Replies

1. 
   JRS | Oct 06, 2000 10:40pm | #1

   *
   Hasn't this subject just about been beat to death here by now? I could see a newbie bringing it up again, but c'mon Bill, and old hand like you? Give it a rest.

   John

1. 
   Bill_Conner | Oct 06, 2000 10:49pm | #2

   *Sorry - I didn't this lab testing had been around that long. I skimmed a recent thread on this and there seemed to be mostly anecdotal evidence.

1. 
   Philip1 | Oct 10, 2000 02:11am | #3

   *Bill, I haven't been around for much of the contentious discussion about OSB/PWD, but I wondered while reading your recent remarks about the quickness of 'mold growth' and whether that was really important. I was just thinking that if we are talking about the life span of a building that a few weeks aren't going to be that great of percentage difference over that life span of that structure. I'm think that maybe exposure to the elements is still a bigger issue, but then again I'm not one of those really "IN" the OSB camp. PHIL

1. 
   Bill_Conner | Oct 10, 2000 04:54am | #4

   *I think the blurb implied that the plywood would buy some time for a wall or roof leak or an occasional short term condensation problem.The permeability was the interesting thing. There was a letter in either FHB or JLC from a plaster industry fellow saying the problem was not eifs but rather the other components, mentioning osb.It got me to thinking about how the 1 X 12 rough sheathing, which will absorb and dry out and be fine lasted for ever. The structural panel sheating materials are much less permeable and seemingly have more problems with moisture.

1. 
   Philip1 | Oct 11, 2000 01:29am | #5

   *Well that is a good point about the resiliency of dimensioned lumber verses structural sheathing panels. I guess it comes down to proper installation and maintaining of the exterior water shield items (eifs, siding, exp.jnts., shingles, etc...). Can anyone afford to build with 1x12 board sheathing any more? It would be nice, won't it?I can still remember driving through a suburb of Kansas City recently and seeing them putting down asphalt shingles directly on the plywood sheathing - no secondary water shed (no felt), except for the Valleys. All I could do was get out and ask one guy on a crew about his installation and he just gave me a dirty look. My how times have changed.

2. 
   Bill_Conner | Oct 11, 2000 01:29am | #6

   *
   Did anyone read the recent JLC newsbyte on the OSB vs plywood testing done by National Research Council in Canada? Recollecting, they clainmed their testing showed osb swells more and, in each subsequent wetting, much faster. Also it grows mold in as little as one week, versus much longer for plywood. And is is much less permeable. Good reading I believe. I wondered what you thought and in particular the in favor of osb builders.