Lifestyle
Why OSB (Oriented Strand Board) Continues to Outpace Plywood
Are you looking for the reasons why OSB is leaving behind Plywood for construction purposes? We all know that Plywood is one of the best materials to be used for indoor construction purposes, personal projects, facing veneers of a different material, making furniture more resistant to damage and moisture, and so on.
But why is the case that Plywood for construction has left behind in the race? As it turns out, the OSB or Oriented Strand Board is defeating the benefits and conveniences of Plywood when we compare these two with one another.
In this article, we shall analyze why OSB takes the cake when we consider the quality and benefits of these two materials, what OSB we can use, and some general information about Oriented Strand Board.
What is OSB?
OSB or Oriented Strand Board refers to an engineered wood similar to particleboard. Oriented Strand Board is manufactured using various kinds of waterproof and heat-cured adhesives and then compressing the layers of rectangular-shaped wood strands in a specific direction.
Armin Elmendorf invented the Oriented Strand Board in California in 1963. OSB differs in its texture from other boards due to its rough and variegated (multi-colored) surface. The individual strips are around 2.5 cm x 15 cm, which lay unevenly across each other.
OSB’s performance and nature are in many ways similar to Plywood; however, as we will see, there are many aspects where OSB performs better than plywood products. The nature of Oriented strand Boards is very versatile and accounts for its variety of uses.
How is an Oriented Strand Board Made?
OSB is the orientation of compressed layers. It differs from other wood-scrap products due to this quality. The wood layers are placed strategically and not randomly, like different kinds of wood.
They produce the oriented strand board in a variety of types and thicknesses. The OSB board is a combined form of wood and adhesives that make up for a reliable and dimensionally stable panel. The panels can resist deflection, moisture, core voids, knotholes, warping, delamination, and distortion in their shape.
Here are the step-by-step processes that are involved with the making of an OSB wood:
1. Harvesting
What separates OSB from other kinds of woods is that it produces from small-diameter logs extracted from fast-growing species of trees depending on the plant’s geography. The plant species may include Aspen trees, Poplar trees, black poplar, or southern yellow pines.
After extracting the logs from a particular plant species, they stack them on top of each other. In the winter seasons or cold areas, they keep placed in large ponds heated by wood burners. These ponds heated by wood burners wash, unfreeze, and soften the logs.
2. Breaking
The logs then debark, i.e., they remove the bark from the tree trunk. The logs are then sliced and diced by the stranders; The pieces are of an appropriate 3 to 6 inches length, 1-inch breadth, and a 0.003-inch thickness.
3. Stranding Under Pressure
They then pass the strands through dryers of temperatures around 1,500 F when the process starts and around 200 F when it comes to completion. The strands then blend with a mixture of resins and waxes.
After adding this mix, they layer strands into 3 to 8 inch deep mats on a continuous belt of 8 to 12-inch wide. Then the strands cut so they can fit into the plant’s press. In the press, these strands bake above 400 F. The pressure depends on the board thickness and is typically above 1,300 PSI.
4. Delivery
Finally, the strands come out of the press and then cut into size. They trim most of the wood panels to 4 feet by 8 feet. They use the remaining scrap from the wood as fuel. Boards are modified, such as the radiant-barrier modification or a tongue-and-groove cut.
They check the bundles of wood after receiving these modifications for their quality. The bundles that pass this check load up for delivery.
Uses Of OSB
The uses of OSB board are many. Here is the following list of utilizes for OS:
1. The material used in OSB has specific mechanical properties that make it appropriate for load-bearing applications in construction. Because of its mechanical nature, it is becoming increasingly more popular than Plywood for construction.
2. OSB uses for:
- wall and roof sheathing;
- flooring;
- roof decking;
- sub-flooring;
- sheathing of ceilings or decks;
- structural insulated panels;
- industrial containers;
- mezzanine decks;
- exterior wall applications.
3. OSB panels are available with a radiant-barrier layer modification that laminates to one side. These panels provide an easier installation and contribute towards the energy performance of the building envelope.
4. Due to its mechanical nature, OSB panels are frequently used in structures that require weight-bearing properties.
5. Besides these uses, OSB is also perfect for furniture production.
Oriented Strand Board vs. Plywood: Why OSB Is More Popular?
The success story of the OSB board traced back to the 1980s. During that time, OSB material production went from 750 million square feet to an astounding amount of 7.5 billion square feet.
By 2000, OSB’s supply and demand were rivals of wholesale plywood supply by wholesale plywood suppliers and plywood dealers. Now, the market share of OSB is estimated to be around 75%. These numbers indicate an enormous increase.
Now let us analyze the reasons why OSB is leaving behind Plywood for construction purposes. This observation is vital for potential plywood buyers as they should inform themselves about the wooden materials before contacting a wholesale plywood supplier.
1. OSB is More Versatile
Plywood used to consider to be versatile by plywood buyers. However, when it comes to versatility, OSB defeats Plywood. OSB can be engineered for different climates and different projects, depending on the need of the buyer.
Fire block OSB formulates for particular purposes. For instance, a layer of fire-resistant material can orient along with OSB in the Mill. This unique OSB material use for making wood that utilizes sheathing.
Engineers can use this product to make fire-code compliant wall assemblies to reduce the wall’s dead load and thickness.
2. OSB Provides More Consistency
Plywood is known for its many veneers that do consistently layered on top of each other. However, OSB can do it better than Plywood. OSB does have layered with 50 strands of wood that will compress into the same essential consistency and thickness.
3. Oriented Strand Board Is Cheaper
Another great thing about OSB is the fact that it is very much cheaper compared to Plywood. It does estimate that OSB costs $700 less than Plywood. Due to this reason, buyers have begun to prefer OSB over Plywood.
4. OSB Panels Are Longer
OSB boards manufacture in factories and mills up to around 24 feet. On the other hand, Plywood does extract from trees that aren’t that long and hence amount to short panels having a size of about 8 to 10 feet.
For interested buyers, short sized OSB panels are also available for sheathing, ranging from 9 to 10 feet.
5. OSB Is Stronger Than Plywood
Since OSB is thicker than Plywood, it has more strength than plywood panels, and due to this quality, it utilizes load-bearing applications in construction. When it comes to structures that require superior strength and weight-bearing materials, OSB is the best option.
6. OSB Is Better for The Environment
Another reason why plywood wholesalers have left behind is due to their manufacturing needs. To make plywood, they cut large and old trees down. These trees take a long time to grow to their original size.
On the other hand, OSB does not require manufacturers to cut down big trees, as discussed above. OSB produces from small-diameter and fast-growing trees that are easier to farm and reproduce. This fact sets OSB apart from Plywood for a particular reason, climate.
Manufacture of OSB over Plywood is a healthier choice for the climate and is why manufacturers and suppliers turn towards orientated strand boards.
The Grades Of OSB
In terms of mechanical performance and resistance to moisture, five grades of OSB are available.
- OSB/0 – with no formaldehyde
- OSB/1 – General-purpose boards and boards for interior fitments (including furniture) that use for dry conditions
- OSB/2 – Load-bearing boards that use for dry conditions
- OSB/3 – Load-bearing boards that use for humid conditions
- OSB/4 – Heavy-duty and load-bearing boards that use for humid conditions
The Takeaways:
OSB is a material that makes it utterly impossible for wholesale plywood distributors to compete with it. It brings versatility to your projects and is always a better choice if you need to go for the uses mentioned above.
Besides its sales in North America, the sales of Oriented Strand Board have experienced a growth in other countries. For instance, Canada in 2005 saw the production of OSB increasing to 113 hundred thousand square feet, out of which 94 hundred thousand square feet had exported to the USA.
Just like all other kinds of wooden materials, OSB has its shortcomings. It has raised the question that OSB has many health and safety risks due to its potential to emit harmful volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde.
Due to this reason, it suggests that materials make from OSB should not be used for internal purposes. However, many new and advanced tech OSB panels on the market do not use these toxic products and are safer to utilize in homes’ interior design.
If you are looking for a high-quality OSB, look no further than Plywood Logistics. As a reputable plywood supplier, it provides premium plywood for construction all over the USA. By buying plywood directly from Plywood Logistics, you can cut the price of the agent’s commission. Click on plywoodlogistics.com to learn more about oriented strand board, CDX and other materials for construction!
References:
https://depatisnet.dpma.de/DepatisNet/depatisnet?action=pdf&docid=US000003164511A
http://www.fordaq.com/fordaq/news/Canadian_structural_panel_market_13586.html
Some emotional storms arrive without warning. A sudden change in weather, a holiday approaching, or even a bright sunny day can stir feelings that don’t match the world outside. For many people, the hardest seasons are not defined by temperature; they are defined by what’s happening inside, where grief and loneliness often move quietly.
This is the emotional terrain where Dr. Leeshe Grimes has spent her career doing some of her most meaningful work. As a psychotherapist, registered play therapist, retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and founder of Elevated Minds in the DMV area, she understands how deeply seasonal shifts and unresolved grief can affect people. Her upcoming books explore this very space, guiding readers through the emotional weight that can appear during different times of the year.
What sets Dr. Grimes apart is her ability to see clearly what many people overlook. Seasonal depression, for example, is usually tied to winter months. But she often sees it appear during warm, bright seasons, the times when the world seems happiest. For someone already grieving or feeling disconnected, watching others travel, celebrate, or gather can create its own kind of heaviness. Sunshine doesn’t always lift the mood; sometimes it highlights what feels missing.
The same misunderstanding surrounds grief. Society often treats it as a short-term experience with predictable phases and a clean ending. But in her practice, Dr. Grimes sees how grief keeps evolving. It doesn’t disappear on a timeline. It weaves itself into routines, memories, and milestones. People learn to carry it differently, but they rarely leave it behind completely. And that’s not failure, it’s human.
Her approach to mental health centers on truth rather than pressure. She encourages clients to acknowledge the emotions they try to hide: sadness that lingers longer than expected, moments of joy that feel out of place, and the waves of loneliness that return even when life seems stable. Instead of pushing for quick recovery, she focuses on helping people understand how emotions shift and how to care for themselves through those changes.
Much of her insight comes from her military years, where she witnessed the emotional toll of loss, transition, and constant survival. She saw how people continued functioning while carrying pain that had nowhere to go. That experience shaped her belief that healing requires space, space to feel, to speak, and to move through emotions without judgment.
In her clinical work today at Elevated Minds, she encourages people to build small, steady habits that anchor them during difficult seasons. Journaling helps them recognize patterns and name what feels heavy. Community support breaks the cycle of isolation. Therapy creates a place where emotions don’t have to be minimized or explained away. And intentional routines, daily sunlight, mindful breaks, and calm evenings help rebuild emotional balance.
Her upcoming books expand on these ideas, offering practical guidance for navigating both grief and seasonal depression. She focuses on helping readers understand that healing is not about escaping pain. It’s about learning how to live with it in a healthier way, honoring memories, acknowledging loneliness, and still allowing room for moments of light.
What makes Dr. Leeshe Grimes a compelling voice in mental health is her ability to bring language to experiences that many struggle to explain. She reminds people that emotional seasons don’t always match the weather and that there is no single path through grief. But within those shifts, she believes there is always a way forward.
The seasons will continue to change. And with the right tools, compassion, and support, people can change with them, finding steadiness, softness, and light again, one step at a time.
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