Protecting subfloor

[ScottA]

I'm looking at putting down my subfloor next week weather permitting. I know it's going to take me atleast 60-90 days to get dried in and I'm thinking how I might be able to protect the OSB. The first thing that comes to mind would be to water seal the wood with thompson's of similar or maybe exterior primer. Any thoughts?

[rdzone]

Scott,

I did exactly what you are thinking of.  I used t&g plywood glued, nailed and screwed down and treated it with thompsons, especially the seams.  I didn't have any problems with any swelling and for the most part the water beaded up.

[MikeT]

I used Edge Gold 3/4" OSB and in spite of getting very wet, it has not swelled.

mt

[ScottA]

Mike is that the same that home depot sells? I saw they had some today that had a gold edge.

[MikeT]

I haven't checked with what Home Depot sells.  I use a local yard that offers free delivery, no matter if it is a small order or a large.  From what I can gather from others, folks who use this stuff a lot seem to really like it.

mt

[FrankInWIS]

I've heard for years that Thompsons water seal is really weak, not much durability or length of service. 
Yeh, lots of folks here have been touting the gold edge OSB and all swear by it. 
I had to contemplate the same choice you are facing, I also was considering a very high quality enamal deck paint. 

[Sassy]

We used Defy on the 1" plywood deck & caulked the cracks with clear caulking.  Seems to be working good so far 

[glenn kangiser]

...butt, PEG, we may be flashing.

[MountainDon]

Back when I was manufacturing wooden playgrounds I tested a half dozen different waterproofing products. The one I liked best is no longer available.    However, for what it's worth Thompson's was at the bottom of my list. Maybe it's better today? I believe most, maybe all, of these products have been reformulated since then.

[Redoverfarm]

Scott if I was building and my subfloor was going to be exposed for any length of time I would probably use Advantex or similar product.  There is one and a  few dollars more per sheet but well worth the extra to guarantee that your floor will be OK later. That is something I don't think you can skimp on as everything else is built on it.  My cabin sit all winter exposed to snow, rain and the likes.  It never leaked into the basement except where I had missed a few nails installing and didn't hit the joist.  When it rained it just puddled and then dried up later.  I don't know exactly what they impreginate it with but it works great.

[MikeT]

Irrespective of using Thompsons or Advantex, if you are going to have a subfloor exposed to the elements, water will pool in some spots.  On my place, we weren't real fancy with a drill...we just took the claw end of a hammer and took a big swing and made a drainage hold in those low spots. 

[ScottA]

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I looked at some stuff thats labled exposure 1 meaning it suposedly has water proof glue in it and is designed to survive reasonable construction delays. I don't know what's considered reasonable but the language used leads me to think it's not as long as they'd like me to think. Jan & Feb are typicly the dryest months around here so we'll see how it goes. I'm still thinking 50 bucks worth of sealer or primer could be cheap insurance.

[DirtyLittleSecret]

Any new input regarding your experience?  Am going to contact my local yards in search of Georgia Pacific Home Advantage or Huber Advantech.  Might just have to find a large tarp...

[Redoverfarm]

There is also a product called either Shurfloor or Surefloor which is also a water repelent subfloor.  Not sure if it is in your area. 

[Don_P]

We use Advantech pretty much exclusively anymore. The current project has seen about 8" of rain with no trouble... man has it been wet lately. Our homeowner got some porch floor paint at my reccomendation but never got it on. The sky opened up and has not quit long enough. I've used Thompsons a number of times and cannot understand why it is still on the market.

[DirtyLittleSecret]

It would be great if Advantech were here in the NW.  Called 6 major suppliers, and nobody carries it!  I'd figure that Oregon would be a market paradise.

[MountainDon]

Huber dealer locator

http://www.huberwood.com/slocator.aspx


main page   http://huberwood.com/main.aspx?pagename=advantechflooring

[DirtyLittleSecret]

Thanks Don, but I've already checked the retailer locator...nuttin'

[firefox]

I've used that really heavy black plastic stuff that Home Depot sells. I think it was at least 3 mills maybe 5 mills thick, and that stuff really takes a beating. It  is also a lot slicker than tarps, so the watter runs off quickly if it is on a slant. I was thinking you could get a 25'x50'
roll and put sme 2x4s on edge down the middle, then pull the edges tight and secure with some firing strips. Roll the ends around the firing strips before securing to keep the plastic from tearing on the nails. Sort of like a minature tent. This should be easy to dismantle and rollup towards the center 2x4s when working.  This assumes you don't have to worry about critters tearing holes in it.

Anyway just my 2¢
Bruce

[MountainDon]

We tried 6 mil plastic and found it little better than nothing. I don't know where the pinholes came from but there were enough of them to let water in but not enough to let the water evaporate.