Norbord's TallWall(R) OSB Panels Offer Superior Energy Efficiency

TORONTO, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Norbord announced today that walls built with Norbord's TallWall® panels show substantial reduction in air infiltration compared to walls sheathed with conventional 4 feet by 8 feet horizontally installed panels.

These findings are the result of a series of air infiltration tests conducted for Norbord by the NAHB Research Center. The testing was conducted according to ASTM E283 "Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen".

During testing, walls were constructed to simulate real walls (including an interior electrical box, insulation, one-half-inch drywall on the interior side and taped seams) to compare the effect of sheathing with typical 4 feet by 8 feet panels to sheathing with Norbord's TallWall® panels. Both walls were pressurized from the outside by a blower at three test pressure differentials; house wrap was added and the test was repeated; the test was repeated a third time with the house wrap sealed with seam tape.

Test findings demonstrated that TallWall® panels consistently reduced air infiltration up to 60 percent compared with conventional panels installed horizontally. TallWall® panels are clearly an excellent choice for builders looking for cost effective solutions to improve the overall energy efficiency of a home.

Norbord's innovative TallWall® is manufactured in 9 and 10 foot lengths. Designed to cover walls from the top plate to the joist area, TallWall® OSB wall sheathing not only reduces air leakage, it also helps lower material and labor costs, produces less waste and can increase wall strength by up to 38 percent when panels overlap the joist area. The result is a stronger, more energy efficient home.

TallWall is also available with either FSC or SFI Chain of Custody Certification.

To learn more about Norbord's TallWall® panels and the Air Infiltration Testing visit www.tallwallosb.com.

Norbord Profile
Norbord Inc. is an international producer of wood-based panels with assets of $1.0 billion and sales of US $1.0 billion. Norbord has 15 operations the United States, Europe and Canada. Norbord is a publicly traded company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NBD.