drywall vs. OSB vs. plywood for walls

[vwminispeedster]

For my "large" 1 car garage (17' W x 19' D) I was thinking of finishing the walls once I run power to lights and receptacles. I currently have no power in the garage. It is separate from the house. It is currently just the bare framing painted white so that it is slightly less dark during the day. My dream is to finish the walls and I have priced out drywall, OSB and plywood. I like the wood options because I don't have to tape and mud (painting it white again is the plan and I don't mind that) I can run my compressed air pipe and hand whatever, wherever I want on the wood vs. drywall. OSB is $525 for my garage vs. $735 for plywood. Is the extra $210 worth it for plywood or is OSB "good enough"? I only want to do this once in my lifetime. Also, I will not be insulating the garage. Don't really need it here in Oakland, CA. Thanks

 

[atotalnincompoop]

drywall looks better in my opinion, to hide the seems on osb/plywood you have to use battons. its hard to make then uniform

 

[Gary S]

This question comes up about once a week. Put in what you want.

Drywall looks "housey", and gets beat up fast in a garage if you use it as a garage. If you use the garage for beer parties only, it is fine.

Plywood and OSB have the structural strength to stand up under hard use. Even painted, they don't look "housey", but they are very "garagey".

 

[Galaxie]

Can't see any reason to pay more for either. We did ours all in OSB. Once painted you won't see very many seams, even bare it is hard to see any.

 

[Falcon67]

There are many threads on this, but I don't see any benefit from the extra $ spend on ply, personally.

 

[Nitsuj]

I've had both and vastly prefer plywood. Drywall can look nicer, but that doesn't mean much to me. In the garage, I prefer function over form. My garage isnt a showplace or a "man cave". It's a place where I work. Nothing against man caves, it's just not the use for my garage. I like being able to put a screw in the wall and not have to find a stud. Or if I'm carrying something heavy and/or sharp, I like that bumping the wall won't cause a big hole or gouge. Mine is 1/2 ply, painted white with a red stripe around the middle. Looks good enough and works for me.

That said, it's all about personal preference.

 

[Jbullfrog]

My shop walls are 7/16 osb. I had it spray primed, and then we caulked the seams before painting it white. It looks nice and the texture helps dampen the noise.

 

[Scott65]

OSB is cheaper, very durable, can install fasteners almost anywhere. A good primer and caulking the joints prior to the finish coat makes it look good. A good semi gloss also makes it more impervious to moisture.

 

[pattenp]

One advantage of drywall is it will slow down the spread of fire. Most people think they'll never have a fire and most won't. But drywall could make the difference between losing your garage to a fire or not. Just something to think about.

 

[mzahn]

Plywood for shear strength AND drywall or concrete board for fire is best choice if budget allows....IMHO

 

[socapots]

Personally i like the idea of wood on the walls so you can screw anything anywhere..
Putting some compressor piping in the back room of my shop right now.. i found myself strapping the wall so i can put stuff where i want them.. not only where the studs are.. looks like ***.. but its what i got.

 

[TerryStolmeier]

Paint is paint and would be almost the same cost on any of the three substrates. If cost is the major factor, go with the OSB. I personally thing plywood would be over doing it.

What do you plan on doing in the shop? Wood work? welding? mechanical? Everything? These may be things to consider as well. Dust from wood may accumulate on the surface of OSB more than drywall. Sparks/fire from welding may be bad with a wood wall.

In the end, it all depends on what you want for a finished look and feel. Good luck with whatever you end up doing and make sure to post pics!

 

[Doug1]

I went with beadboard on mine and just finished last week. I am pretty happy with that. I have 2x4 supports between the studs at 8ft, 6ft and 3ft for hanging cabinets, attaching a workbench, etc. I could always just find a stud but the cross supports make it easier and will keep any panel warping out of the picture. We did put plastic between the insulation and beadboard as an extra precaution.

 

[atotalnincompoop]

.

this is one of the nicer ones i've seen.
good work!

 

[wssix99]

One advantage of drywall is it will slow down the spread of fire. Most people think they'll never have a fire and most won't. But drywall could make the difference between losing your garage to a fire or not. Just something to think about.

Depending on where you live, sheathing with a flammable material in a garage may not be legal.

If you go with ply, I'd highly recommend getting fire-rated material, which is specifically designed for use on walls & ceilings:
http://www.gp.com/build/product.aspx?pid=5849

 

[dirttracker18]

One advantage of drywall is it will slow down the spread of fire. Most people think they'll never have a fire and most won't. But drywall could make the difference between losing your garage to a fire or not. Just something to think about.

True but those that would argue the fire issues with OSB have never tried to burn it. It does not burn well. It is hard to catch, slow to burn and goes out very easily.

In addition, drywall is covered in paper, which in my experience is a bigger fire threat when welding or cutting metal. In my old shop I had my paper on the drywall catch a few of times.

I have yet to have that happen in my current location in which I used OSB.

 

[Falcon67]

Where I'll be welding and have flying hot chips, I plan to put metal siding on the wall. Easier to clean up and it'll deflect the firey stuff.

 

[Teken]

I am a safety nut, as I have seen first hand what a spark, block heater, garage heater, welder can do to a garage in seconds.

I decided to install fire rated Roxul along with X-rated 5/8" dry wall. Some areas are double up, while others have four layers to ensure a maximum 2 hour burn time.

It goes with out saying having a fire suppression system, fire / smoke alarms, along with fire extinguishers is a must.

A fire rated rag can is a must for those who use highly explosive chemicals. At the end of the day consider the long term and invest in kind.

Teken . . .

 

[TS057]

In my old garage (14x24') I did 4' of 7/16" OSB w/ 4' of 1/4" pegboard above it. I had shelving mounted about 18" down from the ceiling for rubbermaid tubs etc. It worked out very well and I really liked having the pegboard everywhere. Made it super easy to hang up just about anything.

 

[Kevin54]

True but those that would argue the fire issues with OSB have never tried to burn it. It does not burn well. It is hard to catch, slow to burn and goes out very easily.

In addition, drywall is covered in paper, which in my experience is a bigger fire threat when welding or cutting metal. In my old shop I had my paper on the drywall catch a few of times.

I have yet to have that happen in my current location in which I used OSB.

You've never seen some of my burn piles where I throwed away scraps of OSB. It burns hot, it burns fast, and I've never had a hard time getting it to start unless it was laying out and got wet. From what I've seen, OSB will burn faster than plywood.

 

[wssix99]

True but those that would argue the fire issues with OSB have never tried to burn it. It does not burn well. It is hard to catch, slow to burn and goes out very easily.

A house fire isn't like taking a match to it. A real fire is so hot, OSB will burn like crazy. For this reason, (depending on where you live and where you are using it) the OSB type with a fire retardant may be required for use.

Here's a great video of how OSB really burns and a side-by-side comparison of the normal stuff next to fire treated:

 

[kartracer23]

As I'm in the process of planning my garage, I've talked to a number of builders and they've all said the same thing: Yes, OBS is cheaper, but becasue of the extra paint & labor involved in it, plywood works out to about the same in the long run. Now I suppose if you're hanging it and painting it yourself there's a difference, but if you're hiring it, it's a wash. I'm going to have them do my ceiling in plywood, but I'll do the walls. Figure it's easier to pay them to do it and then I'm not trying to time it for when they need to put up lights / rails, etc.

 

[dirttracker18]

You've never seen some of my burn piles where I throwed away scraps of OSB. It burns hot, it burns fast, and I've never had a hard time getting it to start unless it was laying out and got wet. From what I've seen, OSB will burn faster than plywood.

Only because you threw it onto an already hot fire, drywall would not last if you threw it onto a hot fire either.

My point is that if you attempt to light the OSB on its own, as would happen in your garage, it does not go up easy. As flying spark or smoldering ember will not easily set OSB ablaze whereas that paper on your drywall will.

This from experience. I have had both drywall and OSB and do not use drywall in a working shop anymore.

Just my opinion though

 

[Teken]

 

[Kevin54]

Only because you threw it onto an already hot fire, drywall would not last if you threw it onto a hot fire either.

My point is that if you attempt to light the OSB on its own, as would happen in your garage, it does not go up easy. As flying spark or smoldering ember will not easily set OSB ablaze whereas that paper on your drywall will.

This from experience. I have had both drywall and OSB and do not use drywall in a working shop anymore.

Just my opinion though

I use scrap OSB to get fires burning hot. A couple pieces of paper under some OSB and it will take off.

 

[Doug1]

As I'm in the process of planning my garage, I've talked to a number of builders and they've all said the same thing: Yes, OBS is cheaper, but becasue of the extra paint & labor involved in it, plywood works out to about the same in the long run. Now I suppose if you're hanging it and painting it yourself there's a difference, but if you're hiring it, it's a wash. I'm going to have them do my ceiling in plywood, but I'll do the walls. Figure it's easier to pay them to do it and then I'm not trying to time it for when they need to put up lights / rails, etc.

I'd get drywall put on the ceiling. It meets code and isn't that expensive. I found I could have a company come in and drywall and insulate for less than i could buy the material from Home Depot or Lowes.

I chose the beadboard but considered T1-11 for the walls. Either would look good and hold up.

 

[Keep]

I have plywood and drywall on my garage walls. The drywall is in place wherever the structure is under the house. The 6ft overhang on the front is 1/2 plywood. With fire rated insulation under it. Caulk the seams of the plywood and you cannot really see that its not drywall. I just do not like the look of OSB on walls.

I really like the durability and ease of hanging things on the plywood. If I could do the whole garage in plywood, I would have, but the drywall was already there when we moved in and I am pretty sure its against code up here to have it on all the walls without covering it with drywall.

 

[NUTTSGT]

That doesn't surprise me one bit. Every rekindle that we have had hasbeen due to cellulose insulation. I can't tell you how much of the stuff I have shoveled out of houses.


Use what you want or whatever code calls for. Doesn't matter what you use, when a house burns down, it burns everything including the asphalt shingles. The only thing that will be left is pretty much cast iron pipe and masonary.

Murphy's Law Chapter 13 covers fire.

 

[sixt8bird]

I used 5/8" fire rated GWB. In a garage, a fire usually starts within. A garage sees alot of grinding ,sparks, hot molten metal. If it doesn't see this kind of stuff, you might as well have your wife use it for her doll collection or beanie babies.

 

[Falcon67]

I used 5/8" fire rated GWB. In a garage, a fire usually starts within. A garage sees alot of grinding ,sparks, hot molten metal. If it doesn't see this kind of stuff, you might as well have your wife use it for her doll collection or beanie babies.

FWIW - my old shop was partial 1/4" OSB and kraft paper backed insulation. The ceiling was 100% kraft paper except for the plastic race banners. Lots of grinding, welding, 14" metal chop sawing, etc. over 12 years. I'd call it " pay damn close attention to what you're doing. " you could put an eye out.

 

[Stargeezer]

I have a divider wall in the garage and it is OSB with sheet rock over that. I can get a fastener anywhere I want. Like that option.

 

[vwminispeedster]

Thanks to everyone for their reply. This week got away from me and I totally forgot I posted this. Lots of good points. Still a ways out until I sheath the walls but I'll keep this in mind. I'll see what the finish difference looks like between OSB and plywood. I hadn't considered that. Given that I'll have a bunch of cabinets and shelves on the wall I don't think I'll care too much what it looks like. Probably OSB is the way I'll go.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[chicane]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread but....

I understand that most places require a 30 min fire rating and OSB does not provide that. I need to use 5/8th sheetrock, BUT why is it perfectly acceptable to have an unfinished garage with OSB and bare studs? It certainly is no more safe fire rating wise. Why not line with OSB. As I understand the code the drywall is only specified between the House and the attached garage, not necessarily the entire garage. Correct?

 

[Andybull]

I opted for 3/4" plywood.

 

[strelnik]

As I'm in the process of planning my garage, I've talked to a number of builders and they've all said the same thing: Yes, OBS is cheaper, but becasue of the extra paint & labor involved in it, plywood works out to about the same in the long run. Now I suppose if you're hanging it and painting it yourself there's a difference, but if you're hiring it, it's a wash. I'm going to have them do my ceiling in plywood, but I'll do the walls. Figure it's easier to pay them to do it and then I'm not trying to time it for when they need to put up lights / rails, etc.

I have used all three over the years and frankly:

- in my climate, drywall falls apart, even good drywall.
- OSB is good, economical and less pretty
- Plywood is not that much more expensive and can be made to look very attractive just with paint.

I am doing one 30' x 70 ' workshop and my own 24' x 20 garage. Both are insulated, have vapor barriers and I have reinforced both roofs.

Walls use 3/8" plywood, painted and they look fine.

The workshop is divided into a 20x30 and 50 x 30 spaces. The smaller one uses plywood painted. The larger one uses plywood and inexpensive paneling for a much nicer look.

No more drywall, the climate can't handle it.

 

[wssix99]

No more drywall, the climate can't handle it.

This is not true. If you use interior drywall in an unconditioned space, of course it will fall apart.

There is a different exterior drywall product that should be used in these situations. (You can't get it at your local home store, but a commercial building supply will have it.)

 

[Falcon67]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread but....

I understand that most places require a 30 min fire rating and OSB does not provide that. I need to use 5/8th sheetrock, BUT why is it perfectly acceptable to have an unfinished garage with OSB and bare studs? It certainly is no more safe fire rating wise. Why not line with OSB. As I understand the code the drywall is only specified between the House and the attached garage, not necessarily the entire garage. Correct?

AFAIK, the "fire rating" only applies to attached garages,, and the wall(s) between the garage and house. Ours is only 1/2", so it is what it is when they put the house up in 2001.

 

[Costner]

I prefer the look of drywall, but depending upon usage a plywood wall can be much more useful and will hold up to the errant ladder leg or 2x4 that swings against it.

However, it really depends upon what YOU want out of your space. Drywall can easily be made to look finished and attractive. If you get a few extra holes where you don't want them, drywall can be patched and painted quickly and effortlessly.

Plywood has advantages of being able to pound a nail or drive a screw almost anywhere, but some people act as if you can just mount cabinets or heavy items anywhere - and that is only possible if you opt for a thicker material. I would not mount heavy items to 1/4" plywood because I'd fear screws or nails could pull out. If I had 3/4" material I'm sure it could handle almost anything but the heaviest items, in which case you would still want to find a stud.

Of course plywood makes treating the holes and seams more difficult. If you want a finished look, you'll need to fill all the nail/screw holes with filler and treat the seams. Some use caulk, others use batten boards - but neither of those two options will ever look as "finished" as a properly taped drywall seam, so it is just a matter of what you want for your area.

I'd shy away from OSB and MDF - yes they are less expensive, but they don't hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB doesn't look as nice even after painting (you tend to see some of the strands), and MDF doesn't hold up well to moisture (which almost all shops/garages deal with in some capacity whether it be due to spashes from a shop sink, or simply humidity in the air). I've seen a lot of warped OSB and MDF over the years almost always due to humidity, so even if you do use them on the walls I'd shy away from them for a ceiling.

I once new a contractor who build his home with 3/4" plywood walls which were then covered with 1/2" drywall glued and screwed on top. His logic was he never wanted to worry about hiting a stud when hanging a picture... but it seemed like a lot of expense for such a small benefit. Today with a quality stud finder, locating a stud isn't a challenge, and most larger/heavier items span multiple studs anyway, so I personally would opt for drywall over plywood just for aesthetics.

All of that said, I've always been a fan of having galvanized "wavy" steel panels on the walls of a shop at least for the bottom 4 feet or so. It holds up better to wear and tear, is easy to clean, no risk of fire, no concern over moisture, and it just has a certain classic look to it. It isn't for everyone, but given the choice I'd have primarily drywall with steel panels covering the bottom 4 feet. Seems like the best of both worlds.

 

[Costner]

AFAIK, the "fire rating" only applies to attached garages,, and the wall(s) between the garage and house. Ours is only 1/2", so it is what it is when they put the house up in 2001.

Depends on locality however. You're right in most areas they only require drywall (or an equivalent fire barrier) on the attached portion of the garage, so the rest of the walls can be left as open studs.

However - in some areas (such as where I live) detached garages within a certain distance of the property line must also have a fire barrier on the wall(s) that are closest to the property line. For example, a friend of mine had a detached two stall garage that was within 30" or so of the property line (the eave/overhang of hte garage was probably within 6" of the line), and the wall against that side had to be covered in drywall in order to pass inspection. The other three walls of the garage - as well as the ceiling - were open and exposed. This is done to prevent a fire in the garage from spreading too quickly to the neighboring structures.

So long story short this is one of those issues that can very from locality to locality. It's always best to check with the local building department or inspectors to determine what is required in your area.

 

[TLCObsession]

All of that said, I've always been a fan of having galvanized "wavy" steel panels on the walls of a shop at least for the bottom 4 feet or so. It holds up better to wear and tear, is easy to clean, no risk of fire, no concern over moisture, and it just has a certain classic look to it. It isn't for everyone, but given the choice I'd have primarily drywall with steel panels covering the bottom 4 feet. Seems like the best of both worlds.

This is what I had in my shop, and likely will do again when I move. My current garage has flat galvanized sheet 3 ft tall behind my workbench - that way if I am welding or grinding there, i reduce the risk of fire and make cleanup easier.