Plywood Plank Flooring-EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE but...
 

1/4" 4x8 pine plywood sheets stripped into "choose your width" planks. Sand rough spots, determine lay-down pattern, liquid nail them down, add nails if needed for looks or for tacking, and apply pennies for spacers between planks. Stain and apply polyurethane.

This is the common method I have been researching. Its super affordable and looks identical to fancy and expensive brand hardwood planks.

Has anyone actually used this?
Any concerns to be addressed?
Pros vs Cons?

I totally like the idea! If I did it though, I'd probably spring for the oak or other hardwood veneer one side plywood. :) Wouldn't crap build up in the cracks left by the pennies though?

DM

And what do you do once the paper thin venner wears through?
How do you plan on cutting these in strips perfectly so there's no gaps?
What do you filling in all the gaps with that will not show when you stain it?

If I had to do It I would not use constrution adhesive, the thin wood would follow the humps. I'd follow the directions on laying glued down engineered flooring instead.
http://montagefloors.com/Installation.php

I sound down on this idea because I fell for it one time and go scre*ed.
Customer insisted that's what they wanted. They had seen it on one of those silly get rich turning houses shows.
A year later of living with kids and a big dog the floor was trashed with no way to refinish it due to the thin top layer.

Oak is an excellent choice I agree. Somebody had mentioned hemlock in one thread. Not sure if it was the glue or something else. Come to think about it nobody has ever included that info...awesome question that I will be researching tomorrow mouse.

this is why i posted this...to see if anybody has tried it and how the long term use is going. A table saw will strip the wood into even planks so thats not a main concern and to be honest there hasnt been a box of hardwood that has had every single plank perfect but the length of use definately is a question and concern. I think with a good polyurethane it will help protect the top from alot of everyday wear. Awesome input

Pine would be way to soft, even a high heel could dent it.
The differents in plywood strips and real hard wood is the grain when trying to bend it.
Plywood does not like to twist that way.

Not familiar with it, but would be very interested in seeing pictures if you go through with it.

I have only installed laminate, vinyl, carpet, and oak hardwood flooring and only in log homes. I am intent on learning useful and productive shortcuts as well as budget friendly applications. Not everyone can afford the real deal and many people are looking for new ways to do things.

I haven't seen this application of flooring first hand and I think all concerns and/or experience should be discussed.

I will be removing some 1970s carpet next month in a home. This technique will be applied. I will be taking progress pictures when the plan becomes a workable project and will keep the forum posted. Im interested to see how it turn out myself because it could save alot of ppl some $$...if the end product holds up, looks adequate, and is easy to install. Thanks floorguy

It would probably work alright if it was in a low traffic area where it won't be damaged. As mentioned it would probably look great but wouldn't be able to be refinished

In the end...will this type of flooring be budget friendly, easy to install and will it hold up, lets say, in comparison to laminate flooring?

In a word, yes. Remember though that the top coating factories apply is aluminium oxide which is quite hard. Poly will hold well, but is not quite as hard.
Strange..... isn't "engineered" or "laminated" flooring crappy wood with VENEER on top? Obviously, this product cannot be sanded more than a fraction to be refinished, and neither could what you propose with VENEER plywood. However, in homes for mature adults, I see no reason why it would not work out just fine and last a good long time, provided you apply numerous coats of finish to protect it. I'd also suggest area rugs in high traffic areas.

DM

Not the stuff you'd really want in your home, no.

Good quality engineered flooring usually has a poplar or birch base of five or six plys, topped with a hardwood wear layer of at least 2mm (I prefer a 4mm wear layer).

Plywood is, also, rotary cut and looks like plywood.

Even cabinet-grade plywood doesn't have 2mm of veneer, because it's not built to be walked on.

Someone needs to make a test floor of this stuff and post some pics!

What is the point of the penny, or any gap? It's plywood glued down, where's the expansion/shrinking coming from?

BTW This is not a new idea, fake plywood planks have been around longer than I have. As has plywood with sawn face veneer already in "planks." Savings in labor make up for cost of material.

But I have done two and a half of these floors for local designer, known for off the wall, or floor ideas and is willing to bear costs of failures.(T&G cabinet doors which he had coated with hide glue then painted to get crackled, peeling paint authentic old barn look. Any body need 50' of concave doors? A light house, maybe with cabinets all along walls?)

So any way, nobody was pleased with floors. 1st floor he didn't like look of quickly sanded edge joints. Next floor planks went thru jointer, they were too smooth and tight. He wanted an older look, random size joint look but not open joints. So a few planks went through shaper, real T&G, he was sure that's what he wanted. A few planks into shaping, we convinced him labor costs were crazy, and 1st two clients didn't really like floors N e way. Went to salvage yard bought a truck load of used oak T&G. That was the half floor.

The complaints of clients were it didn't look, feel, or even sound right. Turned out the floors weren't very durable, the veneer is thin, and the underlying plys are soft. Surface oak would scratch, showing sub-ply, dent, even break leaving hole and upturned splinters. sorry no pics, he takes pics of everything, but he pro'lly didn't keep these.

Quality "engineered" floors have thicker, hardened face veneer, harder substrate. As zak zed.