After installing the floor joists, the next task for the 2005 Maryland Solar Decathlon team was the installation of the plywood subfloor. The rest of the house, including walls and radiant floor, will be built on top of this critical part of the home.
First, metal bridging was installed between the floor joists for stability. Next, the plywood was added. Each sheet of tongue-and-groove plywood was cut to fit if necessary, then glued and nailed to the top of the glulams and floor joists. Three rows of 4' x 8' sheets of plywood were needed to cover the whole house, with some additional plywood for the north and south bumpouts on the home.
The job took all of Saturday, but team members were left with a great feeling of accomplishment when the work was done. "The view from the top of the subfloor was great. Now we just need some walls!" said team member Lienhua Lee.
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