I live in New England too so the weather here is all over the place. Your floor is by far the prettiest, and will be affordable. Watery oil-based black paint: genius. There are 3 scratches in the floors where you can see the raw plywood, I am not sure who’s fault that is (ours or the dogs? Since the planks are only ½” thick, they need to be nailed to, at minimum, a 3/4” plywood/strand board subfloor. The floors between the rooms may not be level or made out of the same material and the gap will probably not be square. Applying the finish once it’s laid will also go a lot faster. It isn’t a huge gap or problem, but you feel it when walking barefoot. I don’t think this is a project that the average DIYer could tackle though..it’s a lot of hard work!!! Or a dremel and dark stain it? Yours is gorgeous! After a ton of research online, I decided to try plywood plank flooring, which is an economical solution that looks pretty nice, too. With all the ‘extra’ measures I took, I hoped it would be enough to keep the plywood looking good. We went with the planked plywood because we wanted large (8″ wide) floors that felt like barn wood but the cost of buying traditional engineered or hardwoods was way out of our budget. Painting, Part One: Mix floor paint using two parts white or off-white chalk paint, two parts water, and one part light grey paint (optional) and paint it on the floor with a brush, stirring frequently. Thank you so much m, Lots of thoughtful gift ideas for the ladies you l. It does show scratches/dents and has been restained at least once (and needs to be again). Keep in mind that the furniture has to be completely removed from the room. This blog is about DIY at its finest. There seems to be differing opinions about leaving space between the planks. The dogs track in a lot of dirt and mud and the floors always look great after a vacuum and mopping. This will smooth out the raised parts and simulate the grain of hardwood. Also, I wanted flooring that looked rustic and custom, not the same as everyone else has. We marked the paint when we put back the bed. The room I used was rather small and also the original floor was sloping pretty bad in the back corner. We have heart pine floors throughout our house and you can easily see the scratches from their claws (and we just had them refinished a year ago), and with the plywood floors, it’s harder to see the small scratches (minus the larger ones I mentioned earlier). The second room we have done with plywood plank flooring. Kevin - DIY Dork May 5, 2017. I also have to use a vacuum attachment in some places to vacuum between them. 4) I wish I had known about the no sanding floor finish sooner, I wouldn’t have dragged my feet so long. Courtney and hubby has to be extremely proud of themselves. Hey there, I am Cassity! I use a barely damp mop when cleaning it only because that is what I use for our hardwood floors in the house. I might go a little darker on the top stain though. renovator | globetrotter 4 ply sheets which were approximately twenty dollars each. I absolutely LOVE this floor. Choosing the plywood planks was roughly 10% of that estimate! I’ve got some ideas now :). So here is how we installed plywood plank flooring for $150! @Kathy: The oil-based paint + turpentine is sort of a “poor man’s stain”, which will sink into the wood if you use a chalk paint (latex isn’t as porous). I was expecting it to look nice but kinda felt like I was settling because of my budget. I opted for these because they wern’t perfect. Now, I installed this kind of flooring in a bedroom, more specifically my son’s bedroom, which has very little traffic, there’s no consumption of food in there, and there’s a rug covering more than 50% of the planks. It made the floors far too yellow, even with using the clear floor type. Why or why not? Since they were cut into strips and laid in planks, it didn’t looks like plywood. Hi! After some experimenting, the ratio is more like 9 parts TURPENTINE to 1 part paint (not the other way around as originally stated). Anissa says, “We sold that home last summer and have moved into a new home. So, we stained it instead. I can’t speak to how these would look if you used a darker stain. Grab a Seat! We featured Christine’s home here a few years back, and we still love it and love her painted plank floors! 1) The main reason for using wide plank plywood flooring in my home was cost and design. It takes a good beating. We wanted our floors to match so we did it ourselves. Reply. We also had an indoor beagle for the first few years after doing the floors. All About Installing Hardwood Floors Over Different Subfloors I have looked at countless DIY floors as we decide what to put down in our sunporch. So painting regular old (or new in this case) plywood appealed to me. But since I was using plywood, I wasn’t too worried about movement (even thougth I had a foundation guy look at it and he said it probably wouldn’t move much more since it was sooo old.). Measure a line down the middle of the sheet. I recommend this type of flooring for spaces with light traffic. 2. Perhaps you just removed your old carpeting in the hopes of finding vintage, restorable hardwood, only to reveal a plywood subfloor instead. I’ll have to experiment a bit. If your subfloor is concrete, you can use a suitable adhesive compound. However, they have held up very well. The pattern in the timber was beautiful and we we’re really tempted to leave it natural and just seal it with varnish. Should i just straight away put adhesive and nail the wood in the ceramic tile? The plywood we used is only 4mm thick which means there’s almost no visible threshold and height difference as you step into the room. Or maybe you'd like to convert an attic space and don't quite have the budget this year for hardwood flooring. Darn auto spell check. I have read through your comments and see that you did not leave space with your more recent floors. My husband and I *just* did this on our entire downstairs. Luckily we’re renovating the house and not yet living it for a few more days. Shannon installed her plank-look plywood flooring in her bonus room above the garage over 6 years ago (at the end of 2010) using 6 inch planks of 15/32″ plywood. And that’s when we found DIY plywood plank flooring. 1) Plywood was certainly not our first choice but it honestly ended up being a very happy surprise. Absolutely stunning! We used maybe a 1/3 sheet of plywood. and saves time), Ask your local lumber store if they would be willing to cut the. I ordered mine from Home Depot and there was a nominal fee to rip down all the planks to size. Thoroughly vacuum up any dust. We’ve talked about and heard from our readers over on Facebook about plywood plank flooring, too — see the posts here (1, 2, 3, 4, 5,) — including some awesome pictures of their floors. DIY Farmhouse Wide Plank Plywood Floor. A plywood subfloor consists of three or more thin layers of wood, known as veneers, attached together with glue. It’s a smelly job but would fill in any small crevices while protecting from food and water. This floor is gorgeous, and just what I am looking for to replace my kitchen floor. I would guess a light sanding and fresh coat of sealant would freshen them right up. I”m really impressed with this DIY project, good job. The whole process is quite a lot of work, but it’s something that’s very DIY friendly. @Jace @Caitlin: Our room was on the small size; four 4×8 sheets covered it. Wear and Tear – No matter which plywood sheets you buy, whether pine, birch or oak, or how many protective finishing coats you apply, they are never going to be as durable or as aesthetically perfect as expensive solid or engineered hardwood flooring. Thank you all for your questions and lovely comments! Cassity started Remodelaholic with her husband, Justin, to share their love for knocking out walls together. She laid her floors in a guest room nearly two years ago, back in May 2015, using thin 4-5 mm plywood so that the floor level wouldn’t be dramatically different than the existing flooring in the rest of her beautiful Edwardian home. I loooove the look of the stain you used on this floor. 3) I wouldn’t hesitate to install the plywood planks again or to recommend them to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive wood flooring option. Is that possible? My only concern is the softness of the pine. Since this floor was for a doggie room, I was concerned about durability, but I figured with enough layers of primer, paint and finish coating, it ‘should’ be good. This type of temporary floor will follow the grade of the ground. The room where the floor is installed, is not insulated very well and is always a few degrees warmer in the summer and a few degrees colder in the winter. We had one person cutting and gluing and two people laying and nailing the planks and we finished installing everything in one day! They are scratched and dinged on some places, but since we expect a rustic look to the floors this didn’t bother us. It’s much nicer looking than I expected it to be! A professional couldn’t have done a better job! The beautiful plywood floors I saw on Pinterest and beyond convinced me this was the flooring solution for us, and after searching for a tutorial on how to DIY the driftwood look, I found none. we also use that room for storage sometimes and our dobie is a bit on the hyper side…. photo taker | art maker The plywood floors achieved the look we wanted for far less. You now have two 4×4 foot squares. Thanks for a useful tutorial. Since installing them, we have had 2 children and now have 3 indoor/outdoor cats. People are still shocked to learn it is plywood! Continue nailing planks along the long edges until you reach the end of the row. Well, a simple vacuum cleans whatever gets in there, but I’m happy to report that after almost two years of having the floors, there’s no accumulation of dirt. It’s hard to tell if it’s the oil-based enamel paint helping out, but I would give the floors an 8/10 score for durability. I’m so nervous about it. Let this dry overnight. The plywood plank flooring thickness we used is 1/2″ thick. Thank you so much for sharing, great to see all the photos. One of the many things I love about blogging is connecting with people from all across the globe, and I really love hearing from those knee deep in their own renovations and reading about their innovative home improvement solutions. She used 6″ planks of 11/32″ plywood. DIY tutorials, Woodworking plans and more. We’re looking to tear up laminate flooring and carpet to replace with better quality laminate. Stencil Paint – $30 (Same as above) Thanks Ladies. Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed guide on how to achieve the same look. design + travel blog I LOVE the color of your floor! But, is it possible for me to put in on top of a tile ceramic? Really need a new orbital sander again. That is gorgeous. I’m a messy cook and spill and drop things. )But as soon as I saw the scratches, I put another coat of poly on them to prevent any further damage. We tested it in our foyer several years back and now have done the living room, dinning room, and study is going to be done in the next few weeks. I loved the driftwood look, and the vinyl equivalent in my area was around $140.00/square meter, or nearly $13 per square foot – definitely out of the budget. (Click on each picture to go to the photo/thread on Facebook for more info.). It was much easier than I expected it to be and I love the way it looks. I was curious what you did about the odor? I showed my husband, and even he was in awe! I wish I could convince someone to a) buy me house and b) fix everything up for the price of pizza. I chose plywood flooring mostly because of the savings over commercial wood floors. It is still only plywood. The one thing that we realized was we needed to use far less polyurethane than we did in our first try. In other words, depending on how dark you want the floors, use 1-2 teaspoons of paint per one cup of turpentine. Congrats! 2) We are very happy with how the floors have held up. The first one was done staining each plank then when they were all dry, we installed them. Total $204 – of course my project would have been cheaper is I hadn’t wanted to stencil a pattern. Thanks for the info. 4) [It surprised us] that we love them SO MUCH and wished we had done it sooner and in previous houses we have owned. For the hallway I cut the sheets myself into planks. Then, with a circular saw, cut the sheet in half. If desired, finish sand with a sanding block and 240-grit sandpaper with the grain; however, I preferred the slight wood grain effect I had by leaving it at 100-grit smoothness. Your planks are ready! My husband and I are exactly in the middle of a DIY plywood hardwood flooring project and I and thrilled to see you feature another project like ours! I love the driftwood coloring, and the natural wear of pine floors will just increase the fabulous patina over time. 1. We weren’t sure how it would go. Once it is relatively level you can put a "cap" strip that bridges the two floors. He’s leaving it up to me to stain. Starting with the factory cut edge along the rip fence, carefully feed the half-sheet through. For the bedroom, Home Depot cut the sheets into planks for no charge which saved a lot of time and fit into my SUV. I chose to use standard 1/2″ thick 4′ x 8′ sheets at a cost of just under $20 each! 3. You may need a few extra nails to hold down a stubborn plank. 4) I am surprised about how it has held up to the dogs. The color is perfect. I just sweep or vacuum on a regular basis and then mop with a well-wrung out wet mop about once a month. Plywood Wood Plank Floors | Layers of Learning. The guest bedroom floorboards were however in a really bad condition with large gaps between them which is why we decided to install a plywood floor. She installed her 3/8″ plywood flooring in 8-inch planks in her master bedroom a year ago, in April 2016, and her tutorial is so comprehensive and detailed! Scroll down for a complete tutorial and materials list! We are looking for a cost effective solution to a guest cabin we are going to build on our vacation property in Maine. As we are starting family life and live in the country, an easy-living and "not-too-precious" attitude toward our furnishings sees me sewing curtains and blinds, painting secondhand furniture, and curating an eclectic collection of home goods compatible with dirt, little hands, and the occasional spill. @Paula: We did not use spacers as many tutorials recommend for this very reason. So submit your projects! 3) Yes, I would recommend plywood flooring to others and I have. I love out it turned out…looks great. 25 Amazing DIY Plywood Benches and Other Seating Ideas. Plywood – $71 However, I don’t know that anyone other than us would even really notice. What was your cost per square foot by going this route? Lay down strips of plywood to build up the gap in the doorway. 2) Considering all things, and all things mostly being it is a room for the dogs, and we have 3 big dogs – doberman pinscher, boxer/pit bull mix and a black labrador, it’s done very well. If so was hat steps do I take? I really wanted to paint the floors white and I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of painting new, expensive flooring. Super easy to install and even if someone didn’t have saw to cut them or a nailer to install, they could easily rent the tools or even use a hammer and nail. Surface dimensional Stability of plywood makes it a perfect candidate for wood flooring, will always be even and less susceptible to water. I am literally crying happy years. Genius! Materials: C/D grade ½” pine plywood (we looked for sheets that had lots of knots, minor cracks and other “character” on the D side); 16-gauge 2” nails; 100-grit sandpaper and cork sanding block; 2:2:1 wash with white or off-white chalk paint, water, and light grey paint (optional); large paint brush; black oil-based enamel paint; turpentine; foam brush; flooring top coat (wax, polyurethane, etc. The grain of the plywood will likely rise a bit and the floor may become rough again. Michelle laid plywood plank floors in her living room way back in 2012, and they’re still looking great, even in a home with six children and plenty of projects. I have had the subfloor in the bedroom for probably a year and couldn’t find anything that I could afford or liked. They look amazing! Painting Part Two: Mix 1-2 teaspoons of black oil-based paint per cup of turpentine. Use a foam brush to apply this in the direction of the grain, taking special care to apply in the knots/splits, nail holes, and in between the planks. Amazing job Courtney! Instead, we added the bevel for the tongue-and-groove look and butted them up as tightly as we could. It was incredibly satisfying. 2. With the 6½” setting, you can get fourteen 4-foot long planks per sheet). Kate, now that your floor has been down a couple of years, have you noticed any color change? She used 1/4″ plywood cut into 8 inch planks and finished with a variety of stains for a more rustic multi-color style. Do not roll on the poly but instead brush light strokes until you have the achieved amount. I used a few shims to do my best to make it level….result, eh, not so level. The gap where the doorway is between the rooms is tricky. Leen’s final tip: Make sure your sub floor is level and clean, and hammer down any raised nails in the sub floor before starting to lay the planks down. 12 DEALS OF CHRISTMAS happening now! Can the planks be finished prior to installation? After I was finished, I really thought I had wasted a bunch of time making the floor so pretty only to have the dogs destroy it in a few months, but it still looks great (IMO *:) happy ) I ended up needing more plywood and had to make a store run near the end, I’m not sure how I messed that one up. We chose a cheaper plywood so it is a bit softer. Do you think I can follow the steps and still get similar results? 4) We wish we would have known how beautiful they would be! floors that are easy on your wallet. Since there was a high possibility that the dogs would get the floor wet, I made every attempt to protect the plywood as much as I could. Make the planks: Start off by cutting a sheet of plywood in half width-wise. What did surprise me though was that it was a bit longer process than I was expecting given the drying time and required number of coats of poly. 1) I chose plywood flooring for several reasons. If you have the planks cut to be a little under 8″ each (since the plywood sheets are just under 48″) , you’ll have six planks of equal width and no waste. Their answers are below. Anissa has a gorgeous farmhouse vibe in her home, where she installed her 8″ plank barnwood style plywood floors in her home’s bedrooms and hall over 2 years ago (June 2015) using 15/32″ plywood. For cleaning, I’ve used a Bissell Steam mop and a swifter wet jet mop. Fingers crossed yours is still going strong, as your floors look amazing in the pic and exactly what I’m looking for ! Allow for about a week from start to finish depending on the size of the space. Gorgeous!! Courtney did an amazing job and I hope ours look as good as her does! 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. A DIY plywood floor is specifically suited to those looking for a more “rough and ready” finish. This floor has the exact look my wife and I are looking for! It would be so much fun to see what projects you’re doing and what the farm and house look like. Since we had all other materials on hand, it only cost us about $1.00/square foot! I’m thinking I might try using stain instead of paint, but I’ll certainly do a trial plank first Im thinking that it might last longer with the stain sinking into the wood, seeing it will be a high traffic area. Primer – $23 (Oil Based Floor Primer in White) Cleaning and care are the same as another hardwood flooring. 1) I chose plywood floors because of cost definitely! Beautiful! I love the look, but there are gaps between each board that are a total pain and will absolutely never be clean. Learn how your comment data is processed. And don’t forget to check out all the other plywood projects and inspiration we’ve shared for our Plywood Pretty week: Published: April 8, 2017Filed Under: Remodel Inspiration By Room. Many hardwoods come unfinished, so check the description carefully to determine if you’ll need to finish the floor … Since we live in a small home and through our living room is the only route to our bedroom and bathroom we did arrange to stay away for 2 nights when we applied the poly. Once the floor is completely nailed down, you can finish the edges with quarter-round trim or decorative floor skirting. We’re no strangers to DIY; however, most of our projects here have been borne out of necessity because of the unique proportions (8-foot windows, arched windows, high ceilings, lack of closets, etc.) Materials. If I try this, I’m hoping it will give it character without costing an arm and a leg for new flooring. Andrew and his family first installed their plywood flooring about 4 years ago (2013) in their foyer and since then have also laid plywood flooring in their living room and dining room — and have inspired many other DIYers with their tutorial! What a huge project to take on but totally worth it! They used 5/8″ sheathing cut into 8″ planks. For a high-traffic area, your choice of top coat will be key also! 1) Why did you choose plywood plank flooring over other more traditional flooring types? Take a plank and align it somewhere along the reference line. Mark the other side with a pencil to make installation easier later. But, I think this may be something to consider. I followed the instructions and the floors came out just as pictured. I was worried that it was going to be more work than it actually was. Ensure the planks are as smooth as possible, especially where they meet up with each other. If you don’t have pets, scratches will not be an issue for you, unless of course you’re in the habit of tap dancing in spike heels, dragging grand pianos across the floor, etc. Thanks for the tutorial! Learn more. Could you post a picture of your newer floors without the space between the planks. I haven’t really seen parquet style plywood floors, but I have seen plywood floors installed checkerboard style, and they looked great. And I also didn’t space them. Looks amazing! Can I do this on concrete? Is that an area of concern that over time the floors will show wear and tear because of the softness of the material? I’ve seen it done a lot of different ways and in many different finishes, and figured it would be worth a shot. I am wondering after many years and no spaces between planks did they expand or contract at all?? If it distresses or wood shows through, that’s okay! The difference in color is mostly due to lighting, not an actual difference in color, though they do not look as shiny as they did at first. I think if someone was worried about living with a more worn-in look, they could always opt for a harder plywood, like birch. 3) Would you install plywood plank floors again, or recommend them to a friend? @Amanda: I hope our floors last 40-50 years – wow! Plank flooring can bring a lot of charm into a room, but the cost can be prohibitive. Install was super easy and they have lasted for years and only look better with time. Tools: 16-gauge finish nailer; table saw; circular saw; random orbital sander (with 240-grit pads); mitre saw for cutting planks to length/angle cuts (optional). The floors did darken up a bit once the polyurethane dried, but we still really love the look! We’d recommend waiting at least a week if you can! 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