Painting osb inside garage

[stryped]

If I am paintign osb walls, which would be better in a shop/garage, semi gloss or gloss white. I want to reflect alot of light but still look good.

[dadiOH]

Generally, one isn't going to reflect more than the other; the exception is if you can see the reflection of the light source on the wall and that is neither going to happen very often nor will it increase the level of light noticeably.

Glossy is easier - marginally - to clean than semi-gloss. Neither are going to look great on OSB unless you first do a *LOT* of work with fillers and/or primers to make the OSB smooth. The best looking sheen for OSB IMO would be flat but it is hard to clean so I'd use semi-gloss.

[Jim Elbrecht]

IMHO, if you want OSB to "look good" you should start by covering it with sheetrock--- or 1/2 plywood, even.

Jim

[benick]

It doesn't really matter what paint you use...I've seen OSB in garages just sprayed with flat white paint and I've seen them rolled with semi-gloss....They both looked like shit....JMHO...And you can't clean painted OSB even if you use sem-gloss...To rough....Using OSB on interior walls is a mistake unless covered with drywall...Better to spend a few extra bucks on plywood and caulk the cracks...It looks pretty good...Again , JMHO....Ceilings should be drywall for fire reasons.........

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'd check the fire code and cover it with sheetrock, them paint it white. Don't worry about taping if that is a problem, just fill the screw holes and lightly sand.

[harry k]

I used it in a storage room in the basement. Painted with semi gloss. My experience:

1. It will soak up an amazing amount of paint.
2. some of the chips will loosen and lift edges.
3. It makes an acceptable cover (depending on code) and reflects light well but 'looks good' is not in its job description.

Harry K

[stryped]

How would drywall look painted before beign put up but not taped or mudded?

[dadiOH]

It would look like painted panels with depressed joints and lots of screw/nail heads.

It is *not* a big deal to tape joints or apply compound to the (slightly) depressed screw/nail heads.

[harry k]

Even worse. Actually, painted OSB except for the problems I mentioned does not 'look bad' either. It is a quite acceptable wall/ceiling cover for a shop, garage, utility room...well, I wouldn't use it in any room with a direct connection to a livign area. I have a garage that has no interior wall cover. Were I to put one on, I would probably dry wall and mud but wouldn't hesitate to use OSB painted.

If you already have it up, paint a panel or two and see what you think.

Harry K

[benick]

How would drywall look painted before beign put up but not taped or mudded?

It would look alot better than painted OSB...LOL...But I would atleast tape the joints and spot the screws....A perfect chance to practice.....No need to "finish and sand"...It will look fine just taped for a garage....Good luck....

[Ed Pawlowski]

I didn't tape the joints in my garage. Truth is, I put a coat of primer on it and have not gotten past that. Looks pretty good and you don't really see the detail with all of the stuff hanging on it.

[Sharc]

Despite the comments on appearance from some, I think it has a nice texture/stucco effect. As for the type of finish I went with a low lustre..not flat but just a bit of sheen. I doubt it is very washable no matter what the finish. We covered the seams with 1x4" boards and painted them also. As far as reflecting light I think that depends on the color you use more then the finish.

[Hustlin' Hank]

If the OSB is already up, go ahead and paint it. Type doesn't matter because it wil still look like painte OSB.

However, if it is not installed, consider putting up metal. The kind used on pole barns. They make something they call "liner". It is made for interior use and costs less than the regular barn siding. If I remember correctly, they sel it buy the running foot which is 3 feet wide and costs approx. $1.70-$1.90 per running foot (3 sq. feet) It is easy to install (they'll cut the length it to the inch), no taping, no painting, reflects light, easy to clean (just hose it down), easily replaceable if a sheet gets damaged. Cost effective because it will increase the value of the building moreso than OSB.

Hank