As you can see, both OSB Oriented strand board (OSB), also known as sterling board, sterling OSB, aspenite, and smartply in British English, is an engineered wood particle board formed by adding adhesives and then compressing layers of wood strands (flakes) in specific orientations. It was invented by Armin El…Oriented strand board
Can you use subfloor plywood for flooring?
Subfloor plywood is recommended for floor construction because it features tongue-and-groove edges along the long sides of the panels. This adds support for the long edges that do not break on center. The plywood sheets lay perpendicular to the floor joists.
What is the best material for a subfloor?
The subfloor is always a structural layer of sheet good material—usually plywood or OSB, or occasionally particleboard. Of the two most common subfloor materials, builders often debate which is best: plywood or OSB.
Which is better plywood or OSB for subfloor?
When exposed to moisture, plywood will get saturated much more quickly than OSB but it does dry out more quickly. Plywood is not prone to edge swelling like OSB. As you can see, both OSB and plywood sheathing are good options for the construction of structural sub-floors.
Do I need underlayment with rated sheathing?
Underlayment is recommended for use with Rated Sheathing, but can be skipped if the floor system uses Sturd-I-Floor under carpet and pad. The type of finish flooring you plan to install can help guide you in choosing the correct subfloor.
Is sheathing OK for subfloor?
As you can see, both OSB and plywood sheathing are good options for the construction of structural sub-floors. Both are strong, durable and long-lasting.
Can I use OSB sheathing for subfloor?
Around the 1990s, OSB began to make in-roads into the plywood market for subflooring. Most local codes allow OSB to be used for subflooring. It's always best to check with your local permitting office before using OSB for your subfloor. One advantage that OSB has over plywood is its larger formatting.
What kind of plywood do you use for subfloor?
Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring. The tongue-and-groove edges interlock to resist movement along the panel edges and create an overall stiffer floor.
What is best to use as a subfloor?
PlywoodPlywood is considered the most popular material used for subflooring, it has been used since the 1950s and remains one of the top choices for contractors. Standard plywood works perfectly fine as a subflooring material, but the best option is ¾” tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.
Is it better to use OSB or plywood for subfloor?
OSB has a lower resale value than plywood due to its lower strength. For this reason, few homeowners prefer OSB in their homes. Apart from costs, plywood is superior in all the other areas, such as the strength of the structure. For this reason, it's a superior material for use on the subfloor.
What is the cheapest subfloor?
Rarely, a prospective homeowner may recognize that OSB is the cheaper subfloor material.
Can I use 7/16 for subfloor?
Glue is sprayed between each layer and the sheet is hot pressed. CDX plywood should be a minimum of 7/16 inch thick. The thicknesses are as follows: 7/16-, 15/32- and 1/2-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 16 inches on center; 19/32- and 5/8-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 20 inches on center.
How thick should subfloor plywood be?
The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about 5/8 inch. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch.
What is plywood sheathing used for?
Sheathing plywood can be used on roofs, sheds and for boarding up. Sheathing plywood is available in three thicknesses; 9mm, 12mm and 18mm.
Can you use OSB for bathroom subfloor?
OSB Subflooring However, OSB is known for swelling around the edges when exposed to water. For tile flooring, this can cause bending and cracking, which is why it is discouraged as a subfloor material for tiling.
Should I use treated plywood for subfloor?
There's no need to worry about making treated wood safer that is completely covered in other materials and hidden from access, such as subflooring. Pressure treated wood doesn't release any gases or particulates that could harm you and your family.
Can cement board be used as subfloor?
No, Hardie cement board is not meant to be structural, and it will not work in place of a subfloor. The board is very strong in compression and very stable so that the tiles applied to it do not crack, but it has very little shear strength.
What is subflooring?
The subfloor is the decking installed on top of flooring joists; the finished floor is then installed on top of the subfloor. The thickness of plywood panels in a subfloor is regulated by the spacing of the joists. This number is known as a span rating.
What are floor joists made of?
Floor joists are made from 2-by-8-inch or 2-by-10-inch lumber, or from engineered quiet beams, which are made from a thin layer of chipboard on edge between two lumber caps forming an "I" shape. Floor joist spacing has traditionally been 24 inches on center, or from center to center of the joists.
What is rated sheathing?
“Sheathing” is a generic term for either plywood or OSB panels that are used to construct roofs, floors, and walls. But the differences between Rated Sheathing and Rated Sturd-I-Floor® can be unclear, especially when their uses are similar or even interchangeable. Rated Sheathing refers to OSB and plywood panels that are qualified for roof, wall, and subfloor applications, while Rated Sturd-I-Floor panels are a special panel intended for single-floor applications.
What is a sturdi-i-floor?
Sturd-I-Floor is designed to be used with the APA Glued Floor System, which uses an adhesive in addition to nails to help eliminate squeaks and nail popping, as well as increase floor stiffness. Sturd-I-Floor can be manufactured with square edges or with tongue-and-groove edges. Because use of tongue-and-groove panels eliminates the need for installation of blocking along long panel edges, floor construction moves more quickly. The system components are specifically designed for carpet and pad installation to help keep the floor quiet, making Sturd-I-Floor an ideal solution for multifamily buildings.
What is APA rated flooring?
APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor (also known as "Single Floor") is a combined subfloor-underlayment product designed specifically for single-layer floor construction beneath carpet and pad. When other finish floor products are used, builders often install a separate underlayment grade of plywood over the subfloor.
Can I use rated sheathing with underlayment?
Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor may be used with an underlayment for vinyl, ceramic tile or fully adhered carpet. An underlayment is optional for Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor when used with hardwood. When using carpet and pad, the best option is Sturd-I-Floor, which allows for completely bypassing installation of underlayment.
Can you use a sturd I floor without a pad?
While Sturd-I-Floor is manufactured as a combination subfloor-underlayment that can be used without an additional layer under carpet and pad, some finish floorings, like vinyl or ceramic tile, also require the addition of an underlayment over the Sturd-I-Floor.
Can underlayment be sanded?
Underlayment can have a solid, touch-sanded or fully sanded face; its choice depends on the finish flooring. For example, underlayment with sanded face is recommended as a base for resilient floor coverings. A visual comparison of typical floor assemblies:
Kentucky 2019
The 2019 FHB House is a modern take on a traditional neighborhood home in a New Urbanist planned community outside of Louisville, Kentucky. The aesthetic is a nod to house styles found through historic southern cites but the choice of building materials and amenities is distinctly modern.
Sheathing the Floor System
Framing houses in the middle of a Kentucky winter means cold temperatures and lots of rain—conditions that shape our subflooring choice. We picked AdvanTech subfloor for two reasons. As I mentioned in my previous post, we want a stiff, squeak-free floor. We’ve found AdvanTech to be stiffer than some other subflooring options.
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What is the best subflooring material?
Plywood has been a standard subfloor material since the 1950s and remains the preferred subflooring for many builders. Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.
What thickness is plywood subfloor?
Plywood subflooring also comes in 1/2-inch and 5/8-inch thicknesses. Thinner subflooring may be suitable for carpet or resilient floorings, such as vinyl or linoleum, but thicker subflooring is recommended for nail-down hardwood and is required for floor tile .
What is a wood plank subfloor?
Wood Plank Subflooring. Wood planks were the traditional subflooring material used in homes built up to the mid-twentieth century. Since then, planks have been almost entirely replaced by plywood and other sheet subflooring. The planks are typically 1x6 and made of pine, fir, or a similar softwood.
What is subflooring in 2021?
Updated January 04, 2021. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. On wood-frame floors, the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. In basements and in homes with slab-on-grade foundations, the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab.
What is OSB subflooring?
Oriented strand-board, or OSB, subflooring is similar to plywood subflooring and arguably just as common. It is installed the same way as plywood and offers similar performance, often for a slightly lower cost.
Can tile be installed over concrete?
A concrete slab makes for a very hard, solid, durable, and often very smooth subfloor. Tile and stone flooring can be installed directly over concrete, but most other flooring materials require some kind of underlayment and/or a moisture barrier laid over the concrete.
Can I put hardwood flooring over concrete?
However, even with a moisture barrier, solid hardwood flooring is not recommended over concrete subfloors in basements (or anywhere below grade). Other challenges with concrete are its coldness and hardness. It conducts cold from the ground below, and it's almost impossible to nail into.
What is the subfloor of a floor?
In addition to the visible surface flooring material—the carpet, tile, or hardwood—there is usually an underlaymen t, and beneath that is a subfloor that serves as the foundation and structural reinforcement for the floor. The subfloor consists of sheet materials that are nailed or screwed to the joists to form the base for ...
What is the best subfloor material for water?
Best for Water and Heat Resistance: Plywood. Plywood is more likely to resist permanent swelling, which is a good quality for a subfloor material. Both ply wood and OSB will burn should a house fire break out.
How thick is plywood for subfloor?
A plywood subfloor generally uses 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch-thick sheets of plywood that have one rough side (which faces down) and one smooth side, which faces up. The sheets are generally 4 x 8 or 4 x 12 feet in size.
What is the best subfloor for a tile house?
Plywood. A well-installed subfloor should last as long as the house itself. Because plywood is inherently a stiffer material with greater strength, it is a better choice as a subfloor under ceramic or stone tile.
How far apart should floor joists be?
Some experts suggest that 15/32-inch plywood should be standard if the underlying floor joists are spaced 16 inches apart or less, but slightly thicker 3/4-inch plywood should be used for joists spaced further apart. However, check with your local code authorities for the official recommendations.
Which is better for installation: plywood or OSB?
Best for Installation: Plywood. OSB is a heavier, more brittle material than plywood, and it has slightly less holding power for nails and screws. Where the panels are glued down, OSB also has slightly less holding power with construction adhesives.
Does OSB flex underfoot?
There is usually no appreciable difference in the performance characteristics of plywood or OSB subfloors. Under some circumstances, OSB may flex underfoot when installed under carpet or vinyl flooring; this usually occurs if joist spacing is a wide 24 inches rather than the standard 16 inches.
How to improve floor performance?
Apply two beads of glue to panel joint locations; a 1/8-inch glue bead applied at the tongue-and-groove joints can further improve floor performance. 7. Letting glue dry. If the glue develops a skin, it will lose some of its strength or may not bond at all.
Why do my floor joists squeak?
4. Improper nailing. To avoid nail pops, pullouts, and shiners (nails that barely hit the joist), all of which can cause squeaks, use the correct nail size and spacing, and ensure the nails penetrate the floor joists and sink fully.
What Is A Particle Board?
Before talking about particle board subflooring, we need to know what it is. A particle board is made from various wood particles that are bonded together with resin. These are usually made as 4×8 sheet panels by using heat and pressure.
What Is The Purpose Of The Subfloor?
Well, it’s one of the essential parts of the house structure that supports your floors. Underlayment is also considered a subfloor. But the thick hardwood layer is the real subfloor that is screwed into the floor joists.
Can You Use Particle Board To Subfloor?
In some house buildings, particle boards are used in subflooring. It is an option professionals use if required.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Subflooring
Now we can say that there are benefits of using particle boards as subfloors. But the disadvantages outweigh them. We’ve discussed both of them below
How To Install Subfloor Using Particle Board
If you’re still interested in using particle board as a subfloor, we’ve got your back! Installing a subfloor is a process that’s the same for any material that you’ll use.
Conclusion
This brings us to the last section of this article. Undertaking a flooring project might be a very complicated job. That’s why it’s better to not use particle board subflooring. We hope that we have clarified all your queries about using particle boards.
What is OSB plywood?
Though building codes treat both materials equally as “structural panels,” plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) are quite different compositionally. Plywood is made from glued thin strips of wood veneer (called plies) that are layered at alternating 90-degree angles and placed in a hot press; the resulting cross-laminated and layered material is structurally enhanced and resistant to the expansion and contraction that affects solid wood. OSB, on the other hand, consists of 3-inch to 4-inch strands of wood that are also layered and configured in a crossing pattern, then glued and pressed.
Is plywood better than OSB?
This evolved plywood may claim an overall advantage over OSB, since plywood is a stiffer, longer-lasting subfloor option. It will also hold up better under flooring accidents like leaks or flooding, and has greater nail withdrawal strength to hold the nail in under stress.
Does plywood absorb water?
When a roofless, partially built structure takes on water, the plywood or OSB used for floor decking can absorb water, swell, delaminate, and require sanding or replacement before finish flooring can be installed. “Wood and water just do not mix well,” says Jeff Key, marketing manager for wood products at Georgia-Pacific.
The Pros and Cons of Using Nails or Screws for a Subfloor
Below is a quick overview of the significant pros and cons of using nails or screws to fasten down a subfloor.
Using Nails to Put Down a Subfloor
Nails are an essential tool in construction and homebuilding. They have been proven to be more durable under pressure than screws. They will not snap when the project requires some force or manipulation of a material like plywood sheathing for your exterior walls.
Using Screws to Put Down a Subfloor
Screwing down a subfloor is similar to nailing it down, but it entails using screws instead of nails. To do this, you can use an electric impact drill to make the work much faster and easier.
Comparing Nails Vs. Screws for Installing a Subfloor
In the next few sections, I’ll compare nails and screws for putting down a subfloor and cover many common concerns and questions about each option.
Quick Overview of How to Properly Lay a Subfloor
The first thing you do is measure the plywood material using the T-Square ruler. You ensure that you mark the cutting points using a pencil. You have to make accurate measurements since the plywood you cut must fit into each other perfectly.
Common Questions About Screwing and Nailing Down a Subfloor
When putting down a subfloor for the first time, you likely have a lot of questions. Below I’ll try to answer some of the most common ones that you might have about putting down a subfloor using screws or nails.
Final Takeaways
Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of using screws and nails to put down subflooring, hopefully, you have a much better understanding of your options. You will have a lot more peace of mind if you nail down your subflooring as opposed to screwing it in place, but there are some downsides to consider as well.
