We are in a home with no flooring - just plywood - until we can afford the hardwood flooring we want. We found that the plywood is not holding up in some areas and becomes a problem that includes large splinters in the feet. The solution is painting the floors with deck or floor paint. It makes a hard water resistant seal and now no more splinters! I've had fun painting different bedrooms different colors. Now I almost dread putting in the expensive floors because we would have to be a lot more careful with them than with the painted floors. Just a suggestion...