New shed. Is it a good idea to creosote the OSB floor?

[Creative99]

Hi
I got a 7’ x 5’ shiplap shed from Argos ( supplied by Mercia sheds) but it’s got an OSB floor only 10mm thick, is it a good idea to creosote the bottom and sides of the OSB floor before assembly or is OSB sufficiently water resistant? I have some traditional creosote left.

The shed will be sitting on a solid concrete base with concrete blocks or 3x3 wooden beams between the base and shed floor.
The sides will be pained with Cuprinol shades Seagrass paint.

Could creosote cause any problems with the resin that binds OSB?

What are your opionins on OSB shed floors?

Has anyone else got a shed like this?

Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

10mm is very light for a floor. What are you using the shed for? If you wish to spend any time in it it would probably be unwise to use creosote (whether creosote or creocote) because it'll still stink years after.

 

[Creative99]

Will be used as a tiny hobby workshop and storage.

 

[MikeG.]

Please see my shed thread, linked to in my signature, for a concrete free base for your shed. Sitting it on a solid base, as you propose, will guarantee that it only lasts a few years. 10mm is too thin for a floor. I would fit 18mm OSB directly on top of that before doing anything else to the shed.

What are you hoping to achieve by creosoting the floor (other than making the building uninhabitable due to the smell)?

 

[ColeyS1]

Sounds like he's just gonna creosote the underside of the floor.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Woody2Shoes]

IME preservative - even something as toxic as creosote - only delays the ultimate demise of timber which is allowed to get, and stay, wet.

The best thing is to keep the floor dry - and ventilated, so that when it does get wet (they all do at some point) it quickly dries out again. I'd also second the suggestion to upgrade to 18mm OSB 3 (more durable than OSB 2).

Cheers, W2S

 

[rafezetter]

For not much more cost would it be possible to add some pressure treated battens to the underside - possibly even add DPS strips to that - for the added extra cost you'll add years to the life. Even if the shed walls are set on the concrete with no air gap (with DPC I hope!) you'll still get airflow under the floor with the door open, enough to slow down degredation. Align the battens so they are end on to the door opening.