Short for Oriented Stranded Board, OSB is an engineered wood-based panel often confused with particleboard. It is formed with strands and flakes of wood in specifically positioned and orientated, compressed and combined with wax and resin adhesives.

Working properties

The main merits of OSB lie in the field of its mechanical performance, which is directly related to the geometry of the strands and their orientation within the panel.

It is strong, dimensionally stable panel that resists well against deflection, delamination, and warping. Relative to their strength, OSB panels are light in weight and easy to handle and install.

OSB requires pre-sanding where smooth surfaces are required, and even then it is not the preferred choice when smoothness of surface is a key feature.