OSB board

Chipboard is composed of wood chips bonded together with an adhesive. There are two types of chipboard:

  1. OSB (Oriented Strand Board) chipboards, these boards have the chips oriented according to the layer.
  2. Unoriented strand boards are called waferboard.

The fact of orienting the shavings gives OSB superior mechanical characteristics in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. Normally OSB has three oriented layers, the outer layer chips in the longitudinal direction and the inner layer in the perpendicular direction.

 

The usual use of chipboard is as support, decking, beams, floor slabs and partition walls. Also because of its characteristic appearance, architects have used OSB as a facade.

The species used to make chipboard are usually fast-growing species or conifers. This board manufacturing technology has allowed the wood industry to take advantage of low quality shafts and leftovers from sawmills and mills to obtain a cheap, stable product with very good performance.

The OSB manufacturing line in order is: debarking, chipping, drying, sieving, sizing, gluing, forming of the blanket of chips, pressing, squaring and sanding.

What to consider when choosing OSB or waferboard?

-OSB has better mechanical characteristics.

-If it is for exterior use, it should have phenol formaldehyde or polyurethane adhesives and for interior use urea formaldehyde or urea melamine formaldehyde adhesives.

– There is the possibility of applying a complementary treatment; fire resistance, water repellent or resistant to biological attacks.

– The quality of the board depends on its use and exposure. OSB/1, OSB/2, OSB/3 and OSB/4.

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