Oriented strand board (OSB) is engineered particle board consisting of three or five layers of wood flakes arranged so that the board is strong and stiff along its length. OSB is used in many structural applications, including sheathing for floors, roofs and walls.
Slipping
OSB panels used for roof sheathing typically have a textured surface. They provide a secure, nonslip surface to walk on, regardless of weather conditions, provided the person walking on them wears rubber-soled boots.
Formaldehyde
OSB has been extensively tested for emissions of formaldehyde, a colorless, toxic and potentially carcinogenic (cancer causing) gas. Formaldehyde emissions were found to be negligible to nonexistent; free formaldehyde concentrations are typically less than 0.01 percent.
Fire
American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Test Method E-84, known colloquially as the tunnel test, measures the spread of flames across the surface of structural materials. OSB has a flame-spread rating of 150, putting it in the same class (Class III) as plywood and hardboard.
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