Sheet or Panel Products
Panel products such as plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) are used in wood-frame construction to add rigidity to roof, wall and floor framing, and to provide a uniform surface for the application of roofing, cladding and floor finish materials.
Plywood is made of thin layers or plies of wood glued together with the grain direction of adjacent plies perpendicular to each other. Common thicknesses range from 6.0 to 18.5 mm (1⁄4 to 3⁄4 in.). Like dimension lumber, plywood is graded for particular uses. Douglas fir plywood (DFP) and Canadian softwood plywood (CSP) are the most common types of sheathing plywood. All sheathing-grade plywood is made with exterior-grade glue. Overlaid plywood is plywood that is sealed with paper and resin and used for concrete formwork.
Oriented strand board (OSB) is a structural panel made from wood strands mechanically oriented in layers, with the outer layers running parallel to the long dimension of the sheet, and the inner layers having a random alignment. OSB is made with exterior-grade glue and is structurally equivalent to plywood. It is primarily used for roof or wall sheathing, sub-flooring, siding and the webs of wood I-joists.
Waferboard is made of wood wafers that, unlike OSB, are not oriented. It has been replaced by OSB and its availability in Canada is very limited.
Fibreboard is made of wood fibres bonded together under pressure. It is available both plain and asphalt-impregnated, which is used primarily for wall sheathing. Medium-density fibreboard is often used for interior mouldings, trims and casings.
Particleboard is composed of fine wood particles held together with phenolic glue and pressed into panels usually 1.22 × 2.44 m (4 × 8 ft.) or 1.523 × 1.523 m (5 × 5 ft.) in size. It is generally used as floor underlay or interior finishing such as shelving and other cabinetry. It is also used as a substrate for plastic laminate counter tops.
Hardboard is made of wood fibre, like fibreboard, but is denser and harder. It is used for furniture and cabinetry products. Hardboard siding is prefinished and is an alternative to wood, vinyl or aluminum.
Source : Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
