I plan to finish my interior garage walls with OSB. I’m thinking 1/2” thickness will be fine unless I get a majority of responses saying I’ll be sorry if I don’t use 19/32”. What do you think?
It’s a typical Midwest attached 2 car garage with the walls netted and blown with insulation.

1/2“ is fine. You can also do 1/2 gyp and paint it. Or do both and have a real nice garage.

Why OSB instead of drywall? Looking for more sheer strength? Looking to avoid having to tape & texture? Wanting something better to hang stuff on? There’s probably lots of good reasons. Depending on your goal, there may be a reason to go thicker, but I’d imagine that 1/2” OSB would be orders of magnitude stronger than any thickness of drywall and unless you have some special purpose in mind for it, would be more than plenty.

I just don’t like drywall in a garage. OSB is a little more forgiving if you bang into it.

Are there any code/insurance issues in using OSB along any walls that serve to insulate living space?

Silent

Good idea. I did sheet rock and wish I did OSB or plywood. Hanging things would be much easier.

here, 1/2" is referred to 7/16". I used plywood when doing my shop years ago. But plywood these days has gone to the hogs. Garbage unless you have a good local producer. Places like home depot/lowes plywood sucks. You are good with osb imho.

I used 1/2" in my garage walls and ceiling, then painted the ceiling white. The walls got a coat of polyurethane to reduce off gassing from the adhesive in the OSB. Not sure if that helps or is even necessary but I had a number of part cans of oil based poly which I mixed together and used up.

Silent is correct. There are likely code/insurance restrictions on an attached garage to slow spread of fire

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
Silent is correct. There are likely code/insurance restrictions on an attached garage to slow spread of fire

Pretty sure this is correct. Also I believe it's 5/8 for garages.

I should have mentioned the front wall is already drywalled as that wall shares with the house. I’ll only be doing the sides and front around the garage door. All exterior walls.

If the price isn’t too much higher I would suggest plywood instead.
Structural strength of OSB might be more than sheetrock, but not much (imo).

My view of OSB is its made wood chips with marginal glue.

Another, maybe more useful suggestion - use a chalk line to mark out location of all your studs, then leave the marks there. Makes hanging shelves and other things much easier.

Ceiling may also need to be 5/8 drywall for fire code.

Hey don’t discount drywall.
It can be nice as well !

The ceiling will be left open. The roof is insulated and I like the storage up there.
Grumpybiker, that’s a beautiful garage but mine is my reloading room, work shop, wood shop, and everything else shop. I don’t have a basement or out building and after a while the netting holding the insulation gets torn and is a pain in the neck.

Second the plywood over OSB recomendation

Around here 5/8 drywall is required on wall between the house. 5/8 over sheathing is ok

If it is an attached garage, with no ceiling code around here calls for 5/8 in fire code Sheetrock up to the roof on the connecting wall to act as a fire slow-down wall.

^^^Same here in the Granite State!

For non fire rated walls 7/16 OSB is fine interior finish for a garage. It is commonly available in oversized sheets if required, and if you use the right paint looks pretty good. I have a metal liner in my shop the first 8’ but the rest of the walls are OSB painted white and I am happy with them. My last reloading room had OSB sheathing on the walls and it looked tidy as well. Put what you like on the walls it’s your garage.