700 rub

RUB 2,500

260 rub.

RUB 4,800

RUB 2,300

RUB 1,400

3,000 rub.

RUB 2,590

RUB 2,000 RUB 2,200

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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 talking about what is better: chipboard or plywood, you should define 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.

Basic parameters

So, what is better for the floor - chipboard or plywood?

Let's look at all the characteristics in order.

1. 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;

1. Strength indicators.

The answer to the question of what is stronger than chipboard or plywood is somewhat ambiguous:

• Plywood is quite hard and at the same time flexible material, which is easy to process with your own hands;

• But chipboard, although it has higher bending strength, crumbles during processing and holds screws in less well;

1. Thermal insulation properties. Here everything is decided by the thermal conductivity coefficient characteristic of these materials:

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. Soundproofing. Chipboard absorbs much better excess noise that disturbs your peace;
2. 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;
3. 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 large number 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 your specific situation and 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.

Sheet materials made on the basis wood veneer or shavings, are very often used for constructing a subfloor, leveling the surface for finishing, as well as for sound and heat insulation. At the same time, you often have to decide: what is better – plywood or chipboard? Let's try to answer this question.

To do this, you need to understand how and what these materials are made of, what properties they have and how they behave during operation.

Features and characteristics of materials

Composition and structure

Both plywood and chipboard are made primarily of wood. But the first material is more natural and contains less glue.

The main difference between plywood and chipboard:

• Plywood is layers of natural veneer glued together from not the most expensive types of wood: pine, spruce, birch. There can be three or more such layers, the thickness of the material depends on their number.
• Chipboard consists of wood waste - sawdust and small shavings mixed with glue and pressed into sheets. It is clear that much more glue is required to produce it.

Features and Benefits

To answer the question of what is better for the floor - chipboard or plywood, let's compare the characteristics of these materials.

• Plywood is aesthetically more attractive. In some cases, it is also used as a finishing coating, covered with paint or varnish.

• Chipboards, even treated special compounds or painted, have worse moisture resistance. Unlike plywood, they do not return to their original shape after being soaked in water.
• Chipboard is less resistant to abrasion and can crumble over time under load. In addition, it holds fasteners – screws and nails – less well.
• But the advantages of particle boards include better bending strength than plywood, and higher heat and sound insulation properties.
• It is also important to take into account such characteristics of materials as price. For chipboard it is much lower.

Yet none of these materials have sufficient moisture resistance, and with constant exposure to moisture they can rot and become a breeding ground for fungus and mold, leading to deterioration finishing coating. Therefore, it is better to use them in dry, heated rooms.

Advice. For subfloor installations in wet rooms, OSB is more suitable - oriented strand boards, which are characterized by high moisture resistance.

As for the ease of installation, both materials are easy to lay with your own hands using standard tools home handyman. into fragments of the desired shape and size.

Attention! When sawing chipboard, fine toxic dust is generated, so this must be done using a respirator or other protective equipment.

Based on the information above, it is difficult to make an unambiguous conclusion about whether plywood or chipboard is better for the floor. Everyone can independently evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these materials and decide which one to use.

Technology for constructing a subfloor from sheet materials

Sheet materials can be laid on old coverings (plank floors, linoleum), on screed-leveled floors or on joists. In the first two cases, in addition to fastening with screws, glue is used.

Flooring on screed

Cement screed done to level the surface. To do this, using a level, a line is drawn on the walls along the perimeter of the room, which will serve as a guide for the height of the screed.

Then bars are laid on the base, forming a grid of squares with a side length of about 1 meter. Their thickness should be slightly less than the thickness of the future screed.

Next, a cement-sand mortar is prepared in a ratio of 1:3, which is poured into the mesh cells and smoothed.

Please note. To prevent the screed from cracking, it is necessary to ensure that a certain level of humidity is maintained during drying. For this purpose it is covered plastic film and leave for 7-10 days.

After the solution has dried, the instructions require priming the surface with bitumen mastic and letting it dry. After this, you can begin laying the subfloor.

The sheets are laid on a surface greased with glue with a slight indentation from the walls and with a gap between them of 2-3 mm, necessary for temperature and humidity expansion. They should be laid out with offset joints: the corners of four sheets should not meet at one point.

After laying the chipboard or plywood on the floor, it is drilled and screwed to the base, first in the center, then along the perimeter.

Laying on joists

This method is less labor-intensive and more environmentally friendly. If necessary, insulation or soundproofing material is laid between the joists.

However, thicker and stronger sheets must be placed on the joists to avoid their deformation. What is stronger - chipboard or plywood? This depends on the thickness of the sheet and the distance between the joists.

For example, 12 mm plywood can be placed on a solid base, and at least 20 mm on logs, provided that the distance between them is no more than 40 cm. The thickness of the chipboard should also be 18-22 mm.

Sequence of work:

1. Draw a diagram for laying lags depending on the size of the sheet material (see also article). The joints of the sheets should be on the center lines of the joists. In this case, take into account the shift of the sheets to offset the seams. You should end up with a mesh with a cell size of 30-50 cm.
2. Lay longitudinal joists on the floor and level them using spacers. Secure.

Attention! The distance between the wall and the outer joists should be no more than 30-40 mm.

1. Mark the position cross beams and attach them to the longitudinal ones with nails driven diagonally.

1. Place the first sheet in the corner of the room, retreating from the walls by 10-15 mm. So that when attaching to intermediate joists it does not go astray center line, mark the edges of the sheet with a pencil, corresponding to the middle of the bars, and connect them with a straight line. Screw in the self-tapping screws along these lines in increments of 100-150 mm, recessing the caps into the body of the material. Then secure the sheet around the perimeter. It is best to use an electric screwdriver.
2. Mount the remaining sheets in the same way, leaving a gap of 2-3 mm between them. If it is not there, the floors may begin to creak over time.

1. When using tongue and groove sheets, there is no need to leave a gap. In this case, the tongue and groove joints are lubricated with glue and compacted by tapping each other with a mallet.
2. Remember to offset the sheets to prevent the four seams from intersecting at one point, and to leave a gap between them and the wall. Subsequently, they will be covered with a plinth.

It remains to be said that when laying in rooms where increased humidity is possible, sheet materials before laying it is necessary to cover with drying oil or other protective equipment. If the room is dry, then from the point of view of cost savings and ease chipboard processing Better on the floor than plywood.

Conclusion

In any case, the home owner has to make a choice in favor of this or that material or the method of its installation, taking into account his own capabilities and requirements for the coating. The information presented above will only help you decide. And in the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

Similar materials

When laying floors, popular and inexpensive materials such as plywood and chipboard are often used. Basically, they are used for the rough layer. And sometimes such coverage becomes the main one in country houses, on loggias and verandas, and at the same time it looks quite stylish.

Those who are planning to finish the floor often have a question - which is better, plywood or chipboard? The materials are similar in many ways, and to understand it, you need to analyze all the pros and cons.

What is the difference between plywood and chipboard?

Both materials contain wood. But plywood is called more environmentally friendly. And here's why:

Plywood - layers of veneer firmly glued together. Essentially, the material consists of the thinnest sheets of inexpensive wood and synthetic layers.

• And chipboard is a chipboard made from compressed small shavings. In this case, much more glue is used.

Both of these materials are used as a rough substrate for laminate, parquet, linoleum and other floor coverings. Using chipboard or plywood, the surface is leveled and insulated. The result is a higher quality, stronger and more durable coating.

Plywood or chipboard: advantages and disadvantages of materials

What will happen best choice- Chipboard or plywood - depends on what coating properties you need.

For example, it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of what is stronger - plywood or chipboard. Plywood is better able to withstand direct mechanical impacts and is resistant to abrasion. But chipboard begins to deteriorate over time. In addition, on particle boards Nails, screws and self-tapping screws do not hold well - the material crumbles. But chipboard is considered stronger in bending.

When it comes to moisture resistance, plywood wins here. Even if chipboard is impregnated with a special solution, it will still be more vulnerable in conditions of high humidity.

Both plywood and chipboard do not tolerate moisture well. In rooms with high humidity Mold often forms on them. Materials are susceptible to rotting. Therefore, before installation they should be treated with an antiseptic. And if the humidity is very high, it is better to use OSB for the subfloor.

Chipboard has the best sound and heat insulation properties. If this is an important parameter for your subfloor, it is better to choose particle board.

If we take into account the issue of price, high quality plywood will cost more than chipboard. But plywood can also be used for finishing, because its aesthetic appeal is much higher. For example, in country houses, on loggias and balconies, a varnished plywood floor looks stylish and beautiful.

After analyzing the properties of both materials, brief conclusions can be drawn.

Advantages of plywood:

• abrasion resistant;
• more moisture resistant;
• fasteners hold better;
• aesthetically pleasing and looks good under varnish.

Advantages of chipboard:

• stronger in bending;
• better suited for heat and sound insulation;
• cheaper.

Installation features

Both materials are easy to install. However, there are some nuances.