# Forum Home Renovation Flooring  Exposed chipboard flooring

## quigs

Hi Folks, 
I am in the middle of (well, starting) an extension on my weekender.  With all plans approved etc I have laid the chipboard floor and I am about to start on the stud walls.  The issue is that I can only work on weekends, and the flooring is exposed to rain etc all week.  i tried putting up tarps but the wind destroyed them.  How long do I have before the chipboard starts to swell and fail? 
Quigs

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## Eastwing

It's not really a problem if it gets wet, you just need to make sure it does not stay wet. get a big squeegee and push the water off each day it gets wet.

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## Oldsaltoz

The boards will swell and even joints become small steps, Most builders get the external wall and roof up with sarking on the outer wall, than lay the floors. 
Double planks are used till the wall is enclosed and the roof on. 
I have seen the dodgy brothers run around a grind the sheet joins to hide this problem. 
Good luck.  :Smilie:

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## TimDavis

> Most builders get the external wall and roof up with sarking on the outer wall, than lay the floors.

  Not nowadays they don't. 
OHS practices mean that builders now lay a platform floor first (chipboard) to safely work on, and then erect frames, roof, cladding etc. next. 
Chipboard sheeting is usually pre-treated and is ok out in the weather for at least a few months. The sheeting will swell at the joins, this doesn't matter. It will dry out once the house is enclosed and then the joins are rough/level sanded prior to covering with carpet, vinyl, tiles or timber. The sanding is a very quick job. I usually rough sand a typical sized house floor in less than half a day.

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## Gaza

we have used cheap paint on waterproofing a few times to add an extra level of protection

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## Oldsaltoz

> we have used cheap paint on waterproofing a few times to add an extra level of protection

  "Protection"? 
I would advise you buy a lotto ticket in the morning, your a lucky basket weaver that you have not had a reaction and destroyed the waterproofing. 
Good luck.  :Smilie:

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## TimDavis

I know I'm repeating myself but it _doesn't matter_ if chipboard gets wet. Even repeatedly and constantly wet. Chipboard flooring is designed and manufactured to withstand at least a few months of exposure. Just sand level the raised joins as the last job in the building process prior to floor coverings. The sheeting will not be structurally compromised. Nearly all houses on stumps, bearers and joists are built this way nowadays. Just make sure the sheeting is properly nailed and glued to the joists. 
ps. it wasn't uncommon in the "old" days for a hardwood floor to be layed first and the rest of the house built on top later. Mind you hardwood was of a much better quality, density and stability than what is around now.

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## chrisp

> ps. it wasn't uncommon in the "old" days for a hardwood floor to be layed first and the rest of the house built on top later. Mind you hardwood was of a much better quality, density and stability than what is around now.

  It might depend upon what you define as "old days", but with a 'cut in' floor (as opposed to 'platform' floor), it was common to loose lay the flooring upside down to allow the plastering and whatever to be done.  When the walls/ceiling were finished, the flooring was flipped and nailed down. 
This protected the 'face' of the flooring during the construction of the building and probably also allowed the flooring to acclimatise somewhat before being fixed.

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