Frame houses, which are gaining more and more popularity, do not raise doubts about their practicality and operational efficiency. But what can be said about the construction process itself and the materials that are used to build such buildings?

The main types of building materials for such structures are wooden bars, beams and OSB panels. It is the use of panels that provides frame house those characteristics that so attract developers.

What is OSB

For those who have planned to build a house from these materials, one should know not only the meaning of the abbreviation, but also the qualities that they possess, as well as functional differences from other similar materials.

OSB panels are boards made from wood chips.

The meaning of the abbreviation translated from of English language stands for Oriented Strand Board.

The difference between these panels and chipboard boards familiar to domestic developers lies in the laying method and the type of chips. If in chipboard the main component is pressed in a chaotic manner, then OSB panels in their structure contain chips laid in one direction, that is, oriented.

It is characteristic that the stacking of chips is carried out in each layer in a different direction. The number of layers in each plate is three or four. Typically, the direction of chip placement is taken in the following order:

• First layer - fibers are placed in parallel to the panel structure
• The second layer always contains the chip direction perpendicular to the direction of the first layer.
• Third layer - again laying is done in the same way as the first layer
• Fourth layer - perpendicularly placed fibers

In some embodiments of the panels, a different method of chip pressing is adopted, which includes the parallel arrangement of the fibers of the chips in the outer layers and their transverse placement in the two inner layers.

To create a sandwich panel from OSB, chips up to 15 cm long are used, which are pressed under high pressure. Their volume in the structure of the plate reaches 90 percent. The bonding of the chip fibers is made with waterproof resins of synthetic origin.

As evidenced by numerous reviews of developers who have used this material in the construction of their homes, it is this structure that provides a lot of advantages for operating a house. One of them, which allows saving the consumption of energy resources during the heating period, is the high heat capacity of OSB boards.

Classification of OSB panels

For construction purposes, it is recommended to use certain types of panels, since the structure and properties different types different and not always suitable for the same purposes.

Reviews about the qualities of OSB panels lean to the side conscious choice only certain categories of such panels.

In order not to make a mistake when ordering a material, you need to study the characteristic parameters and classification of OSB boards. Moreover, this is not difficult to do - there are only four of them, and the differences mainly relate to the number of layers, the degree of strength and moisture resistance indicators:

1. OSB-1 panels are boards with a very low degree of strength and a low level of moisture resistance. In construction, such panels can only be used in interior work. But more often their use is common in the field of manufacturing furniture designs, as well as for packaging products
2. OSB-2 boards - have low strength, although slightly higher than the panels of the first category. They can also be used in interior finishing work, sometimes in the construction of light structural elements, ceilings and partitions. But due to low moisture resistance, it is not recommended to use it in basements, when finishing basement floors and in interior work in bathrooms and kitchens
3. OSB 3 is the most common model of OSB panels. She excels in indoor and outdoor work. Can be used in different parts building. Resistant in humid environments
4. The OSB-4 category panel is the most durable brand of OSB board used in all types of construction work. Due to its high strength, it can be successfully mounted on outdoor parts building structure, when constructing roofs and attics. Excellent resistance to moisture, so it is used in the lower parts of the building and rooms with high humidity

All these properties, inherent in each category of panels to varying degrees, are achieved by using an adhesive base of various compositions. Moisture resistance of such boards is due to resinous glue compounds, and strength - to the location of wood chip fibers and the number of layers in the board.

Differences in OSB boards are available by type of coating
The industry produces panels with a laminated surface, which can be used as formwork, and more than once. For decorative purposes, boards are also available lacquered on both sides or on one side.

For the device of horizontal surfaces, panels are produced with connecting elements according to the principle of a laminated board. On two or four sides of such panels there are end combs and grooves for connecting adjacent plates.

Reviews about OSB panels from buyers are inclined to believe that they have a future in production finishing works, can be an excellent alternative in flooring.

Properties of OSB panels

Feedback from buyers of panels and developers note several significant advantages of this material:

• The technology of laying wood chips and the length of the chips make the OSB panels more rigid, which allows them to gain resistance to mechanical stress
• Thanks to the method of conveyor production, the dimensions specified by the technological requirements are observed in the plates. For the same reason, uniformity of thickness is achieved in all parts of the plate. This quality contributes to the ease of installation of OSB boards.
• Reducing the complexity of the installation process, increasing the efficiency of construction. The panels are lightweight, can be easily transported and do not create additional difficulties during loading and unloading operations.
• High thermal insulation performance is another significant advantage of this material. This property is achieved due to the high concentration of wood components known for thermal insulation properties.
• Availability in the process of processing - OSB can be easily subjected to grinding, drilling, cutting. And when driving nails, the edges of the plate do not crumble

As for the specific use of slabs in the construction of houses using frame technology, in their reviews, many builders and owners of ready-made residential buildings note the speed of construction and ease of installation work.

With regard to operation, undeniable advantages are also noticeable:

• Houses made of OSB panels do not give precipitation due to the lightness of the material
• In winter, there is a noticeable saving of energy resources, which eases the budgetary burden
• The ability to carry out additional planning of the premises without major intervention in the integrity of the structure

At the same time, in the reviews, you can also notice the absence of negative qualities inherent in other materials, namely, susceptibility to the process of decay, the presence of formations in the form of knots and voids inside the panel, the risk of fire is reduced.

Against the background of such a volume of advantages, the individual disadvantages of OSB boards seem insignificant, but they cannot be ignored.

Among the main disadvantages of this material is the presence of phenol in adhesive resins, which can adversely affect health. However, in each category of plates listed above, the content of this element is regulated.

So when choosing plates for a particular application, you need to focus on their main purpose. For example, OSB-3 is best used in outdoor work, and OSB-2 is recommended for interior decoration.

Painting OSB panels

The application of paint materials on OSB panels does not require special conditions. For this purpose, any paint on wood can be used.

For better adhesion to the surface of the plate and a longer shelf life, the surface of the panel can be primed.

For interior work on panels, you can use acrylic varnish. For the same purpose, stain or water-based paint is used. In relation to all options, only positive reviews are noted.

Video about the production of OSB panels

What is an OSB? This is an oriented strand board, abbreviated as OSB, that is, in English, oriented strand board. This building material consists of several (at least three to four) layers of wood chips of various sizes, from the smallest to thin chips. The shavings in the composition of each layer are pressed and glued, but the main difference from similar materials is that they are laid in a certain direction. Usually it is longitudinal for the outer layers, and transverse for the inner ones.

Story

OSB is a relatively new product on the building materials market. The first developments began in Canada in the 60s of the last century. It became possible to create an improved alternative to traditional wood building materials, such as chipboard, and at the same time use tons of waste from the woodworking industry developed in these regions. Therefore, it was in Canada in the early 80s that the industrial production of oriented strand board started, which quickly gained popularity.

OSB appeared on the Russian market much later. The first production starts began back in the Soviet years, at the end of the 80s, but those attempts failed, and the subsequent years were destructive for all types of industry, so the new technology was abandoned. This material appeared on the Russian market as an import from leading Western, including European, companies already in the late 90s. For a long time, the spread of OSB in the country was hampered by cases of poisoning due to the purchase of cheap and low-quality raw materials, which included phenol-formaldehyde compounds harmful to humans.

However, progress does not stand still, and today the product has taken its rightful place in the Russian market. In recent years, several domestic factories have been opened, producing OSB according to international quality standards.

Classification

OSB produce 4 main types. There is such a classification for strength and moisture resistance (European standard):

Types of OSB are also classified according to the type of coating:

• unpolished;
• polished;
• varnished - varnished on one side;
• laminated - covered with laminate;
• tongue-and-groove - OSB board with machined ends.

Areas of use

OSB is used for very different purposes in modern construction, renovation, furniture and packaging. The areas of application differ for different types of material: from light and durable furniture for an office or apartment, boxes and boxes, installation of advertising counters and stands from plates of the first type, to load-bearing external walls of a house from sufficiently moisture-resistant plates of the fourth type, designed for significant loads.

The most versatile, as well as affordable, the most popular and in demand is the OSB-3 type. Its share in production and sales reaches 90%. (The characteristics of the fourth type of plates are even better, but its price is about twice as high). From OSB boards of the third type, internal walls of the room can be assembled, floors laid, the foundation for the roof laid or the walls of residential buildings and technical premises, such as a railway car, truck, trailer, sheathed.

Pros and cons of OSB

Let's look at the pros first. First of all, these are its following technical characteristics:

1. High strength. It is achieved precisely by mutually perpendicular arrangement of chips in different layers. The correct use of OSB, including the correct choice of plate thickness, will allow the structure to withstand loads of up to several hundred kilograms.
2. Light weight. The standard weight of a whole plate - up to 20 kg - can be lifted by any worker, which allows you to work in a variety of conditions.
3. Elasticity. The structure of the material provides sufficient flexibility, which allows the surface to be bent without the risk of fracture. This is used when working with rounded and other non-perfectly flat surfaces.
4. Moisture resistance. Achieved through resin treatment. Compared to wood materials, OSB board is much less susceptible to deformation from the influence of water and humidity.
5. Simplicity and convenience in work. OSB boards can be worked with using simple tools such as a saw, drill, screwdriver. In this case, the cuts are quite even and do not require additional processing. The plate well fixes the most affordable fasteners: nails, screws, self-tapping screws. Installation of OSB is very fast.
6. Heat and sound insulation. Compared to other wood-based materials, OSB performance is much better.
7. Chemical resistance is also achieved by treating the board with resins.
8. Environmental friendliness. Chips treated with special impregnations and glued are not afraid of fungus or mold.
9. Affordable prices.
10. Attractive woodgrain appearance that does not require additional design work.

Among the shortcomings, perhaps, it can be noted that when working with a stove, especially when cutting, protective equipment is needed, such as a mask or a respirator. Wood dust, in addition, treated with chemical compounds can be harmful to the respiratory system. In addition, some grades of low-quality board may release toxic carcinogenic gases during operation.

Harm to health

Disputes about the dangers to human health of OSB boards have been going on for many decades. Wood itself is an environmentally friendly and safe material. Plates are made mainly from coniferous wood, less often - hardwood (aspen, ash, poplar). The danger to humans is only the composition of the resins with which the chips are glued together. They included phenol-formaldehyde components, which, during operation, emit toxic gases such as formaldehyde, phenol, benzene. These are toxic, allergenic and carcinogenic compounds that adversely affect the skin, eyes and respiratory tract of a person. That is why the use and production of OSB for a long time did not receive the proper scale.

The release of gas is affected by the temperature and humidity of the environment. The higher they are, the more toxic fumes. Therefore, OSP-3 and OSP-4 intended for high-humidity rooms are safer for health.

Currently, non-toxic carbamide resins are used in the production of quality products.

The safest for humans and suitable for interior decoration (toxic emission index E0 - E1) are the products of such leading companies in the industry as Glunz (Germany), Norbord (Canada), Egger (Austria). But the plates "Kronospan", "Kronopol" with the index E2 - E3 are suitable only for exterior decoration and non-residential premises.

Products that do not contain formaldehyde are labeled Green or Eco. You can be calm about it and use it to decorate the interior of your own house or apartment.

The second risk factor is low-quality wood. Often, in pursuit of low cost, a manufacturer can use low-quality raw materials, simply speaking, with garbage and hazardous waste.

Therefore, when working with OSB, it is necessary to reasonably evaluate the quality of products used for a particular object, this will minimize harm to human health.

Main dimensions

The size of the finished plate from the manufacturer is of two main types:

• 2440 mm x1220 mm;
• 2500 mm x1250 mm.

Russian-made plates can also have the following sizes:

• 2500 mm x 1850 mm.

The thickness of the product can be: 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18 and 22 mm.

For board with grooved edge, the following values ​​are available: 15, 16, 18, 22 mm.

Estimated prices

The price is usually quoted per sheet. Sometimes the price per cubic meter is used, since the price of a sheet is proportional to its thickness. The most popular type of OSB-3 board on the market. The price for one of its sheets ranges from 500 Russian rubles for the thinnest (9mm) to 2100 Russian rubles for the thickest (22mm). As you can see, sizes and prices are correlated indicators.

More detailed sizes and prices can be found in the price catalog of a particular seller. Be sure to pay attention to the composition of the resins and the manufacturer if you buy OSB for interior decoration.

Features of choice

The most common mistake when choosing wood chipboard is the difference between the European and American classification system. If the classification of OSP-1, 2, 3, 4 is adopted in Europe, then the American system offers only three types of products:

• interior;
• Esposure1;
• Esposure1 Type Exterior.

In this case, additional markings “F”, “R” and “W” are used (floor, roof, wall for floors, ceilings and walls, respectively).

So a domestic buyer, intending to purchase products corresponding to the characteristics of the most popular OSB-3, could receive the wrong product that he actually needs. This was often used by unscrupulous intermediaries, and therefore, among Russian users, a false opinion has developed about the low quality of North American OSB boards. This is not true. It was Canadian factories that were the first in the world to start producing these products, over the decades the technology has been developed and improved, but when buying, you need to carefully study the accompanying documentation.

Well-known and trusted manufacturers

The pioneers in the production of OSB are, of course, North America:

• Norbord, Canada;
• "Georgia Pacific", "Louisiana Pacific" USA.

In Europe, production began later, but the Russian market mainly receives products from the following manufacturers:

• Kronospan has factories in 26 countries of Eastern and Western Europe. Production started in Austria;
• Glunz, Germany;
• Egger, Austria, UK;
• "Bolderaja", Latvia.

More recently, just a few years ago, production began in Russia, these are factories:

• "Hillman", Vladimir region;
• "Kalevala", Karelia;
• Kronospan Group, Yegorievsk, Moscow Region.

At present, the orientational strand board is the most modern and practical of all wood-based building materials. Increasingly, masters prefer to use it because of the excellent value for money, as well as a large number of advantages.

Sheet building materials are used in frame housing construction, with dry leveling of planes. One of these materials is OSB board (OSB, OSB). She pressed, GKL. And all because with good technical characteristics, it has a low price.

What is OSB board and OSB

One of the sheet building materials is OSB (also called OSB). The name is an abbreviation of the full name of the material - "oriented strand board". That is, it is correct to call this material OSB. The second name - OSB - comes from the transliteration of the English version of the name - OSB ( oriented strand board). English letters were simply replaced with similar ones in Cyrillic.

OSB is a multilayer material (3 or more layers). Each layer consists of wood, ground into chips, mixed with resins. Wood chips are used long and thin (several millimeters thick, up to 7 cm long). The chips in the layers are located in different directions: the outer layers have a longitudinal orientation, the inner ones have a transverse orientation. This results in high elasticity and dimensional stability. Various resins are used as a binder. They give the material water resistance, but contain formaldehyde. It is the content of this substance that stops many from using OSB. But, if the material is produced in accordance with GOST, the formaldehyde emission does not exceed the performance of wood. But this can only be verified in laboratory conditions. So the ordinary buyer can only rely on the inspection authorities. Or choose another material.

Types of OSB

Depending on consumer properties, oriented strand boards are produced in several types:

If you need moisture-resistant OSB, carefully consider the choice of manufacturer. Be prepared for the fact that OSB 3 is more expensive than non-moisture resistant brands. Even more money will have to be paid for OSB 4. We do not recommend looking for cheap material. Too many complain that the purchased OSB 3 swelled by 3-8 mm from moisture, in some cases it even bloomed or overgrown with fungi. All this is due to attempts to reduce costs. To do this, use fewer disinfectants, a cheaper binder. Chinese manufacturers instead of pine chips put hardwood, which is easily affected by fungi and diseases.

Properties and specifications

OSB boards compete with other sheet materials both in the field of construction (for sheathing frames, creating formwork) and in the field of finishing (leveling walls, floors, ceilings). This is facilitated by the properties of OSB:

Once again, we draw your attention to the fact that moisture resistance and resistance to deformation are characteristic of OSB, which were made in compliance with the technology. Unfortunately, the Russian-made material is not of high quality. Less powerful presses are used, they try to save on the binder, do not apply markings. As a result, there are many examples of negative experience: plates swell from moisture, warp them, glue is washed out ... The way out is to look for plates of imported (Europe or USA) production. Due to the growth of the dollar, they now have considerable prices, there are very few of them on the market, but, if desired, you can find or order with delivery.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that in appearance it is impossible to distinguish moisture-resistant OSB3 from non-moisture-resistant OSB2 or 1. The latter cost much less. Unscrupulous sellers sell cheaper ones under the guise of moisture resistant ones. This is where trouble comes in. As a way out, you can do this: buy one sheet of OSB 3, check its behavior at high humidity. If there are no visible changes, buy a batch.

Application area

The properties of OSB make it possible to use this material as a building or finishing material. Here are the jobs it can be used for:

• Sheathing of frames and walls from the inside and outside.
• Floor and ceiling leveling.
• Flooring of a rough or finishing floor along the logs.
• Removable formwork when working with concrete.
• Solid crate under, metal tile, slate,.
• Production of SIP panels and thermal panels.

There is a constant debate among developers about how safe OSB is. In its production, resins are used that emit formaldehyde. Manufacturers claim that the release of this substance does not exceed 1%. Materials with such formaldehyde emission are considered absolutely safe. About the same amount of this substance emits wood. Therefore, such materials are allowed for the construction of children's furniture. In addition, OSB boards with an emission of 0.5% appeared. You can distinguish them by two criteria: the name contains the prefix Bio or Green and they are more expensive.

Please note that the level of formaldehyde emission must be controlled. Each batch of material must be checked, the actual parameters must be indicated in the accompanying documents. Despite all the arguments, not everyone considers this material to be safe, preferring to use natural material - boards. They are, without a doubt, an environmentally friendly material, but it takes longer to work with boards, they are more expensive. In general, everyone decides for himself whether to use OSB boards or not.

Dimensions of oriented strand boards

Since the purpose of the OSB board is different, different sizes can be convenient. The situation with the size of OSB boards is not easy. On sale there are constantly 1220 * 2440 mm and 1250 * 2500 mm. There are also formats 1250*2800 mm, 1250*3000 mm, 1200*6000 mm, but they are extremely rare on our market, although in many cases they are much more convenient to use. Having picked up the right size, you get rid of the need to “grow” the missing centimeters or saw off the extra ones. But there are not so many of them on the market, since these are imported plates, and now it is difficult to import ...

The OSB board can also be of different thickness - 9 mm, 12 mm, 15 mm, 18 mm, 22 mm, 25 mm. Each type of use has its own thickness:

• Sheathing of walls, ceiling - from 9 mm.
• Solid crate for roofing materials - from 12 mm.
• An OSB board from 15 mm thick will go to the floor.

Another one of the applications of OSB boards is a removable formwork for concrete work.

OSB board is a convenient building material. It can be sawn with a conventional wood saw, use a grinder with a cutting disc, a jigsaw. The material is well drilled, screw nails can be used without pre-drilling. But then their hats stick out, which is not always convenient.

Before finishing, the OSB board is coated with a primer. It is selected depending on the finishing materials - to equalize the absorbency and improve adhesion to other materials.

When erecting various buildings and structures, there is often a need for an inexpensive, but high-quality material, with which you can quickly cover a large area with an even and durable layer, which allows you to immediately carry out finishing.

Recently, OSB board has become increasingly popular for this kind of work, the use of which is in the construction of walls, floors, internal partitions and other elements of building structures.

What is OSB board

This abbreviation is a transliteration of the English name of the OSB board, the decoding of which, when translated into Russian, sounds like “oriented strand board” (you can learn more about its characteristics).

It would be more correct to call the product "OSB board", although manufacturers and sellers use both terms, meaning the same thing by them.

For the production of this material, wood chips of various types of wood (most often pine, aspen or poplar) are used, which are located in several layers (oriented), as a rule, in mutually perpendicular directions.

Then it is glued together with resins and binders with the addition of special additives that provide moisture resistance and strength. Usually three-layer plates are produced for domestic use.

The correct use of OSB is impossible without understanding what types they are divided into depending on their properties, due to the method of production:

• OSB-1– material for use in conditions of low humidity, for example, for the manufacture of furniture, containers, internal partitions in dry rooms, etc.
• OSB-2- it is more durable and is used for the device of load-bearing structures in the absence of the possibility of moisture penetration.
• OSB-3- has an increased moisture resistance and is therefore recommended for the construction of various structures operating in conditions that allow the appearance of dampness and small amounts of water.
• OSB-4- in addition to the properties of the OSB-3 class, it provides very high strength and stability, sufficient to work under high loads.

It should be noted that plates of the third class are in the greatest demand due to their versatility and suitability for solving the vast majority of tasks. That is why up to 90% of OSB boards produced today are labeled OSB-3.

The use of OSB boards in construction

Ease of installation, strength and moisture resistance, as well as an absolutely flat surface and low weight of the plate at a relatively low cost provide this material with ever-growing popularity.

It is used both for the renovation of apartments and office premises, and for low-rise construction. Many townspeople, having bought land for a summer cottage, begin to equip it, constructing a utility block, a temporary residential building or a shed from OSB, because it is fast, convenient and inexpensive.

The main areas of application of OSB in construction include the following types of work:

• Floor device. OSB plates are a perfectly flat, smooth and, at the same time, durable and strong surface. They can be laid directly on or used in country houses both as a subfloor located directly above the open ground, and for building the main floor covering. can be further covered with any material, for example, tiles, linoleum and even varnish.
• The device of external partitions. The construction of houses from OSB involves the use of only OSB-3 panels, the surface of which must be carefully sealed and primed. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the most vulnerable part of the coating under such conditions is the edges of the slab, so they must be processed most carefully, and the expansion gap between them should be filled with soft acrylic sealant, preventing the appearance of pores and untreated areas. After that, the plate can be painted (read how to do it correctly) or coated with any material intended for exterior decoration.
• . They can also be made from OSB. Depending on the conditions in the room, both an OSB-2 class plate and a more moisture resistant one can be used for this. The use of a coating that is more resistant to various liquids allows further finishing with water-based paints and varnishes, which provide better vapor transmission, while maintaining a comfortable microclimate inside.
• Construction of frame houses from sandwich panels. This is one of the most modern technologies that allows the construction of various buildings from prefabricated blocks, which are used as OSB sandwich panels.

  

  They are a solid monolithic structure consisting of two OSB sheets, between which one of the insulation materials (polystyrene foam, polyurethane, etc.) is tightly pressed. This solution allows to significantly reduce the time and reduce the cost of construction through the use of simple and convenient material.

Thus, almost all structures necessary for individual construction can be made from OSB. Therefore, often instead of a traditional timber or log structure, many owners of suburban areas order a country house from OSB, while saving money and time.

Other applications of OSB

Above we have listed the most popular areas of OSB use. But their use is not limited to this. They are in demand wherever there is a need to quickly and inexpensively obtain a solid, even surface of a sufficiently large area. In particular, the use of OSB boards gives excellent results for the manufacture of the following products:

OSB board is a relatively new building material that has been widely used in construction. But what is it, what properties does it have, and for what purposes is it generally used? I will try to answer all these questions.

The abbreviation OSB stands for "oriented strand board", which means "oriented strand board" in translation.

What is OSB

General information

The material is mistakenly called "usb", "usb" and even "yusbi" plates. Roofers especially like to say this for some reason. Deciphering the abbreviation USB sounds like this - universalstrandboard, i.e. universal chipboard.

So, OSB is sheets formed by compressed wood chips and large-sized chips. The length of chips can reach 15 cm, and their number in the slab reaches 90 percent. Most often, manufacturers of this material use a mixture of hardwood and softwood chips.

Synthetic resins, paraffin and other adhesives are used for gluing wood chips. In addition, moisture-repellent substances are added to the composition.

The main feature of these plates is that they consist of several layers. Moreover, the fibers of each layer are perpendicular to each other. This provides them with high strength and resistance to deformation.

Production

The manufacturing process of OSB boards includes several stages:

1. Tree preparation. The tree is softened by moistening and heat treatment, after which the bark and natural damage are removed;

1. Splitting of wood. With the help of special equipment, the prepared wood is split into chips of the required size;
2. Drying. The resulting wood chips are dried in drying chambers;

1. Processing of raw materials. The prepared chips are mixed with adhesive and water-repellent impregnations;
2. Layer formation. In special conveyor machines, the chips are aligned in the right direction, resulting in separate layers;
3. Layering. Layers with a wound orientation of chips are superimposed on each other. The number of layers can be different, depending on the desired thickness of the plate;

1. Pressing. This procedure takes place under the influence of high temperature. The output is almost finished material;
2. Grinding. The outer surface of the outer layers is subjected to grinding, as a result of which the plates acquire an attractive appearance;
3. Cutting. The resulting material is cut into plates of certain sizes, after which they are sent to the warehouse.

As a result, OSB sheets are much more durable and moisture resistant than other similar materials such as chipboard and MDF.

Main properties and characteristics

Performance

Like any other building material, OSB boards have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, first of all, we will get acquainted with their operational qualities.

Advantages:

• High strength. The material is able to withstand high mechanical loads;
• Weather resistance. Due to this quality, USB panels can be used for outdoor work. True, this does not apply to all their types;
• Resistance to biological influences. Thanks to special impregnations, the plates never rot, are not affected by fungus or insects;

• Durability. Thanks to the qualities described above, the sheets can last in various designs for more than a dozen years, even when used outdoors;
• Save the form. As a result of the multidirectionality of the chips, the slabs are not deformed. In this regard, the material surpasses even plywood;
• Heat and noise insulation qualities. OSB plate has almost the same properties as the array;

• Ease of machining. The plates do not crumble, and are also not prone to chipping in the sawing areas;
• Attractive look. Due to the large chips, the boards look much more attractive than chipboard and MDF. Therefore, they are often used as a finishing material, while maintaining the natural texture and color.

Flaws:

• Toxicity. Plates contain harmful phenols, however, this applies only to brands intended for outdoor use. Some manufacturers have completely eliminated the use of formaldehyde in the manufacture of this material;
• Instability to moisture of eco-friendly brands. Plates that can be used for interior work are not resistant to moisture.

Characteristics

The plates in question have the following technical characteristics:

OSB has a sufficiently high coefficient of thermal expansion - a plate of standard sizes can expand by 3 mm. Therefore, the instructions for installing this material on the facades of buildings or, for example, on floors require the arrangement of gaps between sheets of several millimeters.

Types of OSB and their features

The characteristics and performance of OSB boards largely depend on the strength class. There are four classes in total:

• OSB-1. The material is intended for use only in dry rooms. It is the most environmentally friendly, but it has the least strength and resistance to moisture.
  Plates of this class are widely used in industry;

• OSB-2. This class of plates is also intended for indoor use. The difference from the first class is increased strength, while moisture resistance remains at a low level.
  Such slabs can be used for internal partitions, arranging subfloors, etc.;

• OSB-3. They have a much higher density and moisture resistance. As a result, they can be used for both indoor and outdoor work, subject to short-term contact with water;