As we work thru Beach Ave OSB water absorption issues I review this article.
Plywood vs. OSB: Which is Better?Posted on October 3, 2013 by Corey ValdezI read this article today in ProSales magazine and found it very interesting…. My personal opinion is that OSB performs well on the wall and floor but stick to CDX Plywood on the roof. Far too often I see OSB “sag” between the trusses making your roof look wavy. Although, OSB typically offers a higher shear rating which adds rigidity to your structure. Over the years I have seen claims for plywood decking delaminating, which can cause squeeks and knocks between the ply’s. Plywood vs. OSB: Which is Better? Plywood long ago lost its market leadership to oriented strand board (OSB), which is now the most-used sheathing and subflooring material. Estimates put its market share as high as 75%, with much of that dominance thanks to cost-conscious production builders. Prices for commodities like structural panels are notoriously volatile, but at this writing, OSB sheathing is selling for around $3 per sheet less than plywood. That’s a savings of several hundred dollars per home. Plywood or OSB? Both have their merits, but OSB’s lower price point has given it the lion’s share of the market. Industry voices from panel manufacturers or their main trade group—APA – The Engineered Wood Association—say that there’s no real difference between the two panels: OSB’s and plywood’s structural characteristics are equivalent, and they can be used interchangeably. That’s true: Both are rated Exposure 1 for temporary vulnerability to the weather; they have equivalent nail withdrawal resistance; and they’re installed using the same methods and construction details. However, there are differences that builders should be aware of. OSB’s Pluses OSB has more going for it than just cost. Resource-efficient builders appreciate that it can be made from small, fast growing trees, many of which come from tree farms rather than forests. It can also be bought in 9 foot sheets, which means you can sheathe a wall from the top plate to the bottom of the floor joists with single, vertical sheets, leaving no horizontal seams. OSB panels can be manufactured in lengths up to 16 feet (or sometimes even higher), while plywood is generally limited to 8 to 10 feet. OSB boasts a more consistent density. While a sheet of plywood might be 5 to 7 plies thick, a sheet of OSB is made from as many as 50 strand layers packed and compressed into the same thickness. There’s no equivalent of the weak spots that can be left in plywood when knotholes in adjacent plies overlap. On the downside, the material is a bit heavier than plywood—two pounds or more per sheet depending on its thickness and intended use—but this difference has no effect on the panels’ performance. It just takes a bit more muscle to handle on the jobsite. Plywood’s Superior Wet Performance The biggest difference between the two panels is how they react when exposed to large amounts of moisture over extended time periods. With the exception of projects in very arid regions like the Southwest, sheathing and flooring panels are routinely covered with rain, snow, and ice during construction delays. It’s here that plywood has the edge. When plywood gets wet, it tends to swell consistently across the sheet, and then returns to its to normal dimensions as it dries out. It dries out relatively quickly, and the swelling is usually not enough to affect floor or roof finishes. OSB takes longer to get wet than plywood but also takes longer to dry out. When used as a roof sheathing, this tendency to hold moisture means it can degrade faster than plywood when exposed to chronic leaks. When OSB does get wet it also tends to swell along the edges, and those edges stay swollen even after the material has dried out. Swollen edges have been known to telegraph visible ridges called “ghost lines” through asphalt roof shingles. Manufacturers insist that OSB’s moisture problems have been corrected, thanks to the development of water-resistant edge seals. But of course that edge seal is lost when panels get cut on site, as they often do. Usage Recommendations Although APA says the products are structural equals, the way they handle moisture does affect recommendations for their use. The National Tile Contractors Association and the Resilient Floor Covering Institute both recommend plywood for subflooring and underlayment, because it doesn’t have the risk of swollen edges that OSB does. Plywood also has a slight advantage in stiffness, which means that subflooring panels need not be quite as thick. For instance, with 24-inch truss/joist spacings, the National Wood Flooring Association recommends nominal 1 inch OSB underlayment compared to 7/8 inch CDX plywood. Perhaps the biggest thing plywood has going for it is the perception of higher quality among homeowners. Some consumers still perceive plywood as a better quality product—unlike OSB, it actually looks like wood and most people are familiar with it—which is one reason plywood dominates the market for DIY projects. True or not, that perception generally makes plywood a good choice for remodeling or custom home projects. |
Higher level negotiation involves a win/win collaborative approach. It’s about making both parties feel they've got a good deal while knowing deep down that you have the upper hand because you’ve pre-determined what your concessions are going to be beforehand.
Who are the competitors and what are they offering? The saying "information is power" has never been more true when it comes to planning for a negotiation. Step 2 - IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS. What do you want to achieve? Identify your wants and those items you really need. Know your ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement) and try to uncover the other party's ZOPA.. IDENTIFY YOUR BATNA AND WHO HAS THE POWER. BATNA stands for best alternative to a negotiated agreement Step 4 - DECIDE ON A STRATEGY. What will your initial offer or counter offer be and will you be using competitive, collaborative or persuasive tactics? Try also to anticipate what tactics the other party may use. There are 38 negotiation tactics that could be used. A few examples may be for instance:
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Q: Where is the main water shut-off valve?
Imagine you’re anywhere in your house where water is a feature: bathroom, kitchen, laundry room. They’re all connected by a network of pipes that come from your main water source. If any of those tangential pipes springs a leak, you’ll need to shut off the water until it can be fixed. Every home is different, but you can likely find your main valve near the perimeter of your house, at ground level, nearest your water meter. If your water pipes are visible (in the basement, for example), follow them until you reach the main inlet and valve. It’s possible your shut-off valve could be in a crawl space, closet, or somewhere out of the way, but it should definitely be in plain sight, rather than covered over with drywall. But rather than sit there and wonder, be sure to ask the previous home seller before you move in or check your home’s blueprints for a clue. Q: Where is your circuit box, and is it properly labeled? A circuit box is your house’s bodyguard against sudden spikes in electricity that run through the wires. Know your circuit box! It may enable you to avoid hiring a technician for simple electrical issues. Most circuit boxes are located in a house’s basement, but some are also found in garages or utility closets. The switches inside correspond to rooms and sets of outlets in your home. Hopefully, they’re labeled properly—and if not, you should get on that pronto to avoid a tortuous guessing game every time you need to turn your power on and off. If power suddenly goes out in a room (usually because you have too much plugged into one outlet), you can identify the tripped circuit by the switch that’s flipped in the opposite direction to the others. That means you may need to plug in your lava lamp elsewhere. Q: What is a thermocouple, and do you know how to change it? When your furnace goes out, you’ll be left in the cold—but not if you know how to change its thermocouple.This is the part of the furnace that shuts off the gas if your pilot light goes out, preventing that gas from seeping into your home. (You know, the gas that can kill you if left to run amok.) If the furnace won’t stay lit, there’s a good chance you have a faulty thermocouple. Learning how to replace or adjust yours can be the difference between a $10 trip to the hardware store, and a $90/hour visit from a technician. Most thermocouples are held in place by brackets, which can be gently unscrewed to insert the replacement thermocouple. Keeping a spare thermocouple on hand during winter is especially smart, because furnace problems can be more inconvenient—and costly—during the peak times of the year. Q: Where are all your filters, and when was the last time they were replaced? Lots of appliances in your home have filters. In fact, any device that conducts air or water should have some sort of filter in place to remove impurities and particulates. Changing these filters routinely can save you money, and keep you safe, which is why it’s helpful to know when they’re due to be replaced. Furnace filters should be replaced every two to three months; HVAC, ice maker, and water dispenser filters must change at least once a year. But that varies based on the manufacturer, so be sure to check your maintenance manual and not let it slide. |
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