OSB nailed to asphalt parking lot?

[Perry Holbrook]

An unusual question, I know. I am in Richmond Va setting up an outdoor booth at the East Coast Sawmill and Logging Equipment Expo. The 70 x 70 booth is covered with wood chips and mulch and we have a 20 x 20 tent in the booth. I need to come up with a floor in the tent to cover the asphalt. We are considering laying OSB on the pavement and staining it. I think it will give the look I'm after, but I have a concern.

It is doubtful we will get thru the week end without some rain. If I just lay the OSB on the pavement, out of direct sun but under the tent (with no sides) .... will the OSB stay flat or curl up like plywood would probably do?

I could drive a few masonary nails into the asphalt to help hold it flat ( if show management allows me too). Or I may use T & G OSB which would help except on the edges.

So will OSB laying flat on asphalt or curl if it gets wet?

Thanks, Perry

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

You plan to knock holes in someone's asphalt you might want to consider making sure it's OK with them first. The stuff is not self-healing.

In the alternate you can always make a floating sub of 2*4s nail it together and lay a floor on that.

[Perry Holbrook]

Thanks Cliff. They drive 1" tent spikes in the asphalt, so I don't think a few nails will be a problem, but I would of course ask first. As far as the 2x4 sub frame, thats more work than I want to do for a 2 day show (tomorrow I'm building tempority fencing out of pressure treated 4x6). Any guess on the original question?

Perry

[Dino Makropoulos]

2 - 1/2" layers may do the trick.


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No reason to hit the pavement. Few screws and you have a low profile platform.

[chester stidham]

Yes it well last two days in the rain put the wax side down seal the top with a cheap deak seal and I wold think twice about P.T. wood for your fence remember it's poison theye use and people well be tuching it then they might eat with out washering there hands not a good idea with out painting it.:confused:

[Vaughn McMillan]

...The stuff is not self-healing...

Some asphalt can be...it depends on the mix design, particularly the percentage of oil and the ratio of sand to larger aggregate.

Perry, I've used OSB over carpet (don't ask...long story) as a floor under the mobile base of my TS for over a year. It's gotten moist (but not soaked) and stayed flat.

- Vaughn

[Perry Holbrook]

Dino, that's a good idea. Not sure if it fits the budget, but will consider.

Chester, do you think the nails will be necessary?
We plan to slap some stain on the PT fence.

Perry

[Matt Meiser]

I left a sheet of OSB leaning against the side of my shop a couple months the winter we moved into our house and even then it didn't warp significantly. Mostly it just swelled to about 1.5X its original thickness and got really weak. I think you'd be fine for a weekend. I can see nailing it down so it doesn't want to slide on the loose bits of gravel that the parking lot will probably have.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Perry, if memory serves me, there are two types of OSB, interior and exterior I guess although I'm not really sure what they are called. The one with the red edges has some type of water resistant coating which keeps it from soaking up water at least for a little while. It'll stay flatter if it rains.

[Chris Barton]

How about some outdoor carpeting? Cheaper than ply, easy to move, uneffected by rain, potentially reuseable...