SUSTAINING THE CAMPAIGN
JOSB Done has entered a third year of activity, flying the flag for Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and the wide range of benefits it has to offer across all areas of construction, from roofing, wall cladding and timber frame housing to packaging, hoardings and almost anything else you can think of.
The campaign originally started in 2006 after research suggested there were commonly held misconceptions within the industry about OSB’s composition and properties, and to challenge these perceptions, JOSB Done began. Supported by leading manufacturers Norbord and Smartply, resin supplier Huntsman and with support from the Wood Panel Industry Federation (WPIF), JOSB Done now encompasses a wide range of activities, including a dedicated ‘one-stop-shop’ website containing all the information you could ever need on OSB, plus related links and interactive elements that demonstrate the strength and versatility of this tough board.
JOSB Done - Campaigning for Change
Through the website and the creative campaign, JOSB Done is focused on one key objective; to encourage everyone from within all sectors of the trade, from merchants, architects and specifiers to the jobbing builder on site, to embrace all OSB has to offer and make the switch from other wood panels which may not carry the same quality accreditations.
Now into its third year, JOSB Done 2008 will maintain momentum and provide further detail on OSB’s unique proposition in terms of sustainability, performance and suitability for a broad range of applications.
Alastair Kerr, Director General of the WPIF, comments:
“Although this is the third year for us, our aim essentially remains the same as when we started back in 2006; to increase awareness of OSB, its superior inherent qualities and superb quality credentials.
"There has certainly been an increase in demand for timber, especially in relation to housebuilding, and we can see that OSB consumption is steadily on the rise, but in recent years we have also witnessed an increase in the volume of plywood and other wood panels being imported into the UK from unmanaged and uncertified forests and where the credentials to demonstrate fitness for purpose are absent. This is why it is now more important than ever to start asking questions when it comes to buying and specifying wood panels".
“By considering whether the panels you use are supported by the correct quality credentials and whether they are from a sustainable source, you can ensure that the overall performance matches your high expectations, and OSB is a clear solution within the majority of situations.
“This year, we really want to drive this message home to the trade as a whole and provide them with the tools to make that change and choose OSB, which will repay them and the environment dividends in return.”
OSB – The Facts
• Oriented Strand Board is an engineered wood strand panel designed to be super strong, hardwearing, smooth and defective free. This makes it a superior alternative to some plywoods available on the market (especially those that don’t carry the correct certified credentials).
• Timber used to manufacture OSB are sourced from sustainable forests in the UK and Ireland that are independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and where smaller trees are usually cut down to allow the bigger trees in the forest plenty of room to grow.
• OSB obtains its extra strength and durability from the strands wood layered on top of each other in different directions, which are then compressed together to form one consistent board.
• There are two types of OSB available on the market to suit different requirements. OSB2 is suitable for load bearing applications and use in dry conditions, whilst OSB3 is designed for outdoor jobs or where moisture may be present.
For further information on OSB, its qualities, applications and excellent credentials, please visit the website - www.josbdone.com
