DIY Builds
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Why are the edges of OSB blue?

They're manufactured to not have voids, knots or splits and have an exclusive blue edge coating to help reduce moisture absorption. Blue Ribbon OSB Sturd-I-Floor® combines the sub-floor and underlayment into a single product.

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Why are the edges of OSB blue?

They're manufactured to not have voids, knots or splits and have an exclusive blue edge coating to help reduce moisture absorption. Blue Ribbon OSB Sturd-I-Floor® combines the sub-floor and underlayment into a single product.

Why are the edges of OSB painted different colors?

Does it matter which side of OSB goes up?

Why is some OSB green?

What is the blue on OSB board?

Is OSB Bad?! (Oriented Strand Board--What It's For / When To Use It...House Sheathing/Subfloor)

What is blue OSB used for?

Is it OK for OSB to get rained on?

Which side of OSB is more water-resistant?

How long can you leave OSB exposed?

Should I leave a gap between OSB boards?

Should you screw or nail OSB board?

What are some of the downsides to using OSB?

Which side of OSB faces outward?

Which side of OSB should you paint?

What can I put on OSB to make it waterproof?

What are the black lines on OSB for?

What do you seal OSB with?

Do I need to waterproof OSB?

Is OSB more likely to rot than plywood?

Why should you not burn OSB?

Is OSB better than plywood for outside?

What is blue sheathing?

Is OSB more waterproof than plywood?

How toxic is OSB?

The ends are painted in color in case they get them mixed up, its easy to sort them this way. Unless you have to different mills making the wood because they all don't use the same color.Answer. OSB roof panels should always be installed with the grade stamp facing into the attic and the screened surface (with the nail guide lines) facing up. When the grade stamp is covered by roofing, the building inspector will not be able to confirm that the correct OSB roofing panel was used.A story on green building in Saturday's Home & Real Estate section states that it is a green product because it conserves forest resources by using wood chips that otherwise would be wasted.Blue Ribbon OSB sheathing panels provide dimensional stability and stiffness for wall and roof sheathing applications. These panels have strong and uniform consistency throughout. Plus, they have a blue edge seal that helps prevent moisture-related issues such as edge swell.Blue Ribbon® OSB sheathing panels contain no core voids, knots or splits and provide a quality base layer for wall and roof sheathing applications. Ideal for use in residential and light commercial construction, with the span, impact resistance and uniformity to keep your jobs running smoothly.Your framing lumber and the oriented strand board (OSB) are going to be fine. The glues used to make OSB are water-resistant because the manufacturers know that virtually no one can build a home that won't get wet before the roof and siding is applied.The smooth side has a better moisture resistance and will ultimately provide better performance against weather. Facing the board smooth side out will maximize its ability to keep moisture out of the structure. It is simple why manufacturers create roughness on OSB boards.Oriented strand board will commonly withstand 3 to 6 weeks of exposure on a construction site without issue. EXPOSURE 1 panels have a waterproof bond and often experience unprotected exposure for six months on building sites. There are also panels that are warrantied for up to 200 days of exposure.APA recommends a 1/8-inch space between panel edge and end joints. Plywood and oriented strand board (OSB), like all wood products, will expand or shrink slightly with changes in moisture content. If the wood structural panels are tightly butted, there is no room for expansion and buckling can occur.Typically, screws are best for OSB and softwoods due to the heightened chance of splitting and easier removal at a future date. This results in a weaker connection and can damage the integrity of the subfloor or sheathing. Plus, OSB subfloors applied with nails rather than screws are more likely to creak.“The major disadvantage of OSB is that if it gets exposed to significant amounts of water or moisture, the edges expand by up to 15% ... especially if they are cut edges. This swell will then telegraph onto the shingles or some flooring," according to PATH.Each OSB panel has a rough side and a smooth side. When installing OSB as a wall sheathing, the smooth side always faces out because the smooth side has better moisture resistance. But when its installed on a sub-floor or roof, the rough side faces out because it provides better traction.Prime and paint the smoother side of the OSB board for exterior and interior installations, though it's unnecessary for underlayment. The smoother side should have some printing on it. The rougher side may have "this side down" printed on it. The smoother side is also more water-resistant.You can buy a high-quality sealer from your home improvement store or local hardware. To apply, soak the tip of the paintbrush in the sealer and brush it over the OSB board's ends and surface. Ensure this process is repeated on both sides, and not just the areas where you made cuts.OSB panels often have lines at 16- and 24-in. intervals so you know where underlying studs, rafters and joists are for nailing.Safe Seal is best for insulation, OSB, plywood, sub floors, particle board etc... If you're looking to finish with paint, we would recommend just priming and painting. AFM Safecoat primers and paints also work like the Safe Seal does in that it is a non toxic sealer that seals against chemical off gassing.Do you need to waterproof OSB? To answer the question “Is oriented strand board waterproof?” the answer is: not completely. That's because it's virtually impossible to prevent some water absorption in a wood-based product, and moisture can be absorbed through cuts in the panel and the wood strands can swell.Advantages of OSBAspen and Poplar tree species are used. But can also be manufactured from fast growing species and smaller trees. It has more decay resistance than plywood. Shear value through its thickness is twice as that of plywood and hence is the choice for webs of wooden I-joists.Manufactured Wood (Particle Board, Plywood)These woods include plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, oriented strand board (OSB), and others. The adhesives in these woods are toxic when burned.Plywood will absorb moisture quicker than OSB, but consequently it will also dry quicker. Both products will swell when wet, but plywood will return to almost its exact shape when it dries. OSB is less forgiving of being left out in the rain and will show more deformities after a wetting and drying cycle.Blue sheathed wire is 14-2 with a coloured sheathing indicating that the wire is served by an AFCI (arc fault circuit interrupter). Pink sheathed wire is 14-2 with a black conductor and a pink conductor.OSB takes longer to get wet than plywood but also takes longer to dry out. When used as a roof sheathing, this tendency to hold moisture means it can degrade faster than plywood when exposed to chronic leaks.OSB and plywood exterior sheathing no longer contain Urea Formaldehyde, so they really aren't that toxic anymore, especially on the exterior of a home. But by all means source a non-toxic one if you like, but typically it doesn't have a measurable impact on interior air quality.

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