OSB subflooring panels provide an excellent base for many types of finished flooring including ceramic tiles if careful attention to the construction and preparation of the subfloor is paid in order to avoid costly callbacks.
We recently received a message from one of our readers, and the Ol Sage thought he would pass it along as it is important to be concerned about Volatile Organic Compounds.
Knowing what R-value and U-values mean is key to following energy issues and to selecting products that best suit the climate zone you are building in. R-value is essentially a product’s resistance to heat flow. Adversely, U-value measures the rate of heat transfer. This means that products with a lower U-value will be more energy efficient. It is tempting to think that these two values are direct opposites of each other, but there are some important differences to note.
The appeal of wood is its natural makeup and warm texture. But that which most attracts us to hardwood flooring is also the reason for most of the call backs flooring installers have to deal with. When problems occur, inspectors must determine who the culprit is and it’s usually moisture. Understanding how moisture affects a flooring and sub-flooring installation can help you to avoid problems and expensive call backs.
Knowing the moisture content of your OSB sub-floor panel is an important indicator on whether to proceed with other stages of the build, especially if hardwood flooring is the next step. You need to know that using a moisture meter doesn’t give very accurate measurements with OSB or other glued products.
OSB structural wood panels can be installed over concrete slab floors for both commercial and residential applications. The panels can be installed directly onto the concrete slab, oversleepers which are installed onto the concrete slab or over rigid foam insulation.
Expansion and contraction of your flooring system is a given. Because they are manufactured from different materials or different kinds of the same material, your flooring and substrate will expand and contract at different rates. Expansion joints give your flooring the space it needs to expand without buckling or cracking.
Calcium chloride and sodium chloride are not recommended by the APA for melting ice which has formed on OSB sub-floor paneling such as Truflor. Read what the Ol’ Sage Builder has to say on this matter.
It may sound obvious but always always get a second opinion on anything that doesn’t sound right to you – it may save you a lot of money!
Curious on if you can use sub-flooring panels over top of boards as a carpet underlayment. Ol’ Sage Builder has the answer!
