Why is Using Plywood, OSB, and Other Laminated Woods a Bad Idea?
We get this question quite a bit and wanted to provide some context to our answers. When someone asks, “Can I use plywood or OSB in a Truck Bed?” technically, yes. You can use anything you want to make a truck bed floor. The more unusual the material, the more custom it can be. That being said, I have a few questions for you before you embark on this project:
- Will your truck bed floor be covered under a camper shell or tonneau-style cover during inclement weather?
- Is there a possibility of moisture building within the bed of your truck even if it’s covered?
- Do you plan on using the truck to haul anything heavy in the bed?
These are questions that should help you determine if using plywood or OSB in your truck bed is right for you and your truck’s needs.
Will your truck bed be covered under a camper shell or tonneau-style cover during inclement weather?
This question is first because it may be the most important. Unsealed wood is already porous so it’s prone to absorbing moisture. A single plank of hardwood is easy to coat and seal. When looking at a sheet of OSB (oriented strand board), there are small pieces of wood that are glued together to create the greater product. This creates thousands upon thousands of points that are more likely to become a victim of the elements. If you take a long sheet of OSB or plywood and cut it into planks of whatever thickness or width, you have now opened up the sides and created more surfaces that are subject to the effects of moisture and deformation. Once moisture is absorbed into this wood, it will expand, contract, and mold which will cause it to break down, weaken, and fall apart. If there is any chance that your OSB or plywood wood truck bed will be caught in rain or snow without a cover, you’re wasting money. It will eventually disintegrate, fall apart, and cease to exist in its original and useful form.
Is there a possibility of moisture building within the bed of your truck even if it’s covered?
We covered some of this above, but it gets a little more specific to the region of the country that you may live in. If your local news reports on the humidity level from day to day, this information is for you. Humidity could actually be worse than direct rain when it comes to plywood and OSB. Let’s say that it reaches 100 degrees in your city and the humidity is 75%. You COULD steam vegetables in the bed of your truck with a camper shell or tonneau cover. You WILL be steaming your OSB or plywood truck bed liner. Also, steamed vegetables taste way better and are much healthier for you than steamed OSB.
Do you plan on using the truck to haul anything heavy in the bed?
This question dives directly into the effects of material stress on wood. The larger the area is that your weight is spread across the less localized the material stress will be.
Example: a bundle of drywall takes up more room than if you were hauling an engine. The engine would potentially cause more damage to your OSB or plywood because of its shape and smaller footprint, thus increased down pressure.
Placing heavy objects on sheets of wood will cause bending and flexing of the material which causes material stress and breakdown. Solid strips of hardwood possess a much higher natural strength are far more durable than any OSB or plywood would be. This means that hardwood will last much longer under any form of moderate to heavy use.
Using Plywood or OSB as a Wood Bed: Recommendations
Don’t Do It! - If you use a laminated wood product in your truck bed you will spend more time chasing issues than you will enjoying your truck. Moisture will absorb into the small nooks and crannies that are nearly impossible to seal, and stress will break the wood down making it fall apart.
Stick with solid hardwood for all truck bed wood floors. Natural hardwood is far more durable than OSB and plywood, and easier to repair if something does get damaged. With natural hardwood, you get longevity and beauty, and that translates to value.
