hello.
i have been reading all of the message boards but have never posted before…
i did the first part of the flooring in my woodworking workshop with the standard 6mil, then 2x sleepers with the blue Styrofoam between the 2x’s and then t&g on top.
it came out ok but the t&g was fairly ugly and never really matched up well physically.
i obviously ran out of room and luckily have a whole bunch more of basement right where the original flooring/shop ends.
as luck would have it the space is 10′ 6″ by 22′ with an “L” shape that is also 10′ 6″ by 22′
so with the 2×4 walls up i have just a little bit more than 10 feet of width throughout…
i had the crazy idea to use baltic birch as my local hardwood dealer carries it in 5′ x 5′ sizes.
i’m thinking of going with 3/8″x60″x60″ as the Styrofoam is quite rigid and i think 3/8″ is the perfect thickness.
plus i can get it at an even better price if i get 10+ sheets of the baltic birch, so the flooring isn’t really any more expensive than if i went with the t&g again.
any feedback??
anything obvious i’m missing??
what finish should i use?
i was thinking of adding the stuff they have to add to the garage floor treatment so it will have a grit in the mix for anti-slip effect.
matthew
Replies
Well....I spent a few years in the construction trade before woodworking and I've installed 3/8" engineered flooring but it was over 3/4" subflorring or even a concrete slab.
My fear would be over time the 3/8" Birch ply would begin to sag even though the foam is fairly rigid. Honestly 1/2" would be the thinnest I would use.
If you're thinking of using a garage floor treatment then don't waste money on Baltic Birch Ply. Save that for projects or veneer substrate. Use a cheap OSB if you're going to coat it with that type of finish.
Just my thoughts
Fine Furniture and Antique Restoration
60" doesn't match typical layouts and building materials. You would have to cut the foam and space your sleepers to accommodate the 5'x5' size. Moisture will delaminate non exterior graded plywood. I think you would find that 3/8 would flex enough to crush the foam unless the sleepers were very close. With a single layer, I'd want a t&g plywood. It's available in 5/8" with a nice face and will fit better with sleepers at 16" OC. You'll have to cut the foam either way.
You can paint or clear the plywood. Anti-slip tape, non skid additive or mats can be used in machine operator zones. You may not have to do the whole floor. The additive makes sweeping up a bit difficult and as particles come loose, they abrade the the finish causing premature wear. Tape can look pretty cool and it doesn't take much for good footing.
http://www.canply.org/english/products/easy_tg/easytgfloor.html
http://www.floormat.com/master-stop.html
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
thanks for the quick reply's!
i know the 60" seems like an odd size for flooring, but with my space being 10' 6" the two 5' sheets of baltic birch fit nicely...
in my case i tried the 3/4 t&g and it was a real hassle to get it to fit "wall to wall"
with the new sizing i would only have to cut the foam at the 5' mark and that would just be so i could put a crossways sleeper and to give me a chance to nail or screw those edges of the baltic birch.
so if i used 2x6's for the sleepers i would have a nicely spaced grid where i could evenly space the fastners on the outter edges and where both sheets meet up.
i can get 1/2" baltic birch for just a little bit more, i just didn't see the need for 3/4" and the 3/4" is a bigger price step up than either the 3/8" or 1/2"
or i could just leave down the 3/4" t&g that isn't very t&g'd
i just have to do something where the current 10' 6"x12 section ends, as there is a normal sized door that opens in, and then start up again after the door for the adjacent space which is 10' 6"x22'
matthew
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled