Plywood as finish flooring?

[Larson_E.Whipsnade]

Hi all:

New to the forum, big fan.

I'm building a 12 x 16 guest house, which means I could lay out six plywood panels for the finished flooring and fill the space. I wouldn't mind visible seams or grains running different ways I could give it a sort of tatami-mat layout. I'm assuming I'd use a few coats of polyurethane to get that basketball-court look.

A few questions:

1) Is this difficult or, for some reason, a bad idea?
2) What species, types of panels, etc. will work? (I'm looking at maple and lauan)
3) Should I use some type of padding between the subfloor and the plywood floor?

To give you an example of a look I like: http://www.teiki.com/studio.htm

Thanks in advance for the help!

[jraabe]

In 1983 we built our Solar Saltbox and moved into it with a painted plywood subfloor and no window trim. Over the next year we got tile floors into the bathrooms and vinyl into the kitchen and eating areas (and finished the windows). In the living room we left the dark green painted subfloor and threw out a rug and pad. That floor took a lot of abuse with kids and dogs and 23 years of living. I would roll the rug up and repaint the floor every three years or so.

I loved that funky floor and it served us well.

The sunroom also has a painted floor (concrete) I still love! It has red deck paint marked into 2' square grids with 1/8" wide automotive stripping tape and then covered with two coats of clear Polyurethane.


See the rug on the green floor. That's just standard deck paint.

Just this year we went over the aging vinyl and the painted floor in the living room with new padded snap-lock laminate flooring. It is great and very easy to maintain. But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend saving money by living on a painted plywood subfloor. Maybe it'll last longer than 23 years for you!  

Don't do this with an OSB subfloor! Way too rough.  

[Rover]

I've seen plywood sheets cut into tiles, 4'x4'.  It looked sharp.  You could also do 2'x2' or 2'x4'.  Doesn't look like you just cheaped out and painted the subfloor. (NOT that there is anything wrong with that. No offence intended John)
You wouldn't need a pad between the subfloor and plywood.  Use glue and also use screws at the corners.  I've seen the glue alone (no screws) result in some curling of the plywood.
For the screws, you could spend a little bit of money to get something different.  I've seen those flat face screws with 2 little dimples on the face.  I think they are referred to as tamper resistant screws.
I don't think the wood species matters.  Use what ever you like.  Just buy the good-one-side stuff.
I plan to do this on my next place.  Can't beat the cost per square foot.  I'll throw down a mat at the high wear areas ie just inside the main door and at the kitchen sink.

[bil2054]

I had to replace a floor in a house I owned years ago, (carpenter ants).  I used nominal 3/4 AC exterior rated plywood, and blue deck paint until I could decide what finish to use.  I never did decide, 'cause it looked and worked so well.

I believe the luan now generally available is not of as good quality as it used to be, and not as hard as maple, for what it's worth.  I used to build stitch and tape small boats of luan,(Phil Bolger designs), and it was good stuff; solid core, waterproof glue, etc.  It "devolved" over time, showing up with cracked core material, voids, and the glue was no longer waterproof.  
Luan is also known as "Phillipine mahogony", but really isn't mahogony at all.  It is a catchall name for several related species of tropical tree, which seem to be used indiscriminately in lower grades of plywood. This can result in considerable differences in coloration and stain acceptance.  Of course if you use paint, no prob. I believe you can still get the good stuff, but you have to look, and I'm sure it is no longer "cheap".

[jonseyhay]

One of the houses I posted photos on a while ago had plywood floors. They where coated with clear polyurethane and looked great. The floors in my own home will be particleboard with a clear finish. Here is a link to a page on a similar system here http://www.homefocus.com/416/In+Expensive+Cork+Look-Alike+Floor+.htm

[Amanda_931]

Particle board will look fine.

I've also seen pictures of OSB floors.  More or less similarly put down--whole sheets I think. on a reasonably high-end house.

For me, I will probably try to find a local sawmill and get boards, possibly rough-cut and unplaned at least until they're down.  And then painted.

Somebody in one of the magazines (back home or countryside, most likely) thought that roll roofing glued down covered with a bunch of coats of latex paint was almost as good as it gets.  The last coat or two of paint could be decorative, either faux stone or like a floorcloth.  (you need the kind of roll roofing where there is sand all the way across)

John's house is so nice looking.  And comfortable, I expect.  

[bil2054]

I recall that article, Amanda, though not which mag it was in. (The roll roofing as flooring job.)
One of the plusses was they would clean out the "oops" paint department at the building supply store for cheap.  Also, it was a non-skid surface. Looked pretty attractive.

[Larson_E.Whipsnade]

This must be what you were thinking of:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/lee92.html

And thanks, everyone, for the help. I'm going to go with 1/4" maple ply over a 3/4" OSB subfloor, using decorative screws (thanks for the tip, Rover). I might try some exposed rubber gasket between the maple panels to allow for expansion and make a pattern. I'll post pictures if it doesn't look like garbage (and maybe even if it does).

[bartholomew]

One floor I saw had maple (I think) ply cut into square tiles and installed with the grain direction alternating from one tile to the next. It gave the floor a subtle checkerboard pattern, especially when the sun hit it right.

[griff]

I remember reading of an Architect in Seattle who cut MDF into squares and used it for budget flooring.

My memory is that he stained and finished it with a floor finish. I wanted to use 1/4" birch, but my wif wanted carpet, so I lost.

You wear the finish not the wood, after all.

Someone educate me on why you would put "padding" between that floor and the subfloor?

dave

[jonsey/downunder]

Griff,
I have seen some photos of that MDF floor somewhere as well. I think it was on a Yahoo album somewhere but I can't find the link now. I think I have a few of the pic's from that site on my puta, I'll see if I can find them.
I think the reason they use "padding" between the floor and the subfloor is for insulation. I think it also has some cushioning effect. It is used here by a number of floating floor manufactures

[Rover]

Larson,
the 1/4" thickness you mention might be fine, but I think you would be happier with 1/2" material.
Best of luck.  Let us know how it looks.

[John Raabe]

Griff: That may have been my old office mate Ross Chapin. He tried that back in the late 80's - they beveled the edges and put them down like tile. It worked pretty well (with the poly finish having to be renewed every few years) but was not less expensive than other more standard flooring options (especially with paid labor).

The original idea here was to do something with the subfloor you've already paid for and put down. Once you start putting another layer on top of that then you must compare it to other finish flooring options - some of which are very creative and interesting but none will compare with treating the subfloor itself to a $50 paint job!