OSB and plywood (pallet panels)
Also called: plywood, OSB, oriented strand board, wood structural panel
Plywood (glued wood veneers) and OSB (oriented strand board, glued wood strands) are wood structural panels. On pallets they are used as solid panel decks, deck strips and laminated blocks, and as processed wood they are exempt from ISPM 15.
In depth: Wooden pallets: types, construction, sizes and how to specify them
Plywood is made from thin veneers glued with alternating grain directions. OSB is made from wood strands pressed with resin in oriented layers. Both come as standard sheets, usually 4 × 8 ft (1220 × 2440 mm), and are graded under US product standards (PS 1 for plywood, PS 2 for performance-rated panels including OSB).
Rules for pallet panels (Uniform Standard, 2012)
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Panel grade | Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor |
| Bond / exposure | Exposure 1 or Exterior |
| Grade stamp | Required |
| Face grain | Perpendicular to the stringers |
| Minimum piece width | 24 in (610 mm) |
| Minimum strip or web width | 6 in (152 mm) |
| OSB strips as bottom boards | Not allowed |
Why it matters
A panel deck gives a solid, flat surface for small parts, bags and loads that must not sag into gaps. Panels are processed wood, made with heat, glue and pressure, so they are exempt from ISPM 15 on their own. A pallet that also has solid-wood stringers or blocks still needs treatment. OSB swells at the edges when wet, so exterior-rated panels and sealed edges matter for outdoor or wet use. Some buyers prohibit plywood decks without approval, so check your customer's spec.
On a spec sheet
Deck style "Panel", material (plywood or OSB), grade, exposure rating, thickness, and any cutouts.
Related
- GlossaryPanel deck (pallet)A panel deck is a pallet deck made from a wood structural panel, usually plywood or OSB, instead of individual deckboards. It gives a solid, flat surface for small or unstable loads.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
- GlossaryWhat is ISPM 15?ISPM 15 is the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standard for wood packaging material in international trade. It requires pallets, crates and dunnage made of solid wood to be debarked, treated by an approved method such as heat treatment (56 °C core for 30 minutes), and marked with the IPPC mark.
- TypesWooden pallets: types, construction, sizes and how to specify themA wooden pallet is a flat transport platform built from lumber deckboards fastened to stringers or blocks. In North America most are 48 × 40 in stringer pallets weighing about 30–70 lb (14–32 kg); in Europe the 1200 × 800 mm EPAL block pallet dominates. Wood must be ISPM 15 treated for most export.
- GuidesPallet wood species: hardwood vs softwood, and which to specifyMost North American pallets are made from mixed Eastern hardwoods (oak, maple, poplar and others) or softwoods such as Southern yellow pine and SPF. Density drives strength, stiffness, nail holding and weight. Specify a species class or group plus a grade rather than a single species.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
- GlossaryGalvanizing (steel pallets and fasteners)Galvanizing is coating steel with zinc to protect it from corrosion. Steel pallets are often hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, and galvanized nails, staples and hinges are used where wood pallets or collars see moisture.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 241 words.