The installation of wooden floors throughout the entire building plan looks very tempting: the flooring is warm, naturally regulates humidity and has a chic look. But don’t rush to rejoice: you will face difficulties in laying the flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, where it is traditionally used tiles.

What are the difficulties of laying tiles on a wooden base?

Ceramic tiles are hard coatings that do not experience shrinkage or linear expansion during use. General principle combining building and finishing materials is to ensure the greatest possible degree of homogeneity. Thus, the behavior and physical and mechanical properties of the tile must be inherited by the base on which it is laid.

Wood does not meet these requirements. With changes in temperature and humidity, wood is prone to shrinkage - a change in linear dimensions and shape. Even tightly knit solid boards are able to “play” within 1.5-2 mm, which is categorically unacceptable for tiling. However, laying tiles on a wooden floor is possible, it requires everyone to possible ways protect wood from influence environment and create a kind of damper layer capable of absorbing vibrations of the base and providing a rigid, stationary plane for laying tiles.

Usually, they try to avoid the need to lay tiles on a wooden floor by all means. This is achieved by installing part of the floor using a different technology, for example, pouring a screed on the ground. However, combining floor systems causes difficulties in making connections between them, and the pace of construction slows down. construction work. Hence an important conclusion: preparing a wooden floor for tiles should only be done if it is justified from a practical and economic point of view.

Basic ways to solve the problem

There are three fairly well-developed and studied technologies for installing a base for tiles on a wooden floor. They all have significant drawback: as a result, the level of coverage is higher than in other rooms, despite the fact that in reality the exact opposite effect is required. Tiled floors are usually installed in kitchens or bathrooms; in the latter case, building regulations require lowering the finished floor level by 50 mm. This feature must be taken into account in advance, using larger logs when installing the supporting system in other rooms, and in rooms under tiles - rough flooring made of boards of minimal thickness.

The first way to install a base for tiles is to pour a preparatory screed. It is especially good because it allows for full floor heating. In terms of service life, the screed demonstrates itself with best side, its service life is 20-35 years. The main problem is the rather complex technology of the device and the need to perform “wet” construction work.

The other two methods are similar in many ways. The first is applicable to relatively stable wooden floors and consists of laying several layers of sheet materials on top of the rough plank flooring that are not subject to shrinkage and warping. OSB, moisture-resistant plywood and chipboard can be used as such materials, while raising the floor level is the minimum possible. The third option involves the presence of a layer between the wooden floor and the sheet covering bulk material arbitrary thickness. This is required in cases where the mobility of the rough flooring is extremely pronounced and there are no other ways to compensate for it. The disadvantage of the last two methods is the practical impossibility of installing floor heating and the high consumption of materials.

Reinforcement with sheet materials

Large-format sheet materials help to securely tighten the boardwalk, providing the necessary rigidity and immobility of the base. The best result is achieved by laying two, or even better, three layers of small thickness. Moisture-resistant birch plywood, OSB classes 3 and 4, chipboard and various combinations these materials. High-quality compensation for movements in the base can be achieved by using bottom layer glass-magnesite slabs. The total thickness of all layers should not be less than 25 mm.

All layers of flooring must be securely tied together. For this, ordinary black self-tapping screws are used, which are screwed in without pre-drilling. It is optimal if the thread on the fastener is made with a “neck” of 15-20 mm. The first layer must be attached in such a way that the sheets are pulled to each board along the edge and at a distance of 25-30 cm in the central part. All subsequent layers are attracted to the previous ones in increments of 150-200 mm along the edges and about 300-400 mm in the middle part. When laying sheets between them, you need to leave a gap for thermal expansion of about 3-5 mm.

Preparatory screed method

The purpose of pouring a screed is to immobilize the surface due to the weight and rigidity of the concrete mass. It would not be superfluous to first assess (at least by eye) the maximum degree of deformation of the plank floor. It will depend both on the pitch and cross-section of the logs, and on the thickness and quality of the boards being laid. Based on the data obtained, the maximum permissible deflection of the screed should be determined; it can be calculated using the method for calculating the deformation of a concrete slab on an elastic foundation.

Typically, fluctuations in a well-laid subfloor do not exceed 3-5 mm/m and 8-10 mm in general. To effectively counteract such distortions, either a sufficiently thick layer of screed is required (35-40 mm, the optimal thickness for installing a heated floor), or the introduction of reinforcement - welded steel mesh made of 4 mm wire with a cell of 150x150 mm or smaller.

When installing the screed according wooden floor The first step is reliable waterproofing. First, a compensation tape made of foamed polyethylene 5-6 mm thick is applied to the walls along the perimeter of the room. If you plan to include it in the screed heating elements, polystyrene foam boards are glued to the boards. Next, the entire floor area is covered with plastic film with a thickness of 250 microns, the edges are folded over the walls with an overlap of 10-15 cm, carefully bending in the corners. It is optimal if a solid canvas is laid over the entire area, otherwise the film will have to be welded or taped on both sides with an overlap of 25-30 cm. If necessary, you can shoot the film to the floor, but each staple must be covered with a piece of adhesive tape.

If a decision is made to use reinforcement, it is laid on remote clamps. The perception of bending loads will be optimal when placing the reinforcing mesh in the bottom row with minimum thickness protective layer, that is 5-7 mm. After laying out the reinforcement in increments of 1.3-1.5 meters along the long side of the room, beacons are installed, leveling them at the desired zero level of the finished floor minus the thickness of the tiles and the adhesive joint. Beacons must be mounted on lumps of the same cement mortar that will be used for pouring. To speed up setting, you can add up to 15-20% alabaster to the mixture. After hardening and checking the correct installation of the beacons, the screed is poured, the mixture is pulled as a rule along the beacons. The latter are removed on the 2-3rd day of aging, the furrows are sealed with a solution of the brand used.

Floating floor technology

The essence of the third method is the creation of a damping layer from bulk incompressible material followed by the construction of a hard coating. The latter can be either sheet flooring, including MGL and GVL, or reinforced sand-concrete screed. The method has additional benefit— a fairly high degree of sound insulation.

The bulk layer should not be made too thick, 4-5 cm is enough. The filler can be perlite, expanded clay fraction 4-6 mm or granulated foam glass. Lighter filler means less load on the subfloor and, accordingly, a higher level of permissible operational load on the finished floor. The floor filler must be dry and treated with insecticidal and bactericidal agents; it is possible to add slaked lime in an amount of 3-5% by weight.

The filling is carried out in one layer, which is leveled along the adjustable beacons and is well compacted. The top of the leveled embankment must be covered with plastic film and after leveling is completed, move only along ladders made of rigid sheet material.

The choice of floating floor base is relatively free. A screed with sand concrete of a class not lower than B22.5, 30-35 mm thick with polymer reinforcement, will provide an operational load of about 150 kg/m2. When using sheet materials, the rigidity of the floor is determined by their passport data and the number of layers. The latter, by the way, should be at least two, laid with bandaged joints of at least 30-35 cm.

Laying tiles

The final stage of floor installation is no less important than all the previous ones. For best result and the durability of the tile covering, two additions to the standard installation technology can be recommended. Before proceeding with cladding, it is necessary to ensure high-quality adhesion of the glue to the base, for which the floor is opened several times with an adhesive primer. The composition is selected according to the intended purpose for the type of material used.

The first important addition is to wipe the floor with an adhesive mixture and embed a fiberglass mesh into it to facade works. It will give the surface additional rigidity and eliminate movement of the adhesive layer.

The second nuance can be called mandatory: you should use special types tile adhesive. A good option would be elastic Ceresit CM 16 or CM 17 for critical bases.

In construction, one of the issues may be the use of materials with different properties together. Many people have doubts about how to lay tiles on a wooden floor themselves and whether this can be done. When working with your own hands, it is important to carefully study all the pitfalls of the process so that problems do not arise during the construction or operation of the house. If you choose the right materials and lay them in accordance with the technology, you can avoid a lot of troubles.

When the need arises

Many buildings old building suggest the presence wooden floors. In addition, when building houses of the following categories, you will need to lay ceramics on a wooden base:

• frame;
• frame-panel;
• lumber;
• log

The tiles are quite durable, easy to clean and easily repel water, so they are perfect for laying on wooden floors

In all these cases, the design of the house assumes the presence of wooden floors, therefore, when using ceramic tiles as finishing material, you need to lay it down correctly.

The most important question in this case is whether it is possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor. Laying is possible, you just need to take into account some features of the base. The main rooms in the house where ceramics need to be placed are:

• bathrooms;
• bathroom premises;
• kitchens;
• halls;
• corridors;
• hallways;
• utility rooms (for example, laundry room).

In all these cases best option There is no way to find anything other than laying the tiles with your own hands. Since this particular material has high strength, wear resistance, moisture resistance and ease of cleaning.

Preparatory stage

Before you begin laying tiles on a wooden floor, you need to carefully inspect the subfloor to make sure it is stable. The need is caused by the following factors:

Scheme for replacing a wooden floor before laying tiles

1. Different deformability of ceramics and wood. In the case of wood, some bends and deflections are possible: wood can easily adapt to minor deformations due to its own flexibility. Ceramics is a rigid material that requires a rigid base. If you lay it on an unstable base, large-format floor tiles will crack. The only way out of the situation is to replace flooring in the house and strengthening the foundation. But it would be right to prevent this and make sure that the wooden floor or ceiling is stable before starting work.
2. If small-format tiles are used, if the quality of the base is unsatisfactory, it is not the tiles that cause cracks, but the cement joints. This problem is also not pleasant, since dirt accumulates in cracks and crevices and worsens appearance coverings. In the bathroom, this is compounded by moisture getting into the cracks. If the base is very unstable, the floors in the house become uneven, which adds problems during operation.

It is important to remember that tiles have a fairly large mass. Laying tiles on a wooden floor creates additional stress on the floors and substructure. When conducting a thorough visual inspection, it is necessary to identify:

• sagging of flooring boards in the bathroom and other rooms in which you plan to lay tiles yourself;
• floor creaking;
• damage from fungus, mold or other organisms;
• instability of all or individual elements systems;
• loose fastenings.

If at least one of these problems is identified, the floor needs to be repaired, strengthened or rebuilt. In some cases, completely dismantling the wooden floor and pouring it will be an effective method cement screed. This is true for older houses with wooden floors. If we're talking about about a house with wooden floors, the question of reinforcement may arise load-bearing structures.
Depending on the condition of the floor, they choose the method of laying ceramic tiles.

Good condition of the base

If we are talking about a new building or if the wooden floors and ceilings are intact, you can perform the work in the following order:

1. Preparing a wooden floor for tiles. First, all wooden elements are treated with antiseptics. These compositions will prevent damage to wood by mold, mildew and harmful microorganisms. Processing is required. As additional protection Fire retardants can also be used for wood. These substances increase the material's resistance to fire. The event is not mandatory when building a house with your own hands; it is carried out at the request of the future owner. The next step before laying tiles in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen (wet areas) is a layer of waterproofing. There are a variety of leaks that can occur in your bathroom that can lead to flooding or damage. wooden structures. Roofing felt, linochrome, waterproofing, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film are used as protective materials.
2. After preparation is completed, gypsum fiber sheets are placed on the floor and secured with self-tapping screws. It is important to choose a moisture-resistant material, this is especially true for rooms with wet processes (bathrooms, toilets, kitchens). Laying is done staggered, which means there are no extended joints in any direction. Before laying tiles in the bathroom or other rooms, the hypofiber sheets are secured to the base with self-tapping screws. The pitch of the fasteners is 15 cm. At the joints, the material is fastened with glue. Next, to ensure ventilation, holes are drilled in random places, after which the joints are primed. When the primer has dried, ceramic tile adhesive is applied to the gypsum fiber. The composition must be suitable for working with drywall.
3. Laying tiles. Work should begin from the brightest corner of the bathroom or other room. Crosses are used to create seams. To level the surface and remove excess glue from under the tiles, you will need a special rubber hammer.

After the solution has dried, the crosses are removed and the joints are grouted.

The joists are in good condition, but the decking is damaged.

If the flooring boards in your bathroom, toilet or kitchen have rotted, they will need to be replaced. They do this in the following order:

1. Removing old flooring and decking boards.
2. Checking the integrity of the joists, the quality of their fastening, and the evenness of the installation.
3. If the logs are in good condition, begin preparing the wood. For this it is processed protective compounds, such as antiseptics or fire retardants.
4. Lay waterproofing. The materials that can be used are indicated in the previous paragraph. The layer is fixed between the lags.
5. If necessary, provide thermal insulation between the bars. Can be used mineral wool(mats or slabs), polystyrene foam, penoplex, polyurethane foam, expanded clay.
6. Attach new deck boards. Fastening is done using self-tapping screws. In this case, it is necessary to provide gaps between the boards of 5-10 mm. They are needed so that the boards do not move when the wood is deformed.
7. Afterwards, the work is performed in the same way as in the previous case, starting from point 2.

Poor condition of the floor

If the structure is severely damaged, there are two scenarios:

• complete replacement of the wooden floor (flooring and joists);
• removing the floor and pouring the concrete screed.

The second option is best suited for houses with reinforced concrete floors. The first is considered in the case of wooden buildings. Screed is preferable because such floors do not cause problems over time.

As the wood ages, defects such as creaking, rotting, and sagging will reappear. But if tiles are laid on the flooring, it is not easy to remove them; serious repairs will be required with labor-intensive removal of the floor covering.

After replacing the base with a wooden one, work is carried out as if the floor is in good condition, starting from point 2. If the decision is made to fill the screed, installation is carried out using the appropriate technology.

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 is construction plans, the use of which can reconcile the “playful” nature of the building material with the harsh character of tiled or clinker finishes.

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. Solid outer part this layer needs to be turned towards the ceramic coating, and the elastic back 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 multi-layer 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 you raise the lag in the usual way– it is impossible to drive a wedge or place 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 with mastics specified in technical specifications maximum update frequency;
• 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 available minor defects, holes from former fasteners or knots need to be filled with putty;
• level the laid subfloor grinder or simply sand it if leveling is not required;
• There should be a centimeter technological gap around the perimeter of the floor. Fill it with silicone polyurethane 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 analogue.

If it was decided to carry out waterproofing with drying oil or impregnation, and not roll insulation, without waiting for them to dry completely, the surface to be prepared must be completely covered with a painting net. 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 ceramic cladding floor. This will be a standard screed, but lighter and more refined, 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 a smaller one.
• 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 only possible to level the masonry and correct defects for now glue solution won't harden. 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.

09-11-2014

Ceramic or tiles are very popular as wall and floor coverings. This finish is beautiful, durable, and easy to clean. Laying tiles is not difficult; with some skills, you can do it yourself. Tile finishing is especially common household premises, kitchens, bathrooms, that is, those places where maintaining cleanliness is especially important.

Laying tiles yourself will cost much less than the work of a master.

Problems on cement-concrete base, with the availability of modern adhesive materials, grouts, and installation tools, do not exist.

What advice can you give to owners? wooden houses who have decided to decorate a wooden floor or bathroom walls with ceramic tiles?

Why is it difficult to lay tiles on wood?

The question of whether it is possible to reliably lay tiles on a wooden base causes a lot of controversy among experts and amateurs. The fact is that wood is a living material, under the influence of atmospheric moisture or gravity wood covering slightly changes its size, becomes deformed, and then, when the action of the deforming factors ceases, returns to its original form.

If you lay a tile, for example, directly on the floorboards, then it will inevitably burst or bounce off over time, unable to withstand constant, albeit small, stretching and compression. But there is a way out. Craftsmen have developed several rules that allow you to lay tiles on wooden surfaces with minimal risk. These rules take into account different types tiles and various surfaces.

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How to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

1. Ceramic tiles cannot be laid on a new wooden floor. This process can only be carried out after 2-3 years, when the intensive shrinkage of wooden structures ends.
2. To prepare the base for ceramic tiles, you need to create a flat, almost motionless surface. This can be achieved various methods, depending on which floor is available. If the boards are deformed and the underground space is small, then it is better to remove the old boards, fill the gaps between the joists with insulation and make a high-quality cement-concrete screed.
3. If this option is not suitable, you need to inspect the wooden structures, replace damaged logs and boards and impregnate all the wood special means from rotting. Then sheets of moisture-resistant plywood, chipboard, and OSB are laid on top of the old flooring. They are attached to old boards with self-tapping screws. To ensure that the surface is the same in height, the laying of sheets is constantly monitored using a level and, if necessary, they are placed wooden slats. The joints between the sheets are insulated silicone sealant.
4. A so-called technological gap is left between the walls and the new coating. Wood-based materials, although to a lesser extent than boards, swell with increasing air humidity, so the base for the tiles is made “floating”, and after installation the gap is closed with a plinth.
5. Some experts advise making the base for the tiles not from wood chips, but from sheets of moisture-resistant plasterboard or its variety of gypsum fiber boards. This material is more environmentally friendly and is not subject to deformation or rotting at all.
6. A new product in the construction industry is polymer floor leveling mixtures. They are also used to create a base for ceramic tiles. As indicated in the instructions, they can also be used on wooden surfaces. Only if you are going to make a layer of leveler more than 10 mm, should you lay a plastic reinforcing mesh on the floor.
7. After preparing the base, it is sanded if necessary, treated with a primer compatible with tile adhesive, and allowed to dry. Then the tiles are glued. Moreover, most experts advise using a special polyurethane two-component adhesive composition, which is characterized by elasticity.

Questions regarding laying ceramic tiles on a wooden floor can puzzle even an experienced craftsman. Are these materials compatible, because wood tends to expand and contract under the influence of moisture and temperature, and tiles do not tolerate any “movement”.

Consumers are concerned about the potential for cracks, seams to peel, and trim to come loose. If you try to do the work without knowing these subtleties in advance, then all of the above may well happen. Carefully studying the technology of laying tiles on a wooden floor will help you avoid disappointments and mistakes.

Is it possible to put it?

Of course, it is possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor. But before you decide to take this step, it is worth reflecting on the rationality of such a choice. The idea of ​​replacing a natural wooden floor with a tiled covering can be prompted only by one advantage of the latter - ease of hygienic care.

It is worth considering the following problematic nuances:

• Under tile adhesive, the wood will not “breathe”, which can cause the process of its destruction to begin.
• The service life of any boards is significantly shorter than the service life of floor ceramics; their integrity can be damaged by rotting or, conversely, drying out, so after 5-6 years you can end up with a cracking floor covering.
• Tile flooring requires a stable and static base.
• Laying tiles on wood in a new house is strictly prohibited. Over the course of 2-3 years, the building will shrink and the floors will move.

If you have definitely decided that you need the option of a ceramic floor on a wooden base, then you should choose the most suitable technology and purchase necessary materials. When choosing tiles, pay attention to the characteristics of the flooring, since not every room can accommodate standard tiles.

Choose a flooring material that can withstand heavy loads, but also contains a minimum amount of chemical additives in the form of plasticizers or stabilizers. An excellent option would be quartz-vinyl tiles.

This is a modern floor covering containing up to 80% quartz. Durable natural the material is moisture resistant and does not conduct electricity.

PVC tiles (polyvinyl chloride) - a budget option tiled floor. It contains wood flour or talc (the main filler), a plasticizer and polyvinyl chloride. The advantages of this finish are not only economical, but also that it is practically not susceptible to any chemical influences and is waterproof.

Installing a floor on a wooden floor

In order to choose the installation technology that is suitable for your room, you need to understand how most wooden floors are designed. There are many options for installing wooden floors. It is simply impossible to consider them all at once, so it is logical to dwell on the most common variations.

Any wooden floor has many layers, so craftsmen have to deal with different “layers”. But the choice of technology for laying ceramics does not depend on whether you inherited only logs, chipboard flooring or a high-quality floor made of boards. The process of laying tiles is always performed according to a standard algorithm, and the differences are only in preparation.

Installation technology

Regardless of which floor will be used as a base, you must try to create as level and durable a base as possible for laying the tiles. In this section, we will introduce you to the main steps of installing tiles on a wooden floor.

The installation technology includes three main stages:

• preparing the base for laying tiles;
• alignment;
• waterproofing.

A level base guarantees easy and quick tile installation. The glue will lie unevenly on a non-uniform base, which means that over time, voids will appear under the adhesive solution, and the tile will simply break off or burst. Even experienced master without the necessary tools, he will not be able to draw a conclusion about the evenness of the floor or walls.

If the house does not have a laser or water level, you should not spend money on buying one for a single floor repair; a water level can be made from two syringes connected by any transparent tube (for example, from a dropper).

Only after completing all the stages - from preparatory to screed - can you begin laying the tiles.

Preparing the base

Preparation of the base in most cases consists of leveling it. In some cases, it is necessary to replace some wooden elements, such as joists, with similar ones. Main principle work with the base - to prevent the subfloor made of wood from destroying the tile floor due to movement and temperature changes.

The master is given the task of constructing a specific “tray” installed above a moving wooden base. There are many options for making such a “tray”, so it is recommended to get acquainted with at least the basic ones.

Waterproofing

As a rule, there is already some kind of insulating layer between the joists in the wooden floor. This could be the most different material– clay, sawdust, expanded clay. There is no need to remove it - install the screed on top of the heat and soundproofing materials. If there is nothing, then lay down new lightweight insulation, for example, polystyrene foam or mineral wool. These materials will not put much strain on wooden structures.

Waterproofing can also be done using special mastics or any rolled waterproofing materials. Simple polyethylene film– an affordable waterproofing option. Construction stapler will help attach it to the walls of the room.

After laying the waterproofing material You can make reinforcement that gives the floor greater reliability during operation. To do this you need to purchase any fittings. The best option will reinforced meshØ10mm – Ø12mm, and you can lay a chain-link mesh on top. Place supports 2-3 centimeters high under the rods (you can make them from scraps plastic pipes) so that the reinforcement does not come into direct contact with the insulating material.

Today in construction stores you can buy special fiber fiber that is added to the screed solution. Thanks to fiber fiber, you can do without reinforcing mesh.

Alignment methods

There are several technologies for leveling floor coverings. Let's look at them in more detail.

Dry leveling method

It is the most common, since it allows, simultaneously with leveling, to prepare a subfloor suitable for laying tiles from various moisture-resistant materials.

This technology uses several methods:

• The use of ready-made sets from the “adjustable floor” category. They are screw plastic supports, thanks to which you can quickly install logs and place plywood or other sheets.
• If you have an initial strong plank flooring, you will need to make your own system of joists or point supports with the subsequent installation of plywood flooring.
• It is possible to lay another layer of plywood on an existing layer with securing the new gypsum board OSB layer with self-tapping screws.

Once the leveling sheets are installed, the coating should be sanded along the seams. If the joints between plywood sheets are more than 3 mm, then carefully fill the gaps with silicone sealant. Do not forget to impregnate the plywood sheets with primer. compatible with special glue. After impregnation, you can apply tile adhesive (two-component polyurethane is suitable).

The obvious disadvantage of dry leveling is that the height of the floor will increase, which means the height of the room itself will decrease. In addition, a “step” will be formed between the area of ​​the floor with tiled flooring and the area of ​​the floor without finishing, which will have to be decorated accordingly. If dry leveling is carried out in the bathroom or part of the bath rooms, then the level of the tiled floor must be made lower than the level of the wooden floor, otherwise water will flood the adjacent rooms.

If it's not suitable for you similar option When the tiled floor rises above the rest of the surface, it is better to abandon dry leveling.

"Wet screed"

It is used when complete dry leveling is impossible due to the characteristics of wooden floors.

Difficulties in execution " wet screed» on wooden floors are that it is done, observing the mandatory presence of a special deformation gap between the walls, base and new floor. This filling pattern is called “floating”; it allows the wooden floor elements to move without disturbing the ceramic coating.

The screed to be poured should not be more than 3 centimeters, otherwise the floor structure will become too heavy. It is also not worth making the fill thinner, as there is a risk of increasing the fragility of the floor.

The step-by-step process of pouring screed is as follows:

• If necessary, we disassemble the floor and assess the condition of the beams, beams, and flooring. If any element is in doubt, we replace it with a similar one.
• We install new logs (if they are not already installed) or strengthen existing ones with the help of additional structures, while the step between the logs should not be more than 0.5 meters.
• Leave a gap of approximately 1 centimeter between the ends of the joists and the walls of the room.
• We saturate all parts with wood antiseptic.

• We make wooden flooring, and even old building materials in good condition will do.
• We leave gaps of about 1 centimeter between the boards - they are necessary for ventilation. If the boards are wide, you can make additional ventilation holes.
• We attach plywood to the boards across their direction. Moisture-resistant plywood at least 1.2 centimeters thick is suitable, any other pressed plywood is also suitable particle boards. We arrange the plywood as for brickwork(there should be no cross-shaped joints of plywood sheets), and we secure the elements with galvanized self-tapping screws every 20 centimeters.

• Leave 2-3 mm ventilation gaps between the plywood sheets.
• We cover waterproofing materials prepared flooring. Can be used as waterproofing thick polyethylene, bitumen paper, glassine, paraffin paper. We roll out the insulation rolls with overlaps and sides, and secure them with construction tape.
• Along the perimeter of the walls between the sides we lay a damper tape at least 10 centimeters wide and about a centimeter thick.
• We put sleeves on all pipes.

• Fill the screed with a ready-made store-bought mixture or a home-made solution (used liquid glass(2 parts) and clean coarse sand (2 parts)). The homemade mixture must be sealed clean water(1 part).
• After hardening, you can lay the tiles.
• The “quick version” of the screed is a simple fastening of moisture-resistant plasterboard slabs with special glue (two-component polyurethane). The glue is so elastic that wood movements will not destroy its integrity. It is permissible to lay gypsum fiber boards in two layers to give the base additional strength, but you need to make sure that the seams of the 1st and 2nd layers do not coincide.

The GVL base, like the previous version of the “liquid screed,” requires maintaining the technological gap between the GVL slabs and the walls of the room, priming the entire surface with a primer, and filling the joints with sealant.

A popular material that allows to make a high-quality base for a tiled floor are cement-bonded particle boards (CSB). If you carefully consider the choice of products (make sure you have a manufacturer’s certificate and a product passport, which indicates the composition of the CBPB in accordance with GOST), then you can be sure that you will receive an environmentally friendly building material, characterized by reliability and high quality. Many professionals are confident that the quality of the DSP is higher than most modern materials with relative economy.

Laying

The following rules will help you correctly lay ceramic floor tiles:

• Apply the adhesive solution with a “comb” - a special spatula with two edges - flat and serrated. The flat edge will help distribute the glue correctly, and the “teeth” will make the surface even. The spatula must be worked in one direction (marks from the teeth should be directed in one direction).

• Excess glue removed with a “comb” is returned to the glue bucket, mixed and used further.
• Examine the back of the ceramic product; most often there is an arrow there that allows you to determine the direction of installation relative to the direction of the applied adhesive solution. The grooves in the adhesive mortar and the stripes on the tiles should be perpendicular, which will ensure the most reliable adhesion of the adhesive and finishing material.
• In order not to worry about the same width of the seams (even a millimeter shift in the first row of tiles will lead to a shift of several centimeters in the future), use plastic crosses - special parts of different thicknesses. The most common option is flexible cross-shaped parts with a thickness of 5 mm. The plastic from which the crosses are made must be of high quality, otherwise when removed they will break and remain in the seams.

• After laying the tiles, allow the adhesive solution to dry for 2-3 days, and then you can begin grouting.
• The grouting solution is prepared from a special dry mixture; its consistency should be similar to the consistency of thick sour cream.
• Grouting is carried out with elastic rubber spatula(it should not bend under pressure) and correct it with your fingers if necessary. If after 3-4 hours you see holes or depressions in the seams, then feel free to put on rubber gloves and “rework” what you missed.
• Remove excess grout from the tiles with a dry cloth or sponge.
• After 1-2 days, the tiles can be washed.

Installation troubles

If you are just mastering the technology of laying tiles on the floor, then some defects in the process of decorating the floor cannot be avoided. But it’s not scary if you have time to fix them before the solution dries. Let's look at the most common possible errors:

• We correct the lopsided row immediately, before the adhesive solution has hardened. Therefore, it is necessary to check the “horizontal” of the entire row immediately after installation. If the “horizontal” is broken, the row will have to be removed.
• “Steps” is a defect that usually occurs on walls. But floor tiles can also begin to shift in steps if the angle of the walls in the house is not straight. Trim the tiles if necessary, this will allow you to lay the covering correctly and maintain the angle.

• If one of the tiles in the row lies askew, it means that there is no cross in the seam and it needs to be inserted urgently, and the tile should be secured with masking tape.
• If you do not notice a defect on the tile, then this may also be the reason for its displacement. There is only one way out - remove the product and re-glue it.
• If the tiles are too recessed into the adhesive solution, then you have applied the adhesive unevenly. This often happens if you are gluing for the first time and apply the adhesive solution before gluing each tile.