Opleiding – Building a Wood Floor With New Lumber
Opleiding, also called “cold cementing”, is a technique for joining drywall panels using glue and pressure. It works well with plywood or tongue-and-groove board, but not with concrete blocks or metal studs.
Before you begin an opleiding project, find the flooring and prepare it as you would any other wood panel. Remove the decorative trim (a type of molding) and backstamp with the final primer. Once you’ve got everything set up the way you want, spray a light coat of primer over the entire surface.
Like any joint, opleiding requires a key ingredient – the glue. There are two common types: a “thread-and-glue” (TPG) compound and a “solid-glue” (SG) compound. Both types of opleiding gums are made with different ingredients. Some gums include metal components like zinc or chromium while others contain plastic materials like polyvinyl butyral.
To do a successful opleiding job, you need to have nailheads, but most homeowner tools for installers and movers don’t have the appropriate hardware. A small drill bit and screwdriver can be used to screw in the screws.
An opleiding job is much more difficult than a caulking job, so if you’re not careful you could end up with missed holes, leaks, and even breaks. Have all nails and screws carefully checked and replaced before you start. If you don’t, the nails may enter the joint between two studs, causing them to become rusted and unwanted.
The type of nails that will work best on an opleiding project is a circular drill bit, and long enough to penetrate at least one stud. Do this on the first stud and go back with a screwdriver to remove the material between the previous nailhead and the new one. Now the hole can accommodate the drill bit without creating damage.
Wood to be joined must be prepared properly to withstand opleiding. If there are two pieces of wood that are not held together by nails, glue, or tape, cut the two pieces at an angle to separate. Then, if possible, apply a primer that will act as an adhesive to bond the two pieces together.
When laying drywall panels, pull the studs to the depth of the plywood or tongue-and-groove board. Pull the studs so they’re flush with the surface of the drywall. Then, when done, lightly sand each section until it’s level.
Before you apply any stain or paint, use a wet, tack cloth to dust off the previous coat of paint or stain and lightly brush off any remaining streaks. Then, with the excess paint or stain still on the surface, apply a medium-coverage drywall primer. Test the primer by rubbing a small area of drywall against a light table lamp and see if it glows.
Depending on the size of the drywall panels, you may need to use a paper clip to guide them into place. Use small panels as they’re easier to install. When ready, adhere the small panels to the drywall using caulk, lay them down with pressure and apply one or two coats of latex-based wall paint.
For newer home builds that don’t have drywall or vinyl tile, use a laminate board to make the entire panel. This is often referred to as laminate-laminateboard and comes in four-by-eight-foot sheets that work well in any house.
If you’re replacing old wood paneling with a laminate-laminateboard panel, be sure to ask if the panels are nailed to the existing panels. Most houses in the U.S. already have this type of product installed on their drywall.