OSB board and plywood, like brothers, have many similarities: they are made of wood, have similar technical characteristics and are considered universal materials for construction. But there are still differences and in some cases can be significant. We will try to tell you about this.
Manufacturing features
OSB and plywood have the shape of a rectangular sheet of several square meters and are made of wood, but from different materials. For OSB, large chips are used, and for plywood, veneer is used.
OSB manufacturing: Chips are essentially woodworking waste and, when glued with urea and phenolic resins, create an uneven surface. Three layers of chips in OSB are oriented perpendicular to adjacent ones.
Production of plywood: Plywood has a smooth surface and retains the natural wood structure. It can have several layers glued together with the same resins and located at right angles to each other in structure.
Therefore, there are differences not only in appearance, but also in technical properties, which determines the choice of material in each specific case.
Specifications
- An important indicator of quality is strength. For materials such as OSB and plywood, this refers to their flexural strength. If we compare slabs of the same thickness (about 30 mm) by this indicator, then plywood wins: the bending strength along the main axis is from 25 to 60 MPa versus 16-22 MPa for OSB. This is due to the fact that the structure of the veneer wood has been preserved and copes with loads better than individual pieces of wood chips glued together with resins.
- Which is more resistant to high humidity, OSB or plywood, can show moisture resistance - the strength of the material when exposed to moisture. In this parameter, plywood wins. It is more resistant to delamination, more resistant to tearing and chipping.
- If you compare the density of OSB or plywood, it is also higher for plywood, and therefore it is a little heavier.
- When considering the fire resistance of OSB or plywood, we will not find any differences. Both materials are flammable, spread flames and produce a lot of smoke.
- Modern manufacturing technologies allow us to consider these materials equally environmentally friendly. Composites used for gluing belong to class E1 and lower.
- Aestheticallyplywood is more attractive, since the veneer of the outer layers has the pattern and texture of wood. This applies to high-quality plywood (grade 1 and 2). It is used for finishing walls and furniture. However, OSB board can also be used as an original finishing material if it is specially processed.
- Another criterion that can determine whether OSB or plywood is better is price. Depending on the type of plywood, its cost is 1.5 - 3 times higher than that of OSB.
Application
The scope of application of the plates is almost the same. They are successfully used for:
- subfloors;
- wireframes;
- partitions;
- for cladding walls and balconies.
The sheets are easy to saw. When processing the ends, OSB requires more intensive grinding, since the board crumbles more strongly. Both plates hold fasteners equally well.
You can decide which is better OSB board or plywood in each specific case. If the room has high humidity or decorative finishing is needed, then it is better to use plywood. For lighter structures at a lower cost, choose OSB board.
Taking into account the structural features and technological characteristics, it will be easier for you to decide on the choice of material to create durable and economical structures.
