Never saw so much OSB in a tract home!

Monty and I were driving through a new home subdivision the other day.  Remember that this is 2011 and building has just about stopped in Metro Atlanta.  So, watching a home being built is a fairy rare occurrence these days.

But, I was just awe-struck by the fact that the entire home is sheathed in oriented strand board (OSB).  See photo below. When this house gets its exterior siding, it will have an all brick front and hardi-plank siding on the sides and rear.

About a hundred years ago, when I first moved to Atlanta (really 1986), I wrote a contract
on a new townhome that was just lovely.  It was a very nice new home community.  The next day, I drove through slowly and watched some homes being built.  They weren't using OSB, they were using this blue foam board!  I stopped the car, picked some up and snapped it in half with two fingers. I was incredulous that this was how they were building my house. 

I come from Lackawanna, NY.  The winters are long and harsh and we have several instances of high winds during the year, especially in the winter and spring.  And, being a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz, I just couldn't imaagine what would happen if a strong wind blew through Atlanta. 

So, when I saw that "blue board", as it's known in the industry, covered by vinyl siding, I freaked out.  I cancelled the contract and bought something more substantial.  The house I bought was much sturdier it had a wood product siding and just felt sturdier.  Later, I would find out the joys of Lousiana Pacific Siding... but that will be a topic for future post.

Years later, when I became a real estate agent, I worked for a new home builder who built his houses with blue board and vinyl siding.  Although he did a lot to make the home sturdy with special bracing, you couldn't get over the fact that if someone wanted to break into your house, all they had to do was punch through the vinly siding, the blue board, the insulation and the dry wall and they'd get in!  Without breaking a window, forcing a door or anything.  You can't do that with a house wrapped in OSB and another hard surface siding like brick or hardi plank.

So kudos to any builder that uses OSB as their exterior sheathing.  Makes for a much stronger house and helps defend against the elements and thieves.