Hey guys,
As you may know we are working on putting out an article called OSB vs. PLYWOOD
In the interest of figuring out national costs for using either material on a project, we would like to reference “average materials needed”. That’s where you all come in….
We don’t have a copy of the National Building Estimator in the office and we are hoping that one of you might have a copy. We want to find out the average number of sheets of plywood needed for a 2,000 sq. ft. house. Then we can take that nubmer of sheets and multiply by the cost in different regions of the country to hopefully come up with some interesting numbers.
can anybody help with this? thanks in advance for you help.
-Justin
“If God didn’t want me to wear this Led Zeppelin shirt everyday he wouldn’t have made them rock out so hard”
Replies
I just priced 1/2"ply vs 7'16" osb advantech on a job. in the neighborjhood of $19.00+ there was only a thirty five cent difference between the two. Plain osb ain't worth using.
end of article.
I know it ain't what you were asking, but if no other answers come along, I can fire up the Softplan and open a few of the canned plans that come with it and take a couple in that size to produce materials lists for to answer later.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Justin, when I worked there and needed a book, I'd just order it and tell Kevin later. Always remember that forgiveness is easier to get than permission. <G>
Andy
Arguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
Well that was my first plan Andy, but we don't really have time for that now because this thing is a bit past dead day....."If God didn't want me to wear this Led Zeppelin shirt everyday he wouldn't have made them rock out so hard"
That, I understand. Been there, begged information from others.
AndyArguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
Perhaps we can get this going by asking you guys how many sheets you used on past projects:
....square footage and number of sheets
Anybody have any info for me? -Justin"If God didn't want me to wear this Led Zeppelin shirt everyday he wouldn't have made them rock out so hard"
Let's see -- the house I'm doing is about 2600 sq. ft. We've nailed close to 200 sheets to the framing. Walls are 1/2 in. OSB, roof 5/8 CDX, and floor 3/4 T&G ply.
AndyArguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
SWAGing
40' x 50' footprint = 180 Lnft walls
floor sheathing = 2K ft² ÷ 32ft² = 63 sheets
Roof 44' x 54' + 15% = 2733 ft² ÷ 32 ft² = 86 sheets
180 Lnft walls ÷ 4' = 45@ 10' sheets
8' GE x 2 x40' ÷ 4' = 10 sheets
Note that a 15% increase in area due to roof slope does not necessarily equal an 8' Gable End.
Note add 5% to all for waste.
SamT
That's a trick question, not knowing the layout, particularly the roof.
I figured a 30 x 66.6 footprint. With this layout and a low (5or6/12 roof you will have 16' rafters.
I could sheath this house with 200 sheets of 4x8. Matbe a couple more, but not much.
Buy the stupid book. What's up with Taunton, going broke?
That wasn't wise to publicize the shortcoming of available resources.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
You need to be careful about how you do your geographic comparison. Down here, half the houses are single floor, concrete slab on grade, so almost all the plywood is on the roof.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I was just busting Justin's chops, Eric. Taunton can afford the book. Odds are that they need the answer now, and Justin figured this was a quick way to get it. Been there myself.
AndyArguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it.
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
What Piff said...but what I might add is that Advantech is such incredable stuff that what you pay for in dollars and cents makes Advantech the best bang fer yer buck overall....and like Paul said....might not be the answer your looking for but it aint all about actual costs to me.
Its incredable stuff.
Be well
andy
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
My "Spec House from Hell" was 1680 square feet. While it's not the size you asked about, it might still give you an idea.
It used 60 sheets for the floor, 80 for the (8') walls, and 115 for the roof. (6/12 to 7.25/12)
Do you need prices too? You didn't specifically mention that...
Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people [George Bush]
Hey Ron
So how is that house..you move in there yet?
I sorta had an idea about it.
Katrina would be more than happy to find the very best agent in your hood through MLS.
Not someone you may even like but rather who does the most biz.
She can easily find out through our puter being that she pays to have MLS on it (don't ask what thatttttt costs...oiy vey)
Be well
andy
PS....Email the address and watch how fast I can tell you when you bought it and what you paid etc etc etc
he secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.—Robert Louis Stevenson
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 10/30/2004 11:03 am ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
Your memory failing on ya ???
We moved into the spec house house back in July. Heck, you even posted in the thread I started about it:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=44393.1If God wanted us to be brave, why did He give us legs? [Marvin Kitman]
Yeh
My brains a bit compacted....lol...I do remember you saying that you "were" gonna move in....Just didnt remember when you did.
Must be all that Peyote I took back when : )~
My offer still stands none the less if you want Katrina to look up either of your houses and find the very best agent in your area to talk to.
It'd be no problem...she loves using that damn expensive MLS we have on the PC.....
Wanna laugh? Give me any address via Email and I'll find more info than you'd believe.
It actually almost seems illegal...lol.
We've looked up famous people on the site.....ok ok.I'm shutting up(that'll be the day).
Be well Ron
andyThe secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.—Robert Louis Stevenson
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
While you are at it, why not consider the cost difference of using board sheathing?
This last winter plywood and OSB were close to $22/sheet 1/2" . i bought 1x8 T&G board sheathing at $400/M. Labour cost were more but I found the savings in material costs brought the cost difference to a reasonable amount. The plus side of havig a superior sheathing more than covered the difference
I've been in a couple of houses, lately, that forwent(I know I'm pushing) ply/osb wall sheathing during this last pricing bs. They used blue board (styro) & kerfed in metal corner strapping. It worked. Expand your parameters<G> Don't worry, we can fix that later!
I'd hesitate to say that kind of system "worked" until the house was 80 years old or so. What kind of siding did they use?
>> Forwent.
You de man! High five.
Hardie plank...I neglected to mention a very important bit of structural info: 2 x 6 walls...super insulated & selling power back to the grid
http://www.silverwood-inc.com/index_page0006.htm
when I first saw the styro (I personally don't like the stuff for a lot of reasons), I thought oh, yeah that's gotta be good under Hardie plank<G>...went outside and pushed around...amazingly solid...now, where did I put the rest of those buttons? Bloooooodgett??? LOL
Don't worry, we can fix that later!
Hey BB,
Construction like that is very common in Canada. I remember the first one of that type I worked on, when I was working for someone else. When we got on the roof, shingling it, there was so much slop in all the little connections in the two storeys beneath us that if we had swayed together, I'm sure we could have brought that place down.
The drywall stiffened it up. Before the drywall went in the house's resistance to racking depended on only a few dozen 2 1/2" common nails in strips of bent sheet metal .
there are other issues, too, besides structural ones. You can carry on a conversation between inside the house and outside, hardly raising your voice at all. where most of these houses have vinyl on them, you can get into the house in ten quiet minutes with a zip tool and a drywall saw.
I think that technique sucks big time and that most of these houses won't outlast their first mortgages.
Ron
>> The plus side of having a superior sheathing ...
How is board sheathing superior to sheet goods?
1. much better breathability. both plywood and OSB are excellent VB
2. much more environmentally friendly, less energy consumption in production, less
toxicity in production and more recyclable.
3. less waste both in use and in reuse of scraps
4. better nailing for siding, especially cedar shingleswalk good
Did someone say "peyote"?
Actually I was just speaking of ol' Tom the other day.walk good
the VB isuse ... U said T and G right? doesn't that cancel that out?
anyways .. my real Q ...
didn't we come up with ply .. and especially osb ... so more of the little trees could be made useful?
how's plank more earth/tree friendly than ply or osb?
plus ... less waste?
U made that up.
Jeff
Jeff, even with T&G, you have excellent breathability. The boards simply do not fit together that tight. And you do not need to use T&G boards.
Common misconception and deliberate misleading by industry. Plywood requires large trees to achieve the veneers for plywood. OSB requires a steady supply of uniform chips. Small trees can grow into large trees and healthy forests with proper managment, something not found in clearcut practices associated with OSB production. And there is no such thing as a waste tree species one hears with OSB
Further more one must consider the other parts of OSB and plywood production...the toxicity of the glues, the waste generated by production and the huge energy use with production.
Properly managed sustainable wood lot management provides local employment, and healthy forests in producing not only the primary products, but also secondary markets.
On your average house, look at the scrap pile of cut-outs and scraps from plywood/OSB. Most end up in the landfill. With boards, I can usually find uses for the cutoffs in shorter runs or donations to craft groups or at the very least clean buring firewood.walk good
Here in earthquake country, ply and OSB are accepted for shearwalls. T&G boards would be at the very least a source of discussion with the inspector, more likely rejected.
-- J.S.
Actually John, here in earthquake country myself, diagonally run boards are considered equal in sheer to plywood and OSB. In the real world I would venture they wouldbe better than OSB.
data can be found in the IRC code book 2002walk good
J.,
Did ya get what ya need?
Are you going to let us know?
Are you going to say "Thanks, WTF, FU" or anything?
Did you die?
SamT
Sorry for the lack of replies guys.....I try to stay away from this forum on the weekends...gotta find some time for my other projects you know!
As far as getting what I need.....not particularly. Some posters gave me some actual quantities needed for past housing projects - square footage of house, number of sheets....that's helpful. I know that osb/ply is a controversial topic but I'm not looking to argue for one over the other right now. We just wanted to get some basic info on how many sheets go into a standard sized house so that we can do a rough pricing guide to show the difference in cost. That doesn't mean that we are arguing for osb because it's cheap - just showing the difference. To be honest with you, I'm not writing the article and I don't know whether osb or plywood came out as the better choice, and I'm not even sure if we said one way or another - just looking for material quantities so we can estimate costs, that's all. Thanks for the help guys :)
-JF"If God didn't want me to wear this Led Zeppelin shirt everyday he wouldn't have made them rock out so hard"
Here in California, and particularly the City of Los Angeles, all walls are engineered as shear walls. Now, the shear walls have different shear load values and are denoted as "A" thorough "F" with an "A" shear wall being the least and "F" the highest. I don't have the table in front of me now, but A's and B's only require HD2A's as post anchors and the nailing isn't as tight. The E's and F's require sheathing on BOTH sides and have HD10A's as post hold-downs.
The point is, everything gets sheathed. After the earthquakes of the late eighties and into the nineties, the city is trying to removing as much liability and push it on the engineers. The engineers, in turn, cover themselves by "over engineering" and sheathing everything.
I know this for fact on the house I'm trying to build for myself right now. It's two-story, just over 3,000 s.f. and EVERY l.f. of wall is a shear wall, anywhere from an "A" to an "E". And to prove that the engineers have plenty of margin, I asked that and "E" wall be reduced to a "D" (I had an existing tiled bath on the other side) and it was no problem.
Jim