| Many get particle board and
OSB confused, or mix up the terminology often.
Deciding what type of sub flooring material you
may have can be achieved by a basic understanding
or by pictures. Actual particle board is
composed of very small pieces of material that may
include small chips of wood, fragments or
remnants from softwood that was planed, and actual
sawdust. Due to it's composition, particle board
is prone to expanding when it comes into contact
with moisture because it is not sealed properly.
Let's put that another way.
I'm sure many of us have
seen older bathroom cabinets that have basically
fallen apart. These are made from particle board.
They may have been sealed well on the surface when
they were laminated, but once moisture finds it's
way into the backside the stuff basically grows
and disintegrates.
True particle board cannot be used as a subfloor
when nailing or gluing hardwood floors. Failing to
heed this advice will eventually lead to floors
coming loose over time because particle board does
not have the strength for holding fasteners or
adhesive.
On the other hand, OSB, the
acronym for Oriented Strand Board has different
properties. Some may be suitable for installation
of hardwood, while others may not. It is important to check the manufacturer stamp on
the actual product itself to be assured. In
general, OSB is constructed of larger chips of soft
and hard woods. If one looks at the actual
composition of OSB material it is manufactured with a
cross ply type of strength in mind. Older types of
OSB are typically unsuitable for hardwood floor
installs. When it
comes to floating floors particle board may be
used. However, keep in mind actual particle board
is very susceptible to moisture. If you find you
have this type of subfloor and plan a floating
floor it's imperative any areas damaged from
moisture be replaced.
As an example; say you have
a few spongy areas under older carpeting. Maybe
Toto had a secret peeing spot you were not aware
of and always wondered why it felt different
underfoot. Without replacing the damage, your new
floor will also feel spongy in that area to some
degree. Depending on the severity, any spongy
subfloor floor can actually cause damage to the
interlocking system on any floating floor.
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