or training. Every man has the tools needed to install this floor.

So, the foundation has already been poured, the walls and roof have been erected, you can begin to lay the subfloor in a wooden house with your own hands.

Creating an atmosphere of comfort and warmth in the home is the most important thing. This is impossible without building a quality floor. Of course, comfort is created by a clean floor covering - laminate, tiles, carpet, parquet. But in order for this chosen coating to please you for many years, you need to prepare a high-quality rough coating.

The subfloor is the first stage of preparation for the construction of a floor in a house made of timber or timber. Installation of the subfloor is necessary to create a flat, horizontal surface for laying any finishing coating you choose. And, of course, the subfloor serves to provide additional thermal insulation in a wooden house.

The base of the subfloor is made in two possible ways - with a concrete screed or by installing wooden structures.

To create such a floor, various boards are used, which are not suitable for a finished floor, but the necessary insulating layers can be attached to them.

How to prepare the base for flooring with your own hands

Do-it-yourself subfloors in the house are made according to the following scheme:

• Based on the load on the floors in a wooden house, an underlying layer of slabs or soil is made
• leveling layer - the previous coating is leveled using building materials
• intermediate - provides ventilation
• laying a waterproofing layer
• laying the seal
• laying a vapor barrier layer

Construction of a subfloor on joists

The most common way to construct a subfloor in a wooden house is to attach it to joists (beams). Then you can attach any material to the beams - boards, plywood, hardboard, chipboard.

If the subfloor on beams is made over the ceiling, then grooves are drilled in advance in the upper crown, where the logs will then be inserted.

The logs are placed on wooden beams or a concrete covering. For wooden structures, it is best to use coniferous wood. It is less susceptible to deformation and lasts much longer.

For a room of more than 18 square meters it is necessary to install brick columns that will provide additional support and support the beams. For brick columns, you need to prepare a base of sand and gravel, then fill the recess with cement. Next, a layer of waterproofing is laid. When installing a subfloor in a wooden house with your own hands, you can use roofing felt as a waterproofing layer.

In order for the logs to hold and not deform over time, it is necessary to secure the beams, which represent the base of the subfloor, around the perimeter of the room. Next, the logs are laid, they are attached to the beams with anchors with holes. The joists for the subfloor in a wooden house do not need strong fastening, you just need to ensure that they are in a stationary position. To do this, use dowels and screws of no more than four centimeters (this will also allow the wooden structures not to be greatly deformed). The distance between the lags is set in accordance with the selected seal.

Subfloor on the ground

A subfloor on the ground is made for the first floors. Making such a floor with your own hands is not difficult. This is a type of so-called wet screed. The base is prepared from cement or self-leveling floor.

If a basement was not provided during the construction of the house, then the subfloor is not screeded. Such a subfloor is built in a wooden house according to the following scheme:

• a layer of sand is laid (no more than seventy millimeters)
• crushed stone or expanded clay is laid
• concrete screed is performed (if a basement is provided)
• hydro-, heat- and vapor barrier is installed
• a finishing screed is made from reinforced mesh

The cement base is made no more 10 centimeters.

It is imperative to clean the soil base from dirt and impurities. A layer of waterproofing material is laid on a previously cleaned base. It needs to be secured with edge tape. To create a completely flat base, use beacons.

Self-leveling flooring is used when it is necessary to level the coating. More often, the use of self-leveling floors as a rough foundation is advisable for slopes of more than thirty millimeters. This type of filling cannot be done on a soil base. The use of a hard surface is mandatory here.

DIY waterproofing for subfloors

When installing a subfloor in a house, you must pay attention to laying a layer of waterproofing. As mentioned above, roofing felt can be used as waterproofing. But there are many other materials:

• rolled materials- roofing felt, glass roofing felt, roofing felt. They provide good waterproofing and are low cost. Modern materials are membranes created from several breathable layers
• film materials- film of various types (polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene). This type of waterproofing is most often used for concrete floors.
• mastic- is a waterproofing material made of resins, liquid rubber, bitumen. This type of material provides perhaps the best protection against moisture in any room.

Choosing a sealant for a subfloor in a wooden house

Those who live in their wooden house know firsthand how important it is to properly insulate the floor. Before installing a subfloor in a wooden house with your own hands, select a high-quality seal in advance:

• mineral wool, stone wool, fiberglass - are excellent noise absorbers and provide a high level of thermal insulation. These materials can be laid both between the joists and directly under the subfloor. Mineral wool has a high degree of water repellency, and it is also fireproof (this is very important for a wooden house). Other advantages of mineral wool include low price, resistance to chemical compounds and environmental friendliness.
• expanded polystyrene or penoplex - the main advantage of these materials is their low cost. In addition, they can last a very long time and provide good thermal insulation. The main advantages of polystyrene foam include moisture resistance and excellent strength of the material.

The sealant is laid in a layer of no more than ten to fifteen centimeters.

Vapor barrier for subfloors in a wooden house

Vapor barrier is an integral part of installing a subfloor in a wooden house. Due to the vapor barrier, the humidity level in the room is controlled. The mandatory use of vapor barrier helps to avoid deformation of wooden structures. In addition, the presence of moisture (for example, in bathrooms) can contribute to the formation of fungus on the sealant or the subfloor itself.

Types of materials providing vapor barrier:

• polyethylene film. The first thing to note about using this material is its low cost and widespread availability. In specialized stores there are 2 types of polyethylene film - perforated and non-perforated. Non-perforated film is used for vapor barrier. Its permeability level is no more than forty to eighty millimeters. A less common type of film is a film with a reflective aluminum layer. It is advisable to use it for rooms with high humidity levels - baths, swimming pools, kitchens
• polypropylene film. It is more resistant to moisture. Modern polypropylene films contain a viscose-cellulose layer, which provides the subfloor insulation with a longer service life
• breathable (diffuse) membranes- capable of allowing air to pass through on one side - single-sided and on both sides - double-sided. Since the membrane is a non-woven fibrous material, it has a high coefficient of vapor permeability.

The vapor barrier is installed by gripping the walls. The vapor barrier layer is attached using a stapler.

Laying a plank base

So, the preparatory layer of the subfloor is ready. You can begin laying the plank base. The boards should be fixed at a distance of no more than two centimeters from the walls. This is due to the possibility of wood deformation.

Next, a layer of sound insulation is laid. This is not necessary, but if you want your floors to last as long as possible, it is best to install an additional layer. In addition to soundproofing qualities, this layer can provide additional thermal insulation.

A finishing coating is laid on the installed board floor. Therefore, it is important to properly level the last preparatory layer of the subfloor. In general, to avoid subsequent difficulties when laying parquet, linoleum, laminate or other flooring, use a level to check each layer of the subfloor.

As can be seen from the instructions above, laying a subfloor with your own hands is not particularly difficult. Using high-quality materials and strictly following the instructions will allow you to avoid fungal formations on wooden structures, provide the required level of ventilation, and generally allow you to enjoy a high-quality and warm floor for a long time.