OSB Sheathing - Which side up or down?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- Often times, builders will disagree on which side of OSB (oriented strand board) goes up/out or down/in. In this video, I will explain which way I installed my OSB on my animal barn and whether I will install it that way again.
Structurally, it does not matter which side of OSB goes up or down, according to Weyerhaeuser. There is a smooth side and a rough side, and the rough side is meant for safety purposes on floors and roofs.
![[UA] NAVI проти G2 Esports | Blast Premier Fall Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWlIm4FGESQ/mqdefault.jpg)
The rough side is for roof installers to make it easier to walk on for grip. The smooth surface is best for walls.
Yes. Exactly what he said in the video
Thanks. I had the same question. As I’m using it to raise a floor
(atop existing subfloor) I opted for smooth side up in the hopes that moisture would have fewer crevices to do damage. Certainly rougher stuff has more crevices/more places for moisture to collect. I imagine, if the product is uniform, the smooth side might do a little better on exterior surfaces based on surface mechanics.
I also painted the floor due to odor(using paint I was going to discard anyway). My lesson: don’t water down the paint, lay it thick. That way it maintains the smoothness. That said, lay the OSB on floor for a day or so, allowing it to dissipate some of the phenolic formaldehyde, and then apply paint generously. Painting it eliminated the odor, so worth it, especially for those that are sensitive to odors. Lastly: painting w/acrylic latex to eliminate odor was recommended by the manufacturer.
Just an FYI the smooth side goes down so that the inspector can see the rating once the shingles are on. This is why the lines are on the up side for roofing. Same applies to floors, the rating will be covered with tile, carpet, or whatever. So always face the smooth side with the rating to be seen by the inspector and sometimes insurance adjuster. As far as strength it does not matter.
Good video. I had this burning desire to know which side of OSB for internal projects. This video helped. I put the wax up for the table. But I added polyurethane. Thanks for being a homesteader. I wish I had a homestead. I watched your videos just to learn how the pros are doing it.
Smooth side down / in is not just good for the workers. Like you said the smooth side is best at wicking away water, well you protect the outside (rough side) with house wrap or roof paper and it's protected, the smooth side of the sheet is not protected, so best its inwards to handle the moisture within the walls from condensation or humity
Or it'll just go to sh!? Faster from the inside
I didn't it possible to get a short straight to point answer on YT, but you did a perty darn good job. I think for inside top flooring, smooth side up is best for vinyl sheet flooring to go on it...........
I felt the exact same way figured the smooth side up was more durable to wear and tear great vid thx
That was incredibly short, sweet & informative! Thx bud!!
Good to know. I'm doing the inside of my garage with it and I'm going smooth side to the inside and then put clear semigloss polyurethane on it.
How did the turn out with the clear polyurethane? Does it look good would you do it again instead of paint?
@@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777 It look fantastic! I am sooo happy I didn't use paint. (However, now I have 5 gallons of quality paint I will never use because I decided not to use paint.) I wish I could send you a picture. One really great thing about it is that you cannot see any imperfections and if I change my mind on where I want something and pull out a nail, when you go to try to find the nail hole back, you'll never find it. I sheeted horizontally, which is stronger anyway, and the same orientation so the mill marks are all at the same height all the way around the garage inside and all right-side up. I use $70 laser from Amazon to plan my first row because you cannot depend on the floor. It makes all of your joints tight too, so tight that paper won't slide into them anywhere. I screwed them down and the heads of the screws are about the color of the wood you can't hardly see them either and you could pull a panel if you ever need to. I sprinkled diatomaceous earth and a little cayenne on the bottom plate inside the walls which kills insects and gnawing animals cannot stand.
@@jackt6112 Wow good job. It’s sounds great and well thought out. I might have to give it a try one day. One question is there any writing or lines showing on the OSB and if so how does that look?
@@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777 I tried to post a link to a picture with some comments of how I did it, but it gets deleted immediately. Let's see if this gets deleted and maybe I can only describe it.
@@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777 This is the explanation I tried to post with the link to the picture that I left out this time because that seems to be the problem. If there is a way I can get the picture, let me know. OSB, even the smooth side, has recesses around the fibers that are down below the surface and the ink is down in there too, so you can't sand it off. Even when do affect the ink chemically, it simply runs deeper, and the OSB grade stamp ends up looking worse than a wet ink jet document. Sanding removes the natural OSB finish in that area and now even if you urethane it, it much lighter where you sanded it. Thus, it ended up being the 4x8 OSB work table top you see here.
- First I put nail plates every place conduit goes though the studs. Then measure down from the rafters to the center of the plate and put pieces of masking tape with the number of inches down they are. Once you cover them you won't know where they are and end up wasting time with stripped holes trying to screw through nail plates.
- People need a laser. Floors aren't level and walls aren't square to anything, new or old, and a level doesn't do the job. You might put it 1/2" above the floor or footing on one side, and run into the floor or run out of lower plate to screw to on the other. If you follow the floor, the sheeting is tight on one end and a big gap on the other. The laser helps you find that happy medium in 5 minutes and I found a place where I could pretty much hit the bottom of the windows and 1/8” below the electrical boxes to avoid some cutting. Measure up from that line 48" and set the laser there. Next place a piece of masking tape on every stud with the top of the tape exactly on the top of the laser line. That sets the height for the lower panels and torx screw them exactly even with the top of the tape. You go horizontal with your sheets, which is stronger, more accurate to keep level, easier, and leave you with 8’ long useful cut-offs at the top. My laser was $70 with fitted padded bag, extra battery, charger, and adapters for a tripod.
- Another tool that is a godsend is a track saw. My cousin, and builder, told me a table saw is not what I want for sheet goods and man was he right. I never heard of such a thing. I bought the Wen corded track saw but got the 7 1/4" saw. It's better in a lot of ways and actually cheaper. First, it comes with a quality blade that you don't need to replace from the get go, secondly you can buy a larger variety of blades and are the same used in other saws. If I were a builder like him, I would get a cordless as they have more power so would save a few seconds per 8’ cut, but as few times as I will use it, it will never make sense. The cord is not the issue because there will be a cord involved anyway, the saw dust vacuum hose, which you NEED or you will make a colossal mess in no time. I went with the less expensive WEN track instead of the recommended. This combination does such perfect cuts it is every bit as good as the factory edge. The little Dewalt vacuum there on the floor does a great job. I was going to get the next size up for $10 more but decided against it. The little one is easier to throw up on the table, and can drag it around including in the back of the SUVs without it tipping over and it weighs next to nothing. The little one already has too much so I’m really glad I didn’t go larger. When I think I’m plenty far away from something it instantly zips into the vacuum and now I need to try to find it back.
- I determined the seams considering the full panels in the middle and the cuts on both ends because the ends always need to be cut because the walls are never square or straight, Take care to always have the OSB grade stamp right-side up. This puts them all in a line all the way around also. If you don't like it, put a racing stripe over it when you are finished because they will all be lined up. For me, the OSB grade stamp creates a garage-workshop theme. I also went with the diamond plate outlet covers to compliment the theme.
- With the bottom on, I could measure around from the top of the sheet to the top of the top plate all the way around and note the shortest and longest. If the shortest works, like it did for me, you can cut the next row to all the same height, again making sure the OSB grade stamp is right-side up, and cut off the tops. You know where your nail plates are even when covered because you have the measurement right above you. Moreover, to get screw lines straight is easy because you just move the laser and line up with the screws on the bottom panel and follow the line.
- On the left side you will see OSB platforms that I made to replace the pallets I used to have there. They are urethaned also, including the 2x4s touching the floor. Leaves and crap don't get caught under them and they are easier to blow out with a leaf blower if they do. On that side are buckets, grass seed, salt, etc. up to the front door on one SUV. On the other side I don't need to stop at the car door so it runs all the way to the service door near the front of the garage. It has the saw horse table folds down to 4x8 work table you see with a couple twist down things to hold it 4" from the wall and next to it jacks stands, ramps, and hydraulic jack. Toward the front of the garage next to the service door are, leaf blower, gasoline is now there and the little area past the service door has laundry poles and basketball stuff.
- The steel beam for the overhead hoist is not painted yet in the picture. To the right of the furnace over the top sheet is heavy-duty peg board with stand-offs, thermostat, CO and O2 sensors and holds snow scrapers, squirt oil cans, and sprinklers, etc. The bottom is open for bikes. On the right you see the shelves. Because it’s OSB, you can use rafter brackets and the weight bears on the studs directly. The top shelf is a old piece of 3/4" plywood that was there, but on top is a Formica pre-made counter top you can buy at Menards for cheap. You can buy it finished with a molded front for less than you can buy the Formica without the wood or glue. The shelf to hold the welder on the right side isn't in place yet and is an old butcher block top that came from somewhere and is sitting on the table under the hammer. Also not seen is the gas pipe which goes up the center of the garage to the rafters and them across and down the wall next to my 100% furnace. LOL! That way if someone busts through the back of the garage they don’t wreck the pipe too. on a timer inside the house. The only time the CO sensor goes off is if I start something with the door closed. Keeping it next to the ceiling ensures a car can’t take it out. I didn't want to insulate the garage. I don't want the garage warm in the winter time. Garages are a big enough mess during that time without melting everything off. I don't heat it more than a few days in freezing weather but it actually holds the heat pretty well. So, it’s all decaled out with pointers to the fire extinguisher and work-order packets on the walls next to the equipment with the maintenance instructions.
I will be painting directly on the wood, so smooth side out for me.
Great video. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the info video
smooth side up is called death sheet
Can cdx sheathing be used as siding if it's caulked primed and painted?
It depends on the project at hand. Are you just trying to keep some weather (rain, snow, direct sun) off of some items, or building a living area? Either way, I would prefer to have a mechanical flashing (not caulk) and a maintenance free material, but that's just me. If it were a house, garage, or something that you were heavily relying on keeping weather from getting into, I would not go this route. Obviously there may be a cost savings in this approach, but I would price out some other materials first. Steel siding does not require a sheathing material on the underside. Meaning, it can be attached directly to girts or purlins in a post frame style building. The steel will provide tremendous shear strength once it's all screwed in. Consider the long term maintenance of wood siding as well, in order to keep it in good shape and looking good. The wood will require paint on the front end and additional coats down the line after a couple years, if not sooner. Steel or other products may cost slightly more on the front end, but long term they may turn out to be the cheaper option, since they are maintenance free. I will say, on my animal barn I used 3/4" exterior BCX plywood for my sliding doors and painted them to match the barn. I understand this may require maintenance down the line, but I wanted that look, as opposed to the steel siding look for doors. It depends on the project you are working on. Initially, when planning out the animal barn, I considered going with a T-111 siding, but for the same reasons I previously mentioned, in terms of maintenance and down the line costs, I opted to go with steel siding. If you want the wood look, you can look at other products like LP Smartside or something similar, which is an engineered wood. It all comes down to the project you are working on and what you are trying to accomplish, while considering initial costs and down the line costs, as well as the overall look of the finished project.
@@HybridHomesteaders Thank you so much! I really appreciate the advice!