How can OSB boards be processed?

Do you need OSB protection, how to process OSB-plates outside or soak them inside the room - all these questions are of interest to owners of modern frame housing with walls made of this material. Low weather resistance in combination with other features of products from woodworking waste requires the use of additional protective equipment. It is worth talking in more detail about how OSB impregnation from moisture and rotting on the street or in the house is selected.

Like other types of wood-based panels, OSB is afraid of moisture - only OSB-4 class products have protection from it. In dry form, the material has a rather low weight, high density due to pressing. All this is relevant for slabs in the factory version, but already when cutting, OSBs have edges with edges unprotected from swelling. They are easily deformed from rain and other precipitation, they can crumble, getting wet, and cease to perform their functions.

Due to the peculiarities of its structure, a wet OSB board easily becomes a comfortable environment for the spread of mold and mildew. The spores of microorganisms hidden under the cladding quickly form colonies, turning the walls of the house into a real bacteriological threat. It is this task that impregnation from decay, mold and mildew solves.

The use of OSB as exterior cladding of buildings is quite widespread both in Russia and abroad. According to the current standards, only OSB-3, OSB-4 class boards are suitable for these purposes. They can be used outside the house due to their increased protection against moisture and atmospheric precipitation. But even in this case, the material with prolonged contact with water can swell, no longer returning its previous geometric parameters.

It is possible to protect the material during storage by isolating it from the influence of atmospheric factors. For this, covered awnings, plastic wrap are used. After installation on the facade, panels, even with increased moisture resistance, must be additionally coated with a protective compound.

The choice of the tool that has to process the ends and parts of the material from the side of the building facade is largely individual. Not all formulations for external use meet safety and environmental requirements.

The decision to smear the panels on the facade most often turns out to be associated with the rejection of other types of decorative finishes. In general, this style is quite in demand in country and suburban construction. But without protection, the material will begin to lose its original color after 2-3 years, mold and fungus will appear at the joints. It is worth talking in more detail about which compositions are suitable for facade use as a coating for OSB boards.

They are intended for solid wood, but can be used for any materials based on it. OSB falls into this category quite well. Do not use only water-based impregnation options for slabs. Among the interesting products on the market, there are several options.

• Water repellent "Neogard-Derevo-40". It has an innovative formula based on organosilicon compounds, capable of reducing the water absorption of wood-based materials by up to 25 times. The composition is completely transparent, re-processing is necessary after 5 years.

• Elcon antiseptic impregnation. Silicone-based universal product. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, does not leave a strong smell, environmentally friendly. The coating has hydrophobizing properties, creates a film on the surface of the slabs that prevents the growth of microorganisms.

Varnishes - transparent and matte, with a tinted effect or classic - are the simplest solution for protecting OSB from external influences. On sale they are presented in a wide range, you can find an option for any budget. The only thing to remember is that the varnish coating is quite easily damaged, making the material vulnerable to swelling, mold and mildew formation in it.

The most popular paints and varnishes have an alkyd-urethane composition, they are also called yachting. Such funds are produced by many well-known brands: Tikkurila, Marshall, Parade, Belinka. Varnishes of this type are environmentally friendly, they create a moisture-proof film of increased strength on the surface of the material. True, urethane-alkyd compositions are also not too cheap.

Water-based varnishes - acrylic - are most often supplemented with antiseptic components, may contain wax, which increases the resistance of the coating to moisture. They are durable, easy to apply, but do not tolerate significant temperature changes very well. Oil varnishes contain linseed oil, the color of the coating varies from straw to burnt sugar. The coating retains transparency, reflects light well, and has a presentable appearance.

On the oil base, not only classic paints and varnishes are produced, but also mixtures based on oil and wax. OSB can be supplemented with such a coating. Toning on the basis of natural ingredients - linseed oil and beeswax - is not associated with the release of hazardous chemicals. The finished coating has a pleasant honey tint and becomes resistant to moisture. It is difficult to compare it with classical varnishing, but the result is quite similar.

Tinting impregnations are well known to all lovers of self-processing wood. They are used as a means to emphasize the original texture of the material, helping to give it the desired shade. The stain in its classic version is dissolved with acetone, when the surface is painted it dries up in 5-10 minutes. Application of the composition to wood-based panels is combined with the formation of an external moisture-resistant coating from a polyurethane primer.

With the help of stain in combination with other additives, you can visually age the surface, patinate it. Many compounds have additional capabilities for biological protection of the material, prevent damage to structures by insects, fungi and mold.

This category of paints and varnishes has an important property - the ability to mask the characteristic relief of OSB boards. The compositions have a dense structure, they fit well on the surface even in 1-2 layers. With the preliminary use of the soil, the hiding power increases.

Let's take a look at the most popular formulations in this category.

• Acrylic paints. Despite the water base, they also contain polymer binders, fit well and tightly, do not spread over the surface of OSB sheets. Acrylic paints are considered one of the most environmentally friendly, they are breathable and do not have a strong chemical odor. Such a coating easily tolerates the effects of any atmospheric factors, can be operated at winter temperatures down to -20 degrees.

• Latex paints. Waterproof materials suitable for decorating the exterior walls of a house made of OSB boards. Latex-based paints are distinguished by good hiding power, suitable for application to new, as well as to already used chipboard structures. They tolerate changes in atmospheric factors well, are frost-resistant, can be easily tinted in the desired shades.

• PF. Pentaphthalic-based paints are highly viscous, fit tightly, and are opaque. They adhere perfectly to the surface of wood-based panels, forming a strong moisture-proof film on it. For outdoor use, paint with the PF marking is suitable only when used on verandas under roofs, when lining the porch. The formulations take a long time to dry and may fade in the sun.

• Alkyd enamels. One of the best options for OSB-based facade cladding. Paints of this type fit well, ensuring the creation of a dense decorative coating, retaining the brightness of the color for a long time. Alkyd compounds are weather-resistant, durable, but not suitable for interior work due to their specific chemical odor.

• Silicone paints. One of the most expensive types of coatings. They are applied to the slabs over whitewash or primer, they lay down tightly. After drying, the silicone coating imparts moisture resistance to the surface and increases its mechanical strength.

The use of OSB boards for the creation of internal partitions, wall cladding, floors, ceilings in residential and commercial buildings allows you to get an inexpensive coating, ready for finishing. In interiors it is allowed to use OSB classes 0, 1 and 2. The first option, according to the European standard, must be completely free of phenol, glued only with natural resins. But this does not negate the fact that the material remains vulnerable to moisture, mold, mildew.

To protect OSB-plates indoors, you should select the best means for their external and end processing in advance. Let's list the most necessary ones.

• Primers. They form the first barrier to mold and mildew. This type of coating is not required only when preparing the boards for varnishing. When choosing, you should pay attention to the compatibility of the liquid primer with OSB, as well as its characteristics: the type of base should be aqueous, the color should be white. Good products not only increase adhesion, but also reduce the consumption of topcoats.

• Sealants. They cover the areas of fastening of hardware, seams at the joints of the plates. Under the varnish, it is recommended to use oil-glue-based products used for parquet putty. For painting or plastering, acrylic-based sealants are applied, quick-drying, easy to level. Large gaps are covered with serpentine.

• Paints. Among coatings for protecting OSB boards inside the house, this option is considered the best, you just need to choose the optimal type of paint. Oil, long-drying, and alkyd ones with a strong, pungent odor are definitely not suitable. It is better to leave them for outdoor work. Inside the house, acrylic compounds for walls and polyurethane compounds for floors and wet rooms without heating are used, the most resistant to negative external influences.

• Lucky. For OSB-based ceilings and walls, water-based varnishes are suitable, practically without an unpleasant odor, fluid, characterized by low consumption. They are applied only with a roller, distributed in the thinnest possible layer to avoid drips. For floor covering, yacht or parquet alkyd-polyurethane varnishes are chosen, which have a fairly high mechanical strength.

• Azure or loess. This lightweight topcoat with a translucent structure will retain the texture and uniqueness of OSB boards, but will add the desired tone to them and increase moisture resistance. For interior work, you need to choose an acrylic-based glaze that is environmentally friendly and easy to apply.

• Fire-retardant compositions. They belong to the category of combined products, include fire retardants, as well as antiseptics against mold and mildew. The Soppka composition also increases the moisture resistance of the coating, looks like a paint with a thicker consistency. In addition, there are many other inexpensive remedies with similar effects.

To effectively protect the ends or the sheets themselves from the effects of moisture, biological factors, mechanical abrasion, the correct choice of processing tools will help. It is better not to save money when buying, choose a combined composition that includes an antiseptic in combination with moisture-protective components.