How to Apply Plywood Floors

Plywood is a standard subfloor material.

Plywood is a durable, inexpensive building material that is used as flooring in places such as attics and as a subfloor in many other areas of the home. It comes in 4-foot by 8-foot sheets, which makes installing it a speedy process. When installing plywood on any type of floor, the key is to attach it to the underlying joists, which are the framework for the building. This method provides a stable floor that won't shift or move.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4-inch-thick C or D grade plywood sheets
• 8D cement-coated nails
• Hammer
• Circular saw

Instructions

1. Pick up a sheet of C or D grade plywood, which is stamped on the surface. Turn the sheet so that the side stamped with a C is facing upward. Go to one end of the room in the center of the wall.

2. Lay the plywood sheet on top of the underlying wood floor joists so that it is perpendicular to them and each end of the plywood is perfectly centered on a joist.

3. Secure the plywood to the joist by placing an 8D cement-coated nail into each of two corners and hammering them in. Insert additional nails every 6 inches along the entire perimeter. Then drive nails along the center of the plywood where the joists run, spacing them at 10-inch intervals.

4. Place another piece of plywood directly beside the first one going toward the length of the room. Install it the same way you did the first one. Continue installing plywood along the length of the room until you have a single strip from which to work on the remainder of the floor.

5. Return to the starting position and place a piece of plywood directly to the left of the first piece. Examine the left edge of the plywood to ensure it centers on a joist. If it hangs in the air, cut it back with a circular caw until it lands in the center of a joist. Attach the plywood with nails just as with the others.

6. Continue installing plywood pieces, cutting them when needed, until all of the floor joists are covered.

References

• Realtor: Installing a Subfloor Over a Joist System
• Hosking Hardwood; All About Installing Hardwood Floors Over Various Subfloors; Jeff Hosking; 2004