Plywood or OSB????

I guess I'm getting old, or thats what my kids tell me anyway. I have always hunted on ladder stands or climbing stands but just can't take the rain anymore so I'm building a couple of box blinds.

Whats better Plywood or OSB, any and all suggestions welcome.

I used OSB on the eves of my house. I used it and put vinyl over it trying to save a couple of dollars. A couple months ago after the storms, my vinyl was coming off and I had the OSB fell apart everywhere it was wet. The plywood in other parts was in tact and was wet, but the wood was still good. My suggestion is to use plywood and paint it. The OSB will swell and get bad if it gets wet.

Plywood all day long. Use 3/8" it will work. The stuff is heavy, and expensive, but is strong.

Spend the extra duckies and make it out of 1/2" treated and you will never have to replace it in your life. It turns dark green pretty quick so you don't even need to paint it. Lay it flat in the driveway stacked on top of each other with your stringers in between and let dry out good for a week before you start and it won't warp and will lose most of the waterlogged weight and the smell. Cover it if you think it will rain. Spend the extra $50 to $60 now and never do it again and save all the labor of painting plus paint cost.

Thanks guys. I will look into the treated plywood. I don't mind the extra cost as long as it will last.

Where do you get the treated wood in the Lake Charles area? Does Lowes or Home Depot carry it?

built a box stand 2 years ago i used the treated stuff and then painted it just because it's cheap to paint. if i were you i would use 3/8 for the sides thats all you need and 3/4 for the floor. yes either store would have it.

Me and my pops built a stand using some brown sheets of tar from lowes i call it tar because i have no idea what it really is. Anyway they carry it at lowes and we framed it useing 2x2s and it is so simple to put up and take down. its not heavy and it requires no painting. if your interested ill post a pic of the scraps of the sheets so you can see what it is, its wavy like a sheet of tin.

Treated doesn't come in 3/8" that I'm aware of, 1/2" for walls and 3/4" for floor. I prefer to use something else for roof, I use large sheets of plastic from above ground swimming pool walls, very light and last forever. If you do real tight work, carpet floor and it will be much quiter but if your construction is sloppy it will get wet and mold and rot and stink. Make sure to leave a nice overhang, I recommend at least 6 inches.

Thanks for the info. My carpenter work will be precise, I can't help it I'm a Machinist so it has to be almost perfect. I am going to carpet it and install windows that close up tight, I want it weather proof. I was going to put a piece of plywood on the roof and screw some metal roofing to it but I will look for the plastic pieces you speak of.

I know about the tar board you speak of and thanks for the suggestion just looking for something different.

Place a "shelf" or ledge all around the walls inside the blind, slightly lower than window level. Also get a height adjusting chair so that other people can use it also. You can use it to rest your elbow if you position yourself in the corners. Makes for a VERY solid rest.

the added expense and weight of pt plywood is probably necessary. just paint the 3/8" regular plywood for the sides and it should be good. the 3/4 bottom should not get wet so it will be ok. We have 5 stands built this way that are 10 or more years old and they are in great shape. you would need to paint the pt to keep it from soaking up moisture anyway so why the expense? on the roof, i would not put metal on it if you plan to use it in the rain. the noise is very annoying, this is also from experience.

typing with one hand. meant to say pt not necessary

Kingfisher, what is your suggestion for a roof?

We usually use rolled roofing that is similar to shingles and have had no problems. It is much quieter than the metal though it is heavier. I think the next one I build I am going to try some self sticking underlayment material like is used under metal and tile roofs. I am lucky enough to have some left over from a job I just finished.

if you never want to EVER have to change it out use t1-11 hardy ply...

I could not remember the underlayment name that I am going to try while commenting before, but it is Ice and Water Shield manufactured by Grace. It is self adhered, rubberized and nail holes are self healing which should make it easy to install and make water proof. You should be able to buy it or something like it at any roofing supply.

Thanks, I will have to check into that.

I replaced all of my shooting houses this year with metal roofing fo rthe sides. You will have to paint the out side and in side. It will last forever.

i'm not sure you can use an underlayment for the overlayment. not sure....

OSB-oriented strand board/Large chips are laid in 90 deg angles in layer to make up the thickness most commonly 7/16" with exterior glues -heat/pressure. OSB will not perform well if it is used as side wall flooring or roofing if it is not covered with felt or tyveck, OSB is actually stronger-span farther than it's plywood laminated veneer counterpart. Failure due to weather related issues often happens with the waxes on the nailing side erode and expose the wood chips where water swells them and the chips begin to fall off. It's rarely due to the failure of glues.

Water is the chief enemy of any sheet good. Treated(CCA or ACQ) sheet goods are only warranted against rot and insect attack. When water enters veneered plywoods ,it does so thru voids on the edges of the sheets. Water swells the wood fiber and will actually cause it to delaminate. Again the glue is not the fault.

Humble suggestion:
1) If the material is to be unpainted and totaly exposed -use Plywood
2) For 20.00 you can paint an average size blind and protect the sheets- pay particular attention to the edges where water can enter. You can also use "True" 30lb ASTM UL felt and greatly increase it's life at approx 18.00(covers 200 sqft)

i would use the osb only for sides and top wih plywood on the floor due to moisture problems. As long as the osb is sealed from moisture it is very stable and will last for years. Some of the stands I talked about earlier have painted 7/16 osb sides with no problems. I just wouldn't trust it for prolonged use in a load bearing situation. As far as the ice and water shield being exposed, the product data says it can be exposed for a while, but I have not tried it on a stand and do not know how long it will hold up.

I joined a club this year that has several club stands that are covered in CARPET on walls and with roll roofing over a piece of plywood for the roof. Both are very quiet and supress the wind very well. Both on the walls and the roofs. No noisy rain drops on the metal roof. Other members say the carpet has been on the stands for 5+ years now and it is still holding up well.

Use Luan veneer

Luan (also called Lauan plywood) is made from trees in the "Shorea" family of trees. I have box stands 6 yrs old with this plywood, just paint it and it will last.

You may want to ask a professional roofer in birmingham https://thebirminghamroofers.co.uk

For those in Birmingham, search roofer near me