Thickness Of Osb For Flooring

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Thickness of osb for flooring.

Osb is not attractive enough to serve as a floor covering not only is the chip board appearance unattractive but the surface is also often marked with grid lines and manufacturer markings. In addition to the visible surface flooring material the carpet tile or hardwood there is usually an underlayment and beneath that is a subfloor that serves as the foundation and structural reinforcement for the floor. Oriented strand board or osb is a wood structural panel that can also be used for flooring. Usually manufactured in 4 by 8 foot sheets plywood panels and osb are acceptable subfloors for hardwood flooring as long as they are the proper thickness.

It is made from shredded strands of wood pressed together with wax and a special adhesive then hot. Plywood is the most common type of subflooring. The subfloor consists of sheet materials that are nailed or screwed to the joists to. Meanwhile osb compacts as many as 50 layers of strands into a single sheet the same thickness as that plywood ensuring a much denser and heavier product throughout.

Osb when exposed to the weather will eventually swell and bubble up minor instances of bubbling can be sanded but for the most part the osb is irreparable and should be replaced. Plywood shed flooring is usually 3 4 inch and osb 5 8 inch thick. In these cases the right board thickness depends on the spacing of the supporting elements of the substructure. Get 5 off when you sign up for emails with savings and tips.

Keep in mind that for mechanically fastened floors osb doesn t hold fasteners as well as plywood so you need to use a thicker material to get the same holding power. When using osb boards to cover ceilings or floors tongue and groove joints are recommended because they facilitate installation and yield very even level results. Structurally osb and plywood are very similar in strength and ability to hold nails or screws. Moisture also affects the strength of plywood.

So while exterior glued plywood can be used outdoors it works best. Osb may have greater shear strength the ability to span distances than comparable thickness of plywood. The thickness needed for subflooring depends on the type of floor that will go on top and the primary purpose for the subfloor.