Plywood vs. OSB: Protecting Sub-Flooring From Rain

When it comes to installing sub-flooring, one concern rises to the top for many professionals: rain. No matter your geographical area, dealing with some amount of water in sub-floor panels during the installation process is inevitable. That's why it's important to know how to protect the sub-floor during construction and how to prevent water pooling on sub-floor panels.

 Here, we’ll take a look at a few common sub-flooring materials, including plywood, commodity OSB and LP Legacy^® Premium Sub-Flooring, to see how they stand up to rainfall and moisture during construction. Read on to see what the pros have to say, too!

Plywood, OSB and LP Legacy^® Premium Sub-Flooring

Check out the table below to compare plywood vs. OSB-and see how LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring stacks up to the competition.

Read more about how OSB compares to plywood.

Learn How LP Legacy^® Premium Sub-Flooring Stands Up to Rain From Our Experts

Kyle Stumpenhorst, owner and contractor at Rural Renovators, put an LP Legacy^® sub-flooring panel to the ultimate test: submerging it underwater for three weeks. 

Even after being in a pool for almost a month, the product “still performed just as well as a brand-new piece of LP Legacy sub-flooring,” Stumpenhorst mentions. Watch the video to see the full test!

LP Legacy Covered Until It’s Covered^® Warranty

In addition to its unique manufacturing process, LP Legacy panels are backed by an industry-leading Covered Until It’s Covered^® No-Sand Warranty. This protects the panels from installation until the time when finished flooring is installed over the sub-flooring panels. By including such a robust warranty with the product, LP shows confidence in LP Legacy sub-flooring’s ability to withstand moisture on the jobsite. 

For builders wondering how to protect sub-floor from rain, a product like LP Legacy sub-flooring is truly the best place to begin. Because it uses water-resistive resins made with Gorilla Glue Technology^®, LP Legacy sub-flooring stands up to moisture better than other sub-flooring options, such as plywood or commodity OSB.

Often, builders might ask, "Does wet sub-floor need to be replaced?" after a particularly heavy rain, and the answer for LP Legacy panels will most often be "no." As Stumpenhorst demonstrated, even the most extreme moisture doesn't prevent the panels from performing as intended. Furthermore, sweeping standing water off the sub-floor will help assure a good flooring result.

Ultimately, protecting a build's sub-flooring from the effects of rain begins with choosing the right product for the job. LP Legacy panels offer the water resistance and the limited warranty you need to build with confidence-even in the rain.

Check out our LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring product page for more information on how our sub-flooring will protect your build from rain.