Figure 1: OSB in residential construction

OSB in Construction

Whether you're working on plans for the home of your dreams, or carefully inspecting a prospective home for purchase, a basic understanding of oriented strand board and its applications will be a valuable tool in building or selecting a quality home.

First, when you look for OSB, you'll find quality. OSB is fully engineered for strength and durability. That means each panel is specifically designed and tested to meet or exceed stringent quality standards. So when you ask for OSB in construction, you're getting an engineered wood panel you can count on.

Second, OSB means strength and durability throughout your home. Thanks to its versatility, oriented strand board can be used in a wide variety of applications.

• Walls - excellent strength and rigidity under all types of siding.
• Roof Panels - uniformly sound and extra rigid to handle snow and wind loads.
• Subfloors - strong, rigid and impact-resistant for underlayment, carpet or tile.
• Single-Layer Floors - great for use directly under carpet, light-weight concrete or hardwood flooring.
• Underlayment - uniformly thin, yet strong and finely sanded, OSB provides a smooth base for vinyl or tile.
• Structural Insulated Panels - OSB foam-core panels offer high strength, R-value, and easy installation.
• Floor Joists - OSB I-joists provide a high-quality support system that minimizes floor squeaking.
• Rimboards - OSB rimboards add strength and rigidity to the floor system.

Third, OSB is the economical, environmental option. Unlike other structural panels, OSB is made from smaller, faster-growing trees and is therefore easier and more readily available for harvesting. That means it's less expensive to produce and helps preserve old-growth forests.

Oriented Strand Board: The right choice for your new home.