Bruce Hardwood Over Osb

Moisture contents of osb subflooring must be established prior to hardwood flooring installations.

Bruce hardwood over osb.

I will be installing bruce unfinished 3 4 strip flooring this weekend. I would not install hardwood directly over osb. In the event the moisture differential between the osb and hardwood is too great at the time of installation problems can arise. My subfloor above grade consists of 23 32 sturd i floor osb over 24 oc joists.

Osb that has absorbed moisture on the jobsite shrinks as it dries which can loosen around nails and staples that attach the hardwood flooring. Especially if you are using a stapler to install the wood. Main concern is nails staples coming loose from the osb over time. There may be some exceptions to engineered floors that can be stapled down check product instructions.

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. Ensure that no fasteners are exposed or raised and that there is at least an 1 8 inch gap between osb subfloor panels. 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.

I ve heard of problems with nails not holding in osb all that well. 2 is there any advantage to. Osb is fine as a subfloor structurally but imo it won t hold a nail or staple as well as spruce plywood.