OSB what is it, decoding

Orient Strand Board - or the abbreviation OSB (read as OSB) - is a particle board material made from special types of wood that has super-strong characteristics due to the specific arrangement of these very chips. The environmental friendliness of wood is beyond doubt, but almost 20% of the OSB structure is an adhesive substrate consisting of formaldehyde.

Advantages of OSB

There are quite a lot of advantages of OSB material:

1. A wall made of OSB boards, like other structures made of OSB, can be assembled with your own hands several times faster and easier than from other building materials;
2. The wear resistance of OSB floor boards goes back decades of use, if you take care in advance to neutralize the biological threat (surface treatment with special protective reagents);
3. Based on the weight of OSB boards, they are classified as lightweight building materials, i.e. leveling the floor or walls with their help will not create additional weight load on the supporting structures of the house;
4. High sound and thermal insulation.

Disadvantages of OSB

Formaldehyde is a substance obtained from the oxidation of methanol (wood, methyl alcohol + a number of particularly toxic chemical elements). In terms of structure, formaldehyde is a gas, and in terms of chemical activity, it belongs to the group of active elements that react with almost all elements of the chemical table.

The characteristics of formaldehyde allow it to be included in production:

1. Medical and cosmetic preparations (as an excellent antiseptic);
2. In the leather, woodworking, agricultural, furniture, chemical and even food (E240) industries.

Based on these data alone, we can conclude that the harm to human health when using formaldehyde resins is minimal. So why is there controversy about the environmentally hazardous use of OSB building materials?

Dimensions and thickness of OSB sheet

Masters of primary and secondary construction have specific requests for the characteristics of building materials: i.e. thickness, length, width, weight, as well as moisture resistance, strength and a number of other indicators are selected according to their intended purpose.

What is on the market for OSB boards:

1. OSB-1 - this marking is placed on the thinnest types of sheets (up to 9 mm). They are used for temporary construction, the manufacture of packaging boxes, as flooring under laminate flooring in the interior, etc.;
2. OSB-2 is designed for indoor use. The thickness of such sheets is 9 – 12 mm. The board under this marking is not treated with moisture-resistant mixtures and is recommended only for rooms with a humidity of no more than 60%.
3. OSB-3 – these boards are the same in size as the previous type (9 – 12mm), but the moisture resistance is much higher. Such characteristics allow this particular type to be effectively used for external construction and finishing work (roofing, attic floors, external/internal walls and floors of the house, etc.);
4. OSB-4 is the most strengthened and moisture-inert type of material. The thickness can be different (9, 12 more than a millimeter). The main supporting structures of the house are built from these slabs.

Regardless of the marking of the type and size of the sheet (8, 9, 12, 15 mm), the dimensions of the length and width of the surface are always the same: 1250 X 2500 mm.

Where and how to properly use OSB boards (OSB)

Certificates and norms

The production of OSB building boards has been put on stream and global manufacturers guarantee the eco-safety of this material. What is the guarantee? Numerous sanitary and epidemiological tests, based on the results of which certificates of product quality are issued and its production is permitted.

According to the European standard DIN EN120, the amount of formaldehyde and other toxic substances should not exceed 30 mg per 100 grams of dry matter (standard E3). If a product receives the eco-safety category E0, then it is absolutely harmless to human health and the environment. Actually, formaldehyde compounds are present in both water and air, but, due to their tiny amount there, no one suffers from poisoning.

Does it make a difference who produces?

The largest European and domestic manufacturers are improving their products to meet global eco-safety standards.

Today, brands such as Glunz (Germany), Norbord (Canada), Egger (Austria) produce OSB boards under the E0-E1 classification. These products are approved for renovation even in children's rooms, bedrooms, hospitals, etc. You can easily build an entire house from OSB boards from the above mentioned manufacturers.

Marking E2-E3 (leaders Kronospan (Germany), Kronopol (Poland) indicates that such OSB plywood boards should be used only for external repairs in non-residential premises, attics, etc.

Impact on the body

Repeated chemical and bacteriological studies of the effect of formaldehyde resins from OSB boards on human physiology have shown disappointing results:

1. The damage to the nervous system is especially severe (depression, high degree of irritation, headaches, convulsions, etc.);
2. All symptoms of poisoning are observed in the food system (nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite). When up to 90 ml of solution enters the body, death occurs;
3. You can lose your vision 100% if you are in a room with a high content of formaldehyde;
4. Inhaling formaldehyde resins is extremely dangerous for the respiratory system (even to the point of stopping breathing);
5. Strong influence on reproductive functions, human gene pool, etc.

All these symptoms are observed at significant (above normal) concentrations of formaldehyde. And if the dose is up to 0.05 ml/l (or 0.5 mg/m3), then there is no danger to the human body.

How to check quality

Buyers often do not know the basic rules for testing building materials for eco-safety.

1. Poisonous formaldehyde resins have a strong, specific odor. When purchasing, you just need to smell the material and if a sharp, nasty smell hits your nose, choose another product.
2. No one is any longer perplexed when a buyer demands copies of quality certificates from sellers. These copies must be certified with the blue wet seal of the manufacturer.
3. Product labeling with a clear indication of the tolerance category is also on the packaging. This is a European standard of service.

How to protect yourself from toxic fumes

In order to efficiently and reliably protect your home and the health of everyone living in it from toxic fumes of formaldehyde, you should:

1. Carefully and thoughtfully approach the choice of building materials (for OSB boards, be sure to take into account the properties of each type);
2. Require all permits and certificates for purchase from the seller;
3. A primer for OSB boards is considered a way to protect against harmful fumes, as well as to preserve wood from fungi, mold, and moisture.

Construction of a frame house. Rules for installing OSB boards

When constructing various buildings and structures, there is often a need for inexpensive but high-quality material, with which you can quickly cover a large area with an even and durable layer, allowing for immediate finishing.

Recently, OSB board has become increasingly popular for this type of work, its use 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 find out in detail 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.

To produce this material, wood chips of various types of wood (most often pine, aspen or poplar) are used, which are arranged in several layers (oriented), usually in mutually perpendicular directions.

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

Correct use of OSB is impossible without understanding what types they are divided into depending on their properties, determined by the production method:

• OSB-1– material for use in low humidity conditions, for example, for the manufacture of furniture, containers, internal partitions in dry rooms, etc.
• OSB-2– is more durable and is used for the construction of load-bearing structures in the absence of the possibility of moisture penetration.
• OSB-3– has 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 third-class slabs are in greatest demand due to their versatility and suitability for solving the vast majority of problems. That is why up to 90% of OSB boards produced today are labeled OSB-3.

Application of OSB boards in construction

Ease of installation, strength and moisture resistance, as well as an absolutely flat surface and light weight of the slab at a relatively low cost ensure this material is constantly growing in 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 develop it, constructing a utility block, a temporary residential building or a shed made of OSB, because it is fast, convenient and inexpensive.

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

• Floor installation. OSB boards 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 open ground, and to build the main floor covering. can be subsequently covered with any material, for example, tiles, linoleum and even varnish.
• Installation 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. 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 must be filled with a soft acrylic sealant, avoiding the appearance of pores and untreated areas. After this, the slab can be painted (read how to do this correctly) or covered with any material intended for external decoration.
• . They can also be made of OSB. Depending on the conditions in the room, either an OSB-2 class board or a more moisture-resistant one can be used for this. The use of a coating that is more resistant to various liquids allows for further finishing using water-based paints and varnishes, which provide better steam transmission while maintaining a comfortable microclimate inside.
• Construction of frame houses from sandwich panels. This is one of the most modern technologies that makes it possible to construct various buildings from prefabricated blocks, which use OSB sandwich panels.

  

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

Thus, almost all structures necessary in 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 made of OSB, while saving money and time.

Other applications of OSB

Above we have listed the most popular areas for using OSB. But their use is not limited to this. They are in demand wherever there is a need to quickly and inexpensively obtain a hard, flat 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 is widely used in construction. But what is it, what properties does it have, and for what purpose is it used? I will try to answer all these questions.

The abbreviation OSB stands for “oriented strand board”, which means “oriented strand board”

What is OSB

General information

The material is mistakenly also called “usb”, “usb” and even “usby” plates. For some reason, roofers especially like to say this. The decoding of the abbreviation USB sounds like this - universalstrandboard, i.e. universal chipboard.

So, OSB is sheets formed by compressed wood shavings and large chips. The length of the 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.

For gluing wood chips, synthetic resins, paraffin and other adhesives are used. 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 located 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. Preparing the tree. The tree is softened by moistening and heat treatment, after which the bark and natural damage are removed;

1. Wood splitting. Using special equipment, the prepared wood is split into chips of the required sizes;
2. Drying. The resulting chips are dried in drying chambers;

1. Processing of raw materials. The prepared shavings are mixed with an adhesive composition and water-repellent impregnations;
2. Formation of layers. In special conveyor machines, the chips are aligned in the desired direction, resulting in individual layers;
3. Layering. Layers with a wound orientation of chips are superimposed on each other. The number of layers may vary, depending on the desired thickness of the slab;

1. Pressing. This procedure occurs under high temperature. The output is practically finished material;
2. Grinding. The outer surface of the outer layers is sanded, as a result of which the slabs acquire an attractive appearance;
3. Cutting. The resulting material is cut into slabs 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, let’s get acquainted with their performance qualities.

Advantages:

• High strength. The material is able to withstand large mechanical loads;
• Weather resistant. Thanks 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 slabs never rot or are affected by fungus or insects;

• Durability. Thanks to the qualities described above, the sheets can last in various structures for decades, even when used externally;
• Preservation of shape. As a result of the multidirectionality of the chips, the slabs are not deformed. In this regard, the material is superior even to plywood;
• Heat and sound insulation qualities. OSB board has almost the same properties as solid wood;

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

Flaws:

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

Characteristics

The slabs in question have the following technical characteristics:

OSB has a fairly high coefficient of thermal expansion - a board of standard sizes can expand by 3 mm. Therefore, instructions for installing this material on building facades or, for example, on floors require creating 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 exclusively in dry rooms. It is the most environmentally friendly, but at the same time has the least strength and resistance to moisture.
  Plates of this class are widely used in industry;

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

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