When it comes to choosing a flooring, you need to consider all the factors that can influence this choice. This refers to the operational characteristics of the material and the complexity of installation, as this will leave an imprint on the total cost of work. On the basis of the mentioned criteria, it is possible to note such a material as OSB or oriented strand board. How to make the floors of OSB do it yourself and will be discussed further.

Material description

Before proceeding to the description of the stages of work, it is quite appropriate to say a few words about what OSB is and what its main operational characteristics are.

Oriented strand boards are flat sheets consisting of several layers of long, thin shavings pressed together by the addition of various resins. The layers of one plate have a different direction, that is, the inner ones are directed vertically, and the outer horizontally.

Such plates have a certain set of performance characteristics, which include ease of installation, lightness of the material, good sound insulation properties, as well as thermal insulation properties.

Assembly process

As mentioned above, the installation of the OSB floor is notable for its simplicity, but it is not without certain features, and therefore, for a better understanding of the process, it is worth considering each of its stages separately.

Training

It is better to start the work with preparation, which in this case consists in dismantling the old coating and leveling the surface. It is worth adding that, depending on where the work is carried out, in an apartment or a private house, the need for a concrete screed may be added to the work. At the same stage, it is necessary to evaluate the horizontal position of the base, namely, to estimate the height difference per square meter of surface - the more even the floor is, the better. If the difference is large, then the alignment of the base is necessary. The most convenient will be the use of self-leveling mixture. But you can get out of the situation with the help of an ordinary concrete screed, if it is aligned with its beacons.

Mounting base

If you managed to make a flat concrete floor and do not need to warm it, the OSB slabs can be fixed directly to the base - at the beginning of the first layer, and then, with overlapping seams, the second one. In this case, OSB plates with a thickness of 8–10 mm can be used.

If the floor needs to be warmed, the installation of OSB plates, 15–25 mm thick, is most advisable to be performed on top of the logs installed on the base. As a basis, you can use a wooden beam, section about 5? 5 cm. The bars, sawed along the length of the room, are laid on the base and fixed. For this, before laying the logs, you need to complete a series of holes into which the dowels are driven. Drilling holes for convenience is necessary directly through the bars. It is worth adding that the distance at which the longitudinal bars should be located is about 50–60 cm.

After the longitudinal lags have been laid, it is necessary to install additional supporting elements perpendicularly to the main one in a checkerboard pattern. Their installation is necessary in order to minimize the chance of plate displacement. In addition, it is necessary to add that all wooden logs should be treated with antiseptic and moisture-resistant compounds.

Laying insulation

When the basis will be executed, laying of a heater is necessary. This process is carried out inside the resulting crates. As a heater, you can use a variety of materials, but the most appropriate is the use of foam sheets. They are simply cut to the required size and placed between the log. For additional thermal insulation of the place of all joints it is necessary to glue with masking tape.

Laying plates

The final stage of the work is the installation of the OSB plates themselves. Starting work is best from one of the walls. The plates have rather large dimensions, and therefore a significant part of the surface can be processed with the help of whole sheets. The material is laid on the base and is attracted by screws on the tree. After the whole plates are laid, the parts cut to the required dimensions are laid. Here you can say that the material is quite easy to saw with both a regular hacksaw and an electric jigsaw. For completeness, it is worth adding that along the walls and in places where the maximum load is assumed, for example, in the center of the room the sheets of material should be bolted with screws, the distance between which is 10 cm.

In conclusion, it can be noted that stacking the OSB of the plate, it turns out almost the same thing as making the cork floor with your own hands, with the only difference that the OSB is cheaper. Otherwise, such a floor covering option can be called quite practical. Its installation takes relatively little time, and if everything is done correctly, this will add from 3 to 5 to the indoor temperature? C, which is actually quite a lot.

Video

This video shows how OSB is installed on a wooden floor