Which is better for the floor: plywood or OSB
For the flooring of rough floors under the finish coating, wood boards such as plywood and OSB are widely used. To understand which of these building materials is better, you need to compare them according to the main technical indicators.
What building material is better for the floor - plywood or OSB
Plywood is made of several layers of veneer glued together with natural or synthetic resins. The front surface of the sheet is polished, and the layers are perpendicular to each other.
Currently, GOSTs provide 5 grades of plywood, which differ in the presence and number of permissible processing defects and wood defects.
Plywood is mainly made from veneers of coniferous trees and birch, and China has developed the production of poplar plywood.
You can read more about leveling the rough floor with plywood in the article:https://floor.expertexpro.com/en/viravniv-stazhka/vyravnivanie-pola-faneroj.html. The whole process: from preparation and selection of material to marking and installation.
Table: specifications and properties of plywood
| Parameters | Plywood sheet performance |
| Price | Affordable, from 270 rubles. per sheet |
| Life time | Durable |
| Density | 550–750 kg / m³ |
| Environmental friendliness | Natural veneer is safe, adhesive releases hazardous formaldehydes |
| Fire hazard | Highly combustible |
| Quality | Grades 1–5, sometimes laminated |
| Humidity | 5 to 10% |
| Release form | Plates with a thickness of 3-24 mm, dimensions 2500x1250 mm |
| Moisture resistance | Withstands humidity from 60% |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.9 to 0.025 W / (m * K) |
| Strength | On chipping: from 2 to 17.6 kg / cm², bends well |
OSB, or oriented chipboard (OSB or OSB) is made from wood waste: chips and sawdust, pressed and bonded with adhesive compounds with the addition of synthetic wax and boric acid.
According to GOSTs, there are 4 grades of OSB, and there are also varnished, laminated and sheet piling oriented particle boards.
In construction, OSB-3 is used to create supporting surfaces of the floor (this can be either a continuous flooring or supporting logs).
If you want to use the most environmentally friendly and safe flooring in your home, then the following article will help you learn more about various materials and make a choice:https://floor.expertexpro.com/en/ustroistvo-rmnt/ekologichnyj-i-bezopasnyj-pol.html.
Table: specifications and properties of OSB
| Parameters | RSD indicators |
| Price | High, from 500 rubles. per sheet |
| Life time | Durable |
| Density | 640 kg / m³ |
| Environmental friendliness | Natural wood chips are environmentally friendly, adhesive is not safe |
| Fire hazard | High |
| Quality | 4 grades |
| Ease of installation | Hold fasteners well |
| Release form | Plates with a thickness of 8 to 26 mm, dimensions 2500x1250 mm |
| Moisture resistance | Swelling per day from 12 to 25% |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13 W / (m * K) |
| Strength | The bend is high, elastic, does not crumble |
A good alternative when installing screeds is the use of the Knauf system - the only one in the world where wet processes are not used. These are non-drift and easily mounted dry assembly structures, which are described in a special material:https://floor.expertexpro.com/en/viravniv-stazhka/suxaya-styazhka-knauf-superpol.html.
Table: plywood versus OSB comparison
| Parameters | Plywood | OSB |
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So, plywood and OSB have their own characteristics and differences. The choice of material depends on humidity conditions and other loads, as well as the purpose of the room. Varieties suitable for outdoor use are available, and there are waterproof and environmentally friendly models for children’s and bedrooms.
