Coniferous substrate, its characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, choice, installation technology and main manufacturers. When choosing a coniferous substrate for laminate flooring, the last factor is the most important. The required thickness in this case is selected depending on the magnitude of the planned loads on the coating, their intensity and the quality of the base surface. The more irregularities it is, the thicker the substrate should be. Otherwise, the panels and joints of the laminate may be irreversibly damaged during the operation of the floor.
Regardless of the material for the manufacture of substrates, standard requirements are imposed on them:
- Good sound insulation … If the underlay is not placed under the floor covering, its ability to dampen sound will not be realized. In such cases, the overlap becomes their conductor.
- Leveling ability … It has a huge impact on the life of the coating, especially laminate and parquet boards. By hiding small defects in the base with the help of the underlay, you can significantly increase the durability of the floor.
- Moisture resistance … The coniferous backing must be able to protect the flooring from moisture from the concrete floor.
- Thermal conductivity … The use of a coniferous substrate can reduce the efficiency of the "warm floor", but in its absence, play the role of a good heat insulator for the room.
When choosing a coniferous substrate for linoleum, you should take into account the situations in which you cannot do without it:
- Cold floor … This is one of the main reasons for the need to install a coniferous substrate. Such a layer will prevent the flow of cold from unheated rooms located one floor below. In this case, in addition to this material, you can use its combined analogue of wool, flax and jute. They all have excellent thermal insulation.
- Uneven floor … It is a fairly common reason for laying the substrate, which, by compensating for the unevenness of the concrete screed, increases the service life of the linoleum.
- Buying baseless linoleum … This is also the reason for using a coniferous substrate. There are types of linoleum that do not require it to have a base. Such material is not able to independently provide a warm and even floor surface, so it is supplemented with a substrate.
In other cases, the use of a substrate can be abandoned, including when laying baseless linoleum on an old floor covering.
Softwood flooring underlay manufacturers
The European company Steico is the leader in the production of softwood floor substrates. Its products are manufactured in Poland, but now they have become available to many countries around the world.
Steico underfloor is actively used to increase the sound insulation of premises. In addition, it provides excellent thermal insulation of the floor, which is important primarily for country houses that are partially heated or have ineffective floors in terms of insulation. In terms of sound insulation, the Steico coniferous underlayment can easily dampen the sounds of footsteps and falling objects on the floor.
In addition, the Steico substrate has a number of other advantages:
- In its structure, there are no chemicals that cause the evaporation of volatile toxic components.
- The substrate does not accumulate moisture and prevents the formation of mold.
- Has certificates of environmental safety.
- The substrate is not prone to sagging during use.
- The sound absorption parameter of the substrate reaches 220 dB.
Isoplaat is another leader in softwood flooring. Its slabs are used as a damping layer when laying the finishing material on a wooden floor. Installation of Isoplaat interlayers is carried out only on a dry, solid base.
The main advantages of this material are:
- Ability to eliminate unevenness in the substrate. The thickness of the pressed panels is optimal for smoothing out small surface differences without using self-leveling compounds or installing plywood as a sub-floor.
- Mechanical strength. Thanks to her, the material is able to withstand significant loads even at the joints of flooring elements - lamellas, boards, etc.
- Environmental Safety. The manufacturer uses only natural binders for the manufacture of the substrate.
- Form stability. Over time, the laid slabs do not deform and retain their quality characteristics.
- Porous structure. It not only counteracts moisture stagnation, but also absorbs sound waves, making the room more comfortable.
Coniferous substrate laying instructions
Before using the coniferous substrate, it must be unpacked and kept in this state at room temperature for 24 hours. Thanks to this simple procedure, the moisture level of the material and the room will be the same. To work with it, you will need a construction sharp knife, a ruler and a square.
As a rule, there is no particular difficulty in laying this covering, since it is easily cut with a knife. The coniferous substrate must be laid so that the seams of its slabs do not coincide with the joints of the elements of the floor material. To maintain this order, the elements should be arranged in a herringbone pattern, starting from the corner of the room, that is, joint to joint at an angle of 45 degrees.
After you have coped with the installation of the coniferous substrate, you can proceed with the installation of the floor finish.
Important! It is recommended to install the coniferous substrate only in dry rooms. This is due to the rapid absorption of moisture by this material. When installing the material on a base made of concrete, lay a plastic wrap under it, and glue the joints of its canvases with tape. This will protect the porous layer from moisture. How to lay a coniferous substrate - look at the video:
[media = https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = uMzW70s-jcg] If you are still thinking about choosing a backing for your flooring, consider coniferous wood. Even if they get wet, such plates do not change their size and properties after drying, they become a good insulation and sound-insulating material.
