MattSC Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Hi I'm going to be replacing the flooring and subflooring in a bedroom soon. Currently I have 3/4 inch particle board subflooring with carpet and pad as flooring. I plan to install a laminate floating floor with padding as my flooring. I tried the peel and stick planks before in a different room and was not impressed with all the surface prep and final product (planks kept peeling up even with extra adhesive). I used 3/4 inch BC Plywood before. However, since I'm installing a floating floor this time OSB is an option. The contractor websites Ive visited have conflicting information on which is more durable OSB or plywood. As far as code here... either is acceptable. Anyone have an opinion on which is more durable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I prefer plywood.. OSB swells worse if you get water on it and plywood just holds up better and longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 For this application i would go with t&g plywood since it wont get wet. If it were open to the elements like a new construction, i would use a product like advantech. http://www.huberwood.com/advantech/products/advantech-flooring It holds up much better than regular osb or ply. If you lay your subfloor and it rains for a few days plywood can go wavy. I switched to advantech on all the houses i build and much prefer it. My carpenters as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Worm can. OSB designed for floors is out there. It will stay flat in million dollar homes that have custom framed second and third stories that keep the ground floor open to the elements for months. That said, you pay for what you get. Ply and OSB both have a range of qualities available. It is easy to get less than you want if you trust a box employee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdabroxx Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I would fork over the extra dough for plywood. And go a full 1.1/8" if you can swing it. Then glue and screw it down. Floor will be nice and squeak free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted August 8, 2015 Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 I also have used OSB and the advantech tung and groove is great for floors and roofs.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strasberry Posted August 8, 2015 Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 Personally I run from osb! The first hint of moisture and it blows up! A lot of people use it and it seems ok, but my personal prejudice is anti OSB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 8, 2015 Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 Glued and screwed is important. When replacing an existing floor pay attention to cleaning up the joists before applying the new sheets. It will get interesting trying to cut out where the floor goes under any walls. My vote is plywood but the advantages of T&G come with the hassles of getting it to mate while working in a room. Even new construction grade plywood is not extremely flat. It usually has a twist or cup .The disadvantages of OSB are greatly reduced by using it in an existing room. High grade OSB us usually pretty flat. So it's almost a toss up. I think it depends on what is available in your area. Ask to actually see both before you make a decision . Pick one end up and see if it remains flat or has a visible twist or cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted August 8, 2015 Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 Personally I run from osb! The first hint of moisture and it blows up! A lot of people use it and it seems ok, but my personal prejudice is anti OSB! Modern OSB can be just like ply...encapsulated in resin, wax, or exterior glue. I have worked on too many homes to nay say OSB. That said, you have to get OSB that has been designed to get wet and be ok. OSBis a great product considering the fact it allows greater use of small material. It has come a long way from first concept and cheap box store offerings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strasberry Posted August 8, 2015 Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 Modern OSB can be just like ply...encapsulated in resin, wax, or exterior glue. I have worked on too many homes to nay say OSB. That said, you have to get OSB that has been designed to get wet and be ok. OSBis a great product considering the fact it allows greater use of small material. It has come a long way from first concept and cheap box store offeringI guess I may need to re-visit the OSB issue. It has been many years since I've played with it. The first time I played with it must have been 30+ years ago and it wasn't worth the effort. I suppose it's like everything else, over the years things are improved and get better. We are putting an addition on our house this fall or next spring and I am sure this issue will come up, so is there anything in particular that you need to look for to get quality material? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted August 8, 2015 Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) A lot can be said for purpose made product. If it is tongue and groove flooring that the store is selling to contracters, you can fairly safely assume that the product is ready for some rain here and there. (This is similar to a spill, not a leaking toilet over time.) Diclosure, after months of open time, flooring contracters will drum sand the joints as the edges of the product will swell a little. If you are putting under a roof, that's a no brainer. Kev nailed one aspect, if you have minimal framing, ply is typically a stronger product in similar thicknesses if you need it. If you are sheathing walls or roofs, green coated is popular now. The green is like a primer. Joints are taped and you have a built in moisture and air barrier. Pricey, but effective. Incidentally, house wrap came into being because of the downsides of OSB. A lot of success with cheap OSB is the care taken with the systems applied over it. I understand reluctance to use it by preference, but it is successfully done here all the time. I will not use plywood on a roof because more often than not, the many shingle nails cause the ply to delaminate when replacing the roof. Edited August 8, 2015 by C Shaffer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSC Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Wow thanks for all the replies and advice. I think I've decided to give OSB a try. I was especially interested on the info for Advantech. About cleaning out the flooring underneath the walls. On my last "re-flooring" project my dad and I spent many hours digging out with a chisel all the old flooring from under the walls. We put our thinking caps on and started using an oscillating saw I bought from HF. Best 20 bucks I've ever spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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