OSB Walls

[Ken Frohnert]

I am thinking about using the 7/16 OSB on my detached garage walls. I don't want to use drywall because I don't think it will stand up to the abuse and other options are much more expensive. I fiqure till I get shelving and cabinets ect up you will not see much of the wall anyway. I figure if I hang things I will be hitting studs anyway so it will not have to hold much weight. Has anyone used OSB and if so did you paint it? I was wonding what it might look like varnished if you put the unmarked side out. Any thoughts?

[Kurt Bird]

Ken,
I used OSB on the walls in my shop, and it worked great! Not only do you get a strong wall, but you can add shelves, brackets, etc. pretty much wherever you need them. I thought about painting mine, but I was in a hurry to get the equipment out of storage when we moved, so I didn't bother with it. The attached photo isn't the best, but it might help you visulize. Painting would make the shop a little brighter. Go for it!
Kurt

[NICK BARBOZA]

i just installed 7/16" OSB in my basement shop. i am going to paint it to reflect the light. I like it so far. you can mount shelves or whatever you like anywhere. also it is durable for the inevitable run-ins with carrying lumber around the shop. i wouldnt poly it, i think that time is better spent painting to keep the room bright.

Nick

[Mike Lipke]

I did my shop, walls and ceilings in osb. Used 1x2's for molding in the corners and for a baseboard. Looks really nice, and I love it.

[Matt Meiser]

I used it on my shop walls. The ceiling is white steel. The only drawback I see is painting. I used a FULL 5 gallons of primer to prime my walls in my 30x32x12 shop which has a 12x12 overhead door and a couple regular doors and windows taken out of that. And when I was done it was barely white. I used close to 5 gallons of paint after that which took well. I put the smooth side out and had a few areas where flakes delaminated during painting--so I just painted them back in place.

[Rob Will]

I would use either 7/16" OSB or 1/2" BC plywood. Either way, you may want to caulk the joints and nail holes (after priming - before painting).

One of the best things I ever did was to use gloss latex exterior house paint on my woodshop walls. The heavier bodied paint fills in lots of tiny voids, latex does not fade (amber) like oil paints, and the gloss surface sheds dust well.

I used one coat of latex Bullseye 123 primer (tinted toward the color of my paint) and two coats of gloss latex house paint. You can get by with less paint depending on what you want it to look like.

My other shop building is raw OSB. No comparasion. It should have been painted.

Rob

[Prashun Patel]

If yr gonna paint it (I wouldn't), I'd use a shellac-based primer first. That's (IMHO) the only way to seal it adequately.

If yr gonna anchor things to the studs anyway, have you considered just going with 1/4" birch? It'll be slightly more expensive but will look amazing. That might not even require a finish, which'll mitigate the price a little.

[Greg Cole]

FWIW, I'd paint it if it were mine. Paint isn't that expensive and having good shop visibility-lighting is all but priceless.
I have 2 walls of sheet rock in my basement shop that were left unpainted when the house was built. When the garage evolved into a shop, I painted the 'rock & also the inside of the garage doors all white to help bounce the light around some (not too mention added a bunch o lights). I was very close to painting the cement walls on the other 2 sides too, and still might if I ever that that "round-to-it".
Also, there's no such thing as too many lights....

Greg

[glenn bradley]

If yr gonna paint it (I wouldn't), I'd use a shellac-based primer first. That's (IMHO) the only way to seal it adequately.

Shawn is on target as far as the paint. I used drywall primer and it covered the OSB pattern in one coat. Being waterbased is caused some of the strands to buckle. These were easy to glue back down and are now invisible.

On the next wall I will use Zinsser B-I-N primer. I just used it on a (thankfully rare) painted project and it works great. Covers everything, seals everything and sticks to everything. If it weren't for the ammonia cleanup, I'd use it more often.

P.s. I used 7/16 OSB for the main panels and drywall over the subpanel area.

[Mike Wilkins]

I used 1/4" OSB, screwed w/1" drywall screws. I plan to remove them soon to install insulation, and will paint them at that time.
Thanks guys for the tips on the proper primer and paint to use.
As for attaching items to the walls; I find a stud and use long screws.

[Prashun Patel]

Zinsser B-I-N primer...If it weren't for the ammonia cleanup, I'd use it more often.

Glen- Since it's shellac based you shld be able to clean it with alcohol. I used it on some MDF closet shelves I made but just disposed my rollers. Much to my wife's dismay, I tried to half-heartedly clean my hands with mineral spirits (had no alc on hand) and it didn't work too well, so I just left it on for a day or two until friction made it shed naturally

[Chris Padilla]

Are there any (fire) code issues with regards to using OSB over drywall? For example, the section of your shop or garage that may share walls with your house--does it need drywall over OSB?

Either way, paint it a nice white to reflect light...I used a semi-gloss exterior grade white.

[Matt Meiser]

I know the wall separating our garage from the house has 5/8" drywall over OSB sheeting on the end of the house. I'm under the impression that walls separating a garage and house have to have drywall in most places?

My shop is a separate building and as best I could find the rules are different for an outbuilding.

[Joe Chritz]

I have had OSB walls but now have drywall. I have so much stuff next to the walls I don't think I could hit it if I wanted to.

If you can spray with an airless it paints very easy. If you have to roll use a longer nap roller and paint like you would concrete block. I used a rolling thing that hangs in a 5 gallon bucket you just run the roller on so it doesn't drip.

It takes a fair amount of paint but works well when done.

If you can spray I would recommend it. It is well worth it even if you need to cover some stuff in the middle of the room.

Joe

[Lee Koepke]

the other thing to think about is .....

Pick a few 'bays' for vertical chases. For example, between two studs you would have a 16" wide strip screwed to the studs so if you do put shelves on the rest of the walls and want to add ( conceal ) air piping, dust collection, or new electrical, you can remove the chase and not all your shelves / cabinets. and be able to have that easy access.