painted OSB shop walls

[Jim Nelson]

For those that have put OSB on their shop walls and painted, which side of the OSB did you face out, the "rough" or "smooth" side?

thanks.

[Matt Meiser]

I put the smooth side out. Even that side absorbs a LOT of paint and primer. I can't imagine painting the other side. I primed my 30x32x12 shop with 5 gallons of primer and just got a white tint. I followed with paint, and it took about 3 gallons.

Also, expect some flakes to come loose during painting. I'm not sure if the moisture in the paint loosens the glue or what, but I had thin flakes come off in several places. I either "glued" them back down with a dose of paint, or pulled them off and went back over the spot.

[Mark Cothren]

I painted mine - smooth side out. Will agree that it soaks up primer and paint like a sponge.

Also, a DAMHIKT, might as well go ahead and spend the extra bucks on quality primer and paint....:o

[Steve Clardy]

Smooth side out.

[Garry Smith]

smooth side out. After priming and painting, it still had to go back over spots with kilz because of yellow spots showing through the white paint.

[Jim Becker]

"Smooth" (relative term...) side out.

[Steve Stube]

If you paint with an oil base enamel there is no need to be concerned about nail or screw bleed. With Latex it was a concern to me so I used a Gliden product called Glid-Seal that was reported to alliveate iron bleed. Glid-Seal does one other thing nicely, it dries very fast so you don't get as much lifting of the wood chips (Matt's term, flakes). Glid-Seal is white and hardly shows up once applied (dries clear) plus it is thin almost like water making it difficult to roll apply without a roostertail. I followed the recommendation of my Gliden rep. (maybe he is a PPG rep. now) and mixed the Glid-Seal 1 gallon to 3 gallons of the finish paint. I followed with 3 more coats of straight paint (50 gallons of Latex rolled). Yes I have a few flakes.

Oh, the question. Rough side to the vapor barrier and screws for attachment i.e., painted the smoother side. I found out too late (or maybe not, since it would have added a lot more work for me) that the OSB can be skim coated with patch plaster for a very smooth finish. I did apply a skim coat to one wall of a small room near the end of my project and was pleased with the result. That was ~3 sheets and I cringe to think of applying it to the 166 sheets of OSB I hung in my shop. My bath is drywall and enamel. The mill and lathe room is enamel on OSB for added durability/washability where cutting fluids are used and too ofter find a wall to land on.

[Steve Ash]

another nod here for smooth side out.

[Phil Phelps]

[QUOTE=Steve Stube]If you paint with an oil base enamel there is no need to be concerned about nail or screw bleed. With Latex it was a concern to me so I used a Gliden product called Glid-Seal that was reported to alliveate iron bleed. Glid-Seal does one other thing nicely, it dries very fast so you don't get as much lifting of the wood chips (Matt's term, flakes). Glid-Seal is white and hardly shows up once applied (dries clear) plus it is thin almost like water making it difficult to roll apply without a roostertail. I followed the recommendation of my Gliden rep. (maybe he is a PPG rep. now) and mixed the Glid-Seal 1 gallon to 3 gallons of the finish paint. I followed with 3 more coats of straight paint (50 gallons of Latex rolled). Yes I have a few flakes.

So, you used the sealer and three coats of paint?

[Steve Stube]

Yes, the sealer was mixed with paint (1:3 ratio), call that the primer if you want and rolled on 3 more coats of paint.

I think a better way would have been to spray the Sealer on clear (no paint mixed with it) as this would have dried quickly and lessened the opportunity of the water in the primer coat of paint to lift the flakes.

[Jason Roehl]

Steve, if you put on a "primer" and THREE coats of paint, you need to find a better primer next time! Personally, I would probably use some sort of PVA primer. I don't recall what I used in a warehouse a couple years ago, but it was one coat of a white primer, and then one coat of a peach-pink colored industrial waterborne enamel (at about $14/gal), sprayed on heavy, but I'm sure I could have still done it in one heavily rolled coat.

Oh, yeah, smooth side out. It will hold less dust no matter what finish you put on it.

[Phil Phelps]

... and that's where I was going. Too much paint for the job. I have my favorites that I know do the job. Example: I was using Benjamin Moores Fresh Start primer, latex. (I think you should have used this, too.) I ran out, but it was New Years Day. Well, the BORG was open and, after all, it was only primer. So, I bought the Bear product. I knew immediatly it was inferior when I poured it out. Three coats couldn't match one of BM paint. Cheap paint is just that. Cheap paint.
See, Jason. You get credit when it's due :D

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I'm a big fan of OSB where there's a moisture concern, like on a floor...but I think regular old particle board or MDF would solve the 'smooth' problem for walls. Not sure what the cost difference is nowadays...but you might not even need to paint PB or OSB.

KC

[Robert Tarr]

Smooth side out. It makes dusting the walls much easier.

I covered my walls in my shop in Colorado with OSB and had great results by using Kilz oil based primer and didn't have any lifting or swell that you might expect from the water in Latex. It does smell a bit, but one coat and you are ready to paint in less than an hour. You can cover your oil based primer with any paint you like. I sellected a latex paint that was called Ultra white and in a semi-gloss to give me the most light without reflections.

I think you will enjoy having the ability to hang anything anywhere..

Robert