Fastening OSB to studs ??

[Rick Moyer]

Would you screw or nail OSB to the studs? I'll have only one (existing) circuit wired behind the OSB, everything else electrical will be surface mounted. There is nothing else behind the OSB besides insulation. I don't mind using screws but guess nailing would be faster. Any recommendations as to fasteners?

I'll also research "French cleats", but anyone may post thoughts on that topic here as well!

[Chuck Thoits]

If you even have the sliest thought about getting behind it again some day screw it. If you know that all future work will be in front of it nail it. I would probably nail it any ways. There is just the wires back there and you should not have to mess with them. Unless you put a nail in it when you are hanging the OSB :):):eek:

[Jim Becker]

Doesn't really matter although Chuck makes a good point. I tend to screw only because using a hammer for anything more than a nail or three gives me wrist problems.

[David G Baker]

I use screws. I have a pneumatic nail gun that I could use but screws seem to work better for me because I have a tendency to add things later.

[Derek Stevens]

Nail it......

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I'd screw it. Can you get one of those auto feed screw guns?

[David G Baker]

The borgs carry a Senco auto feed screw gun in the $100 range. The sheetrockers that did my work had a couple of them, they said they are a great gun and the price is right so they use them until they wear out then replace them. The guns are corded so you would need to use an extension cord with them.

[Derek Stevens]

Ah, see I went with nails as most of the time in shops there will be so much stuff crammed into the space that if you ever needed to get into the walls that it would only be in the case of a massive removal of everything in the shop, and as such, very unlikely that the walls would be stripped without a HUGE commitment to doing so, so go for the speed of a nailgun and have it finished. IMO

[Dave Zeigler]

I use (and am using) screws. I used 2" on the ceiling and 1 5/8" on the walls. I have found that drilling a 1/8" hole through the OSB helps a lot. It makes it easy to get the screw started and it verifies I'm lined up on the stud or joist. My OSB is pretty inaccurate when it comes to the reference lines painted on.

Last weekend I drove a screw into a 240V 12/2 line for my TS (didn't predrill, doh!). Tripped the 100A breaker in the main panel (which feeds the sub panel in my shop). Lights out and with me on a ladder. I'm lucky there was still some daylight and I didn't start a fire. I'm not sure why it didn't trip the 20A circuit breaker.:confused: Now I have to put in a junction box there for the splice, so I may as well put in a 240V outlet as well. Too bad it's 10' off the floor.:( FWIW, the wire was stapled to the side of the stud and my screw was only 1/4" to 3/4" off target.:o For some dumb reason I was using a 2" screw there also. Three errors (didn't predrill, too long screw and missed the stud) which could of lead to disaster.

Come to think of it, I should be using a countersink bit also. I've broken the heads off many screws trying to snug them flush.

So for me using screws was a good idea since I've had to pull at least one panel back off the wall. DAMHIKT! I have a framing nailer so the choice came down to having the ability to easily remove the panels. Already it seems I made the right decision.

Be careful out there,

Dave

[Anthony Smaldone]

Screws... You will find that the OSB will back out the nails with all the banging that a hammer does. Over the years with the weather changes the the OSB will also loosen up with nails.

Anthony

[Matt Ocel]

Would you screw or nail OSB to the studs? I'll have only one (existing) circuit wired behind the OSB, everything else electrical will be surface mounted. There is nothing else behind the OSB besides insulation. I don't mind using screws but guess nailing would be faster. Any recommendations as to fasteners?

I'll also research "French cleats", but anyone may post thoughts on that topic here as well!

I would staple it with 1 1/2" long x 1/2" crown pneuamatic staple. Thats if you are looking for the most efficient method.

[Chris Friesen]

Come to think of it, I should be using a countersink bit also. I've broken the heads off many screws trying to snug them flush.

Are you using drywall screws or cheap ones from the Borg? Good screws shouldn't break this way...nice spax or McFeeleys screws will sink themselves into hard maple without predrilling or countersinking (but may split the maple!).

[Dave Zeigler]

Are you using drywall screws or cheap ones from the Borg? Good screws shouldn't break this way...nice spax or McFeeleys screws will sink themselves into hard maple without predrilling or countersinking (but may split the maple!).

Thanks for the tip. I'm using drywall screws. I've hung many a sheet of drywall with them, so I figured they were good enough for OSB. I'll look into getting some stronger screws for the rest of the project to save time.

Dave

[Rick Moyer]

I appreciate the responses but I decided to nail it as I don't have much time. have about a third done so far.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

I decided to nail it as I don't have much time. have about a third done so far.
A bead of Loctite Power Grab on the studs and some 18 ga staples & you'd be done by now ;)

PG is simply the most amazing adhesive I've ever used, bar none.

[Chip Lindley]

Screw on every other OSB panel, and use a combination of box nails, air staples or air nails in the other panels. You get the experience and fun of using all these nifty tools (claw hammer is a lost art,) plus, you have a 50/50 chance of getting behind the right panel later on !! *chuckle*

[Eric Mims]

a few minutes extra putting them up with screws will save you or someone down the road alot of time if they ever have to take panels off... the original builder of my garage used long nails and it was a royal pain to get the panels off.

[Steven DeMars]

I used square drive from McFeely's. Workshop 20'X22' with 10' ceiling. All interior walls and ceiling 5/8" exterior LUAN from HOGANS. Put in 40+ sheets that way. 1200+ square drive screws can not be beat. Used a Bosch 18 volt driver. I can now hang things on my walls without fear of them peeling from the studs. The exterior OSB was attached the same way . . .

Steve

[Mark Drayton]

As workshops seem to be in a continual state of development, I'd strongly recommend NOT putting anything - wiring, pipework etc. - inside the insulated cavity. External trunking can be easily modified and added to. Screws seem like a lot of hard work and additional expense, at least unless you have a screw gun - I don't. My OSB lined shop was done with annular shank nails every foot or so. There's no way these will ever loosen. I did need to take one section of walling down to extend - fortunately I employed a contractor as they had the devil of a job taking it all apart. Those annular shanks sure grip well and add a lot of rigidity to the structure.

Mark

[Denny Rice]

I like nails for this....I know using these fancy screw guns and overpriced screws seems to be the way eveyone wants to do it, but seriously how may times are you going to need to get behind a wall once you install the OSB? If once the OSB is hung, you find you need to install another outlet or something its just as easy to drill a hole in the top plate of the wall and fish the wire down the wall to the new outlet or use a fish tape. I'm sorry, coated nails are a lot cheaper and just as strong if you are hanging OSB.

[Ken Frohnert]

I just did the inside of my shop/garage with OSB. I used Maze Brand Ring Nails - they are pretty darn tough to pull out. Interesting the Maze Brand nails are still made in the USA. Then I put oil based primer on the OSB to seal it then a coat of Latex Satin.

[Mike Wilkins]

I used screws to attach the OSB to the walls, with the intention of going back in to add insulation. Wish I had done it before the OSB, but funds were tight at the time. Now I have to go through the trouble of moving and detaching everything that is attached to the wall studs to add insulation.
But it will be worth it to make the place more comfortable.
It also helps to gain access to make electrical upgrades later if needed.

[Chris Damm]

I nail it with my Paslode. In my workshop all air and electric lines are surface mounted so when (not if) I want to change something it is much easier to do.