Oak hardwood flooring installation
Hardwood is the noblest and most sophisticated type of flooring. Modern manufacturers offer a huge selection of board types. The most popular is the oak version. It is the oak floor that is the most reliable, durable and attractive. From such material you can get just a royal floor. Oak hardwood flooring installation has some features that our employees will definitely tell you about.
What is oak hardwood and its features
Such parquet is the most common type of wood flooring. It combines the best performance characteristics. Among the advantages are:
- Durability. Oak parquet can easily last more than 50 years;
- Moisture resistance. Due to its stable structure, oak practically does not deform due to changes in temperature and humidity;
- Strength. Oak is a hard and dense wood. It easily withstands loads in the form of point impacts, and is also resistant to mechanical damage;
- Wear resistance. The surface of oak parquet is practically not erased, it retains its attractiveness for many years;
- UV resistant. Oak parquet does not fade even after prolonged exposure to sunlight;
- Large selection of decors. The oak flooring lends itself well to processing, due to which it can be used to create decors for any interior.
Experts say that among other hardwood species, oak is on the first place. There are practically no drawbacks to oak hardwood. It is heavy, but this also ensures a tight fit of the canvases to each other and the stability of the covering. Please note that oak does not conduct heat and sound well. Therefore, a room with such a floor will always have a comfortable temperature and silence.
Such a floor is not at all afraid of heavy objects falling and other mechanical damage. With such a floor, you can forget about the need for repairs for many years. It does not require complex and constant care: it is enough to wipe it with a damp cloth or vacuum it. It is forbidden to use a washing vacuum cleaner: high water pressure negatively affects natural wood. Chemical detergents are also prohibited.
What tools do you need to install oak hardwood flooring
However, its installation requires knowledge of certain rules and the use of special tools. Block parquet is the most difficult to fit, which is the reason for the increased price per m2. This is a painstaking and lengthy process that requires maximum concentration from the master.
First of all, you will need standard carpentry tools to install oak parquet flooring. The specialist needs to prepare them in advance and determine what kind of equipment is missing. This will help avoid situations when in the middle of work it is necessary to urgently go to a hardware store. Pay attention to the quality of the construction tool: it must be comfortable, durable, sharp. Typically, the following tools are used for laying oak hardwood:
- Special hammer;
- Doboinik;
- Cycles;
- Scraper with handle;
- Brushes;
- Notched trowel;
- Wooden spatula;
- Cup for mastic;
- Comb;
- Hammer with backs.
Installation process step by step with descriptions of each step
Before installing oak hardwood boards, the surface must be carefully prepared. Make sure that it is completely flat: you can do this with the help of a building level. If there are differences, they must be eliminated. Otherwise, cracks will form, floor creaks will appear.
It is very easy to check the entire room for evenness of the floor. As already mentioned, you can draw a level over the surface or use the building «rule». Just stretch it across the room and locate where the tool does not fit snugly against the floor base. Concrete or leveling mixtures are poured into the depressions, and the hillocks are polished.
Next, a substrate is laid on the concrete floor, since hardwood is not placed directly on the concrete. The substrate is usually moisture resistant plywood. A waterproofing material is pre-laid under it. Hardwood is attached to plywood using a construction stapler or glue.
The installation of oak board will be successful if the master adheres to the following algorithm:
1. The prepared flat surface is covered with a primer
2. Using a comb-spatula, glue is applied to a small area of the floor
3. On the surface covered with glue, a floor fragment of 2-3 oak hardwood is laid. They are glued with effort, excess glue is immediately removed — it dries quickly
4. For greater reliability, each bar can be secured with 2-3 nails or pins through the comb. They are driven in at an angle of 45 degrees. The hardwood flooring itself is fastened through latches
5. Fully laid oak floor is left for some time until the glue completely hardens
6. Then the surface is sanded with paper with the smallest grain size. This helps to cut all defects that have arisen during work
7. Oak hardwood is covered with a stain that protects the floor surface. If you want to change its shade, you can apply 3-9 coats of varnish
8. A special impregnating oil is applied to the floor with a special spatula, after what it is polished
