Osb Or Plywood For Shed Roof

University of massachusetts meets most building codes for roof and wall sheathing.

Osb or plywood for shed roof.

Plywood will absorb moisture quicker than osb but consequently it will also dry quicker. Osb is made of chips of softwood glued together in a semi random pattern. The higher the slope the more quickly the snow and rain will be shed but also the greater the wind force. Today you can find osb in thickness from 7 16 to 1 1 8 for different applications from roof wall subfloor i joists and everything between.

Even though plywood is more expensive and osb stronger my recommendation for a shed roof is 5 8 or 3 4 construction grade exterior rated cdx t g plywood. It is extremely resistant to moisture. Both products will swell when wet but plywood will return to almost its exact shape when it dries. Oriented strand board osb is the least expensive option for sheathing the walls and roof of a shed which is why it s used so often for sheds and homes.

However there are some sceptics out there who doubt the strength and durability of osb. The lower the slope the more weight for snow load but less wind force. Using oriented strand board is a tested way of reducing costs for building your shed. 2x greater shear strength than similar sized plywood source.

Alternatively osb is created from wood chips resin and adhesive that is baked and formed into the shape of a sheet of plywood. However when it is penetrated by water it takes a very long time to finally dry out compared to cdx plywood. As with plywood osb typically comes in 4 ft.