While OSB is the top selling product by far, it does not mean it is the best choice. CDX Plywood vs OSB . Of course, tree species plays a large role in this determination. 1/2 in. CDX is oftentimes used for creating work tables and storage units. Uncategorized; Selecting The Right Plywood, BC vs. CDX. OSB panels can be manufactured in lengths up to 16 feet (or sometimes even higher), while plywood is generally limited to 8 to 10 feet. BY SEAN GROOM Drawings this page: Don Mannes. Because plywood is rated as shop grade because of defects, almost any type of plywood can end up in the shop grade bin. than CDX plywood. There was no real choice in OSB then. But the truth is that, even though both OSB and CDX plywood are commonly used in a single home construction site, there is a big difference between these two plywood types! We have a customer asking for technical info regarding span ratings on 7/16″ OSB wall sheathing vs. 1/2″ CDX. ACX and CDX are both exterior plywoods and aren’t specifying the type of wood. OSB retains water longer than plywood does, which makes decay more likely in OSB than in plywood. While a sheet of plywood might be 5 to 7 plies thick, a sheet of OSB is made from as many as 50 strand layers packed and compressed into the same thickness. Once the plywood dries, it may end up warped due to the elements. Use 5/8 inch C/C PTS grade for your overhangs and 5/8 inch CDX for the rest. It is super smooth and sturdy and makes for a great work surface or a strong cabinet carcass. In 2001, oriented strand board surpassed plywood in terms of square footage produced. While there are actually several materials you can use to sheath your home, the post popular are wood-based products, OSB And CDX plywood. L Plywood vs. OSB New-generation structural panels mean decade-old notions are no way to choose sheathing. Question and Answers. Furthermore, when OSB gets wet, its edges tend to swell and stay swollen even after the panel has dried out. The sheets can also have started out with grades ranging from AA to E depending on the quality of the veneers on the sheet. It has a clean and smooth surface, and it holds nails and screws well. OSB boasts a more consistent density. OSB does not provide adequate protection against fast moving storm debris. The mixture is then cast and baked to produce a plywood-like sheet. First, plywood looks significantly better than OSB. Sanded Pine: Sanded pine is a versatile plywood material. By Clayton DeKorne Download the PDF version of this article. My go to option for cabinets boxes and work tables surfaces is 3/4″ birch plywood. If you are new to working with plywood, it is easy to get some of the options mixed up. Let’s walk through the pro’s and con’s of each product and why we went with the one we did. OSB made from aspen or poplar is relatively susceptible to decay. Because OSD does not use costly veneers it is as much as half the price of regular plywood. Here’s what you need to know. However, as plywood has been around longer, it has shown that it can last 50 or more years in an installation. When you are boarding up for a big storm, you should be using at minimum 1/2″ CDX plywood. OSB is now used for about 70 percent of all floor, wall and roof sheathing in North America. Tweet on Twitter. Nowadays this flooring also comes with a 50-year warranty for every new buyer. One of the main grading systems when talking about the plywood is the smoothness of its front and back sides. If this is your final finish, we’d recommend plywood over OSB every time. (339.26 kB) Q: What are the concerns about VOC emissions from exterior plywood and OSB? OSB does not have the same track record because it has only been marketed for about 30 years. Panels designated Structural I must meet all of the manufacturing and performance standards of Rated Sheathing, as well as certain additional requirements. The fully adhered membrane is only really worth it if you are doing something silly like open cladding or zero overhang with no gutters. Work Surfaces . When I started out in construction, I was working for a production builder. Plywood used to be king for wall sheathing and flooring material, but oriented strand board (OSB), introduced in the late 70s, is now the most popular. By Matt Risinger. CDX plywood is still a great piece of plywood if you are looking to build something that does not require a pristine surface. 3/8” OSB (9.5mm) 1.25 per square foot: 40 lbs: 5/16 OSB (7.5mm) 1.43 per square foot: 45.76 lbs: 1/2” OSB (12.5mm) 1.67 per square foot: 53.44 lbs: 5/8” OSB (15.5mm) 2.08 per square foot: 66.56 lbs: 3/4” OSB (18.5mm) 2.50 per square foot: 80 lbs: PLYWOOD BOARD. Since the plywood is water resistant, its useful in any location that may have water exposure, but keep in mind that it's not waterproof. Structural I, also referred to as “STRUC I,” may be OSB or plywood and is, essentially, a subcategory of APA Rated Sheathing. Thank you for your prompt response. Their architect is asking whether OSB will provide the same strength as CDX, and meet code requirements. Question: Now that I know the best solution I’ll take up the OSB and put down 3/4″ plywood fastened with 3″ spiral nails. Plywood’s cross-grain provides strength and greater holding power for screws and nails than solid-sawn wood. The three most common are its appearance, it’s variety in options and the ability for treatment. Moisture resistance • Plywood absorbs ... with less glue than plywood. The main difference between the two is how they handle moisture, and oddly enough there are wildly varying conclusions - from very reputable sources - as to just how vapour permeable they are. The trend among builders is to switch to osb. Treated for ground contact use, it is ideal for a variety of applications, including deck, playsets and walkways. Share on Facebook. Plywood and OSB are generally considered to have the same load strength. I’m figuring there must be some advantage as I occassionally … Second, you can think of CDX kind of like your grade of plywood. Home Uncategorized Selecting The Right Plywood, BC vs. CDX. OSB takes longer than plywood to get saturated, but also takes much longer to dry out. For a decking, or substrate underneath shingles, you can usually use either material. A substantial savings to be sure. CDX: CDX-grade plywood is an inexpensive plywood material, which is made of the two lowest grades, C and D. The X signifies that this material can withstand some exposure to moisture. There’s also a way to upgrade your standard CDX. In 2009, Advantech won the best product competition in Architectural Record and it has been the favorite flooring brand since 2002. The sheets are generally 4 x 8 or 4 x 12 feet in size. Plywood consists of an odd number of sheets of wood, glued together with the grain of each ply in a perpendicular direction, to create a structural panel with shear strength in all directions. For many years, like most builders of that era, we used OSB (oriented strand board) subfloor — typically a 3/4-inch tongue and groove panel. Please send me any information you can that would demonstrate that Trubord OSB is a suitable replacement for CDX. plywood cdx -vs- OSB. comparing the quality of luan and pecan tree, but rather the finish of surfaces. In general, I’m wondering what the upside of using plywood is over OSB as sub-siding. Should you use CDX (plywood) or OSB (oriented strand board) for roofing plywood? OSD plywood (which is also commonly known as OSB or oriented strand board) is produced by binding wood chips together with a mix of glue and resin. Many people like to use CDX plywood as subflooring in the construction of new homes. Jim McFarland, Vandalia, OH. When used as roof sheathing, this tendency to hold moisture means it will degrade faster than plywood when exposed to chronic leaks. PLYWOOD VS. OSB. That's why people prefer Advantech over plywood and OSB flooring. A plywood subfloor generally uses 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch-thick sheets of plywood that have one rough side (which faces down) and one smooth side, which faces up. Plywood vs. OSB (Oriented Strand Board): Major Differences . We have used OSB for some time now.We use 5/8 on the roof,7/16 on the sidewalls.All with plywood clips for strength and proper exspansion gaps.However, 3/4 T+G ulc or cdx for floors stands up to the weather while building. Generally plywood/osb with taped seams with regular house wrap is your lowest cost well sealed assembly. Answer. In fact, recent price quotes from Denver, Boston and Atlanta put 7/16-inch osb $3.00 to as much as $5.00 per sheet lower than 1/2-inch cdx plywood. This won’t imply the actual quality of wood itself, e.g. Just make sure it is exterior grade ply so it will not delaminate if it gets wet. OSB, CDX, ACX and T&G Plywood For mobile users: touch and drag to move table left, right, up or down. Are there any roofing situations where osb should NOT be used? This includes interior and exterior plywood of any thickness. A: Clayton DeKorne, chief editor of JLC, responds: VOC emissions are pretty much a nonissue for exterior-grade plywood and OSB. Building codes, the Engineered Wood Association, architects and most builders rate plywood and oriented strand board (OBS sheathing) equal in strength and durability. VOCs in Plywood vs OSB. OSB and plywood offer similar (and sufficient) performance in terms of strength and functionality, though plywood is about 7% stronger. OSB vs Plywood: Fast Fact. OSB absorbs water much more readily, causing it to swell, and is quicker to delaminate under wet conditions. Exterior-rated structural panels use moisture-resistant phenolic … However, more and more contractors are turning to RTD because of its inherent benefit. This price spread means that a builder can save $700.00 on a 2,500 square foot house if osb is substituted for plywood sheathing on floors, walls, and roofs. For example, many first-time homeowners confuse CDX plywood with OSB plywood. newbuilder | Posted in Construction Techniques on November 6, 2004 06:48am Seems to me this MUST have been ‘talked about’ here an there… but in addition to my general quiry I’ve got some very specific questions. One of CDX plywood's characteristics is water retention when it comes into contact with harsh elements like rain. By. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. CDX Ground Contact Pressure-Treated Plywood This plywood is Pressure-Treated in order This plywood is Pressure-Treated in order to protect it from termites, fungal decay and rot. There is no question that plywood is better then OSB. AdvanTech Subflooring vs. OSB vs. Plywood 5 Min Read. Plywood vs. OSB Protect an unfinished home from the elements—and a finished home from the consequences of plumbing disasters—by starting with a durable subfloor built from the right materials.