Screed tongue and groove board. How to lay a tongue and groove floor yourself? What tool do you need?

Flooring is a long-awaited step in the transition from the state of “when will this construction end” to the state of “it seems it will end soon.” The premises take on a more or less normal appearance, and it is easier to estimate areas and volumes. On open roads, verandas, and utility buildings, plank floors are laid from edged boards. But there are cracks in it, which, in this case, is acceptable. In residential premises, a special tongue and groove board is usually used. Its installation has its own characteristics, which we will discuss in this article. So, laying a tongue and groove floor - details and techniques.

What is a tongue and groove board and why is it better?

A tongue and groove board is a board that has a groove cut along one side and a tenon along the other. When laying, the tenon fits into the groove, creating a more durable connection, eliminating “blow-in”. And this is a plus compared to edged or deck boards.

Another plus is related to technological process: a tongue-and-groove board is “adjusted” to its geometry by cutting off the sidewalls, grinding the front side, and cutting longitudinal grooves on the back side for better ventilation. Then a tenon and groove are formed on the treated sidewalls using a milling cutter. After this, the tongue and groove board is ready. With such processing, there is certainly a difference (especially in low-grade goods), but not so great and sanding is needed, but not to the same extent as when using edged lumber.

A little about why it is so much more expensive. There is a lot of work, which is why this material is much more expensive, but the floor is stronger and more reliable.

How to choose quality material

Installing a tongue and groove floor begins with choosing the material. First let's talk about sizes. The width of the floorboard varies from 70 mm to 200 mm. If you choose one that is too narrow, it will take a lot of time to install; if it is too wide, there is a very high probability that when it dries, the edges of the board will rise and the floor will turn out ribbed. The problem can be solved by grinding, but this requires additional time and money. Therefore, most often they take a tongue-and-groove board of medium width - 130-150 cm.

The thickness of the tongue and groove board is from 18 mm to 45 mm. It is not profitable to lay a thin one - so that it does not sag when laid on the joists, they (the joists) must be installed often. Therefore, lumber with a thickness of 28 mm, 36 mm, 45 mm is often used for flooring.

The tongue and groove board is sold in different lengths. The standard ones are 3 m and 6 m, but they produce 4 m and 5 m. The choice here is simple: the length of the material should be slightly greater than the length of the room in which it will be laid. Splicing in length is not very beautiful, that’s why they do it this way more often.

Choosing a wood type

The floorboard is made from pine and spruce, larch, oak or ash. Pine and spruce are not expensive, but their wood is soft. Traces remain from heels, fallen objects, and are pressed through furniture. In places of active movement, “trails” are formed over time. The situation can be saved by covering with wear-resistant varnish in several layers. If this option suits you, it’s a good choice.

A tongue and groove larch board is a more expensive material, but also more wear-resistant. The wood has a pronounced pattern, Nice colour. Can be used uncoated or coated with oil-based formulations without creating a hard film on the surface.

Oak and ash are very beautiful hardwoods with dense, wear-resistant wood. But the price for them is completely inhumane. As in the previous version, floors made of these types of wood can be used without coating or with more gentle compositions.

Type of tongue and groove board and its characteristics

All lumber is divided into four grades:

Grade C is used when constructing a subfloor. There are too many defects in it for a clean one. Other classes are suitable for finishing coating, well, which variety you choose depends on your financial capabilities - the difference between the classes is decent.

Humidity

For comfortable installation of tongue and groove flooring, choose kiln-dried wood. In this case, after sawing, the raw material is kept in drying chambers, in which it is brought to a humidity of 8-14%. Such material is unlikely to dry out after installation - this is almost impossible, but the cost compared to the material natural drying about 50% higher. This is due to the costs of equipment (drying chambers) and fuel for drying.

Humidity is measured with a special device, which professionals have, and even then not everyone has. You can also try to determine by appearance. Most often, kiln-dried lumber is packaged in polyethylene so that it does not absorb moisture from the air. Naturally, the packaging must be undamaged and free of moisture (condensation on the inside). If you knock on dry wood, it makes a clear, ringing sound, while wet wood sounds dull.

What happens if you lay a tongue and groove floor? high humidity? The first thing you have to deal with is the formation of cracks as it shrinks. After six months or a year, the floor will have to be re-laid, removing the resulting cracks. Secondly, when drying, cracks often appear, the wood is twisted into different directions. Sometimes these curvatures can be compensated for by pressing the board harder, sometimes not. So you have to keep a couple of boards “in reserve”: to add when reassembling from shrinkage and to replace severely crumpled fragments.

Geometry

When choosing, be sure to pay attention to geometry. In addition to the fact that the thickness and width of the board must match, and there should be no significant curvature, you need to pay attention to the correct formation of the tongue and groove:

In normal production, this is all monitored, but in reality there is a very large spread - 5 mm is not the limit. It is clear that such a floor will have to be sanded. But the smaller the discrepancy, the smaller the amount of work will be. Therefore, try to find a manufacturer whose difference will be minimal.

Installation of tongue and groove flooring

Due to the possible shrinkage of wood, laying a tongue and groove floor is carried out in two stages. The first time, only every 4-5 planks are attached; after 6-18 months, the coating is sorted out, eliminating the resulting cracks. For the second time, each board is already attached to each joist.

If the premises are residential, the wood will dry out over the course of a year and lose its attractiveness. appearance. To prevent this from happening, the first time the tongue and groove board is fastened with the back side up. When re-installing, turn it face up. We have a clean coating.

Laying a tongue-and-groove floor on joists is the most acceptable option

When purchasing material, do not forget to leave a few strips so that you can add them after tightening. Depending on the initial moisture content and the width of the boards, one or two (or even more) additional ones may be required. They are also left to dry. Preferably in the same room, but possible in the attic. On the street this is already a problem, since the appearance will not be the same.

Mounting method and fastening

Laying a floor made of tongue and groove boards can be done using nails or self-tapping screws. The nails are made of flexible steel and can withstand significant loads. When you “twist” the boards, they bend, but do not break. Only there is another problem: removing them without damaging the wood is very difficult, and sometimes impossible. And it is necessary to remove fasteners when replacing boards that are too curved or when reassembling the floor after drying the wood. That’s why they use self-tapping screws more often, and not black ones, but yellow ones. Black ones are made of brittle hardened steel. Under lateral loads that occur when the boards “twist,” the caps simply fly off. So, to lay a tongue and groove floor, it is better to use yellow self-tapping screws.

There are three ways to attach the floorboard, two of which are hidden:

At secret fastening The self-tapping screw must be installed so that it does not interfere with the installation of the next board. To do this, pre-drill a hole (the diameter of the drill is equal to the diameter of the head), and then install self-tapping screws. The dimensions of the fasteners depend on the thickness of the board, but most often they are used with a length of 70-75 mm and a diameter of 4-4.5 mm. Such a long length is needed due to the fact that during a hidden fastening the screw goes in at an angle, which turns out to be not very deep.

If you still decide to do reliable fastening in the face, it can be made less noticeable. This is achieved by deepening the head into the wood (you can pre-drill a hole). The resulting recess is sealed with wood putty and sanded. The second option is to cut out the chop, install it in the recess and also sand it. But all this requires a significant amount of time and skills, therefore, when installing tongue-and-groove boards, they prefer to use hidden fastening methods.

General flooring rules

The first row is laid with a gap of 5-7 mm from the wall and secured at a distance of about 1 cm from the edge, into the front surface - into the face. This place will be covered with a plinth, so this is possible. If the “tenon” installation method is chosen, the groove is turned towards the wall, and vice versa.

The last board is also laid so that there is some gap to the wall. This can be achieved using pads and wedges that are driven between the wall and the last board. It is also attached “into the face”, retreating about 1 cm from the edge.

How to tighten floor boards

If you take a tongue and groove board of class AB or B, there will be a lot of curved board. The longer the board, the more obvious the curvature will be. The first few pieces from the wall try to choose the most even ones. They are laid and secured. This will be the basis by which you can navigate. Next, they try to select the boards so that the curved places alternate. They are pressed or even “pulled”, trying to make sure that there are no gaps.

On right traditional way ties for crooked floorboards

Various devices are used to screed floorboards. For example, a support bar and several wedges nailed at some distance. This method is good for everyone, except that you have to screw the support every time. During rough laying, when only 4-5 boards are attached, this is still normal - you can pull together several pieces at a time. But if you need to fasten each one, it takes a lot of time. That’s why they use clamps, special staples, and other devices. The clamps are simply fixed to the joists, the staples are hammered into them, after which ordinary wooden wedges are used, which hold the covering together, eliminating cracks. Both options take less time.

There are also factory options (pictured below). The main thing here is a clever mechanism for attaching it to the joists with a clamp. The mechanism for holding the boards in the desired position is also interesting.

When working, make sure that the tongue-and-groove flooring does not “go away”. This can be seen if you look at the laid floor from the side: the flooring may bend along the edges in one direction. To prevent this, periodically measure the distance from the board being laid to the walls in several places, and adjust its position to acceptable values.

The video shows in more detail how to work with such devices. The first is the traditional method with a thrust board and wedges.

Second - unusual homemade clamps from a stud and an angle for ceiling mounting of beams. Interesting option— you can adjust the length of the clamp, that is, you can rearrange it every other time.

Very interesting way for quick installation. But in this case, laying the floor from a tongue and groove board is done by two people: one presses, the second installs fasteners. You just have to pre-drill the holes for the required width lumber.

Can laying a tongue and groove floor avoid this step? Maybe if you buy “extra” class material or lay meter-long (or more) pieces. On a meter length, if there are gaps, they are small and can be easily corrected without tools.

The content of the article:

Tongue-and-groove boards are products made from a single solid wood with milled grooves and ridges on opposite ends of the material, which, when joined, form a gapless joint. Used to create high-quality seamless coatings for floors and other surfaces. We will talk about methods for laying tongue and groove boards in this article.

Advantages and disadvantages of tongue and groove flooring

Due to their design features, tongue and groove boards have significant advantages over other lumber:

• The tongue-and-groove connection ensures uniform load distribution on the boards and increases their service life.
• There are special grooves on the back side of the board to supply air to the underside of the material, which prevents the appearance of fungus.
• The covering made of tongue and groove boards has good sound and heat insulating properties.
• Thanks to the tenons and grooves, installation of the material is very fast.
• Tongue and groove boards are produced in standard sizes, which also speeds up installation work.
• The board is made from a single solid wood, without the use of chemical components.
• The coating has a beautiful appearance.
• Boards connected by groove and tongue do not deform or warp.
• The tongue and groove boards form a durable, seamless coating.
• To restore its attractiveness, it is enough to cycle or sand the front side and cover it with drying oil or special varnishes.
• The boards comply with European standards. The front part is smooth, does not require additional improvement, paint or varnish lies perfectly smoothly on it.
• In rooms with floors made of natural wood a healthy spirit is always present.
• A tongue and groove floor looks good in any room decor.
• Docking elements (groove and tenon) are manufactured using high-precision milling machine, so the connection quality is very high.

Tongue and groove coatings have weak points: to protect the surface from mechanical stress and insects, the boards must be periodically painted, varnished, and treated with antiseptics, which requires considerable funds; such material is expensive.

How to choose tongue and groove floor boards

When purchasing a tongue and groove floorboard, pay attention to the main characteristics of the lumber, which determine the durability and visual appeal of the flooring.

Type of wood for tongue and groove boards

Extra class tongue and groove boards made of hardwood (larch, oak or ash) are used to create a finished floor. This is the most expensive product, without knots, cracks and other defects, having a uniform structure and color shade. Extra class boards are highly water resistant, but are expensive.

The subfloor is assembled from softwood (pine, spruce), as well as any boards of class C. Lumber of this class is distinguished by the presence of knots, cracks, and single holes. In addition, pine and spruce boards are soft, quickly damaged by thin heels, and have poor resistance to moisture. TO positive aspects can be attributed to the low cost of the material.

Dimensions of the tongue-and-groove board blank

Measure the length of the room's walls. Determine which wall the boards will be laid parallel to. Calculate approximately total length boards for the entire room and decide what length of pieces you should buy.

The following information will help you make a decision:

1. The length of the boards should be equal to the length of the room.
2. You can buy short samples, but on the condition that they will not hang in the air.
3. Boards from 1 to 6 m are sold on the market. For flooring, lumber from 3 to 6 m in length is most often purchased, which allows you to choose optimal length workpieces and reduce the length of scraps.
4. When purchasing, increase the estimated length of the material by 10%, which may end up in scraps.
5. Recommended dimensions of tongue and groove boards: width - 70-145 mm. Thickness - from 28 mm.

Humidity of tongue and groove boards

For work, tongue-and-groove floorboards with a moisture content of 12-16% are suitable. If you have a choice, purchase products that have been dried in autoclaves - for them this figure does not exceed 10%. If the humidity is high, when drying the floor will deform, cracks and warping will appear.

Humidity is determined in several ways:

• The most reliable way is to obtain this parameter using a moisture meter.
• It is not difficult to distinguish very wet boards - just place your palm on the surface.
• When tapped with your knuckles, wet material sounds dull, while dry material sounds ringing and loud.
• Wet boards are darker in color than dry boards.
• A well-dried board has a noticeable shine, while a wet board has a matte tint.
• If the boards were in plastic packaging, inspect it for condensation. The presence of drops of moisture indicates high humidity boards

Checking the manufacturing quality of tongue and groove boards

Check the accuracy of manufacturing of grooves and tenons and the quality of processing of the front side:

1. The tenon should fit into the groove with a slight application of load, with a slight click when connected to the groove.
2. The front side must be carefully sanded.
3. The reverse side is usually roughly processed, but there must be grooves for ventilation of the flooring.
4. Buy lumber only in original packaging, which guarantees the safety of the product for a long time.

Requirements for the base for laying tongue and groove boards

The method of laying tongue and groove boards depends on the type of supporting structure of the floor. The classic option is considered to be logs or load-bearing supports that raise the floor 70 mm above the base. In low rooms, boards are laid on plywood.

Logs for tongue and groove boards

Logs are beams with a thickness of 50 to 70 mm, which are installed on a continuous, flat, hard surface, for example, on cement screed. If the base is uneven, install joists instead load-bearing beams, which are installed on point supports. Each beam of the supporting structure is leveled individually. For load-bearing supports, beams with a thickness of 100 mm or more are used.

When installing logs, follow these recommendations:

• The distance between the lags depends on the method of fastening the material and the thickness of the tongue and groove board. If the boards are laid perpendicular to the joists, the step supporting structures should be equal to 60 cm. If the boards are laid at a different angle, the step is reduced. At a laying angle of 45 degrees, the distance between the support beams is 30 cm.
• The space between the joists and the ground cannot be filled. The floor is ventilated through it.
• So that walking is not accompanied by dull sounds, sound insulation is placed on the beams - glassine, laminate substrate, padding polyester.
• In the room, the beams are fastened in such a way that the boards are laid parallel to the light flow coming from the window.
• In the corridor, the boards should be located along the main direction of movement.

Plywood backing for tongue and groove boards

Plywood is used so as not to raise the floor level. Moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 18 mm is suitable for the substrate. Thin plywood do not use, it reduces the rigidity of the base and can lead to deformation of the boards.

Install plywood as follows:

1. Check the non-flatness and horizontality of the base on which the plywood will be placed, and if necessary, modify it. Most often, plywood is laid on top of a concrete screed.
2. Cut the sheet of material into several equal parts. For example, a sheet of 1.5x1.5 m is cut into 4 parts to relieve internal stress.
3. Place the blanks on the floor diagonally to the floor boards and secure with dowels at the rate of 15 pcs. per m 2. Leave gaps of 2-3 mm between the parts, and 15 mm between the walls and plywood for temperature expansion.
4. Press the fastener heads into the wood.
5. Sand the surface with a grinder or drill with an abrasive head. For sanding, use coarse sandpaper, P24 or P36. After sanding, remove dust with a vacuum cleaner.
6. Make sure there are no greasy or other stubborn stains on the surface. If necessary, clean it with solvent.

Concrete floor for tongue and groove boards

The boards are not placed directly on the concrete screed, only on joists or plywood. But the properties of concrete to absorb liquid lead to increased humidity under the flooring and rapid rotting of the floor. Therefore, before installing a tongue and groove board, make sure that concrete base meets the following requirements:

• The maximum moisture content of concrete is 3%. The value is determined with a moisture meter. If you don’t have a device, you can use the traditional method. Put plastic film on a concrete floor, glue with tape. If after a day droplets of water appear on the bottom of the film or a wet spot appears on the floor, it means that the concrete is not dry enough.
• It is also necessary to check the condition of the surface of the screed, which should be smooth and flat. To check you will need a long ruler. Place the tool on the floor in random places and check that there are no gaps between it and the concrete. Surface deviations of more than 2 mm per 2 m ruler are not allowed. Unevenness causes creaking and sagging of the floor.
• Using a hydrostatic level, measure the levelness of the floor. A slope of more than 0.2% of the maximum length of the room is not allowed.
• To level the floor, high areas should be sanded, low areas should be filled with self-leveling mixture.
• After leveling, impregnate the concrete screed with a polyurethane primer mixture in several layers.
• To create a moisture-proof barrier between concrete and wood floors, foam film and soil mastic are used. The mastic is applied to the floor with a roller, and a film is glued to it.

Technology for laying tongue and groove boards on joists

There are several ways to lay tongue and groove boards. The choice of option depends on the type of load-bearing floor structures. Installation of coating on logs consists of several stages: preliminary installation, final fastening, finishing.

Pre-installation of tongue and groove boards

Preliminary work is performed as follows:

1. Bring the lumber into the room where you plan to lay it and leave it for 1 week. During this time, the humidity of the air and the material will level out.
2. Choose a flat board that is wall-to-wall length.
3. Place the board on the joists with the ridge facing the wall, moving 10-15 mm away from it. The gap allows the board to expand when high temperature and changes in humidity. At the end of the work, it will be covered with a plinth. The size of the compensation gap depends on the length of the boards; more precisely its value can be found in reference books on building materials.
4. Fasten the first board very securely. Screw self-tapping screws into each joist to the full thickness. Instead of self-tapping screws, you can hammer in nails.
5. Place the second board next to the first and align the tongue and groove. For a tight connection, hit the end of the second product through the block with a hammer. Attach three more boards in the same way.
6. Hammer staples into the joists at a distance of 10-15 cm from the last board. Instead of staples, you can nail boards or bars to the joists, which can also be used to tie products together.
7. Place a block 50-70 mm long on the logs and slide it all the way into the board.
8. Install two wedges between the bracket and the block, sharp ends to each other.
9. Pull the boards together by hitting the wedges with a hammer until the tenons fit tightly into the grooves, opening the gaps between the boards.
10. Screw self-tapping screws into the bottom groove of the last board at an angle of 45 degrees and secure the board to the joists. To prevent the plank from bursting, make holes for self-tapping screws in the board and joists.
11. Instead of wedges, you can use a screw jack to tie the boards together. On the joists, nail bars or boards against which the jack will rest. Place the tool on the beam. Place between it and the board wooden block(spacer) and slide it all the way into the board. Through the block the jack will act on the boards.
12. Cover the entire floor with boards, fixing every fourth to the joists with self-tapping screws.
13. The middle rows can be assembled from short boards, the main thing is that the edges are located on the joists. Place short joints in checkerboard pattern. Installing boards in a staggered manner is difficult big amount cuts, which must be strictly perpendicular to the ends of the boards. For reliability, cut the boards according to templates.
14. Tighten the last boards with wedges, which are driven into the gap between the wall and the board.
15. If the end board does not fit into the gap, trim the excess pieces with a circular saw.
16. The installed floor is left temporarily fixed for six months. The boards will age and take their final shape.

Final fastening of tongue and groove boards

At this stage, identified floor defects are eliminated and its re-laying is performed:

• Inspect the surface for any cracks that may form due to shrinkage of the lumber.
• To eliminate gaps, the floor is re-laid and each board is finally secured.
• The cuts are fixed with 3x35-40 mm self-tapping screws (for boards 40 mm thick), which are screwed in at an angle of 50 degrees from the tenon side. Hardware is installed every 30-40 cm. It is recommended to drill holes before screwing in the screws.
• During fastening, the boards must be tightened using one of the methods described above.

Finishing of tongue and groove boards

The front side of tongue and groove boards is usually processed very well at the manufacturing stage and does not require additional sanding. But products made from soft wood sometimes require modification.

Surface grinding is carried out using grinding machines - surface and angle grinders. The first device is used to treat the entire floor. Angular is necessary for grinding hard to reach places. If there are no mechanisms, you can use a sanding block or a hand scraper.

Processing occurs in three stages - along, across and diagonally of the boards. After sanding softwood boards, pile rises. To eliminate it, use triple priming and sanding of each layer.

After sanding, pine and spruce boards must be varnished to increase strength, which compensates for their softness. The varnish is applied in several layers. Larch boards do not need to be covered with a protective layer.

Fixing a tongue and groove board with glue

Boards are glued to the base in rooms with low ceilings. To work, you will need glue that contains synthetic resins - polyurethane or epoxy-polyurethane. Such solutions are characterized by strength and ductility, which ensures the movement of the flooring during thermal expansion.

Fixing the boards in this way does not allow you to adjust their position, therefore, before laying the tongue-and-groove board with glue, perform a mock-up assembly of the floor dry. Only after satisfactory results have been obtained can the boards be glued.

Laying boards on glue is done as follows:

1. Measure the length of the wall and cut a board from the workpiece 30 mm shorter than the result.
2. Place the first product near the wall with a gap of 15 mm between the canvas and the three walls. The tenon of the board should be facing towards the wall.
3. Trace the outline of the board with a pencil, which will allow you to apply glue to a section of plywood for only one board.
4. Place the second board on the other side and slide until the groove aligns with the tenon.
5. Similarly, cover the entire floor of the room. Don't forget to trace the outlines of the boards. Periodically tap them with a hammer through a wooden strip.
6. After installation, mark the position of the boards relative to each other and disassemble the floor.
7. Apply a thin layer of glue to the plywood using two spatulas. The first one should be smooth, with its help the solution is spread on the floor. The second is serrated, it evenly distributes the glue over the surface. Apply it to the area highlighted with a pencil.
8. Place a board on the solution and press it well to the floor. For reliable gluing, secure it with nails, which are driven into the tenon at an angle of 50 degrees.
9. The remaining boards are glued in a similar manner and laid according to the relative position marks.
10. After installing all the boards, you should not walk on them until the glue has completely dried.

How to attach a tongue and groove board to the floor - watch the video:

Tongue and groove boards allow you to get practical and high-quality coating with application minimal effort. The main condition for receiving good result- compliance with installation technology and serious attitude to work.

High-quality installation of plank floors - difficult task. But it can be simplified if you use not an ordinary board for assembly, but a tongue-and-groove one. The presence of tenons and grooves on the side edges allows such boards to be connected to each other, like parts of a construction set. The result is a smooth, environmentally friendly floor without cracks and, if necessary, without the visual presence of fasteners. For the result to be just like this, you need to know how to choose tongue-and-groove boards, how to lay them and connect them together, and how to replace broken floorboards. Let's talk about this in more detail.

What is a tongue and groove board?

They call it tongue and groove floorboard, on one edge of which a longitudinal groove is cut, and on the other - a tongue (tenon, ridge). When assembling the floor, a tenon of the adjacent one is inserted into the groove of one board. The connection is tight, with virtually no gaps.

Unlike edged boards, the front side of a tongue and groove board is sanded smooth and does not require additional leveling or processing with a plane. The reverse side may not be processed, but in any case it has special grooves for ventilation. They ensure free circulation of air in the floor space and, accordingly, prevent wood rotting.

With proper installation and joining of tongue and groove boards, there are completely no gaps between them. This prevents squeaks and rapid wear of the wooden covering.

The disadvantage of a tongue and groove floor is considered to be its high tendency to deformation (warping, swelling) when the humidity in the room fluctuates or when wet boards are used when installing.

Choosing good building materials

To avoid problems with the finished floor, you should take a responsible approach to the choice of tongue and groove boards and the method of storing them.

Aspect #1 - wood type

The first thing people pay attention to is the quality and type of wood. Tongue and groove boards are made from:

• Spruce and pine– inexpensive, easy-to-process breeds. Their main advantage is their low price. In addition, they have excellent heat capacity, so spruce and pine floors always seem warm. However, it is better not to use them for floors in high traffic areas. Women's heels, furniture legs, fallen objects - all this can leave wooden surface noticeable dents. Varnishing is required.
• larches– hard coniferous wood, characterized by moisture resistance and durability. Larch boards have a beautiful, clear structure and rich color. Thanks to this, it is not necessary to cover it with stains and varnish.
• Oak and ash– durable, hard rocks. Their wood has a clearly defined texture and rich shade. Ash and oak boards are considered the most reliable and durable. However, they are also the most expensive.

Aspect #2 - board sizes

The dimensions of the tongue and groove boards should also be taken into account. They may differ significantly. Ideally, the length of the boards should match (or be slightly less than) the length of the wall along which they will be laid. The thickness of the coating determines the reliability of the coating and the price. Standard sizes tongue and groove boards are as follows:

• length – 1-6 m;
• width – 70-200 mm;
• thickness – 18-45 mm.

Aspect #3 - quality class

Tongue and groove boards are sorted by quality class. There are 4 classes in total:

• Extra - the highest class or, as it is also called, euro sheet pile. This is the most expensive material, without knots, cracks, with a uniform structure and shade.
• A – material without cracks or knots, some inhomogeneity of shade is allowed.
• B – single stains and cracks are allowed.
• C – economy class, with the presence of multiple knots, single through holes, cracks. Typically, class C boards are used for subfloor installation.

This is what it looks like:

Aspect #4 - Humidity

The ideal moisture content of tongue and groove boards is 12-16%. If the boards are poorly dried, then deformation of the finished floor is inevitable. Cracks and warping of boards often occur. There will almost certainly be gaps between the boards, so the floor will have to be re-laid.

The moisture content of the boards can be determined using a moisture meter. If this device is not available, you can get by with simpler evaluation methods:

• When tapped with your knuckles, dry (suitable for flooring) wood produces a ringing, clearly audible sound. A wet board, on the contrary, sounds dull, barely audible.
• If you touch a wet board, you can feel the dampness. There is no feeling of moisture on a dry board.
• The color of a wet board is darker than that of a dry board. Also, after high-quality industrial drying, the surface of the board acquires a noticeable shine. A damp board remains matte.
• There should be no condensation inside the packaging film. Droplets of moisture on the film always indicate excessive moisture on the boards.

On what basis is it better to lay tongue and groove?

After purchasing tongue and groove boards, you can proceed to laying them. As a base you can use:

• Wooden logs fixed on top of any covering - screed, plywood, wooden floor. Also, logs can be laid on brick supports.
• Concrete floors with screed.
• Moisture-resistant plywood.
• Old wooden floor.
• Subfloor made of tongue-and-groove boards or low grade lumber.

Pre-fixed joists are considered the gold standard in construction. They allow you to efficiently tighten the boards during installation and prevent further floor deformations. Therefore, we recommend that you choose this option.

Technology for installing tongue and groove boards on joists

It is important that the laying of tongue and groove boards is carried out in two stages. First, the boards are mounted with partial fastening (usually fastening is performed only for every 4-5 boards in a row). After six months or a year, the floor is re-laid and each board is fastened. Such measures are necessary, since the boards usually dry out a little during the first six months of being in the room, and small gaps appear between them. Therefore, the boards have to be laid again, joining them more tightly.

Bark beetles and fungi like to live in wood. To avoid this, special impregnations are used - antiseptics and fire retardants. We talk about them in the material: .

To assemble a tongue and groove wooden floor you will need:

• tongue and groove boards;
• fixed logs - as a base;
• screws (or nails);
• screwdriver;
• hammer;
• level;
• brackets or stops, wedges (or screw jack).

Step #1 - laying the first board

The first board is selected as flat as possible, equal in length to the length of the wall. The board is laid with a tenon against the wall, at a distance of 10-15 mm from it. This will allow the wood to expand freely when exposed to temperature and humidity. In the future, the gap will be covered with a plinth.

The first board is secured as firmly as possible by vertically screwing self-tapping screws tightly through the entire thickness into each joist. Instead of self-tapping screws, you can use nails, driving them into the board and joist with a hammer.

Step #2 - installation and joining of subsequent boards

The next board is laid next to the previous one. Using a hammer, through a spacer block, the groove is pressed onto the tongue. 3 more boards are laid in the same way, without fastening. At the bottom of the groove of the fourth board, holes are drilled at an angle of 45° above each joist. Screws are screwed into the holes. Such fastening is temporary and requires re-laying the floor with fastening of each board (and not just the fourth) after the final aging of the wood.

To ensure tight bonding of the boards during fastening, they are tightened. You can do this in the following ways:

• Using staples and wedges. A bracket is driven into the joist 10-15 cm from the board. A wooden spacer is applied to the board - a piece of board 50-70 cm long. Two wedges are driven between the spacer and the bracket. The wedges are placed opposite each other with sharp ends. By hitting the free ends of the wedges with a hammer (or two hammers at the same time), the boards are pulled together. The tongues fit tightly into the grooves, leaving no gaps. Then screw in the screws.
• Using stops and wedges. The joining is carried out similarly to the previous method. The difference is that instead of staples, wooden stops are used. The stop is an ordinary block or board that is attached to the joist with nails or self-tapping screws. The distance from the top of the stop to the board being laid should be equal to the total thickness of the narrow parts of the two wedges.
• Using wedge-shaped compression with a movable bracket and wedges. The compression is fixed on the joist, between it supporting parts drive two wedges with a hammer. The boards are being joined together.
• By using screw jack. A support board is nailed at a short distance from the floorboards being laid. The heel of a screw jack is rested on it, which is laid along the joist. The floorboard is pulled together through a piece of tongue-and-groove board (gasket).

Step #3 - laying the last row

The last board is laid in place, a wedge is driven between it and the wall. After joining, the board is secured tightly with self-tapping screws (nails) through the entire thickness. The wedge is removed.

If the last board does not fit in width, it is cut lengthwise with a circular saw. There should be a deformation gap of 10-15 mm between the wall and the board.

Repair of tongue and groove floors

Tongue and groove floors are quite reliable, but during use, damage to one or more boards may occur. Then they are taken out of the common monolith of the floor and replaced with new ones. To do this, the ridges of the boards are cut with a circular saw with a rounded blade end. You can also use a jigsaw or a hacksaw with a narrow blade.

Replacing boards is carried out according to the following scheme:

• Several cuts are made along the board to be replaced with a saw, jigsaw or hacksaw. The depth of the cuts is slightly less than the thickness of the board, that is, without through slots.
• Using a chisel, punch the ridges of the boards along the slots.
• Remove the damaged board and the remains of the ridge from the groove.
• A new board is inserted in place of the removed board.

Thus, by replacing damaged boards as necessary, you can extend the life of your tongue and groove floor for many decades.

The classic material for flooring is wooden boards. This product is not only unique decorative look, but also high-quality technical characteristics.

Today, tongue and groove boards are increasingly being used to create a strong connection between adjacent elements. You can find out in detail what a tongue and groove is on specialized websites, where everything is described technical specifications such elements.

Deciding on the type of base

Installation of tongue and groove boards can be done on different materials, among which the most popular are:

• Wooden logs. Such structures can be mounted on almost all types of foundations, from ordinary concrete to plywood.
• Concrete. Please note that the base should not have significant differences. This will allow you to securely fix the board and will not lead to curvature of the surface.
• Moisture resistant plywood. This material can act both as the main base and as a substrate.
• Old wooden floors. Surfaces of this kind must be checked for strength and quality before installation.

Algorithm for installing sheet piles on joists

The process of laying tongue and groove boards can be divided into several successive stages:

1. The first row is fixed first. To do this, the board is laid along the wall. It is advisable to select them in such a way that the length of the tree matches the size of one of the sides of the room. It is advisable to leave a small gap of 15 mm between the wall and the board. Please note that the first row is positioned with the tenon facing inward. The board is fastened directly to the joists using a nail or self-tapping screw.
2. At this stage, all other elements are fixed. To do this, the boards are sequentially joined to the already attached layer. In this case, the tenon and groove are inserted into each other and compressed tightly. To do this, you can use a mallet and special ties that will allow you to hold the board tightly together while fixing it.
3. The installation of the last element is carried out according to the same algorithm. Only the spacer blades are already driven in between the board and the wall. If the material does not fit in size, then you need to saw it lengthwise using circular saw. It is also necessary to leave a small gap between the wall and the last board.

Installation tongue and groove boards doesn't represent special labor and requires only care and adherence to technology.

The construction market offers wide choose quality floor coverings. Despite their diversity, many consumers prefer wooden floors.

Wood has many advantages, the main one of which is its naturalness. But natural origin The material is its main disadvantage - wood is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. Under the influence of unfavorable factors, it swells, dries out, and cracks form between the lumber. Laying a floor made of tongue and groove boards can eliminate this drawback.

Will increase the service life of floorboards right choice materials. And you can get a perfectly flat, seamless surface if you lay the boards with your own hands in compliance with certain rules.

What is a tongue and groove board?

This definition applies to lumber that has a groove cut along one side and a tongue (tenon, ridge) along the other.

Thanks to this feature, the tongue fits into the groove, providing a strong connection that ensures there are no gaps.

During the production process, the material is dried and polished on both sides. In order to reduce the final cost of the product, lumber can be sanded only from the front side. Special grooves are cut on the back surface to ensure air exchange and prevent the formation of fungus.

Criterias of choice

When choosing lumber, the following indicators are taken into account:

• wood type;
• size;
• quality category;
• humidity.

Choosing a wood type

• pine, spruce;
• larches;
• oak, ash.

Features of pine and spruce

The main advantages of spruce and pine include the following indicators:

• low cost;
• elasticity;
• high heat capacity.

Pine and spruce grow throughout Russia. The pine lumber floor is pleasant to step on with bare feet. It remains warm even in the winter cold.

The disadvantages include the following:

• softness;
• high moisture absorption;
• susceptible to rotting and insect damage.

Such material requires a mandatory multi-layer coating with high-quality varnish that protects the board from moisture and other adverse factors.

Features of larch

Larch is a coniferous species. Unlike previous versions, it is characterized by increased hardness. Under the influence of moisture, larch does not collapse or rot, but becomes harder.

Larch flooring does not require varnishing. It is treated with oil impregnation, which preserves the natural texture of the wood. The main disadvantage of this material is high cost.

Features of oak and ash

Oak and ash are deciduous tree species. The oak floor looks very good. And it can last for several decades. Floorboards made of oak and ash do not require varnish.

Oil impregnation treatment is sufficient. However, laying tongue-and-groove boards made of oak and ash is not affordable for most consumers. The material is highly expensive.

Laying a wood floor from oak will require quite a bit of capital investment.

Size selection

The size of the material is determined by the following indicators:

• width (from 70 mm to 200 mm);
• thickness (from 18 mm to 45 mm);
• length (3-6 m).

The strength and durability of the floor depends on the thickness of the lumber. When laying on joists, it should be taken into account that the thinner the board, the smaller the distance between adjacent joists should be. The joists act as supports, preventing thin floorboards from sagging.

The choice of width depends on consumer preferences. Laying material that is too narrow will take a long time. It is also not recommended to choose floorboards that are too wide. Optimal width the indicator is 130-150 mm.

The length of the material should be slightly longer than the length of the room in which it is intended to be laid. If the room is too long, it is possible to join the floorboards on the joists.

Quality categories

• extra;
• class A;
• class B;
• class C.

Class A - first-class material. It includes lumber that does not have defects on the surface, but differs in structure and shade. Class B is established if there are small brown spots, knots, and cracks on the surface of the material. All three options can be used for finishing floor.

Class C includes third-grade material that has knots on the surface, a significant amount brown spots, cracks, through holes. Such boards are suitable for arranging a subfloor.

Humidity

Drying is one of the stages in the production of tongue and groove boards. Wood can be dried in autoclaves (chamber drying) and in natural conditions. Boards dried in autoclaves are of higher quality.

The optimal moisture content of materials should be 10-16%. This indicator guarantees that the boards will not shrink during operation.

Boards subjected to chamber drying, are packaged in polyethylene, protecting the material from the influence environment. During the selection process, you should pay attention to the following:

• when tapping on dried boards, a ringing sound is produced, while on wet boards, a dull sound is produced;
• the plastic packaging must be undamaged and there must be no condensation inside;
• high-quality factory boards have a light glossy shade, while raw floorboards have a dark matte shade.

Tips for laying floorboards

Installation features

The purchased material must remain in the room where it is intended to be installed for a week. During use, the boards can dry out, forming cracks.

Therefore, you need to lay the floor in two stages:

• First, every 4-5 boards are fastened;
• After 6-8 months, the floor is pulled together and each floorboard is secured to the joist.

During the drying process, wood can lose its attractive appearance. The initial fastening with the back side up will allow you to avoid unnecessary labor costs associated with grinding. After six months, the floorboards are turned over with the front side remaining clean.

You need to purchase material with a reserve, since during the process of shrinking and tightening several boards may not be enough.

Preparation for installation work

Most often, tongue and groove boards are laid on joists. The base can be a subfloor or brick columns.

Before starting work, you should prepare the following:

• logs;
• finished floorboards;
• screws for wood (the length of the screws should be 2.5 times the width of the floorboards);
• electric screwdriver;
• jigsaw or hacksaw with a wide blade;
• level;
• hammer;
• construction staples;
• wooden wedges.

Installation stages

On initial stage the longest board is selected (preferably it matches the length of the room). The floorboard must be laid tongue-and-groove against the wall, leaving a gap of 1-2 cm between the wall surface and the board.

The gap is necessary to compensate for the thermal expansion of the wood. Wooden wedges are inserted into the space between the wall and the board. Upon completion of the work, the wedges will be removed and the gap will be closed with a plinth.

The outermost floorboard is secured with self-tapping screws along its entire length to each joist.

Next, take the second board and insert it with a tongue and groove into the groove of the laid floorboard. To press the boards as tightly as possible to each other, you should attach a wooden block to it and tap it with a hammer along the entire length of the floorboard.

3 more boards are laid in the same way. A hole is drilled in the lower edge of the groove of the fourth floorboard at an angle of 45-50 degrees. Through the hole, the board is secured to the joist with a self-tapping screw.

Next, we lay the remaining boards, securing every fourth one to the joist with a self-tapping screw. In most cases, the last floorboard has to be cut using a jigsaw. The width of the board is calculated taking into account the compensation gap. The floorboard is screwed along its entire length to the joists, and the wedges are removed.

After six months, the floor is dismantled and reassembled. During the laying process, the boards are pulled together and secured to the joists with self-tapping screws.

Methods of tightening

Floor screeding is done in several ways:

• wedges and staples;
• wedges and emphasis;
• screw jack.

In the first case, the bracket is driven into the joist at a distance of 1 cm from the floorboard. A pair of wedges are inserted between it and the bracket, which are driven in with a hammer. After tightening, the board is secured with self-tapping screws, the bracket and wedges are removed. The second case is identical to the first. The only difference is replacing the bracket with a wooden stop.

The jack is placed between the bonded floorboard and the joist. It is pressed against the floorboard through a wooden block.

The process of pulling together floorboards can only be avoided if you purchase “Extra” class lumber.

By covering the floorboards with impregnation or stain, you can get the perfect flooring. The floor surface can be renewed by scraping and re-coating with impregnation or varnish.