The Effect of Surface Finishes on Rising Damp in Oriented Strand Board

Abstract

Abstract It is known that oriented strand board (OSB) is prone to water absorption. This characteristic of OSB is undesirable, it can have a negative impact on the physical and mechanical properties of the material and it can also make it prone to attack from wood-destroying insects, rot or mould. The research follows previous work of the authors related to optimisation of surface finishes for OSB in order to increase its moisture resistance. The aim of the research is to compare the rise of dampness in test specimens with different types of coating, spray, primer and waterproofing under predefined conditions. The paper contains a definition of the basic material, test specimens and test methods, and covers 8 different types of surface finish materials selected for application to the test specimens. The results include graphs showing rise of dampness in the test specimens for each day of observation. The results are also discussed and in the conclusion the results are evaluated. The results of the experiments confirm the assumption that the choice of surface finish has a significant effect on slowing down the rise of dampness in OSB.