# Advantech, again



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I read a post made by Cleo Hogan on here last year stating that he was using Advantech subflooring for his hive tops. I bought a sheet last year and made some telescoping covers to try. One year is really not a good weather test but they still look like they did the day I put them on the hives. I painted them, but did not cover them with metal. There is no swelling or warping on the tops.

I needed 12 bottom boards so I decided to give the Advan tech type product a try for that. I bought a different name brand than Advan tech and I will report on how it holds up for my bottom boards. I will give them two good coats of paint before using. Anyone out there using this type of product for bottom boards? If it works well it's definitely a cheaper and much faster way to build tops and bottom boards. I got 12 bottom boards from one 4'x8' sheet. I paid $21.xx per sheet. One sheet will make 10 telescoping tops and 2 migratory nuc tops. The thickness is near 3/4"

Lastly but not least, this isn't standard OSB, it's a completely different material.


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## Huntingstoneboy (Feb 10, 2013)

Just bought 2 sheets for nuc migratory covers. Based the decision on that previous thread. I plan on painting them as well. Keep us posted,


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

>> I bought a different name brand than Advan tech and I will report on how it holds up for my bottom boards. 


So are you just going to _tease _us as to what _brand/product _you bought?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I would be glad to tell you but I can't remember the name of it. LOL


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## Huntingstoneboy (Feb 10, 2013)

I bought Adavantech....just to clarify, but have seen the knock offs for a better price. Don't remember the name either! :scratch:


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Weyerhaeuser offers a product called _Edge Gold_ that appears to their competitive product intended to be similar to Huber's Advantech.

http://www.woodbywy.com/osb/weyerhaeuser-edge-gold-panels/


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Where did you buy it?

What does a sheet of Advantech typically run?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

It's Georgia Pacific Dry Guard Enhanced. I could remember Pacific, but I was trying to put South in front of it instead of GA. LOL


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

jwcarlson said:


> Where did you buy it?


Local lumber store.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

jw, the Advantech was $26.99 a sheet and this was $21.something. I do get a contractors discount at the local place and not at Lowes. The local lumber company does business with us at our shop and I like to buy from them when I can. I bought Advan tech last year and still have a little of it left. I can't tell any difference in the way the two look.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

http://m.homedepot.com/p/23-32-in-x...Guard-Oriented-Strand-Board-712578/204958336/

Of course they don't sell it at our local stores. I'd love to make some tops for my nucs with it.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

They don't sell Advan tech or anything like it where you are, or they don't sell the brand that I bought?


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

Link for non-moile phone users:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbrande...yGuard-Oriented-Strand-Board-712578/204958336


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Brad Bee said:


> They don't sell Advan tech or anything like it where you are, or they don't sell the brand that I bought?


That particular brand, not sure our HD has similar either. Advantech has a retailer about 40 miles away in town where I work, but all I have is a Civic.


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## Colby828 (Dec 4, 2013)

Advantec has a limited lifetime warranty when used in residential construction. I started building my house in Feb, I had a hald sheet that laid outside on the ground until I finished construction which was in December, look as good as it did when I bought it., no sweeling or coming apart. Advantec is as tough a flooring product you can buy, i had thought about make telescoping covers with it also.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

If there is a Lowe's where you work, they will cut the sheet into 4, 2'x4' pieces for free. That will fit into your Civic.

That link you posted to HD looks similar, but the chip size looked larger than what I bought. It also said "unbranded." That smells of China to me... Maybe not.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

If it's Advantech, it will be stamped (painted) with the name on it.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

DryGuard I'm assuming is a trademarked name to GP, and their website lists Home Depot as retailer. 

Does Lowes have a similar product? I might call the place that sells Advantech and see if they can cut it up a bit for me.


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## Swampsquash (Oct 25, 2014)

I jumped on the advantech bandwagon....My local lowes has it for 24 a sheet. I made top and bottom boards and I plan to make 10-20 coates nucs in the next year or so!

If cleo hogan said it's lasted him 5 yrs, then I'll give it a try!


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

I've called locally within a 100 mile radius and no one carries it in stock. If I want it,I have to order it by the truck load! This is per Lowe's associate.

Although, I've defected to a different substrate. Mdo! It's a little spendier but it's like plywood and good stuff. They usually call it sign board, and concrete form guys use it and abuse it!

I cut my tops at 16x20 and yield 14 tops a 4x8 sheet. That's significantly cheaper than anything offered for a top for my hive. I paid about 52 dollars a sheet,btw. But that comes out to 3.71 a top.

Just another alternative...


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

hex0rz said:


> I've called locally within a 100 mile radius and no one carries it in stock. If I want it,I have to order it by the truck load! This is per Lowe's associate.
> 
> Although, I've defected to a different substrate. Mdo! It's a little spendier but it's like plywood and good stuff. They usually call it sign board, and concrete form guys use it and abuse it!
> 
> ...


http://www.huberwood.com/locations?zipcode=83864


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## BeeAttitudes (Dec 6, 2014)

Is there a similar product with 1/2" thickness.


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## Duranthas (Mar 17, 2012)

When we rebuilt our house, the local lumber yard ran out of Advantech through part of the build and gave us the Georgia Pacific stuff saying it's the same. It isn't. Same size and thickness of sheets, but when moving them around you could tell a huge difference as the Advantech was *much* heavier and more rigid.
The GP stuff might hold us just as well (and I hope it does since about 50% of my floor is GP) but I remember how they felt different.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Duranthas said:


> When we rebuilt our house, the local lumber yard ran out of Advantech through part of the build and gave us the Georgia Pacific stuff saying it's the same. It isn't. Same size and thickness of sheets, but when moving them around you could tell a huge difference as the Advantech was *much* heavier and more rigid.
> The GP stuff might hold us just as well (and I hope it does since about 50% of my floor is GP) but I remember how they felt different.


Thanks for the heads up. I need to mark the tops that I have made from Advan tech and keep them separate from the GP ones. I'll see which ones last longer.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

jwcarlson said:


> That particular brand, not sure our HD has similar either. Advantech has a retailer about 40 miles away in town where I work, but all I have is a Civic.


Some stores will make 2-3 free cuts on sheet goods which might allow you to haul it in your civic. It also keeps you from having to wrangle a rather heavy, bulky board.

Bradbee already said this - sorry.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

David LaFerney said:


> Some stores will make 2-3 free cuts on sheet goods which might allow you to haul it in your civic. It also keeps you from having to wrangle a rather heavy, bulky board.
> 
> Bradbee already said this - sorry.


I know this, Advantech isn't available from the big box stores here, not sure if the smaller suppliers will do that or not. I'll have to call. 

I have Home Depot cut the plywood for thr Coates nucs I have been making. Saves me a good bit of time.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Does it all come as tongue-in-groove?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Jim, I'm not sure about the thinner pieces, but the 23/32 is T&G. 

After ripping both of those off I was left with a 47 1/4 x 96 panel.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

CORRECTION: Now that I've thoroughly confused Rader, jw and probably several more with the brand of sub flooring I used, I looked at it when I was in the barn a while ago.

I had the Pacific part correct, but it's not Georgia Pacific, it's Louisiana Pacific Top Notch 450.

Here's a link: http://www.lpcorp.com/products/panels/lp-topnotch-sub-flooring/

I used the Top Notch panels for the bottom and reused some 30 year old Western Red Cedar planks for the sides and backs of the bottom board. With 2 or 3 coats of paint, I should be good on bottom boards for a while.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks, Radar. I have used the osb gold for 4 years already. I got 4 sheets for free here all 4'x8' on CL. And bought 4 more sheets locally.
Don't know what to call them on my other hive box threads. I called them the composite/glued chips board. I used them to built deep hive boxes, migratory covers, solid bottom boards, and OAV stationary hole bottom board. So far they are holding well from the elements. 4th year and still look good as new. Yearly linseed oil to keep them shiny.
Make sure you cover the osb with 2 coats of water seal first. The edges needed more soaking with the linseed oil before painting them over with exterior
house paint. The inside also needed water proofing because they will mold with the moisture build up over the winter. Of course if you don't mind the
mold then don't water proof the inside with the linseed oil. Someone here recommend to use the regular linseed oil and not the boiled one because of the chemicals mixed in.



Neither Advantec nor regular osb:


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