Roof Plywood Buckling

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Roof plywood buckling.

The most common cause appears to be movement in the roof sheathing with changes in moisture levels. Plywood and oriented strand board osb like all wood products will expand or shrink slightly with changes in moisture content. Such buckling may occur between supports or between nails along supports. Call your builder and have him fix the buckled plywood.

Plywood and osb roof sheathing are the most popular roof sheathing materials in the u s. Apa recommends a 1 8 inch space between panel edge and end joints. However warped plywood sheathing means the entire roof has to be replaced immediately or it may collapse. Occasionally the buckling is caused by poor workmanship wrong materials or possibly by a problem with the structure itself.

But they must be installed correctly. If the sheathing is properly gapped then the gaps can close causing the shingles spanning the gap to buckle. When plywood or osb sheathing picks up moisture it expands. On occasion poor attic ventilation can cause the sheathing to become warped from underneath.

Less likely as a cause of a buckled roof is poor attic ventilation. Buckling of wood structural panel sheathing such as plywood or oriented strand board osb occasionally results when increased moisture conditions cause the wood to expand. That can mean costly time consuming callbacks. When these boards are not properly fastened and nailed to the framing they can buckle as well.

Your roof decking is the plywood sheets that cover your home. If the adhesive side is not laid properly and not applied flat it will surely show its buckling through the roof shingles. If the wood structural panels are tightly butted there is no room for expansion and buckling can occur. This happens most often in hot and humid climates.

However a more pronounced buckling in a line running up the roof like in the photo above is caused by buckling of the edges of the plywood or osb roof sheathing due to water intrusion or extremely high humidity in the attic. Improper installation of roof sheathing panels can result in warping or buckling of asphalt shingles. Your builder is responsible for providing adequate soffit ventilation. For a good reason.

They are easy to work with readily available and perform the job well.