Painting OSB

[Kevin54]

I hung my osb with the smooth side down. I thought it was supposed to be hung that way. Will I still be able to paint it?

For interior uses the OSB should be smooth side out. The reason it is textured on one side is for roofing purposes and states to install with that side up. You put a smooth side up on a roof and you are going ice skating.

You can mix drywall compound with paint, or paint with drywall compound. There is no recipe for it. You can use a gallon of paint to a 5 gallon bucket of compound or you can use a gallon to 2 gallons of compound. If you do mix them, you will end up with a slightly textured wall when using your roller. Also the "heavier" the consistency the more texture you will get so you will need to experiment. Start out at 1/2 gallon of compound to one gallon of paint. If you find that it is still leaving the OSB show through, add some more compound. Just do it in increments that you can remember for when you mix up the next gallon.

 

[Brad1234]

I have 7/16 OSB & can't think of anything that I would rather have. I primered & then used 3 coats of acrylic latex paint. It did a great job of filling enough of the texture that its washable but still shows a little of texture.

 

[JAckal]

A few years ago my parents had a leak in their roof and it turned the ceiling panels yellow/stained. We thought that the panels would have to be replaced. A year or 2 after they had dried out thoroughly, a local painter told us that he could paint the ceiling, without the tiles falling apart from wetness?????

Me and Dad had tried to cover up the stains with paint, shoe polish ,etc. before and nothing worked.

My Dad knew the guy and he came by and looked at it and gave him a cheap price. That next Friday the guy came over and masked everything off with drop cloths, and sprayed it on. He told my dad the secret was to mix "Kilz" in with the paint. One coat of white covered up the water stains.



About 4 years ago I was getting ready to sell my old house and the builder had used Masonite cardboard siding on the eaves.

The Ace Hardware one coat outdoor paint was soaking in like water. I mixed in a gallon of Kilz, to the other 4 gallons and it worked good.

My shop now is a metal working shop, so I will put OSB 1 sheet high on the bottom of the wall and paint it with a dark outdoor paint with Kilz in it.

Hope this helps,

JAckal

 

[DaMaN]

The place was a lil grocery store "Tacoma Boys" heres some pics
(camera phone)

How do you make OSB look like that?

 

[Shocker]

I used the exterior paint thinking it was more durable. It does have to hold up against the weather and at Walmart, it is only a couple buck more expensive that the interior paint.

I would use the Kilz OIL BASED. It won't swell the OSB like a water based latex will. It seemed to cover the OSB just fine. It is not smooth and nice, but it looks good to me.

I don't think mixing the oil based KILZ with any latex paint is a good idea. KILZ makes a latex version as well.

 

[tcianci]

Not exactly in line with the thread but what is it about drywall or plaster that everyone seems to hate so much?

 

[Stinger]

I just bought 5 gallons of oil based Kilz and 5 gallons of latex white paint. I'm going to paint the walls and ceiling of my 24x30 after I seal the seams with caulk. Hopefully I get a good result by using some of the advice here. I may end up trying the drywall mix in the paint if I'm not happy with the initial results.

 

[PopeyeMike]

if it's not a showcase, just get some cheap-o white paint in five gallon buckets, a sprayer and go to town. I did that on the interior of my garage and it sure brightened up the place. Took 15 gallons to cover the walls and ceilings of a 22x24 garage.

Again, not a showpiece, but it really brightened up the palace.

 

[Brad1234]

Not exactly in line with the thread but what is it about drywall or plaster that everyone seems to hate so much?

It dents if you bump into it & you have to hit a stud to hang anything.

 

[TONE]

Not to derail this thread but drywall is firerated to meet code

OSB isnt.

Thats why most cities-towns require 5/8 drywall to be installed on any wall that is connected to living quarters.

That restaurant thats shown above must have dryall behind it. Right?

Cant imagine any town letting that pass inspections.

As for painting OSB I agree with the KILZ. Howver, I once used a product that I cant remeber its name. Maybe someone here will. Anyway, you put it on after the primer but before the paint. It was a self leveling agent. It turned very rough plywood smooth.

We used it at my old sign company. It was a sign that we reworked and the customer was insistant that we used his old board.

Anyone know this product? Sholz? Does that sound right?

 

[wgzn]

i used WATER BASED kilz2 on OSB yesterday (with the intent of an extra layer of protection from the elements) and within about 15 minutes, 20+ pieces of the OSB material started peeling up.

i wonder if this is another occasion where water vs oil is VERY important? or if i just got some cheap OSB from home depot...?

 

[Brad1234]

Primer first then multiple coats of a good gloss latex using an 1 1/4" nap roller. I put primer & 3 coats of paint on mine & am able to wash it pretty easily when I need to.

 

[Steve in Mi]

i used WATER BASED kilz2 on OSB yesterday (with the intent of an extra layer of protection from the elements) and within about 15 minutes, 20+ pieces of the OSB material started peeling up.

i wonder if this is another occasion where water vs oil is VERY important? or if i just got some cheap OSB from home depot...?

May want to review post # 14 about the fast drying Glid-Seal to minimize wood fiber lift.

 

[97Tahoe]

OSB should be banned from Every building store, Its the biggest pile of **** ever made next to MDF its all junk.

 

[satbob]

A local store owner has OSB on his floor. It is a gift shop and sort of fancy. It looks nice and suits the store. It has held up well. I know it has been on there for several years now.
The OSB probably has some kind of a clear coat on it. I am sure it is just regular grade OSB
I know the owner and he is as cheap as they come. I am sure he just used whatever was most cost effective at the time.
Looks like the wall pics on here just a little more worn. I like the look.

 

[shedlady]

Hey guys....I am new here, but have a problem in my shed. I am working with a guy to redo my "shed"....it is about 400 sq feet and it originally had subflooring in there. I wanted to keep the smoothness of the subflooring and was going to paint it. Well the contractor suggested putting new plywood down and start fresh as the old floor had grease and dirt on it. So down went the plywood....and then it was painted gray. After painted, I realized it was bumpy and did some research finding out he put OSB on the flooring. I am a photographer and was going to use the flooring for photo sessions. I had great plans of stenciling the flooring (after it was painted) as a cheaper means of doing the floor. Well now the floor is painted and is rough....VERY rough. I couldn't walk in there barefoot much less set a child down on the floor for images. I am wanting the guy to fix it and he is suggesting epoxy. Thoughts? What do you all think I need to request him do? I am short on time and sorta pissy about the whole thing....

Thanks guys for your help!!
Nat

 

[creativecars]

It seems that several on here were able to smooth out the roughness of the osb with 3+ coats of paint. You may look at a couple of gallons of mis-matched paint for about 1/2 the price at your local paint store, the top it with your color of choice.

 

[holdover]

40 X 60 all OSB from HD, used their cheap egg shell color latex wall paint, rolled on two coats. Painted before I hung it, nearly 3 years still looks great, if I want to hang something, other than a picture, I use long screws and screw them through the OSB into a stud. Bought mine when it was a bit over 4.50 a sheet, no regrets

 

[shedlady]

The contractor is wanting me to pay for the painting supplies and he will do the work. Do you all think this is fair? I feel I told him exactly what I wanted and this isn't what I requested....any assistance here would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Daddy_Rabbit]

unless you have an estimate for the work & supplies in writing then it's your word against his.

 

[TheGrooveking]

The contractor is wanting me to pay for the painting supplies and he will do the work. Do you all think this is fair? I feel I told him exactly what I wanted and this isn't what I requested....any assistance here would be greatly appreciated!

If the spec called for plywood, make him pull up the OSB and replace it with plywood. OSB for floors is not good, especially if any weight is going to be placed on them. My brothers new house had OSB down under carpeting on the 1st floor and when his 14 year step son jumped from the 3rd step to the floor he put two dents in the floor. We had to pull the carpet back and cut out the OSB and install a piece of plywood. So I'd hold his feet to the flame and make him do plywood, if it was spec'd plywood and he installed OSB is trying to pull a fast one.

TheGrooveking

 

[ishiboo]

If the spec called for plywood, make him pull up the OSB and replace it with plywood. OSB for floors is not good, especially if any weight is going to be placed on them. My brothers new house had OSB down under carpeting on the 1st floor and when his 14 year step son jumped from the 3rd step to the floor he put two dents in the floor. We had to pull the carpet back and cut out the OSB and install a piece of plywood. So I'd hold his feet to the flame and make him do plywood, if it was spec'd plywood and he installed OSB is trying to pull a fast one.

TheGrooveking

There's definitely something wrong with the OSB that was installed then. I've used 3/4" even under tile and it's held up just fine. OSB subfloors are very common.

I built a second-story mezzane for light storage, and used 7/16" on the floor 16" OC, and it definitely had bounce between the joists (as expected) but it held up just fine, and a 14 year old certainly wouldn't put "dents" in it jumping on it.

 

[creativecars]

OSB comes in a variety of thicknesses from 1/4" to at least 1 1/8". I can't imagine he dented the 1 1/8" as a subfloor. OSB is not bad when used properly as a subfloor, but it was not designed as a finished floor.

 

[LuckyRugger]

How are you guys hanging your OSB on your walls, I'm thinking running girts 2' OCon the inside just like the outside? I'm going to hang mine with the smooth side facing inside, is that okay? I've always used Gripper primer/sealer very similar to kiltz primer, but I need to make sure it's oil based not water based. I have some time before I'll be hanging my OSB, I still have to wait until I get it insulated. I got a price to have my 32x40x14 (2-12x12 oh doors) pole barn spray foamed for $4000, 2" on the side walls and 1/2" on top of the ceiling deck. I think that's a pretty good deal, but when the weather breaks I'll probably get some more quotes to make sure it's a good deal.

 

[TheGrooveking]

OSB comes in a variety of thicknesses from 1/4" to at least 1 1/8". I can't imagine he dented the 1 1/8" as a subfloor. OSB is not bad when used properly as a subfloor, but it was not designed as a finished floor.

LOL, 1 1/8" on a sub floor! No way that **** was 1/2", or 3/4" at best.

TheGrooveking

 

[ishiboo]

LOL, 1 1/8" on a sub floor! No way that **** was 1/2", or 3/4" at best.

TheGrooveking

1 1/8" subfloor is not uncommon at all. Under tile, the thicker the better. With larger spans you need it.

If it was 1/2", it did not belong on the floor. I'm not aware of any 1/2" OSB designed for flooring, plus it lacks the tongue and groove needed. If it was 3/4", the joists were spaced too far apart... on 16" OC it's fine.

I don't want to make an *** of my self by assuming either, if your brother's step son was 1500 lbs it could also be a problem.

 

[Grinder Bill]

...am I the only one that tints the primer and doesn't paint...?

 

[shedlady]

If the spec called for plywood, make him pull up the OSB and replace it with plywood. OSB for floors is not good, especially if any weight is going to be placed on them. My brothers new house had OSB down under carpeting on the 1st floor and when his 14 year step son jumped from the 3rd step to the floor he put two dents in the floor. We had to pull the carpet back and cut out the OSB and install a piece of plywood. So I'd hold his feet to the flame and make him do plywood, if it was spec'd plywood and he installed OSB is trying to pull a fast one.

TheGrooveking

Thanks! I wish I could have him remove the OSB, but he put it down with a glue and screws....not sure it is going anywhere.

What do you all think about an underlayment? I think that is what it is called? Putting that down and then painting over it?

 

[just1more]

Not exactly in line with the thread but what is it about drywall or plaster that everyone seems to hate so much?

It dents if you bump into it & you have to hit a stud to hang anything.

I used drywall in my shop for exactly that reason... you cant hang "stuff" just anywhere. It is taped and finished, the walls-smooth, the ceilings-troweled/knockdown. .. I used exterior house paint on both. It is very water resistant and easy to clean. All done six years ago, no holes/dents yet. if I ever happen to get one, it is easy to patch.

 

[shedlady]

He is also recommending putting epoxy over the latex paint (which is over the OSB). Thoughts?

 

[cwolfley]

who needs primer just coat it with bedliner, like herculiner or duplicolor spray on or roll on,worked great for me.

 

[creativecars]

Thanks! I wish I could have him remove the OSB, but he put it down with a glue and screws....not sure it is going anywhere.

What do you all think about an underlayment? I think that is what it is called? Putting that down and then painting over it?

Underlayment is used all the time, its used to give a finished floor something smooth to go over, but it depends on what you are after. If you are wanting the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way then use several more coats of paint (epoxie will be tougher) to fill the rough surface. To put down underlayment, you will use many screws or nails and maybe adhesive to hold it in place, the heads of the nails/screws will have to be covered with filler, then you can start painting over it again.

 

[just1more]

who needs primer just coat it with bedliner, like herculiner or duplicolor spray on or roll on,worked great for me.

How many gallons of bed liner did that take? Looks good!

 

[SHARPMACHINE]

One good coat of Kilz oil primer. 1 coat Walmart Color Place semi gloss exterior. Looks good to me. I don't see the point in going for the smooth perfect finish for a working shop.

If it is a showcase type of shop, then go with drywall.

I painted my to give me more reflectivity of the lighting. Looks good from 20 feet.

A few years ago my parents had a leak in their roof and it turned the ceiling panels yellow/stained. We thought that the panels would have to be replaced. A year or 2 after they had dried out thoroughly, a local painter told us that he could paint the ceiling, without the tiles falling apart from wetness?????

Me and Dad had tried to cover up the stains with paint, shoe polish ,etc. before and nothing worked.

My Dad knew the guy and he came by and looked at it and gave him a cheap price. That next Friday the guy came over and masked everything off with drop cloths, and sprayed it on. He told my dad the secret was to mix "Kilz" in with the paint. One coat of white covered up the water stains.

Hope this helps,
JAckal

...am I the only one that tints the primer and doesn't paint...?

Some great ideas. I think I will try to get my primer tinted a little and see what happens. Of course, I have to wait till the weather gets allot warmer.

great thread, thanks

 

[1983Camperspecial]

Just because something is done alot doesn't mean its the correct way to do it.

 

[ishiboo]

He is also recommending putting epoxy over the latex paint (which is over the OSB). Thoughts?

I would not spend the money on epoxy only to put it over the latex. As another person said, if you had a written quote I would make sure to have it replaced with plywood or that money refunded, as it's twice the price of OSB. (Unless he went with a high-end engineered flooring product, but I doubt it!)

For a smooth floor at this point, you could do 1/4" plywood subfloor over the OSB and paint as you originally planned. Again, if a written quote said you'd get plywood, I'd make him pay for 100% of this.

However due to the edges and fact it's wood, I wouldn't plan on walking barefoot or dumping kids on any of these, and they are a lot of work to finish and maintain. Personally, I'd go with a cheap but decent laminate floor like a SwiftLock 20 ($1.18 or so a square foot at Lowes), or throw some linoleum or carpet down. Those could go right over the OSB you already have.

 

[shedlady]

I would not spend the money on epoxy only to put it over the latex. As another person said, if you had a written quote I would make sure to have it replaced with plywood or that money refunded, as it's twice the price of OSB. (Unless he went with a high-end engineered flooring product, but I doubt it!)

For a smooth floor at this point, you could do 1/4" plywood subfloor over the OSB and paint as you originally planned. Again, if a written quote said you'd get plywood, I'd make him pay for 100% of this.

However due to the edges and fact it's wood, I wouldn't plan on walking barefoot or dumping kids on any of these, and they are a lot of work to finish and maintain. Personally, I'd go with a cheap but decent laminate floor like a SwiftLock 20 ($1.18 or so a square foot at Lowes), or throw some linoleum or carpet down. Those could go right over the OSB you already have.

Thank you for the response. I thought about putting the plywood on top, but we have since realized tha tone of the french doors on the side doesn't have any room under it....if I put anything down (except for paint), the door will not open. When I told this guy that, he said well don't use the french doors....idiot. He came over last night and was supposed to do a few other things of which he did one....I asked him when he was going to complete the beams (whole nother story) and he said tomorrow....I said well I won't hold my breath....and asked why he couldn't come earlier. He had another job (I am sure one that wasn't stupid enough to pay him before completion) and I told him to just forget it. I thought he would redeem himself and show up, but he isn't here yet....demand letter is unfortunately going out tomorrow.

Thank you all VERY much for the help and support. I think I am more agitated that I had to the research for his stupidity. grrr.

Thanks again and any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
Natalie

 

[cwolfley]

just1more----- it took about two gallons and probably used 4 cans of spray to touch up a few spots and corners. i will try and get more pics of it all finished now. also the area that i did was 24x24, didnt do the back store rooms,,,,

 

[sammm]

Those of y'all painting OSB...do the majority prime/paint the slick side?

 

[71buickfreak]

I used this as a guide for painting the new walls in my photo studio. A friend who's dad owns a construction company suggest OSB to keep it cheap. He assured me it would look fine. I had my concerns, but considering it would have tripled the price, I went for it. After reading this, I got even more concerned.

I layed down a coating of Kilz Oil Primer, let it dry and then went after it with the white paint. Here is what I have learned-

The key to whole thing it to roll the entire surface, then come back and roll it again while it still wet and push the paint into every pocket, that is the key right there. Sounds obvious, but it bares saying for anyone who has not done this before.

A 3/4 nap roller helps get the the paint into the strands better.

Adding a texture makes the biggest difference. Instead of mud, I added some #4 crushed glass. I have a media blasting company, so I have tons of it on hand. I mixed about 16 ounces per half gallon of paint.

My technique, which I perfected over the course of the project, is as follows-
Heavy wet roll with about 1/4 overlap and NO back roll, that is key here. Once the panel (I am am working on 8x8 panels) is covered, I went back over the entire panel again, pushing the roller hard into the panel. Some areas required a little more effort than others.

I would HIGHLY suggest that you tape the seams. As was suggested here and some other places, I caulked the seams. they stick out. Not deal-breakers, but you can see them.

I have a second to do, so I will provide some pictures after that. This thread really helped. I will say this- I have another larger studio to build, I won't let myself get talked into OSB for that one. For a regular garage though, it looks great.