# OSB shop walls?



## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Hey folks.

I've finally got the time and energy to start thinking about insulating and electrifying (that is the right word for "adding electrical circuits to", right?) my detached garage. It's a concrete block building with a low-slope shed roof.

Here's the question: I've seen a lot of people recommend OSB for walls. However, I was under the impression that wall surfaces were supposed to be something like drywall to keep them from being flammable. Can anyone clear this up? Is it a house vs garage thing? I'd like to go the OSB route, because it will make it a lot easier to hang things on the wall. 3/4" OSB is going to be a much better mounting surface than drywall is for just about everything. On the other hand, I'd also rather not piss off my local building inspector too badly if he ever decides to look in, so...



And yes, I WILL try to get a straight answer from the town, but I spent six months trying to find out how to give them money for a composting bin before I gave up, so I'm not very hopeful. If someone else has a definitive answer, that would at least give me a starting point.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

First let me respond by pointing out. The present governing body in place now wants to make a law where by at the time you want to sell your home. You will be required to bring it up to code in order to make a sale. So check your code which should be national and also any local add on codes. Many places have some of their own.

As to what you use to cover the walls with. I like drywall because it's white and smooth to clean. It also aids in lighting.

OSB tends to grow around the edges. It doesn't look very shop like to me. But you could paint it. Don't know how you would seal the edges. Drywall would be taped aiding in insulation. My shop is drywall. I don't attach much if anything to the walls. 

Good luck

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## Road rider (Jan 29, 2012)

The only place we have to use fire rated drywall here is on walls that connect adjoining houses or businesses 
I used 1/2 in OSB on my shop walls ... If you do decided to use it make sure the coated side is facing out ... Paints a lot easier ..


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Al B Thayer said:


> First let me respond by pointing out. The present governing body in place now wants to make a law where by at the time you want to sell your home. You will be required to bring it up to code in order to make a sale. So check your code which should be national and also any local add on codes. Many places have some of their own.
> 
> As to what you use to cover the walls with. I like drywall because it's white and smooth to clean. It also aids in lighting.
> 
> ...


Code is the concern, yeah... I'm not so much concerned that someone's going to succeed in requiring that houses for sale have to be brought up to code -- that would destroy the used housing market, and it's already possible for a buyer to negotiate on it -- but I'd rather not do something that someone else is going to have to rip out if they want it to be up to code.

I would seal the edges before hanging it, probably with an oil-based primer, and then prime and paint the rest. I'm going to need racks for yard tools and bicycles on one side of the garage, so that wall will be well used. I might put a tool rack on the other side above the bench, but I might not. I haven't decided yet.



wendell white said:


> The only place we have to use fire rated drywall here is on walls that connect adjoining houses or businesses
> I used 1/2 in OSB on my shop walls ... If you do decided to use it make sure the coated side is facing out ... Paints a lot easier ..


That's what I was trying to figure out. It's a stand-alone building that's not habitable (and couldn't be made so without doing little things like adding plumbing), so I'm not sure how much the house code applies.


If I have to I can use drywall, or, more likely, blueboard, and run a french cleat system or some sort of commercial bracket system all the way around, but that will be harder and more expensive, so I'd rather not.


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

If the garage is attached to the house around here you must install dry wall. If it detached from house you can leave it bare studs or use OSB.
Tom


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you wanted a more solid wall than sheetrock and have it non-flamable, there is a fire resistant particle board. The stuff really won't burn. I tried to put some in a wood stove to get rid of the scraps and had to pull it out. The only problem I've had with osb is over time humidity makes the flakes come loose a bit and the sheets get really fuzzy. Painting it would be a must for me to seal it to prevent this. Sheetrock is too easily broken for shop use for me. Accidents happen and all it takes is a board turning over with the end hitting the wall to have a hole in the wall to have to fix.


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## unclefester (Aug 23, 2013)

Al has some sound advice but do look up your local code requirements on flammability. You should be able to find out on line. Some municipalities limit wall surfaces to be no more than 25 % of combustible materials .
Rule of thumb is if your area is silent on the issue, check out Boston's requirements as suburbs many times adapt the city's codes over time. Better to be safe than having to rip it down come resale time as Al mentioned to be up to code
Drywall with insulation may save you some energy costs and you could add a wood tool hanging system over it to suite your needs

Have fun building your shop


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## unclefester (Aug 23, 2013)

amckenzie4 said:


> Code is the concern, yeah... I'm not so much concerned that someone's going to succeed in requiring that houses for sale have to be brought up to code -- that would destroy the used housing market, and it's already possible for a buyer to negotiate on it -- but I'd rather not do something that someone else is going to have to rip out if they want it to be up to code. I would seal the edges before hanging it, probably with an oil-based primer, and then prime and paint the rest. I'm going to need racks for yard tools and bicycles on one side of the garage, so that wall will be well used. I might put a tool rack on the other side above the bench, but I might not. I haven't decided yet. That's what I was trying to figure out. It's a stand-alone building that's not habitable (and couldn't be made so without doing little things like adding plumbing), so I'm not sure how much the house code applies. If I have to I can use drywall, or, more likely, blueboard, and run a french cleat system or some sort of commercial bracket system all the way around, but that will be harder and more expensive, so I'd rather not.


In the Chicago and suburban market houses are inspected and code violations must be corrected before the closing. This the way building departments arrested getting buildings up to code. Exceptions here is the buyer taking on the responsibility and is put under a time frame for the corrections.


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## Deltaone (Jul 20, 2013)

I use to work for a contractor (I'm now retired). We always sprayed sealer on the walls first. Then build a 2x4 wall with studs facing flat against the concrete wall. If the block wall did not have poured concrete inside, we only anchored the wood wall at the top plate to the ceiling wood members of the building and drill anchor bolts to the concrete floor thru the bottom wall plate (we used salt treated for the bottom plate). Then ran the electric wires, insulate and finished with drywall. It's not a good thing to be drilling a bunch of holes and screws into a hollow block wall.

I'm not saying this is the best way to insulate and finish a concrete wall.

However you go, the main thing to consider is a moisture barrier. You don't want that black fungus growing in between the concrete wall and your finished walls.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I think Massachusetts must be a little more lenient. I sold a condo that had some areas that weren't up to code, and then a house. In the condo I agreed to bring the electric panel up to code -- it wasn't expensive, and it made the sale -- but there were other things they didn't require. In the house the buyer knew and didn't care that the porch railings weren't technically up to code, and neither was the basement ceiling. Both were safe, but not up to code.

From the sales I've been involved with, as near as I can tell the rule is "if the buyer doesn't care, don't worry about it." The fire inspection basically checked for operational exits, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors in the basement.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

You say its a detached garage, I might speculate that a buyer may be put off by an OSB clad garage... Or they may just be grateful its not bare studs/bricks.

Im going with drywall because I think its cheaper... Looks cleaner to me as well. I would sink anything to be hung into a stud anyway. If anything, its probably good if I cant bang a nail in any old place.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

bauerbach said:


> You say its a detached garage, I might speculate that a buyer may be put off by an OSB clad garage... Or they may just be grateful its not bare studs/bricks.
> 
> Im going with drywall because I think its cheaper... Looks cleaner to me as well. I would sink anything to be hung into a stud anyway. If anything, its probably good if I cant bang a nail in any old place.


Depends on the buyer, really... I'd RATHER see an OSB clad garage. That said, drywall is cheaper, at least at a "base cost" level... mold-resistant drywall runs about $13/board, instead of $20. I suspect that adding the cost of mud, joint tape, and a storage rail system will leave the price pretty close to even. 

Thinking about it, a double row of french cleats would probably let me store everything I want, and I should be able to get enough strips out of two sheets of plywood if I want to go that route. Mass produced storage rails will be more expensive, but faster and easier.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

aluminum rail systems are more attractive as well I think. form vs function of course. 

If I was buying a house, 1 with a nice finished painted, drywall garage with gladiator rails, vs another with OSB walls and a bunch of cleats... I can imagine which most average people would gravitate towards.

not saying its bad, might even be irrelevant if you have no plans to sell in the next 10+ years.


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## Tom Clark NM (Jun 21, 2008)

My workshop is in a steel building in the side yard. The walls were just the white insulation that the contractors installed. I added studs, 2" of styrofoam, electrical, and 7/16 OSB 8 feet high. There are very few places where something is not mounted on the walls. It looks great for a shop. Just paint the walls. I used KILZ primer. Two coats covered the OSB mess and really brightens the shop.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks! That's more or less what I was thinking.

After pricing things out, it looks like I'll probably go drywall with a double run of some sort of mounting rail all the way around. That will be a little bit less convenient than just putting nails into OSB, but it will probably look better.

Incidentally, is that an RC plane hanging on the ceiling? One advantage for me in a bigger shop is I'll finally be able to get my larger planes put together... right now they're all still boxed and waiting, though the ultramicros are under my desk in my office, where I can go out and fly them at lunch.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

I spy 2 planes :thumbsup:


my first time with snow skis. Plane is camouflaged lol


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## BaldEagle2012 (Jan 25, 2012)

In my detached garage/shop, I used OSB, painted it white first before installing. Drywall would have included taping, mudding, sanding etc. and painting. so I chose the less time method. I also insulated prior to installing the OSB.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

apples to apples... OSB joints are not finished. So... to be fair, you dont have to mud/sand drywall either if you didnt want to... painting would be the same either way, perhaps a bit easier on the smooth gray drywall than the absorbant wood.

Of course, the main benefit of drywall IS to finish it and have that nice appearance of a finished wall.


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## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

I used OSB in my shop. Rolled it with KILZ and then finished it with a latex enamel. All this was done with it laying all over my yard. Very easy. Then I hung it. Looks great. Works great. That was 4 years ago and it is still the same. No bad edges or anything. And I just butted the pieces together.


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

well you could dry wall over the OSB. Then every one would be happy - including the fire marshall, the future buyers who want a smooth wall, the guy who is selling you the products and of course you as you can now hang anything anywhere.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

DST said:


> well you could dry wall over the OSB. Then every one would be happy - including the fire marshall, the future buyers who want a smooth wall, the guy who is selling you the products and of course you as you can now hang anything anywhere.


Of course! And then I could hang pegboard from a commercial track system! Everyone wins! (Oh, my aching wallet....)


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I would get a couple quotes on the job from what would seem to be reliable home repair companies, mention you have been considering OSB or wallboard, they will likely advise you what meets local code. Ask questions, then armed with that info proceed with it yourself.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Not a bad idea. Thanks!


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## unclefester (Aug 23, 2013)

FrankC said:


> I would get a couple quotes on the job from what would seem to be reliable home repair companies, mention you have been considering OSB or wallboard, they will likely advise you what meets local code. Ask questions, then armed with that info proceed with it yourself.


I wouldn't trust "reliable" home repair companies to knowing what meets code as the be all to end all. Too many of these companies offer warranties until you can't see their tail lights. 

It's to easy to pick up the phone and call the building department and get the straight scoop.

I designed an art gallery a couple of years ago and used drywall over fire retardant plywood (needed to follow Assembly building codes). Allowed for hanging art anywhere and easy to repair after the show.


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