U.S. Experience in Application of Structural Exterior Particleboard

Users of commercially available, code approved, structural particleboards were interviewed. Waferboard performed satisfactorily where installers were instructed on handling. Edge and impact breakage are disadvantages. Delamination and internal voids in plywood turned some builders toward particleboard. Type 2, Density B, Class 2 board according to Commercial Standard CS236-66, 3/4 inch thick, entered the Midwest subfloor underlayment market at prices about equal to plywood. Weathering effects were deemed less detrimental than for plywood. Dead weight in code-required thicknesses currently prohibits use as roof sheathing. Floor squeaking (reported as a problem) can be partially controlled by use of mastic. Particleboards for wall sheathing and siding continue to hold established national markets. Oriented particleboard, veneered panels with particle cores, and particleboard 2 by 4’s with edge veneers are new products utilizing former waste material. Lack of knowledge about structural board use can cause acceptance problems, but present volume use appears to point to continued and expanded production.

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