Construction is an extremely expensive occupation. This is immediately understood by everyone who undertook the construction of their own home. Of course, there is always a desire to cut costs as much as possible, but not to the detriment of the final quality. That is why the OSB plate is so common lately. Reviews indicate that it is an excellent alternative to many traditional building materials.
What is this?
By the way, what kind of stove is this, why is it so good? Object-oriented board (OSB) is a type of particle board. Unlike the banal chipboard, it has some features. Firstly, tight control over the quality of the wood chips, which distinguishes the production of OSB-boards from the production of ordinary wood-based panels.
Only carefully selected high-quality shavings go into production. In the plate itself, it is also located in a special way: first it is placed in a perpendicular direction, in the middlea parallel layer is located, and the chips are again placed across from above (of course, in relation to the axis of the OSB itself). This approach makes it possible to obtain a thin and extremely durable material, from which, in most cases, even ceilings can be made.
In addition, OSB wood board is formed under high pressure and temperature, using special synthetic resins. All this gives the finished material excellent characteristics: it is durable, resistant to mold and fungus, extremely durable. It is not surprising that the OSB board, the reviews of which we will consider, has been sold in large batches in recent years.
About moisture resistance
Moisture resistant OSB board is also produced now. This is not to say that it can withstand year-round exposure to heavy rain, but the reviews are encouraging. In particular, some owners erected outbuildings from moisture-resistant slabs. As their experience shows, even after five or six years, there are no signs of destruction and delamination of the material.
How he althy is this material?
Disputes around this issue have been going on almost since this material appeared on our market. Most of our consumers at the word "chipboard" immediately recall products from the times of the USSR. The synthetic resins used in their production contained such a quantity of phenol that respiratory diseases caused by constant presence in houses with such furniture were very common.
Don't worry! Reviewsmodern buyers testify that there are no side effects from the use of this material. It's all about the production of plates: a special resin is used, which practically does not contain harmful substances. Many people have been living in OSB houses for the second or third decade, but they do not notice any problems.
Only one comment to make. Considering that synthetic resins are still used in the production of the material, the attic heated by the sun (if you have one) should be ventilated more often. The fact is that in the first years of operation, a not too pleasant smell may appear. This happens not always and not for everyone, but it does not hurt to keep this circumstance in mind.
Practical examples and testimonials. Construction of houses
The construction of houses from this material causes a lot of fierce controversy, in which even professional builders sometimes participate. Since interest in the topic is largely fueled artificially, discussing experts sometimes become personal. But chatting on the forums is far from the best way to form your own opinion about the prospects for OSB. To do this, you need to talk to practitioners.
How do they feel about OSB? Reviews indicate that professional builders are on the side of using building blocks. Thus, the maximum allowable size of the slab cannot exceed 1.5 meters. Alas, this is precisely what causes the main stream of complaints: whatever one may say, you will have to make walls with at least one joint. practicessuch "junctions" are advised to be avoided at all costs.
This is due to the fact that in this case an extremely high load falls on the extreme sections of the plate. Therefore, the probability of damage is high. Many owners of country houses who used this solution during construction complain about broken and damaged sections of the slabs. This does not add any special decorative effect to the house.
Building Approaches
So what is OSB good for? Reviews say that this material is ideal for the construction of small country houses. The main thing is not to forget to provide normal ventilation in the dwellings. The builders themselves say that at present there are the following approaches to the construction of OSB panels:
- In the first case, any house project you like is simply selected, after which it is adapted to the existing realities.
- The second approach is much more pragmatic: a specialist is hired who draws up a project that takes into account all the strengths and weaknesses of the material.
Alas, but the most common is the first way. Our builders are constantly looking for ways to reduce the cost of the project, so it does not end well. Often you can find reviews of dissatisfied customers who complain about the poor quality of this kind of construction. Houses can sag, wall structures often warp. As you might guess, overly economical customers are to blame.
A little about the cost
Oddly enough, but specialized design in practicecomes out much cheaper. The builders themselves explain this simply: the fact is that architects immediately calculate the required amount of materials and draw up a project estimate, which practically does not change during the work. Reviews indicate that when adapting the project, it is possible to use no more than 48% of OSB panels. If specialized projects are used, up to 80% of this material can be taken.
In this case, the OSB board we are considering is extremely economical.
Don't repeat the mistakes of others
Of course, in an effort to save money, many people try to make a project themselves. But there are many pitfalls along the way. If you strive to make the most of OSB boards, you will end up with a large, beautiful, but … barrack. In addition, standard technology leads to the fact that houses acquire absolutely the same look, and some architectural features are completely replaced by "cubic" buildings.
By the way, this is exactly what many new homeowners complain about: they do not like that many thousands of almost the same houses can be found all over the world.
Apparently, they build it this way only because of the ingrained opinion that the "Canadian" construction technology involves exclusively straight forms and the simplest form of houses. In fact, this is not happening because of technology. It’s just that developers don’t “bother” with something more complex, but use the simplest forms and technologicalsolutions. If you are building a house for yourself, then you can make it from OSB boards, but give it any shape.
Anyway, there is a photo in the article. OSB-plate on them looks like a completely "plastic" material, which can be given almost any shape.
Useful optimization tips
As we have already said, the most common is the optimization of standard projects for OSB-plates. Although not very welcome, there are some ways that help optimize the project with the least waste and maximum return. Consider the most effective of them.
As we said, standard panels will have to be joined and cut, since the usual ceiling height (2.5 m) is larger than the size of the slab. Where better to put the panels on edge. Since OSB particle board has a standard width of 1250 mm, fewer joints can be dispensed with, which will increase the strength of the structure as a whole. Self-taught builders who built their own homes using this technology report a significant reduction in waste.
Competently calculate windows
In addition, from the reviews it can be understood that a competent calculation of the size of window lintels leads to a significant reduction in the cost of construction (less building materials are consumed). Builders give this example: if you take a ceiling height of 2.8 meters, then it is better to make a window opening 1250 mm wide and 1400 mm high. In this case, the installation of OSB boards is so accurate that you can place solid panels on the walls without making a single cut.
Another option
If you cut the panel lengthwise, getting two pieces of 900x1500 mm and 350x1500 mm, you get two ideal blanks for window blocks 150 cm high. Simply put, when choosing measurements based on the characteristics of the material you have, you can almost completely get rid of from waste and cuttings. In principle, the reviews indicate that panels in general are often cut into two parts.
Cut it right
And there is a logical explanation for that. For example, a standard block is divided into parts of 625x1500 mm. Considering that the height of the walls of the attic is often just 1.5 meters, it is easy to compose a room from them without dividing the material into unnecessary pieces. However, the builders also note the fact that you should not forget about the standard measurements of the project that you plan to "tailor" to your needs.
Let's explain with a simpler example. Suppose that you want to make a house out of such slabs, which in the original project has dimensions of several hundred square meters, and even rises to two or three floors. Should not be doing that! This material is intended for the construction of houses with a maximum of two floors in height (and preferably one and a half), since in the future the bearing strength is already insufficient.
More tips
Remember, you can't make multiple changes to a project unless it was originally designed to use OSB boards! In any case, the number of joints should be reduced as much as possible. But in no case should you dwell on this. The forums are full of stories about how the development of the final project was delayed due to such thoroughness for months.
After studying the reviews, you can come to a simple conclusion: if you can do without cutting, do without it. If something doesn’t work out, then it’s better to cut off the right piece than to spend hours crawling around a house under construction with a tape measure. In the end, you can cut the OSB-plate with a simple hand saw, and it will take a couple of minutes at most.
In general, you should not get too carried away with independent processing of projects. The fact is that a serious result can be obtained only if you are engaged in mass development. Yes, and the reviews on the forums say the same: the panels should be used only in those areas for which their strength is sufficient.
So, we would not advise ordering cost reduction projects in specialized companies, since there will be very little effect. In this case, it is easier to order a finished drawing of a house, which will be based on an OSB plate. Its application in this case is greatly simplified.
Other
Builders themselves also say that you should never forget about the width of the panels you use when installing exterior walls. In our case, this is 1250 mm. If the walls of the house are 5x5 meters, then solid slabs cannot be used. But 5.125 by 5.125 m is perfect, and you will have to cut off much less. From people who were independently engaged in the construction of such houses, one can often hear reviews that it is desirable to draw panels in the drawings in the form of rectangles: this is how you advancebe able to accurately count their number.
By the way, how much does an OSB board cost? The price depends on the manufacturer and the type of the panel itself, but most often it does not exceed 700-1000 rubles per piece.
Butt gaps, as practice shows, can be neglected. The accuracy of manufacturing panels is not so high that these three or four millimeters could be seriously guided. Please note that this amount of material is also reduced when cutting, and this is most noticeable when using saws with large teeth.
In general, OSB-plate, the thickness of which is about 8 mm, does not tend to swell much, so there will be no distortion of the structure due to too small a gap. However, you still should not join the panels as tightly as possible, since the technological backlash between them should be present in any case.
