How to make a grooved board with a manual circular saw. tongue-and-groove board laying technology

16.06.2019

All photos from the article

Planed tongue and groove board is common building material, since the tree is environmentally friendly, durable and at the same time durable material. In addition, due to the presence of a tongue, the process of its installation is simplified. Below we will take a closer look at the features of the tongue and groove board and its areas of use, as well as consider what to look for when choosing and how to make it yourself.

General information

So, main feature of this material is the presence of a thorn and a groove. Actually, this castle connection makes this one so popular. Thanks to the tongue and groove, the boards are tightly and securely joined to each other, forming a continuous surface without gaps.

I must say that a similar connection system can be found in materials such as:

parquet;
laminate;
PVC panels, etc.

There is also another distinguishing feature this lumber, which consists in processing - its front side is most often carefully polished. The reverse side may be unpolished.

Advantages

Among positive qualities grooved boards, the following points can be distinguished:

is an environmentally friendly and vapor-permeable material, which makes it an excellent finishing coating;
good durability even in outdoor use, which is achieved modern technologies processing;
low thermal conductivity, due to which the material has good thermal insulation qualities;

as mentioned above, the installation of a tongue-and-groove board is very simple thanks to the lock connection;
has an attractive appearance.

As a result of these advantages, tongue and groove board and is widely used in construction.

disadvantages

As for the existing shortcomings, they apply to all lumber:

high price compared to artificial counterparts;
tendency to warp, which is excluded by the correct choice of material and compliance with the installation technology;
the need for periodic processing - varnishing or painting.

Application area

The lumber in question is most often used as a finishing coating. In particular, the traditional area of its application is the arrangement of a plank floor. With the help of a tongue-and-groove board, it is possible to lay it like a plank floor, i.e. from long boards, and type-setting - from short ones.

Also, this lumber is used for wall decoration. Truth, Wall panels usually differ in profile front side imitating a bar. Therefore, a grooved board for walls is also called.

The construction market offers a wide range of quality flooring. Despite their diversity, many consumers prefer a wooden floor.

The tree has a lot of advantages, the main of which is its naturalness. But the natural origin of the material is its main drawback - the tree is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. Under influence adverse factors it swells, shrinks, gaps form between the lumber. To eliminate this drawback, laying the floor from a tongue-and-groove board is capable.

The right choice of materials will increase the life of the floorboards. 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 grooved board

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

Thanks to this feature, when the tongue enters the groove, providing strong connection to ensure there are no gaps.

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

Criterias of choice

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

type of wood;
the size;
quality category;
humidity.

The choice of wood species

pines, spruces;
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 stays warm even in the cold of winter.

The disadvantages include the following:

softness;
high moisture absorption;
susceptibility to decay, damage by insects.

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

larch features

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

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

Features of oak and ash

Oak and ash are deciduous trees. The oak floor looks very good. And it can last for decades. Oak, ash floorboards do not require varnishing.

Sufficient oil treatment. However, laying tongue and groove boards made of oak and ash is not affordable for most consumers. The material is high cost.

Laying the floor with oak wood will require no small capital costs

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 logs, it should be borne in mind that the thinner the board, the smaller the distance between adjacent logs should be. The joists act as supports, preventing the thin floorboards from sagging.

The choice of width depends on the preferences of consumers. Laying material that is too narrow will take a long time. Too wide floorboards are also not recommended. The optimal width is 130-150 mm.

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

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 set if there are small brown spots, knots, cracks on the surface of the material. All three options can be used for finishing the floor.

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

Humidity

Drying is one of the stages in the production of grooved boards. Wood can be dried in autoclaves (chamber drying) and in natural conditions. Higher quality board dried in autoclaves.

The optimum moisture content of materials should correspond to 10-16%. This indicator guarantees the absence of shrinkage of the boards during operation.

Boards that have undergone chamber drying are packed in polyethylene, which protects the material from the influence environment. During the selection process, you should pay attention to the following:

when tapping on dried boards, a sonorous sound is made, on damp - deaf;
plastic packaging must be intact, and there must be no condensate inside;
a high-quality factory board has a light glossy tint, while wet floorboards have a dark matte tint.

Floorboard laying tips

Mounting Features

The purchased material should be in the room where it is supposed to be laid for a week. During operation, the boards are able to dry out, forming cracks.

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

first, each 4-5 board is fastened;
after 6-8 months, the floor is pulled together, each floorboard is fixed to the log.

In the process of shrinkage, wood can lose its attractive appearance. To avoid unnecessary labor associated with grinding, the initial fastening with the back side up will allow. After six months, the floorboards are turned over with the front side remaining clean.

You need to purchase material with a margin, since in the process of shrinkage and contraction of several boards it may not be enough.

Preparation for installation work

Most often, grooved boards are laid on logs. The base can be a draft floor or brick columns.

Before starting work, prepare the following:

lags;
finishing floorboards;
self-tapping screws for wood (the length of the self-tapping screws should be 2.5 times the width of the floorboards);
electric screwdriver;
jigsaw or hacksaw with a wide blade;
level;
a hammer;
building brackets;
wooden wedges.

Installation steps

On the initial stage the longest board is selected (it is desirable that it corresponds to the length of the room). The floorboard must be laid with a 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 wood. Wooden wedges are inserted into the space between the wall and the board. At the end of the work, the wedges will be removed and the gap closed with a plinth.

The extreme floorboard is fixed with self-tapping screws along the entire length to each log.

Next, the second board is taken and inserted with a tongue 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 through it with a hammer along the entire length of the floorboard.

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

Next, we put the rest of the boards, fixing every fourth on the log with a self-tapping screw. The last floorboard in most cases 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 the entire length to the logs, the wedges are removed.

Six months later, the floor is disassembled and reassembled. In the process of laying the boards are pulled together and fixed on the logs with self-tapping screws.

Contraction methods

Floor screed is produced in several ways:

wedges and staples;
wedges and emphasis;
screw jack.

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

To avoid the process of tightening the floorboards is possible only in the case of the purchase of lumber class "Extra".

By covering the floorboards with impregnation or stain, you can get the perfect floor covering. You can renew the floor surface by sanding and re-coating with impregnation or varnish.

AT modern renovation, wooden floors are made mainly from grooved boards. This allows you to avoid many of the shortcomings such as creaking, cracks, drops, etc., inherent in floors made of ordinary boards. If you also decide to make a floor from a grooved board, then in our article you can find out how to choose a grooved board, how to install it and how to repair floors from this material.

For right choice tongue-and-groove boards, you need to know about the features, classification, manufacturing method and categories of boards.

Manufacturing

The tongue-and-groove board is made of a tree of coniferous and deciduous breeds. Cutting boards is made from the core of the logs, after which they are dried to 8-10% moisture content. After drying, the boards are cut to size, processed on a thicknessing machine and with the help of a cutter, a tenon-groove connection is made along their edges. Boards have dimensions: width from 80 to 200 mm, thickness from 15 to 22 mm, length from 600 to 6000 mm. The tenon-groove connection can be either on two or four sides, this criterion mainly depends on the length of the board. On sale, there are also boards with other parameters. At the end of the manufacturing process, the boards are treated with antiseptics.

Advantages

The tongue-and-groove board has a number of advantages, in comparison with a usual edged board:

Features of choice

When choosing boards for the floor, consider the load factor on the floor. For floors with a heavy load, buy a tongue-and-groove board made of hardwood: oak, alder, mahogany, birch. If a small load is assumed on the floor, then it is quite possible to get by with cheaper conifers: pine, cedar, spruce.

When making a purchase, be sure to pay attention to the appearance of the boards. If there are white or dark spots on the surface, then this may be a symptom of wood infection with a fungus or mold. Also carefully inspect the boards for the presence of insects living in the wood.

Not all sellers of boards comply with the storage conditions for lumber. For this reason, the boards you bought may be wet. To save yourself from an unsuccessful purchase, check the moisture content of the wood. This can be done using a moisture meter or folk methods:

When buying a grooved board, ask the seller to show you a certificate of conformity.

Grooved board installation

Production of grooved board floors, best done after all finishing works. The temperature in the room where the boards are being installed should not be less than five degrees Celsius. Humidity should be no more than 30-20%.

As mentioned above, the material from which the tongue and groove board is made is selected depending on the expected load on the floor surface. With a strong load on the surface, hardwood boards are used. In rooms with low traffic, softwood boards will suffice.

The quality of the boards and, accordingly, the category, choose based on financial capabilities and the option of finishing the floor. If you want to cover the floor with a transparent varnish, then buy a grooved board of the highest category or category A. For a floor to be painted, category B boards are suitable. If the floor is made as a base for another coating, then category C boards will fit for its manufacture.

Installation lag

The lag is installed on concrete base or on beam ceilings. For the installation of logs and boards you will need:

Bars with a section of 50x100 millimeters.
Staples or connecting plates.
Wood screws or nails.
Hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
A hammer.
Screwdriver or screwdriver.
Yardstick.
Pencil.
Square.
Level.

The logs are laid on the base, perpendicular to the position of the boards.

Installation of boards

Please note that before laying, the boards must “acclimatize” by lying in the room where the installation will be carried out for at least two days.

How to install grooved boards, you can also see in the video:

Floor finishing

The final finishing of the floor, it is better to do after the completion of all repair work. Otherwise, there is a risk of damaging the decorative coating layer.
For finishing you will need:

Putty knife.
Vibratory and belt grinders.
Sandpaper.
Putty.
A set of brushes or a spray gun.
Solvent.
Stain.
Varnish on a water or acrylic basis. If the floor is going to be painted, then paint.
Vacuum cleaner.
Mop bucket and rag.

Detailed instructions for applying varnish on a wooden floor are in the video:

Now it has become fashionable, instead of varnish, to use special oil for floor treatment. There is a reason for using oil, especially for rooms with high traffic, because oil is absolutely resistant to abrasion, unlike varnish. In addition, the oil perfectly emphasizes the texture of the wood, giving it a soft and warm color.
It is much easier to cover the floor with oil than with varnish, since the oil does not require sanding each layer. The oil is applied to the tree, both cold and hot. Mostly cold application with a brush is used. The number of coats applied depends on the absorbency of the wood, usually two stains are sufficient.

When painting the floor with oil, make sure it is evenly distributed over the surface and remove smudges in a timely manner. After the oil has dried, the surface of the floor can be treated with wax.

Please note that violation of the order of work and non-observance of instructions when using paintwork materials, can lead to rapid wear of the coating, and in the worst case, to the need new finish gender!

You can also learn how to oil a wooden floor by watching the video:

Floor restoration and repair

During the operation of a grooved board floor, certain problems may arise caused by poor quality materials or a violation of the installation technology. Let's look at common breakdowns and how to fix them:

gaps between boards- occur due to the high moisture content in the boards during their installation. After the final drying of the laid boards, the wood shrinks, as a result of which cracks form. Most effective way elimination of this problem is the dismantling of the boards and their new laying on the logs. If the gaps are not large, you can cover them with putty.

floor creak- a very common problem that occurs due to the friction of the lag and boards against each other. Most often, the floors begin to creak due to a violation of the laying technology. Perhaps the joists were too far apart, so the boards began to sag when walking and creak. Another reason may be the weak fastening of the boards to the joists. You can try to eliminate the cause of the creak by screwing in additional screws, if this does not help, you will have to sort out the floor again.

cracking boards– can happen for two reasons. The first is the wrong material for the floor. If the boards are made of soft wood, and the load on the surface is too intense, then over time, the floor will not only crack, but may even completely collapse. You can solve the problem by reducing the load or replacing the boards with more durable ones. The second reason is wet wood. After drying, the tree tends to crack. In this case, it is enough to cover the cracks with putty.

The appearance of resin on the boards- caused by the final drying of the wood. To get rid of the resin, it is enough to remove it with a spatula, sand the place of its appearance and, if the floor is varnished or painted, apply a new layer of coating.

Lacquer peeling- can occur from contact with the surface a large number water or due to varnishing on wet wood. In any case, it is necessary to remove the old coating with a spatula and grinder, allow the boards to dry and apply new layers of varnish.

Rotting lag and inside boards - occurs due to high humidity and insufficient air circulation under the floor. The problem will have to be solved by opening the floor, a ventilation device, replacing the logs and rotten boards.

If after reading the article you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments, we will be happy to answer them!

The tongue-and-groove board is used, as a rule, for fine finishing of a floor. It is made from solid pine or spruce. A tongue is provided on one edge of the tongue-and-groove board, and a groove for it on the other. This greatly simplifies the installation of the material. Mounted by connecting the groove and tongue boards form a single solid surface. After laying, the floor surface is processed (polished and varnished) to acquire an attractive appearance and extend the service life.

There are various sizes of tongue and groove board for ease of installation. You can find mounting units from 2 to 6 meters in length, from 9.6 to 15 cm in width and thickness in the range of 2.5-4 cm. After production, the boards are dried to 10-15% moisture and hermetically packed. Thanks to this, you can immediately begin its installation without prior preparation.

Mounting order

Laying of material is carried out in a certain order. It is necessary to keep it indoors from 3 to 14 days after delivery, so that the humidity in the room and the moisture content of the wood are equalized. The length of the exposure period depends on the season of the repair work. After a few days, you can remove the packaging film and, if necessary, cut the material to length.

After cutting, the board must be laid on logs covered with insulation or film. In this position, the material is left for a few more days for acclimatization. Only then can the material be laid.

It is not recommended to use glue or any other synthetic substances during installation. To fix the board, self-tapping screws are used, with which the floor covering is screwed to each log. The distance between the lags should not exceed 59 cm.

The first mounting unit is positioned with the tongue-and-groove side against the wall.

A small gap is left between them, 1-2 cm. The floor will be ventilated through this gap. In addition, if over time the floor moisture increases and the board expands, this gap will prevent the floor surface from deforming. Boards should not be concave. This should be checked before starting work.

To fix on the logs, it is best to use wood screws 5.5-6 cm long. They need to be screwed into the groove at an angle. First you need to drill holes with a drill with a diameter of 2.5 or 3 mm. Thanks to the hole, when screwing in, the groove will not crack. Drills for this work, due to their small thickness, break quickly enough, so it is recommended to stock them up for future use.

The second board is attached to the first. It is unlikely that it will be possible to ideally fit them under each other with the help of a mallet, so do not be overly zealous with it. For the best result, you can use a wooden wedge, which must be driven through the entire board, while screwing in the self-tapping screw.

The fastest and most convenient way is to use a car jack. But in this case, it is necessary to provide for the protection of the material from damage. For this purpose, small boards are used, which must be rested against the following mounting elements. When using a jack, the use of a mallet is not required.

Thus, the installation of a tongue-and-groove floor is quite simple. Engage in the installation of elements floor covering you can on your own. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the material.

(Last Updated On: 05.12.2017)

Each master when installing a wooden floor wants to get a good result. This is quite possible by using not simple boards in the work, but with a special “latch”. In construction, a grooved floor board is considered one of the universal materials. Carrying out such work requires certain skills, abilities and compliance with the rules of installation.

Material Features

There is an opinion that a tongue-and-groove board is no different from a regular one, only it costs much more. This statement is not entirely correct. The material is very easy to lay due to the presence of a tongue on one side and a groove on the other side, which allows you to quickly and firmly connect the floorboards.

Such floors are easy to clean, there are no gaps between the floorboards, which creates the feeling of a single monolithic space. Moreover, the universal connection allows you to completely get rid of squeaks and rapid wear of the wooden coating.

When choosing, be sure to pay attention to the wood that was used in the manufacture of boards:

Spruce or pine. These are relatively inexpensive wood species that can be processed well. They have excellent thermal conductivity. Therefore, the floor of these rocks is always warm. The downside is the softness of this tree. Any dents from heels will leave an unpleasant impression if the floorboards are not protected with a special coating (varnish, paint, mastic).
The larch grooved board gives the floor a sophisticated natural pattern due to the structure and grain of the wood. Differs in durability and moisture resistance.
The floor of oak or ash has hardness, richness. Boards from these tree species are considered the most durable and, at the same time, the most expensive in terms of cost.

floor laying

Before starting work, it is necessary to carry out the so-called "acclimatization" of the material. This means that the boards brought from the store should lie down for several days where the work is planned.

A grooved floor board can be laid on various bases, each of which has its own specifics:

concrete floor;
old wood flooring
lags.

Installation of boards

Shrink film is removed from the rested and "acclimatized" boards. If we are laying along the logs, then we place the boards perpendicular to them. We fasten each floorboard with self-tapping screws, rubber mallet help the lock to click well. The space between the lags can be insulated with basalt wool mats.

In case the tongue-and-groove boards are laid directly on the old floor, parquet glue can be used. But he is unable to provide reliable fastening, so you have to insure yourself with self-tapping screws. It should be borne in mind that the technological gap between the walls and the floor should be on average 1 - 1.5 cm. It is usually done using wedges.

Tongue-and-groove board installation/assembly:

It is very important to properly prepare the base. Log laying is carried out strictly according to building level, the subfloor is swept, vacuumed, checked by level. The irregularities found are leveled pointwise, a plywood base is laid on top. The concrete subfloor also needs to be cleaned and, if leveling is required, done with a self-levelling mortar.

What is the advantage of such a floor

Groove board for the floor allows you to achieve perfect flat surface. Each floorboard is fitted to the next, reminiscent of laying parquet or laminate. But the strength and quality of the connection of the boards is incomparably higher.

This floor is resistant to wear, impact and mechanical damage. Able to maintain a good appearance for a long time. If there is a desire to “refresh” the coating a little, it can be cycled off and then varnished.