How thick should plywood be for sheathing?
3/8-inch
The International Residential Code specifies 3/8-inch plywood for sheathing walls with a standard stud spacing of 16 inches, if the siding is nailed to the studs through the sheathing. If the nails penetrate the sheathing, but not the studs, the minimum plywood thickness that the IRC designates is 1/2 inch.
Are plywood sheets used for sheathing a house?
Where you’ll often see plywood used instead of OSB is in roof sheathing, where the risks of moisture and leaks are greater. Plywood is often used in combination with OSB for wall sheathing. Many contractors opt for plywood on corners or anywhere a cut sheet must be used rather than a sheet with a factory sealed edge.
What do you sheath a house with?
Most framers today sheath using oriented strand board (OSB), although plywood (expensive) or wood slats (rarely) can be used as well. Installing sheathing requires basic carpentry skills and tools, as well as at least one helper.
Which is stronger OSB or plywood?
Osb is stronger than plywood in shear. Shear values, through its thickness, are about 2 times greater than plywood. This is one of the reasons osb is used for webs of wooden I-joists.
What is the difference between plywood and sheathing?
The biggest difference between the two panels is how they react when exposed to large amounts of moisture over extended time periods. When used as a roof sheathing, this tendency to hold moisture means it can degrade faster than plywood when exposed to chronic leaks.
What is the best plywood for walls?
Hardwood plywood is a very strong form of plywood defined by stiffness and strength, which makes it perfect for heavy-duty floor and wall projects. The most common hardwood plywood is Birch plywood.
What sheathing to use on exterior wall?
The best practice for increasing the R-value in exterior walls is to protect them with insulated foam sheathing. Some builders use 1/2-inch wood sheathing (R-0.6) or asphalt impregnated sheathing, usually called blackboard (R-1.3) to sheath the walls.
What thickness OSB for walls?
According to the California Uniform Building Code, the minimum recommended thickness for structural panels used in wall sheathing is 5/16 inch for studs 16 inches on center and 3/8 inch for studs 24 inches on center. When applying OSB sheathing to shear walls in a zone of seismic risk, the minimum recommended thickness is 15/32 inch.
What is sheathing used for?
Sheathing is the board or panel material used in floor, wall and roof assemblies of both residential and commercial construction. The most basic function of sheathing, in any application, is to form a surface onto which other materials can be applied.