Sub-Floor...Plywood or OSB, and why?

Started by VannL, May 24, 2017, 09:21:27 AM

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VannL

I am just about ready to lay down my sub floor and I see that there are two options. Here is what I know:

Plywood is about $8 more expensive per sheet around here.
OSB is supposed to be stronger although it isn't a smooth surface (Assuming that there is more prep work for laying vinyl and/or hardwood flooring?).

I figure that there must be a reason that plywood is still an option, especially when it is more expensive.

We are looking at going with vinyl and hardwood flooring throughout the house.

Thanks for your input and thoughts.
If you build it, it will be yours!

ChugiakTinkerer

I just went through this myself and ended up with plywood.  My rationale is that plywood withstands exposure to the weather much better than OSB.  From everything I read it seems OSB is superior than most plywood in just about every other measure.  If you will be able to build relatively quickly and can get dried in then OSB is the better way to go.  It performs structurally as well or better than plywood, at less cost.

Modern OSB isn't like the product of a few decades ago.  It will survive typical weather just fine on a typical house build.  In my case I am building remote and had to leave a partially constructed cabin going on 7 weeks now.  It was worth it to me to spend a little more to get some better resistance to water.
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story


ChugiakTinkerer

Forgot to mention, if you put down sheet vinyl it will need some sort of underlayment.  If there is other flooring such as hardwood or tile then you would want to raise the vinyl floor up to the same level, usually with 1/4 plywood.  Flooring shouldn't hold you back from choosing OSB.
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story

MountainDon

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Don_P

Ditto on advantec osb, far and away superior moisture resistance compared to plywood. I still paint it with cheap oil based paint on jobs that will be exposed... we're at over 5" of rain this week  d*.


akwoodchuck

1- 1/8" ply is my preference...nothing wrong with SOB though... 8)
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."

NathanS

I think advantec (Huber) will come and sand any swelled edges from water damage up to 500 days after sale. My subfloor saw lots of rain and snow for a few months, and not a single problem spot.

My back started to hurt just from reading 1 1/8 ply. Yikes!

GaryT

Just another vote for Advantec!!!  Would use absolutely nothing else.
Gary

John Raabe

Pretty strong vote of confidence for a material that will hold up in wet rainy weather. 

Thanks to all.

None of us are as smart as all of us.


VannL

As luck would have it, the 84 Lumber in the area has Advantec. I need to check on the pricing for it.
If you build it, it will be yours!

MushCreek

I used Advantec as well, and it was exposed to lots of rain and snow for months. It held up great.
Jay

I'm not poor- I'm financially underpowered.

akwoodchuck

Quote from: NathanS on May 24, 2017, 10:32:59 PM


My back started to hurt just from reading 1 1/8 ply. Yikes!

Oh pooh....not like it's going on the ceiling.... ;D
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."

Adam Roby

Seems quite hard to find in my neck of the woods... do the big box stores carry it in the states or only select re-sellers?

MountainDon

It is not as common as the ordinary OSB, but it has spread in the past 6 years or so. When we built our cabin it was not available locally; 500 miles away was closest.  Now we have a couple of choices and one has been Lowes, though not all. The Lowes near me does not have it but some others close enough, do. I was in the Lowes near our sons place and they had 50 or more sheets of the 23/32.  It is great stuff.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


MushCreek

Some big box stores here (SC) have it; others have a generic 'equivalent'. The generic only has a 100 day guarantee. I bought mine through a local lumber yard, as they consistently beat the big box stores on bulk orders.
Jay

I'm not poor- I'm financially underpowered.

VannL

Quote from: Adam Roby on May 26, 2017, 05:26:27 PM
Seems quite hard to find in my neck of the woods... do the big box stores carry it in the states or only select re-sellers?

Hit their website. They have a retail locator, which is how I found two within 100 miles.
If you build it, it will be yours!

MountainDon

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

MountainDon

Then again I wonder what the likelihood is and what the price would be?  Importing wood building products into Canada would likely have a hefty tariff. Especially now since Trumo slapped a 20% tariff on softwood lumber products to the USA.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

DaveOrr

I used regular OSB flooring in my cabin.
After I laid down the main floor I calked all the seams and then put 2 coats of floor paint on it to help protect while I got the walls and roof up.
During bad weather I had the floor tarped up.
I was very happy when the roof underlay was all installed and the leaks stopped.
Then I could stop worrying if my floor insulation was safe.  ;) 
Dave's Arctic Cabin: www.anglersparadise.ca

MushCreek

I don't know what size structure the OP is building, but I have a general warning for anyone using tongue and groove underlayment products. They are NOT a full 48"! Because of milling the T&G, they only yield about 47-1/2" of coverage. Big deal, right? Well, my barn is exactly 28' wide, so over 7 sheets of OSB, I lost 3-1/2". You can't put in a 3-1/2" strip, so I had to cut two 'oversize strips, one for each side of approximately 26" so it would come out right. PITA, and cost me 6 sheets of material. I used the material elsewhere, but I wish I had know ahead of time
Jay

I'm not poor- I'm financially underpowered.


VannL

Good news, bad news.

So, for all who might be interested in this product in the future, here is how it looks to purchase.

Around here, central Alabama, it is available at one of three different 84 Lumber yards. Only one of them carries the glue. They cannot tell me how many sheets a can will do for, only that it does 8 times that of a can of construction adhesive. They have a starter kit for the glue which includes 6 cans of glue, the applicator gun, and a can of cleaner. That is $138.

The pricing of the sub-floor panels isn't bad. I can get regular OSB TnG for $21 and plywood for $28. The Advantec is $29 per.

I am getting it Wednesday and begin immediately laying it on the joists.
If you build it, it will be yours!

VannL

Quote from: MushCreek on May 29, 2017, 05:18:14 AM
I don't know what size structure the OP is building, but I have a general warning for anyone using tongue and groove underlayment products. They are NOT a full 48"! Because of milling the T&G, they only yield about 47-1/2" of coverage. Big deal, right? Well, my barn is exactly 28' wide, so over 7 sheets of OSB, I lost 3-1/2". You can't put in a 3-1/2" strip, so I had to cut two 'oversize strips, one for each side of approximately 26" so it would come out right. PITA, and cost me 6 sheets of material. I used the material elsewhere, but I wish I had know ahead of time

This is a 20 X 40 with an 8/5 by 20 extension running longs ways, if that helps you.
If you build it, it will be yours!

NathanS

Yeah I think if you use their glue it is warrantied to not ever creak. I am not sure you would really want them to come in and fix any creaks once you live there..  :P

The new craze for everything is spray foam.. I have used tons of it, and frankly, it sucks. I don't think there's anything wrong with PL 400. If you want to be extra sure of no squeeks use 8d ring shank nails.. that floor won't go anywhere.

The foam will get everywhere, the nozzles will clog within 5 minutes of not being used. Ignore what it says about reusable too. It's also more expensive, I don't care what they say about it covering more area. PL400 is user friendly and it has a long track record of working great. I am sure in some laboratory full of guys that have never even looked at a hammer in their life they figured out why the foam is stronger than the old stuff... whatever

Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now.

DaveOrr

Quote from: NathanS on May 29, 2017, 08:23:36 PM
Yeah I think if you use their glue it is warrantied to not ever creak. I am not sure you would really want them to come in and fix any creaks once you live there..  :P

The new craze for everything is spray foam.. I have used tons of it, and frankly, it sucks. I don't think there's anything wrong with PL 400. If you want to be extra sure of no squeeks use 8d ring shank nails.. that floor won't go anywhere.


I used PL400 and screws. If it ever squeaks I don't know what the remedy would be.    :)
Dave's Arctic Cabin: www.anglersparadise.ca

SouthernTier

Quote from: MushCreek on May 29, 2017, 05:18:14 AM
I don't know what size structure the OP is building, but I have a general warning for anyone using tongue and groove underlayment products. They are NOT a full 48"! Because of milling the T&G, they only yield about 47-1/2" of coverage. Big deal, right? Well, my barn is exactly 28' wide, so over 7 sheets of OSB, I lost 3-1/2". You can't put in a 3-1/2" strip, so I had to cut two 'oversize strips, one for each side of approximately 26" so it would come out right. PITA, and cost me 6 sheets of material. I used the material elsewhere, but I wish I had know ahead of time

This.

I would love to use advantec, especially since I plan to leave it exposed over the winter.  However, for a 22 x 28 floor plan, it just doesn't work for the reasons you describe.  Especially when you want the edges to fall on regularly spaced joists: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=12801.msg168078#msg168078