Laying parquet boards on plywood

Parquet board is a reliable and aesthetically pleasing coating used not only for finishing floors, but also for walls. If you decide to cover the floor with parquet boards, then first you need to level it. How to properly install parquet boards on plywood?

Preparing for installation of parquet boards on plywood

Plywood sheets are laid on logs or concrete screed. Next, we will consider both options with step-by-step installation instructions.

Laying plywood on joists

For this you will need:

• sheets of plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm grade “FK” (moisture resistant) or Sh1 (sanded on one side);
• wooden beam measuring 70x40 mm or 70x50 mm;
• PVC film for waterproofing;
• construction tools (drill, screwdriver, hammer drill, tape measure, wedges, anchors, screws).

First you need to clear the room of construction debris and dirt. Lay PVC film (secure the joints with masking tape).

IMPORTANT! If additional sound insulation is planned, then acoustic mats are laid on film before installing the logs.

Stages of forming a base from logs:

1. Check the horizontality of the floor - it is necessary to mark the installation locations of the beams, draw parallel lines at a distance of 30–50 cm from each other.
2. At the junction of two beams, place squares of chipboard or MDF glued together (10x10 cm). Adjust them to the required height.
3. Place the outermost logs at a distance of two centimeters from the wall. Attach the beams to the squares with anchors or self-tapping screws. The joints between the beams in different rows should be shifted and not exceed 0.5 cm.
4. Install cross bars for reinforcement. They are attached with screws to the backing squares.
5. If necessary, fill the space with mineral wool or expanded clay.
6. The resulting base must be coated with a special parquet glue or treated with an antiseptic solution.

The next step is cutting the plywood sheet into squares. To begin with, it is better to make a template out of cardboard to determine the optimal size. After this, it is necessary to cover the floor with these blanks, and only then secure the sheets. You need to lay it from the far corner. Subsequent squares are laid under the first along a solid wall. The joints of the sheets should lie in the middle of the wooden block. Leave a seam of about two millimeters between the sheets.

The mounting points are marked on the sheet, and a hole is drilled for the screw. It should be longer than the thickness of the plywood. Next, screws are screwed to the joists, including the transverse ones.

The last step is to cover the gaps with mastic. For this you will need a spatula.

IMPORTANT! If there are two layers of plywood, then the second one is laid in such a way that the joints of the sheets do not coincide with the first layer.

Using concrete screed for plywood installation

Step-by-step installation instructions on a concrete screed:

1. Level the floor - to do this it needs to be primed. This will eliminate dust and strengthen the base. A primed floor will use less glue. This will also prevent moisture from appearing.
2. Cut the plywood into squares. Arrange and number the finished sheets.
3. Apply glue to the place where the first square of plywood will lie. It is better to use two-component glue.
4. Before the glue dries, immediately place the plywood on it. With a distance of 2 cm from the wall.
5. Cover the entire floor in this way.
6. Additionally, secure each sheet along the edge and diagonally using self-tapping screws with dowels.
7. Sand the joints using a sanding machine.

IMPORTANT! To avoid the formation of air spaces, the plywood must be carefully pressed onto the adhesive layer using a heavy roller.

Technology for laying plywood on a heated floor system

When laying plywood on a heated floor, it is necessary to use a moisture-proof and vapor barrier material so that it does not absorb moisture. Otherwise, the structure will become unusable.

Please note that when using a heated floor, the plywood will heat up. Therefore, you should choose a low-temperature heating system (hot water flow should be up to 55 degrees).

Installation is done without rigid fixation. The plywood is secured to the decking with metal mounting brackets. This will prevent the appearance of bloating and cracks. Between the sheets you need to leave half a centimeter and a centimeter between the wall and the floors to avoid their deformation.

The last stage is puttying and leveling the joints.

IMPORTANT! Errors in height will increase stress on the plywood. It will quickly become unusable.

Installation of parquet boards on plywood

Before you start laying parquet, the plywood base must be dry and clean.

Preparatory stage:

1. Decide on a laying pattern: herringbone, deck, wicker, square, etc.
2. Select the material of the parquet board and the number of stripes on it.
3. Purchase material with a reserve (at least 5%) - there will be scraps left during installation.
4. Create the necessary microclimate in the room (humidity - no more than 60%, air temperature - no more than 22 degrees).
5. Before laying, the parquet board must lie in the room for at least two days.

Methods for laying parquet boards on plywood:

1. Dry. The boards are fixed to each other using a locking connection. This type of parquet can be easily repaired by replacing several boards. It should be taken into account that if even one locking connection is broken, the entire floor is deformed.
2. Glue. The boards are glued to the subfloor. This method is more reliable, but it will be more difficult to repair the coating. The glue is applied to a small area of ​​the floor so that it does not have time to dry. The boards must be pressed tightly to the base. Two-component glue is best suited for this.
3. Combined. The boards are glued and additionally fixed with self-tapping screws. They are attached through a tenon at an angle of 45 degrees. This allows you to hide the fastening points.

The finished parquet floor is coated with varnish or oil to protect it from mechanical damage.

IMPORTANT! When laying parquet near a wall, you need to leave one centimeter.

Compliance with all installation rules guarantees the durability of the parquet floor. If you follow the instructions above, you can lay the parquet board yourself. This will significantly save your budget. But this will take a lot of time, especially if you have not had such experience before.