Okay, here’s my blog post about the “rubber dancing plywood assembled wooden flooring” project:

So, I’ve been wanting to redo my living room floor for ages. It was this old, cracked linoleum that just looked awful. I wanted something warm, natural-looking, and, if possible, a little bit unique. After way too many hours browsing Pinterest, I stumbled upon this idea of using plywood as flooring. At first, I thought, “No way, that sounds janky,” but the more I looked into it, the more intrigued I became. And then, I found some examples with a cool, almost “dancing” pattern, and I was sold!

Getting Started and Prepping

First things first, I had to rip out that old linoleum. Let me tell you, that was a workout! It was glued down so tight in some spots that I thought I’d pull a muscle. I used a scraper and a pry bar, and just slowly worked my way across the room. Lots of sweating and a few choice words, but I finally got it all up. Underneath, it was just the concrete subfloor, which was thankfully pretty level. If it hadn’t been, I would have had to use some self-leveling compound, which is a whole other messy project.

Next, I went and bought a bunch of plywood sheets. I went with a decent quality, but nothing super fancy. I think it was like “BC” grade or something – one side was smooth, the other a little rougher. I got them to cut the sheets into long planks at the store, about 6 inches wide. Made my life WAY easier. I also picked up some rubber underlayment. The idea here is to give the floor a little bit of “bounce” and sound dampening. You know, so it doesn’t feel like you’re walking on straight concrete.

The “Dancing” Pattern

This is where things got interesting, and honestly, a little bit frustrating. I wanted to create this kind of wavy, irregular pattern with the plywood planks. I didn’t want straight lines – I wanted it to look almost like the floor was flowing. So, I started laying out the planks, trying to stagger the seams and create this visual movement.

Here’s a tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment! I spent a good couple of hours just moving planks around, trying different layouts. I took pictures with my phone so I could compare different arrangements. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Gluing and Nailing

I marked my pattern with pencil.

I used a caulking gun to apply this stuff, making sure to get good coverage on the back of each plank.

Once the glue was down, I carefully placed each plank back in its spot, following my layout. Then, I used a nail gun with finishing nails to secure the planks to the subfloor,I secured the first row of planks and made sure the rubber was sticking.

• I carefully cleaned each plank before fixing it.
• I made sure that the wood grain was going to the direction I wanted.

This part was a bit slow going. Glue, place, nail, repeat. It took a while, but seeing the pattern come together was super satisfying.

Sanding and Finishing

After all the planks were down and the glue had dried (I gave it a full 24 hours), it was time for sanding. I rented a big floor sander from the hardware store. This thing was a beast! It took a bit of getting used to, but it made quick work of smoothing out any uneven edges and getting the whole floor nice and level.

Wear a dust mask! Seriously, the amount of sawdust this thing creates is insane. I also wore ear protection, because it’s LOUD.

Once the sanding was done, I vacuumed up all the dust (and there was a LOT of it). Then, it was time for the finish. I went with a clear polyurethane, because I wanted to keep the natural look of the plywood. I applied three coats, letting each coat dry completely before applying the next. This part takes patience, but it’s worth it for a durable finish.

The Final Result!

Honestly, I’m thrilled with how it turned out! It’s definitely unique, and it has that warm, natural feel I was going for. It’s not perfect – there are a few little imperfections here and there – but that just adds to the character, I think. It feels great underfoot, thanks to the rubber underlayment, and it’s surprisingly easy to clean. Would I do it again? Maybe! It was a lot of work, but the result was totally worth it. And the best part? It cost me way less than getting traditional hardwood flooring installed.