Is OSB or plywood better for wall sheathing?

Is OSB or plywood better for wall sheathing?

Plywood dries much faster, while OSB needs to be more protected than plywood. OSB can’t get as wet and it needs to be more deliberately dried. That’s why it is critical to have an air gap between OSB and your cladding. Fiber-cement siding can go directly over plywood, but with OSB you need an air gap.”

Can you use plywood sheathing for walls?

The International Residential Code specifies 3/8-inch plywood for sheathing walls with a standard stud spacing of 16 inches, if the siding is nailed to the studs through the sheathing. If the nails penetrate the sheathing, but not the studs, the minimum plywood thickness that the IRC designates is 1/2 inch.

What is the best wall sheathing?

Structural Fiberboard Plywood and OSB are largely considered the best wall sheathing choices because of their overall abilities to hold fasteners well, create a strong bond between studs, and provide some thermal advantages.

Can OSB be used for sheathing?

OSB is now used for about 70 percent of all floor, wall and roof sheathing in North America. Building codes, the Engineered Wood Association, architects and most builders rate plywood and oriented strand board (OBS sheathing) equal in strength and durability. OSB panels often have lines at 16- and 24-in.

What thickness OSB is typically used to sheath walls?

According to the California Uniform Building Code, the minimum recommended thickness for structural panels used in wall sheathing is 5/16 inch for studs 16 inches on center and 3/8 inch for studs 24 inches on center.

What kind of plywood do you use for wall sheathing?

What size OSB is used for walls?

7/16 inch
OSB used for wall sheathing should be 7/16 inch thick.

How thick should wall sheathing be?

The U.S. Department of Energy has determined that 7/16-inch sheathing is the minimum appropriate thickness for structural wall sheathing with an exception for gable end walls, where the minimum thickness is 3/8 inch.

Is OSB good for walls?

OSB can be used on interior walls since it is strong, durable, and provides structural support. The wood strands add a chic decorative finish if you are wanting the walls to stand out. Leave them unpainted for a raw decorative element or seal and paint them for stylish textured walls.

Which is better OSB or plywood?

Plywood has a few advantages over OSB panels: When plywood panels are exposed to moisture, they expand but they do dry faster than OSB. Since plywood panels are manufactured from continuous pieces of veneer, they have a smoother appearance which is better for painting or laminating

Is plywood better than OSB?

When used as a subfloor, either product will work for many flooring surfaces, especially carpet where there will be no noticeable difference. For hardwoods, plywood is desirable because it holds nails slightly better than OSB.

Is OSB stronger than plywood?

OSB is stronger than plywood in shear. Shear values, through its thickness, are about 2 times greater than plywood.This is one of the reasons osb is used for webs of wooden I-joists. However, nail-holding ability controls performance in shear wall applications. OSB is now used for about 70 percent of all floor,…

What is the best material for a subfloor?

Plywood has been a standard subfloor material since the 1950s and remains the preferred subflooring for many builders. Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.

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