All photos from the article
Let's find out what is better suited for forming a subfloor in a residential area: plywood or chipboard. Both materials have mass positive qualities, which often makes it very difficult to choose. In this review, we will look at all their main characteristics in order to try to give the most comprehensive answer to the question posed.
Comparison
Before we talk about what better than chipboard or plywood, you should decide on the concepts themselves:
Definitions
- Plywood or wood-laminated board is a kind of “layer cake”, in which the layers are coated with special glue;
- Chipboard is an abbreviation for particle board. This material is made from wood waste in the form of shavings and sawdust, which are mixed with glue and then pressed into convenient sheets.
The first difference between chipboard and plywood that catches your eye is the presence of a much larger amount of glue in the structure, which dramatically affects many performance indicators.
Main settings
So, what is better for the floor - chipboard or plywood?
Let's look at all the characteristics in order.
- Appearance:
- The wood-laminated board has an original textured pattern inherent in wood and a pleasant to the eye shade, which allows it to be used even for the formation of finishing;
- The appearance of chipboard is very specific and is usually not put on public display, since it is a compressed chip mass;
- Strength indicators.
The answer to the question of what is stronger than chipboard or plywood is somewhat ambiguous:
- Plywood is a fairly hard and at the same time flexible material that is easy to work with your own hands;
- But chipboard, although it has higher bending strength, crumbles during its processing and holds screws in less well;
- Thermal insulation properties. Here everything is decided by the thermal conductivity coefficient characteristic of these materials:
- Environmental friendliness. In order to answer the question of what is more environmentally friendly: chipboard or plywood, you should pay attention to the amount of glue used in the manufacture of both materials, because it may contain harmful formaldehydes. From the definition it is clear that particle board uses a significantly larger amount of adhesive solution, but a wood-laminated product cannot be called environmentally friendly either;
Advice: when purchasing the materials in question for use in a residential area, pay attention to the presence of marks about their environmental friendliness.
If they are absent, it is recommended not to take risks.
| Marking | Content harmful substances, mg/100 g |
| E0 | Less than 6 |
| E1 | 7-9 |
| E2 | 10-20 |
- Installation instructions. Installation of both subfloor options is quite easy on our own. The sheets are not overly heavy, they are easy to cut and lay into a continuous covering, after which they are fixed with ordinary self-tapping screws;
Advice: when cutting chipboard, be sure to use a respirator and safety glasses to protect your eyes and respiratory organs from the toxic dust generated at this moment.
- Moisture resistance. In this matter, the difference between plywood and chipboard is quite noticeable:
- Wood-laminated board has good resistance to excessive humidity due to the presence of layers of glue;
- Chipboard, although it contains an even larger amount of adhesive solution, does not have a solid wood structure. Sawdust that comes into contact with moisture swells and never returns to its shape;
Tip: both materials have the inherent hydrophobicity of wood, so it is recommended to use them in dry, heated rooms to avoid rotting and mold.
- Soundproofing. Chipboard absorbs much better unnecessary noise that interferes with your peace;
- Price. What is cheaper: chipboard or plywood when creating a rough base? Of course, the first option, which is made, in fact, from waste, which cannot be expensive. But for the production of wood-laminated products, veneer sheets are needed, which increases the cost of the finished product;
- Flammability. Both options pose a danger in the event of a fire, as they are prone to fire. In addition, during the combustion process they will release a large amount of toxic substances, which will only worsen the situation.
Combination
The most significant advantage of chipboard over plywood is low price. Plus, it’s also worth adding bending strength and sound insulation. In other respects, it is significantly inferior. But it is also worth noting that there is also combined option of these two materials - veneered chipboard.
As a result, we get a sample that:
- Better protected from negative impact excessive moisture, crumbling and abrasion of the plywood layer;
- It is cheaper than a full-fledged wood-laminated board, since the inside consists of shavings;
- Looks aesthetically pleasing;
- It has excellent thermal insulation and noise-absorbing properties.
Conclusion
So, chipboard or plywood for the floor - which is better? Having understood all the main characteristics, we can conclude in favor of wood-laminated board. On the other hand, chipboard sheets will allow you to save significantly. In addition, some advantages, such as aesthetics, for example, will not be important for the rough foundation of a floor structure.
So make your choice according to specific situation and the allocated budget, and for special occasions You can always purchase veneered models that include the advantages of both products.
The video in this article contains some additional information that is directly related to the materials discussed. Make your choices wisely. If you have any questions regarding the above topic, you can ask them in the comments.
Knowledge of the main characteristics of the product makes it possible to evaluate all the pros and cons of the coating, which may affect subsequent cladding with decorative elements.
OSB
Oriented strand boards are becoming increasingly popular for rough work inside the home. They are produced by processing wood raw materials to obtain the right size, then binder resins and additional components are mixed into the resulting mass. The chips are laid in perpendicular layers. After pressing, the parts acquire the necessary parameters.
There are flat and tongue-and-groove OSB boards. When arranging the floor, it is better to use the tongue-and-groove option, since even sheets are laid with a damping gap, which must subsequently be filled with sealant OSB board includes four main types depending on performance characteristics:
- Products of categories 1 and 2 are suitable for laying on the floor in rooms with stable humidity and without heavy loads.
- Panels included in groups 3 and 4 are moisture resistant, which significantly expands the scope of their use. They cope well with impacts, but parts of the third category are more accessible due to cost.
Although such boards are usually used for preliminary leveling of a horizontal surface before further finishing, OSB can play an independent decorative role.
OSB-3 slabs are sufficient for floor covering, while in dry rooms you can save money by using OSB-2, universal plates OSB-4 is expensive, and OSB-1 is intended only for walls and ceilings in warm rooms
Plywood
Nowadays such material is used much less frequently; the emergence of modern finishing and construction products has reduced the demand for the product. This is explained at a high price slabs due to manufacturing technology: for the production of multi-layer sheets, natural veneer from various tree species is used. For structural reliability, the layers are glued together perpendicularly. The result is a material that is strong and resistant to various types of influences.
Plywood has been produced on an industrial scale for more than 100 years; such a respectable age determines a wide range of products with high performance characteristics. Like the previous option, plywood comes in four grades:
- 1st category. This plywood has no defects. This is a very expensive variety, so it is used extremely rarely. Suitable for finishing work when it is necessary to create a floor surface for subsequent varnishing.
- 2nd category. The panels have minor deviations from the norm. Used for unfinished flooring in domestic premises.
- Category 3. Such products are not subject to grinding, have visible knots, cracks and small irregularities, and are well suited as a base for rough work.
- Category 4. The lowest quality products, which have numerous defects. It is not recommended to be used for flooring.
Therefore, when choosing a material, pay attention to the structure of the front covering.
It makes sense to use grade 1 only if plywood is coming for a final coating; for a subfloor or underlay, 2 or 3 grades are sufficient, while it is not advisable to use grade 4 for floor cladding
Chipboard
Particle boards are made from waste from the production of more expensive lumber or the discarding of non-valuable tree species. After cleaning and drying, the raw material is crushed to the required fraction and tarred. Under the influence of the press and high temperatures sheets are formed.
The products include many varieties, among which the laminated version stands out the most. But to level the horizontal base, raw parts are used with or without sanding. At the moment, waterproof tongue and groove products are the most popular and preferred. Due to the tight alignment, it is possible to obtain a single plane, so this is a good option for bases that have some deviations.
The recently introduced moisture-resistant tongue-and-groove chipboard is excellent for both subfloors and finishing cladding. Fibreboard (hardboard)
Fiberboards belong to the economy class. For roughing and finishing work, a hard type of material is used, which is produced by the “wet” method. The prepared raw materials are crushed to the desired state, then binders and modifying components are added. The mass is kept in a special pool, after which it is pressed under pressure under the influence of temperature.
Hardboard is also divided into categories that differ in the degree of hardness and the facing layer. The moisture-resistant version is impregnated with paraffin. Laying fiberboard on the floor is not difficult, but it cannot be used to create rough coating when laying on joists, since it does not have required thickness. This material is well suited for leveling underlayment under linoleum or parquet. But hardboard can act independently as a cladding with subsequent painting.
When tiling the floor fiberboard sheets different densities can only be used as a substrate or temporary option
MDF
Based on their base, medium-density fiberboards can be classified as fiberboard, but they are produced using the “dry” method. To do this, the raw material goes through all stages of preparation without the use of water, and at the last stage it is pressed under the influence of temperature.
To properly lay such a slab on the floor, it is necessary to carefully prepare the base. Although, unlike the previous option, the panels are thicker, due to their structure they are not suitable for creating a truly rigid base. MDF is used much less frequently than plywood or OSB, due to its high cost.
Traditional MDF boards used only as wall and furniture material, and for flooring they use a laminate based on high-density MDF, but these boards are labeled as HDF Comparison of characteristics
To choose the most suitable option for draft or finishing floor structure, it is necessary to take into account the basic parameters of the product.
Environmental friendliness
Health safety is one of the main factors. The indicators of wood-based panel materials comply with the standards reflected in standardization documents.
Because the outer side All materials are finished, harmful fumes are minimized.
On a note! To completely protect yourself from harmful effects, when purchasing, you should check for certificates of conformity.
Strength
To choose the most reliable option, you need to take into account the density and structure of the product:
It is difficult to compare all products on this parameter, since they have different sizes.
Dimensions
The length and width of all varieties are approximately the same, so it is necessary to compare the thickness:
The thickness and structure of the parts also affects protection from sound penetration and heat retention. If the noise pollution is very strong, then it is recommended to give preference to medium-density fiberboards of maximum thickness. They also serve additional thermal insulation, how they are similar to OSB.
Price
The difference in the price of materials depends on many factors: production method, raw materials used, additional treatments, size and even place of sale.
To ensure that the total work budget does not amount to too significant an amount, it is necessary to immediately determine the scope of application of each type of product.
Easy to install
Laying wood boards is not difficult; it does not require professional skills or complex tools. The order of work depends on the specific situation:
- If it is being built frame structure, That the best option there will be an NDE.
- The light weight and thickness of hardboard make processing the fastest, but it is not suitable for serious leveling.
- Chipboard and OSB panels are cut and fixed almost identically. They are much easier to trim than MDF, which due to its dense structure offers more resistance.
- The most labor-intensive material to process is plywood. It will take much longer to place the product. It is more difficult to drill or adjust to size due to the presence of layers of natural wood in the structure.
All floor slabs are mounted on glue or joists, the only exception is the fiberboard covering: these sheets are not intended for laying on joists, they need a flat and durable base What material is better for the floor?
To choose the most suitable option The specifics of the room and the final coating are taken into account:
Thus, it is impossible to single out any one material. For getting best result and increasing the service life of the coating, it is preferable to combine products.
What to choose for the walls?
All wood panel products are suitable for installation on vertical surfaces. When choosing, the same requirements are observed as for the floor, with similar rules for placing materials depending on the room. The only exception is plywood; it is much less often used for working with walls. This is due to the high price and limited size range.
Why is the entrance so wet and why will the company look for what is cheaper and what it has http://dspnd.ru/product/27.htm Advantages of MDF boards - http://articles.m-strou.ru/article_5119.... Strength. MDF boards are not inferior in strength to natural wood, therefore they can be used for the manufacture of both decorative and fully functional structures. Moisture resistance. The density of the boards and their homogeneous internal structure, as well as the protective outer coating, make it possible to increase the moisture resistance of the products, which allows them to be wet cleaned without compromising quality. However, the use of MDF panels in bathrooms and swimming pools is not recommended. Decorative. Possibility of finishing with various materials (painting, lamination, veneering), as well as combinations in various ways finishing (veneering and painting) allows you to obtain unique designs to create exclusive interiors. Ease of processing. The density of MDF boards is 700-870 kg/m3, which makes it possible to process on milling machines and obtaining various reliefs: from simple ones - for furniture panels - to complex ones - in the production of 3D panels. Durability. MDF panels do not warp, crack or dry out due to temperature changes. Thanks to special impregnations, they are not exposed to insect pests, fungus and mold. Decorative and protective coating does not require additional maintenance - touch-up painting, varnishing, etc. If the operating rules are followed, MDF products can serve their owners for several decades. PLYWOOD is a layered material consisting of sheets of peeled veneer glued together. Peeled veneer – thin layer wood of a given thickness in the form of a strip obtained by peeling wood on peeling machines. In this case, a cylindrical piece of wood (block) makes rotational movement, and the tool (knife) is a translational movement in the direction of the axis of rotation of the material. Peeled veneer is made from birch, alder, aspen, pine, larch, cedar, oak, ash, beech, elm, and linden wood. Peeled veneer comes out from under the machine knife in the form of a continuous strip of a given thickness and width. To give the wood the necessary plasticity, before peeling, the logs are boiled in water heated to a temperature of 50-60 C. The veneer strip obtained as a result of peeling is cut with special scissors into sheets of a given format, which are then dried, cut, and sorted. Plywood is considered to be made from the type of wood from which its outer layers are made. Plywood has a number of advantages over lumber: it has almost equal strength in all directions; little warping and cracking; bends easily and is convenient for transportation; there are no through cracks in it; plywood sheets are large. Plywood is a very promising material, which last years is increasingly used not only traditionally in furniture production, aircraft and shipbuilding, but also in construction and interior decoration. Currently widely used as a basis for floor coverings under parquet, laminate, linoleum, carpet, while being an excellent heat and sound insulation of the floor. The use of plywood in design gives access to volume, allows you to go into three-dimensional space, and lighten the design, especially if it is something non-standard. Plywood is attractive due to its environmental friendliness; all over the world, especially in Europe, plywood products are considered as solid wood products.
Plywood and MDF boards are two popular options for finishing. Whenever an issue is resolved wooden furniture for your home, you need to decide what basic material will be used.
Exist various materials on the market, the most common of which are wood of various species, plywood, laminated chipboard and MDF.
Wood is an expensive material and is used for high quality furniture. Laminate boards have a very limited selection of colors and patterns.
The most commonly used materials for making furniture for home and office are plywood and MDF. Even though MDF is a relatively new product compared to plywood, it has captured a huge market and is now preferred over plywood.
Plywood
Wood has been used to make furniture since ancient times, but it was a time when wood was available in abundance, and as wood scarcity increased, plywood was invented for those who could not afford teak, walnut or mahogany furniture. Plywood is made from wood, but every piece of wood is used to minimize wood loss. Plywood has many advantages, such as a variety of sizes and thicknesses. It can easily be covered with paint or laminate in any color or pattern. Plywood production minimizes wood waste, but does not eliminate it.
MDF
MDF is an abbreviation for medium density fibreboard. Since the shortage of wood prompted the invention of plywood, MDF is another product that was invented as a wood substitute. MDF is made up of small pieces of wood that are broken down into wood fibers and then compressed into hydraulic press at very high blood pressure in the form of a board. MDF boards are manufactured in various thicknesses so that they can be easily used in various industries. These slabs have a very smooth surface and the furniture they make is of very high quality in terms of attractiveness. MDF is easily laminated in a variety of shapes and colors, or painted to your choice. MDF boards are made from wood fibers Therefore, they have very little potential for tightening screws.
Both plywood and MDF are made from wood and are used to make furniture for the home and office. Both of these products are widely used by furniture manufacturers around the world and provide flexible handling. The main difference is that plywood is made from solid wood, while MDF is made from wood fibers. Plywood available in large sizes than MDF boards. Plywood is much better for nailing and threading than MDF. For MDF fastenings a specific technique is used, and the plywood can simply be nailed or screwed into place. U MDF surface better suited for making furniture than plywood.
Summary:
1. Plywood is made from solid wood, while MDF is made from wood fibers.
2. In the production of plywood there is wood loss, and wood loss is zero in the production of MDF; it is also made by mixing various wood fibers.
3. Plywood comes in larger sizes than MDF boards. But MDF is more attractive and you can paint it any color you want.
4. Plywood can simply be nailed down with nails or self-tapping screws; when making furniture from MDF, a certain fastening technique is required.
5. Furniture made from plywood is stronger than furniture made from MDF.
All over the world, MDF is rapidly replacing plywood in the furniture industry. The shortage of wood in the coming years will be completely eliminated by plywood and MDF boards. The most big advantage is that in the production of MDF, wood waste is zero, it is also possible to mix wood fibers of different species, while plywood is made from one species and at a time. Both plywood and MDF are used in furniture, but MDF is now mainly used for furniture, while plywood is used as packaging material, since it is stronger than MDF boards. MDF is an environmentally friendly product; if you care about the environment, it is better to choose MDF for making furniture rather than plywood.
