Protecting subfloor from water during construction. Vinyl siding is cheap and DIY-friendly. Trees are a remarkable resource that, when managed responsibly, can meet a wide range of fundamental needs for people and the planet for generations to come. Yes, you're being a worry wart! With the water seal it prevents much of the absorption and lets the subfloor dry out and breathe so it resists moisture damage and mold. Full Bio. :) Yes, if it rains before it's covered, water _will_ get in the joints between underlayment (and everywhere else, as well) -- it's just a hazard of construction.The Thompson's will, overall, probably help some as it will tend to help runoff and surface absorption (and there's a whole lot more exposed surface than edges). Apply two beads of glue to panel joint locations; a 1/8-inch glue bead applied at the tongue-and-groove joints can further improve floor performance. With millions of acres across the U.S., we offer hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts a vast resource for enjoying outdoor recreation. We initially put down 3/4" oak plywood as our subfloor, thinking we'd just stain it as our regular floor (to save weight)... anyway, that was a terrible idea -- it got rained on (a lot), and the veneer is all peeling off. Specifying high-performance engineered wood panels for subfloors can help protect against moisture damage during construction and help keep floors flat and stiff to prevent squeaks over time. A glue-nailed construction technique is optimal for ensuring a flat, stable floor. Many manufacturers print a fastener template directly on the panel face. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Many manufacturers recommend applying a continuous ¼-inch-diameter glue bead to framing members and using a serpentine pattern for supports that are 3½ inches or wider. RigidFloor is engineered for strength and durability; its cross-laminated veneer construction resists warp, splits, puncturing, and impact damage. Ram Board is non-staining and utilizes Flex-Fiber technology allowing for the proper curing of new floors on jobsites. Edge Gold includes patented Down Pore®grooves that help shed standing water and a proprietary edge seal to reduce edge swell. Thank you for your interest in Weyerhaeuser and we hope you enjoy your visit. Why Floor Protection? Before finish flooring is installed on top of a plywood subfloor, you must waterproof the subfloor, especially in a bathroom. Juan Rodriguez is a former writer with The Balance who covered large-scale construction. The subfloor is the foundation for the wood floor. This is not a perfect solution but the best we have found. Archived. Designed with cost and efficiency in mind; it lays out fast and is re-usable. However, this option is only feasible if wall framing has not been erected. In most regions, a “dry” subfloor that is ready to work on has a moisture content of 12% or less and the wood should be within 4% of the subfloor moisture content. Tongue-and-groove edges on many premium floor panels, such as Weyerhaeuser’s Edge Gold® OSB panels, are designed to self-gap. ... when exposed to rain, snow, or construction-related moisture introduced during the construction process (which also reiterates the need to check the moisture of the subfloor before installation). Improper spacing. Apply only enough glue for one or two panels at a time, and completely fasten each panel before the glue is set. If you proceed without upgrading or switching browsers, you may not experience optimal navigation or page functionality. 725 Sugar Lane Elyria, OH 44035, Call Us for a Free Consultation at 440-365-0303. Letting glue dry. Brian Knight | Jun 12, 2017 08:27am | #6 Prior to finished floor installation, walk the subfloor to check for squeaks, missing fasteners, improper nailing, etc. Insulating your home before you have a roof is not. He is an engineer with experience managing and overseeing large civil works construction. One of the latest advancements in subfloor materials are high-performance engineered wood panels. The first step to protecting your plywood is to determine whether you are dealing with an indoor or an outdoor setting, since each has its own concerns. We have tried to cover it with felt paper and visqueen, but it would always leak and then capture the moisture. We're committed to clean, renewable options that meet environmental standards and coexist with sustainable forestry. Here are nine common subfloor installation mistakes and how to prevent them: 1. Guardrail systems can be used to protect workers from falls during the performance of flooring and subflooring activities. Plytanium® DryPly has a water-repellent coating, helping to protect against rain and moisture-related problems during the normal construction cycle. However, nail-holding ability controls performance in shear wall applications. With this expansion, the flooring will move, buckle, or cause joint show through. Not letting a subfloor dry. Don Jason. Copyright © 2020 — Don Jason Remodeling • All rights reserved. We're building a tiny house on a trailer, in Florida, during the rainy season. 3. We’re one of the largest private landholders in the United States. Using green joists. Check manufacturer specs for setting times, and keep in mind that warm weather can accelerate those times. ASTM F-2170 – in-situ relative humidity – 75% RH or less is acceptable. The house I'm building in central Arizona has a subfloor of 23/32" Norbord Truflor OSB on i-joists over a ventilated crawlspace. Often the subfloor consists of plywood that is nailed or screwed to the construction floor. Simple strategies such as these can help provide flooring systems that are sturdy, stable, and squeak-free. © Weyerhaeuser Company. When I started out in construction, I was working for a production builder. Stain Solver Mold Cleaner If you want to use OSB to sheathe the walls of your shed, you need to build those walls like the walls of a house: with a weather-resistant barrier like Tyvek over the OSB, and then cover that with siding of some sort. - Ideal for remodeling jobs as well as new construction. PROTEX temporary surface protection sheets are specifically designed to protect your floors and walls during construction, painting and DIY projects. We offer exceptional product performance and unparalleled support. Types of Subfloor Materials in Construction Projects ••• zlikovec / Getty Images By. Before any walls were built on a subfloor, I’d blow off all saw dust, pour out the clear water repellent and apply it with a large paint roller on a pole. 5. If you do not waterproof the subfloor, moisture can make its way under the subfloor and cause mold growth or other damage. There’s good reason to trust AdvanTech subflooring — a combination of long-lasting strength, moisture resistance and nail-holding power. To avoid nail pops, pullouts, and shiners (nails that barely hit the joist), all of which can cause squeaks, use the correct nail size and spacing, and ensure the nails penetrate the floor joists and sink fully. Forgoing glue. It only took about 30 minutes to do an average subfloor. Use Trus Joist® TJI® joists or kiln-dried, performance-tested lumber, such as Weyerhaeuser Framer Series® lumber, which is more dimensionally stable than green lumber. For more detailed instructions and for tips on how to repair squeaky floors, download “Prevention and Repair of Floor Squeaks” here. Loose-Lay flooring installed in new construction during the hot, humid summer months generally has some type of failure during the first heating season. We’ve been developing new building products and solutions for more than 100 years. If you watch homebuilders putting up a typical light-frame construction home, you'll notice that the framing lumber and OSB are typically delivered on pallets wrapped with Tyvek or similar "moisture barrier"; the wood is allowed to "breathe" and so to acclimate to ambient humidity, but the covering is impervious to liquid water like rain. Flat subfloors should be treated during construction in order to help prevent swelling and delamination. Remodeling can be a messy and dusty operation. How to Protect Flooring & Stairs During Remodeling. As stewards of these assets, we maximize the value of every acre. Jody Dedmon has spent more than 25 years with Weyerhaeuser, a majority of them within the OSB division. Using a sledgehammer to force a tongue and groove joint together tightly can crush the wood fibers, damaging both the panel hit as well as the one it is forced into. If additional force is needed, always use a block of wood against the groove edge to minimize damage to the panel, and always allow a 1/8-inch gap between panels. Take readings of the subfloor – minimum of 20 readings per 1000 sq. Temporary Floor Protection - 150 square feet per roll Features: - Innovative surface protective product suitable for all types of flooring such as wood, laminate, vinyl, cermic, carpeting and even countertops. Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury or death.ContractorTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. In his current role as Market Development Manager, Jody applies in-depth knowledge of OSB manufacturing, installation practices, and market trends; leads a team of OSB Market Development Representatives; conducts training throughout the channel; and lends his extensive expertise to new product development and implementation. OSB exposed during construction must be allowed to dry (especially before installing sensitive finish materials such as hardwood flooring). Wet lumber may lead to dimensional changes as the joists dry, resulting in nail pops and floor squeaks. If installed with a toeboard, guardrail systems can also protect workers on … Serious Damage from Rain On New Construction Pllywood And Studs Lumber Serious damage can happen to houses under construction that are exposed to long periods of wet weather. There was no real choice in OSB then. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task! Question:  How do you protect the subfloor during construction to avoid damage from rain and snow? To avoid buckling, subfloor panels should be spaced with a 1/8-inch gap at all edges and ends to provide room for naturally occurring expansion. A beautiful floor starts with a stable subfloor. This website is best viewed using the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. One way you can help protect the floors in your new home is to use a humidifier in the winter and a dehumidifier in the summer. Satisfying Code for Fire Protection Requirements, Trus Joist Floor Installation Video Guide, download “Prevention and Repair of Floor Squeaks” here, Do Not Sell My Info (California Residents). California residents: See our CCPA Privacy Notice for details on what personal information we collect and for what purposes. Combined with the polyurethane bond of AdvanTech subfloor adhesive, the AdvanTech Subfloor Assembly offers a panel-to-joist connection so powerful you won’t hear a squeak, guaranteed. We're working together to be the world’s premier timber, land, and forest products company. Protect your floors from water damage by starting with the right subfloor products. Additionally, care must be taken to prevent water from collecting under the tarp. Further, it can close up the necessary gap on panel edges, leading to improper spacing issues mentioned above. Ram Board is a heavy-duty, temporary floor protection engineered for Contractors. 9. When wood subfloor takes on excess moisture it expands. 2. 6. Generally, nails (6d ring or screw shank, or 8d common) should be spaced 6 inches on center along supported panel edges and 12 inches on center on the panels’ interior supports, or as specified on the construction drawings. Figure 20 - Workers using a truss bracket anchor while installing a subfloor. 2. Guardrails. We offer a range of exciting career opportunities for smart, talented people who are passionate about making a difference. 4. Filed Under: Tips for Remodeling Tagged With: addition, Don Jason, Don Jason Remodeling, plywood, subfloor, water seal, Don Jason Remodeling We're focused on climate change solutions, creating sustainable homes for everyone, and supporting thriving rural communities. The water repellant prevented swelling of plywood and untreated OSB. Improper glue application. Why do you need to keep your … To avoid buckling, subfloor panels should be spaced with a 1/8-inch gap at all edges and ends to provide room for naturally occurring expansion. Follow Linkedin. 8. Heavy rainfall can lead to standing water on the floor deck. Tongue-and-groove edges on many premium floor panels, such as Weyerhaeuser’s Edge Gold ® OSB panels, are designed to self-gap. With the water seal it prevents much of the absorption and lets the subfloor dry out and breathe so it resists moisture damage and mold. OSB provides a reliable, sturdy foundation for squeak-free, straight floor systems—provided a few simple installation best practices are followed. 4 ft. x 8 ft. Standard-Duty Temporary Floor Protection Sheet (250/Pallet) PROTEX is a standard-duty temporary layout PROTEX is a standard-duty temporary layout board for floor and wall protection. For many years, like most builders of that era, we used OSB (oriented strand board) subfloor — typically a 3/4-inch tongue and groove panel. Plytanium® DryPly Plywood is a new way for residential builders to protect the subfloor before the roof and exterior walls go up during the initial stages of the home construction process. Improper spacing. This is not a perfect solution but the best we have found. ft. and average the results. Be sure the joists are dry and free of dirt before applying. Get updates from the blog through our Insights newsletter. During early construction, the presence of organic material is limited, especially if floors are concrete and framing is metal. For more than a hundred years, Weyerhaeuser has been building and enhancing a reputation for responsible corporate citizenship. I'm building by myself and very slowly, so it might take me three months before I have walls and a roof. Always store floor panels under cover. Forgetting to check your work. Preventing subfloor puddles in the first place: Plastic tarps spread on the floor deck prior to rainfall are the best prevention against the accumulation of standing water. If the glue develops a skin, it will lose some of its strength or may not bond at all. You appear to be using an older browser. During a construction project, wet subflooring is normal, as Malcolm correctly points out. Before any walls were built on a subfloor, I'd blow off all saw dust, pour out the clear water repellant and apply it with a large paint roller on a pole. What are you considering floor protection for? Some premium panels, such as Edge Gold, are designed to fit together easily. Improper nailing. While AdvanTech subflooring is engineered to withstand extensive water exposure with a 500-day No Sanding Guarantee,¹ you can take extra measures to protect your material if prolonged frozen, wet or dry … The builder suggested I cover the flooring after I'm done to protect it during the last few weeks of construction and with Stack Exchange Network Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Hammering edges. RigidCoat Underlayment Roseburg RigidCoat underlayment is produced with water-repellent technology, protecting the subfloor from the elements during construction. Using green joists. Step 3 Apply an outdoor, latex-based paint to plywood in order to provide more protection that will have a more aesthetic appearance than traditional stains. Use a solvent-based glue that meets ASTM D3498 performance standards; in cases where latex subfloor glue is required, careful selection is necessary due to the wide range of performance between brands. Apply glue per manufacturer’s specifications. 7. Even wood framing and subfloors can be difficult for mold to colonize in the short period during which they’re exposed, due to the hardness of the material. All Rights Reserved. For panels thicker than 1 inch, 10d nails should be used. Read The Balance's editorial policies. Answer:  When we build an addition we use ¾” tongue and groove plywood and we seal it with a water seal product. 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