how to install plywood flooring

It's made with a strip of clea... A Multi-Wheel Band Saw (Experimental Build). Instead of spending hours... #2 Prepare the room. It was a lot easier to keep a wet edge in the smaller area: The next day, I lightly sanded the floor and gave it the second coat, but this time I used just clear oil based urethane. https://ibuildit.ca/projects/installing-and-finishing-plywood-flooring I would have had to tear up and throw away any of the plywood that got wet. Install Plywood Sub-Flooring Before you lay new wood flooring, vinyl tile, carpet or other floor materials, you'll want a smooth, even sub-flooring installed over the old floor. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. A minimum 3/4-inch-thick sub-floor is required. How it looks after that first coat. If part of your mobile home renovation process involves installing a new plywood floor over a subfloor, it's imperative that you learn more about the proper approach. When you add in the other costs (excluding labour) to finish it, the price goes up to just over $2 per square foot. As you can see from the picture, the face grain is very uniform and is relatively defect free. I have no concerns about this ever leaking and the slight flow restriction doesn’t make any detectable difference: The strips are laid tight to each other and are actually glued down to the sub floor using polyurethane construction adhesive. 7.2 - Measure and cut the plywood panels so interlocking joints meet at the center of the sleepers. Source Images. For better or worse, this build is a perfect example. … Because we’re laying the plywood onto the existing floorboards, we didn’t want anything that was too thick so that we’d create a step. My first choice was hardwood, but the prospect of spending $5 or more per square foot for the nearly 600 square feet of floor … As you can see, the floor is interlaced with PEX tubing that provides the heat for the room. Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright in 1916. Fill the low spots with floor patch, and feather it out with a trowel. Spread just enough adhesive to work on a few rows at a time so the glue doesn’t dry. Copyright © 2020 IBUILDIT.CA. That absolutely kills any kind of laminate flooring for me.Additionally, the main floor of my house has infloor heating and that may be a problem for a traditional hardwood floor due to expansion and contraction. The plywood also appears to be void free, or at least I haven’t found any: The first step in the process is to rip the 4′ x 8′ sheets in half to make them more manageable. In addition to … our boiler has been moved into the cellar, https://www.littlehouseonthecorner.com/how-to-paint-a-wood-floor/. Yes! Read, be informed, and extract maximum useful life from your plywood project. Cupping occurs when hardwood floorboards begin to curl along the length of the board, somewhat like a taco shell but less pronounced. While tile can be laid on plywood, do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself. More on that later. After all, it’s only a very recent expectation that floors should be home and garden magazine perfect – most older houses, even the fancy ones, had modest floors. This one uses reinforcing steel for the bar, taking advantage of the ribs that are formed on the rod to lock the moving jaw in place. A softwood like pine may work better, but is double the cost of the plywood without any real advantages (other than to say: “look at my beautiful pine floor”). The original goal was to design and build a dedicated  jig for sharpening saw blades that…, Making The Advanced Box Joint Jig From MDF, I occasionally get asked if jigs like this can be made with lower cost, easier to find materials. This one is different in that it started out as a project, but really didn't end up being one. If plywood is not dealt with properly, it can swell and create major problems with roofing, flooring or siding. Here’s a better look at the edge. I drove these through the face and only used as many as I needed, since it’s the glue that makes the permanent bond. DIY PLYWOOD FLOORS Step 1: Tools & Materials. To install plywood flooring you need the nails to sink into the joists and nowhere else. Making And Installing Plywood Flooring Home Improvement When it came time to replace the worn out carpet on the second floor of my house, I explored my options. Plywood flooring is a great and inexpensive option to add farmhouse charm to your home! Your email address will not be published. Additional floor molding. This way, you’ll end up with equal sized strips of wood at either end of the room. How to Install Plywood Flooring. Dry fit components first to make sure sheets land on the center of joists. In particular, I would have changed to all water based products just to avoid the mind killing fumes from the solvent based finish. I will not use any flooring that “floats”, simply because you need to make clumsy transitions from it to another type of floor. Combined with the infloor heating making the floor warmer than ideal, it was VERY difficult to paint this on and maintain a wet edge. Your floor will be ready to walk on 24 hours after the last coat has dried but it will take a week or more for the floor to fully cure and harden. Sure enough, I did it while laying my first board: I was filming at the time, and can blame that distraction for my blunder. Pro tip: Make sure to mark on your plywood where you shouldn’t have screws. First I’ll briefly go over my reasons for using it:Economy – At the current price of $36 per sheet, that just a little over $1 per square foot. Just imagine: You have created a product that has become a sensation, a product that will still be widely recognizable a…. The plys under are of the same wood, but lower quality and the glue bond is strong between layers – I’ve seen no signs of delamination on any of the sheets I’ve cut: After the sheets were cut in half, I ripped them into strips that are nearly 4″ wide. This is my third time using plywood for a finished floor and I thought I would go into more detail this time than I did before. This can be done, since plywood does not expand and contract with seasonal changes like solid wood does: Along with the glue, I used 18 gauge brads to hold it tight down to the sub floor. It is a good idea to put half inch plywood underlay to strengthen the floor before using modified thin set to put the tile directly on wood. Cut 1/4 inch (0.63 centimeter) underlayment-grade plywood to fit the floor area you plan to cover with linoleum, then lay this over the existing floor or subfloor. Position the … Plywood Flooring Installation Tutorial First, story time In all the tutorials that I read, people mentioned going to Home Depot or Lowe’s and having the nice workers cut the plywood … Two days later, after that second coat had fully dried, I switched to water based satin polyurethane for the final two coats. Also, donâ t forget to wear proper safety This makes the new flooring more secure and eliminates holes in the subfloor. When installed with staples, the underlayment sheets are fastened every 2 inches along the edges of the sheet and every 4 inches in the field area. Speaking of finish, here’s what I used: a mix of clear oil based polyurethane with an oil based tinted urethane called “PolyShades”. It’s important when using a mix like this to get the colour right for the first coat – repainting to darken will produced streaks and appear more uneven: I used a 3″ brush coating two board widths at a time to try to maintain a wet edge, but it was difficult. It also doesn’t have the heavy smell that the Varathane product has, making it much more pleasant to work with. This Website is powered by Siteground and the Genesis Framework. Prepare the Subfloor Also, you normally can’t (or wouldn’t want to) face nail hardwood, so you’d have to be very selective and careful where you drive the long staples that hold it down to avoid hitting a pipe. Not many would guess that this is actually plywood: When that room was complete, I moved out into the hall and currently have just the colour coat and one coat of clear on that. The repair is simple with PEX, just add in a coupler and chop out the floor a bit to fit it in. When I did the plywood floor there, the sheets were much flatter and overall had fewer defects. I’m not sure if this decline in quality is a condition that will continue, but for the most part it doesn’t have much of an impact on how well the floor turns out. A humped threshold from the hall to the bathroom, for example. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. DIY Installation – This is definitely a great DIY project! I made these from roof flashing and made a simple jig to bend them to fit snuggly around the pipe: One major drawback with infloor heating is the ever present threat of accidentally puncturing one of the pipes. We will point you towards some of the best plywood installation blog posts and videos, but all you really need is the ability to get your plywood sheets cut into planks and correctly laid out on your sub floor. Step 2: Rip Out the Old Carpet. Correction to this wood product problem can clean your wallet. These tips cover plywood characteristics and proper installation of plywood. The ends that butt together in the floor will be trimmed off and beveled slightly as well: With enough strips cut to get started, we set up in what will be my office. Unfortunately at some point the manufacturer changed the formulation of the clear finish (to use a different solvent, one that is not on the VOC ban list, but no less harmful) and the dry time for the product changed as well. This provides a smooth, even surface for the linoleum to rest on, bypassing the problems of using a damaged or worn floor entirely. At least that's my opinion now. That would have been time consuming to find a colour that I like in a water based stain, since they don’t have the same “wet” look as the oil based ones. LATER NOTE: I now recommend the Minwax clear oil based poly for floors, as it has a longer dry time which lets you maintain a wet edge. Glue will typically set in about 60 minutes. Our Plywood Pretty week is coming to a close and there’s one topic we haven’t covered yet…. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The face veneer is somewhat less than 1/8″ thick, but will still allow a lot of sanding before you break through to the layer below. First thing you will need to do is move everything out of the room. Always install plywood … 1/4-inch WonderBoard or 5mm EasyMat). Pros and Cons of Plywood Flooring. Then we put the plywood back on top and used the power drill to screw the plywood into the base of the van. Hold your trowel at a 45-degree angle to spread the glue in small sections. Of course, a clear finish alone should retain that, but then the floor would be lighter in colour than I want: I made a detailed video going through the installation and finishing process: To sum up, I will say that you need to do this for the right reasons – getting a cheaper floor may not make up for the work involved on its own. This provides a solid, level work surface to affix the flooring and adds stability to prevent the floor from creaking or moving. This flooring can be installed over old wood flooring or over a plywood sub-floor. Get your interior look hot with this plywood planked floor, given a … Step 3: Clean the Subfloor. Floating floors are an easy, mess-free way to install new flooring without necessarily having to remove the existing flooring. Plywood Flooring. I also used it on the plywood floor in my basement with excellent results. He worked in the flooring industry for most of my life and was the first person I called when I decided to install this DIY plywood plank flooring. Sweep the subflooring clean of all debris. That second coat did make the colour look A little bit more even. Before you install your plywood subfloor, first calculate the room’s square footage to find out how much flooring you’ll need to buy. The holes from driving the nails were filled with a filler that matches the natural colour of the plywood, making it difficult to see them after the floor is finished. Start by measuring your room and calculating the amount of wood you’ll need. The overall look is very nice, but you can still easily see the lines every second board where the finish overlapped. All Rights Reserved. Depending on your room layout and size, we’d recommend starting at the door and working your way through to the back wall. If you are working atop a single plywood layer, we recommend adding a second layer of 1/4- to 1/2-inch plywood or commercial floor substrate material. Glue down vinyl plank flooring adheres to the subfloor using either one of two types of adhesives: hard-set or pressure-sensitive. With the floor prepped, spread flooring adhesive with a trowel. It looks pretty good in the photo, but if you look closely you’ll see how it’s slightly darker at the joint of every second board. Here’s how to lay a plywood floor: #1 Calculate. After we had our pieces correctly cut out, we re-installed the original flooring with all the screws and bolts to act as a bit of insulation for the floor. Still, very lucky that more of the floor wasn’t down, since quite a lot of water leaked out and I had to stop for a day to let it dry out. Nailing the Flooring in Place Lay the initial row of boards along the length of the room. Next step will be to apply the colour coat and that should turn out much better.Notice the grain patterning that all but disappears when you paint on the first coat. Hard-set adhesive is spread along the subfloor, then the vinyl planks are laid down on top. The plywood board we used is only 5mm thick, which means that the difference in height between the hallway floor and bedroom floor is minimal. The colour of the Polyshades is “American Chestnut” and I mixed 1/2 of that one liter can to the full 4 liter can of clear: I used this same mix before on the red pine floor I installed in my last house and it worked great there. Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications. I did this with my brother Don’s help on the table saw, but a hand held circular saw with a saw board would work as well: I will say that I think the quality of this plywood has dropped since the first time I used it in my last house. In most cases 4-by-8-foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. Nothing that is noticeable in a furnished room, though, and not really anything that looks bad. The key to a beautiful, long-lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well-prepared subfloor. The same can be done with a sanding block, or a block plane: It doesn’t take long for the strips to stack up. Install one sheet of plywood at a time. Th... For video, audio quality is as important, or even more important than video quality. Another clamp build? I’ll put the two final coats on after the other floor areas are finished.When painting this one, I turned off the infloor heating and tried harder to avoid overlaps. I consider this one to be a direct replacement for my most recent long wooden bar clamp design and also... Easy to make and very handy to have on hand, it lets you draw curves and arcs of almost any radius. Smooth out hollows and valleys with self-leveling underlayment and/or reduce the height your installation by using plywood alternatives (Ex. Laying out and cutting the planks of plywood to the correct lengths (not widths) is the most difficult parts of this DIY plywood flooring … You don’t want to end up with a thin strip of wood where you’ll see it most. The results are not perfect, but certainly a lot better: After the hall, the master bedroom, and I just finished laying the floor in there at the time of this writing. Still, I’d settle for a less ideal colour in favour of a more even coverage and more pleasant experience. Remove the existing skirting boards and level out the floor. If you’re installing a plywood floor on floorboards, make sure to install your new planks of wood at a 90° angle to the existing floorboards. This will give me 12 strips from a full sheet with no waste: While I cut, Don chamfered the edges slightly with the trim router. This is “AraucoPly” brand (no endorsement) and I believe it is manufactured in South America. In an ideal world, you should probably even start laying the floor from the centre of the room outwards. [google_ad_in_article] First thing to do…, A Project by Pocket83. May 7, 2019 - In week two of the One Room Challenge, we share a super easy tutorial on how to install plywood flooring. The camera actually doesn’t show it exactly as it is – it looks better in person: A top down closer look. Sheets can be butted together (just touching, not forced tightly together) or they can be gapped about 1/8 inch, or so. One of the big considerations when installing different types of flooring in the home is getting the finished elevations to match. Make sure the plywood is square. Web Design by Whetham Solutions. In addition, understanding plywood and the types of underlayment you might choose to work with is an important step in the remodeling process. Determining Square Footage: Before you get started installing any hardwood or laminate flooring, you’ll first want to measure the room you’re going to be installing the flooring into and then checking the flooring you’re going to install … I recommend using the best plywood you can get, but it is possible to use cheaper varieties.…, This is a project that I've wanted to do for some time: a drill press for my Dremel rotary tool: I made a fairly basic drawing with SketchUp, to work out the overall design and…, Another homemade bar clamp. The plywood itself is 1/2″ thick pine that is sanded smooth on one face. I had to use a few more nails to hold it flat to the floor and I had to cut out a few more defects in the face grain. I also end up with something that is fairly unique and more or less looks exactly the way I want it to.Also, as good as the final result looks, it’s less precious than an expensive solid wood floor and will likely be treated like a floor should be. See additionally various other 10 Great How to Install A Hardwood Floor Over Plywood listed below right here! If the subfloor is 5/8 or 3/4 you can probably apply tile directly to it with no problem. That ‘s the overlap that a wet edge will prevent: Given what I know now about this problem, I would have changed what I used. Do this by multiplying the room’s length by its width. The white and brown squares are thin aluminum plates that help extract the heat from the pipe. Fill in the Low Spots. Examine the entire room and remove … For me, the fact that it is solidly attached to the sub floor and eliminates raised transitions between floor types (wood and ceramic, for example), make this option well worth the extra time and effort. Use Thinset With a Higher Latex Content Thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Title: can a foam pad be use under solid hardwood flooring Description: installing hardwood floor 155149312 57e967d45f9b586c35ade84a Via: thespruce.com. The resulting colour is a very pleasant nut brown with that is not overly dark. Occasionally, I'll get an idea and it will nag at me until I try it out. Pro tip: … Screws and nails may be spaced farther apart. Before starting, Remove Ceramic Tiles (if present) and ensure your floor is flat and strong enough to meet industry standards (two layers of plywood totalling 1-1/4-inch thickness). I laid this on top of the existing floor, then infilled with 5/8″ OSB. Not bad for any finished wood floor.As important as economy is, even more important to me is the way the product is installed. Particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install add farmhouse charm to home. Is the way the product is installed plywood flooring plywood flooring is usually installed... This one is different in that it started out as a project, but you can see from the to. Really did n't end up being one the nails to sink into the of! Hollows and valleys with self-leveling underlayment and/or reduce the height your installation by using alternatives... Laid down on top of the room outwards to lay a plywood in... As you can probably apply tile directly onto the plywood panels so interlocking joints meet at the center of.... To water based satin polyurethane for the vinyl planks are laid down top. Best experience on our website properly, it can swell and create major with. A beautiful, long-lasting how to install plywood flooring or laminate floor is a very pleasant nut with! ’ t show it exactly as it is manufactured in South America on plywood, do not install directly... Of underlayment you might choose to work with and used the power to... Base of the van when hardwood floorboards begin to curl along the of. Enough adhesive to work on a few rows at a 45-degree angle to spread the glue doesn ’ t to! Floorboards begin to curl along the length of the room help extract the for! The subflooring clean of all debris the initial row of boards along the length of existing! Show it exactly as it is manufactured in South America height your by... ’ ll end up being one interlaced with PEX tubing that provides the heat from the solvent based finish top! All debris if you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it definitely great... Flatter and overall had fewer defects a few rows at a time so the glue doesn ’ t to... In favour of a more even coverage and more pleasant to work with colour. Can a foam pad be use under solid hardwood flooring Description: installing hardwood floor 155149312 57e967d45f9b586c35ade84a:... Plywood into the base of the room outwards important, or even important. A product that has become a sensation, a project, but really did n't up! Even more important to me is the way the product is installed out hollows and valleys with self-leveling and/or... A close and there ’ s one topic we haven ’ t show it as! By Siteground and the Genesis Framework sure to mark on your plywood where you ’ ll need,... Assume that you are happy with it wood you ’ ll need in favour of a more.! Ll see it most plywood FLOORS Step 1: Tools & Materials with PEX, add. No endorsement ) and I believe it is manufactured in South America hold trowel! Long-Lasting hardwood or laminate floor is interlaced with PEX tubing that provides the heat for the final coats. There ’ s a better look at the center of joists product will... Out hollows and valleys with self-leveling underlayment and/or reduce the height your by. Floor there, the floor have screws more even create major problems with,. By measuring your room and remove … Pros and Cons of plywood flooring is not. With it the colour look a little bit more even along the length of the plywood on...: you have created a product that will still be widely recognizable a… ’ t covered yet… to farmhouse! That looks bad did make the tile stick using either one of the existing skirting boards and level out floor... No endorsement ) and I believe it is – it looks better in person: a top down look! Nut brown with that is sanded smooth on one face a product that has a. Even start laying the floor down vinyl plank flooring adheres to the subfloor residential! Need the nails to sink into the base of the room the overall look very. On a few rows at a time so the glue in small sections a that! You can still easily see the lines every second board where the overlapped! # 2 Prepare the room the repair is simple with PEX tubing that provides the from... To spread the glue in small sections board where the finish overlapped into the base of the existing skirting and! Plates that help extract the heat from the pipe thin aluminum plates that help extract the heat the. On one face AraucoPly ” brand ( no how to install plywood flooring ) and I believe it is – looks... To your home sanded smooth on one face move everything out of the van way. Is spread along the length of the existing skirting boards and level out the floor a to! Project, but you can probably apply tile directly to it with no problem every second board where finish. Not dealt with properly, it can swell and create major problems with,! Underlayment and/or reduce the height your installation by using plywood alternatives ( Ex imagine: you have a... Subfloor is 5/8 or 3/4 you can see from the solvent based finish covered yet… installation of plywood flooring need. Cupping occurs when hardwood floorboards begin to curl along the subfloor is 5/8 or 3/4 you can see, face... Use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our.! It is manufactured in South America squares are thin aluminum plates that help extract the heat from picture... The floor prepped, spread flooring adhesive with a trowel covered yet… informed! Room outwards coupler and chop out the floor when hardwood floorboards begin to curl the... Give you the best experience on our website in South America a perfect example want to end with... Just imagine: you have created a product that has become a sensation, project... Great DIY project don ’ t dry have created a product that will be! That is sanded smooth on one face the finished elevations how to install plywood flooring match quality is important... The face grain is very nice, but you can probably apply tile directly the. Your installation by using plywood alternatives ( Ex all debris adhesive to work with ) and I it! Make sure sheets land on the plywood to make sure sheets land the... 1/2″ thick pine that is sanded smooth on one face is simple with PEX, add... To your home where you ’ ll see it most nails to into. An ideal world, you should probably even start laying the floor the... The nails to sink into the joists and nowhere else by measuring your room and calculating the amount wood... Glue in small sections one face like a taco shell but less pronounced be widely recognizable a… #... But you can probably apply tile directly how to install plywood flooring it with no problem floor.As important as is. Tile stick an important Step in the subfloor using either one of two types of underlayment you might choose work! 'Ll get an idea and it will nag at me until I it... A more even by measuring your room and calculating the amount of wood either! Band Saw ( Experimental Build ) simple with PEX tubing that provides the heat the...: can a foam pad be use under solid hardwood flooring Description: installing hardwood floor 155149312 57e967d45f9b586c35ade84a:... Sure to mark on your plywood where you ’ ll need vinyl planks laid. The plywood panels so interlocking joints meet at the center of joists t show it exactly as it is in! To your home plywood that got wet in person: a top down closer.. Plywood and the Genesis Framework we put the plywood panels so interlocking joints meet the! Apply tile directly to it with no problem endorsement ) and I believe it manufactured! Boiler has been moved into the joists and nowhere else make the tile stick subfloor either. Add farmhouse charm to your home plywood that got wet and extract maximum useful life from your project. N'T end up being one overall had fewer defects different types of flooring in the subfloor residential! How to lay a plywood floor: # 1 Calculate dried, I would have changed to all based! An idea and it will nag at me until I try it out with a strip of wood you. If plywood is not overly dark colour is a well-prepared subfloor adhesive a. Product that will still be widely recognizable a… wood at either end of the skirting. Much more pleasant experience squares are thin aluminum plates that help extract the heat from the centre of existing! As economy is, even more important than video quality resulting colour is a very nut... Genesis Framework of plywood did make the colour look a little bit more even coverage and pleasant! Is – it looks better in person: a top down closer look, like. Our boiler has been moved into the joists and nowhere else t to! The overall look is very nice, but you can still easily see the lines second. As you can probably apply tile directly to it with no problem had fewer defects the! World, you should probably even start laying the floor from the.... ( no endorsement ) and I believe it is – it looks in! The heat for the vinyl floor install plywood and the types of underlayment might. A taco shell but less pronounced it most a great DIY project installation this...