Which floors are best? We figure out which floor is better in the apartment

When repairing an apartment, very little attention is paid to the floors, the main thing is that they are even, solid and durable. However, this element of the home has become more in demand in design. IN Lately can be found not only classic options finishes, but also quite original. So, what floors are better to do in an apartment?

Parquet is still in vogue. However, now it is no longer the same as it was before - in the form of a laid Christmas tree. Now it is made in the form of special shields, which are covered with precious woods. Unique piece parquet is the most expensive, but it can be used to make a real work of art on the floor. For such parquet, beech, maple, ash, oak, as well as exotic woods are usually used.

When deciding what kind of floors to make in an apartment, one can come to the conclusion that parquet is not only a very expensive option, but also capricious in terms of maintenance. Many opt for a parquet board. It is made in such a way that it allows you to update itself several times, which is an important factor. It can be used to cover all rooms, even loggias. Laying is carried out on a flat floor using a floating method, that is, without using glue. Boards have lock connections. In terms of care, it is less capricious than parquet, while it is also cheaper.

If you decide what kind of floors to make in the apartment, then you should consider some other options. For example, laminate. It perfectly conveys the texture and color of various types of wood, can imitate stone, leather, ceramic tiles. The most popular are those that imitate exotic dark wood or oak. In addition to natural natural colors, you can find samples of green, orange and blue shades.

Speaking about what kind of floors it is better to make in an apartment, it is worth saying that wicker carpets - mats have become more and more popular lately. They are made from natural fibers of cane, flax, sisal, hemp and jute. These coatings differ in texture, size and color. Their advantages are hypoallergenic, antistatic, massage effect, not the ability to attract dust. Such coatings do not tolerate moisture and require careful handling. Mats look very good in minimalist interiors.

If we talk about what kind of floors it is better to make in an apartment so that it is easy to walk on them barefoot, then there is an answer - from a cork. Such a coating is light, elastic, environmentally friendly, it does not rot, and feet do not slip on it. Cork dies, which are varnished, can have a different design and color: be light, dark, or with some kind of pattern.

If you decide to make the floor in new apartment, it is worth mentioning the most unusual coating - glass. No one says that the entire floor should be glass, a few small rectangular windows are quite enough. They can be filled with pebbles, colored glass, sand, shells. You can make a transparent podium or several. Tempered glass is used for the floor.

It turns out that in the apartment you can make different floors.

Materials for decorative finishes residential premises must meet the following requirements:

In practice, all of the above requirements can be implemented if you pay attention to:

1. material type;
2. wear resistance class;
3. coating manufacturer;
4. additional features.

Types of home flooring

In residential premises for flooring, the following types of coatings are used:

• is a narrow MDF-panel with a protective and decorative coating. In recent decades, the material has been very popular. Nevertheless, some experts dispute the feasibility of its use in apartments. The process of laying laminate is quite laborious, and the material itself is more expensive than linoleum and carpet. Despite the fact that the coating is based on wood waste (shavings and sawdust), its thermal conductivity is higher than that of natural wood. Finally, the surface of many laminates is very slippery;
• Parquet is one of the oldest varieties floor coverings. Sophisticated compositions made of valuable species of natural wood look like real works of art and last for decades. back side medals - the high cost of coverage and the complexity of its maintenance. Without regular polishing and impregnation with varnish or special mastic, the parquet loses its attractive appearance and collapses;
• Ceramic leads in wear resistance. The material offers an infinite number of design options, is easily cleaned from any type of pollution, does not provoke allergies and asthma. However, due to the high thermal conductivity, ceramic tiles are laid on the floor in kitchens, bathrooms, latrines, balconies and loggias.

Wear resistance class and coating manufacturers

The surface of floor coverings is gradually erased during operation. As a result, the material loses its decorative properties and collapses.

Advice. It is easy to check one or another synthetic material (linoleum, laminate or carpet) for compliance with environmental standards. To do this, it is enough to smell it. Poor-quality coatings exude a pungent chemical odor. Usually it does not weather even after several years of operation.

Operating conditions and loads in industrial, office and residential premises vary significantly, so it is not possible to create a universal coating. However, it is quite simple to calculate typical loads. Based on these data, it is possible to vary the strength of the material depending on its purpose.

The wear resistance class is indicated by a two-digit number. The first digit indicates the type of room:

• 2 - residential;
• 3 - office;
• 4 - production.

The second digit indicates the intensity of the loads from 1 (low) to 4 (very high).

So, material of class 21 of wear resistance is suitable for a pantry or a bedroom in an apartment, and 44 is suitable for an industrial workshop, in which equipment and all kinds of mechanisms move quite intensively.

Advice. The division into wear resistance classes is conditional. Industrial and office coatings may well be used at home. In practice, a reasonable margin of safety should be maintained. Many manufacturers have stopped producing materials for class 21-24 flooring, as their use in apartments is impractical. It also makes no sense to lay coatings for industrial use in residential premises, but due to an excessive margin of safety. It should be remembered that increasing the wear resistance class increases the cost of the material.

On the territory of Russia, floor coverings produced by domestic and European companies are widely used. Products of foreign firms are leading in the premium segment. Goods Russian manufacturers practical and cheap, but do not cover the elite segments of the market.

What is the best floor for the kitchen and bathroom?

In the kitchen, droplets of fat often fly to the floor, and in the bathroom, the coating is operated in conditions of high humidity. From such loads, parquet, carpet and conventional laminate brands are quickly destroyed.

Ceramic tiles are suitable for the kitchen and bathroom. It does not deteriorate from constant contact with water and frequent cleanings using abrasive detergents and hard brushes. Linoleum has similar properties, but it is quite difficult to remove old grease stains from it.

Some manufacturers produce special waterproof brands of laminated parquet. They can also be used in bathrooms and kitchens. However, only outside surface material. The joints between the panels must be carefully coated with glue, otherwise the laminate is deformed and becomes unusable.

Systems are often installed in bathrooms and kitchens. Such equipment is quite affordable, reliable and practical. However, some types of coatings, primarily parquet, deform from prolonged heating. The thermal conductivity of other materials is so low that it makes no sense to place heating elements under them.

For sharing with warm floors great for ceramic tiles. When choosing laminate, linoleum and carpet, you should pay attention to the special markings and manufacturer's recommendations.

Flooring for residential premises should be environmentally friendly, practical and affordable. Particular care must be taken when choosing materials for kitchens and bathrooms or for use with underfloor heating systems. The durability of the coating is indicated by the wear resistance class. Defective or low-quality products are easily recognizable by their pungent chemical odor.

How to choose linoleum for an apartment - video

To date, there are a fairly large number of apartment floor coverings. This is precisely the main difficulty that is encountered on the path of choice. the right material. Today we will try to figure out which floor is better to make in the apartment. We will find out which materials are the most practical, take into account reviews about them and consider photos of ready-made options.

The main criteria for choosing a floor covering

In whatever room of the apartment you plan to replace the floor, there is general criteria, according to which the type of flooring is selected:

1. First, decide how much money you are willing to pay for this type building material. After all, the price categories of floor coverings are quite ambiguous and depend on the type of material and its quality.
2. When choosing a floor covering, the location of the apartment is taken into account. For example, the material that can be used on the second, third and higher floors is strongly discouraged from being installed on the first floor (due to the increased level of moisture in the basement).
3. Lifestyle and the number of people living in the apartment. If four adults, two children live in one room, and besides, there are animals, then preference should be given to more durable and high-quality material.

Choosing the floor for the bedroom

The bedroom is the place where we are used to being as relaxed as possible. Therefore, we want to get maximum comfort from this room, so that we can relax calmly. Often, movement around the rest room occurs with bare feet, so the main quality of the flooring should be warm.

Warm and soft carpet a good option bedroom

Most suitable coating materials with high heat resistance characteristics can become for the bedroom:

• Carpet;
• natural wood;
• Parquet.
  

  Attention! In recent years, laminate has become the most common material due to its practical, strong and durable characteristics.

  Although it is worth knowing that in terms of its thermal properties, the laminate significantly loses to the carpet. Walking on such a coating should be in room slippers or cover it with a carpet. Another great way to make laminate flooring warm is to equip a special heating system under it.

Children's room - a zone of increased attention

We all want to provide our children with maximum warmth, comfort and protection. Therefore, the choice of flooring in the children's room should be taken with the utmost seriousness. In his room, the child spends most of his free time: playing, learning lessons, resting and sleeping. The most important criterion for choosing a floor for a children's playroom is safety. The material from which the coating is made must not emit harmful toxic substances and an unpleasant odor.

Cork flooring: one of the most environmentally friendly materials for an apartment

One of the safest floors is cork flooring, the same one that clogs wine bottles. The main properties characteristic of a cork floor:

• Safety. The material is completely environmentally friendly, therefore it does not emit harmful and toxic substances into the air;
• It has excellent anti-allergic and bactericidal properties;
• Moisture resistant, which is very important for rooms where there are small children;
• Cork flooring is an excellent soundproofing agent. Therefore, the active games of children will not be heard by the neighbors below;
• Elasticity and strength.

Attention! Cork is a fairly durable material that is not subject to decay and the formation of fungus.

The only drawback of cork flooring is its expensive price, which is equivalent to the cost of natural wooden parquet.

What is the best floor for the kitchen

The kitchen is a zone of high humidity and temperature. Therefore, the flooring of the kitchen room must be practical, durable, and also hygienic. An ideal option for the kitchen can be ceramic coating(tile). It does not require special care, if dirty, just take a damp cloth and wipe the floor. Today, you can simply be surprised at the variety of ornaments and patterns on tiles, so everyone will choose the most suitable design for themselves. Another advantage of ceramics is that even after time it does not change its original appearance and bright color.

Ceramic tile: great option for a room like a kitchen

If you are primarily interested in budget options for coatings, then you should pay attention to linoleum, which today is significantly different in its own way. appearance and the quality of the Soviet coating. Linoleum is also quite easy to maintain and has good quality characteristics.

Flooring in the corridor and hallway

The corridor and the entrance hall are considered the most passable places in the apartment, which are subject to frequent pollution, dust and mechanical damage. It is for these reasons that it is necessary to use high quality flooring in these rooms. And here again comes to the rescue ceramic material(tile). It is wear resistant and durable. Ceramics does not require special care, the swamp, dirt and dust can be easily removed with an ordinary damp cloth.

Ceramic tiles are well suited for both the corridor and the hallway area.

Since the corridor or hallway is often small and naturally unlit, preference should be given to light colors. So you can visually enlarge the room and make it much brighter and lighter. Bright pictures and increased contrast are not welcome in this case.

Attention! Whatever type of flooring you choose, the main thing is that it is safe for human health. The quality characteristics of the floor largely depend on the professionalism of the laying of the material. Therefore, the installation of the floor should be handled by experienced professionals.

So, summing up, we can say that for each room you should choose a certain type of flooring, which is characterized by certain characteristics. If you like warmth, then we recommend giving preference to parquet, natural wood or carpet. When sustainability is a priority, consider cork. Ceramics has an increased level of strength and practicality. While linoleum is the most budget option for flooring.

Video: What floors are better to choose in an apartment

The floor in the apartment is its most important part. First, furniture is installed on the floor and most of equipment, washing machine, stove, bath, shower, toilet and other plumbing. A person constantly contacts the floor, walks on it, often barefoot. Sometimes you have to lie on the floor, even sleep. The floor must be well adapted for cleaning, as any debris falls on it, liquids and food remains are spilled. The floor separates us from the people living in the lower apartment, and comfort in the apartment depends on how well it is insulated.

That is, in addition to strength, it must protect the apartment from extraneous sounds and alien climate. It is a finished, well-executed floor that completes the apartment ensemble.

The device of the floor is an expensive undertaking. Nevertheless, variety of materials and methods of its device allows you to build a fairly comfortable and aesthetic floor based on the very modest budget.

Thus, the floor in the apartment carries the following functional loads, which must be taken into account when designing it:

1. Carrier.
2. Warming.
3. Soundproof.
4. Moisture-proof.
5. Aesthetic.

Floor construction in the apartment

The floor in the apartment is mounted on upper surface interfloor overlap and consists of two main layers:

• intermediate;
• flooring.

In the simplest cases, for example, in Khrushchev's apartment intermediate layer absent. The floor covering in it, most often pvc tile, linoleum, or thin cotterless parquet planks glued directly to the top surface concrete slab overlappings with bituminous mastic, latex or PVA glue.

In the best case, the top surface of the board before gluing was smoothed with a thin layer cement screed. No wonder that in such apartments audibility and thermal qualities leave much to be desired. The horizontal plane of the floor in such apartments is also far from ideal.

IN modern houses inter-apartment floors are complex reinforced concrete or metal structures , equipped with layers of heat, moisture, sound insulation. In frame-monolithic structures, floors are most often poured from expanded clay concrete- excellent insulating material. In these cases, insulating layers should be installed in the intermediate layer if the insulating properties of the overlap are insufficient.

A timber beam may also contain thermal and moisture insulation. Most often this mineral wool laid between the beams. A layer of waterproofing can also be provided there. Already on the beams, an intermediate layer is mounted, which may consist of logs, a subfloor, insulating layers of insulation and waterproofing, screeds, and a floor covering is placed on top. The wooden floor, which forms a single sheet thanks to the cottered boards, can be laid directly on the beams. If the beams are located far from each other, on logs attached to beams.

Overlapping may be absent, for example, in basements or basements. In this case, the floor is mounted on a screed, which covers specially prepared pillow, consisting of compacted layers of sand and gravel, lying on the ground.

Types of bases for the floor

The floor in the apartment, in contrast to individual home, is arranged on the existing ceiling "from the builders" in the new house, or on the beam ceiling in the old one. For this reason, before laying the floor, it is necessary thoroughly examine the cover. In old houses, it is necessary to raise the old floor and conduct an examination of the floor beams. Replace or reinforce damaged beams or replace them with new ones. The best solution beam covering will be replaced with reinforced concrete.

Ceilings in new houses, depending on building technology, can be from reinforced concrete panel ceilings, or in monolithic-frame houses - solid expanded clay concrete.

As beams can be used:

• wooden beam;
• reinforced concrete beam;
• metallic profile(T-beam or I-beam or rail).

Beams are mounted during construction straight into the wall or on concrete crossbars built into the wall.

Beams can be wooden and concrete. In Khrushchev's houses, most often used as a ceiling hollow panels, which served as the basis for the floor on one side and the ceiling on the other.

Ceilings from builders, except surface defects may have bias. Therefore, the floor surface is covered with a screed, which solves two issues:

• makes the surface smooth enough for the position of the floor covering;
• makes the surface horizontal.

Cement strainer

The simplest type of screed is a cement screed. The filling solution is being prepared cement grade 400 and river washed and screened sand. Currently, ready-mixed dry mixes are commercially available. But you can cook on your own. The composition of the mixture:

1. Sand - 3-4 parts.
2. Cement - 1 part.
3. Water - so much that the solution resembles sour cream.

The sequence of actions when installing a cement screed:

After completion of all work, during the entire curing time, it is necessary daily moisten the surface filling by sprinkling it with water. It is possible to cover the surface of the filling with polyethylene to preserve moisture.

The term of the final setting and drying of the screed 28−29 days.

Semi-dry cement screed

Recently, the semi-dry screed method has become widespread. Its main advantages are:

• short curing time of the mixture, sufficient for laying flooring;
• no risk of leakage to the lower floor;
• plasticity of the screed and, as a result, the absence of cracks and cavities after hardening;
• additional heat and sound insulating properties.

The composition of the mixture for laying a semi-dry screed differs significantly from a wet one. smaller water content. In addition, a significant amount of plasticizer is added to the solution - fiber, which keeps the screed from cracking.

The composition of the mixture is as follows:

1. Clean building sand, particle size modulus = 2.0; fraction up to 5 mm - 2 parts.
2. Cement brand 400D20 - 7 parts.
3. Water - 1 part.
4. Fiber - 700 gr. for 1 cu. m solution.

The laying procedure is the same as in the case of a cement screed, with the difference that:

The main advantage of a semi-dry screed is that it is already through 12 hours Hardens enough to walk on. After 42 hours, porcelain stoneware and tiles can be laid on it, and after 7 nights- laminate, PVC tiles or linoleum. The fact is that although a semi-dry screed gains strength very quickly, moisture evaporates little by little over the course of a month. Therefore, it is better to arrange a parquet floor on a fresh screed after a month of exposure, since even slight evaporation can damage dry parquet.

Dry screed

The main advantage of a dry screed is that it can be covered with a floor covering. immediately after installation. The intermediate layer of dry screed is formed as follows. Waterproofing is laid on the surface of the ceiling in the form of a polyethylene sheet 0.2 mm thick. From above, it is covered with expanded clay or sand, which is carefully leveled and compacted with a flat vibrator or roller.

A special layer is placed on the layer thus formed. metallic profile, which is covered from above with gypsum-fiber boards arranged in a checkerboard pattern, which are fastened mounting screws to this profile. If the backfill is more than 7 cm thick, upper layer reinforced with another layer of gypsum boards. On the finished screed, the floor covering is immediately laid.

Self-leveling floors

In the event that it is necessary to receive perfectly smooth horizontal surface, ready for laying linoleum, PVC tiles or laminate, the best intermediate layer can be obtained by pouring on well waterproofed the basis of a liquid solution of a certain composition. Such a solution is formed by dilution with water, in accordance with the instructions attached to each package. ready mix, a wide variety of which is currently available on the building materials market.

The mixture consists of cement, gypsum, fine sand type fillers and contains various chemical components, which contribute to the rapid and uniform spreading, plasticization and stabilization of the resulting coating. Ideal horizontal surface formed by itself under the influence of gravity. That is why these mixtures are called self-levelling. Various formulations connected With various conditions and different thicknesses of the formed coating.

Before installing the floor, heat and sound insulation should be placed between the beams. It can be mineral wool, expanded clay or slag. Porous insulating material significantly loses its insulating properties when absorbing moisture or steam. Therefore, it must be carefully isolated waterproof film, such as polyethylene or roofing material. If the size of the film is insufficient, its sheets should be overlapped, sealing the edges with adhesive tape.

1. If the distance between the beams does not exceed 60 cm, then the floor can be laid directly on the beams. If not, then logs are laid on the beams perpendicular to their direction at a distance of 50–60 cm.
2. Logs are placed directly on reinforced concrete floor or screed.
3. Lagi is wooden bars section 50 × 100 from conifers tree. When laying, it is necessary to set the upper edge strictly horizontally using a level. The distance between the lags should not exceed 60 cm.

A cut-off is superimposed on the logs in advance batten, which, thanks to the cotter pin, forms a single floor sheet. It is necessary to install ventilation ducts in the walls, coming out of the walls at a distance of several centimeters from the plinth, closed with openwork hatches. These steps are necessary in order to ventilated the space between the joists and the underside of the board. For greater strength, the boards are attached to the logs with self-tapping screws inserted at an angle at the level of the cotter pin in order to hide their heads and be able to process a single floor surface with a polishing machine.

The best floor boards are mahogany and oak, but most often they are made from softwood. Optimal ratio price quality have boards made of Siberian larch.

After polishing, the floor can be varnished or painted. In both cases it is necessary follow instructions for painting and, if necessary, pre-priming with special primers. This will significantly lengthen life span paint layer.

A subfloor can also be laid on the logs, on which PVC tiles, linoleum, and laminate can be laid as a floor covering. For this, the subfloor is covered additional leveling sheet material, such as fiberboard. Tile or porcelain tile flooring wood flooring is possible only if a reinforcing layer is applied from above reinforced screed.

The draft floor can be assembled from a floorboard, chipboard, OSB. In this case, additional leveling layer not needed. Parquet is laid on the subfloor.

Types of flooring

Floor coverings complete the laying of the floor. This is exactly the material that will be addressed to a person, will be with him contact directly and which will take on all external influences.

Board

For coverage wooden board grooved floorboard is used. She represents planed board in the form of a regular parallelepiped, on one of the narrow faces of which a comb (tongue) is milled for the entire length, and on the other, opposite, corresponding groove. This form allows, by assembling the boards so that the tongue of one enters the groove of the other, and form a strong solid flooring.

The thickness of the floorboards varies from 25 to 45 mm. The thicker the board, the less it “plays”, that is, the floor bends. The thinner the floorboard, the smaller the distance between the joists should be. For example, with a board 25 mm thick, the distance between the lags cannot exceed 60 cm. When installing, the floor from the floorboard must be leave a gap between the wall and the edge of the floor at least 1 cm for expansion from moisture and temperature.

The board must be well dried(at least 10% humidity). After installation, the wooden floor can be polished, varnished or painted. The gap near the walls, at the end of the installation, is covered with a plinth. The floorboard is not made of linden and alder.

Parquet and laminate

Parquet, in fact, is a small floorboard with grooves and cotter pins on all sides in pairs. That allows you to assemble the floor from the dies of a relatively small size.

Parquet is undoubtedly the most human-friendly floor covering. However, he has significant drawback. When even a small amount of moisture gets in, it warps, and when flooded, it “suspends”.

An alternative to parquet is an unpretentious laminate. Externally, the laminate is very similar to parquet. In fact, this is a parquet board, but made not from solid wood, but from a four-layer material, the main, carrier layer which is a thin fibreboard impregnated with resins. A mounting layer is glued on it from below, providing rigidity, paper on top, with a printed pattern, as a rule, imitating natural wood, covered with another layer of melamine or acrylic resin provides wear resistance. Structurally, the laminate board repeats tongue and groove lock parquet, which allows you to easily, quickly and reliably assemble the flooring.

Linoleum and PVC tiles

Linoleum is probably the most common and most universal coating of all currently in existence. The first linoleum was a jute burlap, on which a cork crumb material was applied, pressed with linseed oil as binding material. It has proven itself over the years as a flooring, wall and countertop material. The current linoleum has retained the basic idea of ​​two layers, fabric and surface, but both have undergone many changes.

Mostly in modern linoleum as fabric base various woven and nonwovens, felt type, serving at the same time base and insulation. Numerous wear-resistant materials are used as the surface layer, such as PVC in various options and compositions. Modern technological capabilities make it possible to imitate on the surface of linoleum any material and texture and paint it with incredible patterns.

All this made it possible to incredible range strength, insulation and other features. But the hallmark of linoleum, which distinguishes it favorably from ceramic tiles and stone, is its "warmth" in sensation and some softness. Dishes that fall on a linoleum floor are not so unambiguously broken. And bruises when falling on linoleum will not be so painful.

PVC tile is a tile made from a special multilayer composite material based on crushed natural stone and very durable vinyl. It is available in a variety of colors. Thanks to its modularity and variety of colors, it allows you to get an incredibly designer decor on the floor. Its main advantages:

• ease of installation on bituminous mastics and adhesives;
• ease of installation and dismantling makes it easy to replace damaged tiles;
• and cheapness - to change the boring pattern;
• The tile is extremely wear-resistant and adheres well to the surface.

PVC tiles - the most democratic material for flooring.

Ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles

Ceramic tiles are one of the oldest facing materials. There used to be two varieties:

• facing tiles covered with glaze and having underglaze painting;
• metlakh, glazeless, rough, for the floor.

Now there are also ceramic tiles of the most different sizes and destinations. Their main advantage is the strength of the material and resistance to any aggressive influences. However, in the manufacture of tiles, the material and heat treatment modes.

Such tile-producing countries as Spain, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic have proven themselves perfectly. By choosing tiles from new market entrants such as Türkiye and China, you can win on the budget but lose in quality. However, these manufacturers also have quality products, which allows you to save on cladding. The disadvantages of tile flooring are slipperiness when exposed to moisture, brittleness when struck by a heavy object, "coldness" in sensation, hardness, which leads to the fact that the fallen glassware and ceramics break into small fragments, which can represent some danger for children and pets.

If earlier the installation of tiles was carried out on the solution, then with the development of the industry of building adhesives, installation is carried out with their help. The main tool is wide spatula with cutouts for applying glue. Glue is applied to the tile and then the tile is fixed on the prepared surface. We must not forget to leave a small gap between the tiles, for which there is a simple and affordable tooling. This gap is necessary to compensate for the thermal expansion of the tile when changing ambient temperature. The seam is then sealed with special grouts and improves the aesthetic perception of the surface.

Porcelain stoneware is very similar to tile, but has slightly different qualities. Porcelain stoneware was obtained in Italy in the late 70s and is produced ceramic sintering method and natural minerals at very high temperatures and pressure. This process is very similar to the natural processes that occur in the bowels of the earth during the formation of granite. The end result was incredible. durable material, superior in strength to granite and approaching corundum.

Technologies make it possible to color it in such a way that tiles from it not only imitate all known gems and semi-precious stones, but also allow you to get any color and pattern, moreover, distributed throughout the thickness, and not located only on the surface. In addition, the material is lighter natural stone and has additional thermal insulation properties. It is well polished and somewhat warmer ceramic tiles.

The most important advantage of porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles is their absolute hygiene, making them an indispensable floor covering for bathrooms and kitchens.

Conclusion

The topic of flooring is very broad. It's obvious that variety of materials and technology makes it possible to build a comfortable, functional and beautiful floor for every taste and for any money. Nevertheless, I would like to note that, despite the simplicity and clarity of the floor installation procedures, this responsible work is better trust a professional because to get good result a synthesis of knowledge, experience and practical skills of a person constantly engaged in work in this important direction is necessary.

In most cases, a modern apartment is a concrete box, subject to rough and fine finishing. In the case of the floor, the homeowner needs to solve several fundamentally important issues - which rough design to choose, how to insulate and soundproof it, and also which topcoat to use in each of the rooms. Floors in the apartment - what to make them so that they are not only aesthetically attractive, but also safe, durable and practical. About this today's material.

For styling most decorative coatings requires an even solid foundation. Sometimes the quality of the floor slab allows you to finish without pre-training, but more often it is required to level the base, its insulation and sound insulation. The type of floor construction ensures its reliability, practicality and durability. Therefore, it often consists of an intermediate (rough) floor mounted on a floor slab and a finishing floor (decorative), which must also have characteristics and properties corresponding to the purpose of the room.

A rough screed does not require special qualifications of the builder, but, nevertheless, it involves a large number of works associated with its creation. You will find device features and a calculator for calculating the amount of ingredients for a floor screed solution

Previously, it was practiced to lay the finishing material directly on the floor slab, but it soon became clear that the decorative material in the form of linoleum, carpet or parquet does not provide the required level of heat and sound insulation, and hence the proper degree of comfort and safety for human health. In addition, the absence of a rough leveling structure affects the evenness of the coating and reduces its service life.

buy floor construction and get better at modern apartment is a complex multi-layer technological system in which each layer is thought out and technologically justified - hydro, sound, heat and vapor barrier.

Fundamentally, two types of black floor are distinguished - in the form of a screed and a structure with lags. Each variety has its own characteristics and advantages.

Varieties of screeds

In addition to the fact that the screed is designed to level the base for the finishing material, it affects the following factors:

1. Makes the base more rigid.
2. Forms a heat and waterproofing layer.
3. Allows you to create a slope for water drainage in rooms where it is needed.
4. Allows you to lay engineering communications and electrical networks in the floor structure.

When installing a floor in an apartment, one of three types of screeds are used:

1. Wet.
2. Dry.
3. Semi-dry.

Each of these varieties has its own characteristics, technology, advantages and disadvantages.

Wet screed

This is a traditional method of screeding, a significant drawback of which is the presence of water in the composition of the solution in in large numbers. Before pouring it, it is imperative to provide a high-quality waterproofing layer of the base (floor slab), otherwise moisture will seep through it. To create a waterproofing layer, coating compositions are used that make it possible to obtain a monolithic, seamless coating or ordinary dense polyethylene, which is overlapped at least 15 cm and carefully glued with a waterproof tape.

Important! Waterproofing is brought to the walls to the height of the screed.

A variety of this type of screed is one of the cheapest options. You can fill it yourself. And the issue of providing thermal insulation can be solved by laying foam in two layers with an offset. This will lead to an increase in the cost of the floor structure, but it will become much warmer.

To create a solution, cement of a grade not lower than M400 is used, which is mixed with sand and water. In order for the components to form a stronger bond and the screed to be strong and dense, add. As part of the screed, this substance affects the following points:

1. Increases the mobility of the solution.
2. Increases mortar strength by 50%.
3. Increases the adhesion of mortar to reinforcement by 1.5 times.
4. Reduces cement consumption by -20%.
5. Reduces the amount of water in the solution.

The strength of the screed is also ensured by its thickness, which should not be less than 2 cm. This type of base is suitable for any finishing coatings, as well as for laying the "warm floor" system. Of the shortcomings of a wet screed, the following are noted:

1. The work is classified as labor intensive.
2. The process is associated with wet, "dirty" work.
3. To get an even layer, you need to have the skill of working with beacons, to know how to install them correctly.
4. Drying of the screed requires long time(at least 3 weeks).
5. The screed during the hardening process requires special care - wetting, in order to avoid the formation of cracks on its surface.

Semi-dry screed

This variety is great alternative wet screed. This method is also quite inexpensive and is distinguished by the use of a small amount of water. As a result, a certain mass is obtained, which in the circle of professional builders is called “carving”, which is sand mixed dry with cement and a minimum amount of water that barely moistens the mixture. The device of a waterproofing layer when laying such a composition on a floor slab, in fact, is only a convention.

The advantages of this type of screed include the following:

1. It can be used both in new and old apartments, in private houses and cottages.
2. The presence of a small amount of water allows the use of this type of screed, regardless of the height of the floor where the apartment is located - moisture does not penetrate into the lower apartment even without a waterproofing layer.
3. The ability to create a perfectly even base without air bubbles, which are removed during the tamping process of the semi-dry mixture.
4. Low probability of crack formation. If fiber is added to the composition, then the screed will acquire additional strength and will definitely not crack.
5. Formation of an excellent soundproof barrier between apartments.
6. The ability to make even the floor on an unheated loggia warmer.
7. It can be used in the "warm floor" system with water or electric coolant.
8. Reliably protects internal communications from mechanical impact.
9. Due to the low moisture content, the screed dries quickly, which allows you to generally speed up the repair process.
10. Availability and low cost of components.

Of the minuses of this semi-dry screed, the following are noted:

1. Without a certain work experience, it is difficult to add the optimal amount of water to the screed composition.
2. The low fluidity of the solution causes difficulties in laying the screed and forming a flat surface.
3. A high-quality coating is obtained using special tools for tamping.
4. The height of the screed should not be less than 4 cm.
5. When forming a high screed, a reinforcing mesh must be used.

Dry screed

For an apartment located in a multi-storey building, a screed made using this technology is ideal option. This method can be called a screed, rather, it is a multilayer flooring that does not use water.

To form an even horizontal plane, as well as in the manufacture of other types of screeds, guide beacons are used. At the same time, the liquid solution is replaced by a dry granular heat-insulating backfill, which is also distributed by the rule. After that, to form a rigid base, two layers of gypsum fiber boards are laid. Such a screed is strong and reliable.

The advantages of a dry screed device include the following:

1. A significant reduction in the time of work - you can keep within one working day.
2. It is possible to qualitatively level differences of any height.
3. Laying finish coat can be carried out immediately after the installation of the screed.
4. Dry backfill provides high-quality heat and sound insulation of the room.
5. "Clean" work process.
6. The low weight of the floor structure allows the use of this screed in rooms with weak ceilings, for example, in wooden houses or on balconies.
7. The dismantling of the structure is carried out quickly, which is especially important when laying communications and engineering networks inside the floor.

Lag floor construction

This technology for creating a rough base is also traditional and has been used for a long time. It is endowed with special advantages that make this method of arranging a rough foundation the most optimal for apartments:

1. When constructing such a floor, there are no “wet” processes.
2. The construction material is environmentally friendly and safe.
3. The installation process does not require special skills and tools.

Similar designs differ in the way the lag is laid and the type of flooring material. The lags can be simple and adjustable. They differ in the way they rest on the base. In the first case, bars or chocks are used to install the log, which must be selected in height so that all logs laid in increments of at least 50 cm are located in a single horizontal plane.

A modern and convenient way to arrange the floor along the logs is the method using adjustable supports in the form of studs and nuts. By rotating the latter, the required height of each beam is set. This technology is convenient and allows you to quickly mount the logs, but it costs more than the first option.

As a flooring material for the rough base, you can use:

1. Boards. Moreover, such flooring can be both rough and finish, if you use a top-class grooved board.
2. Plywood. Sheets are laid in two layers with spaced seams. It is smooth and durable, but quite expensive material.
3. OSB boards, fit like plywood, but are cheaper.
4. Chipboard. Most a budget option for flooring. In terms of characteristics, it is inferior to the above options.

What should be the floor in rooms for different purposes

The finishing coating material is selected depending on the purpose of the room where it is presented different requirements regarding appearance and performance.

Floor in the bedroom

The bedroom is the quietest place in the apartment. Here a person should be able to fully relax after a working day, relax, sleep. The interior of the bedroom is usually decorated in soothing colors using environmentally friendly and, preferably, natural materials.

The flooring in the bedroom must meet the following requirements:

1. The surface should be pleasant to the touch, as often in the bedroom you have to walk barefoot, going to bed or getting up early in the morning. Natural coatings have a more suitable surface - board, parquet, cork and soft carpet.
2. The coating must absorb noise when walking on it, especially if it is a spouse's room - excess noise can interfere with the rest of the second person. For the same reason, the coating should not creak. Cork and carpet meet this requirement to a greater extent.
3. Particular attention is paid to the aesthetics of the coating. It must match the style color scheme premises, take into account the level of illumination in it, contribute to the creation of a cozy, warm atmosphere.
4. An optimal microclimate should be created in the sleeping room, so preference should be given to natural, “live” finishing materials. In the case of the floor - natural wood and products made from it.
5. The floor surface must be antistatic - this quality will ensure fresh air And minimal amount dust in the room. This quality is especially important in a room where people suffering from asthma and other diseases of the respiratory system live.
6. The coating must be wear-resistant, even and durable. Despite the fact that the bedroom is a room with a low level of traffic - this way the coating will last longer.

Children's room

On the surface of the floor in the nursery there are serious dynamic loads, there is a possibility of mechanical damage, getting wet and dirty. At the same time, the floor must retain heat, be easy to clean and maintain its aesthetic appearance throughout the entire service life.

There are several requirements:

1. The material must be of high quality, meet all safety standards.
2. The coating must have soundproofing properties.
3. The surface of the material must be non-slippery, hygienic, hypoallergenic, environmentally friendly, free of odors and dyes.
4. The material must withstand repeated wet cleaning, exposure to detergents and cleaners. Also, the coating should not absorb dirt.
5. The coating must be antistatic (the property not to accumulate dust on its surface).
6. It is important that the material is cushioned when walking on it - this property will protect the child from injury when falling and reduce the load on the spine.

Floor in the living room

The living room is a room where all family members meet, spend family holidays, receive guests. Sometimes, the room performs several functions, being a living room and dining room, living room and study, living room and bedroom. All this must be taken into account when choosing a floor covering.

Of the basic requirements for the floor in the living room, the following are noted:

1. The coating should be aesthetically attractive, organically combined with the rest of the finish and furniture, emphasizing the style of the interior.
2. When choosing a floor covering, take into account the shade of the cashing of the door and window opening.
3. The surface of the floor must be wear-resistant and durable - so the coating will last longer.
4. The living room can be called the hallmark of the house, so the flooring here is chosen to be expensive, creating a presentable appearance of the interior.
5. The coating should be easy to care for and durable, especially if children and pets live in the house.

Floor in the kitchen

The kitchen area has special operational characteristics. The floor material here is exposed to various adverse effects:

1. The floor surface is exposed to the greatest wear in working area kitchens.
2. The indoor climate is characterized high humidity and temperature fluctuations.
3. The coating must withstand repeated wet cleaning with detergents because it is subject to frequent contamination.
4. The floor surface must be solid because heavy or sharp objects often fall on it.
5. In addition to strength and durability, the floor in the kitchen must have aesthetics.
6. The floor must not absorb dirt or liquids.
7. The hygiene of the coating will ensure the absence of pores and relief on the surface.
8. The material must be moisture resistant.

floor in the hallway

The entrance hall is the room that is most exposed to negative and even aggressive influences. This is where most of the sand, dirt, water gets. The coating is subject to mechanical stress and wear.

The floor material in the hallway must have the following properties:

1. The aesthetic appearance of the coating plays an important role.
2. Preference should be given to coatings on the surface of which scratches and dirt are less visible.
3. The surface must withstand mechanical stress and abrasives.
4. The material is chosen to be moisture resistant, on the surface of which water can stand for some time without harming the coating.
5. The material must be resistant to aggressive cleaning agents.
6. It is desirable that the floor surface has dirt-repellent properties.
7. The high strength of the material will protect the coating from shock loads.

Bathroom floor

The floor cake in rooms with high humidity necessarily includes a layer of waterproofing. The most reliable type is the coating method, which forms a monolithic sealed coating. The main features of the coating in the bathroom include the following:

1. Moisture resistance.
2. Durability.
3. Hygiene.
4. Mechanical strength.
5. Not slippery surface.
6. Simple care.
7. aesthetic appeal.
8. The minimum number of joints or their careful sealing.

Types of floor coverings and their characteristics

All floor coverings that can be used in an apartment differ in the way they are laid, the requirements for preparing the base, appearance and performance. Consider the most popular options.

grooved board

Wood flooring is a traditional way of creating a warm, natural feel. For fine finish a special type of board is used, which is called grooved. In addition to the fact that it is equipped with a groove and a ridge, there are grooves on the back side that provide natural ventilation flooring.

Important! The tongue/groove lock ensures even distribution over the flooring surface.

Table 1. Advantages and disadvantages of boardwalk

Table 2. Board laying process

Image	Description
	The first board is laid with a groove to the wall at a certain distance, forming a gap of at least 1 cm.
	They are fixed on a self-tapping screw so that the fastener head is subsequently behind the plinth.
	For further installation of the flooring, you can use long self-tapping screws that exceed the thickness of the lamella by 2 times. Self-tapping screws are screwed into the boards at the lag locations. The fastener caps are subsequently masked with a special putty.
	The second method involves screwing self-tapping screws into the tenon of each board. This method provides a tighter fit of the boards and allows you to hide the fasteners.

Parquet

One of the varieties of wooden flooring is block parquet. You can also install modular parquet, which looks like a tile with a geometric pattern of several dies.

Important! Parquet differs from other materials in that it is made of solid wood, so its cost is quite high. However, this coating has a very long service life.

The presence of a groove and a ridge on each plank ensures their snug fit, in addition, the elements are attached to the adhesive during installation. For the manufacture of parquet, such wood as oak, cherry, ash, beech, maple is used.

Table 3. Advantages and disadvantages of parquet

Piece and modular parquet differ in cost and, if desired, you can choose the material at a fairly affordable price.

Table 4. Average cost of parquet

parquet board

The parquet board is a three-layer flooring material with lock connection, like a laminate, but differs from it in that the front layer, like all the others, is made of natural wood. Therefore, the parquet board looks noble and natural. The slats are highly durable due to the fact that the middle layer of the slats is located perpendicular to the outer one - the lower plywood and the front decorative, impregnated with a protective compound.

Externally, a parquet board can imitate a coating of block parquet. This effect is achieved due to the fact that the front layer of one lamella looks like it is assembled from 2, 3 or 4 rows of dies.

Table 5. Advantages and disadvantages parquet board

Table 6. Laying parquet board

Illustration	Description
	The material, without unpacking, is left for 48 hours.
	First, a substrate is laid with the institution of the material on the wall along the perimeter of the room.
	The boards of the first row are cut on one side, removing the locking element. A gap is left between the wall and the first row of lamellas by inserting special spacer plastic wedges into the gap.
	For a snug fit, the slats use the technology of tapping on them with a hammer through a special bar.
	An electric jigsaw is used to cut the lamellas.
	The locking system allows the installation of the coating in a short time.
	Spacer wedges are installed around the entire perimeter of the room. This laying method is called floating and ensures the integrity of the coating when the material expands during a period of temperature fluctuations.
	To lay the board in the area of ​​​​the doorway, the lamella itself and the door frame are cut.
	IN doorway install a threshold with a hidden fastening to match the coating.
	At the final stage, a plinth is mounted around the perimeter of the room.

Laminate

Laminate is a coating consisting of multilayer lamellas, the front decorative layer of which imitates any type of wood, as well as other natural and artificial materials.

Lamellas from different manufacturers can have arbitrarily technological layers that improve the performance properties of the laminate. The simplest instance consists of the following layers:

1. Lower stabilization paper layer with melamine impregnation.
2. The bearing and the thickest layer based on HDF - plates with a locking connection at the ends.
3. Decorative paper layer with natural material texture pattern.
4. A protective polymer layer that determines the wear resistance (class) of the laminate. For residential premises, material of class 32 is purchased.

Table 7. Advantages and disadvantages of laminate

PVC laminate is environmentally friendly and safe for humans and environment. you can see detailed list advantages of PVC panels.

Laying laminate is carried out according to the same principle as parquet boards - in a floating way.

Laying is carried out on a flat and clean base on the substrate, leaving a compensation gap along the perimeter between the coating and the wall.

Linoleum

Linoleum is one of the common types of flooring that can be used in rooms of any purpose and degree of traffic. Its popularity is associated with many factors, one of which is the moisture resistance of the material and the possibility of using it in wet areas.

Linoleum can be with or without a base. According to the structure, it is divided into homogeneous (single-layer) and heterogeneous (multilayer). The composition can be natural and artificial (PVC). According to the field of application, the material is divided into:

1. Commercial.
2. Domestic.
3. Semi-commercial.
4. Special.

More often in residential premises, three-layer linoleum is used for semi-commercial purposes. It has higher performance properties, resistance to mechanical stress and abrasion. It consists of the following layers:

1. Protective polyurethane layer 0.4-0.6 mm thick.
2. Decorative (front) plain or multi-colored layer.
3. The bottom layer is in the form of a foamed PVC substrate.

Table 8. Advantages and disadvantages of linoleum

Before you start laying linoleum, the base must be prepared. If installation is done according to cement screed or reinforced concrete slab, then its surface is cleaned of debris and primed. Also, laying can be done on wooden (plywood) flooring.

Table 9. Laying linoleum

Illustration	Description
	At the first stage, the roll is rolled out in the room and allowed to rest for some time.
	Linoleum is cut along the perimeter of the room, adjusting it to size.
	After a day, you can begin to fix the canvas with double-sided tape. The adhesive tape is first fixed on the floor, having previously unbent a part of the linoleum.
	After the tape surface is smoothed paint roller, remove the protective layer, freeing the outer sticky side of the adhesive tape.
	Linoleum is carefully returned to its place, fixing in a given position. Do the same with the second half of the canvas.
	At the final stage, the plinth is fixed.

Marmoleum

The natural variety of linoleum is modern material- marmoleum. It contains only natural ingredients:

1. Pine resin.
2. Linseed oil.
3. Jute fibers.
4. Wood flour.

Important! To the touch, in terms of environmental friendliness and degree of depreciation, marmoleum can be compared with cork.

Marmoleum can be rolled and slab. The rolled material must be laid on an insulated or heated base, as it does not have additional layers. Another option is slab, which is distinguished by a multilayer structure, when a strip of marmoleum is fixed on a supporting HDF-plate with a lock, and a cork substrate is attached from below. Laying of such plates is carried out quickly, and the locking method of connection ensures a snug fit of the elements and eliminates the occurrence of cold bridges.

Table 10. Advantages and disadvantages of marmoleum

Laying marmoleum is easy and does not require special skills.

Table 11. The process of laying marmoleum

Illustration	Description
	The base must be free of dirt and dust.
	Markings are applied to the floor surface, the middle of the room is marked, taking into account the distance from the wall along the perimeter of the room at a distance of at least 6 cm.
	Apply adhesive with a spatula.
	A spatula with teeth level the solution, forming grooves.
	A fragment is laid out from a marmoleum tile.
	Excess adhesive is removed immediately with a damp sponge.
	With the help of a rolling roller, the tile is pressed in a predetermined position, passing in two directions.
	The cut line when cutting tiles is indicated with a sharp clerical knife.
	The fragment is cut at an angle of 45 degrees using a special tool.
	After gluing the cut fragment, it is also rolled with a roller in two directions.

Video - Do-it-yourself marmoleum laying

Tile

This material occupies a special niche among floor coverings - according to technical specifications it is more suitable for rooms with special conditions operation and requirements for floor hygiene (kitchen, bathroom, hallway).

Table 12. Advantages and disadvantages of tiles

The surface of a floor ceramic tile happens opaque and glossy. More secure, with a pleasant embossed, porous structure is a matte tile. It does not slip, therefore it is recommended for bathrooms. It is easier to remove dirt from a glossy surface, its gloss visually makes the room brighter and more spacious. One of the options for floor cladding is mosaic, but its disadvantage is the large number of joints, which are the most vulnerable spot prone to contamination, so the best place to use it would be the bathroom.

Important! When choosing tiles for the floor, take into account the operational features of the room and the load. We will show you how to choose the right floor tiles.

self-leveling floor

The bulk floor is different in composition. In this regard, its surface can be:

1. Matte.
2. Semi-matte.
3. Glossy.
4. Semi-gloss.

In appearance, the floors are multi-color or plain, with a pattern and pattern or . Self-leveling floor makes it possible to use the most different ways their decoration - the use of a canvas with a pattern, the introduction of decorative inclusions into the solution, the filling with a transparent composition of saw cuts of wood, stone, coins and other elements.

They entrust professionals with experience, as there are many manufacturing technologies for the composition, depending on the components and methods for creating a decorative coating.

Table 13. Advantages and disadvantages of self-leveling floor

carpet

Carpet is roll material with different thickness and height of the pile, shade and pattern, which allows you to choose a coating for any interior. The thickness of the material varies from 5 to 10 mm.

Note! Any carpet consists of a backing for fixing the pile (woven or non-woven), a fixing layer based on latex, a secondary backing in contact with the floor, endowing the coating with elasticity, heat and sound insulation qualities, wear resistance, and pile.

Carpet is different:

1. Manufacturing material.
2. Manufacturing technology.
3. The length and quality of the pile.
4. base material.

According to the material of manufacture, carpet can be natural and synthetic. The first is more whimsical in care and is more expensive.

Table 14. Advantages and disadvantages of carpet

cork floor

Cork is made from natural raw materials by pressing. This floor is distinguished by high shock-absorbing properties, due to the porous structure. Cork is pleasant to the touch, so it is often used in children's rooms. When using cork in rooms with a high load and traffic, the front layer is varnished.

There are several varieties - in the form of a material with an adhesive base or plates (laminate) with a thorn-groove lock. The latter may have different thicknesses. Tiles less than 6 mm are laid on any flat surface and fixed with glue. Material up to 12 mm thick can be mounted by the floating method on wooden flooring, screed or linoleum.

Table 15. Advantages and disadvantages of cork coating

Summary table of materials for the floor in the apartment

Summing up, it should be indicated which coatings are appropriate in certain areas of the apartment.

Table 16. What coatings are appropriate in certain rooms