Plywood Shop Floor Finishing

[Larry Frank]

I am extending my shop and the new part will have a plywood floor. I am wondering what to finish it with. I want something that will seal the floor and perhaps make it harder.

Is there a type of plywood which is harder and make a better shop floor?

Does anyone have a suggestion?

[Charlie Stone]

You can get hardwood ply. I have seen oak. I don't think its going to get much tougher than that.

[Logan William]

Any reason specifically for plywood, and will it have a slab underneath it or will it be on floor joists? I personally am planning on putting in some sort of cheap hardwood/engineered floor from one of the discount flooring vendors when I move my shop from the garage to my pole barn in the next year(hopefully). You can get it already finished, it'll be much more durable then straight ply, depending on how much you were gonna spend on plywood it might not cost that much to buy either.

[Von Bickley]

Larry,
If you are going with a plywood type flooring, you would be better off with "Advantech" flooring, 3/4" thick, 4X8 sheets, tongue & groove......

It's what most better builders in our area are using...... :)

[Phil Maddox]

Hardwood plywood only has this on the faces, the inner plies are something else - pine, fir, birch. It is not significantly harder than pine flooring.

Have you looked at utility grade solid hardwood? It can be found pretty cheap, although a lot more work to install.

If you are looking for "hard" then I think advantek or some similar OSB type product is the hardest - they stand up well to water but I dont know if thats the look you want.

PM'

[Charlie Stone]

Have you considered a plank floor at all?

I just scored recently. I found 30 acres of locust trees which are mine for the taking. The owner calls them "Thorny Ba******" and will be happy to see someone removing them. They will become my 2" thick plank floor after I spend some time playing lumberjack. Now, I just need to build myself an Alaskan chainsaw mill. Several trees are already cut down and just waiting to be sliced up and hauled off.

I have become fascinated by finding alternative sources of lumber. Regretfully my states DNR has some regulations about scavenging dead wood from public lands. I guess I will have to find more private land owners who don't care.

[Lee Schierer]

My shop floor is construction grade 3/4" plywood. I've been using it for over 30 years unfinished with no problems. In fact I painted one area with gray porch floor paint and the paint has worn off, but the floor wood is still fine.