Another floor queston

[robertglines1]

From my previous post I have decided to use real wood..problem is I already have slide installed.and allowed 5/16 for laminate or tile.very difficult to change this measurement....very! So question is my sub floor is two layers of 3/4 ply wood separated by lead--can I just remove the top layer and replace with the wood flooring? then nail as you would in house..lots of work I know but this is a hobby for me and I want to do it rite..Bob

[luvrbus]

Bob, you may want to check with Prevost on that one when I spoke with a guy at the factory about removing 1 layer of plywood you would have thought I called his sister a bad name he politely told me it was a dumb move in the Candian way LOL

good luck

[zubzub]

2 layers of plywood is pretty standard requirement as underlayment for tile etc. and ends up also being structural.  Prevost probably has their reasons, if you want to second guess them you can look at the framing of the slide.  If the "joists" are 16" o.c. you might have sagging with one layer, 12"o.c. you could probably get away with it.  Off the top of my head seems the framing is more like 24"o.c. on the pics of slides that I have seen. I'm having a hard time  seeing how you get by with one layer, it might work, especially if you layed the planks, front to back and used the best stock for the slide..Other option in your case I might be looking at engineered bamboo. There is bamboo flooring in 5/16 .  advantage of the bamboo is it is bamboo all the way through on some brands, and of course it's trendy and also "eco" trendy.  Double trendy, can't beat  that.

[robertglines1]

Judy likes the bamboo.would go with our cabinets great..I have the poplar and white oak in 1 inch boards. would be no problem to t&g. was thinking of removing one layer and replacing with real wood @ prob a 20 degree angle..was worried about weight of slide rollers (6 in 15 ft) crushing the engineered wood. It did crack the granite I used before. ( one place only). my slide is home built with a 1 inch solid oak floor and steel every 16 inches. might just do the layer take out where the slide runs and do mixed media on rest of floor.I have a artist friend that wants to do a decorative floor center design. as in a egg shaped 3ft long mosaic..no charge to me.she needs 1 1/2 thick area so I was going to remove both layers and put a recessed sub floor in that area(between frame rails).want to keep coach simple with one nice feature.either floor or ceiling.so that's another topic for future.these things are catching up with me now.I spent so much time on slides I forgot to plan far enough ahead...

[zubzub]

oh and I wouldn't use the poplar for flooring....too soft.  Plus I remember when poplar was considered good for nothing but pulp after it had sat rotting for a year or two.....that was awhile ago, now it's available all  multi colored trim and considered stain grade .

[robertglines1]

down to white or red oak...I don't have enough black walnut dried..have persimon but have never heard of it used as floor..hard stuff.guess it would bounce golf balls great  

[zubzub]

In the mixed media vein, it would be cool/funny/?  if you did a floor that made one image closed and another open.   Like the Mad Magazine back cover....

[belfert]

My original bus floor was only 1/2" or 5/8" (metric equiv) plywood.  There was a piece of steel welded in to hold the seat rails that helped support the plywood.

I took out the original plywood and the steel and replaced it with 3/4" tongue and groove plywood.  The frame was on 27" centers so some of the plywood bounces a little bit.  In retrospect I should have welded in more tube steel for support.  You might consider removing all of the plywood, installing more support, and putting in new 3/4" plywood.

[robertglines1]

Brian in this case there is 2 layers of plywood with lead between sheets total thickness 1 1/4 inch.