Features and use of USB plywood

USB plywood is moisture resistant type of oriented strand board. The characteristics and dimensions of USB sheets allow the material to be used in construction, repair, and facilitate its use when creating containers for the transportation of bulky goods. The multilayer structure gives them a higher strength than chipboard, and a special impregnation allows you to protect the surface from the influence of atmospheric factors.

The USB name cannot be considered official - rather, it is a distorted version of OSB, this is how oriented strand board is marked... USB plywood is sometimes referred to as its universal variety, but the characteristics of the material are no different from the usual version. OSB is produced in the form of large-format sheets or, as they are also called, plates. This type of plywood does not have a solid structure, but consists of wood chips, interconnected by layers using glue based on natural or synthetic resins.

For USB-lists it is typical high density and strength. Usually the slab consists of 3-4 layers, in each of which thin chips are glued together and with the previous layer. For the connection, resins are used mixed with boric acid and synthetic wax. These materials are called oriented because their layers have a multidirectional structure: the outer ones are directed longitudinally, the inner ones are transverse.

There are certain symptoms associated with USB Sheets.

• High moisture resistance. Material completely submerged under water will increase in volume by no more than 10% after 24 hours.
• Resistance to biological damage... Neither insects, nor mold or fungus are scary to the stove.
• Improved fastener retention rate... Compared to particle board and softwood plywood, the superiority is about 25%.
• High quality... There are no knots and voids in the selected raw material, the probability of delamination is minimal.

This is the basic information you need to know about a material known as a USB slab. In addition, it is inexpensive, visually looks quite attractive even without coating, and is stable in its composition and chemical properties.

All boards, known as USB, OSB, are marked accordingly to determine the purpose of the material. The most common options can be identified.

• OSB-1... The material with the lowest moisture resistance. It is used for the manufacture of furniture products, packaging.

• OSB-2. Sheets for indoor use, in conditions of normal humidity. Structures of load-bearing walls and partitions are erected from them.

• OSB-3. Material for use in conditions of high air humidity. Suitable for the construction of load-bearing structures operated under medium loads.

• OSB-4. Has maximum moisture resistance. Recommended for outdoor use under heavy mechanical stress.

• Grooved... Sheet material with a specially processed edge. The tongue-and-groove connection is carried out without the use of hardware. Recesses and counterparts for them are located on 2 or 4 sides of the material.

• Laminated... Material with one-sided or double-sided paper lamination and a protective coating based on synthetic resins. Can be monochromatic or recreate the structure of other materials.Most often, sheets of this type act as reusable formwork.

• Varnished... The sheet has a decorative moisture resistant coating. It is applied in a thin layer at the factory. The other side is left uncovered.

Oriented strand boards are produced in a standard range of sizes typical for such materials.... The thickness of the sheet varies: the smallest is 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, the middle range is presented by options 12 and 15 mm, the most massive ones reach 25 mm. The weight of the material is directly related to the dimensional characteristics. The minimum weight of a sheet with a thickness of 8 mm reaches 16.6 kg. For every millimeter, about 2 kg is added. That is, the weight of a slab with a thickness of 10 mm will already be 20.6 kg. OSB can hardly be called a light material, it creates a sufficient load on frame structures, floors, walls.

Sheet sizes are standardized according to certain standards. In Russia, the most popular size is 2440 × 1200 mm. European manufacturers prefer to produce plates with parameters 2500 × 1250 mm. The rarest and not very common option is considered to be 2440 × 950 mm, which is considered optimal for laying a subfloor.

Oriented strand boards are made from coniferous wood, sometimes deciduous, or these types are mixed. The manufacturing process is divided into 4 main stages.

• Sorting raw materials... At this stage, the selection of small-sized wood is carried out, the sawing of the trunks into workpieces of a certain length. Then the selected wood is passed through a special machine, turning into shavings of a certain width. The resulting blanks are dried in bunkers, sorted by size.
• Bonding with resins. At this stage, isocyanate or phenolic resins and paraffin are added to the shavings. All ingredients are combined in special drum-type machines that ensure uniform mixing.
• Formation of layers... The finished mixture goes to the site where the layers are laid. The outer layers are formed along the long edge, the inner ones across it.
• Plate pressing. Thermally high-pressure processing of the material allows to achieve the necessary compaction of all components of the oriented strand board. The formed particle carpet is passed under thermal oil-lubricated steel belts, subjected to a force of 5N / mm2.

Both in Russia and abroad, USB-plates have gained noticeable popularity. Today this material is made by such well-known companies as Kronospan - a Romanian manufacturer, one of the first to supply such products to the Russian Federation. Among Russian firms, it stands out "Talion Terra" from Torzhok, the brand belongs to LLC "Modern Technologies of Wood Processing" and Kalevala. As for the undisputed market leaders, Canadian companies always stand out. For example, Norbord Is one of the world's leading manufacturers paying great attention to environmental issues.

Its OSB boards are considered benchmark in terms of quality. European manufacturers are not lagging behind either. It is customary here to single out a German company Glunz, Austrian Egger OSB. Their products, although they are quite expensive, fully comply with the most stringent standards. The products of the association are well known in Russia. KRONOGROUP. It includes enterprises from different EU countries - Kronoply GmbH, Bolderaja OSB Superfinish. Plates are used in interior and exterior decoration of buildings and meet modern quality standards.

The use of USB slabs is largely determined by their characteristics. This material is so versatile that it easily replaces chipboard or ordinary plywood, providing greater ease of use, practicality and durability. The main areas of its use are presented below.

• Manufacturing of thermal panels, SIP panels. The material acts as a rigid base for more complex board options.
• Creation of I-beams. Interfloor and wall supports in wooden houses and non-residential buildings can be made from oriented strand boards.
• Floor covering formation. OSB is used in both roughing and single-layer finishing designs. It can act as a continuous covering for flooring or form logs - supporting elements.
• Sheathing of external and internal walls of buildings and structures. The slabs quickly cover a significant area of ​​the walls. Their weight allows for lifting and installation without heavy crane equipment.
• Creation of removable reusable formwork... Up to 10 times of repeated use of structures is allowed.
• Formation of the roof sheathing. With the help of plates, you can create a base for laying flexible, metal and classic tiles, slate. This design acquires high soundproofing properties, is not subject to the negative influence of atmospheric factors.

For information on how to glue wallpaper on OSB-3, see the next video.