What does the OSB board consist of? OSB board - what kind of material it is and what it is used for. Type of front surface and ends

OSB stands for Oriented Strand Board - a board made of oriented strands, or OSB in Russian. This is a modern construction and finishing material, consisting of 90% wood chips bound with synthetic waterproof resins. The slabs are formed by 3-4 layers of thin chips up to 15 cm long, pressed at high pressure and temperature, and the direction of the chips in each layer is different.

OSB boards can be used for:

• production of sandwich panels and construction of frame houses,
• when installing floors,
• covering walls, ceilings, floors,
• for covering roofs,
• during auxiliary work (installation of formwork, scaffolding),
• for the manufacture of auxiliary buildings (sheds, storage facilities), street structures, fences,
• as structural elements of furniture.

High-quality OSB complies with the EN 300 OSB standard, which sets requirements for environmental safety and technical parameters of boards.

Types of plates and their features

There are 4 main types of slabs produced:

• OSB-1- low strength and low moisture resistance, used for interior work, in the manufacture of furniture,
• OSB-2- high strength and low moisture resistance, used for internal partitions, load-bearing structures, floors,
• OSB-3- high strength and high moisture resistance, ideal for outdoor use,
• OSB-4- ultra-high strength and high moisture resistance, used for load-bearing elements, walls, roofs.

The moisture resistance of the board depends on the composition of the glue used, and the strength depends on the number of layers and the relative position of the chips in them.

In addition, there are boards with a varnished or laminated surface on one side, which, for example, can be reused for the manufacture of formwork. For installation on a horizontal surface, you can use OSB with tongue-and-groove joints at the ends on 2 or 4 sides.

The most common standard slab sizes are:

• 122 * 244 cm,
• 122 * 366 cm,
• 125 * 250 cm * 6 –40 mm,
• 125 * 370 cm,
• 125 * 600 cm.

Pros of OSB

Manufacturers sometimes refer to OSB as “improved” wood. It is just as durable, light and easy to process, but at the same time it is free from such disadvantages as fire hazard, susceptibility to rot and mold, the presence of voids and knots. In terms of technical properties, OSB is superior to chipboard, fibreboard, MDF and even plywood.

Factory conveyor production allows for stable dimensions and uniform thickness throughout the slab. OSB provides excellent heat retention; it is not subject to deformation and destruction in water. For its processing, the same tools and materials are used as for wood. Large sheet sizes allow the construction of walls with a minimum number of joints. The service life of structures made from such plates is practically unlimited.

Cons of OSB

Recently, there has been a lot of material about the dangers and negative effects of OSB on health. All the criticism is related to the use of phenol in synthetic resins, which are used to join wood chips and release carcinogenic substances. Today, most European manufacturers have switched to polymer resins that do not include formaldehyde and are completely safe; such boards are usually labeled ECO-, Green-.

In any case, before purchasing OSB for building a house, you should familiarize yourself with the certificates for this material and make sure that it corresponds to class E1, or even better, E0 (the emission class determines how much formaldehyde compounds are released into the environment).

For interior work and furniture making, it is permissible to use only OSB intended for interior work, and if there are doubts about its quality, insulate it well with plasterboard, finishing materials and floor coverings and take care of ventilation in the room. OSB-3 and -4 can only be used for work outside the home.

For living in any climate, a wooden house remains the most comfortable. It perfectly retains heat in frosty winters. In hot areas, walls keep the heat out. Unfortunately, wood swells from moisture and is destroyed by insects that make passages in it for their homes or eat. Disadvantages include high cost and flammability. OSB board inherited all the positive qualities and got rid of the disadvantages of solid wood.

We install and assemble OSB boards

Making slabs from several layers of large chips and chips

My friend is a scientist and periodically travels to various international conferences. Returning from another trip, he immediately called me and first of all asked a question about the material that surprised him, made from long conical pieces of wood of various shades. He was eager to find out in detail what it was.

It turns out that instead of a multi-story hotel, they were accommodated in cottages. The floor, walls and ceiling were mostly made of slabs, with splinters visible on the unpainted surface. At the same time, it felt like being in a log cabin:

• Fresh air;
• optimal humidity;
• light smell of natural wood;
• the floor is warm, pleasant for bare feet;
• It’s warm, although it’s frosty and strong wind outside.

What surprised Vadik most was the speed with which the village was built. Last year he wasn't there. Driving past, he then drew attention to the surveyors making markings.

A friend lived in a cottage whose frame and walls were made of OSB boards. They are made from waste wood. Unlike other similar materials, relatively large fragments glued together with wood resins are used in production. The composition of the binders is close to that of coniferous wood.

Unusual abbreviation for familiar material

OSB boards for walls

Vadik's story was about OSB boards. The meaning of the abbreviation in Russian means Oriented Strand Board. Large chips and thin long chips are pressed into several layers. In this case, the wood fibers are located in a certain direction in several layers. Outward along the direction of pressing as the slab passes through the rolls. The middle ones are perpendicular to them.

International designation – OSB. This abbreviation oriented strand board stands for, which makes it possible for a second Russian designation, consonant with English - OSB board. All three names are used to refer to slabs. The Latin alphabet is used for marking.

The OSB board has collected all the best qualities of materials, reducing disadvantages to a minimum. The orientation, or more precisely the perpendicular arrangement of the chips of the inner layers, as in parquet boards and plywood, eliminates warping when wet.

Thanks to high-pressure pressing, OSB board has become denser than solid wood and repels water. It is used to sheathe the frame of a house outside and in wet areas.

High environmental friendliness corresponds to solid wood

Self-finishing of OSB boards

The OSB board consists almost entirely of natural wood. Approximately 2-3% are resins and synthetic waxes. Boric acid is used as an additive. Only a stove made in violation of technology can emit formaldehyde during combustion, which exceeds the norm for natural wood. The use of the material for cladding the frame from the inside of the house, making furniture, including children's furniture, is possible if it belongs to group E1, which is indicated in the labeling of the slab.

A slab made of wood chips has advantages over other building materials used to cover frames or brick walls.

1. Thermal insulation qualities are the same as solid wood and exceed wall materials by 5 - 8 times.
2. Easily processed with woodworking tools.
3. Holds the fastener well.
4. High surface adhesion. The OSB board can be mounted on the frame using glue. Putty and paint. There is no need to prepare the surface for wallpaper.
5. High bending and torsional strength. This shows such a test as the durability of OSB houses in seismically active zones.
6. The material does not contain the usual wood defects such as delamination, cracks, or knots.
7. The aesthetics and natural uniqueness of the pattern, characteristic of wood, makes the use of OSB boards compatible with many modern styles in the design of interiors and facades.
8. Possibility of rapid construction. You can cut the slabs and sheathe the frame in a few days.

The walls of frame houses can withstand earthquakes

OSB board

It was not by chance that Vadik and his colleagues were placed in frame houses. The city was located in a zone of seismic activity. Homes in California and Japan with OSB walls were left largely undamaged after strong tremors. Concrete and brick walls cracked and even collapsed. Many countries are switching to practical and safe material.

In areas with cold winters, sandwich panels are mounted on the frame. Their outer layer is made of OSB boards, with polystyrene foam between them. The low specific gravity of the wall material allows you to work at heights without a crane and build a house from the foundation to complete wall construction in a week.

Material from pressed wood chips is also used to create warm attics. Sheets of various thicknesses are laid under the roofing material. This base allows you to make budget options and stick flexible tiles.

Laminated OSB - durable formwork when pouring concrete

On the territory of the Russian Federation, houses are mainly built on strong strip foundations, and supports and other foundation elements are poured with concrete. Formwork made of plywood and other materials can withstand several cycles and then collapse.

Waterproof laminated oriented strand sheets are used by builders as formwork 50 times or more. The surface does not swell from moisture. Does not react to the components of the solution, can be easily removed without traces of erosion.

Laminated OSB panels cover the walls in bathrooms and bathrooms. Moisture-resistant sheets are covered with decorative film. The disadvantage of such cladding is the low vapor permeability of OSB. Increased ventilation is required.

Interior use for creating warm floors and walls

In many modern styles, such as eco, natural, Scandinavian, elements made from natural unpainted wood predominate. Designers use OSB sheets for wall cladding. The floor is made from thick tongue-and-groove slabs and partitions are built. The texture of the material and its aesthetic appearance make the interior unique and warm.

When cladding the facade I use frost and water resistance. OSB is both an insulation material and a facing material. This significantly reduces material costs and time for facade repairs. The panels can be attached to the walls using glue on flat surfaces and self-tapping screws to the sheathing or relatively flat masonry.

After my story, Vadik, using OSB panels, insulated the attic and turned it into a cozy cottage-style home. The floor was made from thick tongue and groove sheets. The sides and top are varnished.

Durable cabinet furniture frames made of OSB

OSB board is one of the most popular materials for the construction market. Let's figure out what this material is, what it comes in and where it is used.

When studying building materials, we often come across the name OSB board - also OSB, OSB. This abbreviation stands for ooriented strand board, or oriented strand board.

OSB has a reasonable price, good technical characteristics - and is used in both external and internal decoration during construction. But what exactly is this material?

OSB is made from natural wood chips and consists of three main layers. Thin wood chips are treated with an adhesive composition and laid longitudinally on the bottom layer, transversely on the inner layer, and again longitudinally on the top outer layer. The finished board is then pressed at a very high temperature, causing the adhesive to harden, turning the material into a thin, dense, uniform surface.

Oriented strand board was invented in America several decades ago, when during the mass construction of frame housing it became clear that neither ordinary wood nor chipboard made it possible to build inexpensive but high-quality houses.

The coating fits perfectly on this surface, which combines the advantages of ceramics and linoleum.

OSB has become a successful intermediate option between conventional wood board and chipboard. Oriented strand material has high strength, but a reasonable price, and at the same time retains fairly good resistance to deformation - due to its transverse-longitudinal structure.

• At the moment, there are many varieties of OSB, differing, among other things, in appearance. Laminated, varnished, corrugated - the material is convenient for exterior finishing and beautiful enough to create a budget interior.
• OSB weighs little, lasts a long time, it is very easy to work with - the material is easy to cut and drill, paint, wallpaper, tiles and plaster fit well on its surface.
• OSB board remains quite resistant to temperature influences and high humidity, and also reduces noise levels in rooms and retains heat.

And of course, all these advantages are complemented by the main advantage of the OSB board - it is inexpensive. There are both very cheap and more expensive options on the market - but even “luxury” material remains affordable from a financial point of view.

Types of OSB and technical characteristics

Boards made by pressing wood chips are divided into several varieties. They differ in their characteristics - with the main parameters being strength, moisture resistance and thickness.

There are four types in total - from OSB-1 to OSB-4. Let's briefly look at the characteristics of each of them.

• OSB-1. This is the least durable variety, which is practically not used in construction and interior decoration. It has a low level of strength and moisture resistance. When immersed in water for twenty-four hours, its swelling coefficient is 25%. The strength indicator for longitudinal bending is 2500 N per square millimeter, for transverse bending - 1200 N per square millimeter.
• OSB-2. The next type of particle board has slightly greater strength - 3500 and 1400 N per square millimeter with longitudinal and transverse forces, respectively. However, the material's resistance to moisture remains low - the swelling level is 20%.
• OSB-3. This variety belongs to a higher class. Its strength indicators are the same as those of the previous variety - however, moisture resistance is much higher. With constant contact with water, the material swells by only 15%. OSB-3 is the most popular type of particle board among buyers, since with good performance the material maintains an affordable price.
• OSB-4. This is the highest quality of oriented strand boards - it can even be used when creating load-bearing structures. It has a strength of 4800 and 1800 N per square millimeter at longitudinal and transverse pressure; per day of contact with water, its swelling is only 12%. True, the price of such material is almost twice as high as the cost of the previous OSB board.

In addition to strength and moisture resistance, thickness is of great importance. It can range from 8 to 26 millimeters. Typically, the thickness indicator directly depends on the class; the stronger the slab, the thicker it is in diameter.

Another important parameter is the flammability index of OSB. Unfortunately, oriented strand boards belong to class G-4 - that is, they are a highly flammable material.

This is not surprising - after all, they are made of natural wood chips. To give the material greater fire resistance, manufacturers treat the slabs with special compounds and impregnations. However, it is necessary to understand that in the event of a fire, OSB will ignite one way or another - and even the highest quality material cannot be completely non-flammable.

OSB boards are used not only for exterior, but also for interior decoration. There is still debate about how harmful the material is to health. Opponents of oriented strand boards argue their position by the fact that when producing the material, manufacturers use formaldehyde impregnations. Consequently, during operation, fumes must inevitably be released that are hazardous to human health. But is this really so?

In general, we can say that everything depends on the specific manufacturer and its approach to environmental friendliness of products. OSB boards can have four options for environmental labeling: E0, E1, E2, E3. Despite the fact that E3 class boards contain up to 30 milligrams of formaldehyde emissions per 100 grams of material, and E0 class boards - up to only 6.5 milligrams, not a single variety exceeds the maximum permissible standards for harmful fumes.

In addition, most manufacturers - especially Western ones - are trying to further reduce the presence of formaldehyde in their materials, replacing toxic impregnations with safe polymer compounds. Many types of OSB are recommended for use in interior decoration - if their toxicity posed a health hazard, the material could only be “approved” for exterior use.

And finally, the environmental safety of OSB is confirmed

The variety of building materials on the modern market can satisfy any request. If the product is made of wood or other natural material, then questions about environmental safety for humans do not arise at all. But why then are buyers so wary of such a material as OSB board, its health hazards and characteristics, which we propose to consider in this article.

OSB what is it, decoding

Orient Strand Board - or the abbreviation OSB (read as OSB) - is a wood-based particle 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 about neutralizing 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 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 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

Today, recycling waste generated by the wood processing industry is considered a promising area from an economic point of view. More and more materials are being developed that can use waste wood.

OSB boards have also begun to be widely used, the features of which allow the fabric to be used in all kinds of production areas.

So let's take a closer look at what OSB is, what types of it are known today, and also determine the area of ​​use of the material.

Features of OSB boards

OSB sheets

Explanation of the abbreviation "OSB" (sometimes you can see the name OSB or OSB) translated from English - oriented strand board. 90% of the material is wood chips, which are pressed under high pressure and temperature. For their connection, a special filler in the form of synthetic resin is used.

If the thickness of the OSB is chosen correctly, the slab can be subjected to fairly strong loads, about several hundred kilograms.

The advantages of plates include:

• high strength;
• light weight;
• homogeneous structure;
• heat and sound insulation capabilities;
• simplicity in processing and installation;
• the material is resistant to mechanical stress and chemical treatment;
• has bacteriological resistance.

As sad as it may be, there are also negative aspects:

• the synthetic resin, which is used as a binding component, contains phenol (but I would also like to note the fact that the material for interior work is manufactured with higher requirements, so the amount of harmful components in the composition of such boards is minimal);
• There are types of slabs that cannot boast a high level of moisture resistance.

Types of material

OSB sheets

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Today on the construction market you can find 4 types of OSB, which have some distinctive features in their technical characteristics.

A more detailed comparison table is provided below.

When assessing the quality of OSB boards, various indicators are used. The most important question is how thick the OSB is. This figure can vary between 8-26mm, with a step of about 2mm. This indicator has a direct impact on the area of ​​​​use of the canvas. For example, if you do not plan to subject the material to high loads, you can use thin sheets of about 16mm. Accordingly, if the surface is planned to be subject to heavy loads, thicker sheets will have to be purchased.

The generally accepted standard for OSB sheets is 2.5 m by 1.25 m, but this is far from the only variation in dimensions. Today in construction stores you can find sheets of various sizes, for example:

• length – from 2.44 to 2.8 m;
• width – from 0.59 to 1.25 m;
• thickness – from 9 to 22mm, etc.

Technical characteristics of the plates

Wall decoration with OSB sheets

The area of ​​​​use of the canvas also directly depends on technical indicators, such as:

• bending strength (ranges from 1200 to 4800N/mm2);
• tensile strength;
• level of swelling from exposure to moisture (can vary from 12 to 25%);
• appearance

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Area and technology of material use

OSB sheets in the interior of the room

Due to their practicality and excellent characteristics, the slabs can be used in various areas of production, because they are a very versatile and self-sufficient canvas. It can be used:

• for decoration of different rooms;
• decorate a garage or balcony with your own hands;
• put as a base under laminate or parquet, etc.

To achieve maximum strength and durability of the base under the floor covering, the canvas can be laid in 2 tiers with a slight offset. To fix the edges, you can use adhesive and special nails.

Please note that before installation you need to leave small gaps between the slabs to avoid their deformation and natural expansion during operation.

Having decorated your garage or balcony with slabs with your own hands, get ready for the following special moments to arise in front of you:

• when decorating a garage or balcony with your own hands, make sure that the surface is as smooth as possible at the junction of individual sheets;
• if you are using OSB boards as a base for linoleum, select a sheet with a minimum thickness and cover the gaps with sealant;
• if you decide to lay slabs in the garage as an independent floor covering, pre-treat the sheets with products that will protect it from premature wear and abrasion;
• if the canvas is used as a base for tiles, take care to keep the surface motionless.

In the case when OSB boards are used for rough floor design, the sheets must be mounted on the underside of the logs. In this work you need:

• treat with bitumen mastic the side of the sheet that is facing the ground;
• lay insulation in the gaps between the joists, which will need to be covered with waterproofing material;
• fasten another OSB board on top.

How to treat sheets as a finishing touch?

It is the fact that OSB allows you to create a smooth and hard surface that can be used in combination with different finishing coatings.

1. Varnishes and paints