Help! Walls made of OSB problems

[niterider006]

Hi all, First post but I've been lurking for quite some time. OK, so here's my story:

I'm in the process of finishing up the garage. I had to run to Home Depot to pick up a few more supplies while my cousins were busy cutting OSB to be hung on the walls. (Perhaps not the best but it was cheap) Well, it took me much longer than usual to get back but to my surprise, many of the OSB sheets were hung up. Great, right?

After looking over the OSB, I noticed that some of the seams were protruding out as much as a 1/4 inch. It turns out that that while they were hanging the sheets up, they did not pay attention to making sure the seams were on the stud. Thus, some of the OSB is bowed in due to no support on the seams.

Everything is nailed up really good with 3 inch roofing nails. I planned on caulking the seams with some paintable silicon but no amount of caulking will hide those uneven seams. What's my options here? I would hate to have to pry out every single sheet of OSB considering the nails are about 1/8 inch through the wood. Will something like mending brackets work? Eventually I;'m going to throw some mud, primer and paint and hopefully get it to look decent. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[trbomax]

Your going to either tear it off and start over or fudge it in with battens. I'd pull it off and fire your cousins!

 

[77thor]

Yeah, the only good fix is to tear it off and start over.

 

[ilovevocs]

Your best bet IMHO would be to rip down the same OSB into 4" wide strips and install it at the seams with a brad nailer. Your going have a board and batten look but those seams need supported from the front or the back. The latter option seems to no longer be an option.

 

[niterider006]

*sigh* I really wanted to avoid doing that since it's going to be a royal %#$% pulling them off.

 

[PugetDude]

...I had to run to Home Depot to pick up a few more supplies while my cousins were busy cutting OSB to be hung on the walls.... Well, it took me much longer than usual to get back but to my surprise, many of the OSB sheets were hung up. Great, right?

After looking over the OSB, I noticed that some of the seams were protruding out as much as a 1/4 inch. It turns out that that while they were hanging the sheets up, they did not pay attention to making sure the seams were on the stud. Thus, some of the OSB is bowed in due to no support on the seams.

Everything is nailed up really good with 3 inch roofing nails.

We definitely need a picture of those cousins....

 

[niterider006]

We definitely need a picture of those cousins....

They have already left town and good thing too because I was pissed. Anyone have any experience mudding over mending brackets? I was wondering if I could use those to bring the seams flush. Maybe furring strips are in my future.

 

[Ed Litsch]

While you had help, you should have had put up drywall. It looks a lot better than OSB and it's cheaper, too.

 

[trbomax]

*sigh* I really wanted to avoid doing that since it's going to be a royal %#$% pulling them off.

Sounds like a job for the "cousins"!

 

[djjsr]

You have a beer frig in the garage don't you.

 

[sammm]

While you had help, you should have had put up drywall. It looks a lot better than OSB and it's cheaper, too.

I put OSB on my walls. It's too easy to put a hole in or gouge a drywall wall, especially in a working garage.

 

[gjz30075]

How about just cutting up the middle of a stud with a circular saw to eliminate the overhanging part, on either side, to be able to nail in a sheet on studs? I think it'll be less work than tearing it all off.

 

[PugetDude]

Anyone have any experience mudding over mending brackets?

 

[BFBOB]

If you can't hide it, make it into a design feature.

I think your best bet at this point is battens. Use lots of glue - Titebond II water resistant, or a non-hardening construction adhesive. OSB isn't that strong to begin with. Brads will be iffy. Drywall screws much stronger, will pull the panels into alignment and still pretty quick. Make the battens pretty wide - I'd say 3-4".
That's your easiest viable option. cutting the sheets at the studs would probably not be satisfactory. I doubt your cousins got those nails perfectly in line, and even if they did, but the time you saw so you miss the heads, there won't be enough stud left to nail into. You'll have to put in 2x2's on each stud to give something to nail the OSB to. Still, if you insist on a smooth surface, that's your only option. Mud over mending plates??? No way.

Good luck, and how about some pictures? When your anger has subsided enough you can hold a camera steady!

 

[SteveCh]

I'm sorry, but I have six adopted golden retrievers. They are no great shakes in the intelligence department. But they are smarter than a bucket of gravel, by far, unlike these guys.

Easiest thing to do, I'm afraid, is rip it out and do it over with new panels. In the long run.

Now that I think about it, no one is that stupid, so I think these guys must've done it on purpose for some reason.

 

[Jack Olsen]

 

[iBuckethed]

1. Use a plug cutter (the one shown is just one example) to drill out/around the nail head.
2. Pull the OSB away from the studs and set aside.
3. Remove the the protruding nails.
3. Reposition OSB, nail.

I would rather patch a bunch of small holes than fill seams. Of course, your cousins may have nailed every three inches up an 8-foot wall.

-iB

 

[djjsr]

Roofing nails have big heads. You may be able to pull the panels loose without the nails damaging them. Give it a try on one and see what happens.

 

[73super]

I like OSB on walls too.. hold up much better than drywall. How did the cousins not know to attach sheets to studs..? What DID they attach the sheets to?

 

[Thruxton]

Roofing nails have big heads. You may be able to pull the panels loose without the nails damaging them. Give it a try on one and see what happens.

Could have been nails for the underlayment- small heads. I'm always the optimist...

 

[niterider006]

1. Use a plug cutter (the one shown is just one example) to drill out/around the nail head.
2. Pull the OSB away from the studs and set aside.
3. Remove the the protruding nails.
3. Reposition OSB, nail.

I would rather patch a bunch of small holes than fill seams. Of course, your cousins may have nailed every three inches up an 8-foot wall.

-iB

Now that looks like an interesting option, especially since the nails are pretty deep.

 

[PugetDude]

Now that looks like an interesting option, especially since the nails are pretty deep.

Or just punch them the rest of the way through with a 3/8" punch... probably easier and will leave a smaller hole.

 

[niterider006]

I like OSB on walls too.. hold up much better than drywall. How did the cousins not know to attach sheets to studs..? What DID they attach the sheets to?

They are attached to studs, just not laid correctly so that the seams are at the studs. Some of the boards were slightly warped which compounded the issue. Apparently, the studs were not exactly 16" apart. Well, that was their excuse anyways.

At this point, I might just say screw it and tape/mud the seams. It is a garage after all and not my dining room. But I'm afraid of it moving and cracking as it can get pretty hot and cold here.

 

[PugetDude]

At this point, I might just say screw it and tape/mud the seams.

Please tell us you're not going to tape and mud OSB...

 

[niterider006]

If you can't hide it, make it into a design feature.

I think your best bet at this point is battens. Use lots of glue - Titebond II water resistant, or a non-hardening construction adhesive. OSB isn't that strong to begin with. Brads will be iffy. Drywall screws much stronger, will pull the panels into alignment and still pretty quick. Make the battens pretty wide - I'd say 3-4".
That's your easiest viable option. cutting the sheets at the studs would probably not be satisfactory. I doubt your cousins got those nails perfectly in line, and even if they did, but the time you saw so you miss the heads, there won't be enough stud left to nail into. You'll have to put in 2x2's on each stud to give something to nail the OSB to. Still, if you insist on a smooth surface, that's your only option. Mud over mending plates??? No way.

Good luck, and how about some pictures? When your anger has subsided enough you can hold a camera steady!

I like this idea, but too bad the wife doesn't. I'll try to get some pics up later.

 

[niterider006]

QUOTE=niterider006;3194956]At this point, I might just say screw it and tape/mud the seams.

Please tell us you're not going to tape and mud OSB... [/QUOTE]

I am going to go over the entire OSB with a Primer/Mud mix.

 

[niterider006]

Tell me if you think this would work: Cut out a 5x5 inch square near the middle part of the seam, shove a small block of 2x4 in there in both the top and bottom of the hole and nail it to the sheathing, place the square back??? Sorry, just trying to think outside the box.

 

[dirttracker18]

While you had help, you should have had put up drywall. It looks a lot better than OSB and it's cheaper, too.

OSB in my working shop, drywall in my parking garage. JMO

MY opinion of your situation is that you work around it until you get some kind of **** *** artistic look.

or

You take it down and do it right.

Totally your choice but I couldn't live with it like that and I am sure it will cause some headaches down the road as the OSB shrinks and expands.

 

[JakeKohl]

How about just cutting up the middle of a stud with a circular saw to eliminate the overhanging part, on either side, to be able to nail in a sheet on studs? I think it'll be less work than tearing it all off.

Lots of nails for the blade to contend with....

What about leave it up and just put a second layer of OSB up that IS aligned correctly? Your wall gets a little thicker but you save the tear-out...and most of that you tear down won't be reusable anyway.

And, BTW, I would screw it to the studs so you can do stuff with it later if you need to.

 

[buddyboy]

leave the OSB up.

nail up some 1/4 osb over the top of what you have up there except this time put the seams on the studs.

heck, throw some P/L premium on it while your at it and you'll have a wall that will never come down.

 

[PugetDude]

I am going to go over the entire OSB with a Primer/Mud mix.

Interesting... have you used this technique before?

 

[sammm]

I am going to go over the entire OSB with a Primer/Mud mix.

Seriously? Why? Get some oil-based Kilz instead.

 

[niterider006]

Interesting... have you used this technique before?

It's new to me but a buddy of mine tried it. It's mostly an oil based primer, mixed with a little bit of mudding. 2 coats and the OSB looked smooth. So I was thinking about doing the same. I haven't made up my mind on that yet though.

 

[PugetDude]

They have already left town and good thing too because I was pissed.

This looks like the right tool for you to thank them with....

 

[Twiggss]

3" nails to hold up OSB? you sure that is enough? I'd grab some railroad spikes next time.

 

[niterider006]

3" nails to hold up OSB? you sure that is enough? I'd grab some railroad spikes next time.

That's what happens when you leave a nail gun lying around.

 

[Woody610nb]

If you take down every other sheet, you could place a stud behind the seam of the sheet that you left. Reapply the sheet you took down.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

For the sheets that have hanging seams in the open, remove or pry the nails and sheet back on one side only far enough to slip in a splicing plate made of more OSB sheets, about 12" wide. You can screw through the face of the fixed sheet into this plate, then let the original sheet go back into place. A few more screws on either side of the seam and you'll be set.

Depending on how many sheets have these hanging seams, you could save yourself a lot of time over removing the whole mess.

 

[kelzamos]

How about just cutting up the middle of a stud with a circular saw to eliminate the overhanging part, on either side, to be able to nail in a sheet on studs? I think it'll be less work than tearing it all off.

^I like easy and simple. This is the way I would go.

 

[JakeKohl]

^I like easy and simple. This is the way I would go.

until you hit a dozen nails with your saw blade....