OSB Vs. Dry Wall in a Garage

OSB

• Oriented strand board is the full name for OSB. It’s the first wood-based material to give plywood any type of real competition. OSB makes a good sheathing material for garage walls. You can nail it, staple it, screw it and use glue on it. It’s made from coniferous woods that are cut into strands and blended with resin and wax. The strands are put on a conveyor belt and formed into a two-ply mat. The strands on one ply run the length of the board and the strands for the second ply are layered at right angles. The cross ply technique makes OSB boards strong and durable.

OSB Advantages

• The unfinished, raw surface of OSB makes a garage look like a real work zone. You can screw in hooks, hang up equipment, and set up a workshop. Tools can come off the floor and onto the OSB walls so everything is finally organized. You can even attach insulation to OSB to make the garage more energy efficient. And if you want to paint it, that’s fine too. Paint adheres to OSB with or without priming.

Drywall

• Drywall is the most common sheathing material used in homes and buildings in the United States. Other names for drywall include sheetrock, wallboard and gypsum. Drywall is made of gypsum and covered by heavy paper on both sides. Drywall came on the scene during the 1940s, quickly replaced plaster as a sheathing material, and revolutionized the building and construction industry. Unlike plaster, drywall could go up quickly to create a wall almost instantly, versus using plaster, which required more manual labor to apply multiple layers and give each one time to set.

Drywall Advantages

• Unlike OSB, drywall gives garage walls a finished look, just like interior rooms in a home. This is advantageous if the garage will be used for situations where looks are important, such as converting the garage to a man cave, home office or recreation room. You can trim out drywall with molding for baseboards and ceilings, and drywall is easy to cut for spaces around light switches and electrical work. Once it’s up, you can prime and paint drywall and the garage will have more structure and style, versus the no-frills look of OSB.