Place OSB on a wooden floor. How to make your own floor from OSB boards on joists. Guide to installing OSB floors on joists

Wooden floors in a private home lose their presentable appearance over time. Numerous layers of paint are cracking and peeling at the edges. And because of this, often even a newly painted surface looks sloppy. To tidy up such a floor, you have to completely clean the boards, treat the wood, and then periodically paint it again.

Therefore, when carrying out the next renovation, many homeowners make a different decision. Specifically: lay one of the modern decorative coverings on top of the wooden floor - laminate, parquet board, linoleum or carpet.

To implement such an idea, it is necessary that the base of the floor is suitable for laying a decorative covering. That is, it was perfect flat surface, aligned in a horizontal plane, without protrusions, “ladders”, or sagging areas. This can be achieved OSB installation on a wooden floor.

Characteristics of OSB boards

General information about OSB boards

Unique physical and mechanical characteristics, with comparatively affordable price, make OSB boards increasingly popular in various areas construction. With the help of this material, floors can be perfectly leveled and laid, and with minimal effort, low costs and saving time. In addition, even a homeowner inexperienced in the art of construction can handle the installation of slabs on the surface on their own.

Before studying the technology of installing OSB boards, it is necessary to briefly consider their characteristics and compare them with other similar materials.

It must be said that oriented strand boards, in some of their technical and operational characteristics superior to other materials of similar purpose. But, due to their design features, they most often cannot be used as floor finishing coating.

Oriented strand boards are made from wood chips, laid in several layers in a longitudinal-transverse manner. On outer layers The chips are usually placed along the length of the slabs, and across them on the internal slabs. The layers are bonded together under pressure with polymer resins.

Thanks to this technology for manufacturing OSB boards, they have improved physical and mechanical properties compared to some other similar building materials.

The main characteristics of oriented strand boards are shown in the table:

The characteristic features of OSB boards during their installation and operation can be outlined as follows:

• High moisture resistance. When testing in laboratory conditions, the material was completely immersed in water for 24 hours. As a result, the swelling was only 18÷25%. And at the same time, the slab was not destroyed, and its strength was preserved.
• Durability and long service life. Oriented strand boards can withstand high loads and extreme conditions. Thanks to the multilayer structure of the material, the plates hold fasteners well.
• Easy installation of large-format sheet material.
• The low cost makes such slabs affordable, even if the amount allocated for repairs is limited.
• OSB boards, manufactured in accordance with technological requirements, consist of 96% natural materials. Therefore, they can be called conditionally environmentally friendly. If slabs are purchased for use in residential premises, you should choose material marked E1.

Thanks to your technical specifications oriented strand boards are excellent for subflooring under decorative flooring.

• The slabs have a perfectly flat surface. Therefore, they can easily level wooden floors made from ordinary wooden board and deformed during long-term use.
• Each slab covers quite large area floor. The most common sizes are 2240x1220 mm and 2500x1250 mm. And this corresponds to 2.98 and 3.125 square meters. When laying them, the surface will have minimal amount joining seams. Therefore, they are ideal for arranging a base for flooring consisting of small-format elements - parquet boards, parquet, vinyl tiles, etc.

• OSB boards have self-supporting ability and stable geometry. Therefore, they can be used as a subfloor covering, secured to frequently installed joists or sparsely left floorboards. Thanks to these same qualities, slabs can strengthen the old one, raising it bearing capacity and rigidity.
• Since the slabs consist of several layers of wood, which itself has sound and heat insulating qualities, covering them to some extent can protect the room from extraneous noise. Besides, additional layer, fixed to a wooden floor, will help reduce heat leakage from the rooms.

• OSB boards are not afraid of moisture, so they can be used to create a subfloor structure on joists. Moreover, by sheathing the logs with them both above and below, it is possible to fill the resulting space with one of the insulating materials.

In the table below, for greater clarity of information, comparative evaluation characteristics of various board materials made from wood raw materials and having approximately the same purpose are given.

Types of OSB boards

Today on construction stores There are several varieties of oriented strand boards available. They differ in characteristics, and therefore in purpose. Therefore, when choosing a material for a specific area of ​​construction or repair, it is necessary to pay attention to this factor.

• OSB-1 - this material has very low moisture resistance and strength, and is not of particular quality. Therefore, such slabs are most often used only for auxiliary work.
• OSB-2 boards are already of much higher quality, but their moisture resistance indicators are still not outstanding. They are, as a rule, intended for use in dry rooms in those structures where contact with moisture is completely excluded.

• OSB-3 are universal products that can be used for covering surfaces both in dry rooms and in rooms with high humidity. They are used to cover walls, lay them on wooden floors when leveling them, and arrange floors along joists.
• OSB-4 have a thickness of 15÷25 mm and are most often used for the construction of load-bearing structures in rooms with any level of humidity or even in outdoor conditions. They can also be used for flooring as a subfloor.

Plates may have different linear dimensions, but the sizes already mentioned above are more common. However, you need to pay attention to this parameter when purchasing material. This way it will be possible to reduce waste when cutting them.

Preparing the surface for OSB boards

In order for OSB boards to fit perfectly on top of plank floors, and during operation to avoid problems in the form of squeaks and sagging, it is necessary to carry out a number of steps before installing them preparatory work:

• An inspection of the plank base is carried out to identify rotten boards and joists. Creaking and warped areas of the old flooring are identified.
• In addition, it is necessary to check the condition of the insulation, if it is present in the overall “pie” of the floor structure. Thermal insulation should not be damp, settled, damaged by rodents, etc. Sometimes you have to change it too.

You can check the evenness of a wooden floor using building level or rules. The tool is installed on the surface across the boards. If a gap has formed between the boards and the tool, then the floor is deformed and requires repair.

Unevenness in an old wooden floor is by no means uncommon. Behind multi-year period During operation, it is not only subjected to high loads, but is also “tested” by changes in humidity. A wet board becomes deformed when it dries - it can bend, wrap itself like a “propeller,” etc.

If the floors are not put in order, then the laid OSB boards will not rest on the entire plank surface, but only on the raised sections of the boards. And what will happen in the end?

At installation work ah, the slabs, which have a small thickness, will take the shape of the irregularities of the plank base. It will not be possible to properly lay laminate or parquet boards on such a surface due to the peculiarities of the interlocking joints.

Oriented strand boards of large thickness do not have pronounced flexibility, so it will not be possible to press them tightly to an uneven base using fasteners. This means that the coating will begin to creak either immediately after installation, or after some time.

There are two ways to level a plank floor:

• Dismantling deformed boards and replacing them with new, smooth ones. The option can hardly be considered cost-effective, so it is used infrequently.

• Surface scraping using special equipment.

The second option is possible if the boards have risen above the main surface to a not too great height.

If the boardwalk sags, it means that the board used is too thin. Or the logs underneath are spaced too far apart. If you use thin OSB boards to level such a floor, they will begin to sag along with plank base. Well, he’ll start “dancing” with them and decorative coating. In such situations, if the condition of the logs themselves does not cause any complaints, it is necessary to use OSB with a thickness of 18÷22 mm for covering the surface.

However, we repeat, this is only possible if the plank covering is mounted on strong, reliable joists. That is, they also need to be inspected by temporarily removing two or three floorboards.

If the floors were leveled using scraping, then upon completion of the work the boards must be thoroughly cleaned and then covered with a special impregnation with an antiseptic effect.

Installation work for laying OSB on a wooden floor

OSB boards are laid on wooden floors in different ways. This often depends on what kind of flooring will be laid on top.

• For example, if you plan to lay laminate, parquet boards, vinyl tiles, etc., then the installation should be planned so that the joints of the flooring parts do not coincide with the joints OSB boards.
• If you do not want to calculate the location of the floor covering elements, then you can choose the option of transverse laying. That is, lay the OSB boards so that the joints of the elements finishing flooring were perpendicular to the joints of the base slabs.
• Or, if you like, you can choose diagonal laying finishing coating, at an angle of 45 degrees. By the way, such an installation scheme, for example, of a laminated board, can be relevant in rooms with uneven walls. This option will visually hide flaws in the geometry of the room.
• Before starting installation, be sure to check the evenness of the corners. And it is advisable to start installation work with the smoothest of them.
• Another frequently occurring problem is the divergence of opposite walls in the form of a trapezoid. In this case, it is necessary to make preliminary markings and adjust the slabs laid along the walls according to it. Leaving narrow wedge-shaped strips along the walls in the hope of later filling them with scraps is absolutely the wrong approach.

Installation tools

To perform installation work, of course, you will need some tools and auxiliary materials:

• To cut OSB boards, you need to have a hacksaw on hand, electric jigsaw and/or manual circular saw. A cut made with a regular hacksaw will not be very neat, and it will take much more time and effort. That's why best option- this is a jigsaw. Even a novice master can handle this tool. It is somewhat more difficult to work with a circular saw, but it is faster, and the cut is the most even.

If you don’t have such tools at your disposal, you can look for rental options. Many stores offer similar services.

• To secure the slabs to a plank surface you will need
• You will need a tape measure, a long metal ruler, construction square, painting cord for marking straight lines and a black marker.
• Fasteners - black self-tapping screws 35 mm long.

There is a lot of controversy about black self-tapping screws, saying that they do not provide reliable fixation. It is difficult to agree with this - with a prepared, leveled, stable foundation, exorbitant loads are not expected. And such a self-tapping screw can break off only under very catastrophic destructive influences. But in such a situation, no other fasteners will help.

Installation of OSB boards

So, the installation process consists of several stages and is carried out in the following order:

• The first step along the longitudinal wall of the room is to mark a line, which will immediately show how smooth it is.
• The edge of the slab that will join the wall must be marked and trimmed so that it takes the direction of the wall and the shape of the corner in which it will be laid. The outer lines of the slab must remain perfectly smooth, with a factory edge. Therefore, it is not recommended to touch at least two sides of the sheet.
• When laying the slab against the wall, it is necessary to maintain a deformation gap, which should be 10÷12 mm. To ensure that the gap is the same, you can use spacer wedges. Another option is to glue an elastic damper tape around the perimeter of the walls below before starting work.

• All sheets of the first row may have to be adjusted along the wall line so that outside their edge formed one straight line. To make it easier to maintain this border, focusing on the outer edge of the first sheet, using a paint cord, on plank floor a straight line is struck from wall to wall.

• All the slabs of the first row are laid along this line and then secured. It is necessary to leave a gap of 3÷5 mm between the plates to avoid squeaks or even deformations during thermal expansion of the material.

• The second row of sheets, whatever their size, is laid so that their joints do not coincide with the joints of the sheets of the first row. That is, a shift is made like “ brickwork" It often happens that the remains of the last sheet of the previous row become the beginning of the next one.
• The last row will also have to be adjusted, but to the opposite wall. Well, the very last sheet goes to the corner.

• The slabs are fixed to the base using self-tapping screws. They are screwed in strictly vertically in increments of 350÷400 mm. And their caps should be recessed into the thickness of the slab by 2–3 mm. In order for the slabs to be fixed as firmly and reliably as possible, it is best to fasten them not only around the perimeter. As an option, draw two diagonal lines, and also screw in self-tapping screws along them with the same pitch. This is especially important if the base is covered with large, entire OSB sheets.

Some craftsmen use nails for fastening. But this is not recommended, since squeaks may occur during further use of the coating.

In fact, this is all the secrets of installing OSB boards on wooden base. As you can see, the task is not so difficult, and any owner should cope with it.

* * * * * * *

A few final words. Although oriented strand boards are considered suitable only for arranging a subfloor, some craftsmen can easily turn them into a decorative coating. For this process it is used special technology and varnish. At the same time, the floor surface is no less aesthetic and durable than when expensive materials are laid on it.

One more thing. You should never forget about your own health and that of your loved ones. Completely environmentally friendly OSB can be considered products of emission class E1 or E0.5 with the designations “Green” or “ECO”.

Such materials are made without components harmful to human health. As a rule, these are products from European manufacturers that fully comply with technology that meets strict EU environmental standards. However, the cost of such products is somewhat higher.

Some Russian manufacturers Unfortunately, they do not care enough about consumer health. And most often, adhesives containing formaldehyde resins are used as a binder. The cost of such materials is low.

When purchasing OSB, each owner must decide for himself what is more important to him: the price of the material or the health of his family. And to make sure that the selected slabs are clean, you should ask the seller for a certificate of material quality.

The information content of the article will be complemented by a video that shows the nuances of installing OSB boards on a wooden base.

Video: Leveling a plank floor with OSB boards

You can entrust the installation of floors to the masters, professional builders. They will make floors quickly and efficiently. True, it's far from cheap. You can save money by laying the floors yourself. Moreover, the installation of floors is not particularly complicated. You just need to carefully study the technology of their installation and apply the acquired knowledge in practice correctly, in a certain sequence. Below we will talk about how to make OSB floors yourself, choose the material, what tools you will need, and the work that needs to be done.

Pox is, let's say, a sandwich that can consist of 3 or more layers. Two (top and bottom) layers are pressed boards made from wood chips. The chips are laid lengthwise in the outer layers of the slabs and across in the inner ones. Therefore, the board as a whole is called oriented strand board. The shavings can be impregnated boric acid, wax, formaldehyde resins. Between the layers there is insulation, which can be used as polystyrene foam, as well as polyurethane foam.

Price for OSB board

pox plate

OSB is mainly used in construction and furniture production. Marked and used as follows:

• OSB-1 – for the production of furniture, packaging or surface covering;
• OSB-2 – in dry rooms for the installation of load-bearing structures and surfaces;
• OSB–3 – in rooms with high humidity;
• OSB-4 - for structures that are subject to heavy loads, as well as those located in places where humidity is high.

OSB can be varnished on one side, covered with laminate, tongue and groove, or on two or four sides.

The plate is a rectangle with the following dimensions:

• thickness from 8 mm to 38;
• length – 2440 mm;
• width – 1220 mm;

Above we have given the dimensions standard plate. Sometimes you can find OSB on sale with dimensions of 1.25 meters by 2.5.

The advantages of OSB are as follows:

1. low cost;
2. light weight;
3. easy and well processed;
4. durable;
5. moisture resistance;
6. does not dry out, does not delaminate, does not rot;
7. mold and insects are not infested.

Unfortunately, there are restrictions on the use of OSB. During pressing, the chips are impregnated with resins that contain toxic substances. They constantly release environment volatile compounds of these substances. Therefore, when choosing a stove, you need to pay attention to how much of these substances is released by a particular brand of stove, and in what area it is allowed to be used.

Installation of OSB floors

There are two types of OSB flooring. The first consists of a concrete screed, waterproofing, an intermediate subfloor, and the OSB itself. The second type is waterproofing, joists, preferably a subfloor, OSB.

Materials and tools

It is better to buy a tongue-and-groove slab. There should be tongues on two opposite sides, and grooves on the other two. This type of plate is easier to install.

The log is a timber. In construction, timber with dimensions of 5 by 5 centimeters or 5 by 7 is used to make lags. The number of lags depends on how the structure itself will be constructed. flooring. If there is no subfloor, then the number of joists increases.

Price for timber

If you plan to lay the floor on a screed, you will need a lath, because the slab cannot be laid directly on the screed, even if waterproofing is placed on it. Any wooden product it must breathe, that is, absorb air and release accumulated moisture. This is why they create a gap between the floors and the screed. Otherwise, from the moisture accumulated in the product, and the tree already stores moisture in itself, and even absorbs it from the screed, it will begin to rot and, in the end, will become unusable, no matter how well it is made.

Can be used for subfloors edged board or plywood, OSB itself.

To make the screed you will need cement of at least M-300 grade and sand. You can prepare the solution yourself, but it’s easier to buy ready-made dry solution in the store. sand-cement mixture. Consumption per sq. m. is indicated on the packaging. concrete mixture, which includes filler, gravel, crushed stone and the like, should not be done at home. Handmade forever high quality concrete mortar don't cook.

For better and more even floor filling, you will need beacons.

In Russia, skirting boards are usually installed on the floors. It also serves as a decorative detail and closes the gap between the wall and the floors. The gap is made specifically to allow the board to expand as the temperature rises. If it is not planned, then you can do without a plinth.

The slab is usually fastened to the timber with nails and glued with glue. This means we will need both glue and nails. When installing floors, screw nails or self-tapping screws are used.

To fill the cracks you will need wood putty. This means you will also need a spatula. You will need a wooden hammer, a mallet for holding the slabs together, and a metal hammer.

Floor installation stages

The entire installation of any floor is divided into three main stages:

• Preparation;
• main works;
• cleaning.

The last stage is known to everyone. Therefore, we will not consider it.

Preparatory stage

In the future, we will conduct all discussions keeping in mind that the installation of floors is carried out in a residential area. In utility rooms or buildings, floors are laid in the same way and in the same sequence as in the apartment. Only there are fewer restrictions and lower requirements. We will divide all stages into stages. Let's call them steps and present our reasoning in the form step by step instructions for the execution of work.

So, preparatory work.

Step one. Selecting the type of floor. That is, we decide whether we will lay it on a screed or on. If we choose logs, it is better to first draw a drawing of their location. It will help you correctly calculate the number of lags.

2nd step. We calculate the volume of work and draw up cost estimates.

3rd step. We are purchasing materials. When purchasing a stove, be sure to ensure that it matches sanitary standards. It is advisable to buy lumber, boards for subflooring, beams, slats already dried and treated with fireproofing and antiseptics. If you were unable to purchase such lumber, you will have to purchase an additional antiseptic and treat the wood yourself.

4th step. We process the slab, remove burrs and irregularities from the edges. We treat the lumber with an antiseptic and lay it out to dry. It is laid in layers. A spacer is made between the layers. It is needed to ensure that the material breathes and dries evenly and quickly. The wood is dried for at least 24 hours. The drying temperature should be +10 degrees or higher.

5th step. If the floor is laid for the first time, then the remaining floor is removed. construction work garbage.

If OSB is laid to replace the old floor, then the old one, of course, cannot be used as a rough floor. The floor must be dismantled carefully so as not to damage the plaster on the walls. To do this, take out the nails and remove the board, then remove the joists. We release the floor slats (each) from the grooves, move them to the side and remove them.

6th step. We install beacons to level the floor level. At least three marks on each wall. We draw a line between them. Between the wall and the line, measurements at any point should show an angle of 90 degrees.

Price for beacons for leveling the floor

floor beacons

OSB floor installation

If we install the floor on a screed, then we will have to perform several actions.

1. Install beacons for pouring the screed. The distance between them should be no more than 50-60 cm. This will make the screed more even. We check the installation of beacons with a level. If there is a slope, we level it.

2. Prepare the solution. It should not be too liquid or too thick. Fill the area prepared for the screed, level the solution as a rule, level with the installed beacons.

The screed will set in a day and you can work on it. But it will gain full strength no earlier than in two weeks, depending on the temperature in the room. The higher the temperature, the faster the screed gains strength. Hence the conclusion: heavy objects can be placed on a newly laid floor no earlier than after 14 days.

3. After the screed has set, check it with a level. If there are unevenness or slopes, pour an additional layer of mortar to level it.

If the screed turns out to be smooth, then we lay waterproofing on top of it. You can use simple roofing felt or any other material intended for these purposes. We lay the lath on top of the insulation. We would advise laying it both lengthwise and crosswise, in the form of rectangles, the sides of which are aligned. Their dimensions should correspond to the dimensions of the slab or be slightly smaller. Coat the rail with glue.

It is also possible to install slabs without using slats. In this case, the concrete screed is coated with rubber glue.

4. Place the slab on the rail. We take a mallet and knock down the slabs as tightly as possible. The tongue should fit completely into the groove. Ideally, there should be no gap between the plates.

5. We fasten the slabs to the lath using nails or self-tapping screws.

6. If there are cracks, we seal them with glue or wood putty. It must be selected according to the color and texture of the slab. The putty dries in 24 hours. After the putty has dried, it needs to be sanded twice. Coarse sandpaper the first time and fine sandpaper the second time.

Price for wood putty

wood putty

Video - Laying OSB on concrete

If OSB is laid directly on the joists, then it is better to install them lengthwise and crosswise. The fact is that OSB is a complex structure and it is unknown how it will behave after drying, shaking, and shrinkage. And laying the logs in the form of rectangles will reduce the load on the slab itself and reduce the likelihood of defects. All other actions that need to be performed are exactly the same as when installing the floor on a screed.

Let me give you one piece of advice. The best, in our opinion, installation of OSB floors is a design that involves the installation of an intermediate subfloor. It will give the entire floor additional strength, stability and significantly reduce the load on the coating itself, i.e. on the slab. As an intermediate floor, you can use the slab itself, plywood, or an old floor. But the latter can only be used if it is well preserved and there are no serious defects. You need to remove everything from him old paint, level, seal cracks. Scratches should be sanded, treated with an antiseptic, and only after these preparatory works can the slab be laid. Actually, both on plywood and on OSB, which will be the subfloor, you also need to repair all defects and cracks. We have already described the remaining steps for laying the finished floor above.

Video - Do-it-yourself OSB flooring (on joists with insulation)

We continue our traditional series of articles from Yuri Voedilo (professional builder and repairman). Yuri writes:

More and more more people Of all floor coverings, the choice is made towards laminate. So I think it’s worth giving him one topic. Let's look a little at the types of laminate, where it can be laid and where it cannot. Let's talk about correct installation laminate on concrete, wooden floors, as well as on floors and OSB. And all this in step by step form Once you familiarize yourself with it, you can lay laminate flooring with your own hands.

To produce laminate, impregnated paper is used from inexpensive wood by pressing. Therefore, he is afraid of moisture and this is his most big drawback. This means that it cannot be used for a room such as a bathtub! Also, do not lay laminate flooring near front door, especially if you are in the private sector. It is not allowed to lay laminate flooring on top of an electric heated floor, otherwise it will simply come apart at the seams. Installation of the laminate should only be done on a well-prepared, flat surface, so we’ll start with that.

To work we will need the following tools:

1. Jigsaw or electric parquet saw;
2. Construction corner and tape measure;
3. Substrate;
4. Scotch.

Stage 1. Preparation of the subfloor: concrete, wood, OSB

You need to remember one thing, deflection on the laminate is allowed no more than 2 mm per 1 meter. Following this, you need to level the surface as much as possible. If you are laying laminate flooring on a concrete base, it will need to be repaired and the cracks covered. cement mortar. It is advisable to make a thin screed with a self-leveling mixture. After hardening, the floor is sanded with sandpaper, removing minor irregularities. old cement screed primed, for example, with Ceresit ST-17 primer, so that the upper weak concrete layer does not generate dust and does not creak under the laminate. A vapor barrier layer must also be placed on the concrete base. Its function can be perfectly performed by a special diffuse membrane or ordinary polyethylene. There is no need to put a vapor barrier on a wooden base. If you had a wooden floor, then I would advise you to first screw OSB or chipboard sheets onto it over the entire area.

Stage 2. Laying the underlay for the laminate

Lay laminate on a bare surface is strictly prohibited, it is always laid on a special substrate. Substrates can be polystyrene foam, polyethylene, or cork. Cork ones are environmentally friendly, but they absolutely do not tolerate moisture. The polyethylene foam backing is moisture-resistant, but at the same time, like a sponge, it can hold spilled water. Therefore, we usually use a polystyrene foam substrate 2-3 mm thick, laying it on the floor in a checkerboard pattern. The sheets must be glued together with tape. This will give additional protection from moisture and dust. And laying on a glued backing is much more convenient and simpler.

Stage 3. Do-it-yourself laminate installation

Laminate consists of individual strips called dies. Along the perimeter of each die there are locks and ridges for locks. The most common types of locks are Lock or Click. Personally, I'm a supporter Click systems, since, if necessary, they can be disassembled and reassembled several times, but Lock cannot be disassembled, it will most likely break and will no longer be used. Panels with a Click lock are assembled like this: one die is laid on the floor and the end of another die is inserted into its end at an angle of 45 degrees and lowered, aligning the two dies in one plane on the floor. (See photo below)

So we collect a whole strip along the entire wall. If necessary, we cut the last die to length, and we will use the rest of it as the beginning of the second strip. But it must be taken into account that pieces of dies less than 30 centimeters cannot be used!

Note: Do not glue or screw the laminate to the base under any circumstances. This is also one of the conditions so that the laminate does not swell and the locks do not come apart!

Once the first strip is folded, the second strip is assembled side by side in the same way. Having assembled the second strip, we need to insert it into the lock first. To do this, lift it at an angle of 45 degrees and insert it into the lock of the first strip, while smoothly rocking it up and down, pressing it against the first strip, and lower it onto the base. During work, it is necessary to ensure that the distance between the transverse seams is at least 30 centimeters.

Between the laminate and the walls along the entire perimeter of the room there should be a thermal gap of 08-1.2 cm, both along and across the laminate. This is done so that when moisture increases, the laminate has room to expand and does not begin to warp and swell in the middle of the room. At the end of the work, this gap will be closed with a floor plinth.

Note: for convenience, I use improvised materials to maintain the thermal gap. For example, pieces of unnecessary osb or cuttings of lining. Inserting them every 50-60 centimeters.

Sometimes it happens that longitudinal locks do not close tightly, leaving millimeter gaps. Specialists who constantly install laminate flooring have special finishers and screeds. I can advise you to cut off a small piece of laminate and, when inserting it into the lock, use it in place of the punch, then your locks will remain intact and will serve for a long time.

OSB acts as one of the relatively new materials used in construction and finishing work; moreover, OSB has recently become increasingly popular among builders and private developers. OSB is laid on a wooden floor, as well as on concrete bases. The material is characterized by lightness and increased strength, compared to analogues; their structure is able to withstand moisture well.

OSB is easy to install, and the cost of these products is very low.

OSB is a moisture-resistant material, which indicates its increased strength.

Installation features When arranging floors, it is preferable to use OSB-3 boards, as they are characterized by high density

and moisture resistance. Figure 1. Floor installation with using OSB

If leveling the floor using OSB is carried out on the surface of a concrete screed, then a material whose thickness does not exceed 10 mm should be used, but if the slabs are mounted on the base of wooden logs, then more massive products should be used, the thickness of which will be determined by the pitch between the reinforced logs. The material for laying on the logs should have a thickness of 15-18 mm, if the distance between them does not exceed 0.5 meters. But if the step between the logs is above 60 cm, then the slabs should have a thickness in the range of 22-25 mm. In Fig. 1 you can see how a floor should be constructed using OSB boards.

As standard dimensions products called OSB, protrudes 2440x1220 mm. The slabs are easy to cut; for this you should use a circular saw, but it is better to avoid using a jigsaw during the work process, since it does not allow you to get an even cut line, which is especially important for further laying linoleum.

Tools and materials

• glassine;
• a circular saw;
• glue;
• dowels;
• self-tapping screws;
• level;
• pencil;
• nails.

Leveling a concrete floor using OSB

Leveling the OSB floor allows you to get an excellent base for laying different finishing coatings, among them: linoleum, ceramics, laminate, parquet. In addition to leveling, these products are able to provide sound insulation, which is made possible due to the multi-layer dense structure of the material. OSB boards insulate and waterproof the floor well. If there is a concrete screed as a subfloor, they are laid on the latter wooden blocks, acting as sexual lags, in addition, wooden joists help smooth out errors in the concrete base.

In order to obtain the proper rigidity of the floor and its resistance to deformation, it is preferable to cover the surface of OSB with slabs laid in 2 layers.

Moreover, each slab should have a slight thickness - within 8-10 mm. In the second row, the OSB board should be laid on the floor with some offset so that the seams between the rows do not coincide. The layers of material should be secured using a special glue, which can be replaced with fasteners in the form of spiral or ring nails.

Cover concrete surface You can use OSB boards without preliminary preparation in the form of laying wooden logs. In order for such a technology to have the right to life, the concrete screed must first be checked for horizontalness, using a long rule. If it has no errors, then you can start using the OSB board immediately. In this case, you can level the floor using one layer of material, strengthening the products with dowels and self-tapping screws.

Leveling the surface using OSB boards should be done taking into account the arrangement of expansion joints; this is necessary because the products can deform during operation, absorbing moisture into the thickness of the wood elements, and then releasing it. Such gaps should be made between the plates, and their width should be approximately 3 mm.

If the floor is leveled using floating technology, then during installation it will be necessary to ensure a distance from the walls to the flooring, which is 10-15 mm. Floating floors when installing the material do not require rigid screeding of slabs and walls, as well as the base.

Leveling a wooden floor with OSB

In the premises of houses that were built on a poured or columnar foundation, the floors, as a rule, are laid on wooden logs made of multi-layer boards or timber. In this case, the floor can be leveled with OSB slabs, which are used not only as a subfloor, but also as a finished floor.

A wooden floor based on logs must be tested for strength before attaching products to it. The subfloor made of OSB on joists is installed on the underside of the joists, while the surface that faces the soil must be treated protective coating, which could become, for example, bitumen mastic. A heat insulator is installed in the space that was formed by the logs and the rough base, the latter being protected from above with a protective material, for example, glassine. Then you can begin to install the base for the finished floor.

Figure 2. Leveling a wooden floor using OSB.

OSB panels that make up the base for the finished floor are mounted in one or two layers, last option involves laying the material perpendicular to each other. The first layer should be mounted with a joint on the joists on the smaller side. The layers can be strengthened together using spiral nails, and to ensure greater strength of the OSB floor surface, the OSB boards are additionally secured with glue. You can connect the slabs and logs with self-tapping screws, strengthening them at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. In Fig. 2 you can see how the floor is leveled with OSB boards; these recommendations will help when carrying out the work yourself.

The slabs should also be installed on a wooden floor, providing so-called expansion gaps, which is also done in the case of concrete bases.

Once the leveling of the floor using OSB boards is completed, you should decide whether to use such a base as a surface for laying the finishing coating or leave OSB as the front finish of the floor, which is also often practiced. The strength and evenness of such a base allows you to immediately proceed to further finishing works gender, but this floor can be left unchanged. The plate just needs to be protected from mechanical wear, for which it is recommended to use varnish, which should be applied in several layers to the surface. Before painting, such a wooden floor must be cleaned of debris and dust using the wet cleaning and then dried.

If it is planned to lay linoleum or carpet on the floor after leveling with slabs, then it will be necessary to ensure as smooth a transition as possible in the place where the joints will form, this applies to everyone roll materials. For this, it is preferable to use slabs that have the minimum permissible thickness. After the OSB floor has been leveled, the gaps formed will need to be treated using an elastic sealant.

If, after leveling the floor with OSB slabs, it is planned to lay ceramic tiles, then it will be necessary to ensure complete immobility and perfect reliability of the foundation. To do this, it is permissible to use a more frequent arrangement of logs, on which the slabs should be strengthened as carefully as possible and with the largest number fasteners The best solution will be used when installing slabs that are equipped with a tongue-and-groove type fastening. When laying tiles you should use special glue, which is intended for collaboration with wood and ceramic products.

Before leveling the floor using OSB boards, you need to familiarize yourself with the technology, otherwise the work will have to be redone, for example, due to previously unnoticed unevenness of the base. Thus, the surface of the joists can be leveled by planing, and the concrete floor can be leveled by laying wooden blocks. This is true for minor unevenness, since correction with concrete may not give the expected results.

The use of OSB boards guarantees quick and high-quality leveling of surfaces in any room. To carry out the work you will not need any special skills or tools. If the slabs are laid on logs, then the step between the latter should be 56 cm, this is perfect for installing all modern species heat insulator. If you want to save money, then using OSB boards for leveling will be great solution, because not only do they themselves have an affordable price, but they can also be used without additional finishing.

From the author: We welcome everyone who reads this article! We dedicate today's material to those who want to independently update the flooring in an apartment or private house, spending a minimum amount of time. One of the most economical options is a DIY OSB floor. 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 from wood chips and 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 decision 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 work on load-bearing structures subject to 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 is attractive appearance, at 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 no 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 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, a 10 mm slab will be enough; if an option such as laying on wooden logs is used, the recommended thickness of the material is from 15 to 25 mm.

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 adhesive 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 case you need to carry out styling OSB sheets on wooden floors, 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 cut in advance 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!