OSB decking

[Art Sturm]

I would like more information regarding other decking options; My experience in stick building, that 3/4" t/g better grade plywood, glued and fastened with coated screw driven nails was minimum for tile coverings. Less than this eventually results in cracked tiles and loose crout.

Also I would like information regarding the use and thickness specifications of OSB for shear walls and roofing??? It seems like to many units are using minimum thicknesses. Also what are the cost tradeoffs??? What is the resale value regarding use of the better building materials???

thanks for your thoughts,

Art Sturm

[Don Doan]

OSB decking vs plywood?? which would be better for roofing decking?? when exposed to water which would damaged faster??

[Vicky]

We are debating the issue of 5/8 OSB in a Karsten Home or plywood floors in a Soliaire Home. Which Is better?

[rmurray]

better would be 3/4 inch osb..or 3/4 inch plywood...with 5/8 inch be very sure floor joists are on 16 inch centers...often this will be an option for many plants..

Go for it...

[Charlie]

OSB and plywood can be used for many of the same applications. The main difference are:
OSB is generally more square and has smaller dimensional tolerances
It can be manufactured into panels of up to 8' x 24', far larger than plywood
There are no soft spots such as those that can occur in plywood
OSB is made from smaller (often farmed) trees reducing the demand for old growth timber
OSB has greater shear strength than plywood; the span rating, nail pull and screw hold are all roughly the same
It can be $3 to $5 a panel less expensive than plywood. For a typical 2400 square foot home, OSB will save about $700 if used as the subfloor, sheathing, and roof decking instead of plywood.

The major problem of OSB is that if it gets exposed to significant amounts of water or moisture, the edges expand by up to 15%. . .especially if they are cut edges. This swell will then telegraph onto the shingles or some flooring. When plywood gets wet, it expands evenly throughout the panel, dries more quickly and shrinks down to its original size more rapidly than OSB.

Flooring

OSB is fine to use as a subfloor material for most types of flooring, especially resilient flooring.

If you are installing a tile floor, the National Tile Contractors Association recommends that you not use OSB as a subfloor or underlayment because of the potential that swollen edges will weaken or crack the tiles.

Wall sheathing

OSB works just as well as plywood for sheathing. You should still check with the siding manufacturer's installation instructions for compatibility, especially for stucco homes.

Roof Decking

Warranties on shingles are extended to both OSB and plywood, but some manufactures feel more comfortable with plywood because of the 'roof ridges' that can occur if OSB edges swell. OSB must be protected from rain, ice and snow.

[qwert2008]

I have been replacing D3 particle board in Manufacturer homes with 5/8 T&G OSB and it is amazing how sturdy the floor feels from before. The replacement is defective decking in Homes manufactured from April 2006 to August 2006. Do you own a home from this time frame's and what Manufacturer did you buy from?