If you are planning on doing some flooring on your own, then you are also going to need a subfloor. That being said, there are some commonly used subflooring materials out there, but they just aren’t all built the same.
Two of the most common subflooring materials include OSB and Advantech. Today, we want to compare these two subflooring materials to see exactly what they have to offer, what makes them different, and which one is best.
OSB and Advantech: The Basics
Before we get to talking about similarities and differences, let’s first figure out what both OSB and Advantech are.
What Is OSB?
OSB stands for oriented strand board, which is a type of engineered wood. OSB is made by taking rectangular wood strands that are up to 15 cm in length, and here, real solid lumber is used, usually from trees that have wood that isn’t good enough to be used for other higher quality types of engineered wood.
OSB can be made out of a combination of both hardwood and softwood. These strands are then mixed with a type of waterproof resin and weaved together in thick mats.
These mats are then bonded together using high amounts of pressure and heat. OSB flooring is fairly heavy and dense, and also somewhat water resistant. OSB is also designed to be durable enough to be used as subflooring.
What Is Advantech?
We then have Advantech, which is another type of engineered wood panel. Remember that Advantech is also a brand name, not just a type of engineered wood. Advantech subflooring panels are high-performance panels designed to replace both OSB and plywood as the best subflooring options.
Advantech is made by using many layers of wooden strands, typically hardwood, which are mixed using special resin technology. Then, using a precision manufacturing process, it is pressed into panels using great amounts of heat and pressure.
The advanced liquid resin used to coat the wooden flakes during the manufacturing process allows for great moisture resistance, impact and damage resistance, weight-bearing capabilities, and more. Advantech is indeed one of the best options in terms of subflooring panels.
Similarities of OSB and Advantech
Now that we know what both OSB and Advantech are, let’s take a closer look at what makes them similar to each other.
1. They Are Engineered Wood
One of the most basic similarities shared by these two materials is that they are types of engineered wood. Both are made with real wood strands or flakes, which are then mixed with binders and adhesives, and then pressed into panels using heat and pressure. Both are technically types of wood. However, other than that, they really don’t share all that many similarities.
2. They Are Often Used as Subflooring
The other basic similarity shared by OSB and Advantech is that they are often used as subflooring materials. That said, as you are about to find out, due to the advanced qualities of Advantech, it is quickly outpacing OSB as the subflooring material of choice.
Differences Between OSB and Advantech
Now that we know what makes OSB and Advantech similar, let’s figure out what makes them different from each other.
1. The Manufacturing Process
One big difference between the two is how they are made. Although both are made with strands of real wood, Advantech is made with far higher quality resin. Also, the pressing and heating process is a little different as well, especially when it comes to precision manufacturing. This, therefore, results in the other differences that we will discuss below.
2. Durability
One of the main differences between these two materials is that OSB, although it is quite durable, is not as durable as Advantech subflooring. Advantech just has far greater strength and impact resistance than OSB. OSB will degrade much faster than Advantech subflooring, especially if we are talking about high-traffic areas.
3. Stiffness and Weight-Bearing Capabilities
Another big difference between the two is that Advantech subflooring is much stiffer and harder than OSB, and is able to bear much more weight as well. The result here is that floors underlaid with OSB can often feel a bit soft and flexible, whereas floors underlaid with Advantech subflooring are much stiffer. Yes, this does also have to do with durability. The bottom line is that Advantech can hold more weight without bending.
4. Moisture Resistance
Another big difference is that OSB, while it is somewhat water resistant, generally doesn’t perform that well in high-moisture areas. For this reason, it is slowly falling out of favor as a subflooring material of choice. On the other hand, due to the high-quality resin used in Advantech subflooring, it is nearly 100% waterproof. This means that it won’t absorb moisture and generally performs well in high-moisture areas.
5. Nail and Screw Holding
The next difference here is that due to the way in which Advantech flooring is made, it also tends to hold onto nails and screws much better than OSB, therefore making it a more reliable building material.
6. Weight
Because Advantech is fairly dense, it does have a bit more weight to it than OSB. It can be a bit harder to work with because of this.
7. Cost
The other main difference here is that due to its high-quality build, Advantech is significantly more expensive than OSB, sometimes even twice as expensive.
OSB vs. Advantech: Which Should You Use?
If you just need something affordable and decent as a subfloor, then OSB works just fine. However, if you are going for great durability, weight-bearing capabilities, and moisture resistance, then Advantech is the way to go.
Summary
Now that you know what the main differences between OSB and Advantech are, you can make an informed decision about which one to use for your next flooring project.
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