Screws or nails for ceiling OSB

[ESwartz]

I'm going to be installing 7/16" 4X8 sheets of OSB for my ceiling in my shop. Wondering what you all think would be best, screws or nails?

Thanks

 

[BLUBAYOU]

I's say screws if you might ever want/need to pull a panel down. If using nails overhead, I'll usually fire them in in an "x" so they can't back out

 

[wnstwolf]

Good luck with this. Tried to use my wife as my "helper" in installing 1/4" rock. OSB about the same weight and girth. In the end not a husband wife thing to do. A lift or some deadman supports will be your best friend here.. I would go with screws as well. Certain the room is not 100% square and nails love to go in but hate to come out if you need to nudge a piece a little.

 

[Kevin54]

Screws all the way. Drywall screws are cheap, and like was already stated, if you ever want to remove a panel for whatever reason, just unscrew it.

 

[Falcon67]

Screws - and DO NOT use drywall screws. Use coarse thread coated deck screws 1 5/8". OSB will pop the head off a drywall screw, even with a drywall screw bit on the drill. And the fine thread on a drywall screw will not hold in a joist - it will spin and strip the threads when the head hits the OSB. If it does grab, it'll likely pop the head. I put up over 30 sheets, I know WTF on this one. They are about 60 lbs each - can be done by as an individual but must use aids to hold the sheet up there. A drywall lift would be best. I did it with a scaffold and some braces I built - it was a PITA. Easier with two people.

 

[csp]

And the fine thread on a drywall screw will not hold in a joist

Not that I disagree with you about not using drywall screws, but the fine threaded ones are for installing drywall on steel studs. You use coarse thread on wood framing members.

 

[Falcon67]

Not that I disagree with you about not using drywall screws, but the fine threaded ones are for installing drywall on steel studs. You use coarse thread on wood framing members.

Good point, thanks for the clarification on that one. My biggest issue was the head popping. OSB is a lot harder than drywall.

 

[Mattlt]

Depending on how much help you have when installing, I like to tack a sheet up with a couple of nails then screw the rest. To me, it's easier to hold the sheet up with your hammer while you dig in your pouch for a nail, then switch hands to hold the nail and the sheet with the other hand, then nail it in. Hard to explain, but just seems like the easiest way I've come up with.

 

[JimH]

I used liquid nails and a roofing nailer, also a drywall lift. Worked great doing it by myself, and that was about 10 years ago.

I don't know why you would ever want to take a ceiling panel down, escpecially because mine has blown in insulation (that would be a mess).

 

[automobiliben]

Good point, thanks for the clarification on that one. My biggest issue was the head popping. OSB is a lot harder than drywall.

What type (brand) of screws did you use? I used the 25# bulk containers from Home Depot and didn't have a single issue...

I used 3" screws on all of my OSB, way overkill but it helped on the uneven portions.

Ditto what everyone else said about a drywall lift, buy one and sell it on CL when you are done...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00149E822/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[EOC_Jason]

+1 for coarse thread drywall screws if you want to go cheap. Otherwise the coated wood screws work just as well (only cost more)...

 

[ydna]

get a drywall lift. then sell it afterwards for 75% of what you paid for it.

 

[passinthru]

I am getting ready to install the same in my ceiling.
Do you know if you should leave a 1/16 expansion joint around the sheets?
Or,can you **** them up tight. I am planing on screwing mine up.

 

[Richard D]

I did my walls(not ceiling-yet)butted-up with drywall screws. Don't remember a problem with the heads breaking.

 

[ydna]

There wont be any expansion over 8'-0".

 

[bdkruger1]

I did my ceiling with OSB also, 7/16". Used the coarse thread 1 5/8" drywall screws. No problem at all with heads popping. Someone got a bad lot of screws. Anyway, the wife and I put it all up. 2 ladders. No, she's not a brute, actually far from it, but we are both in our thirties. I left slight gaps, but then I covered all of the seams with stained furring strips. Made sure I started the sheets evenly so I got a symmetrical grid pattern.

 

[void_of_light]

I just did my 28x32 garage using 7/16th osb and drywall screws and had no issue with heads popping off. I rented a lift for $30 for the weekend. Best $30 I ever spent.

 

[Matthew C Smith]

No problems with butted tight for me. I used coarse drywall screws as well. Did have some heads break off during installation if I drove the screws in WAY too far or tried to pull a gap up tight when two sheets were really tight. Other than that, no problems.

 

[jjpp]

bdkruger1, What did you use to trim yours out? I was thinking that buying 16ft 2x4's and riping them in half would give me a 3/4 x 3 1/2" strips and would be the cheapest solution. Also, they would warp less than a 1X would if they sat around for any amount of time.

 

[dirttracker18]

OSB here with drywall screws. No issues.

I suppose if I had a nailer I may have gone that route. Swinging a hammer overhead *****.

 

[juiced10]

bdkruger1, What did you use to trim yours out? I was thinking that buying 16ft 2x4's and riping them in half would give me a 3/4 x 3 1/2" strips and would be the cheapest solution. Also, they would warp less than a 1X would if they sat around for any amount of time.

I used http://www.homedepot.com/buy/1-12-in-x-14-in-pine-lattice-moulding-43508.html#.UDWKBqDCbPw to trim mine out. Just used a brad nailer to attach. Also used course drywall nails to attach OSB and no head pops.

 

[Beytill]

I did the OSB but I used a Bostich air stapler to install the sheets then went back and used 1x2's with deck screws every 8" on the joists.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I put in a couple of screws to hold it up and then used the framing nailer by myself.

 

[Jason280]

Drywall screws here as well, not a single popped head.

 

[willymakeit]

I personaly use a air stapler. With osb, leave a small gap on all edges to accomdate expansion and contratcion.

 

[bdkruger1]

jjpp- just used plain old furring strips. Picked through the pile and took the best ones. Stained them and put them up with a brad nailer. Really simple.

 

[NC-Shaun]

Screws - and DO NOT use drywall screws. Use coarse thread coated deck screws 1 5/8". OSB will pop the head off a drywall screw, even with a drywall screw bit on the drill. And the fine thread on a drywall screw will not hold in a joist - it will spin and strip the threads when the head hits the OSB. If it does grab, it'll likely pop the head. I put up over 30 sheets, I know WTF on this one. They are about 60 lbs each - can be done by as an individual but must use aids to hold the sheet up there. A drywall lift would be best. I did it with a scaffold and some braces I built - it was a PITA. Easier with two people.

I had one of the laborers that worked for the contractor that built my garage come back and sheet the interior of my garage. He shot all of the 54 sheets of OSB with ring shank galvanized nails. However after a week or two a couple of spots that he missed nailing bowed out on the ceiling because I dont have heat in there yet.. I think I am gonna have to go back through it all and use the deck screws you mentioned above. I suspect I am gonna find many sheets that could use tightening up. I gotta get this done asap so I can get the interior painted. I need to get my shop setup.

It just so happens that it was the rows he did the night he showed up shitfaced drunk.....Good help is hard to find. He came back today to fix it, showed up with no ladder, no nail gun, and a beer. I sent him home.

 

[finn]

I used a sheathing stapler with 1 1/2” medium crown staples.

My wife helped, but I wouldn’t do it again without a drywall lift.

I used 1/4” osb, and I wouldn’t do that again, either.

Go with steel. Looks better and easier.

 

[Slednut]

I've installed a lot of OSB on ceilings using pipe clamps. Clamp them to the next ceiling joist, slide the OSB on top of the pipes. This holds OSB while it's screwed to the joists. The pipes in the clamps need to be at least 5 feet long.

 

[glider]

I personaly use a air stapler. With osb, leave a small gap on all edges to accomdate expansion and contratcion.

Stapler is handy and covers with paint well, but is forever.

 

[JoeMcGov]

I personaly use a air stapler. With osb, leave a small gap on all edges to accomdate expansion and contratcion.

Uhhhhhh....I don't think the gap is for contraction.

 

[dutchgray]

I would use the nail gun with some of those Scrails you can take back out if you have to, but only because I have it, otherwise ordinary coated woodscrews.
You leave a gap between sheets to allow for expansion of the sheets, but its incase they get wet during construction which will make them swell. Not that likely for a garage ceiling under a finished roof, they should never get wet.
I have a board lift which makes the work real easy, if a little slower.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I used drywall screws to attach my OSB ceiling. I beveled the edges of each sheet with a router, then spaced each sheet with a nail. The gap was then caulked, primed, then painted. This process makes each sheet look like a giant ceiling tile. My helper Joe took on paint duty.

 

[spudley]

I used drywall screws to attach my OSB ceiling. I beveled the edges of each sheet with a router, then spaced each sheet with a nail. The gap was then caulked, primed, then painted. This process makes each sheet look like a giant ceiling tile. My helper Joe is took on paint duty.

That looks really, really nice. I was all set to do drywall but now you've got me thinking.
Maybe next spring I'll try to lure Joe to Wisconsin.

 

[NC-Shaun]

I used drywall screws to attach my OSB ceiling. I beveled the edges of each sheet with a router, then spaced each sheet with a nail. The gap was then caulked, primed, then painted. This process makes each sheet look like a giant ceiling tile. My helper Joe took on paint duty.

That looks great, I am almost halfway done with fastening the osb with 1 5/8 deck screws. Than its getting primed and painted. Gonna try this week to get ceiling all done and ready for paint

 

[James-W]

I would go with screws but I don't think that 7/16 OSB is the right thickness to use. Personally, I would use 9/16 OSB to be sure there will be no sag in the ceiling as the years go by.

 

[rburke65]

Definitely screws. Nails? Your done. Screws you can remove the sheet if need be.

 

[Falcon67]

I would go with screws but I don't think that 7/16 OSB is the right thickness to use. Personally, I would use 9/16 OSB to be sure there will be no sag in the ceiling as the years go by.

8 years with 7/16", 24" OC - no sag.

 

[CasesCustoms]

I would recommend a drywall lift and framing nailer or stapler. When I did my walls, I didn't leave a space but I also installed in the middle of summer. As for needing to remove/replace a section, I figured I would just get a new sheet of OSB if/when that ever happens.

I think you will be surprised by how much more time it will take to screw vs. nail. If you go with screws, why wouldn't you use the yellow zinc construction screws?

 

[jd_1138]

Screws. They hold better and will help counteract the gravity force, and they go in easier than pounding nails, and you can take them out easier if you ever need to.

Yeah go with the lift. The rental fee will be low or you can buy a used one for $70 or so perhaps. They are $130 new. By doing the work yourself, you're saving so much money that you deserve to splurge a little on a tool to help.