Help!! Flooring Suggestions Needed

[kyogi9]

I'm opening a studio and the last part of the project, which also seems to be the hardest, is ready to be completed only leaving the question of how.

Think 1000 sq ft concrete slab that is anything but even.
Think LOW budget. It must be a hardwood. We've gone through considering laminate, vinyl, real hardwood (I wish I had the $ for a nice Kahrs floor) and finally plywood (the winner).

Idea 1. Buy a decent grade of hardwood plywood say oak or question mark (open for ideas here). Float plywood on 2x4s across the room. Each plywood has to be nailed into a 2x4 along the edges then 2x4s will span each plywood every 16" or so. Not sure how we can level the 2x4s without glue or tagging the concrete. Not sure how we can make the screws disappear as much as possible. We were thinking decking screws because at least they're brown

Idea 2. Particle board underneath the plywood. This would theretically self level the plywood. Use finishing nails. Would we put the floating material under the particle board. Other problem is particle board outgasses. Not sure if the corners will match up completely. We're "shooting" the floor today with a transit which should tell us more.

For both options we would finish it like a real hardwood floor using a slightly darker finish to help hide the screws.

Any suggestions, opionions or experience with such a project. Ideally I'd like to make it look as nice as possible without seeing 4000 screws. At the same time, it can serve as a base floor if I can afford a real wood floor at a later date.

Email me directly at kyogi9@yahoo.com and SOON!! please
thanks
karen

[Rich]

A little more work involved but you could hide the screws by countersinking them and plugging the holes. I've done this on rough sawn fir floors and you don't even know the screws are there. Plywood - a little more care would need to be taken to make sure the grain pattern matches up - at least in direction.
Probably the best solution would be 2x2's at 16" o.c. and then lay a level across them to shim up where needed - the plywood will take up a little bit too so it doesn't need to be absolutely perfect.

[blogtim]

Plywood? Sounds like a lot of work. Did you try looking into Costco's Harmonics laminate? It is pretty reasonably priced I think.

[Dragon]

This sounds like a job for F-26.

Attach your plywood to the 2X4 with a construction adhesive like F-26 or Liquid Nail and some pin nails. Once it sets up it isn't going anywhere.

Make sure that you have an additional 2X wherever any furniture leg is going to be.