Ok Folks..big mistake here. I laid my den floor in a picture frame pattern, ran the flooring to within the limits of a large rug, and decided to install playwood in the middle since it would be covered by the large rug. I had no plans to finish out the wood, but now that I’m selling the house, I’m installing the rest of the wood. Well for some unknown reason I had a brain lapse and glued the plywood filler to the plywood sub flooring. I guess I was thinking I really wasn’t ever planning on taking it up. The plywood filler is about 12′ x 15′ in a floor that is 20′ x 25′.
What is the best process to get me out of this jamb? Trying to separate the two is not fun and very time consuming. Is there a trick to get them apart? I was going to rip both layers of the plywood down to the joist with a skillsaw, install bucks between the joist perpendicular to the rip and additional joist at the parrallel rips. Is this the best that can be done? I figured the additonal joist support along with the tongue and groove flooring (3/4″ thick ) will alleviate any crack at the rips.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Replies
Sell the rug with the house. Or go buy a new rug that you wouildn't mind leaving.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Seriously though....would it be easier to cut rips 3/4" thick and bring it up with a roofing shovel..sanding down the excess?
What would you think if you bought a house in that condition? Would it bother you to see a half done floor or would you be comfortable with putting a rug there?
I'd wonder what other shortcuts were taken. If I could get over that issue, I'd expect an allowance sufficient to let me hire a professional to redo the floor properly.
Acutal that is not an uncommon practice in older homes.Didn't use plywood, but would put a cheap wood in the center of the floor and good wood only where it would show.
Yeah...had one of those...except that's not the norm today for new construction.
IF I were taking care of this for you.
First I would find the joists and cut the floor through both layers about 1" to the side of the joists. Then lift up each piece and take it out. clean off the joist tops and install new plywood. Trying to save the existing wil take forever!
OR sand and finish the plywood to match!
So you would scab in-between joist to help support the edge of plywood and then run an additional joist along the parallel edge? I thought about this option.
I was thinking more along the lines of removing subfloor and your glued down "plywood filler" then replacing missing subfloor.
Carpet the entire room ?
If you know what you're doing, you can rout it out. Use a heavy duty router with a large bit. It's the most elegant solution and least likely to move, creak, etc. It will take a while, but so will any other solution.
DG/Builder
That doesn't sound like a bad idea! I would incliude in the list a few replacement bits, eye and ear protection, and a large vacumn
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I agree with USANigel. Cut out the plywood filler and the subfloor. You may loose the first strip of flooring when cutting the plywood. To decrease that chance, I would route out the top sheet of plywood with a 3/4" router bit with a top bearing guide along the strip edges. Begin your full depth cut 5/8" away from the strip flooring.
Find out where each joist is and esu a sawzall or circular saw to cut13" wide panels from between the joists. Be aware of any wiring or piping below.
After all the panels are removed from between the joists, remove the portion still attached to the joist with a wonder bar and hammer.
I would do the rmoval one sheet of plywood at a time, full depth. When the first sheet is replace - glued and screwed - I would proceed to the second. You dont need any additional bridging between joists exept for it the edges parallel with the joist don't meet the joist within a sistering dimension.
Hope this helps.
Frankie
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Route a 3/8" deep recess a little wider tan a tack strip around the perimeter, go by a good thin foam rubber carpet pad, a nice carpet rem and some tack strip. Install the carpet and pad tucking the edge of the carpet down into the recess between the tack strip and the hardwood. You might want to go deeper at that outside edge so you have more room to tuck the stretched carpet.
Just an idea,
Garett
I like your idea the best--though it's not my house!
Thanks guys...all good ideas for a problem. Now i'll consult with "the boss" and figure out the best process. I like removing and replacing b/c of the " what other shortcuts have been taken" statement. This is a total renovation of a 300k house that will sell for over 800k. No need to cut a corner.