Installing Hardwood Floors Over Osb

Although it is critical to take moisture into account when installing hardwood flooring over osb it is also important to keep in mind other installation best practices.

Installing hardwood floors over osb.

Hardwood can make for a durable and beautiful floor but small mistakes in the subflooring or installation can wreak havoc and buckling squeaky uneven floors can all result from poor installation. In about 2 or 3 years the hardwood flooring will pull loose. Flooring is attached with staples to the subfloor which can be plywood oriented strand board osb high density particle board or even existing wood flooring. Builders choose osb because it typically costs less than plywood free of knots and voids and can be used interchangeably in typical flooring applications where the panels have the correct span rating.

Install 23 32 inch or thicker osb panels in the proper orientation that is with the side marked this side down facing down. A benefit to using staples over glue is that it can be walked on immediately. 3 4 thick solid wood flooring can be installed directly over 3 4 thick osb subfloor. Always leave the required 1 8 inch gap between 4 ends of sub flooring panels to allow for expansion with changes in moisture conditions.

The national wood flooring association advises that osb sub flooring panels be glued and fastened. With proper specification and installation osb works with other structural elements to produce a consistent and stable base for hardwood floor finishes. While this is not a definitive guide to hardwood installation over osb panels there are some important points to ponder. Installation usually consists of gluing and nailing the osb sheets to the floor joists.

It is standard practice to install the hardwood floors at a 90 degree angle across the floor joists to stabilize and strengthen the whole floor structure. A contractor said do not install hardwood flooring over osb. Instead he recommended laminate wood floor over osb. Arguably the most important installation tip is to space your osb sub flooring panels correctly.

Installing hardwood flooring over osb an increasing number of homes and light commercial buildings have oriented strand board osb subfloors.