Particleboards have been around as a cost-effective building material since the 40s, and this reliable product has been a staple in construction and furniture-building ever since. If you’ve owned a cabinet or desk at home or at work, there’s a high chance you’ve already used particleboard furniture. In this blog, we’ll be guiding you on how you can use particleboards as flooring for your Perth home.
What is a particleboard?
Unlike natural wood panels, particleboards are composite products made out of wood residuals such as wood chips, wood shavings, and sawdust that have been bonded together by a synthetic resin and pressed under high pressure and heat to form flat and even panels.
Bigger pieces of wood residuals, like the chips and shavings, comprise the core of the panel, while finer particles, such as sawdust, wrap around it to provide a smoother surface for the final finish.
For the finish of a particleboard, it can be laminated with decorative paper that usually has a woodgrain pattern, veneered with a thin sheet of real wood, or coated with melamine, which is a plastic resin.
Types of Particleboards
Just like other wood products, particleboards come in a wide variety. The following is a brief overview of the types of particleboards that you can encounter when going through your options.
Standard particleboard
As the name suggests, this is a raw particleboard that has no surface finish. Due to this, it’s often used as a core material that should be covered with a laminate, veneer, or melamine coating.
Faced particleboard
Unlike standard particleboards, these already have a protective outer coating. The three most common types you’ll encounter are the following:
- Laminated – These are covered with laminate sheets that come in a range of designs, oftentimes using a woodgrain pattern to still mimic the appearance of genuine wood, or other decorative patterns to suit anyone’s aesthetics.
- Veneered – In contrast to laminates that try to look like real wood, veneers use thin sheets of real wood as an outer layer to give the look and feel of solid wood at a lower price point.
- Melamine-coated – Instead of going after woodgrain patterns, melamine-coated particleboards sport a smooth plastic finish that can come in a variety of colours.
Cement-bonded particleboard
While particleboards are commonly made by mixing the wood particles with resin, cement-bonded particleboards are mixed with cement to offer a stronger product with better moisture, fire, and pest resistance when compared to normal particleboards.
Moisture-resistant particleboard
This particleboard is made with additional special resins and chemicals to improve its moisture-resistance, especially in environments where it can get quite humid or damp. While moisture-resistant, it is still not fully waterproof.
What is particleboard flooring?
When talking about particleboard flooring, it’s not actually the floor you’ll be walking on when your house or renovation is finished. Particleboard flooring is the house’s subflooring, the structural layer that rests on top of the floor joists, where your finished flooring would go over. Using particleboard flooring creates a level and even surface that’s ready for the final flooring that you want.
Advantages of particleboard flooring
As mentioned above, particleboards are cost-effective building materials in relation to their other counterparts, such as real wood, plywood, or medium-density fibreboard (MDF).
Aside from its relatively cheap upfront cost, it’s also quite easy to install, needing only either nails or adhesive to attach it to the joists of your home.
Lastly, because it’s made from wood residuals, it’s an eco-friendly alternative to fully wooden products, leading to fewer trees being cut and recycling any wood waste into a new and affordable product.
Considerations on particleboard flooring
While particleboard is a great choice when going over your options for your Perth home, there are some features you need to consider regarding particleboard flooring.
For instance, because it’s a composite material that uses wood residuals, it might not offer the structural strength you need for some projects.
Furthermore, if not treated properly, particleboards can be vulnerable to moisture. Once the outer layer of the particleboard is penetrated, the internal wood particles will begin to swell and crumble.
How to prolong your particleboards’ lifespan
Even if you don’t plan to use particleboard flooring in high-moisture environments, it’s still a good idea to waterproof your particleboards just to be safe from unexpected exposure to water.
Here are the basic steps to waterproof your particleboards:
- Sand down the particleboard to create a smooth surface for the sealant to adhere to. Remove any excess dust from sanding afterwards.
- Choose your desired sealant and apply an even coat across the entire panel, from its flat surface to its edges.
- Allow to dry each time before adding an additional layer of coating.
Why WA builders choose Laminex particleboard for flooring.
For a robust and reliable particleboard for flooring, Laminex Particleboard Flooring (Moisture Resistant) is a go-to choice for builders, tradies, and DIYers working on Perth projects.
This Laminex particleboard flooring is highly recommended as it comes not just with a moisture-resistant surface coating, but is made of 19mm thick boards designed specifically for moisture resistance. It features a factory-applied wax seal on all their edges, and a full tongue-and-groove joining system for structural rigidity.
Available in a variety of thicknesses and grades, Laminex Particleboard Flooring sheets are great for:
- ground-floor and upper-storey structural flooring
- platform floor construction
- framed builds using timber, steel, or LVL
- substrate for carpet, vinyl, laminate, and engineered timber.
Get quality supplies with trusted particleboard suppliers in Perth
When you’re looking for suppliers of building materials for your DIY renovations or new projects, it’s important to choose a reputable business that stocks the best brands and materials available. Westgyp Building Supplies has been trusted by local tradies, builders, and more for 30 years and counting. We stock a wide selection of high-quality materials, ranging from small DIY staples to bigger construction must-haves.
With our team of experts, we’re sure to help and guide you through any project you plan to do, be it a DIY repair or a full-blown home renovation.
Visit us at 39 Ledgar Rd, Balcatta, WA and view our extensive selection of building materials, or contact us today.