OSB and plywood are wooden structural boards made by compressing and bonding wood blocks together. Although OSB and plywood look similar and are usually interchangeable, each material has its own unique advantages and disadvantages due to its different manufacturing methods.

What are they and how are they made?

The scientific name of "OSB", the origin of OSB, is OrientedStrandBoard (OSB), which is a new type of board from Europe and developed rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s.

The application of "OSB board" in furniture has been developed unprecedentedly, and many large-scale furniture enterprises have started to use "OSB board" to make furniture. The reason why it is popular among consumers is that it has no formaldehyde emission, is strong and durable, and has lighter weight and better flatness than the furniture made of medium density fiberboard.

Plywood is made of thin veneer (several layers of wood peeled from rotating logs), which are cross-laminated and bonded together by hot press. Throughout the thickness of the panel, the grains of each layer are positioned perpendicular to the adjacent layers. The finished product is made of odd layers in order to keep balance around its central channel. As it is made of whole layers of logs instead of small strands, the appearance of plywood is more consistent and less rough than that of OSB.

What is the difference between OSB and plywood?

Some facts about OSB and plywood:

Although OSB was developed only recently, it was more popular than plywood in North America by 2000. Today, OSB produced in North America is almost twice that of plywood.

Outside North America, OSB is not often used in construction. In 2005, the total output of OSB in Europe and Latin America was only 3.5 billion square feet, less than 7 times that of North America.

Although both products are made of different materials, and some builders like one of them very much, OSB and plywood are both made according to the same performance standard.

European pine board (OSB) can be made of trees that are narrower and grow faster than plywood.

OSB support:

OSB can be made into a larger panel than plywood.

European pine board (OSB) is more uniform, so there are fewer soft spots, such as those that may appear in plywood.

European pine board (OSB) is considered by many people as a "green" building material, because it can be made of smaller diameter trees such as poplars that are usually planted. In contrast, plywood production requires larger diameter trees from ancient forests.