How to Install Plywood Flooring?
In most cases, having wood flooring installed to your residence can be considered cost-effective and wise. However, you still have to consider the different factors that your flooring may be exposed to. Always remember that wood flooring that uses only unfinished or prefinished solid lumber may not be wise for residences that are situated in areas that are constantly exposed to extreme climate changes. Using plywood as the material for the flooring of your residence may be the best decision you can make because of its composition. Even though it is highly advised that the installation of your plywood flooring panels should be done by a team of professional installers, you should still know how the process is done.
Important Details About Plywood Flooring
Before looking at the steps to install plywood flooring, you should first have a background about this type of flooring option. Plywood is a material that is manufactured by stacking multiple plies of wood veneers and bonding them together with strong glue. The wood veneers are stacked in a way that would have their grains run in opposite directions. Wood veneers may be made from lumber that comes from a hardwood or softwood tree. Most of the time, urea formaldehyde is used in manufacturing plywood panels because it is one of the strongest adhesives in the market. Compared to most types of flooring materials, plywood panels come in bigger sizes. The dimension of a regular plywood panel is 8’x4. Plywood flooring panels have different grades that are used to determine the visual quality of their surfaces. These grades determine in which rooms you may use the plywood flooring panels.
Plywood Flooring Benefits
All types of flooring materials have their respective benefits. In the case of plywood flooring, you may refer to the list below:
Compared to most types of flooring materials, plywood is more durable and stronger.
o This fact is very important to remember. Even if plywood flooring loses out in durability when compared to hardwood flooring, it still stands above the other types of flooring materials. It is able to last longer than other flooring options because of how the wood veneers are stacked within a plywood panel.
It gives you an authentic and natural feel.
o Wood flooring, may it be hardwood, softwood, or plywood, is known for making a room look natural and fresh. Depending on the stains, colors, and tints that you use, these can enhance the look and feel of your wood flooring.
Plywood flooring design can be customized to mimic other types of flooring materials or it can be used to create your own unique design.
o Flooring experts have the ability to turn the design of your plywood flooring into your favorite hardwood flooring design. It may also be painted and shined so that it can mimic marble flooring. If you feel the need to turn the whole flooring of a specific room in your house into an artwork, you can use your plywood flooring panels as your painting canvas. By using the right plywood grades for your flooring, the surface of the plywood panels will be smooth enough to draw or paint on.
By not cutting your plywood panels and having them installed whole into your living room, it can make the room look bigger than usual.
o If you prefer to show the seams of your plywood flooring panels, then installing them whole can give an illusion that your living room is bigger than it actually is. This can happen because your flooring will have wider spaces in between the seams.
Plywood flooring is a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring.
o Since you are getting the benefits that wood flooring can give to your house, even if it is not made of hardwood, it still has advantages over other types of flooring options, like synthetic-based flooring. If you compare the characteristics of vinyl or laminate flooring against plywood flooring, these synthetic based materials are not meant to be installed in certain areas of your house. Even if plywood flooring can get some scratches or gouges, they can easily be fixed by patching them. Synthetic-based flooring needs to be replaced whenever they get damaged.
An advantage that plywood flooring has against unfinished and prefinished hardwood flooring is that it can withstand the effects of extreme climate changes.
o Wood is known to warp whenever it is exposed to air or moisture. Unfinished and prefinished hardwood flooring planks have issues when they are exposed to hot air and cold air. These 2 types of hardwood flooring planks may expand or shrink depending on the temperature. This can destroy the flooring of your house because it may rise up or gaps may form in between planks. This cannot be fixed anymore and would force you to replace your flooring materials. With plywood flooring, the strong glue used to bond the wood veneers together adds a protective film over all the veneers and surfaces of the plywood panel. This makes it hard for air and water to leak into the core of plywood panels.
Installing Plywood Flooring
Before you go about buying plywood panels and other materials that will be used to install your flooring, it is highly recommended that you consult first with professional flooring experts. They will be able to evaluate the current situation of your residence. Also, they will be able to advise you how many plywood panels that you would need to purchase. This is important so that you do not waste your time, money, and effort buying the wrong quantities and types of items. It is also recommended that you hire professional installers to do the job for you so that you do not put yourself at risk of getting injured or sick during the installation process. However, to give you a better idea how the installation process works, you may refer to the following steps below:
- You should first decide the size of your plywood flooring. If you do not wish to install the plywood panels as a whole, you may ask your supplier to cut the panels into boards with your desired dimensions.
- Make sure that your subfloor is clean and smooth. You may need to thoroughly clean your subfloor before you start laying down the plywood boards. If you have a subfloor that is made from plywood, then you may need to sand areas that are not smooth. You may also add a thin layer of underlay over your subfloor.
- Measure the boards based on the size of the room and cut them to the required lengths. You must take extra precaution with the tools that you use in cutting the plywood boards. Always wear protective gear. If possible, use a jigsaw to cut the boards since it is known to be one of the tools that can cut wood accurately and quickly. Do not forget to factor in the chance for wood to expand. You should leave small edges around the room to give enough space for this expansion.
- Lay the boards on the floor to check if there are unnecessary gaps or if they are evenly laid out.
- One of the best methods you can use to install plywood flooring is by nailing them down. You should use an automatic nailer so that the job can be done with precision. Also, using automatic tools will prevent risks of getting hit with a hammer.
- When you are in the process of nailing the plywood boards, make sure that you evenly space the nails. You may space them within the range of 40cm to 50cm. You should avoid leaving too big a space between nails.
- Once you have finished installing the plywood boards, you should check if there are rough surfaces on the floor boards. If you find some rough areas, it is recommended that you sand them so that you will have a smooth surface.
- You can now proceed to apply your preferred design on the flooring of the room. You may add finishes, stains, or paint to your flooring. You may also add preservatives to your plywood flooring so that it gets protected from rotting. Using oil-based preservatives will help the product penetrate deep into the core of the plywood.
Avoid Risks By Having Professionals Install Your Plywood Flooring
The steps to install plywood flooring boards may seem simple to do, but the amount of effort and time that you will need to finish the job is something that you must consider. Also, there are risks involved when you are unfamiliar with the tools that will be used to do the job. There are techniques that experts are familiar with that may take less time to finish the job. These professionals are equipped with the needed equipment to do the job safely. If you need any help in installing your plywood flooring, you may contact Three Trees Flooring at (416) 665-2624. Our team is always ready to help you.
