Can you make floors out of plywood?
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But plywood’s softer surface has a tendency to chip and dent, making the final application of a hard top coating vital to the success of your floor. Plywood floors are suitable for any room where you’d otherwise install hardwood, though kitchens and bathrooms are less desirable since frequent water spills are likely.
What kind of plywood is best for flooring?
Interior plywood is ideal for rooms not exposed to moisture, such as bedrooms, and makes a good subfloor for carpeting, tiles, vinyl, engineered wood laminate flooring and hardwood flooring. Exterior plywood is a better choice for bathrooms, kitchens and any other rooms exposed to water and moisture.
What thickness plywood should I use for flooring?
The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about 5/8 inch. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch.
What do you seal plywood floors with?
One way to preserve plywood flooring is to coat it with layers of clear sealant, which will prevent the plywood from becoming damaged by moisture or wear. Sealant can be painted over a plywood floor using tools that are readily available at any hardware store, such as paint rollers.
How do you waterproof plywood flooring?
You can use liquid latex to waterproof plywood. Alternatively, you can also use waterproof spray-on paint, clear-colored polyurethane varnish, or epoxy sealant to seal plywood and make it watertight.
Does flooring need structural plywood?
To put it simply, anything you can find where the building code is specifying plywood materials and material thicknesses, requires structural plywood, especially if these materials can end up being exposed to rainfall before the home is dried-in. This includes flooring, wall sheathing and roof sheathing.
Does painting plywood make it waterproof?
Painting plywood is a quick and easy way to waterproof it. If your plywood will be going outdoors, exterior latex paint is the better option, while indoor projects are well-suited to interior latex paint.
How do you keep plywood from rotting?
To use plywood outdoors, seal it by applying multiple thin layers of polyurethane varnish, epoxy sealant, spray-on latex, waterproof paint, or drying oils like Thompson’s WaterSeal.