OSB targets remodeling

by the project, he'd be remiss if he didn't use OSB, because he'd put the savings straight in his pocket. Builders don't cut their price when they use OSB."

In addition, says Strakes, "a lot of remodeling is in older homes, which were made with plywood and people try to match the material. Homeowners are typically more involved in specifying a remodeling project, and they're not as educated. The typical homeowner looks at OSB and sees chipboard. To him, it's cheap stuff that looks like cardboard. But it is changing as people become educated."

Remodeling includes repairs and improvements. Repairs cover simple maintenance, such as fixing a leaking faucet or painting a room. Improvements can mean everything from replacing a worn roof, installing a kitchen or building an addition or finishing unfinished space.

Improvements accounted for the largest share in remodeling revenues. The Census Bureau estimated $42.5 billion was spent on maintenance and repairs while $106.5 billion went to improvements. It is in improvements, especially whole house remodeling, where the most structural sheathing is required and where OSB appears to be making the deepest inroads.

"We've been buying OSB for seven years mainly for wall and roof sheathing," says John Furlong, v.p. of Nevada-based remodeler Atherton Construction. "OSB is as good or better than any other product. It's also got strong shear values, so we try to use it as much as we can."

Atherton mostly handles military and national park housing projects for the federal government.

Among the nation's largest remodeling companies using the most OSB are firms that generate most revenues from whole house remodeling. Whole house remodeling accounted for 90Vo of Atherton's work.

"There is always a trickle-down effect that takes years to materialize," says Reg Sharpe, technical and marketing representative for the Structural Board Association. "But once remodeling companies start using OSB for all of their sheathing, value-added and specialty OSB products used in flooring and insulated panels are also likely to gain in popularity."

"We think that over the next five years OSB will make large inroads into the R&R markets," agreed Randy Robins, regional market mgr., Western OSB, Weyerhaeuser Co. "This is due to just the massive volumes (7 billion ft., 3/8" basis) of OSB that will be coming on line due to new mills and creep of existing mills."

'..,'.l li' f N CONCEPT it's exceedingly sfuilple: convert logs to wood stranUp' and then bind the strands toe'b.thgr with adhesive under heat and Drg$i

Tho rpc' tt' a m,,lti-n".',il.o'e'' l.Xl,l;"Jli"llsurt: a mu'ti eur#''- ii .S;

It's not quite that simple;of". ,*"ppt course. Initial ur., of ;;;|u""&; OSB's predecessor, included packlibl ing, farm construction and ot applications where building codes not apply. It was clear early on, ever, that if the product were to pete in regulated construction m kets, significant product performance,

5 New OSB Gapacity Goming On Year By Year

apphv-at report for APA Performance-R#d Panels. The APA Per-forrtiance $ta*dard and Policies for ance $.ta4{ard rricturdl"Lf& Panels established qtucqy*fgation. evaluation and 'tqliffi {u-alib assurance requireset the stage for the industrv srowth that mber of processing ve occurred. and itltl uri'trnder development. is a quick list of improvements that have contributed and/or promise to contribute to the continued growth and success of the OSB industry.

Strund orientation tf1

Cross-orienting layers of strands rather than forming panels from randomly oriented flakes or strands improves panel properties and requires less wood fiber to meet end-use performance requirements. Orienting strands also reduces panel weight compared to panels randomly oriented.

\-onveyor drying.

"Gentler" drying produces better furnish from the standpoints of both physical abuse and lower temperature. Lower dryer temperatures minimize VOC (volatile organic com- pounds) emissions, reducing the need for costly dryer stack treatments. lmproved resin efficiency. l-t Dtrand production.

R"rin technolog;r.

Improved control of viscosity and reactivity of liquid phenolic resins increases performance and productivity. Research is leading to safer and more economical use of isocyanate resins, and more efficient use of phenol formaldehyde resins. Faster cure rates and moisture-tolerant bonding improve throughput and increase production.

Electric atomizers provide better dispersion of liquid resin compared to pneumatic and hydraulic devices formerly used. The result is equivalent structural performance at lower resin application rates.

OSB owes its phenomenal marketplace success to continuous research and development.

Provided logs can be adequately thawed, tree length flakers reduce the machinery needs and processing steps required when processing short blocks.

I l:onger strands.

Longer strands improve the structural performance of the panel and reduce the generation of fines.

Wia.. forming lines.

Originally four feet wide, forming lines have been progressively extended to eight, nine and now l2 feet wide, reducing trim loss and permitting the economical manufacture of panels in dimensions sought by a broadening foreign and domestic market customer base.

Sawfines.

Although still uncommon, computer-controlled book saws (capable of cutting an eight-inch stack of panels simultaneously) have some advantages over conventional skinner and cross-cut arrangement of sawlines.

(Continued on ne"rt page)

Rank Company

(including number of OSB plants)

Louisiana-Pacific

Portland, Or.

15 plants: Hanceville, Al.; Dawson Creek, B.C.; Montrose, Co.; Athens, Ga.; Houlton, Me.; Sagola, Mi.; Hayward, Wi.; Swan Valley, Manitoba; Roxboro, N.C.; Jasper, Silsbee, Carthage, Tx.; Bois-Franc, St.-Michel Des Saints, Chambord, Quebec. 999

Weyerhaeuser Co.

Federal Way, Wa.

9 plants: Drayton Valley, Edson, Slave Lake, Alberta; Grayling, Mi.; Elkin, N.C.; Sutton, W.V.; Wawa, Ontario (North Superior Forest Products); Miramichi, New Brunswick (Eagle Forest Products); Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan (Saskfor MacMillan).

Georgia-Pacific Corp.

Atlanta, Ga.

7 plants: Brookneal, Skippers, Va.; Dudley, N.C.; Grenada, Ms.; Mount Hope, W.V,; Woodland, Me; Fordyce, Ar.

Potlatch Corp.

Spokane, Wa.

3 plants: Bemidji, Cook, Grand Raoids. Mn.

Grant Forest Products

Englehart, Ontario

9-Bhn!S: Englehart, Timmins, High Level, Ontario.

Norbord Industries

Toronto, Ontario

6 plants: La Sarre, Val-d'Or. P.Q.: Bemidji, Mn.; Guntown, Ms.; Joanna, S.C.; (Huguley, Al., opened July 2001 )