OSB vs Plywood Decking for Houston Roof Replacements

Roof replacement quotes in Houston put homeowners in a tough position when contractors give you two different decking materials with a $500 to $1,000 price difference between them. A gap like this can be a lot of money. To complicate matters even more, every contractor has a strong opinion about which material you should use, and they all warn you that if you pick the wrong one, it could fail way earlier than it should in Houston’s climate. Your choice matters because Houston weather is very tough on roofing materials – heavy humidity, intense storms and hurricane threats all create stress that can shorten the life of your roof!

Most homeowners end up hearing wildly different advice from every contractor they call. One roofer will swear by plywood and insist that OSB is a disaster waiting to happen, while another contractor might install OSB on every job and say that it works just fine. The two materials meet the building codes, and both of them are installed on thousands of roofs all across Houston. The main way they’re different is in how each one holds up after years and years in the Gulf Coast weather.

Your roof decking hides underneath the shingles for decades, out of sight. It does a lot more work than that, though – it’s what determines how well your roof deals with moisture that sneaks through, how it holds up against wind uplift during the storms and how it deals with all that heat and humidity we get every summer in Houston. A home in Katy might need something different than a house near Clear Lake, and the price tag won’t always tell you everything that you’ll have to know.

Let me break down which decking material will work best for your Houston roof!

The Facts About OSB and Plywood

Roof decking means you have to pick between two different types of engineered wood, and each one is made differently. OSB stands for oriented strand board, and to make it, they take small wood chips and press them all together with a strong adhesive under heat and pressure.

Plywood works differently. Manufacturers take thin sheets of wood (also called veneers) and layer them on top of one another with a strong adhesive that holds everything together, and each sheet is positioned so its wood grain runs perpendicular to the sheets that are directly above and below it. This alternating, cross-grain pattern is actually what gives plywood most of its strength and makes it so stable.

OSB and plywood are pretty easy to tell apart if you look at them. A sheet of OSB is covered in compressed wood chips and strands, and this gives it that rough, bumpy texture on the surface. Plywood has a much smoother face because it’s built from thin sheets of wood veneer that are stacked and bonded together in layers. Look at the edge of a plywood board, and you can see each layer that runs through the thickness of it.

These materials serve the same basic job for your roof – they create a solid base layer that sits on top of the roof trusses and goes directly underneath your shingles. Roof decking is what holds your entire roofing system together and keeps the parts in place. If you don’t have a solid deck installed, you wouldn’t have any surface to attach your shingles to, and your roof just wouldn’t work at all.

OSB and plywood can take care of the structural job of a roof system, and either one will meet building codes if you install it right.

Both Materials Face the Houston Humidity

Moisture performance is a big deal for these two materials, and it’s actually one of the main factors that will separate them for most projects. OSB absorbs water like a sponge does. When it gets wet, it tends to hold onto that moisture for a pretty long time.

Plywood deals with water exposure a bit differently. It will get soaked during a heavy rainstorm. But it mostly recovers once everything has had time to dry out. The layers of wood in plywood let the moisture work its way out faster, and it’s different from the way that OSB works with those compressed wood strands – they trap the water inside.

Contractors in Houston see this difference play out every time they tear off an old roof. OSB panels that have been exposed to humidity and leaks here and there will usually start to develop wavy edges along the outer parts of the panel. Soft patches are another common issue, and these show up in areas where the material has started to break down from sitting in the moisture for weeks or months.

Plywood decking from that same time period tends to hold up much better. The boards will show a bit of wear and tear on the surface. But they hold onto their shape and stay strong for way longer. In a place like Houston, this matters quite a bit because the humidity levels stay high for a few months out of every year.

The swelling problem with OSB brings up another issue that gets worse over time. When OSB soaks up moisture, it expands, and then when it dries out, it shrinks back down. Every time this happens, it pushes up against the panels next to it. All that movement weakens the nails and screws that hold everything in place, and it can even change how flat your shingles sit on the top.

Plywood doesn’t move around nearly as much under the same conditions. Since it’s more stable, everything above it is going to hold up better and last longer.

How the Materials Handle Hurricane Winds

Houston building codes spell out what type of wind uplift ratings your roof has to meet. Houston is located right in hurricane territory, and when storms roll through the area, they can put a tremendous amount of force on your roof from wind alone. Contractors who install roof decking have to make sure that their work meets all these wind uplift standards; otherwise, it’s not going to pass the inspection.

Plywood is actually strong at holding the fasteners in place, and each sheet has wood grain that runs all through it and gives your nails and screws plenty of strong material to grab onto and stay put. This ends up being very important for your roof because when strong winds come through, they’re going to try their hardest to pull everything apart.

OSB is made differently. Wood chips and strands get pressed together with adhesive to create each panel. This way of doing it works just fine in most applications. The main weak point is how the fasteners hold up once the pressure is applied. When winds get very strong, they put heavy stress on your roof structure, and nails or screws are more likely to pull through those compressed chips than they would with continuous wood fibers.

Hurricane Harvey hit parts of the Houston area with wind speeds that reached around 130 mph. Other recent storms have done similar damage, and they’ve all put roofing systems through tough tests with their heavy wind gusts. The ability of your roof decking to hold onto its fasteners is one of the factors that matter in how well your roof weathers storms like this.

The difference matters quite a bit with uplift forces. Wind creates suction underneath your deck that tries to pull the entire structure right off your house. Every fastener connection (and you have hundreds of them across your deck) has to work to resist that upward force.

Each material is going to meet the local building codes as long as it’s installed in the way it should be. Contractors know how to work with each one, and they’ll make adjustments to details like fastener spacing and how they attach the shingles, depending on which material you pick. The bigger question usually is about the safety margin you want built into your roof system, which means that you’ll have extra protection on top of just meeting the minimum requirements.

The True Cost Over Time

Price is one factor that can sway your choice on a bigger project. OSB usually costs about 20 – 30% less than plywood at the store. For an average Houston home, that percentage difference translates to actual savings. The decking material alone could put anywhere from $500 to $1000 back in your budget.

OSB has a lower price tag, but in Houston’s climate, plywood has dealt with our humidity way better over the years. A quality plywood installation can outlast OSB by anywhere from 5 – 10 years before you’ll need to go back and replace anything.

For your budget down the line, that lower starting cost can have some implications. Roof decking that needs replacement in 15 years instead of 20 or 25 means you’ll be looking at another big roofing project much sooner. By that point, the materials will cost more (they always do), and you’ll run into the expense and disruption of hiring another roofing crew all over again.

It pays to step back and look at the long-term value of your investment. Homeowners who replace their roof expect it to last at least 15 – 20 years before they need another replacement. When you break down the price difference between OSB and plywood over that timeframe, it gets much smaller. Plywood could actually wind up costing you less in the long run if it buys you even just a few extra years on your roof.

Weather Matters for Your Roof Project

Houston gets afternoon thunderstorms pretty frequently – that complicates the timing of roof installations compared to what you’d run into in drier parts of the country. Contractors around here usually try to start right at dawn so they can finish up as much as they can before the storms hit. This early morning strategy makes sense no matter which material you go with, though it matters quite a bit more if you install OSB.

OSB needs protection from the rain right after it goes up. When a storm comes through and soaks those boards before your roofer has a chance to install the underlayment and the shingles, the edges will swell up a bit and create uneven areas across your roof deck, though your installation isn’t ruined.

Plywood does a much better job when it gets wet during the install. It’ll still absorb some moisture – each material does that. What helps is that plywood can dry back out without ending up with the same swollen edge problems that you’ll see with OSB. Your contractor gets a bit more wiggle room if the weather forecast is off or if the job takes longer than planned.

Most roofers in Houston will only schedule an OSB installation if the forecast shows at least a full day of stable weather ahead. Even then, they’ll have some tarps on standby just in case the clouds roll in earlier than expected. Plywood is a different story – you can work on a more flexible timeline because a little rain won’t cause the same panic. What you choose for your decking material changes the way you schedule the work, and it determines how closely everyone needs to monitor the weather throughout your roof replacement.

Pick the Best Roof Decking Material

After we’ve gone over these different materials, the right option for your home will depend on where you live and how long you’re planning to be there. Plywood is usually the better pick if your property is in a flood zone or if you’re planning to stay in your house for many years to come. Plywood’s water resistance will protect your home better during the heavy storms that Houston is known for.

OSB is a solid choice if you have to replace the roof on a newer home and you want to keep costs as low as you can. A tight budget or plans to sell the property within the next few years anyway make OSB a smart pick – it’ll get the job done, and it’s not going to cost you nearly as much as other options.

How long you’re planning to live in your house matters quite a bit when you decide. A family that has just moved in and wants to stay put for decades will probably get more value out of plywood because of the long-term benefits it gives them. But expecting to move out in 5 years or so makes OSB probably the better option for your situation.

Hurricane season is another consideration. Wind-driven rain has a way of sneaking in through the roofing materials, and makes plywood the safer bet when that’s a concern. OSB can still work just fine as long as the attic has decent ventilation and you trust your weatherproofing can do its job.

Either material will hold up well as long as it’s installed correctly. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for picking between them. What helps is to see what matters the most to you first. Your budget, where your home happens to be located and how long you’re planning to stay there – these factors will usually point you pretty directly toward one material over the other.

A Secure Home Starts with a Solid Roof

Your roof decking choice matters more in the Houston area than it does for most homes around the country. Houston weather delivers intense humidity, storms that roll in with little warning and, of course, hurricane season year after year. Your roof needs to handle this again and again, season after season. OSB will save you some money up front, no question. Plywood will cost more. But when hurricane season arrives and you’re watching the weather forecast closely, you’ll probably feel much better about spending the extra money. Either of the materials can perform well on your home. The best strategy is to understand what you get with each one and why it matters for your goals.

Whichever material you go with, just remember that installation quality and regular maintenance are what will control how well your roof holds up in Houston’s heat and humidity. Even the best sheathing material available won’t help you much if the crew installs it incorrectly or if you let the small problems turn into expensive repairs. You don’t need to accept whatever recommendation you hear when you already know the right questions to ask and what actually matters for your situation.

Roof Republic works on commercial and residential roofing projects right here in Texas, and we cover the entire Greater Houston Area in communities like Magnolia, Tomball, Cypress and Conroe. We’ve installed and repaired roofs around here for years, so we know firsthand what Houston weather can do to a roof and what it will take to hold up against it. Your roof is a big investment in your home and in your family’s safety, and it makes sense to trust a local team that knows this climate.

Give us a call for a free inspection, and we’ll take care of your roof replacement with the level of attention and care that it needs.