Is There a Shortage of OSB for Window Boarding in the UK?
OSB (oriented strand board) is arguably the most common material used to board up and make safe broken glass windows. There is however a huge shortage of timber products in the UK at this time including OSB. The Timber Trade Federation reports that OSB imports fell by up to 50% due to the ongoing global pandemic. This then begs the question, ‘Can I use an alternative to OSB to board my broken windows?’. Maxam’s answer is a resounding, ‘YES!’.
What is OSB?
OSB is an acronym for Oriented Strand Board. OSB is constructed from ‘strands’ or longer chips of wood that are mixed with adhesives and waxes, aligned in perpendicular alternating layers, and pressed into panels. (see image above for an example of what OSB looks like)
What are the Alternatives to OSB for Making Safe Broken Windows?
There are many alternatives such as:
- Plywood
- Steel sheets
- Plexiglass or Perspex
- Composite boards
- Glass repair film
The alternatives are many, but there is one solution that stands out: Glass Repair Film.
The Ultimate Alternative to OSB
Maxam 175 Glass Repair Film solves a multitude of challenges with the traditional OSB boarding method of making safe a broken window.
Some of the drawbacks or challenges of OSB Boarding are:
- Unsightly – if your window is street facing, having a raw OSB board over your window will look unpleasant.
- Non-Translucent – once you have boarded your broken window with OSB, if that is the only window in the room, no natural light can enter the room.
- Destructive – in order to secure the boarding, the board has to be screwed in to the window frame or surrounding wall.
Maxam 175 offers solutions to all these issues and more:
- Translucent Film – this takes care of point 1 and 2 above. As is translucent, it is basically invisible making it instantly more visually suitable and allows light to enter as if it were glass.
- Adhesive Backing – As this is a film, you simple apply it to the broken window without any penetration of the frame or surrounding walls.
- Can be applied to moving objects – As it is a film and has flexible properties, Maxam 175 can be applied to vehicles, trains or construction site vehicles. Read the case study on Virgin Trains to see how Maxam 175 was their ultimate solution.
- Cost savings – one board of OSB costs about £25 on average and can be used to cover one window. Include the time, the fact it takes 2 persons to board a window and that cost quickly increases to more than £50. With a 3M roll of Maxam 175 handy for less than £50, you can fix multiple windows, one person to carry out the work and only use exactly what you need.
Maxam is Here to Help!
the team at Maxam have been providing innovative products to clients in social housing maintenance, public transport, education facility managers, hospitals, facilities managers and builders merchants for over 25 years.
With our experience and a desire to answer and solve your questions and challenges, we would be glad to hear from you. You can contact us via email at sales@maxam.co.uk call us toll-free on 0800 0922 923 or via our contact page.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!