Installation of OSB floors. OSB sheathing

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 4 minutes

What to do if the room is old wooden floor, which is impractical to paint or varnish? If the boards are wobbly and? You can resort to a labor-intensive and expensive method - tearing off the old coating, making a new one, or laying fresh ones. But there is another, more practical, faster and cheaper solution - laying OSB on a wooden floor.

This method has its own nuances that are taken into account during OSB laying. Looking ahead, it is worth saying that the basis of the technology is proper preparation grounds. Below is detailed guide, following which will allow you to achieve excellent result regarding leveling the surface of an old wooden floor and subsequent installation decorative coatings: laminate, linoleum, etc.

Tools and materials for work

The list of necessary devices is minimal:

• nail crowbar;
• hammer;
• hammer drill, drill, drill bits;
• screwdriver;
• a large bubble or laser level (with a second tool it will be more convenient to identify irregularities).

Necessary materials:

• OSB board;
• fasteners – hardened self-tapping screws with a length of at least 45 mm;
• washers for screws (their presence is desirable, but not required).

Choosing this method of “reanimating” old wooden floors, you need to have an idea about the material used for these purposes in order to choose it correctly. The result of the alignment directly depends on this.

Characteristics of OSB boards

OSB is a construction analogue of chipboard. These slabs are more durable and are perfectly adapted for finishing. The material appeared on the market relatively recently. OSB is made from wood chips, which is laid in 3 layers. They are glued together with special resin-based compounds. In this case, the layer in the middle is laid perpendicular to the other 2. Due to this, the resistance of the material to loads is formed.

When marked, this parameter is indicated by a number. The lower the value, the lower the resistance to loads and damaging factors such as humidity. For example, index 2 means that the OSB board is not moisture resistant and cannot withstand intense long-term loads. And the number 4 indicates that the product can be used as a ceiling that will not collapse even when exposed to moisture.

The material for laying on the floor is selected based on the mentioned designations in order to form a smooth rough surface. You should not skimp on the quality of the OSB board. This may result in the need to lay an additional layer, which is expensive and inconvenient. The best option– OSB 3 board.

The question often arises: “Do I need a substrate for OSB?” From a practical point of view, no. The wood itself is great thermal insulation material, and if you consider that it is laid on wooden boards, then a backing is not needed. But sometimes it is still used to achieve the maximum possible soundproofing effect.

Preparing the base

A correctly completed preparatory stage is more than half the success of floor leveling work. First, a thorough investigation is carried out wooden surface. This is done using a bubble or laser level. All protruding and loose parts are marked, this will make it easier to strengthen them.

The next step is to securely fix the boards. Some experts recommend doing this using dowels, but a more reliable option would be to pull loose elements with self-tapping screws to the joists. The old coating must be secured as securely as possible. To do this, you can use several fasteners in one area. The ideal result is when the “walking” floor fragments are recessed or are level with the rest.

Some people recommend removing the old paint layer with a sander. You need to know that this is only necessary in areas where there are obvious swellings paint coating. Actually availability old paint not critical, you can lay slabs on it too. In this case, it is necessary to remove all large contaminants.

Attention! main part preparatory process– fixing the old wooden covering. It is this stage that should be given special attention.

Preparing OSB for installation

Before fixing the slabs, they must first be laid on the floor in the room. In this case, 3 requirements must be met:

• There should be no straight cross-shaped seams, for which the slabs are laid staggered with an offset of 50%;

• The gap between the wall and the slabs must be at least 10 mm;
• The plates should not be adjacent to each other. The minimum gap between them is 3 mm.

Attention! The slots are needed to avoid the slabs “creeping” on top of each other and deformation of the decorative floor covering. This occurs due to the expansion of the material due to changes in humidity.

Laying process

After completing all preparatory work all that remains is to tighten the plates to the old one with self-tapping screws wooden covering and fill the gap between the OSB and the wall with construction foam. After the foam has dried, it is trimmed flush with the flooring.

The slabs are fastened with self-tapping screws around the perimeter every 20–30 cm, but this distance can be reduced. Some experts recommend preparing the holes first, but using a screwdriver can quickly and efficiently tighten screws without pre-drilling.

More and more developers are using it in construction OSB boards(OSB, OSB). Despite some kinship with chipboard, this material has unique characteristics of waterproofness, strength and elasticity, and it is also much lighter than its predecessor. OSB is a further development of pressed wood chipboard, but rather long wood chips (up to 14 cm) are compressed into oriented strand board. Their thickness is less than a millimeter, but the chips in one layer are oriented in one direction, and the direction of the chips in each subsequent layer is perpendicular to the previous one, which significantly improves the properties of the material.

What slabs should I use for the floor?

OSB boards, the number of layers in which can reach 3 or 4, are pressed using non-mineral resins. Often, the use of formaldehyde-containing compounds in the production of OSB products makes it impossible to use slabs in finishing interior spaces, but sheets made according to the OSB-3 standard do not emit harmful substances and can be installed in rooms with high humidity. OSB boards of this type are best suited for floor installation. Experts recommend making flooring from slabs produced well-known manufacturers. As a rule, the highest quality products are produced in European countries, Canada and the USA, where they most closely follow the environmental requirements for stoves.

An OSB floor can also be a finishing coating, since the external texture of the slab looks quite interesting.

It can be used for finishing with other materials. However, the installation of OSB itself requires preparatory stage. How to level the floor before laying OSB boards will be described below.

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Laying slabs on a concrete surface

Quite often, in order not to lose the height of the ceilings in the room, builders lay OSB on concrete screed. Of course, in this case the base must be level. You can ensure an ideal surface by removing the old coating and pouring a new one. Although oriented strand boards are not afraid of moisture, the base needs additional waterproofing. This will protect the space under the stove from the accumulation of condensation and the formation of fungus.

After laying on a cleaned old screed Beacons are installed on the surface of roofing felt or polyethylene and secured with plaster. To level them, a level, a tapping cord, a tape measure and transverse threads are used. Now let's learn more about how to level the floor using these devices:

1. A mark is made on the wall at some distance from the floor.
2. Using a water or laser level, another mark is made on it.
3. Using a cord rubbed with chalk, a horizontal line is drawn between the points.
4. The same operations are performed on the remaining walls.
5. A mark is placed at the height of the proposed screed.
6. From the horizontal to it, the distance is measured with a ruler or tape measure.
7. Dots are applied to the remaining walls.
8. The marks are connected by lines.
9. Self-tapping screws are screwed into the walls along the lines.
10. Threads are pulled from fastener to fastener on opposite walls. This will be the screed plane. Beacon profiles are installed along them.
11. Poured concrete is leveled using a rule. Its length should be wider than the gap between the beacons.

True, the solution will completely dry out 4 weeks after it is poured, but after that you can begin laying the OSB panels.

To install them on concrete base required:

• notched spatula;
• perforator;
• dowel-nails;
• screwdriver;
• hammer;
• parquet glue.

On a perfectly flat base, it is enough to lay one layer of 10 mm material. This is a good heat and sound insulator. The installation procedure is as follows.

1. In preparation required amount OSB sheets. Their standard size-2.44 x 1.22 m. If necessary, the slabs are cut circular saw or a jigsaw, however, when working with the latter, it is difficult to ensure smooth edges.
2. Glue is applied to the OSB and spread over the surface with a spatula.
3. The slabs are laid on the screed. It is imperative to leave a compensation gap of 3 mm between them.
4. The corners of the OSB panels are drilled. Holes are also made in concrete. Dowels are inserted into them.
5. The slabs are fixed to the floor with fasteners.
6. It is enough to apply a few protective layers varnish so that the OSB floor becomes clean.

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Oriented strand base for finishing layer

If you decide to use OSB to level the floor under linoleum or other rolled material, then the gaps between the slabs must be sealed, but for this you need to use elastic compounds such as sealant. Laying laminate on an OSB surface does not require any additional preparatory activities. But laying tiles requires the panels to have a more rigid adhesion (tongue and groove) to each other. True, the tiles are laid on the OSB base when it is laid on the logs. In addition, OSB board is not able to provide reliable adhesion to ceramics. One more material needs to be laid on it, but more on that later. In general, making a gasket between the screed and ceramic tiles from oriented strand board is expensive and simply does not make sense. How to level an OSB floor on wooden joists is described below.

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For beams it is necessary to choose the most even wood coniferous species(pine, spruce, larch or fir). Wood moisture content should not exceed 20%. If necessary, the beams should be dried under a canopy. For small rooms You can use logs with a cross section of 110 x 60 mm or 150 x 80 mm. If the span in the room is more than 5 m, beams 220 x 180 mm are used. It is desirable that entire joists be installed in the span. Joints are allowed as a last resort. Make them overlap better. On adjacent joists, the joints should be located no closer than ½ m from each other.

Now about the operating procedure:

1. The log wood is treated with antiseptics.
2. Roofing felt is laid overlapping on the base.
3. 4 beams are laid horizontally along opposite walls. The horizontal line is drawn using a level and a tapping cord. The distance of the lag from the walls should be 2-3 cm.
4. If the base has differences in height, then wooden pads are used to level the bottom trim. Protrusions in the ceiling are compensated by planing certain areas on the joists.
5. The lower bars are attached to the base with anchor screws or bolts with a cross-section of 10 mm. Their length depends on the thickness of the timber and the lining (another 50 mm is added to them for fixation in concrete).
6. The crossbars are attached to the lower frame using angles and screws. The step between them depends on the thickness of the OSB boards. For slabs of 15 mm thickness, the distance between the logs should be 450 mm, and for 18 mm - 600 mm.
7. Expanded clay is poured into the sheathing or other insulation and sound insulation are placed.
8. Before attaching the sheets, a moisture-repellent membrane is laid.
9. OSB sheets are laid.

As a rule, 2 layers of oriented strand board are placed on the joists. The second layer is laid transversely to the first so that the joints do not coincide. The gap between the joints of the panels should be 3 mm. The gap between the wall and the OSB is 12 mm. The short edges of the slabs must meet on the support beams. The joints of the long sides must be supported. For better contact OSB surfaces and beams are processed assembly adhesive. The slabs are screwed to the joists with self-tapping screws along the short edges. The fastener pitch is 15 cm. Glue is applied between the upper and lower plates. Laying the top panels ends by screwing in self-tapping screws along the edges of each sheet.

When the surface is approved on the joists, you can return to the issue of laying tiles. OSB, although they do not provide reliable connection with it, still serve as a solid base on which they are laid cement bonded particle boards. They are attached to the previous coating using PVA and self-tapping screws. It is desirable that the joints of the DSP do not coincide with the joints of the previous layer. It is also necessary to maintain 2 mm compensating gaps between adjacent slabs, as well as between the DSP and the wall. After this, you can begin laying the tile covering.

Thus, installing an OSB floor and leveling it using this promising building material for subsequent finishing is not particularly difficult compared to other methods of installing flooring. It can be stated that OSB boards are not the best option when preparing the base for installation ceramic tiles, but otherwise oriented strand boards are ready to fully compete with both modern and traditional building materials.

From the author: We welcome everyone who reads this article! We dedicate today's material to those who want to independently update floor coverings in an apartment or private house, spending minimal amount time. One of the most economical options- do-it-yourself OSB flooring. Its installation does not take much time, and the price allows you to purchase this building material without compromising your budget. We will tell you further about how to choose the material and carry out the repair correctly.

Characteristics of OSB boards

Before laying OSB boards, let's look at the features of this building material. Oriented strand boards are made on the basis wood shavings, consist of several layers, pressed together and glued together using various waterproof resins and synthetic wax. Under influence high temperature and appropriate pressure, a reliable, durable material is obtained.

Each slab usually consists of three (rarely four) layers. In external ones, shavings 7–15 centimeters long and 1–1.2 centimeters wide are located longitudinally, in internal ones - transversely. This solution gives special properties ready-made slabs. The material is classified according to the degree of strength, the index is indicated in numbers.

Source: http://pamir.mk.ua

Types of oriented strand boards

In construction, to make, the following types of slabs are used:

• OSB 2 - they are characterized by low moisture resistance. Can only be used when internal works in a dry room;
• OSB 3 - recognized universal material, which is used for interior and exterior decoration;
• OSB 4 is the most durable and moisture resistant. Optimal for carrying out work on load-bearing structures under conditions of high humidity.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

To know whether it is possible to use oriented strand boards for a rough coating and lay them as a finishing coating, let's look at the main qualities of OSB boards. Builders include the following among their advantages:

• environmental friendliness - natural wood is used to create this building material;
• resistance to temperature fluctuations and mechanical stress;
• high levels of strength, flexibility, elasticity;
• ease of processing and installation;
• uniform texture, which helps to avoid crumbling and delamination;
• Having made a subfloor, you can get a flat surface suitable for laying any finishing coating;
• due to their multi-layer nature, the slabs perfectly absorb noise, insulate and waterproof the room;
• The material has an attractive appearance and an affordable price.

The only disadvantage that is mentioned is that the resins may contain phenol, however, manufacturers today are successfully introducing new technologies that make it possible to create polymer resins without formaldehyde. Such products are labeled as “ECO” or “Green”.

Source: http://superdom.ua

Selecting OSB boards for installation

Let's find out how to choose slabs and other types of coatings. First of all, you should pay attention to the country of origin. The best material is considered to be produced in Europe and other countries North America, where environmental safety requirements are met and new technologies are used. Next, you should choose the right degree of strength of the slab. Experts agree that products with the OSB index 3 are optimal for residential premises - durable, reliable, and moisture-resistant. It is also necessary to take into account the thickness - if you want to lay OSB on wooden joists, the recommended material thickness is from 15 to 25 millimeters.

Preparing tools for work

Before laying OSB on an old wooden floor or concrete screed, you will need to stock up on the following tools:

• hammer;
• jigsaw;
• tape measure;
• hammer drill;
• screwdriver;
• level gauge;
• dowels and wood screws.

You also need to make sure that you have the necessary supplies on hand:

• OSB boards;
• baseboards;
• insulation material (foam plastic, penoplex, mineral wool and so on.);
• wooden blocks;
• polyurethane foam;
• dry glue mixture for insulation;
• floor varnish.

Now you can begin work on laying the flooring.

Work order

To properly lay the material on a wooden or concrete base, you need to know how to complete each stage of the work. Our step-by-step instructions will help you with this:

1. If the concrete screed is smooth, without obvious defects, installation is carried out directly on it. Use one layer of slabs, follow the following sequence of actions:
   • clean the floor surface as much as possible from debris and dust;
   • cover the concrete screed with a primer for better adhesion of the glue to the base;
   • Apply special parquet adhesive to the OSB sheet using a notched trowel;
   • the tiles are laid on the floor and pressed;
   • leave between the mounted slabs expansion joints at least 3 mm, since under the influence of moisture the material can change size;
   • Drill holes in the corners of each OSB sheet with a puncher;
   • using dowels and self-tapping screws, secure the slabs to the concrete surface;
   • fill expansion joints with polyurethane foam;
   • The OSB floor is almost ready. All that remains is to let it dry for 4 hours, then you can cut off the excess foam, clear the surface of debris - and you can begin installing the finishing coating.
2. In the case when you need to lay OSB sheets on wooden floors, the work must be performed in the following sequence:
   • clean the surface as much as possible from debris;
   • inspect the old boards; if there are nails, push them deep into the floorboards. If necessary, treat the floor surface with a planer;
   • Place the slabs pre-cut with a hacksaw or jigsaw on the surface, not forgetting the need to leave 3 millimeters gaps between them;
   • to secure OSB sheets, use self-tapping screws 4 centimeters long, keeping an interval between them of 20–30 centimeters;
   • recess the heads of the screws inside the slabs;
   • Carefully sand the joints between the sheets with a sanding machine.

That's all for today. We look forward to your feedback on how useful this information was. Subscribe to our groups on social networks, share links with friends - perhaps this material will help them make their home more comfortable and warm. See you soon!

An old wooden floor has large gaps, unevenness, and it looks somehow unattractive. Therefore, many in the process of renovating an apartment prefer to make floors using, for example, laminate, parquet, and much more. Wooden floor as a basis for laying other types finishing materials, doesn't fit at all. The surface must be carefully leveled. Suitable option in this case - laying OSB on a wooden floor and properly preparing the surface.

Particle boards are a multifunctional building material, and one of the popular types floor finishing.

Types of slabs

From OSB sheets it is made by pressing wood chips with an adhesive mixture, and giving the product a shape in the form flat sheet, given dimensions and thickness. When gluing several layers, the technology of laying sheets is that each layer is placed with fibers across the previous sheet. This in turn makes the product durable and resistant to mechanical stress.

OSB boards

There are three types of particle boards on sale, differing in size and technical specifications. Sheets are divided into categories:

• OSB – 2;
• OSB – 3;
• OSB – 4.

Products included in the OSB 2 list are sheets of pressed chips intended for finishing floors in dry rooms. Plates 3 are characterized by increased resistance to humidity, so they are better suited for installing floors or partitions in the bathroom and kitchen. But if you need to do it bearing structures, then it makes sense to purchase OSB 4 boards, the thickness of which reaches 25 millimeters, and their installation is applicable in various areas finishing.

Leveling a wooden floor

There are many materials for leveling floor defects, and you can choose any of them. But the choice must be made taking into account the curvature of the floorboards. In this case, install thin sheet plywood doesn't make sense. Compared to chipboard and fibreboard, wood boards differ high strength, maximum thickness, depending on the product category. Correcting the curvature of a wooden floor yourself is not difficult. They are easy to install and do not require special technologies or devices.

OSB sheets are suitable for rough finishing work on floors, both concrete and wooden, and preparing the surface for laying laminate flooring. In addition, the material has a number of other functions, such as:

1. a strong foundation for the future floor;
2. rough leveling of surfaces;
3. soundproofing.

The presence of several layers of overlap prevents the penetration of extraneous sounds into the room and softens the impact of the floor when walking, and also insulates the room. Modern production of OSB boards fully complies with environmental requirements. Manufacturers have completely abandoned the use of toxic substances.

Installation of OSB sheets

Installing strand sheets is an easy way to create a durable, level subfloor. If the main wooden floor has a large drop or unevenness, you will have to level the level using small logs, onto which OSB will be nailed on top. The fixing bars are mounted at an equal distance from each other, with the joints calculated. For greater reliability, the underside of the sheets is covered with waterproofing.

If you plan to lay the laminate later, then you will need to make vapor insulation with a special polypropylene film over the OSB sheets. This will prevent moisture condensation, which will destroy the wood structure.

To secure OSB to the floor, it is nailed with nails of the required length, or screwed with screws to the supports at intervals of 30 centimeters from each other. The fastening length can be calculated by multiplying the sheet thickness by 2.5. This optimal length will allow you to securely fix the material to the base.

So, to install the canvases and level the floor you will need the following tools:

• hammer;
• nails;
• screwdriver;
• self-tapping screws;
• roulette;
• hacksaw;
• thin timber for forming lags.

The joints should fit snugly against each other, and the fasteners should be driven completely into the surface of the sheet. Installation chip material not very complicated, the main thing is to adhere to the accuracy of the technology and be careful. Then the floor will be both smooth and durable.

Two types of installation are used: on logs and using point support. The steps are not complicated, you can do it yourself. The logs represent wooden beams, laid from one wall of the room to another, in one direction. Point fastening is the installation of small blocks, in the form of a grid across the entire floor, with a cell size of up to 35 centimeters. With a sheet thickness of 20 millimeters and above, you can increase the distance of the slabs to 40 centimeters. The frequency of the supports will provide resistance to dynamic stresses on the surface.

Installation of OSB to joists

Holes are made in the floor sheets in the corners of the room to allow air to pass under the floor and prevent mold from occurring. All joints with walls and between panels, as well as air duct openings, must be sealed with gauze and PVC glue so that insects living under the floor do not pass upward.

Preparing old coating

Before laying pressed particle boards on the floor, it is necessary to prepare old surface. Special equipment will help clean paint from wooden planks or even delete them if possible. The following is a process consisting of step-by-step steps:

1. the old coating is removed;
2. the floor is treated with a primer;
3. OSB sheets are installed;
4. strengthened with nails or self-tapping screws.

When there is a need to install a raised floor for communications, for example, in an office, then a good option- This is laying OSB on a wooden floor with a pre-constructed frame. Sheet flooring material is placed on top of it.

Another problem home owners face is squeaks from old floors. Here, no matter how you level it, the sounds when walking will not go away. In order not to have to redo the repair in the future and to prevent the boards from creaking, they are nailed to the joists, each separately. The screws are twisted at an angle towards the joists.

Floor installation

Processing of slabs for finishing

The floor is leveled, wood sheets are laid. Now we process them too finishing. Of course, if you are satisfied with the natural pattern of the OSB, the floor can be left as is, varnished, a plinth installed, and that’s all. Or you can put any other type of finish on top. The surface of the slabs and their processing characteristics are determined by the type of finish used that will cover them.

• Clean finish. Chip sheets are used in their original condition, but the surface must be protected from destruction and wear. Several layers of varnish or a special substance are applied on top to prevent the appearance of bark beetles and other insects.
• Linoleum or carpet. Roll materials require a perfectly flat floor. Any differences at the joints and gaps negatively affect the operation of linoleum, and even appearance it won't look very nice. Under the elastic carpet, cracks and other bulges from changes or screws will be felt. It is best to cycle the floor to achieve one level.
• Ceramic. The base must be stationary, especially if the sheets are laid on joists. Sandpaper or wire brush The surface is sanded, and the tiles are placed on a special glue that connects ceramics and wood.
• Laminate. This is a fairly hard and durable material, equipped with a special fastening, so special requirements does not apply to gender. The main thing is that everything is smooth. These recommendations will help make the interior beautiful and practical, functional and durable.

Advantages compared to other materials

Despite their simplicity, OSB boards are multifunctional. They are used in various areas of the construction industry, in roughing and finishing, construction of structures and floors. This material has a lot of benefits useful to the consumer:

• Simplicity. There is no need to purchase special equipment or tools for installation. Anyone can do this kind of work.
• Convenience. Due to its dimensions, one OSB board can be leveled big square rooms. The length is designed for installing logs in increments of 56 centimeters, which allows you to insulate the space under the floor.
• Cheapness. The cost of OSB is optimal, and the price-quality ratio will please consumers.
• Durability. The slabs are well fixed with popular fixing elements, do not deform, do not become loose and can withstand the load perfectly.

OSB is one of the newest and most practical flooring materials, which is gaining popularity every year. Now you don’t need to think long about how to level the floor using OSB. Compared to other similar products, they are resistant to humidity, wear and mechanical stress. A wonderful example for your price category, meeting the requirements for building materials, and most importantly, multifunctional.