Floating parquet floor

The floating parquet floor is a parquet floor intended to be posed, generally on a preexistent material.

It is not fixed on the ground, the boards being interdependent from/to each other by assembly.

Preparation

Nature of the ground

The ground must be clean, smooth and régulier.
If it is not it, it is necessary to make a Ragréage; for that, it is essential to take a prepared product. On the floors, it is recommended to spread out a product of fixing. The prepared mixture is autonivelant, i.e. it is enough to spread the liquid paste on the ground, then to equalize with a smoothing machine (large metal Taloche).
Attention, however, with the fact that the solutions of finishing are usable only for the weak uneven ones (i.e. lower than two centimetres on all the surface of the floor). Beyond that, it is necessary to carry out a more complete levelling.

Levelling by a cover of mortar

If the ground is very irregular, a cover of mortar will be carried out. It is a mixture of sand and cement, wet like when one makes a sand castle and that one bubble using a rule. One finds in the trade of the aluminum rules made for this use; they are variable length, of a width of approximately 12 cm and a thickness from approximately 1 cm, but one can also use a simple board out of wooden, thickness and of identical, right and well cut width (regularly). However it is advised to use a rule in Aluminum which is more precise and more regular. To choose the greatest rule length lower than the width of the part (or a longer rule, which redimensionne easily with the Hacksaw).

Levelling by chock of the existing support

In certain cases (such as for example in that of an installation of roof), it can be interesting to carry out a chock of the existing floor. For that, this floor will be dismounted and given on level via variable spacers. The choice thickness of these holds will be done thanks to a rule of mason (already mentioned above) and a Spirit level. Each hold will have to make it possible, when the floor is positioned back, to reach a sufficient flatness.

Filling of the undulations

If the irregularities of the ground are broad and not very deep, one can also spread out sheets of newspaper of which the number will make the thickness. This carpet will take part moreover in the soundproofing.

Choice of the parquet floor

A good parquet floor is expensive but will have a better finished surface, of more beautiful aspect. Moreover, it will resist much longer abrasion, the pressure (feet of pieces of furniture, heels switches) and especially shearing in the places of great passage, especially if the substrate is flexible (old floor, Moquette…). From another point of view, if the part is a little attended room and that the ground of origin is quite plane and very rigid, one will be able to be perhaps satisfied with a cheap product. It can be preferable to choose natural a wood parquet floor, simply sandpapered and to vitrify it then. The “vitrification” of the products commercial is most of the time fragile. A simply waxed parquet floor is more sensitive to water projections but it will be easier to give it in state by sandpapering in the event of impacts, of stripes or taches.
To take account of connections with the adjacent parts, the play under the doors, to choose the thickness of the parquet floor by always preferring the strongest thickness (minimum 10 mm).
Another crucial factor the choice is the possibility of getting accessories compatible with the parquet floor (thresholds of doors…) and that of being able to restock itself in the same range of product during several years.

Each gasoline has its characteristics. The maple yellows with time and is very sensible to moisture while the Chêne or the Hêtre are more resistant and the marks of blows pass more unperceived.

Underlayer

One or more underlayers are necessary to isolate from moisture, and possibly, phonically the parquet floor of its support.

The parquet floor is very sensitive to the increase of moisture, present in particular when the support is a concrete on quay level, in an old or badly drained house. The insulation is done using a sheet of Polyéthane simply unrolled.

The soundproofing, when it is necessary, can be assured by felt flagstones or cork, simply posed under the parquet floor, and on preceding film.

To also note another possibility: the installation enters a full support (flagstone, plates of agglomerate.) and the parquet floor floating of a layer of soft Isorel (is in certain stores of do-it-yourself and exists in at least 2 thicknesses) It acts of a phonic insulating good. Attention, the floating parquet floor cannot then be fixed as for example a true parquet floor natural wood pointed on the tie bars as one made hundred years ago; indeed, risk to crush the soft isorel or fixing of the known as parquet floor very relative… On the other hand interesting method with decorative laminate which in any case is not designed to be solidarized of its support.

Pose and completion

The parquet blocks are assembled by stuck or enclipsées groove and strip. One uses a hold out of hard wooden or a fall of parquet floor to type moderately along the blade in the course of installation. Before starting, putting holds from 5 to 8 mm thickness against the wall of reference to maintain the play mentioned above. These holds will be removed thereafter, the play will be camouflaged by a plinth. Normally the axis of the part must correspond to that of a blade or with a joint. It is necessary to avoid finishing the installation with a too narrow blade (width: 5 cm; length: 20 cm minimum)

With the right of the doors, connection between two flagstones of floating parquet floor can be carried out using a metal bar of threshold. One can also use a slat of oak Rabot ée and bevelled. The amounts of the doors can be cut out with the Scie hand saw to be able to pass the parquet floor (and its margin) in lower part.

Cut out

Whatever the configuration, you will have many cuttings to make, therefore envisage a Circular saw on plate, or at least a Jigsaw…

Pose

Direction of installation

In general, it is necessary that the blades are parallel within the meaning of the light (one sees less the defects) except in the corridors and the very narrow parts or it is preferable to position the blades in the direction of the part. The blades are posed row by row, i.e. one makes a whole length of end to end put slats of parquet floor, arrived at the end of the part, almost systematically a cutting is to be made, and one starts again a new row with the remainder of cutting provided that the fall is from at least 1/3 the length of the parquet block; if not, to start again with a new blade (while taking care not to align the edges of 2 consecutive rows). The parquet floors enclipsables must be posed with the hand, without blows of hammer. Never not to pose slat by slat, it would be necessary to force the clip on the small side. Encliquer initially the slats side by side over the entire length and then enclipser the whole line, in the preceding line.

Option

You can stick the slats between them, with an adhesive for this use, but that is optional, and can pose problems to you, in the case of the change of a damaged slat. One can however use adhesive at the significant places, frequent crossing points for example. Parquet blocks not clipsés enters tend to deviate because of dilation, drying, the deformation of the blades. A good solution is then to stick the blades not over all their length but simply by points.

Perimetral gap

It is very important to leave a space at the end of each row, so that, in the event of dilation of the Matériaux, the parquet floor does not bulge. This space will be hidden later on by the plinth. The width of this play of dilation (from 2 to 5 mm) depends on the width of the part. This space can be filled with a very compressible matter (expanded Polystyrène).

Completion

You can pose the plinths of the color of the parquet floor if possible. One can also install painted plinths, because the plinths wood " mangent" the height of ceiling. There exist hollow plinths which make it possible to make pass elegantly from the wire networks… Or then you can also choose the installation of quarter of round if the plinths are existing. One should not put of adhesive side parquet floor which must slide freely in lower part.

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