Does OSB insulate?

[Dan_Johansson]

Why should you insulate a cold garage?
Isn't it better to leave it completely open?

 

[Ha Ha ha]

Why should you insulate a kallgarage?
Isn't it better to leave it completely open?

It will be heated.

 

[Dan_Johansson]

So you're not going to build an unheated garage then?

I would never neglect to put OSB behind the drywall, even if you never plan to put anything on the walls, you hope the garage will stand for a long time... It costs a few thousand, but it's worth it in the long run.... Same thing with electrical outlets.. don't skimp when the walls are open...

 

[Viktor.J]

It should be heated

You wrote cold garage in the thread start.

 

[Plupp 405730]

Going to insulate a cold garage. No need to put things on the walls. It should be cheap. But still wondering if we lose insulating effect by not putting up OSB or does the insulation come 100% from the insulation?

Hi,
Are you going to have heat all year round?
I consider OSB unsuitable for cold garages and similar spaces as it does not handle moisture very well.

 

[TypRätt]

Completely agree here, put up OSB on the walls, a garage without things hanging is not a garage. If you were to sell it one day, the buyer would almost certainly claim a hidden defect if it's missing

But seriously, it doesn't seem like something to skimp on. I assume you don't have an insulated slab on the ground since it's currently a cold garage. That is, it's not wise to store things on the floor, so you want to get things up on the walls as much as possible. It also helps quite a bit to be able to clean the garage if it's easy to brush out gravel etc.

 

[TypRätt]

Hello,
Are you going to have heat all year round?
I consider OSB unsuitable for cold garages and similar spaces as it doesn't handle moisture very well.

In what way doesn't it handle moisture well (as much as you can expect in a garage)? What would you recommend instead and why?

 

[Plupp 405730]

In what way does it not handle moisture so well (as much as you can expect in a garage)? What would you recommend instead and why?

It absorbs moisture and expands, I have seen this in several cold garages where you can see the seams through the drywall. It can be extremely humid in a cold garage.

 

[TypRätt]

It absorbs moisture and expands, I have seen this in several cold garages where you can see the joints through the gypsum. It can be extremely humid in a cold garage.

My experience after leaving both plywood and OSB standing outdoors against a house wall for over a year, and then building a treehouse (a horizontal board as a roof so nothing protecting the sides) from mixed boards, is that the glue in OSB gives them a significant advantage over plywood when it comes to moisture. Both get ruined if they stand in water, but plywood actually withstands a little better, but both swell just where they can stand in water. I have also stored boards in a cold garage for a few years where it was so humid that fabric with spots started to mold, i.e. the stroller that was there started to become fuzzy, and snowboard bags, etc., also started getting spots on them. Despite this, nothing affected any of the wooden boards or gypsums boards that were in the same garage. (They were on blocks, so not directly on the slab).

I'm not saying it's any scientific test method but just my experience. So, I wouldn't have the slightest hesitation to put OSB on the walls, but I would be careful to ensure they don’t reach all the way down to the slab.

 

[mrmlz]

My experience after leaving both plywood and OSB standing outdoors against a house wall for over a year, and then building a treehouse (a lying sheet as a roof, so nothing that protects the sides) from mixed boards, is that the glue in OSB gives them a big advantage over plywood when it comes to moisture. Both become crap if they stand in water, but plywood actually fares a little better, though both swell where they can stand in water. I have also stored boards in a cold garage for a few years where it was so humid that fabric with stains began to mold, i.e., the stroller that stood there started to get fuzzy, and snowboard bags, etc., also started to get stains. Despite this, nothing affected any of the wood boards or gypsum boards that stood in the same garage. (They were on blocks, so not directly on the slab).

Not saying it's a scientific test method, but my experience. So I would not have the slightest hesitation about putting OSB on the walls, but would be careful to ensure they don't reach all the way down to the slab.

I have OSB/ply in a cold garage, also stored boards there for several years without any issues.
Don't place them directly against the concrete foundation; leave a cm gap so it doesn't wick water. Then you'll need proper ventilation, but you should have that anyway.

In terms of heating costs, you probably never count the cost of OSB, but from a practical perspective, it's almost negligent not to put OSB in a garage.

 

[tergo]

OSB boards are usually waxed, so they should withstand some moisture.

 

[mgranbom]

Do you need drywall on the walls? I would rather have painted OSB than drywall if it's just going to be one layer.

/M