What Is Floor Sheathing

Different plywoods use various materials and methods of manufacture depending on the application for which they re intended.

What is floor sheathing.

Plywood is usually used as subfloor today. When using carpet and pad the best option is sturd i floor which allows for completely bypassing installation of underlayment. Sheathing is the board or panel material used in floor wall and roof assemblies of both residential and commercial construction. The most basic function of sheathing in any application is to form a surface onto which other materials can be applied.

These strands of wood are arranged in layers that are bonded together with resin which helps produce a strong product osb or oriented strand board is unlike traditional plywood in that it has no laps gaps knots or voids. Plywood sheathing osb or plywood is often mistaken for plywood underlayment. We will discuss these types of plywood sheathing sub floors and plywood underlayment in this blog post. Used for sub floors exterior walls and roof decking osb sheathing is a structurally engineered board that is made up of compressed wood strands.

2015 michigan building code 23 wood 2304 general construction requirements 2304 8 floor and roof sheathing 2304 8 1 structural floor sheathing 2308 4 7 wood structural floor sheathing structural floor sheathing shall comply with the provisions of section 2304 8 1. A subfloor is a wooden structural substrate to which durable finished flooring is attached. There are many types sizes and configurations of plywood. They are not the same.

The material that you use on your floor must have a span rating. Plywood sheathing can either be osb or all plywood. Not required to provide structural support but often provides a type of supplementary support. Floor and roof sheathing conforming with this table shall be deemed to meet the design criteria of section 2304 7.

Rated sheathing or sturd i floor may be used with an underlayment for vinyl ceramic tile or fully adhered carpet. Floor covering or finish floor this is the visible floor the one you see and walk on and can be changed out. When you remove the floor covering you will see more flooring underneath possibly underlayment definitely subfloor. Uniform load deflection limitations 1 180 of span under live load plus dead load 1 240 under live load only.

A span rating is stamped on each piece of material you purchase. An underlayment is optional for rated sheathing or sturd i floor when used with hardwood. There are several types of sheathing each having a specific function based on its application.