Is Osb Board Ok For Underlayment For Hardwood Floor

Even so the national wood flooring.

Is osb board ok for underlayment for hardwood floor.

An increasing number of homes and light commercial buildings have oriented strand board osb subfloors. Installing hardwood flooring over osb an increasing number of homes and light commercial buildings have oriented strand board osb subfloors. Sub floor adhesives prevent uneven and squeaky floors. All photos courtesy of weyerhaeuser.

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. As far as an underlayment for hardwood floors there appears to be two issues. 1 is the floor structurally sound for hardwood and 2 whether attaching the hardwood directly to osb will result in nail slippage many years down the road. Builders choose osb because it typically costs less than plywood is free of knots and voids and can be used.

Builders often reserve the use of oriented stand board for residential sheathing and construct subfloors with plywood. How to install a wooden floor over osb. Hardwood can make for a durable and beautiful floor but small mistakes in the subflooring or installation can wreak havoc and buckling squeaky uneven floors can all result from poor installation. The warranty may require it.

Other osb negatives contractors builders and home remodelers have mixed opinions about the use of osb for flooring mostly tending toward the negative. Osb subfloor is mostly serving as a base under the finish floor hardwood engineered wood vinyl tile etc and even below the underlayment in some cases. An underlayment is a necessity for any wood floor installation even on a plywood subfloor. I have comments on both issues.

The subfloor consists of sheet materials that are nailed or screwed to the joists to. While this is not a definitive guide to hardwood installation over osb panels there are some important points to ponder. The underlayment provides many benefits including moisture protection sound and thermal insulation and a cushion to make the floor more comfortable to walk on. It provides a flat solid base for any floor.

Select an approved adhesive for sub flooring that is strong enough to keep its bond over the lifetime of the floor and elastic enough to allow for settling in the panels and joists. This swelling although undesirable and to be avoided is virtually unnoticeable under a laminate floor unless it is very pronounced. An osb board absorbs moisture less readily than plywood and the main problem with an osb subfloor getting wet is that the seams of the individual sheets can swell. It s all about managing moisture it is always best to follow the hardwood flooring manufacturers recommendations for appropriate acclimation.