Concrete Overlay On Plywood Subfloor

Plywood underlayment is typically needed when a floor material must have a very smooth flat surface.

Concrete overlay on plywood subfloor.

The installation of calcium aluminate cement based self leveling concrete param 5500 along with expanded metal lath for reinforcement is a successful fast track method to convert a plywood subfloor into a beautiful concrete floor. After installing a vapor retarder if necessary cut your plywood panels into 2 x8 or 4 x4 sections. I have seen anything from chicken wire to concrete wire mesh used successfully. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

For metal lath a stucco grade material is fine. After priming install 3 2 or 3 4 galvanized expanded diamond metal lath mesh to the wood or plywood subfloor stapling approximately every 6 inches to prevent the mesh from floating. When installed correctly your concrete over plywood floor will not permit moisture through will not warp or buckle and will come with all the benefits of concrete in an easy to care for floor. Find concrete resurfacing products.

It lays down ultra flat. We recommend applying param 5500 at a minimum thickness of 3 8 1 2 is preferred to withstand lateral movement and traffic stress. Overlap adjacent pieces of lath approximately 1. For example if you install resilient tiles or sheet flooring over a subfloor any bumps dips or voids in the subfloor may be evident in the finished flooring.

Duraamen s param 5500 goes on thin in a 3 8 to 1 2 thick application. The following project was executed by tom zilian of madstone floors from boston ma who created a polished concrete floor over a plywood substrate. Apply an adhesive approved for plywood installation and recommended by the plywood manufacturer. Plywood substrate in a kitchen.

Metal lath stapled over plywood substrate. Score the back of the panels half of the thickness on a 12 inch by 12 inch grid. In this project tom had to remove old tile and install another layer of 3 4 thick plywood. Underlayment covers subfloor flaws for the best possible results.

Cut plywood panels by 2 foot by 8 foot or 4 foot by 4 foot sections. A cement based waterproofing mortar is also a good option. It s best to place the underlayment over 3 4 inch thick plywood fastened with screws at 12 to 16 inch intervals to help decrease deflection and add stability. The nwfa recommends plywood with a minimal thickness of.

The more rigid the sub floor the better the surface will resist water penetration. Concrete floor video on how to install concrete over an existing wood subfloor.