A craftsman who wants to do the flooring in an apartment himself will have to make a difficult decision about choosing the material suitable for these purposes. Among the variety of options offered by the market, OSB flooring boards stand out.
Thanks to relatively inexpensive and fairly durable wood products, it is possible to obtain a reliable and durable coating. Anyone can lay an OSB floor on their own if they have certain skills.
Features of OSB
Oriented strand board is a kind of multi-layer cake, or rather a sandwich, usually consisting of three or more layers. Two of them (usually the upper and lower) are made based on a pressed structure of wood chips. A feature of the products is the order of laying chip elements, which are located along the workpiece in the outer layers and transversely in the inner layers.
It is for this reason that wood-based boards got their name (OSB in English means “oriented strand boards”). The specificity of the boards is that the particle structure is impregnated with reinforcing compounds such as wax, boric acid or special resins. Insulation pads in the form of plates made of expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam are laid between their individual layers.
Choosing a floor slab
A competent approach to the selection of OSB boards laid on a wooden floor is impossible without taking into account such an important factor as the company that produces them. Preference is usually given to products from Europe and Latin America that have proven themselves in all respects (including strength indicators). To this should be added the need to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the slabs themselves.
Advantages and disadvantages
The undeniable advantages of unique products include:
- environmental friendliness of the material, the basis of which is natural wood;
- resistance to temperature changes and mechanical deformation;
- excellent indicators of strength and ductility of flooring manufactured on the basis of OSB;
- ease of processing and installation of the products themselves;
- uniformity of structure and attractive appearance;
- relatively low cost.
The list can be supplemented with a perfectly flat surface of OSB boards, on which, as on a subfloor, any finishing coatings (including linoleum) can be installed. The multi-layer structure guarantees good sound absorption, as well as additional insulation and waterproofing of the laid flooring.
Their relative disadvantage or disadvantage is the presence of phenolic components, which, according to the latest data, are completely absent in the latest environmentally friendly developments.
Required thickness
When choosing suitable slabs for flooring, it is important to take into account not only strength characteristics. To obtain a reliable and durable coating, their thickness should be taken into account, which is selected based on the following considerations:
- When laying OSB on a rough concrete base, slabs of 10 mm thickness are sufficient.
- When laying OSB on a wooden floor is intended, preference should be given to blanks with a thickness of 15 to 25 millimeters.
When carrying out rough work at various construction sites, the thickness of the OSB for the floor varies from 6 to 25 mm. Its specific value is selected depending on the following factors:
- brand of selected blanks;
- the magnitude of the expected load;
- the distance between the supporting logs (their pitch).
Only if all factors are observed will it be possible to achieve the required result, guaranteeing the reliability of the flooring structure.
GVL sheets
There is another option for slabs that can be used to level floors. These are gypsum fiber boards, that is, sheets made of gypsum fiber. They include, as you might guess, ordinary gypsum, which is mixed in production with cellulose fiber necessary for sheet reinforcement, as well as a number of special substances that make it possible to achieve strength and high quality products. This is a material quite similar in some characteristics to drywall.
On a note! It is easy to distinguish gypsum board from plasterboard - the former does not have a cardboard shell, unlike the latter.
GVL sheets for floors
GVL sheets have the following advantages when compared with analogues:
- suitable for any type of work related to finishing floors, walls, partitions, ceilings;
- are able to regulate the level of humidity in the room and dry the room;
- do not release heat from the room;
- easy to install, do not crack during processing;
- do not burn and will not cause a fire in the house, meet fire safety requirements;
- lightweight, which greatly simplifies their installation;
- they can be laid on both concrete and wooden bases, you can make a dry screed;
- are not afraid of exposure to low temperatures.
Comparison of GVL with analogues
Preparation of materials and tools
Those who decide to cover the floor with OSB boards with their own hands should first of all thoroughly prepare for the upcoming work. It will be necessary to stock up on a complete set of materials and tools, which should include:
- electric jigsaw and hammer drill;
- screwdriver;
- hammer;
- level and roulette.
You will need fastening elements (hardware), which include wood screws and special dowels. Before starting work, you should take care of the following materials:
- OSB boards themselves and skirting boards for them;
- insulation material (foam plastic, mineral wool);
- wooden logs;
- polyurethane foam and special adhesive mixture;
- varnish for treating the base for final coating.
Coloring compounds may be required, often used as decorative finishes.
Laying technology
Various rough coatings or structures can be used as the basis for installing OSB. Each type has its own styling features.
Dry screed
The possibility of arranging a floor without dampness and a long wait for the wet coating to dry forces homeowners to pay attention to dry screed. As such, fine expanded clay is often used, when leveling it it is customary to use unique beacons that allow you to indicate the level of installation.
OSB boards are laid on the prepared surface, pressed tightly into the expanded clay, after which a finishing coating is attached to them. This method can only be used in utility rooms (in the attic of a private house).
Concrete screed
In the case where it is intended to install OSB slabs on a concrete screed, it is recommended to adhere to the following sequence of actions:
- Special marks or beacons are installed that record the required filling level (the distance between them is selected based on the convenience of leveling the future coating, that is, approximately 50–60 cm).
- The correct installation of the marks is checked using a building level (if there are deviations, they should be leveled in the horizontal plane).
- You can proceed to preparing the solution, which must have the appropriate condition (not too thick and not very liquid).
- The prepared composition is poured into the place intended for forming the screed, after which it is carefully leveled.
The screed should set completely in about a day, after which it will be possible to start laying the floor. It will gain final strength only after 14–15 days (this depends on the air temperature in the room).
On the logs
When laying OSB on floors along joists in wooden houses, special attention is paid to such an important point as proper selection of the dimensions of the supporting structure. This applies to both the thickness of the bars themselves and the distance (step) chosen between them. Particular attention to the parameters is explained by the fact that OSB is a complex system, the further behavior of which cannot be predicted. The situation is aggravated in situations where it is planned to install a warm floor under the rough covering.
This is why it is so important to lay OSB correctly when supports in the form of logs are used for this. To comply with these requirements, the size of the bars is selected as follows:
- their cross-section should be 50 x 50 or 40 x 60 mm (depending on the thickness of the material);
- the distance between the support bars is selected starting from 40 cm;
- its exact value is determined by the dimensions of the products being laid.
Expert advice . With the above parameters, it is most convenient to use slab samples with a thickness of 15 to 17 mm.
If the flooring pitch is increased to 50 cm, the thickness of the OSB for the floor along the joists is chosen to be no less than 22 mm.
On a wooden floor
The so-called substrate for OSB on a wooden floor is an intermediate (rough) base, the use of which is considered the best option. Its presence will give the entire structure additional stability, and will also significantly reduce the load on the slab itself. The function of an auxiliary base can be performed by a coating of moisture-resistant plywood or an old floor.
Note! The old floor can be used only if the flooring is in good condition (if there are no clearly visible defects on it).
When preparing an old floor, you should scrape off any remaining paint, then thoroughly sand the surface and repair any scratches or cracks. Then they must be sanded and treated with a special protective compound (antiseptic). Only after completing all the preparatory procedures can you begin laying the slabs themselves.
Methods of performing work
There are several alignment methods, each suitable for different cases:
Laying a substrate made of elastic material is used if the unevenness does not exceed a few millimeters.
This increases sound insulation. Most often, materials such as isolon or polyethylene foam are used. The thickness is set within 2-5 mm. For more serious defects, scraping is suitable.
This method is also not capable of leveling out serious differences, but it can refine the surface and give it an attractive appearance. Before starting work, the floor is carefully inspected for the presence of metal fasteners. Staples and screws will have to be removed, and the nails will be sunk into the boards so that there is no risk of damage to the sanding machine. Putty is suitable for height differences of 2-3 mm.
Sealants or acrylic compounds are used. Self-leveling floors or cement screeds. The most reliable option that will allow you to level a wooden floor with serious differences and cracks is plywood or OSB boards. For work, material with a thickness of 14-22 mm is used. There are two methods that can handle different sizes of bumps.
