Question
I am going to build a house in about 5 years and I was wanted to buy 2 pallets of your OSB 7/16 thick 4 by 8 foot sheets and wanted to know if I kept it where it would not get wet, would it last for 5 years? Or I can wrap it so no moisture gets to it would that be better?
Dallas Rasmussen, Castlewood
Answer
Thank you for the email Dallas. That would not be a good idea for several reasons:
OSB is a commodity and prices do fluctuate and it’s possible that you could be paying more for product now than you would be in a few months or a few years.
OSB can be stored inside for long periods of time but it will pick up moisture with changes in the conditions where it is stored, but this should not affect the structural properties of the panels.
Wrapping it “so no moisture gets to it” is a bad idea because moisture will be trapped inside the wrapping and that can condense with changes in temperature which could lead to mildew and mold.
Also to be considered is the possibility of changes to the building code over the next 5 years that might make what you bought unsuitable to meet new codes.
If you are thinking about sub-flooring the manufacturer of the finished flooring may make changes to their installation requirements that could affect you.
All things considered, it would be best to wait until closer to the time to purchase your panels.