1/4" Lauan Underlayment for Shop walls

[Brian Tax]

I am about ready to finally close the shop walls/ceiling, I was planning on using 7/16 OSB, but man the prices have shot up. Has anyone tried 1/4" Lauan Underlayment? It might look better than OSB, but is it too thin? It is almost $5 a sheet cheaper right now.

[Ryan Hellmer]

It's awful bendy (bulges/dips between studs) and won't give you anything to screw into if you ever wanted to mount something on the walls. And that's before addressing any building code issues. I can't help but think you'd be much happier with something a little thicker. Ryan

[Brian Tax]

I am leaning that way too, would rather cry only once.

[George Werner]

Any reason you wouldn't want to use drywall? It's cheaper than both 7/16" OSB and 1/4 Lauan, at least around here.

[Tom Clark FL]

Brian,

I just hung 40 sheets of 1/4" lauan, which is more like 3/16" thick. This photo of the observatory I am building shows how it bends and dips between studs. Of course I was bending it on compound angles

This example has been fiberglassed for strength and weather resistance. Even then I wouldn't want to try to hang anything on it. I hung 7/16 OSB on my shop walls last year and am very happy with the results.

[glenn bradley]

7/16" OSB here as well. No problems except it delaminated a bit here and there while painting. I just glued it back down and it's been fine for years. OMG!!! I just checked the local price on 7/16" OSB; $16 a sheet . . . . I paid $6. What happened!?!

[Ole Anderson]

My shop is a combination of bare 8" poured concrete, 1/2" drywall, 3/8" and 1/2" OSB and 1/4" pegboard. Done over 35 years, but if I were doing it from scratch i would go with 7/16" or thicker OSB painted white with a few sheets of pegboard here and there.

[Brian Tax]

From what I have read, they are slow to bring mills back online since the housing crash. I should have done it earlier.

[Jim Neeley]

Brian,

Depending whether or not your shop abuts your house may affect your decision. I once had a 12'x16' gambrel-roofed shet that I wired, insulated and covered with 1/4" plywood, which worked well for me. My insurance company wouldn't insure it, however.

If it is attached to your house or you wish to have it insured, you'd better check with your local Authority and insurance agent. Drywall is typically required as a fire wall if it is attached and my insurance agent told me that if there's a fire, the insurance inspectors look for the sheet rock remains; no remains, no coverage.

Your mileage may vary..

[Bob Deroeck]

Hi Brian,

I used 1/4" underlayment (actually more like 3/16" thick) for the walls and ceiling of my 24' x 18' shop in a detached garage/workshop. I attached it to the studs with SS panhead self-tapping screws so that I can easily remove panels to modify wiring or for running dust collection piping in the future. I painted it with white latex paint. It's holding up fine. The studs and ceiling joists are 16" on center. I can't notice any sag of the ceiling between joists, but I haven't put a straight edge up there. I don't try to attach anything to the walls, except at a stud. The primary reasons I used this material was that it was light (so easy to handle) and it takes paint reasonably well without delaminating. I didn't want to use drywall because it dents so easily and also I wanted something more resistant to water damage in case of a worst-case situation. I didn't want to use OSB because it doesn't take paint particularly well and it's heavy.

The walls and ceiling look "OK". Good enough for a workshop. I think I paid about $12 per sheet. I checked with my local building inspector before installing it. He was OK with it as wall covering in an detached, un-inhabitable building. If you decide to use wood as a wall or ceiling covering, I suggest you discuss your plans with your local building inspector.

I would use it again in the same service.

Bob

[Brian Tax]

Just an FYI, it is an existing detached shop, that has been inspected and insured for at least 10 years with just open studs, so I am good for any wall covering.

Thanks to all.

[Matt Meiser]

I say it's way too thin. OSB here too and it was way up in price when I did mine too. No regrets spending the extra money.

When I did mine the price was getting close to T-111. I almost went for that which would have made for a nicer look but functionally the same.

[Mike Wilkins]

I went with 1/4" OSB screwed to the studs in a detached shop/storage bldg. Screwing to the studs allowed me to go back and add insulation or make wiring changes later (did not have the $$ to insulate when I first built the shop). Primed and painted and it looks fine. When the lottery finally finds my address, I will go with a hybrid system like Matthew Teague installed in his shop, the feature story in one of the Fine Woodworking Shops issues. Check their site for photos.

[Steve Meliza]

I have 24" OC studs in the garage so lauan would never work. About a year ago when I did my garage workshop 7/16" OSB was about $7.50 a sheet and I could find no sheet good that was cheaper, including lauan and sheetrock. From what I've read on SMC the price for OSB tends to go up and down a lot. If you are able to wait, it may come come down in a few months.

You do have to be concerned about a firewall on attached garages, but that is only one or two of your walls. In my garage the "firewall" is 1/2" plywood and the insurance didn't give me any fuss, but that is most likely how it was built in 1961. If I ever have good access to that wall I will replace it all with sheetrock though. In my case I was tearing down 3/8" particleboard from the exterior walls and putting up OSB in its place so no worries.

[Charles Wiggins]

I am about ready to finally close the shop walls/ceiling, I was planning on using 7/16 OSB, but man the prices have shot up. Has anyone tried 1/4" Lauan Underlayment? It might look better than OSB, but is it too thin? It is almost $5 a sheet cheaper right now.

If all you're looking to do is provide a barrier or hold insulation between the studs the luan should be OK, but if you want to use the wall for much of anything else like hanging things on it, I'd go OSB. I did, and I can hang just about anything just about anywhere, within reason, and I don't have to worry about stud locations unless it is something mondo heavy. I needed a place to hang spare band saw blades, so I grabbed a nail and drove it in and I was good to go about as quick as I just wrote this sentence.