Re: Mold on OSB - Jeff-Pat-Jeff

[Guest guest]

Jeff of London:

I believe that, for obvious reasons, phenolic resins are used rather

than formaldehyde resins in the modern manufacture of OSB.

when I visited the L.P. OSB plant in northern Wisconsin, I was amazed

by the size and power of the process: whole trees come in one end

and stacks of OSB come out the other. (the VOC concentrations in the

area around the enormous presses that form the sheets made my eyes

water and throat burn in about 2.7 nanoseconds.)

Pat:

I've cultured various fungi from the surface of OSB on numerous

occasions. I wonder if the process, source timber and/or resins vary

across the country? have you checked for actinomycetes?

my observations suggest that 'was-wood' products are consistently

MORE susceptible to microbial attack. and the smaller the chips,

wafers or particles, the more susceptible the products become.

Jeff May:

(other than your book) where specifically can one read more in

keeping with your statements regarding P. chrysosporium's effects on

OSB? surely this is not your original research. perhaps the U.S.

Forest Products Lab in Madison?

wouldn't you agree that very few materials, including cedar, are " …

completely resistant… " to fungal amplification? I suspect we've both

seen cases where cedar has ultimately succumbed to rot, losing its

structural integrity and eventually crumbling.

I don't believe that poplar is the only species used in making OSB,

but due to its fast growth rate, it's likely a large component. I'll

have to call my contact at L.P. (the plant EH & S manager) to ask.....

Wane

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Wane A. Baker, P.E., CIH, RPIH

Director, Air Quality Services

" Bad air gets you down "

MICHAELS ENGINEERING INC.

811 Monitor Street, Suite 100

PO Box 2377

La Crosse, Wisconsin 54602

Phone , ext. 484

Cell

Fax

mailto:wab@...

On the web at: http://www.michaelsengineering.com

" To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be

more fun? "

- Graham

> I believe some OSB are manufactured using a formaldehyde component

in the

> glue or manufacturing process. Perhaps the mould is safer?

> Jeff Charlton

> in London

> Re: Research article

>

> Stacey,

>

> Interesting and significant publication. Phanerochaete

chrysosporium is

> one of the fungi commonly found growing on oriented strand board

(OSB)

> behind cedar clapboards when there are flashing leaks around

windows in

> homes. The fungus turns the OSB to mush with the consistency of

damp corn

> flakes. The OSB, made from poplar, has no resistance to fungi

whatsoever,

> but the cedar clapboards are completely resistant and unaffected,

even

> though almost in contact with the OSB.

>

> Jeff May

[Guest guest]

Yes your right it was a memory slip, another point which I hope isn't a slip

is an earlier comment on Cedar components of OSB. I believe that cedar like

the pine tree has inherant natural biocide action.

Jeff in London

Re: Research article

>

> Stacey,

>

> Interesting and significant publication. Phanerochaete

chrysosporium is

> one of the fungi commonly found growing on oriented strand board

(OSB)

> behind cedar clapboards when there are flashing leaks around

windows in

> homes. The fungus turns the OSB to mush with the consistency of

damp corn

> flakes. The OSB, made from poplar, has no resistance to fungi

whatsoever,

> but the cedar clapboards are completely resistant and unaffected,

even

> though almost in contact with the OSB.

>

> Jeff May

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specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material

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issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such

copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is

distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in

receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your

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[Guest guest]

This web page may be biased but it says that formaldehyde is use in both urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins for osb and mdf.

http://www.methanex.com/products/formaldehyde.html

Mark A. McClanahan

Doraville GA

On Fri, 07 May 2004 04:05:48 -0000 "Wane A. Baker" writes:

Jeff of London:I believe that, for obvious reasons, phenolic resins are used rather than formaldehyde resins in the modern manufacture of OSB. when I visited the L.P. OSB plant in northern Wisconsin, I was amazed by the size and power of the process: whole trees come in one end and stacks of OSB come out the other. (the VOC concentrations in the area around the enormous presses that form the sheets made my eyes water and throat burn in about 2.7 nanoseconds.) Pat: I've cultured various fungi from the surface of OSB on numerous occasions. I wonder if the process, source timber and/or resins vary across the country? have you checked for actinomycetes? my observations suggest that 'was-wood' products are consistently MORE susceptible to microbial attack. and the smaller the chips, wafers or particles, the more susceptible the products become. Jeff May:(other than your book) where specifically can one read more in keeping with your statements regarding P. chrysosporium's effects on OSB? surely this is not your original research. perhaps the U.S. Forest Products Lab in Madison?wouldn't you agree that very few materials, including cedar, are "…completely resistant…" to fungal amplification? I suspect we've both seen cases where cedar has ultimately succumbed to rot, losing its structural integrity and eventually crumbling. I don't believe that poplar is the only species used in making OSB, but due to its fast growth rate, it's likely a large component. I'll have to call my contact at L.P. (the plant EH & S manager) to ask.....Wane<><><><><><><><><><><><> Wane A. Baker, P.E., CIH, RPIH Director, Air Quality Services "Bad air gets you down" MICHAELS ENGINEERING INC. 811 Monitor Street, Suite 100 PO Box 2377 La Crosse, Wisconsin 54602 Phone , ext. 484 Cell Fax mailto:wab@... On the web at: http://www.michaelsengineering.com "To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?" - Graham > I believe some OSB are manufactured using a formaldehyde component in the> glue or manufacturing process. Perhaps the mould is safer?> Jeff Charlton> in London> Re: Research article> > Stacey,> > Interesting and significant publication. Phanerochaete chrysosporium is> one of the fungi commonly found growing on oriented strand board (OSB)> behind cedar clapboards when there are flashing leaks around windows in> homes. The fungus turns the OSB to mush with the consistency of damp corn> flakes. The OSB, made from poplar, has no resistance to fungi whatsoever,> but the cedar clapboards are completely resistant and unaffected, even> though almost in contact with the OSB.> > Jeff MayFAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

[Guest guest]

I wanted to address a couple of points here...

I used to work the hardwood industry. You will find that Poplar is only used in the manufacture of OSB in the southeast US. Northern plants will use local timber (primarily softwood species) because it is economically unfeasible to truck poplar trees to a northern facility. That being said, you will find dramatically different rot resistance among different species. Poplar is the least rot resistant domestic hardwood, and is less resistant than many softwood species. Varying rot resistance from specie to specie will have great impact on the resistance of the finished product.

I am not certain, but I find it highly likely that OSB is manufactured with formaldehyde. There are a very few sheetstock items available in the lumber business that are manufactured without formaldehyde. These items are very expensive and are marketed solely on the lack of formaldehyde used in their manufacture. The price point of OSB suggests that it contains formaldehyde.

Charlie

Re: Research article> > Stacey,> > Interesting and significant publication. Phanerochaete chrysosporium is> one of the fungi commonly found growing on oriented strand board (OSB)> behind cedar clapboards when there are flashing leaks around windows in> homes. The fungus turns the OSB to mush with the consistency of damp corn> flakes. The OSB, made from poplar, has no resistance to fungi whatsoever,> but the cedar clapboards are completely resistant and unaffected, even> though almost in contact with the OSB.> > Jeff MayFAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

[Guest guest]

What is the brand name of the no formaldehyde products or what chain would

carry them.

Thanks,

Angel

> Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 10:40:02 -0400

>

> Reply-To: iequality

> To: iequality

> Subject: RE: Re: Mold on OSB - Jeff-Pat-Jeff

>

> I wanted to address a couple of points here...

>

> I used to work the hardwood industry. You will find that Poplar is only

> used in the manufacture of OSB in the southeast US. Northern plants will

> use local timber (primarily softwood species) because it is economically

> unfeasible to truck poplar trees to a northern facility. That being said,

> you will find dramatically different rot resistance among different species.

> Poplar is the least rot resistant domestic hardwood, and is less resistant

> than many softwood species. Varying rot resistance from specie to specie

> will have great impact on the resistance of the finished product.

>

> I am not certain, but I find it highly likely that OSB is manufactured with

> formaldehyde. There are a very few sheetstock items available in the lumber

> business that are manufactured without formaldehyde. These items are very

> expensive and are marketed solely on the lack of formaldehyde used in their

> manufacture. The price point of OSB suggests that it contains formaldehyde.

>

> Charlie

>

>

> Re: Research article

> >

> > Stacey,

> >

> > Interesting and significant publication. Phanerochaete

> chrysosporium is

> > one of the fungi commonly found growing on oriented strand board

> (OSB)

> > behind cedar clapboards when there are flashing leaks around

> windows in

> > homes. The fungus turns the OSB to mush with the consistency of

> damp corn

> > flakes. The OSB, made from poplar, has no resistance to fungi

> whatsoever,

> > but the cedar clapboards are completely resistant and unaffected,

> even

> > though almost in contact with the OSB.

> >

> > Jeff May

>

>

>

>

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

>

> This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always

> been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such

> material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental,

> political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice

> issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such

> copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

> In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is

> distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in

> receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

> For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

> If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your

> own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright

> owner.

>

>

>

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