Plywood Flooring - An inexpensive alternative to hardwood floors (1) 

I did this Birch plywood on a floor and did tonge and groove with a router and installed like a puzzle without cutting but a couple of edges. and sealed boards. Its been over 8 years and floor still looks beautiful. I'm thinking to redo my floors with Birchwood as well.

I saw this be done in a multi million dollar house it turned out beautiful I did it at my house has been 6 years and it looks amazing still

This is exactly what I was looking for and something this Nana can do. I love how it turned out. Thanks for taking your time to show this, step by step. Much appreciation, and affordable. Can't wait to see the finished floor. What a blessing, THANK YOU.

Absolutely love your video. My hardwood floor guy won $17,000 to do red oak, he's a great guy. I actually am looking to save some money and your plywood video is terrific. I had no idea that this could be done!

I install wood flooring. Did white pine floor recently. The plywood is a little harder but still kinda soft. He did a great job. Sanding the edges helped a lot. Maybe a little lighter stain but that's a matter of taste. For the price of the wood it looks great.

NOTE: Plywood does not shrink or expand like regular solid wood. That is why you can lay it so close together.

Only 2min into the vid and I must agree with the quality of the wood you chose. I was thinking about doing the EXACT same thing but was unsure about the quality. Thanks for the "Vid of Confidence!

Thanks tons SSL Family! Because of your ( and other) videos my wife made up her mind that this is what we are ( I am) doing in our remodel instead of buying flooring for only a little more and enjoying the free install from the company.

Really nice job. I've tried a few other ideas from French cottages. 1) frame the outside edge with a 3" strip. 2) lay boards diagonally. 3) cut boards at random widths for each row, this was done on very old cottage to maximise use of the natural tree widths. 4) use old style wedge nails. They look really effective. Dowels look good too. 5) use a variety of wood dyes and stain boards random colours before you lay them. Used with random widths and it's a stunning effect. Finish with an antique pine yatch varnish or bees wax. 5) cut square's and bevel the edges. Glue down though, no nails. 6) deliberately leave a gap between each board for a very aged look. Leave the same gap at random board ends where they join. 7) lay herringbone, very tedious but stunning.

I have a mobile home. This looks like a viable option for me. I have the time. I can borrow and rent the equipment. The local hardware/lumber store can cut planks from plywood. Thanks for the upload!

Also great idea for van and tiny house builds.

My husband did this in our last place and it held up way better, even looked better, than the vinyl wood flooring we had down in another part of the house. The more worn it got the better it looked!

Great Job :) I did something similar to this to cover crappy floor boards that were a mess. Except: I used 8' x 4' x 1/4" ply as a single sheet (not cut into strips). Used a router with a 'V' bit set to 1/16" to cut the grooves for the plank widths. Castellated (stepped) the ends so they interlocked, so no straight edge at the end of the board. Once laid I then used the 'V' bit to groove the ends of the castellations. Used a scratch repair pen to lowlight the grooves. I also used the same technique as yourself for nailing. The floor has been down for 15 years and looks as new as the day it was laid

Hi, I was watching a RU-vid video whilst setting up my new router and your video came on in a serendipitous moment. I left the router tune-up momentarily and spent 15 minutes watching something I probably didn’t need to watch - my Victorian cottage was built in 1888 and has real wood 8.25-inch floor boards that I won’t be changing. I wanted to say however, that I found your video informative and entertaining; I was engrossed. I was also pleased to see you clearly avoided the Health and Safety meddlers and worked in your socks; for me that would have resulted in a grievous wound but for you it went well, so good luck to you. Thanks for the interesting video - isn't it odd that you can post something nearly four years ago in Michigan and I can be watching it now in England? Feels like I'm stalking!! Best wishes, Stephen

Thank you just what I was looking for and knew it must be possible; it turned out great.

Very...very nice job...!! Thank you so much for sharing. My husband and I will definitely need your video to our neew home. Thank you, may God continue blessing you always.

only thing I would of done is put a clear coat on all 4 sides of the ply before laying it down as ply absorbs moisture and once its sealed moisture doesn't get in ply

Just amazing and great imagination, thanks for the video, don't listen to negative comments those are lazy people who rather to pay someone to put a new floor rather than you who making your own so I have to give lots of credits for your effort and hard working diy.

Ok, I have been researching, LOL, on how to do the plywood floors. So many out there, but honestly I found your very detailed DIY step by step instructions to include the doorways. So Thank, Thank, And A huge Thank you for adding these small details, but huge for beginning DIY'ers like myself. I have bought my plywood, well actually I bought another sheet as I under estimated and 1 HD had no problem cutting mine down to the 8 inches, another near me wouldn't do it. But I am glad I waited as I decided to look up DIY videos on this type of project. Again thank you.

A terrific solution. I love softwood floors. They are much more inviting to my eye over hardwood.

Nice! So far so good, can’t wait to see the finish. You definitely made this look easy!

What a fantastic idea for flooring.

Wow! You make it look so easy, it's beautiful! I am your new biggest fan. Thank you for making it so clear to understand and answering questions I didn't know to ask!

Totally awesome project. I will never look at floors the same way again. I'm old and arthritic all the bending wouldn't work for me so I'd set up an elevated work area and do everything there thru the first coat of poly no finish on the bottom leave a route for moisture to escape. Thanks for a great video!

nice job man and for a yard sale table saw... those are really nice rips.

Very nice job. I am about to do the same thing only on concrete so I'll need to use a sub-floor and thinner planks. Like that yard sale table saw. You should see mine. I made one from a a skill saw and workmate table. Not the best but it gets the job done.

Great idea! Thanks for making the video. I feel like this is a life hack! Definitely something I will keep in mind! Thanks for sharing.

We are in the process of converting a school bus into an rv and I think this would be perfect for the flooring. Thanks for posting!

In one of the big buildings I work in, the floor is 4X8 sheets of plywood. The floor is almost 50 years old. There are a few places where it got damaged but overall it looks amazing considering its age, the legions of people who have walked over it, and that no one cares if it gets damaged or not. The great thing about your idea is you can have some extra stock pieces at hand and if one is damaged physically, stained, or warped by fluids you can pull it up and replace it with spare wood from the same lot. I wonder if there is a coating you can apply that would be durable and not too slick. Nice job.

Hey Dude, great project. A couple of suggestions that helped me before.... I would do the bulk of the sanding while standing and having all of your boards on a bench, saw horses or similar. It's easier on the knees that way. Also pre-stain all of the edges/sides or you could paint them with black paint. That way when you are staining the floor, you will never have any gaps that visually stick out like a sore thumb because they aren't stained. It's just easier to do that before you lay the floor, rather than trying to force stain into a small seams. An oscillating multi-tool also works better for undercutting jams and you can basically set the blade on top of a scrap of your wood floor and plunge cut into the jamb. This insures perfect cut height as well. Also when I did my penny floor I found that you can perfectly time you coats of polyurethane. Use a product designed for the floors that has a large enough open window between topcoats that it doesn't require you to scuff and sand between coats. I did all of my coats WITHOUT sanding. The product I used had a big enough open window that I could put down a coat of poly before I went to work in the morning, then I could come home and do another coat as soon as I got home, and then I would do one more before I went to bed. I would of course repeat the routine the following day as well until I was satisfied with the amount of coats. Also a short nap mini roller i think works better for the application too. For scratches you can use a stain pen for repairs and clear nail polish works good to patch any deep scratches or chips in the poly.

I have done and am still in this process. I can say that cutting perfect straight strips is paramount. Also the cheaper the plywood- the more you’ll ssnd, and sand and sand

Love it, exactly what I've been wanting to do with my floors. Looks great. Thanks for the video.

I forgot to mention, good friends of ours laid full sheets of plywood down and coated it.nit us beautiful and has lasted really well. He has recoated the finish in a few places only a couple times in 30 years to keep it looking fabulous.

nice idea man.especially if you dont mind it getting a little beat up. it is definitely softer than the wood that would be used for flooring. sometimes the finish you choose can make it much harder though. I like a wood floor to have lots of dings and scratches though, to me that is part of it beauty. I may try this in my office, Ill go for a better looking wood though, that birch or whatever you used has a very vague grain pattern, I am interested to see how it looks all finished up though, perhaps it looks nice when stained....

Nice! I like the little tips you give along the way; that really helps. I'll be sure to check out the next part. I have a hell of a time finding nice pieces of wood at my local home depot stores.

Love to watch people who can do THINGS. You are really interesting and knowledgeable.

One might also consider finding #2 or even #3 T&G oak or other hardwood flooring to create an inexpensive flooring as opposed to plywood....Finding "reclaimed" lumber can make a handsome floor for less $$$, too.

Iv seen someone laminate ten sheets together then rip them into 22 mm strips so when it's glued down all you see is thin end grain . Time consuming but very effective .

Rockin the socks..lol love it.. im doin one similar only straight up painting it. Great yob

Great idea , I would have never thought of that! Thanks for the tip sir!

there are several engineered flooring products that cost less than $1/ sf and will actually stay down. Brad nails with 1/2" penetration will lift almost immediately. once lifting begins, the edges will splinter.

Instead of ripping the plywood into strips, you could router a pattern onto the ply wood sheet to mimmic a propper laid floor and just lay the whole panel. Just a suggestion. I am sure with enough thought and planning it could be done.

I've seen something similar in a studio apartment but on the ceiling. Looks awesome my man.

Awesome! We are going to try this in our bedroom! Thanks for posting!

Nice job regardless of the comments. I pulled up some butt ugly carpet to reveal plywood. I cleaned it up, scored fake planks into it using the end of screw driver or a knife (yes, it is soft wood) then mixed stain and paint together, painted a plank then used a wood grain simulator rocker tool on it, imprinting the look of wood grain on it. (the plywood color(tinted) showed through where ever the rocker made an imprint. ) I used a color that came across as maple with a hint of mahogany Cool look. Poly'd it and have had it for 12 years. Did they same thing in my kids bedroom only I just drew the lines on over a light custard color with silver tan graining. That one is the best. Still looks great!

Nice. I like the wide board look. I was born , raised and still live in Dalton GA. This is where carpet took off on a factory scale. Carpet built this whole area and every job around is related to carpet. With that being said I wanna let it be known I Hate Carpet. For instance my grandparents put down a really high end carpet and they were clean freaks before it was Kool to be a clean freak. They lived in the country with gravel Rds and some dust so they vacuumed daily and shampooed very often as well. They decided to get new carpet and had already paid for the new carpet. When we ripped out the old it was scary at the dirt it had trapped. It was a big house and we used wheel barrels and feed scoops to shovel up the dirt that carpet had held and hid. They lost part of their $$$ on the new they had bought but we cleaned and refinished the original oak hardwood flooring. It made the house look more "REAL" than with any carpet. But in rental houses I' remove carpet and put down something solid.

You are so organized and explain very well. I can do this! Thank you🙏🏽

I was wondering about the roofing felt and now will do this in my workshop between the 5/8 " OSB subfloor and the 15/32 plywood I plan to use to help stiffen the floor. Good video. Thx.

Softwoods and hardwoods aren't named for the actual hardness. Softwoods are from coniferous (or more accurately, gymnosperm) trees whereas hardwoods are from flowering or angiosperm trees. Trees like spruce and yew (both softwood) can be as hard or harder than most hardwoods where as balsa, poplar or aspen (all hardwood) is generally softer than most softwoods. The density is a better indicator of the hardness and durability of the finished product like floors. Great video btw...

You have created an awesome channel mister!

This will look amazing with some patina on it! I love the look of old wood floors, the more beat up, the better they are, I think. I'd love to have floors from an old factory.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I knew that there was an alternative way of doing the flooring in a common sense way but my wife didn't have the "faith" in a solution. I will try this method in my work room first, and if she approves....continue the look in one of the bed rooms. Wish me luck on saving some cash, aggravation, and time.

To anyone wishing to attempt this, I offer a piece of advice. Invest in a biscuit joiner, join the flooring and make the floor float. This allows for expansion and contraction. Also make sure you get a plywood that's not too soft so that it allows for damage! Using a biscuit joiner and not nailing to the floor makes it a lot easier to replace damaged boards in the future 😊. This video is a great tutorial very well made thank you sir!

Did any one else hold their breathe watching him in socks with the nail gun? I'm such a worrier. LOL

Looks good. I never thought to use plywood and cut it in strips. Thanks for the idea

I love the way you did the floors.

this is a good idea, but 5/8" solid bamboo flooring can often be had for as little as $2 / sq ft, looks way better, is re-sandable / refinishable, and has a durable factory finish. plus its premade and ready to install. i think its a better inexpensive alternitive to the plywood floor here

First, I love the socks on the job site. Second, I think that pine is a bit soft to use as flooring no matter what finish you use. I’d use better Birch ply or something like that. Third, if your nailing it down I’d use full sheets and I’d glue it, which wouldn’t cost much more than the paper really. I have used plywood as flooring before but quite not like this. Anyway, pretty cool but not quite there in my opinion and I wouldn’t do it. I’m a contractor and carpenter for what it’s worth and am prepared to be pleasantly surprised. I’m also prepared for everyone telling me to piss of and get over myself. Cheers.

You make it look so easy!! Great job.

This is a great start to finish vid. Thanks for the tips, Braxtly Tools

Don't use felt paper indoors they are made with tar and off gas VOCs.

I’ve had a pine floor for 10 years and I love it more every year, dings and all. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Thank you very much for sharing this video with the public. God bless you

WOW great Idea! I am going to try it!!! Thanks for the vid!

Just a tidbit of info, It is always a good idea to let the would acclimate but referring to your comment about box store wood being wet, with plywood it really doesn’t matter because the way plywood is constructed each layer is alternated so there isn’t expansion and shrinkage problems with plywood.

I agree that your economy wood floor alternative looks pretty good. Better than I thought it would. I'd like to offer a couple of suggestions for others thinking of doing this. If you have the tools to do so, it would be good insurance to add splines between the planks. Splines would help insure that the plank surfaces would stay even with one another. They would also make any gaps that open up look better. The gap would only be ¼" deep vs ¾" deep exposing the underlayment. Alternatively one could use biscuits or dominoes. These wouldn't hide the underlayment if exposed, but they'd keep plank surfaces even. My other suggestion is to use a wood conditioner prior to staining. This will help the soft pine plywood take the stain more evenly minimizing the light and dark areas.

It can be so easy to hate people when they leave rude comments. It is a shame so many peoples parents never hugged them or told them they loved them. Pity them. Thank you for this video. You showed interested people an affordable and nice way to spruce up a space. I appreciate your time and willingness to be speculated and judged. Great job and good for you!

Nice job bud, thanks for the idea I'm going to do this upstairs in my home. Thumbs up.

35 years ago I was poor and bought a house I called the money pit the movie was after my money pit just a cowincide. Anyway the dining room had this horrible old Formica from pre WWII it had crack ETC. It had to go I looked at flooring and decided that I was going to buy oak plywood and rip it into 2 inch strips. Joint it and use that in those days good oak plywood was $20 a sheet maybe I think it was cheaper. Anyway everyone thought I was nuts. I bought a old steam iron and stripped the Formica inches at a time every night after work for a hour or so. The house was in forks Washington. Before the vampires and warewolves . anyway as the Formica came up I noticed (the house was about 100 years old) the other thing forks wa is known for besides salmon fishing hunting Bigfoot vampires and warewolves is burly maple. They make fancy guitars and violins out of it. A big burly maple tree is worth upwards of $40,000 for one tree any how maple in forks 130+ years ago was a weed to loggers. My dining room floor under the Formica was a burly maple floor. I sanded it and covered it with clear enamel. A guy I knew collected guitars saw the floor and went batshit crazy

What lovely way to depreciate the value of your home

Friggin love it dude! So crazy it just works.

Great job, you're a good father!

Very interesting! I like the look very much. My favorite part was the scripture at the end though! #subscribed

Face nailing with a 16 gauge Brad nailer is not the way to fasten any flooring, especially without adhesive. This guy could have at least used a flooring nail gun to hide the nails.

me and a buddy had a whole pile of 2 by 4s and replaced a kitchen and living room floor and used them offset and cut them laid it like hardwood floors and finished it and it looked awesome for will never go bad either and is durable

Sweet vid. Really dig this kind of stuff. Would like to see more. Keep it up.

This is a fantastic idea and very low on the budget. I greatly appreciate you sharing this. Any tips or suggestions for doing this on a concrete floor?

Was waiting for the nail through the sock

Nice jamb saw. Very cool floors. I laid HW floors for ten years. Big fan of the money saved here.

Thanks foe sharing with us to install a solid pine floor, to finish up with the hardwood floor.

All ply flooring vids I see no one tounge and grooves their boards and they're installing with 18 or 16 gauge gun nails. Its gonna fail over time

I have used this same approach with one difference; I use biscuits to join the planks. The biscuits keep the planks aligned and level. I use plastic self clamping biscuits so no glue is required.

Nice job. I saw a video where the host used a torch on the plywood, it came out very nice. If I'm not mistaken your table saw is a Black & Decker. I still have mine, use it for ripping trim. I'm going to watch the finishing video. Thank you so much!

Great project! Thanks for making it and taking the time to film it. Subscribed!

OMG what a great idea!

you can get nice lock together flooring for about the same cost preinished that is a floating floor with a warrenty

GORGEOUS flooring!!!! I LOVE it!!

I did a wall in my house in this. Came out really good

Good job. The only thing I would have done differently is get a three blade molding cutter for the table saw and tongue and groove the edges. Makes a quieter, less squeaky floor. Also taking out the bottom molding on the wall makes the edges easier to fit up. Otherwise, I've used plywood like this and for light traffic areas like bedrooms it seems to hold up well. I use polyurethane varnish for the forst coat and thin it way down to make it soak in deep. Allowed to cure for a couple of days before the second coat it hardens the pine a lot. Subsequent coats can be regular strength and make a really durable finish.

Hiw much did you save by using plywood vs hard wood vs laminate?

I watched all 3 videos, great job.

Never thought of doing this. Great idea.

Pine plywood will not hold up very well for flooring, too soft...

I don't know why he's worried about expansion and contraction with plywood. Highly stable stuff doesn't really need leave much room if any for that.

I’m so glad I saw this. Thank you.

Love this. Planning to do this in my kitchen!

Would have loved to see the guy at Home Depot when you asked him to rip all those boards for you...lol

You know what would’ve been a good idea would have been to router and spline it. This way the edges wouldn’t pop up and it’ll be locked in a tongue groove sort of fashion all the way around

Great idea, I’ll try it. Thank you 😀

Hey fellow Michigander! You did a great job! I ripped up carpeting in one of my bedrooms and just did a stain design on the osb temporarily. Looks great lol!