Some design features of floors in Khrushchev
To begin with, it makes sense to say a few words about the structure of the floors in the "Khrushchev". It's just that some owners are afraid to decide on repair work only out of ignorance of what they can expect after the dismantling of the boardwalk.
As a basis for wooden floors, one of two options can be found - these are wooden beams of the interfloor overlap, sheathed from below with subfloor boards or a concrete slab. I must say that the floor on the beams is still a phenomenon in the "Khrushchev" - an extremely rare, characteristic of the earliest series, and there are practically no such houses left. So in the vast majority of cases, one should expect to see exactly the floor slab under the removed flooring.
Traditional wooden flooring scheme
- Logs are fixed on the rough plank floor, between which insulation was laid or poured - it could be mineral wool, slag, and sometimes expanded clay.
- If a reinforced concrete floor slab serves as the basis for a plank floor, then a screed was usually made on it, on which sand was sometimes added between the lags.
This is the picture that may appear before your eyes after removing the boardwalk in the "Khrushchev"
- For greater stability and protection of the logs along their entire length, fiberboard strips can be fixed from below.
- Between the lags, as in the case of a wooden floor, insulation was laid or filled up. However, quite often they did without it. Sometimes, when dismantling wooden flooring, apartment owners find only construction debris in this space.
- On top of the lag, a finishing board covering is fixed, or plywood (plank) flooring for the installation of parquet - in some series of "Khrushchev" such a coating was also practiced.
The design of floors on logs is a fairly rational option, as it allows you to make sound insulation or lay modern insulation material. That is why the owners of "Khrushchev" are in no hurry to abandon the old plank floors in favor of concrete screeds, of course, if the first ones are not subject to complete dismantling due to complete dilapidation. In some cases, floor boards are dismantled only in order to lay sound and/or heat insulation material between the joists and solve the problem with squeaks. That is, even old floorboards sometimes return to their place.
How much noise can be reduced
There are different types of noise. There is, for example, an aerial view - these are sounds transmitted through the air. These may include talking, screaming, laughing, etc. These sounds enter the room through windows, cracks and doors. But impact sound travels through walls. This type of sound should include the noise of a drill and other tools. There is also a structural type, which appears due to vibrations. It also goes through walls. Its sources can be tools used in construction. Usually structural and percussive types occur simultaneously.
Loudness can be measured in decibels. There are acceptable levels that are considered optimal for a person. They are somewhere around 40 - 45 decibels. This level of sound does no harm. An example of such a sound is a simple conversation of people. But this rate is valid only from 07 am to 11.00 pm. Then the person can perceive only a whisper, which is approximately 20 decibels.
Working workshops emit sounds up to 85 decibels. At the same time, people often work inside such premises for 8 hours a day. But during this time, the noise will not harm the body. If the sound is stronger, then it will be necessary to use protective equipment. The critical mark can be considered 110 decibels. If the level rises to 130, then discomfort will be noticeable even on human skin. Therefore, the cry of neighbors can cause inconvenience. But soundproofing will help solve the problem.
Methods for the restoration of wooden floors in Khrushchev
Let us immediately indicate the possible ways of repairing old plank floors, so that you can decide which one is suitable for a particular case.
Note that in some cases it is not at all necessary to completely dismantle the boardwalk. Very often, for flooring, really high-quality lumber was used, which has undergone good processing and can withstand more than a dozen years of operation.
Of course, it is important to take into account the regular care of the floors during their long service life.
Scraped wooden floors in "Khrushchev"
If the plank coating does not sag or creak, but the boards in it are slightly deformed, then it can simply be scraped, puttied, sanded and repainted or varnished.
Partial replacement of planks in wooden floors.
- If the floorboards have lost their former strength, sag, then they may have to be completely or partially replaced. After dismantling several boards, they should be checked for thickness and strength. Sometimes it is enough to simply add a few lags, and then lay the old boards in place, thus strengthening the coating. Then it remains to put them in order, as described in the previous case.
- If the flooring has become unusable, but during its dismantling it turned out that the logs are in perfect order, then they can continue to be used for attaching new boards or plywood.
Plywood flooring on top of an old plank floor
- If the floors do not creak or sag, but wide gaps have formed between the boards, then the coating can be leveled with sanding, and then plywood can be laid over the floorboards, which will become the basis for any floor finish.
- If you plan to get rid of old odors that have accumulated during the operation of housing in a wooden floor, then the coating should be completely dismantled and new floors should be equipped. They can be made in the form:
Plywood floors on logs
- plywood coating on the logs, which can then be covered with linoleum, laminate, parquet board or parquet;
- concrete screed with subsequent coating with any materials;
Dry screed can be very relevant when it is necessary to level the floors on old floors.
- dry screed using expanded clay mixture and gypsum fiber (GVL) floor slabs, which can then also be revetted with almost any floor finish.
