42077
April 2025

 Why should builderschoose SterlingOSB Zeroover plywood?

West Fraser'sSterlingOSB Zero,is often seen in restaurants, exhibitions and retail outlets where the theme is "natural", "eco", and "earthy". It is also commonly used as a hoarding panel for building sites, or for boarding up broken windows.

The fundamental engineered panel is, most commonly however, used in most new and refurbishment building projects. It's a precision-engineered square edge, andtongue & groove board,whichis used inflooring, roofing and offsite cassette or timber frame manufacturing. Plywood can probably do the same job; but OSB excels for bothpractical and economic reasonsand is more aesthetically pleasing. The Zero refers to the fact that there isno added formaldehyde in the formulation which is important for the health of contractors and building occupants. As a bonus, zero formaldehyde resins are made of bio-based feedstocks rather than petroleum-based alternatives which gives them a lower carbon footprint.

WhileOSB is really popular in terms oftechnical benefits, in these days of environmental awareness and Net Zero,SterlingOSB Zerois assistingthe construction industry to cut carbon emissions. The board is manufactured from a natural product which in itself locks in CO2 from the atmosphere, with the myriad strands of softwood coming from forest thinnings and sawmills' off-cuts.Plywood, on the other hand, needsthe peeling of much larger tree trunks taking longer to grow. 

And, of course, West Fraser's timber comes fromresponsiblymanagedforests, mainlyin the UK,so all chains of custody are knownmeaning stocks are conserved by replanting and carefully planned cropping.There is a new rail system being developed adjacent to the Inverness plant where only renewableelectricity for the sitesis usedandthe drying process now uses biomass in the place of gas power.

Afterleaving the factory gates, becauseSterlingOSB Zerois precision-made, there isless waste on building sites or inmodular buildingfabrication,so the associated costs of disposal to landfill are significantly mitigated. Contractors also report lower waste in handling because SterlingOSB Zero is more resilient to damage than rival productslike plywoodand is much easier to align when used for tasks like sheathing or laying floors. The accuracy of manufacture is especially good for producing SIPs panels with no need to "size" boards in the factory or suffer misalignmentduring installation.

All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK arenet carbon negativeand manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC® certified (C012533) and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation.

For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visitUk.westfraser.com

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