Summary
¦ OSB is being used increasingly in timber frame panels and I-beams.
¦ It is used as the external skin in 99% of Lowfield Timber Frames’ constructions.
¦ Structural insulated panels is a growth market for OSB.
¦ The JOSB Done campaign has been running for five years.

OSB is increasingly gaining a stronghold in the timber frame market, both in panel form and as a component in I-beams.

Much of the success can be attributed to JOSB Done. The five-year-old campaign supported by manufacturers SmartPly and Norbord, resin supplier Huntsman and the Wood Panel Industries Federation (WPIF), has been spreading the word about the uses and benefits of FSC-certified OSB.

“The challenge has been to meet common misconceptions head on and, over time, change long-established purchasing and specifying habits,” said WPIF director-general Alastair Kerr. “However, interest in OSB is at an all-time high, especially as builders are realising its viability within the current climate, based on comparative cost and guaranteed performance on the job.”

At Powys-based Lowfield Timber Frames, OSB is used as the external skin for 99% of its timber frame constructions because of its structural integrity and consistent performance.

“All of our frames are structurally engineered to high set standards and OSB is the best product solution for what we aim to achieve,” said director Darren Jarman.

“The racking resistance provided by OSB on the outside of the panels is strong, and around 70% of the projects we do now involve the engineered I-beam which features OSB as the structural web material. Also, more and more clients are asking for roof sarking made from OSB and some even insist that OSB is always used for the roofing.”

Dual certification

Lowfield has both FSC and PEFC chain of custody certification and Mr Jarman said OSB manufactured in the UK and Ireland has the dual benefit of meeting the company’s certification requirements and having a lower carbon footprint in terms of the distance it is transported.

Its environmental credentials are particularly important to Lowfield as the company has undertaken projects for housing associations, care homes and nursing homes which must all meet the government’s Code for Sustainable Homes.

Mr Jarman believes the Code will further drive the use of OSB. “The Code for Sustainable Homes has set a road map for where the construction industry needs to be, with standards increasing annually. As everyone strives to get to meet these standards, it seems to me that OSB will only be used more and more,” he said.

The board also performs consistently and is easy to work. “With OSB you don’t encounter delamination issues, plus you won’t get any knotholes or any core voids in the boards,” said Mr Jarman. “From a manufacturing point of view, we want a smooth process and OSB has dimensional accuracy; it is easy to rout, cut and to work with, and you can nail much closer to the edge.

“With its competitive price point, the emphasis on proving your chain of custody of materials and being compliant with the Code for Sustainable Homes, we think OSB is really coming into its own now.”

OSB provides further opportunities for Lowfield as the company is expanding into the manufacture of structural insulated panels (SIPs). Using OSB boards either side of an insulated core, SIPs are proving to be a key market for growth, where a much higher specification is required.