OSB vs. PLYWOOD

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Ours was 3/4" inches and also treated. I remember it being close to $30 per sheet. The OSB was on sale for $5.67 per sheet

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Can I use OSB for the roof?

You "can", but plywood is better in 99% of all applications​

 

[exbiologist]

We've got T111 on the outside walls, insulation, then 1/2" plywood on the inside coming. Right now it's just the T111 outside, we're working on the interior. But if you don't mind spending the extra money, consider Advantech floors. It's spendy, but basically waterproof and has a 50 year warranty. I had never heard of the stuff until recently, but it should help in the long run.

 

[nittanyxi]

The OSB I was looking at at home depot was $18. I don't see any as cheap as 5 or 6$

 

[lockedhearts]

Quote:
They have a Tongue & Groove OSB that is about that price they should have a lesser expensive one too. It is either 3/8 or 7/16

 

[grundail01]

Quote:
As long as it's covered with felt and and roofing material, OSB was designed to handle the torsion stresses better than plywood. Most homes in the past 10 or 15 years have OSB as their roof sheeting.

 

[Ravishaw]

"torsion" sounds cool

 

[herechicky]

The APA (Engineered Wood Association) claims the two are interchangeable in most construction applications. Only APA rated EXTERIOR panels are meant to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture (made with waterproof resin). They also say that the thickness swelling caused by exposure to moisture does not affect panel structural performance. As long as you don't overload the panel and paint/waterproof as you should with any wood product that you want to last, it should work fine. You may need to design in some structural supports to combat deflection if you are placing significant weight on the product.

There are some product guides available on the APA website.

I couldn't find plywood for less than $30/sheet at HD so I used OSB for my flooring. I put some structural beams underneath and glued some industrial flooring to the topside (which I was going to do anyway) to prevent moisture from getting to the subfloor. I think I'll also attach some plastic construction sheeting to the bottom to stop sprinklers from damaging the bottom. All that being said, I think if I lived in a wetter climate, I might go with the plywood just to be on the safe side.

Disclaimer: I don't do construction but I work in a construction related field, so all this advice is based on theory rather than practice. I work with lots of experts in the field and I've heard arguments for and against OSB. As long as you follow product specs you should be fine. I have exactly 3/4 of a chicken coop under my belt so take that into consideration. It hasn't fallen down yet!