What is the soil for OSB boards and how to apply it?

The need to choose the right soil for OSB-plates arises in cases where the material is planned to be subjected to subsequent decorative finishing. Initially, this material, due to a special impregnation, has not too high adhesion characteristics.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to improve the adhesion performance of OSB boards. It is possible to choose a suitable soil for OSB only taking into account the peculiarities of the method of further finishing. For example, in humid conditions, a deep penetration agent with insulating properties will be required. Antiseptic primer will help where there is a high risk of mold or mildew formation: mainly on the surface of external walls and other structures that are exposed to the weather. Compositions of the "betonokontakt" type help to improve adhesion with mortars and adhesives for laying tiles. The main types of popular soils for OSB should be considered in more detail.

• Acrylic. This type of soil belongs to water-soluble compounds, absolutely non-toxic and safe to use when carrying out indoor or outdoor work. By its properties, acrylic primer can be strengthening and penetrating, while it has an antiseptic effect on the material. The surface can be sanded or painted after processing, and with preliminary tinting, additional decor may not be needed at all.

• Alkyd. Primers of this type are intended exclusively for outdoor use, contain dissolved resinous substances that form a smooth polymer film after drying. The alkyd base can be tinted, applied as a layer that increases the weather resistance of the material. This type of primer is suitable as a base for painting with enamels.

• Adhesive. This category of soils provides a significant increase in adhesion, increases the surface strength of OSB-plates. The material becomes less porous and its service life is extended. Adhesive primers are most often marked "contact", indicating good adhesion to any coating.

• Detoxifying. This type of OSB board primer has the ability to absorb potentially hazardous and toxic fumes. Detoxifying mixture in the form of a paste intended for internal use, applied with a spatula, forming a film on the surface of the material. When phenol and formaldehyde are released, the soil absorbs them, preventing them from entering the atmosphere. Modern materials include metal oxides and polymer binders.

• Penetrating. They are designed for inexpensive OSB boards with a loose structure that need additional reinforcement. These primers protect against moisture, improve the adhesion characteristics of materials.

• "Betonokontakt". Such mixtures have in their structure cement and silica sand particles combined with synthetic polymers. Provides high adhesion when filling, laying tiles.

On sale there is a wide selection of soils for external and internal walls, floors, ceiling structures coated with OSB slabs. Many of them are made by large foreign brands, but there are also Russian developments that deserve attention. There are several brands that can be recommended for selection.

• Ceresit. It is a recognized leader in the market for building mixtures and coatings. It is this brand that produces the famous "betonokontakt", as well as a wide range of other primer products.

• Soppka. A company from St. Petersburg introduces innovative technologies and materials to the market. Primers of this brand for OSB boards are environmentally friendly, after application they become transparent.

• Olimp. The company manufactures a popular white acrylic primer for indoor and outdoor use.

• TM "Primer". The company is positioned as a manufacturer of professional construction chemicals. The range of the brand includes acrylic primers for interior work: deep penetration, antifungal, antiseptic.

For OSB-3 - the most popular slabs of this group, suitable for indoor and outdoor work - you need to select a primer taking into account all possible factors. The main one is the definition of the subsequent finishing method. It is he who influences what adhesion characteristics the surface of the board should have. The choice of soil for OSB when performing work indoors must be carried out following certain recommendations.

• For pasting with paper, vinyl or non-woven wallpaper. In this case, you need to use water-based formulations, which will subsequently make it easy to dissolve the adhesive layer. The best solution would be to use acrylic primer.
• For staining. If polyurethane paints and varnishes are applied, the surface of the board does not need to be primed first. The coating will already lie in a dense, even layer. Any suitable facade primer can be applied under the alkyd paint, but such compounds themselves are not the best choice for interior decoration. Acrylic-based mixes require the same primer.
• Under putty. The choice is up to the master. Indoors, it is better to use odorless acrylic primers, attaching a special painting net to them. This combination will provide an even distribution of the putty, good adhesion of the applied composition to the surface of the OSB board.
• Under the tiles. It is required to use special moisture-proof primers to isolate OSB from the effects of a humid environment. A good solution would be to use epoxy-based water-repellent facade coatings. A mixture of "concrete contact" class is applied on top of the coating, which facilitates the subsequent fastening of the tile.

In order for the material to increase its protective properties, you can treat the slab with a universal acrylic primer from the very beginning. The transparent composition will not interfere with subsequent finishing. But with its help, it will be possible to significantly increase the readiness of the wood board to adhere to other materials. Detoxifying primers will also be a useful addition to sleeping rooms. With their help, you can completely eliminate the possible negative impact of phenol and formaldehyde contained in the boards on the environment.

The primer for the OSB-board outside also has its own characteristics. For facade work, specialized parquet mixtures on an alkyd basis are used. They are applied in several layers, providing fairly high protective characteristics of the material surface.

For painting, for tiles or other types of finishes, OSB boards are prepared using primer. It can be thick, pasty, like putty, as is the case with detoxifying blends.But much more often the master has to deal with liquid ready-made or dissolving soils. The features of their use should be discussed in more detail. The work is carried out step by step.

• Checking and inspection of the rough part of the sheet. If necessary, it is subjected to a primer, since after fixing it will be impossible to do this.
• Installation of material. It is attached to the surface of the log or solid base using self-tapping screws.
• Face layer processing. It is removed by grinding with abrasive materials. The coating is processed with the P180 nozzle. Its abrasive properties are sufficient to remove the film applied to the board under the conditions of the manufacturing plant.
• Dust removal. All small particles must be carefully removed to ensure the surfaces are perfectly clean.
• Preparing the primer. Before application, it is thoroughly mixed, if necessary, diluted or tinted. The prepared composition is poured into a cuvette, from where it will be convenient to collect during operation.
• Primer application. It can be spread over the surface of the board with a narrow brush or roller. In the process of work, it is important to pay attention to how evenly the composition lays down, to avoid the formation of streaks and streaks. All work is carried out in 1 day to ensure uniform absorption and drying of the soil.
• Drying. Once the mixture is completely distributed over the entire surface of the OSB, you need to leave it for a while. It usually takes at least 8 hours to dry completely. Acrylic options acquire hardness a little faster, alkyd ones take at least a day. With multi-layer application, it is necessary to withstand the allotted time every time, as soon as a new portion of the primer is on the surface of the material.
• Putty. It is used to cover the joints, detected defects, and the attachment points for self-tapping screws. After the putty has dried, you can proceed to the subsequent finishing work.

Considering all these recommendations, it is possible to easily cope with the application of primer to the surface of OSB boards. If the work is done correctly, the material will be reliably protected from external influences. In addition, the adhesion performance of OSB will be significantly improved.