Particleboard exposed for more than 3 months

Due to some problems we have had in our project, and our life, it looks like I am going to have some yellow tongue particle board exposed to the weather for about 3.5-4 months.

All the manufacturer's material and the Australian Standard states that this particle board can be exposed for upto 3 months.

Is having the board exposed for more than 3 months a big problem? From looking at project homes going up in the area I have noticed the odd home have the particle board exposed for more than 3 months and the builders don't seem concerned.

I realise that I may have to sand the boards down to get it smooth, but I was more concerned with the boards deteriorating - especially those that have a load bearing wall on them. Some of the joists that are held up by the load bearing wall span a room of 5.4 metres and I would hate to have the particle board give way at some point in the future.

The boards look and feel OK at the moment. However, for peace of mind I am thinking of pulling up the boards that hold up the load bearing wall now and replacing them. Is this too drastic a move? It would only be about 4 boards.

cheers
Alex

You should try and cover it to protect it from the elements......

From the Laminex Group brochure on their particleboard flooring...
"Trade Essentials® Particleboard Flooring is capable of
withstanding general weathering for up to 3 months. To maintain
best practice, boards must be covered on building sites. It is
recommended to avoid where possible, exposure of the panels
to severe conditions, such as prolonged exposure to intense sun,
cyclic soaking rain etc, as these exposures have the potential to
alter the moisture gradient of the panels and may cause dimensional change, similar to natural timber."

and

"Once it is laid, Trade Essentials® Particleboard Flooring

may be exposed to the general effects of weather for up to
three months and still meet the requirements of
AS/NZS 1860.1 Part 1 Specifications for Class 1 flooring.
Water should not be allowed to lie on the flooring surface.
Sweep it off or drill drain holes in positions that will be
covered when the job is completed. It is recommended that

protection by roof and walls be provided as soon as possible."

Hi Alex

The manufacturers of yellow tongue also recommend sealing any cut ends on exterior walls, using floor adhesive. Hope all goes well.

redheeler

You have to be very careful how you cover them (if you decide to go that way) because it is very hard to seal it perfectly and you can trap water under the cover, which is worse than it getting wet and drying out a few times. The documentation with my yellow tongue specifically advised not to cover the boards.

Can't you just assess them in a few months when you get back into the job? The weather shoudl also be getting warmer from now, which may be a little better.

We put plastic over ours, but it wasn't exposed for very long - rained once I think. When the plastering was stopped, we went around with a stanley knife and cut along the walls, then rolled up the plastic and took all the plasterer's muck away with it.

All the joins were sealed before the plastic went on. I think if you seal the joins and the exposed ends, a bit more than 3 months is not going to be a major concern. It's an arbitrary number, isn't it?

Why don't you give them a call and ask what they think?

get some cheap left over paint and paint it and drill some small holes where water ponds or get some poly to cover it, wouldn't be fussed about loadbearing walls unless you can notice significant swelling. Biggest problem will be the joins, which you can always place another block beside the joist if you have to playne or sand to much off.