FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Restoration
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In

Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum

Birch ply flooring???

Bruce | Posted in Construction Techniques on September 20, 2005 11:38am

Saw on the tube some trendy little high design house with birch plywood flooring, as in 4×8 sheets.  I s’pose this could be a nice look in a contemporary house, but I see that the best you’re going to get for a solid wood surface is 1/8″ of birch.  What’s that give you, one VERY CAREFUL sanding come refinishing time, then what?  Am I missing something?

Reply
  • X
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • pinterest
  • email
  • add to favorites Log in or Sign up to save your favorite articles

Replies

  1. FHB Editor
    JFink | Sep 22, 2005 06:02pm | #1

    That sounds like a horrific idea...

    Justin Fink - FHB Editorial

    1. Bruce | Sep 22, 2005 07:14pm | #2

      Yeah, but I'll bet that architect thinks it looks cool ...

      1. User avater
        johnnyd | Sep 22, 2005 08:39pm | #3

        Idea is to use it in areas without alot of traffic...living rooms, sun rooms, bedroom etc.  Screwed and plugged so that when and if refinish time comes around, you replace rather than refinish.  OR, a quick, economical way to have a wood floor that may be easily replaced with higher buck goods when finances allow.

        I think it looks nicer cut into 2'X2' squares with chamfered edges. 

        I used red oak veneer plywood like that with 3 coats of poly and get lots of favorable comments from non-archtect visitors.

        Edited 9/22/2005 1:42 pm ET by johnnyd

        Edited 9/22/2005 1:43 pm ET by johnnyd

        1. User avater
          aimless | Sep 22, 2005 08:45pm | #4

          Do you have any pictures?

          1. User avater
            johnnyd | Sep 22, 2005 09:18pm | #6

            This is a guest bedroom

          2. junkhound | Sep 23, 2005 04:27am | #8

            pix like yours are what makes this site great!

          3. onthelevel | Sep 23, 2005 05:08am | #9

            Might be a great pic but a gross floor!

          4. User avater
            aimless | Sep 23, 2005 07:39am | #11

            Thanks.  I like it and may use a modified version of your floor.

        2. gbwood | Sep 22, 2005 09:07pm | #5

          I was thinkin the same thing (2  X  2 squares) with some 1/4" rips of walnut between squares

           

          greg

          1. JulianTracy | Sep 23, 2005 08:04am | #12

            I've seen pictures of a birch pw done in 2x2 with 1/4" aluminum strips in between them - looked very cool.JT

  2. DougU | Sep 23, 2005 03:28am | #7

    Shop I used to work for cut 3' X 3' squares of OSB, sanded it smooth and laid it in a pet store, owner had a limited budget.

    I seen it 4 years latter and it shows some wear in the high traffic areas but not bad considering how much traffic it got.

    I don't believe that I'd use it in my home though. I guess if it was very contemporary Id consider it.

    Doug 

     

    1. Bruce | Sep 23, 2005 05:34am | #10

      OSB makes more sense to me; lay it 5/8 or 3/4 thick, and you can sand till doomsday, though I don't think you'll ever wear it down.  And who would see the wear?  I laid 1/2" OSB in an architect's studio, and it looks real nice.  It also looks great stained unusual colors, like dark red or green.  I've seen that done on OSB wall paneling.

  3. stinger | Sep 23, 2005 04:29pm | #13

    I would watch out for the veneer thickness on run-of-the-mill birch plywood.  It is like micro-thin.

    More expensive, but maybe with more veneer thickness, might be baltic birch, available in 5x5 sheets.  Cut into 29-7/8 squares, it might make a nice look.

    1. Danno | Sep 23, 2005 06:40pm | #14

      I saw in a book where Bucky Fuller recommended masonite panels for floors--just 4x4 tempered sheets laid down loose. He thought they would be great. I think they would be a little slippery, might warp, and be easily damaged, but don't know. I had an idea to use some nice plywood with nice grain for a floor and then clear epoxy coat it, but that probably would be as expensive (more expensive?) than a good hardwood floor.

  4. DanH | Sep 23, 2005 06:44pm | #15

    Certainly no thinner veneer than a lot of the "engineered" flooring, and a lot cheaper.

    1. stinger | Sep 23, 2005 08:48pm | #16

      I respectfully disagree.  Plywood face veneers are very thin as compared to the wear surface veneer on "engineered" wood flooring.

      You've facebanded plywood with hardwood, right?  Remember how careful you have to be when flushing up the top with your RO palm sander?  A little heavy and you go right through. 

      Furthermore, most all the wood flooring products are factory-finished with a coating of toughness you would be hard-pressed to duplicate in a site-applied finish.

      In an earlier post, I recommended the thread originator consider baltic birch ply.  I though the face veneer might be more robust that that seen on common domestic 4x8 birch ply.  A second benefit to the use of bb ply is that it is void-free.

      1. DanH | Sep 23, 2005 09:43pm | #17

        I agree that voids in standard birch ply could be a problem, and certainly better-quality engineered flooring has a thicker veneer than the ply. But lots of stuff they sell for flooring has veneer thinner than any I've seen on plywood.You have to remember that, especially with the advent of engineered flooring, many folks no longer consider wood flooring to be "permanent", and they expect to replace it eventually like they'd expect to replace a carpet. (Except before than happens they'll sell and buy a new place.)So durability isn't a real big issue (with these folks, that is -- we're living with 29-year-old carpeting).

  5. frenchy | Sep 23, 2005 10:44pm | #18

    Bruce,

      I was all set to jump on ya buddy.. Thought you'd seen the plywood used aroundhere for high end homes and assumed it was Birch..

      It's not,   it's simply Basswood top layer plywood and the floor comes out really white!  So white it's almost a shame to cover it up..

         I could see someone on a budget giving it a quick sanding and a coat of varnish etc.. and using it as a tempoary floor untill the imported bloodwood flooring arrives from Brazil.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Video Shorts

Categories

  • Business
  • Code Questions
  • Construction Techniques
  • Energy, Heating & Insulation
  • General Discussion
  • Help/Work Wanted
  • Photo Gallery
  • Reader Classified
  • Tools for Home Building

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Choosing a Paintbrush

Tips for picking the right paintbrush based on paint type, surface, and personal comfort.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Midcentury Home for a Modern Family
  • The New Old Colonial
  • Modern and Minimal in the Woods
  • Bryce Hollingsworth, Dry-Stone Waller

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 333 - August/September 2025
    • A Practical Perfect Wall
    • Landscape Lighting Essentials
    • Repairing a Modern Window Sash
  • Issue 332 - July 2025
    • Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools
    • Fight House Fires Through Design
    • Making the Move to Multifamily
  • Issue 331 - June 2025
    • A More Resilient Roof
    • Tool Test: You Need a Drywall Sander
    • Ducted vs. Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 330 - April/May 2025
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work

Fine Home Building

Newsletter Sign-up

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox.

  • Green Building Advisor

    Building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox.

  • Old House Journal

    Repair, renovation, and restoration tips, plus special offers, in your inbox.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters

Follow

  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
  • Fine Homebuilding

    Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X
    • LinkedIn
  • GBA Prime

    Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

    Start Free Trial Now
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • Old House Journal

    Learn how to restore, repair, update, and decorate your home.

    Subscribe Now
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2025 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

  • Home Group
  • Antique Trader
  • Arts & Crafts Homes
  • Bank Note Reporter
  • Cabin Life
  • Cuisine at Home
  • Fine Gardening
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Green Building Advisor
  • Garden Gate
  • Horticulture
  • Keep Craft Alive
  • Log Home Living
  • Military Trader/Vehicles
  • Numismatic News
  • Numismaster
  • Old Cars Weekly
  • Old House Journal
  • Period Homes
  • Popular Woodworking
  • Script
  • ShopNotes
  • Sports Collectors Digest
  • Threads
  • Timber Home Living
  • Traditional Building
  • Woodsmith
  • World Coin News
  • Writer's Digest
Active Interest Media logo
X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Online Learning

  • Courses
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • X
  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

Enjoy unlimited access to Fine Homebuilding. Join Now

Already a member? Log in

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in

Privacy Policy Update

We use cookies, pixels, script and other tracking technologies to analyze and improve our service, to improve and personalize content, and for advertising to you. We also share information about your use of our site with third-party social media, advertising and analytics partners. You can view our Privacy Policy here and our Terms of Use here.

Cookies

Analytics

These cookies help us track site metrics to improve our sites and provide a better user experience.

Advertising/Social Media

These cookies are used to serve advertisements aligned with your interests.

Essential

These cookies are required to provide basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website.

Delete My Data

Delete all cookies and associated data