April 6, 2020 - Flooring
By Lewis Migliore
OSB stands for oriented strand board. OSB is a type of engineered wood similar to particle board, formed by adding adhesives and then compressing layers of wood strands (flakes) in specific orientations. It is stronger that plywood and less expensive.
The overwhelming majority of new homes and wood structure facilities have some form of OSB (oriented strand board) used as subflooring. Most of the forest product companies that make these materials have several products in their line. The performance attributes of their OSB products are reflected in their pricing structure. There is a good, better, best hierarchy with tangible performance differences. Some OSB products are marketed as “enhanced” or “high-performance” in an attempt to help the purchaser distinguish them from commodity OSB panels. High-performance OSB products are intended to provide increased fastener holding ability while providing greater strength and stiffness. They are frequently intended to resist moisture absorption and the resulting swelling.
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The Commercial Flooring Report is provided by Lewis Migliore, president of LGM and Associates, which offers technical flooring services, including help or guidance with a new flooring project or a failure on an existing floor. Contact him at lgmtcs@optilink.us. This issue is written and provided by LGM’s Associate, David Horan.
