Does the saying bigger is better hold true for wall sheathing whether osb or plywood? Should you always use the thickest you can afford?
Thanks
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Replies
Normal is 1/2".
Thicker = higher cost with nominal gain in strength.
Nailing schedule is probably more important than going over 1/2" in thickness.
Dont want to start an argument here, but in my area 7/16" is the standard for walls.
A little cheaper, but seems surprisingly lighter to handle.
Same thing here.
You ask for 1/2" sheating board and get 7/16". 5/8 is 19/32 or some such nonsense.
If you change from the standard 1/2" you will need to change the size of your window and exterior door jambs.
Thanks guys for the information.
The bigger=better might be true for roof sheathing, where people tend to preffer 5/8 vs. 1/2.
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Yeah Paul I had read where roof sheathing can be up to 3/4" but I was not sure about wall sheathing.
I used 3/4" on inside shearwalls in my garage... mainly so I could hang anything anywhere I wanted!
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Good idea Paul. I might just do that on the inside of the garage. Did you hang d/w over the ply?
Nope, no need.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Just paint?
Paint ... BAH! This is a workshop! Wood grain is just fine in here.
Just bare 3/4" A/C sheets here.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Painting them white would make a huge difference.
As far as spreading light around?
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Yup- even if you think you have enough light now, or if there is stuff hanging from the walls.
I painted the inside of my garage white, and it made a big improvement.
At least the underside of my ceiling is reflective!
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
It seem that you're asking about a non-insulated garage, but if you will be insulating, you might need to be concerned about sheathing vapor permeability.---mike...
Mike the garage and addition I am building will be insulated. Can you fill me in on the details? I am a DIYr so I don't know what you guys are referring to sometimes. What is it I should be concerned about?
A garage will probably not be an issue about moisture, but I'm sensitive about it because I have just analyzed my situation and am going with the most vapor permeable solid air barrier I can find, which will hopefully be asphalt impregnated fiberboard. I can't add a good vapor barrier on the warm side without tearing out my walls, so I'm trying to keep the exterior as free-flowing for vapor as possible so the cavity can dry to the exterior if moisture gets into the cavity. But I want to restrict air movement, exfiltration, to keep moist air from wanting to enter the cavity and condense on the sheathing.Trapping moisture in your wall cavities is bad, but I think your garage probably won't be tight enough to have the walls as the main escape route for warm, moist air, and the air probably won't be all that warm and moist anyway. Just be sure you don't add vapor barriers to both the interior and exterior sides of the wall cavity.Check buildingscience.com for details about how to build walls.---mike...
Is your's an attached garage?
Around here, and I think according to national codes, an attached garage needs to be rocked with 5/8" fire resistant SR. But it can be installed over ply.
I believe the code only requires that walls that share conditioned living space be rocked, and then it only specs that for a smoke barrier which in the IRC is only 1/2" rock wall or ceiling. Using 5/8 on the ceiling is normal for good builders, but not required. detached garages are not required to be rocked on the interior at all, although I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong this one. But not to my knowledge. Local codes may say otherwise though.
The firewalls against the house are two layers of 5/8". The other three walls not against the house are plywood.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
I agree that the nailing schedule is most important. In fact, most sheathing used in a majority of construction is 7/16" and not a full 1/2". We have begun using the Zip Product which it has two different products, green for the wall and red for the roof. Their products are actually different in size. Green is the standard 7/16", where the red for the roof is actually a full 1/2". The IRC actually makes a distinction as well, I believe, in that if you use a full 1/2" thick sheet for the roof built with trusses, that truss clips are not required.
With all of that said, the main structural reason for sheathing is to provide strength against racking so the nail pattern is most important. Stepping up to a thicker sheathing is not worth the expense for the minimal gain, unless there is another principle that comes in to play like the strenth gained on a flat roof..
A lot of words for simple answer of no.
Even better. Saves me some cash for other stuff.
that is the key to building smart isn't it??? use good products wisely, and save some green for the showy stuff that owner's like to see!
Just to let you know, he is the homeowner!>G<
well I guess then I let one trade secret out of the bag! I will try to do my duedilligence a little better next time...
in my view, more power to him for asking first rather than doing and asking someone to fix for free!
That's ok, he has been building an addition to his house in Texas for 6 months now. We have been helping him through the process.
looks like you guys have been provided some good information. I have always been amazed (in my lurking behind the scenes) as to the good and mostly accurate information that HO's can receive here. Although professional opinions always vary, it is interesting to see how everyone interprets their individual code book and how they run their own business. I learn something everytime I come here.
Is the nailing schedule the standard 8"edge, 12" field? I always nail the hell out of it but can't ever remember the minimum.
For 5/16"-1/2" wood structural panels, the code is 6" edges and 12" field with approved nails and 3" edges and 6" field for approved 16 ga. staples. IRC2006.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
blakemore is correct, 6 and 12 are your OC for nailing. however, for the Zip product I would recommend using the staples to prevent over driven nails all the little tape spots everywhere. or make the framers hold the gun slightly off the wall prior to shooting. although they love me when I make them do that!
>> or make the framers hold the gun slightly off the wall prior to shooting.>>
My Hitachi guns won't fire if I do that.
However, there is a little depth-of-drive adjustment screw that will let me "set" nails up to a 1/4" or so proud.
Jim Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
sure the gun will fire, you just have to hold the pressure release part of the nozzle up. Turning the depth drive down is great, except that most typically have the compressor up so high because of the volume of air going through it that it still can overdrive the nail through the sheathing if you miss the stud. that is why I say staples are better.