Plywood floors becoming a popular trend

Since my original post some years back, plywood floors are definitely trending with those homeowners looking for affordable flooring that offers something unique.

 

Since posting the original feature on plywood floors, I have received numerous queries regarding the installation of plywood as a flooring option. Since my original post some years back, plywood floors are definitely trending with those homeowners looking for affordable flooring that offers something unique.

Veneered, or marine plywood, is definitely far more affordable than engineered wood and offers homeowners the opportunity to have a wood-look floor that can be stained and sealed to your choice. Certain Builders Warehouse stores stock marine plywood, or shop around local timber and board suppliers for the best pricing on 12mm veneered or marine plywood.

envidesign.com

Plywood floor is a DIY flooring option that allows you to match the flooring to your style of interior. Using something like Woodoc Gel Stain, you can tint the plywood to almost any wood tint. And people are getting very creative with different finishes for plywood floors. The floor below was given a chalk paint whitewash with a soft cocoa tint, that really warms up the room, before finishing with a couple of sealer coats.

GOOD TO KNOW: Sub-floors must be in good condition before laying plywood flooring. If necessary, apply a suitable screed to level off or repair the floor beforehand.

For added durability, protect stained or painted floors with a quality sealer such as Woodoc 25 Polyurethane Wood Sealer. This will not only extend the life of the finish, but also enhance the look and colour.

drip-designsfurniture.blogspot.co.za

Here in South Africa we don't have wooden sub-floors, so the best option for laying a plywood floor would be to use a contact adhesive to secure the board, planks or section to the floor. However, a word of caution... As with any timber products, you need to allow for a certain amount of expansion and contraction, so an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room is a must. Additionally, while it is marine plywood, this flooring is not recommended for a bathroom or room with high humidity.

ABOVE: I love the rustic warmth and beauty of a floor stained with a variety of tints to give it a more homemade country cottage look. If you use a marine plywood, this type of board has a genuine wood veneer as the finishing layer and you can choose from pine, meranti, birch and a variety of other veneers.

BELOW: Now here's something new for plywood floors, and a technique that I have used for a variety of other projects. Use a Dremel VersaFlame (blowtorch) to lightly singe the surface of the wood before applying a polyurethane sealer.

When deciding to go with plywood flooring, the next decision you need to make is whether to install thin planks, wide planks, square or rectangular board, or entire sheets. Obviously, the plank option is more time consuming, but the end result far closer resembles the look of an engineered or hardwood floor.

This gorgeous pine plywood plank floor is installed in a boys bedroom and stained a dark ash colour, before polyurethane sealer is applied to finish off. The stain has created a wonderful patterned wood grain effect that really stands out and adds depth and texture to the floor.

Cristina on Remodelando la Casa offers instructions on the installation and finishing of the plywood floor, but do bear in mind that the method and products used may not be applicable to our local situation.

BELOW: A closer look at how the stain highlights the pine veneer of the plywood planks.