OSB vs Plywood

Whether you are building, remodeling, or just doing some repairs, many times you need a type of sheathing or underlayment for the project. Numerous choices are available for this purpose, but the two most commonly used products are oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood. Both boards are made of wood with glues and resins, come in many sizes, and can be used for a variety of purposes. But each one is not necessarily right for every project. We outline the differences between them below so that you can make a more informed decision about which one will work for your project.

Appearance

Plywood can have many different styles and appearances. The top layer is usually a hardwood and may be any number of woods such as birch, beech, or maple. This means that the sheet of plywood takes on the appearance of the top wood. Plywood made this way is designed for building cabinets, shelves, and other items where the wood is visible.

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Plywood may also be made out of less-quality softwoods for its top layer. In this case, it may have knots or a rough surface. This plywood is generally used beneath the finished material, such as tile or siding.

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OSB does not usually have a top veneer. It is made of many strands or smaller pieces of wood pressed together, which gives it a rougher texture. OSB is not used for finished surfaces because it cannot handle a paint or stain the way that hardwood plywood can. Therefore, it is generally installed beneath a finish material, such as siding.

Costs

Plywood is the more expensive option to build with than OSB. The material tends to be thicker and needs to be made to more exacting standards, which increases costs. A 4×8-foot sheet of construction-grade plywood costs roughly $10 a sheet, while the same size sheet of OSB costs only $6 a sheet. Both cost about the same to install, $70 an hour for a carpenter.

Installing either sheathing over a 500 square foot area would cost roughly $160 in material for plywood and $100 for OSB. Installation costs for both would be $490, assuming that the carpenter can install approximately 75 feet of material per hour. The total cost for installing 500 square feet is roughly $650 for plywood and $590 for OSB.

Environmental Concerns

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Of the two products, OSB is considered the greener option. Because OSB is made of many smaller pieces of wood, it can be created using smaller-diameter trees, which grow more quickly and can be farmed.

Plywood, however, needs to use large-diameter trees, which are then rotary cut to produce the layers needed. Larger-diameter trees like this take much longer to grow and must be harvested from old-growth forests, which makes plywood a less-green option.

OSB is still being produced using formaldehyde, however, while plywood must be produced without this chemical according to new environmental laws by the year 2019. Hardwood plywood is already available with soy-based glues and other materials that do not release urea-formaldehyde into the air. While it is possible that OSB will follow suit, it will soon be possible to find plywood without formaldehyde everywhere, while finding OSB without this chemical may be more difficult.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor