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Barry, An interesting topic! I guess almost any wood sheathing could fail if it’s not used properly. Were they more specific in their complaints??
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Barry, An interesting topic! I guess almost any wood sheathing could fail if it's not used properly. Were they more specific in their complaints??
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First I have heard of it. OSB suffered from some early problems due to glues. Haven't heard about this one Keep us posted
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I've never heard of this either. In fact I find OSB to be extremely durable and tolerant to weather exposure. Moisture must be present for mold to grow on wood or wood products. I think there must be some circumstances and conditions that may lead to such a claim. I would like to see the report.
*My reading of this places the word RECONSTITUTED in forfront of the issue. OSB made from other waste products MAY be prone to problems not found in OSB made from new lumber. I think we should wait and see before we consider OSB to be on it's way out.SteveM
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I have heard of problems with the reconstituted exterior wood products but OSB is not to the best of my knowledge a reconstituted exterior grade product. It is meant to be kept from moisture by a n additional barrier product. I think what you are talking about are the "press board" siding products available which will take on moisture if not sealed properly and have been on the "S" list for awhile now. LP and others manufacture products of this type as well as OSB but in different facilities. Maybe you shouldn't believe everything you read especially in a local newspaper? Industry publications are a more reliable source of info, in fact I remember reading in an issure of FH about the siding phenomenom a couple of years ago.
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Sounds like some lawyers are trying to work up another huge class action lawsuit!
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Fred, that was hardboard siding,specifically Masonite, which is different than OSB. I had some doubts about the results, myself, and some questions that went unanswered.
*My personal testing of structural OSB included repeated soakings, prolonged exposure to 100% humidity, freeze thaw cycles and other forms of torture that in some countries would be outlawed if they knew. The only noticeable change was a slight increase in thickness that pretty much disappeared when the material was allowed to thoroughly dry. The material did not delaminate, split or show any other signs of structural failure. To my surprise it performed better than exterior grade CDX plywood. On the other hand particle board, wafer chip board and other forms of pressed rat fur are totally incompatible with moisture in any form. I suppose if you put enough coats of paint on the latter they might survive a few years as siding. The masonite type siding seems to be more durable then other versions of the glue and sawdust recipes. But I can't think of very many materials that thrive in high moisture environments that are conducive to growing mold. Me thinks some shoddy installation practices are looking for deep pockets to get some fiscal relief. So, how many lawyers does it take to grease a combine harverster? Just one, but you have to run him through real slow.
*I believe that the State of Wisconsin is initially investigating one OSB manufacturer -- Louisiana-Pacific. As with the hardboard class action suits, this may only be addressed to specifically named products and not be a broad brush of all OSB. In fact, I've now heard that the State of Wisconsin targeted L-P because someone heard they were in Minnesota. It turns out to be Mendocino (California) -- an understandable error....Just kidding..okay? I'll post back on this as it develops, but, unlike my original posting implied, this may be just a look at older product and may also include the contribution of improper construction practices to the failures.By the way, you can't test hardboard without nailing it first. The post-manufacture thickness swelling was found to cause fractures at the nail sites, allowing moisture to intrude. Even if the material subsequently shrank after drying, the damage was done.
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See "Tyvek over osb and frosted drywalls" email message under topic "cold walls"
*Need help with new house construction errors? Walls are Tyvek over osb and with batt insulation. At -zero degrees outside we have wet top and bottom wall spots and drywaller can't finish the taping. Is Tyvek a problem over osb or do we have poor insulation of this magnitude? Up to our ears in Northern MN. [email protected]://www.taunton.com/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.ee6d024http://www.taunton.com/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.ee6d024
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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel announced last month that, because of homeowners complaints, the state's consumer protection department has subpoenaed six makers of exterior reconstituted wood products, including the hardboard Masonite-type sidings that have already been involved in class action suits and, now Louisiana-Pacific for exterior OSB sheathing. The complaints concerning OSB involve deterioration, product failure, and respiratory sickness from mold growth. It appears this will become a big issue in Wisconsin, perhaps leading to the end of OSB as an acceptable sheathing material. Any thoughts?