OSB vs Sheetrock

[stigedis]

In the planning stages of finishing the interior of my 30x40 stick built garage. All wired and passed rough in inspection. Now I need to figure out what to hang on ceiling and walls. Pretty much set on Sheetrock finished on the ceiling, but undecided on walls.
I am sort of a nut about vapor barrier etc. I am wondering about OSB on the walls is a bad idea for all the seams won't be sealed. I have read to silicone chalk as you go hanging the sheets but think that will only last so long. But once hung, paint and you're don't. Also concerns about seam where OSB walls meet Sheetrock ceiling. What to do there to seal? I want it to look nice as well.
Sheetrock easier to Hang but then lots of finish work before paint is complete.

What are you guys doing to finish? I decided against metal and have wired for above.

Thanks for any input..

 

[Clerk84]

If you're concerned about a vapor barrier why not put poly sheeting up and tuck tape it then sheetrock the ceiling and osb the walls. I assume you're insulating as well.

 

[Beemer533]

This comes up frequently, but it really comes down to aesthetics and functionality...

What are you doing in your garage? If you are just using it as more storage or parking with the occasional oil change, sheetrock is probably the way to go.

If the place is going to take a beating, I would definitely do OSB or even plywood. I did OSB in mine and i think it looks just fine painted. It also holds up much better than sheetrock when you bang into it or just lean something on it. You can also pretty much secure things wherever you need vs having to find studs with sheetrock.

Also, regardless of which you choose, neither has anything to do with your vapor barrier as that is applied before you install the sheeting (either poly or faced fiberglass batts). Now to prevent drafts I did seal each of the seams with a bead of silicone..

I haven't done my ceiling yet (will be sheetrock) but my plan is just fill the seams with paintable caulk. If I don't like that, I will just put in a small trim piece.

 

[1949 caddyman]

If using silicone check that it is paintable.

 

[AB9NZ]

Drywall is infinitely repairable and much more fire proof. I'm very happy that I drywalled my workshop. look here http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4770709#post4770709

 

[Beemer533]

Drywall is infinitely repairable and much more fire proof. I'm very happy that I drywalled my workshop. look herehttp://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4770709#post4770709

But if you use OSB you won't have to fix it in the first place....

 

[pb57]

Dry wall was the way to go for me with my current shop. My old shop was OSB and I didn't like the looks or the possible fire hazard. I went with 5/8 sheetrock and finished it off and painted it and it looks awesome and very easy to fix if it does get banged up however I have yet to bang it up yet. I love the look Paul

 

[boobag]

But if you use OSB you won't have to fix it in the first place....

but it will always look like osb.
i'd do drywall for the cleaner look and being fire rated.

 

[DekeT]

Sheetrock is the way to go. Easy paintable with a variety of colors, stripes and a way smoother surface than osb. The shop will look brighter and cleaner, and be fire rated with sheetrock. I think osb looks like someone just wanted to take a shortcut on looks and price. Its dark and will get that inevitable surface flaking.

 

[yaidunno]

I never understood why people hang OSB in the garage they just spent $30,000 putting up. Its unsightly and its a fire hazard. Cost would be the only advantage i see. Not sure what people are doing to be putting holes in the walls, but it could likely be avoided by being a bit more cautious.

For what its worth, my garage project will have a 3.5' corrugated tin wainscoating, 8' of drywall above, and corrugated tin ceiling.

Have you considered tin for your walls? No painting or finishing necessary.

 

[Falcon67]

I never understood why people hang OSB in the garage they just spent $30,000 putting up. Its unsightly and its a fire hazard. Cost would be the only advantage i see. Not sure what people are doing to be putting holes in the walls, but it could likely be avoided by being a bit more cautious.

For what its worth, my garage project will have a 3.5' corrugated tin wainscoating, 8' of drywall above, and corrugated tin ceiling.

Have you considered tin for your walls? No painting or finishing necessary.

I bounced a 2900 lb race car off my OSB walls and regularly back the F350 into the shop until the back bumper touches the rear wall - because it's a long sucker. Try that with drywall.

4 wheelers, engine stands, engine crane - all kinds of things rub the wall. Drywall was just not suited for what I do.

As for fire, my old shop was habitated by crazy man for 13 years. It only had the kraft paper backing on the insulation for walls and ceiling. Yes, I do welding and grinding.

I did manage to punch a hole in the OSB with the golf cat in reverse. D'oh!

PS - I didn't paint it either.

 

[bzinsky]

I never understood why people hang OSB in the garage they just spent $30,000 putting up. Its unsightly and its a fire hazard. Cost would be the only advantage i see. Not sure what people are doing to be putting holes in the walls, but it could likely be avoided by being a bit more cautious.

For what its worth, my garage project will have a 3.5' corrugated tin wainscoating, 8' of drywall above, and corrugated tin ceiling.

Have you considered tin for your walls? No painting or finishing necessary.

Things hanging on my garage wall - sledge hammers, axes, crow bars, breaker bars, ladders, bicycle, weedwacker, jacks, jack stands, etc etc etc.

It's a garage, it's a tool, who cares what it looks like. Frankly I don't know why people put sheetrock in their garage unless it's attached and sort of part of your home.

Also, to answer the OP's question, my sheetrocking contractor is building me a wall at a commercial property, I asked him if he had any ideas to make said wall not so easy to bust through. He said instead of sheetrock he's going to use osb and just skim coat it with mud, said it's easy as pie and you won't even know the difference.

Another benefit to using OSB or plywood, you're making the structure a whole lot stronger, if that is of any value.

 

[yaidunno]

Different strokes for different folks i guess. I fully intend to use my garage as a tool and I care what it looks like. Then again, I care what my tools look like as well.

The mud on OSB isnt a half bad idea. I'd be a little concerned with the expansion and contraction due to humidity and heat.

 

[bzinsky]

Different strokes for different folks i guess. I fully intend to use my garage as a tool and I care what it looks like. Then again, I care what my tools look like as well.

The mud on OSB isnt a half bad idea. I'd be a little concerned with the expansion and contraction due to humidity and heat.

I just googled it and came across someones very interesting post....

"I have an office in my commercial shop building that I took over, it had osb in it already. Take a bucket of drywall mud, dump 2/3 out into another bucket, add 1/3 kilz or your choice primer and 1/3 water, mix to get the mud thinned and paint a couple coats on it. The mud helps fill in all the voids. Enough coats will make it smooth as drywall.

My uncle in the drywall biz put me onto this. Worked well."

 

[APEowner]

You may not have a choice. Your insurance company and/or the inspecting municipality may insist on drywall so you'll want to check that out first.

I think we've already seen the advantages and disadvantages of both listed in this thread. Personally I had an undetected fire smolder for a while in my shop in NY once and I'm convinced that if it hadn't been drywalled it would have been really bad.

 

[404]

Osb first cover with sheetrock on top. Sheetrock boils off water above a certain temperature, which makes it fire resistant. The osb underneath will allow screwing stuff to the wall anywhere.

 

[Showkey]

I vote for metal sheeting........mine is white verticle sheets, it was done by the past owner. If I had a choice I would consider corrugated galvanized sheeting. Good looking, reflects light, durable, easy to install.

 

[pdham]

I agree with bzinskiy. its a shop not a nitting parlor. nothing worse than a sissified overgrown living room you park a car in. A shop is where real men do real work, get dirt and smell like and old oil change. No doyies on my tool box, thank you. By the way I used metal siding to skin the inside, stopping the sparks real men make welding from burning the joint down. A good cheap source is the local metal building supply house. When they order in metal it comes with a cover sheet on both sides. The guy near me gave me the metal. its different colors but I just painted it and it looks fine. Sorry for the man rant, I'm just sick of the neutering of the american male.

 

[Bondo]

I vote for metal sheeting........mine is white verticle sheets, it was done by the past owner. If I had a choice I would consider corrugated galvanized sheeting. Good looking, reflects light, durable, easy to install.

Ayuh,.... I like yer way of thinkin',.....

Tin,... it's safe, 'n fire-proof,....
Great stuff if any cuttin', 'n weldin' is goin' on,....

 

[GAR64]

I like the look of sheetrock and plan to put it on the walls. For the ceiling, I think metal may be a good option. I think it looks as nice as sheetrock on the ceiling and although I like to paint, I can't see myself doing all that taping on the ceiling!

 

[JOHN 86GT]

Plywood is better than OSB . It is stronger and does not mushroom when you put a screw in it . (easier to patch )

I started using OSB due to cost .If you oil prime it and use at least two good coats of paint , it looks good .

By the time you put up cabinets , shelves and "garage art " you don't notice that it is not drywall with a faux finish .

 

[Beemer533]

but it will always look like osb.
i'd do drywall for the cleaner look and being fire rated.

Of course "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder; for me, it looks good and I've never had anyone complain!

Besides, I dare anyone to come in my garage and be able to see more than 10% of the actual wall surface ... I don't know about others but I don't have a large garage (23x23) so every inch is usable space.

Pretty much the last thing I am looking at in my garage is the walls..

I never understood why people hang OSB in the garage they just spent $30,000 putting up. Its unsightly and its a fire hazard. Cost would be the only advantage i see. Not sure what people are doing to be putting holes in the walls, but it could likely be avoided by being a bit more cautious.

For what its worth, my garage project will have a 3.5' corrugated tin wainscoating, 8' of drywall above, and corrugated tin ceiling.

Have you considered tin for your walls? No painting or finishing necessary.

OP said he didn't want metal.

I decided against metal and have wired for above.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Drywall is infinitely repairable and much more fire proof. I'm very happy that I drywalled my workshop. look here http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4770709#post4770709

I fixed you post so the link you added will work.



Drywall is not fire proof, it may be fire resistant and give you a fire rating but it is not fire proof. Hundreds of home across the US burn every day and they have drywall in them.

If your AHJ, requires you to have drywall or similar product, by all means, follow your local codes.

As for the OP's question, wall coverings are probably the most debated topic on GJ. I have OSB on my walls/ceiling of my garage. The house garage has OSB on the wall but I put metal on the ceiling.

OP, figure out what you like, have at it and enjoy your new shop.

 

[mygarageone]

If it's a working garage by all means osb , i personally don't get the fire hazard issue , if that's the case log home owner better quit right now.
Besides most of us have all kinds of flammable chemicals in our shops , why is osb a bigger issue than paint or laquar thinner , or torch gas or what ever.
I have osb and I cam mount anything any where I so chose , can't do that with sheet rock.

 

[AB9NZ]

Thank you for fixing my link Mr. NUTTSGT!

 

[stigedis]

Thanks for all the input. Will help with final decision....

 

[ADSR]

I just googled it and came across someones very interesting post....

"I have an office in my commercial shop building that I took over, it had osb in it already. Take a bucket of drywall mud, dump 2/3 out into another bucket, add 1/3 kilz or your choice primer and 1/3 water, mix to get the mud thinned and paint a couple coats on it. The mud helps fill in all the voids. Enough coats will make it smooth as drywall.

My uncle in the drywall biz put me onto this. Worked well."

I'd like to see pics of it!

 

[Captain America]

I'm going to install osb on the walls and ceiling in my detached garage with a rusty Tin wainscoting and cedar batten board to cover the seems. I trying to go with a durable rustic look.

 

[Scott V]

If you to see an alternative with plywood you can check out my build thread. Granted it was a bit of work to build the supporting structures but it came out well, looks great, is strong and was a lot cheaper than a complete drywall job. I can hang anything I want on it in any place.

 

[catch2otwo]

I agree with bzinskiy. its a shop not a nitting parlor. nothing worse than a sissified overgrown living room you park a car in. A shop is where real men do real work, get dirt and smell like and old oil change. No doyies on my tool box, thank you. By the way I used metal siding to skin the inside, stopping the sparks real men make welding from burning the joint down. A good cheap source is the local metal building supply house. When they order in metal it comes with a cover sheet on both sides. The guy near me gave me the metal. its different colors but I just painted it and it looks fine. Sorry for the man rant, I'm just sick of the neutering of the american male.

lol, talk about insecure. Plenty of "real men" do "real work" in nicely trimmed out garages. Get over yourself

 

[theoldwizard1]

Spend the extra and get moisture resistant drywall (like they use in bathrooms). I'm not sure if is the same thing but they now have a sheetrock product that is guaranteed not support mold growth.

If you are really paranoid, but an anti-mold additive for your primer and paint. Finish coat should be a semi-gloss paint.

 

[Jamie V]

Im a little late to the conversation here but here is my input.

My pole barn is 24'x40' and I wanted it to be real nice but the thought of all the finish work of Sheetrock and that you had to hit a stud to hang something on the wall made me rethink it.

Here is what I did. I put 3/4" tongue and groove OSB on the walls and 7/16" OSB on the ceiling. I screwed the walls and used 2" staples on the ceiling. I then quickly sanded the screw holes and seams to get rid of the stray splinters and caulked all the joints with sound caulk.

Then we primed all the OSB with an oil based primer (was told water based primer could soak in and loosen the glues in the OSB) and painted after that with two coats of a semi-gloss water based paint.

I can hang anything I want on the walls wherever I want and don't have to worry about something hitting the walls and putting a hole in the Sheetrock.

Sheetrock is the way to go. Easy paintable with a variety of colors, stripes and a way smoother surface than osb. The shop will look brighter and cleaner, and be fire rated with sheetrock. I think osb looks like someone just wanted to take a shortcut on looks and price. Its dark and will get that inevitable surface flaking.

Does mine look like I took a shortcut on looks and price? Mine is pretty bright!

 

[cedarcreekjerky]

I did a row of tin on the bottom, so the floor can easily be washed down, and osb above. The reason i went with osb besides cost reasons is that it is easier to add wiring if needed. Back a few screws out, do what needs done, screw it back on.