Plywood Vs. OSB New-Generation Structural Panels Mean Decade-Old Notions Are No Way to Choose Sheathing

Home , Paint, Plywood, Tongue and groove, Woodchips

Plywood vs. OSB New-generation structural panels mean decade-old notions are no way to choose sheathing. Here’s what you need to know.

BY SEAN GROOM

Price • Basic OSB panels are generally several dollars cheaper than CDX plywood. Moisture resistance • Plywood absorbs water faster and dries out faster than OSB. Both types of panels swell around the edges as they get wet, but plywood returns nearly to its original thickness as it dries, while OSB swelling is irreversible. Job-site handling ike the old latex- versus oil-paint debate, people hold • OSB panels lie flat and are engineered for consistent strong feelings about oriented strand board (OSB) and ply- quality without knots or voids. Plywood, on the other wood. Because there seems to be some truth on each side hand, resists edge damage better and weighs less of the argument, it’s not easy to figure out which type of Lstructural panel you should be using. than OSB. From a cost-saving perspective, the appeal of OSB is easy to Performance understand. Sheathing a 2500-sq.-ft. house with OSB can save about • As structural panels, plywood and OSB are designed to $900 compared to the cost of plywood sheathing. OSB advocates also meet the same load and span ratings. However, tile and point out that these panels are more uniform than plywood and that resilient-flooring associations generally do not recom- OSB has a higher “green building” value because it can be manufac- mend installing their products directly over OSB. tured from lower-grade logs rather than veneer-grade timber. Many wood species can be used for OSB, not just softwoods, as is the case Environmental concerns with plywood sheathing. Plywood advocates counter that it’s tough • OSB can be manufactured from lesser-quality trees and to argue with a 50-year durability record and claim that plywood is a with less glue than plywood. stronger panel that holds up better to water. Despite the strong opinions, contractors and homeowners have been adopting OSB steadily since its commercial introduction around 1980.

94 FINE HOMEBUILDING Drawings this page: Don Mannes Seattle, WA Des Moines, IA CDX $18.49 CDX $19.96 1 -in. 1 -in. ⁄2 OSB $13.49 ⁄2 OSB $16.25

3 CDX $25.99 3 CDX $28.40 ⁄4-in. ⁄4-in. OSB $24.99 OSB $23.98

Cost comparison

A survey of lumber- Waterford, CT yards around the CDX $23.34 country revealed that 1 -in. ⁄2 OSB $16.74 despite rising prices, 3 CDX $34.49 you generally can save ⁄4-in. OSB $29.80 a few bucks on commodity-grade structural panels buying OSB Santa Fe, NM CDX $19.98 instead of plywood. 1 -in. ⁄2 OSB $15.38 Structural-panel prices 3 CDX $29.48 Atlanta, GA fluctuate daily, so ⁄4-in. OSB $29.12 CDX $15.06 these prices capture a 1 -in. ⁄2 OSB $15.63 snapshot in time. The 2500-sq.-ft. house 3 CDX $23.50 price difference nar- ⁄4-in. 3 OSB $22.26 rows for ⁄4-in. panels. Plywood sheathing $5,984.53 Within 10 years, it had snagged one-third of the mar- of plywood, citing more frequent delaminations, core ket from plywood, and by 1999, OSB production had voids, and out-of square panels. surpassed plywood. Mills now produce about 1.5 times Joseph Lstiburek of Building Science Corporation, more OSB than plywood, and APA–The Engineered who lectures extensively on mold and building practices, Wood Association forecasts that OSB will continue to best sums up the prevailing view: “I would not hesitate gain market share. OSB a heartbeat to use OSB despite the fact that it is both sheathing more water sensitive and more mold sensitive than ply- Rocky starts for plywood and OSB wood. The cost benefits, the versatility benefits, and the $5,075.08 Carpenters were quick to find flaws in both plywood stiffness and structural benefits outweigh the associated and OSB when they were introduced to the market. risks if the product is used intelligently.” The first plywood panels were produced 100 years ago, but it took 30 years of glue development and the post- Water can ruin any panel World War II building boom for plywood to become a The knock against the first generation of OSB was that widely used sheathing product. Still, many older builders $909.45 savings to the edges swelled when the panels became wet. Con- refused to give up on the solid-pine planks they had your bottom line by tractors may have saved a few bucks buying OSB, but used for years. Over time, the skeptics either retired or sheathing a typical part of that savings disappeared with the added labor were won over by improved panel quality and price. 2500-sq.-ft. house cost of sanding down swollen edges to restore flatness Plywood was the dominant sheathing material 20 exclusively with OSB to a subfloor. Homeowners noticed the problem every years ago when OSB became widely available. The instead of plywood time they pulled into their driveways and saw the edges hefty price difference was an incentive for builders to (costs based on an of OSB sheathing panels outlined in their roof shingles. try OSB. Unfortunately, the new product had a ten- average of survey To limit swelling, manufacturers have adjusted the dency to swell permanently when it became wet. And prices) mix of resins and wax content used to manufacture when it was soaked, some carpenters reported, it fell OSB. They’ve also sealed panel edges to improve water apart. The similarity in appearance to early waferboard, a panel with resistance (sidebar p. 98). These steps haven’t made OSB waterproof, no structural rating and little water resistance, also created confu- but plywood isn’t waterproof, either. Both types of panels will expe- sion over OSB’s performance capabilities. rience problems if water is allowed to puddle on the sheathing or if OSB manufacturers have addressed many of the swelling problems, panels are left exposed to the elements for an extended time. and contractors have found the latest generation of OSB greatly Plywood and OSB are wood products, and the veneers or flakes in improved at a time when many of them complain about the quality a panel react with water the same way that any other form of wood

Drawings top left: Don Mannes. Drawings right: Dan Thornton. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2005 95 Grain orientation provides strength. Peels from a log are laid up by alternating the grain direction of each ply at 90° to the one below it.

Panel manufacturing: ply vs. strand

It’s not unusual for a strength just as ply- are used for plywood, them into thin layers with homeowner to complain wood does. OSB can use much smaller- the grain of the flakes that OSB is just a bunch OSB and plywood both diameter trees, and the running in one direction. of woodchips that are start with debarked trees. quality isn’t as important. Additional strand layers glued together and ask A plywood mill peels the Because OSB panels don’t are added with the grain for plywood because it’s veneer from a spinning need a continuous peeled of each layer in an alter- “real” wood. In fact, log with a giant knife. The veneer, the log doesn’t nating direction, creating plywood advertisements veneers are coated with have to be as straight, a thick mat of cross- encourage this perception glue and laid up with the and the number of knots laminated strands. of OSB. grain orientation at 90° to doesn’t matter. Once plywood panels or Although OSB is indeed the sheet below. The wood strands are OSB mats are assembled, made from thousands of OSB mills chip the logs dried and then fed into a they are pressed under wood flakes that are into flakes roughly 1.5 in. blender that coats them intense heat and pressure glued together, it relies wide, 3 in. to 6 in. long, with wax and resins. The to activate the resins, and on layers of alternating and 0.028 in. thick. Com- flakes then pass through the finished panels then grain orientation for pared to the trees that giant “combs” that orient are trimmed to size.

responds: by absorbing moisture and swelling. If a wood panel remains wet long enough, it will decay. If you think you’ve noticed that OSB and plywood get wet at different rates, you’re right. This is what Lstiburek means when he says OSB is more water sensitive than plywood. Because plywood is made out of peeled layers of a log, the wood fibers are intact across the entire panel and wick water relatively quickly across the panel. On the other hand, thousands of wood flakes make up an OSB panel, so the wicking action is interrupted continuously. Consequently, OSB takes a lot longer than plywood to get wet. But wet OSB takes a lot longer to dry out, something you need to account for before you install roofing, siding, or flooring. The differences between veneers and flakes affect not only how panels get wet, but also what happens when they get wet. Both Strength in numbers. Each layer of thin, narrow types of panels swell when they absorb moisture; however, wax-and-resin-coated wood strands is arranged with its grain direction orient- because flakes don’t transfer moisture well, OSB is more like- ed 90° to the layer below, just like ly to swell around the edges and in isolated spots. A greater plywood. The cross-lamination of area of a plywood panel will swell, but once it dries out, the thousands of strands provides strength in both directions without panel returns nearly to its original thickness. A well-made knots or voids in the panel. Spray plywood sheet with good gluelines and limited core nozzles maintain proper moisture con- defects can withstand several wetting and swelling tent until the mat reaches the press. cycles because peeling veneer from a log doesn’t alter

96 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo top left: Courtesy of APA. Photo bottom left: Courtesy of Weyerhaeuser Structurwood. The wet test OSB the structure of wood fibers. When a tree is flaked to make OSB, however, the wood fibers are severed, and they expand. The unpressed mats of oriented flakes in an OSB panel contain many times their vol- 1 ume in airspace. A ⁄2-in. panel is many times thicker before it enters the press. Because wood has a memory, the flakes return to this fibrous state when water is able to loosen the bonds between strands. AdvanTech

Ratings ensure that panels do the same job Whether you use plywood or OSB, be sure to use Exposure 1 panels. Panels with this rating must pass wet/dry tests in the lab that duplicate the normal wetting that takes place during construction. The trouble is that “normal” wetting can vary significantly. To a builder in Seattle, normal wetting might mean 25 consecutive days of Builders often complain that when structural panels misting rain. In New England, it could mean three major soaking rainstorms. The advice that emerges from this discussion is simple: get wet, problems begin. Curious about water’s Dry-in a new building as soon as possible. effects, we created conditions that exceeded job-site Structural panels are engineered to meet performance criteria. The weathering by suspending samples of OSB, plywood, tests are material blind, so the panel stamp guarantees a panel’s stiff- and AdvanTech (sidebar p. 98) in water for several ness, span rating, and nail-holding ability whether it’s plywood or weeks. The OSB and plywood swelled dramatically as OSB. Ed Keith, a senior APA engineer, says, “Plywood was here first, they absorbed water. When the samples dried out, and two generations of builders knew how to use plywood. So when the plywood shrank to within hundredths of an OSB came along, it was engineered and tested to be just like plywood inch of its original thickness, while the OSB for a specific end use.” Any plywood panel bearing an APA stamp was permanently swollen. The Advan- with a 40/20 span rating will perform the same as an OSB panel with a 40/20 span rating. Tech, an über-OSB with en- 1 hanced water resistance, Just because a plywood panel is ⁄2 in. thick and an OSB sheet with 15 Plywood the same rating is ⁄32 in. doesn’t mean that one of the panels is inher- had nearly impercep- ently stronger than the other. Many builders tend to purchase sheath- tible swelling. ing by material thickness, but the key factor is span rating. Small differences in nominal thickness can increase panel strength 1 dramatically. For example, a panel rated 32/16 may be only ⁄32 in.

Decoding a panel stamp

The APA stamp on (rated Sturd-I-Floor); left, 48/24, contains plywood and OSB and exterior siding two pieces of informa- Panel does much more than (rated Siding). Panels tion: The sheet must grade tell you which side that also are marked have supports at least Thickness faces down. (The Structural I have im- every 48 in. on a roof Span stamp should face proved racking and and at least every rating down so that an in- cross-panel strength 24 in. on a floor. The Mill Bond spector can read it.) It characteristics used in right-hand number, in number classification dictates how a panel applications such as this case 23/32 INCH, may be used. The structural insulated is the nominal thick- Product standard panel grade indicates panels (SIPs). ness of the panel. Canadian three possible end Under the rating Sheathing panels are APA’s standards uses: sheathing for designation are two rated for durability performance- roofs, walls, and floors sets of numbers that with generally either rated-panel standard (rated Sheathing); resemble fractions. an Exposure 1 or single-layer flooring The span rating on the Exterior rating.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2005 97 Not all OSB is the same Responding to complaints from builders and • COMMODITY PANELS Louisiana- homeowners about Basic OSB is still fine in applica- Pacific’s Top Notch OSB’s tendency to swell tions such as wall or roof sheathing flooring panels are self- when wet, manufacturers that shed water before the build- draining and are also avail- have continued to refine ing is dried in. able in improved water-resistant OSB technology. As a formulations and with heavy-duty result, different types of • TIME-SAVING PANELS edge sealing. OSB panels are now One of the latest trends is to print Scuppers for available. nailing and cutting aids directly on • MOLD-RESISTANT PANELS floor sheathing. OSB and plywood panels. The Manufacturers like Martco and Pot- Cutouts in some brands of cutting aids, such as Martco’s latch have added mold inhibitors to Louisiana- Grid, have rules printed along OSB panels because builders worry Pacific’s tongue- the edges and marks through- about mold-related lawsuits. With- and-groove out the field and claim to out consistent moisture, you can’t floor sheathing drain water. eliminate the need for tape have mold, so some experts Notches on the measures and chalklines. believe that if the roofing and sid- underside of the ing are installed properly, there’s 4-ft. ends also • SUPERIOR no reason you’d need this feature. prevent water from pooling on WATER-RESISTANT the joists. PANELS • RADIANT BARRIERS By increasing the Numerous manufacturers have amount of wax in the incorporated a radiant barrier on panel, varying the resin OSB and ply- formulation, and sealing panel wood roof edges, companies now can pro- sheathing. Foil-faced duce performance-enhanced OSB Studies claim sheathing is panels. Panels engineered for that reducing cool. Aluminum radiant heat foil laminated to Retire your greater water resistance cost more roof sheathing tape? but are worth the investment for in the attic Printed reduces air- cutting and mea- floor sheathing. Huber’s AdvanTech lowers cool- conditioning suring guides line is designed to stay flat even ing costs in costs by pre- supposedly let warm cli- venting 97% of you make any under extreme wetting conditions. Huber also sells AdvanTech for mates by up the radiant ener- cut, including gy absorbed by diagonals, with- walls and roofs, but it’s not avail- to 20%. the panels from out marking an able in many parts of the country. entering the OSB or plywood attic. panel. thicker than one rated 24/16, but as roof sheathing, its allowable live acteristics than naturally grown trees. OSB panels, on the other hand, load is 75% greater. never have core voids, and they can be engineered and manufactured more precisely. Plywood can be stiffer, but OSB is more consistent Tests have shown that on average, a plywood sheet is 7% stiffer than Bad practices can give panels a bad name OSB of the same thickness and span rating. However, OSB will seem When Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Florida in 1992, peo- stiffer because you never step on soft panels. “The bell-shaped curve ple immediately blamed OSB for the failure of so many houses. for plywood stiffness is about as wide as it is tall,” Keith explains. “But Although Dade County, in a break with Florida’s state code, subse- the curve for OSB looks like a pencil.” quently prohibited the use of OSB as roof sheathing, many observers A sheet of plywood can vary from its target stiffness because ran- viewed the decision as politically motivated. Engineers and wood sci- dom veneer sheets are stacked with alternating grain directions. entists pored over the wreckage, and the nearly unanimous consen- Core voids, which are created by overlapping knot holes in veneer lay- sus was that building practices, not materials, were responsible for ers, can create soft spots in plywood. Softer panels also result from much of the damage. Nailing schedules were ignored, and flashing plantation-grown trees that have weaker strength and stiffness char- details were skipped. In some cases, roof sheathing was tacked in place

98 FINE HOMEBUILDING with only a fastener at each corner. The storm flattened houses in one trol. Says Winandy, “I think the critical thing is that we have to come development, while an adjacent development (also in the path of the up with a systems approach to moisture exclusion outside the struc- storm) suffered only minor damage. Both groups of houses were built ture and moisture control inside the structure.” with OSB. He’s not alone. Everyone interviewed for this article said that the per- The tendency among builders and consumers is to discover a prob- formance of structural panels depends on building and installation de- lem and to blame the problem on the type of panel used in the build- tails rather than on the panels themselves. Jeff Outten, technical ing. That is hardly ever the case, according to Jerry Winandy, head of marketing manager for plywood at Weyerhaeuser, reports that 99% the composites group at the Forest Products Laboratory. “The prod- of the problem calls they receive are related to installation mistakes. ucts are similar enough that if one product failed, the other product Paying attention to common trouble spots (sidebar below) allows ply- will almost always fail in the same situation. It’s just a matter of time. wood and OSB to perform as they are designed to and allows you to If water is getting into the system, both products will eventually have base sheathing choices on cost, ease of use, and product availability. problems and fail.” More important than the choice of structural panel, he argues, is the decisions about the design; the type of siding Sean Groom is an associate editor at Fine Homebuilding. Pho- and roofing and the way they are applied; and interior moisture con- tos by the author, except where noted.

The delivery guy just handed you an invoice for $4,800, so Take six steps to protect why are you going to let him dump your sheathing materials on wet, muddy ground? It takes only a few minutes to store yourself from sheathing plywood and OSB properly, and to make sure your panels problems stay dry and undamaged until it’s time to nail them up.

1. MINIMIZE STORAGE TIME paint the edges, the cut edges will be un- Sinking the head of a nail or staple Scheduling delivery as close as possible der the drip edge where any swelling below the surface may seem like extra to when you’ll use the panels means won’t telegraph through the shingles. insurance, but you’re really weakening fewer opportunities for the sheathing to the holding strength. be rained on or manhandled. 3. MIND THE GAP Butting panels together is the most com- 5. DRY-IN A HOUSE QUICKLY mon source of complaints lodged with Floors have the potential for the greatest Tarp manufacturers. When panels expand— moisture-related problems during con- something that is inevitable—they need struction and must be protected from Stake somewhere to go, or they will buckle. A standing water. Use a tarp before the 1 ⁄8-in. gap between panels—the diameter roof goes on, and sweep the floor deck

Plastic of a 10d nail—is recommended between immediately after a storm. If this can’t be all edges. Many roof-panel clips (also done, drill drainage holes. known as H-clips) are designed to main- To keep out water, install the house- tain this spacing. wrap as the walls go up. Likewise, tack- Tongue-and-groove OSB panels never ing down tar paper as soon as the roof is Platform should be hammered together. A small sheathed not only protects the roof deck but also goes a long way toward keeping Store panels on a level platform, wrap the floors dry as well. the ends with plastic, and cover with a tarp, staking the ends out from the stack 6. PAY ATTENTION TO to promote air circulation. shoulder on the tongue edge provides THE FLASHING the expansion space, and compressing Mold requires a continuous source of 2. PLAN THE LAYOUT this edge pretty much guarantees the moisture, and if a panel is getting that Most OSB panels rely on edge-sealing to panel will buckle. much water, it’s going to fail regardless prevent thickness swelling. Giving a little of type. Common sources include poor thought to panel layout can limit the num- 4. FOLLOW NAILING SPECS chimney or window flashing, improper ber of cut ends and make sure they fall Maximum nail spacing is 6 in. along the siding attachment, incorrect attic and where they will have less impact. Sheath edges and 12 in. in the interior, but check crawlspace venting, and inappropriate a roof from left to right, putting the cut with your building department because insulation strategies. One common over- edges of the starting panels on the left local codes may require tighter spacing. sight is leaky bathroom-ceiling penetra- 3 side of the roof, and you can seal the edges Fasteners shouldn’t be driven within ⁄8 in. tions that allow humid air into the attic to quickly with a roller. If you’re not going to of the edge. condense on the roof sheathing.

Drawing this page: Dan Thornton FEBRUARY/MARCH 2005 99