What to lay a laminate on a wooden floor

Very often, people lay laminate flooring. But before installation, it is necessary to make a substrate. She will allow a laminate not to contact with a floor, and to avoid problems with loss of materials.

How to level a wooden floor before laying a laminate

There are 3 ways to level the floor:

1. Laying sheet material.
2. Creating a wet screed.
3. Cycle (suitable if irregularities are minor).

Looping is the most common alignment option. We need:

1. It is good to hammer the fastening nails on the floor.
2. We cover the cracks with putty. We are waiting for it to dry completely.
3. Grind the floor. In the process, a lot of dust and chips will be released. Delete them.
4. It is possible to lay a laminate.

The second option is the laying of sheet materials. The floors are covered with plywood or chipboards. They are mounted using self-tapping screws. We process solutions from moisture.

A wet screed is a surface coating of concrete. Of all the alignment options, this is the most effective. But be careful, the wooden floor may not withstand the load of heavy concrete. You also need to know what to lay on this floor so that the laminate does not deteriorate.

Choosing a substrate for a laminate on an old wooden floor

After surface treatment, you cannot immediately lay a laminate on it. First, a substrate is created. It has the following functions:

1. Creating a layer of thermal insulation.
2. Blocks the spread of sounds.
3. Does not allow the wooden floor to deform.
4. Prevents floor and laminate from contacting. Due to this, they will not wear out and wear out.

The following products can be used for the substrate:

1. Roll of cork canvas.
2. Linoleum of good quality.
3. Polystyrene.
4. Canvas based on geotextile materials.
5. Polyurethane.

Some as a substrate lay plywood, or chipboards. But these materials have disadvantages:

1. Materials are severely damaged by contact with water.
2. They constantly need to be treated with solutions.
3. Poor ventilation.
4. The appearance of fungus and mold.

If the loads on the room are too high, a combination of two substrates that need to be laid on the floor will be a good idea. For example, polyethylene and polystyrene foam. One layer will isolate sounds, and the other will give good thermal insulation. The substrate adheres to the floor.

From polyethylene foams

The most popular option on the market due to the good quality-price ratio. The material is made of a film based on metal and aluminum foil. Advantages are as follows:

1. Good moisture protection.
2. Biostability.
3. Thermal insulation.

Disadvantages:

1. It is deformed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
2. Quickly sags.

Attention! When choosing a material, it is necessary to pay attention to density (the higher, the better the layer). It also affects the expiration date. If the thickness of the panels is about 1 cm, the thickness of the polyethylene foam should be at least 0.3 cm.

Polystyrene

The material has good characteristics. The sublayer is made of two layers (polystyrene and aluminum foil). Its advantages:

1. Affordable price.
2. It is not affected by mold and mildew.
3. Protected against moisture.

The disadvantages are as follows:

1. It is difficult to roll out during installation.
2. Shrinks under heavy load.

Cork

At the heart of the cork substrate is the crumb of oak bark. This material can only be made of wood, and can be combined with rubber or bitumen. The advantages of the substrate are as follows:

1. Good rigidity. Strong loads are not able to compress the material.
2. The wood is natural and safe.
3. It isolates heat and sounds well.
4. It will last more than one hundred years.
5. Biostability.
6. Allows masking uneven floors.

Reference! But this material has a significant drawback - the wood rots from water. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it in rooms with high humidity (bathroom, kitchen) or in a room with underfloor heating.

Which substrate is better

Each substrate has advantages and disadvantages. Make a choice, taking into account the characteristics of the room. For example, a cork substrate will be ideal for the living room and bedroom, but not suitable for the kitchen and bathroom. Polystyrene is also a good option for the bedroom, but not suitable for the corridor and hallway (the material is compressed from the load). Polyethylene foam is ideal for the bathroom and kitchen (resistant to moisture), but not suitable for the corridor (settles due to stress).

The substrate is needed not only to protect the laminate from deformation during friction against the floors. It also performs many other functions, such as protecting the material from moisture, heat and sound insulation. Therefore, it must be chosen carefully, not all options have the characteristics we need.