Laying parquet boards on a concrete floor

Parquet has always been considered the height of chic. It is not for nothing that in all noble houses there was parquet on the floor. Merchants and nobles, and even the Emperor himself, paid tribute to parquet flooring. But before you admire it, you need to lay it correctly. There are a number of rules that need to be taken into account, otherwise the expensive coating will turn into an inconspicuous and unpleasant sight.

REFERENCE! Whatever parquet you choose, whatever the installation method, you must adhere to the technology.

Is it possible to lay parquet boards on a concrete floor?

Among the many options for laying parquet flooring, laying it on a concrete screed is one of the most popular methods. Before you begin the installation process itself, the following requirements must be met:

1. The deviation of the floor from the horizontal should not be more than two millimeters for every two meters;
2. The moisture content of concrete should not be more than five percent;
3. The strength of the concrete screed should be 150 kilograms per square centimeter.

The technology of such installation

The most important thing in all parquet laying technology is a high-quality concrete base. This requires special patience; this procedure takes a lot of time and effort.It turns out that laying parquet boards is easier than preparing the base. But alignment is very important. After all, parquet is not some kind of linoleum or laminate, which easily fits on almost any base.
Why is the issue of making the base even and rigid so urgent? Parquet boards behave differently than regular boards. If the board is hard and large in size, but on an uneven surface it begins to “play”. As a result, shear and fracture processes operate at the joints, which will certainly lead to the lock collapsing and detachment from the glued base.
For parquet to last for decades, the following conditions must be met:

• We remove dirt and dust from the surface. We use a brush or vacuum cleaner, sometimes you have to work with a rag. Using a level, we determine the depressions and heights;
• Using sandpaper and an electric sander, we smooth out the bulges, and paint the areas with depressions with a primer. Apply the primer in four layers and let each layer dry. Next, we measure and align with the general floor;
• We clean the floor thoroughly and carefully measure it.

If the errors in the floor level are within normal limits, you can begin laying the parquet floor. If, despite all efforts, it was not possible to level the floor, then you should use a self-leveling self-leveling floor.
If the base of the floor has been brought to the required quality, then you can lay the parquet directly on the concrete using glue. This will speed up the procedure, and the installation itself will be of higher quality than using a wooden backing.

IMPORTANT! There are two different types of glue for gluing parquet flooring. In the first, acrylic resin is used as a base, and the second is a polyurethane-based adhesive made of two components.

Both options have a high degree of adhesion, which will save on the purchase of expensive brands of glue.
Before you start laying the first two rows, you need to insert stop wedges along the wall. They are designed to create a gap between the wall and the parquet board. Since the glue dries very quickly, it should be prepared in small quantities and used immediately. Apply the composition using a notched trowel. After this, the first board is laid with a tenon directed towards the wall. Not only must glue be applied to the supporting surface, but the lock itself must also be glued. This is necessary for gluing at the joints.
Subsequent rows should be trimmed. Make the layout offset by one third of the length in relation to the row in front.

Disadvantages of this technology

A significant drawback of this installation technology is its strength. The fact is that dignity is also a disadvantage. If the surface of the flooring is damaged, it will be impossible to replace or repair any area. You will have to replace the entire floor covering at once. Therefore, this technology is recommended for use in small spaces.