Is Osb Better Than Plywood For Roofing

This engineered product may be similar to plywood in some ways but it is much less expensive.

Is osb better than plywood for roofing.

That is why osb is sometimes used to secure houses when a hurricane draws near. Osb is much more waterproof than plywood and cdx plywood. Overall in installing a whole roofing area osb will cost you 700 to 1 000 cheaper than plywood. Some panels have a textured surface which makes them less slippery when used for roof sheathing.

Osb has its advantages. Osb panels often have lines at 16 and 24 in. Osb sheathing costs a few dollars less per sheet than 1 2 in. Today you can find osb in thickness from 7 16 to 1 1 8 for different applications from roof wall subfloor i joists and everything between.

Home osb is about 700 less expensive compared with plywood if used as the subfloor sheathing and roof decking. Intervals so you know where underlying studs rafters and joists are for nailing. Plywood is available in many plys and different levels of quality. The glue and resin that is mixed in with the wood chips makes it much less permeable so osb holds up longer in harsher conditions.

Plywood s edges also resist damage better than osb which can crack and fray upon impact and over time. Osb is heavier than plywood and when properly waterproofed and maintained will generally lie flatter. For a typical 2 400 sq. Plywood will absorb moisture quicker than osb but consequently it will also dry quicker.

Both products will swell when wet but plywood will return to almost its exact shape when it dries. Osb can be used in many applications and is commonly used in roofing walls and flooring. It is generally believed that osb is cheaper than plywood. 2x greater shear strength than similar sized plywood source.

It is true as the price of every osb board is around 15 20 per sheet 4 8 sizes. Osb takes longer to get wet than plywood but also takes longer to dry out. Osb is also more consistent than plywood. When used as a roof sheathing this tendency to hold moisture means it can degrade faster than plywood when exposed to chronic leaks.

University of massachusetts meets most building codes for roof and wall sheathing. Due to the way that osb is made it is generally much more uniform in construction which gives it a clear advantage over other options. For plywood it is like 5 to 10 more expensive. When osb does get wet it also tends to swell along the edges and those edges stay swollen even after the material has dried out.