Temporary floor building
#1
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Temporary floor building
Hello all. I just joined the site, and what a great thing. I hope to get plenty of use out of this group.
Question is:
How do I join 40 pieces of 4x8, 1/2" plywood to make a smooth temporary flooring?
I will be laying a sub floor of MDF 1/2" thick over a 40' x 30' area in a plane hanger. That area is going to be covered by a large tent. I wont be able to bolt into the ground for stability, nor will I have any solid walls to build up to. This has to be free standing. On top of the MDF I'll be putting a sanded and painted layer of ACX. The ACX will have patterns painted on it, so it cant be faced nailed. The biggest problem I'm having is coming up with a way to join the ACX together so it wont move. It has to stay flush and lay flat for 3 day of use. It will be walked on with dress shoes, and heels, so any inconsistency in the floor could cause an accident I really don't want to pay for. It also cant raise up any higher than the two layers, b/c of it needing to be handicap accessible. I've looked at several joining hardware sets, but to no avail. Glue is also out of the question, because it has to be demoed in 1 day, with easy shipping back to my shop in pieces.
Any ideas would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
Question is:
How do I join 40 pieces of 4x8, 1/2" plywood to make a smooth temporary flooring?
I will be laying a sub floor of MDF 1/2" thick over a 40' x 30' area in a plane hanger. That area is going to be covered by a large tent. I wont be able to bolt into the ground for stability, nor will I have any solid walls to build up to. This has to be free standing. On top of the MDF I'll be putting a sanded and painted layer of ACX. The ACX will have patterns painted on it, so it cant be faced nailed. The biggest problem I'm having is coming up with a way to join the ACX together so it wont move. It has to stay flush and lay flat for 3 day of use. It will be walked on with dress shoes, and heels, so any inconsistency in the floor could cause an accident I really don't want to pay for. It also cant raise up any higher than the two layers, b/c of it needing to be handicap accessible. I've looked at several joining hardware sets, but to no avail. Glue is also out of the question, because it has to be demoed in 1 day, with easy shipping back to my shop in pieces.
Any ideas would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
#2
Welcome to the forums! Without glue or mechanical fasteners, pixie dust is the only thing I can think of that will work and allow you to take it back down in 3 days for shipment. Just kidding. I know of no way you can do this without mechanical fastening. My first thought was to biscuit join the edges, but you would not be able to take them apart.
Maybe someone will chime in here with more magic. Stay tuned.
Maybe someone will chime in here with more magic. Stay tuned.
#3
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If this is a concrete floor then why are you having to build this?
Setting up a tent inside of an enclosed hanger? Why the tent?
Just rent a tent that has flat feet on the ends of the poles.
1/2 and MDF are not sutable for a sub floor. The 1/2 will bend and will cause the MDF to break.
Setting up a tent inside of an enclosed hanger? Why the tent?
Just rent a tent that has flat feet on the ends of the poles.
1/2 and MDF are not sutable for a sub floor. The 1/2 will bend and will cause the MDF to break.
#4
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I would lay out the MDF to the size you want, then apply a 1 x 4 border to two sides of the the perimeter. You could adhere this with caulk and a few small screws to hold it down. Then, I would loose lay the ACX (I'm assuming you're using 3/4" T & G) and apply the border to the other two sides. The border will hold the ACX together laterally, gravity will hold it down, and the T & G will hold the pieces even in relation to each other. The beauty of the caulk is that it will release when you disassemble the floor area. Build a couple of small ramps for wheelchair access. Rip down a few 2x4s tapered from 1 3/8" to zero over a 4' run and slap a piece of 3/8" ply wood on top, giving you an 8' wide by 4' ramp. God, I have too much time on my hands.
#5
Staabc, believe it or not I thought of that after I posted, but was too lazy to go back. It would work, although it would be a little flimsy unless you doubled the framing on the outside and staggered the joints. Man he is talking 1200 sf of flooring. That's more than most homes!