Which floor is better to do in the apartment?

For a comfortable life in the apartment can not do without repair work related to the floor covering. The options of what can be laid on the floor in different rooms at the moment is enough, because it is important to know the basic rules and patterns of choice.

In order to independently lay the appropriate floor, you need to have sufficient knowledge and skills that will allow you to do the work efficiently and for many years.

Design features

Since each dwelling in the apartment involves a certain occupation, then everything must be subordinated to this. That is why in the bedroom and children's wallpaper is glued, tiles are laid in the kitchen and in the bathroom, and in the corridor decorative brick can be used. But especially important are the floors, it is on them that the person is at home all the time.Thanks to a good and high-quality coating, it is possible to achieve maximum comfort in the room and ease of use by households.

It is important not only the coating itself, which is located under the feet, but also the design itself, which is hidden under it.

In apartments, floors are mounted on interfloor plates and have two main layers:

  1. intermediate;
  2. the flooring itself.

In some homes, the intermediate layer does not fit and the coating is placed directly on the slab. It can be PVC, linoleum, laminate, carpet or parquet. Because of this design, sound and heat insulation are very weak. The evenness of the floors also suffers, because there is no leveling layer. Modern buildings have a completely different system of flooring, it is a reinforced concrete and metal structure with a complex device. They originally provided for a layer of insulation and there is an additional sound insulation layer.

If the house is built in the form of frame-monolithic elements, the floors are made of expanded clay. This material has good insulating qualities. If the coating has a weak insulating property, then it is desirable to install an additional insulating layer for it.. Creating a ceiling of the beams, as a heat-insulating material can serve as mineral wool, which is placed between the beams, where, if necessary, you can add a layer of waterproofing.

When beams are ready, an intermediate layer can be mounted on them, for which they use logs, subfloor, insulation layers and waterproofing and screeds, on which the flooring is laid. On wooden beams, you can also lay a floor made of wood, which will eventually create a solid flooring.

For some rooms it is possible not to overlap at all, they include basements, cellars, in which the floor serves as a screed, as close as possible to the ground. In a strip foundation, leaf bases can help make the floor warmer and more suitable for longer stays. For such rooms, ventilation acquires a special role, because there are no windows in them and it will be impossible to stay in such conditions in the absence of air exhaust. The size of the ventilation shaft will depend on the size of the room. If the basement is small, then the derived pipe will be enough; if it is large, you need to plan a more complex system.

If the quality of the floors is not satisfactory, it is necessary to dismantle the old coating and install a DSP on which to form a new floor.

To distinguish between rooms you can use sills. They are especially important in the bathroom., because it will help to protect other rooms from moisture accumulated after bathing and washing. When the foundation under the floor is done, the substrate is laid, especially if a laminate was chosen as the floor covering. If there is a need to warm the floor, then you need to make a cake and fill it with a place where a warm floor is provided in the future.

Variants of floor coverings exist the most various and work on their installation differs cardinally. Some surfaces can be put on the finished floor, and for some you need to make a screed and raise the level up to 10 cm to achieve the desired result.

Sound and noise insulation

In order to insulate the floor and reduce the noise level, there are a variety of materials that can be used during repairs.

These include:

  • Polyethylene foam. This material is laid in the form of a layer that fits under the main flooring and helps to reduce noise and partially affect the heat of the coating.The mere presence of such a layer for finishing the floor will not be enough, it is important to complete it with additional elements.
  • Construction of wooden beams. If the room has high ceilings, you can raise the floor level with the help of beams that are installed on the expanded polyethylene foam. Mineral wool or foam is placed between the beams, but expanded clay can also be poured. When everything is ready, sheets of plywood or OSB cover the floor. It is on such a coating that you can lay any base.
  • Dry screed option. In this case, a polyethylene film is placed on the coating, on which beacons are placed, which then regulate the height of the insulating material. Only after that it is possible to lay a gypsum-fiber sheet on which any coating can easily fall.
  • One of the simplest, but reliable coverage options, with which good insulation is achieved, is ecowool. A quiet move on such a floor is ensured by the complex composition of the coating and its characteristics.
  • A simple but effective option of warming is polystyrene. It is laid directly on the concrete floor.Based on the height of the ceilings, you can raise the floor to a certain level, laying the above material in several layers. On such a coating can be laid solid floor options.
Dry screed
Ecowool
Polystyrene

In the new building you can get coverage of any type, and it is on this basis to plan future work. For each room will be used a variety of materials for the bathroom, toilet and kitchen must be laid waterproof floor, since the presence of moisture on the surface will be constant. Vapor-proofing floors also help to cope with condensation, which often accumulates in rooms in high humidity.

If repairs are made in the kitchen, the first criterion when choosing a floor will be its non-combustible properties and polyurethane substrates. The combination of these components will allow to achieve the best result. Bulk floor can be used in any room, the main thing is to choose the right type of contentso that it helps to enhance sound insulation and create an additional layer of thermal insulation, making the floor in the room warm and pleasant in any weather.

Types of coatings

For a comfortable stay in any room, it is important to choose the right flooring. If the repair is done at home on its own, it is important to lay new floors well and with high quality.

There are a lot of variants of such coatings now, the main ones are:

  • board;
  • parquet or more modern variation - laminate;
  • linoleum, or as an option - PVC plates;
  • ceramic floor tiles or porcelain stoneware.

Choosing to overlap the board, it is important to select only grooved materials. These are planed boards that have the shape of a parallelepiped. One face has a comb, which is located along the entire length of the product. They make it with a cutter, which helps to make the shape smooth, which is convenient in work. The other side of the same element of the board has a groove that fits into the comb and snaps it.

Such boards can have a thickness of from 25 mm to 45. Hollow floors should be covered with thicker boards, whereas cast floors can be covered with thinner ones. The level of thickness allows you to regulate the strength of the coating and the level of its vibrations. Thin boards are stacked at a minimum distance from each other and lags should not be located more than sixty centimeters apart.

Mounting such a floor, it is important not to reach the wall itself, leaving about one centimeter to resize the board under the influence of temperature.

When choosing materials, it is important to pay attention to the material itself. Floorboards should be well dried. After mounting the entire coating, the boards can be painted, polished or varnished. Indents from the walls, which make it possible to expand the coating, are closed with the help of a plinth. Choosing the material from which it is best to make the floor for a living room, you should not give preference to alder or linden, they are not suitable for this function.

Larch floor has similar characteristics, but its distinctive feature is the ability to absorb moisture in the room itself. Due to this property, a person can feel great at any time of the year. Moisture does not spoil the coating and it serves for a long time, bringing pleasure from use.

Parquet and laminate are very similar with wooden flooring.. Parquet has pairs that are located on each side of the board, which has a small size. Small sizes make it possible to use valuable wood species and produce a high percentage of products without any scrap. For parquet floors, a subfloor will be required., to which it is necessary to fasten every fifth board with a screw, which is screwed diagonally, so that it is not visible.

Laying floorboard can be several options. The most popular is the Christmas tree and chessboard. On large areas, you can combine different styling options, creating unique designs. This type of flooring is one of the most expensive.

With all the positive aspects of this material is in it a very important drawback. When moisture gets in, it deteriorates, and if there is a lot of it, it rises and put it back is an extremely difficult task.. That's why it was invented alternative to laminate flooring. It is very similar to parquet, but consists not of wood, but of four-layer material. It is based on a fiberboard layer, which is thoroughly impregnated with resin, and on the reverse side there is an additional installation layer that helps to make the coating more rigid.

The top layer is a paper on which a certain pattern is applied. The most common option is wood imitation.Another layer of melamine or acrylic resins is applied on top of it, which provides resistance to abrasion and moisture. The installation of the laminate is almost exactly the same as the parquet board system, which makes it possible to quickly and without much difficulty put a new covering.

A radically different flooring is linoleum.. It is very popular and finds its application in almost any room. It consists of a layer of fabric and its coating, which has durable characteristics. For the fabric layer, they are now using both real fabric and nonwoven felt-like options, which also warm the floor at the same time. From above put various materials. It can be PVC with various options and compositions.

The design of linoleum can be very diverse - from a variety of patterns and forms of a huge palette of colors. In addition, there is still a large variety of this coating on the characteristics of strength and durability.

Another flooring option is PVC tile.which is a composite material having several layers.The basis is stone, which is very crushed, and the top layer is vinyl with high strength characteristics. It is laid on bitumen mastic or glue, which simplifies the process, and damaged elements can be easily dismantled and put new ones.that allows you to talk about the versatility of the coating.

Low cost makes it possible to carry out periodic replacement of the flooring, changing colors or patterns and updating the space. The high degree of wear resistance makes it indispensable, and a good fit to the surface makes it possible to use it in a wide variety of rooms.

For details on PVC tile, see the following video.

The oldest material that was used for installation of floors, it is considered ceramic tiles. The modern variety of shapes, textures and colors allows you to fit it into any interior. Its main characteristics are durability and resistance to any external factors. Among the shortcomings, it is possible to single out only the fragility of the impact of heavy objects and slippery floors, if they hit the water.

Modern tile is laid using mounting glue, which speeds up the process.During installation, a joint is left between each tile, designed to change the shape of the product at different temperatures. All seams are covered with a special tool..

Porcelain stoneware is a similar material.which is obtained by baking ceramics at high temperatures and pressures. The resulting floor covering has unique strength characteristics. Outwardly, it looks like a product made of natural stone, but much lighter than it by weight. Stone floor looks very impressive and expensive. The hygienic properties of this coating allow it to be successfully used in the bathroom and kitchen.

This is one of the most common floor coverings that you can use in the apartment and put them yourself.

Design

In order to create a cozy atmosphere in the apartment, attention is paid not only to the walls and furniture, but also to the floor covering. It is important to choose both the material from which it is made and the color solution so that it is in harmony with the whole environment. The walls often create the main accent in the room, and therefore the color selection of the floor will often come from them.

Material for living rooms, such as a bedroom, nursery, living room, is selected the most naturalso that there are no harmful fumes or other negative effects on the body. For the hallway, bath, kitchen and corridor you can use the floor of practical materials that can withstand moisture, shoes with heels and other factors.

A variety of coatings and generates new trends in interior design, and specifically flooring. New materials make it possible to use them in any room, while obtaining the necessary priorities for a given space. The classic version of flooring design assumes a monochromatic color palette, close to natural shades and textures. Current trends dictate a riot of colors, a variety of textures and patterns that can be entered into any interior.

Classic floors are often made of wood, and to create them you need to order parquet from solid wood. Parquet itself can be piece, art or shield. For the same task you can use massive boards of oak or exotic species: acacia, walnut, elm and others. Oak boards are often artificially aged..

You can use the floorboard, but you need to pick a picture,which will fill the space with an era of classicism.

Modern interior design requires modern coatings. The use of laminate, parquet boards, arrays, carpet, carpet tiles - everything is suitable for making the interior modern. The only exception is a bathroom, for it is better to use vinyl coverings..

The most versatile is laminate., because it can be used throughout the apartment.

The original solution would be to use tiles in the kitchen or in the bathroom.. For a shower room, using marbled surfaces will create an atmosphere of luxury and wealth. Marble floor will fit well into the design of the corridor, where the coating must be durable, but at the same time beautiful to present the room to everyone who enters.

For the kitchen, the color of the tile will be brown, but it also depends on the interior of the room itself.

If it is made as antique, then dark colors will complement and continue the chosen direction, and for modern motifs it is better to choose a metallic shade of tile, which will visually expand the space and make it easier.

Modern materials come in a wide variety of forms - from small to large enough. They can have unusual and very interesting textures and drawings, in addition, have unique and unusual color solutions that will help to make the interior of any room unique.

Tips for choosing

When planning to buy a new flooring, it is important not to make a wrong choice. To do this, you must follow certain rules and criteria when choosing. The most important will be the selection of the floor for a specific functional area.

In the whole apartment can be identified:

  • area for guests and recreation (living room, bedroom, children);
  • zone of high humidity (kitchen and bathroom);
  • zone of non-residential space (corridor, hallway).

Depending on each zone and you need to choose flooring. In addition, choosing the floor, it is important to take into account the rhythm of life in which the family lives. Fans of home feasts and mini discos will need a durable cover, and home and quiet household will be like carpeting.

Having children also plays a role, in this case all floors should be as safe as possible: environmentally friendly, not slippery, not hard.

Pets also influence the choice of flooring. If there are many, it is best to choose something reliable, resistant to scratches, moisture and any other external influences.

On the basis of the family budget, it is possible to distinguish the range of materials into two parts - affordable, which will not burden the family, and expensive ones, the purchase of which will have unpleasant material consequences. Cheap floor repair is difficult to do, but with desire and patience it is possible.

For the first floor, the choice of flooring will not be so wide, because the close proximity to the ground or basement will increase the level of humidity, which may adversely affect some surfaces. In those houses where interfloor ceilings are thin or already dilapidated, in no case should heavy floors be made. It is better to replace them with something durable, but as light as possible.

Making the right choice is not difficult if you approach the process with knowledge and do not rush. It is important to find the optimal solution that will allow you to get the desired result and without requiring a large amount of financial resources.

Beautiful examples

Creating your own unique apartment design, it is important to take care of the quality, comfort and beauty of the flooring.Modern materials can make it possible to create not just fashionable interior options, but also to lay a covering that will serve for many years and please their owners.

The use of parquet has always been popular.. This material has a pleasant color, and if you wish, you can create a beautiful design of the room, using a drawing. It is recommended to use it in the living room, in the hall, you can put it in the bedroom, but it is better to add a carpet to it for coziness and comfort.

For the hallway the best option would be to use laminate.which can be combined in color and create an interesting pattern. This coating is not afraid of moisture, because it can be washed frequently, and good protection from damage will allow walking on the floor in shoes with any heel.

In the bedroom, the most suitable floors will be wood.which are environmentally friendly material, they are warm enough and will not cause discomfort when walking in the cold season. The color of the tree can be chosen for the interior of the room, as well as to decorate it for a certain tone, if there is such a need.

The best option for flooring in the nursery is carpet. It protects the baby from bruises in the fall, does not allow fragile objects to break, does not collect dust on itself and is easily removed. You can lie on it at any time of the year, without fear of catching a cold.

In addition, a variety of colors, length of the pile allows you to buy carpet for a child of any age and sex, which expands the possibilities in interior design.

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Information provided for reference purposes. For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

Entrance hall

Living room

Bedroom