If you were to cover the walls of your shop so that you could drive a screw anywhere to hang tools, would you use plywood or OSB?
Plywood
OSB
Other
If you were to cover the walls of your shop so that you could drive a screw anywhere to hang tools, would you use plywood or OSB?
I put slatwall on the walls, I can hang anything anywhere without having to drive screws.
I have OSB because of cost. Plywood would look better and provide the same. I have a few slat wall boards, but I don't think I would want the whole shop as it would collect dust.
Edit: I wouldn't want drywall as damage can occur more easily. No metal as hard to hang stuff. Hardboard is just too thin.
Last edited by William C Rogers; 09-30-2015 at 11:24 AM.
When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.
I'm a huge fan of the OSB with the washboard frp face on it. Bright, tough, and easy to clean. Expensive though.
I'd go with plywood if money were no object. I will be using osb for budget reasons, but will go with 3/4" for screw holding. The 7/16 stuff I've used from home Depot really doesn't seem like it would be able to hold much weight via screws.
Most shops I've been to have had OSB on the walls. I'm leaning towards that when I build again. I will follow this post in case something new has popped up as a good wall cover.
Red
RED
One of the former FineWoodworking editors chronicled the build of his new shop in TN. He used MDF on the bottom 4 feet of the wall, a divider strip, then drywall to the ceiling junction. Looks good and offers bump protection below. Look in one of shop special issues for shop ideas.
My last shop had 7/16 OSB and my current shop, as yet unfinished, is also getting OSB walls, also 7/16. I have 9 sheets up and about that many to go, the shop is 14x24. I force drywall compound into the surface voids and then paint it with white ceiling paint. I hang a handtool chest via a French cleat on the OSB, it weighs maybe 40 lbs, probably less. If I hang a cabinet, I try to hit studs. Something like a DC gate I just put wherever. As long as you look for a stud with really heavy stuff, I don't think 7/16 is an issue. I've never had a problem with it.
Plywood should work at least as well but would cost at least twice as much. It might also have more issues with delamination when you paint it. That happens occasionally with OSB too but less so because of the small particles. When the outer layer of wood is very thin, it sometimes separates from the underlying material when I put paint on it.
Plywood here. I have both in different places in the shop. The OSB is great on the cleat wall where I don't mount anything directly to the OSB and expect it to hold it. Modern ply is pretty unpredictable but, OSB is even more random. A screw may hold one place and not 6" to the left.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Plywood all the way but OSB is significantly cheaper so it does cause one pause. Of course, my garage-ma-hal is drywall.
It's not my wallet so I voted Ply. How much money do you save using OSB over plywood in a typical 500 ft2 shop?
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I'm not a fan of OSB. I've seen it fail in too many applications. It degrades quickly if exposed to moisture. Screw holding ability is questionable.
Lee Schierer
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I put plywood on my wall. OSB, as everyone say is cheaper, nail/screw holding much less and I don't like OSB for any kind of inside shop application - smell bad, bad looking, easy to delaminate.
Ed.
I just finished an addition on my shop and covered the inside walls with 7/16" OSB. Painted it with a coat of primer and a coat of gloss white. OSB will easily hold screws supporting jigs, misc tools, pegboard, etc. Most things I hang on the walls are a few pounds or less, which OSB easily supports. I try to screw into studs if hanging heavy objects like lumber racks, cabinets, etc. OSB has worked fine for my needs.
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Last edited by julian abram; 10-01-2015 at 5:33 PM.