Man cave question
General Topic
So I finally finished framing in the basement and am looking to put plywood/OSB on some of the walls in the main rec room. Is 3/8 sufficient or is it necessary to go with 1/2" or 5/8"? I am going to put some backing on the areas where larger mounts may go regardless, but I want the option to put mounts anywhere. Thanks.
Married? Kids? Pro tip: don't finish it. If you make it too nice they will want to go there and then it's not your man cave anymore.
3/8" seems pretty thin to support screws for taxidermy. I'd go at least 1/2", but 3/4" better. I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in shortly.
If I was using OSB I assume you are using finished side out.I would put some 2x6 pieces in between studs and take a pic before sheeting
I sheered mine with 3/4”……can hang a mount anywhere I need to
I’d go with 5/8” minimum and 3/4” would be preferable. You might want to do a full size on a nature scene/rock at some point in the future and those can weigh much more than a simple shoulder mount. Or, what if you decide to hunt moose or other large critters?
In a new house I built for a customer 3 years ago we covered all the walls in the trophy room with 3/4 OSB. Now this is a 30’ x 40’ room with vaulted ceilings and he wanted to hang mounts anywhere. We then drywalled over it. Took 36 sheets 4’x8’
Go with a full size beer fridge. Dorm room size just won’t cut it.
I don't particularly like to screw into OSB, through yes, I'm an old school plywood guy, and I don't trust OSB to hold up.
When I built mine I decided to go with 1”x6” rough cut lumber. Got it from a local sawmill and it was multiple species of wood. Bought a whole pallet that ended up doing the all of the walls and ceiling. I like it for the look and also because I can hang anything anywhere. The only downfall is that there is always some shrinkage. I put the boards up as tight as I could get them but now there are gaps. This was very cost effective at the time as well.
DH72.....I actually like the gap in the wood. It gives it a bit more rustic/barn look.
I had a house built a year ago. The builder recommended 5/8” osb. It’s glued and screwed to the studs. Then there is Sheetrock over that. I have elk, and eland and many smaller heads hung on it. It’s working fine.
Day of install. Not many gaps
Day of install. Not many gaps
JL, thanks. The gaps don’t bother me, I knew it would happen. Definitely makes it rustic, maybe not the right look for everyone. Here’s a pic from the day of install.
Can’t get the pics to orientate. Tried editing.
Vonfoust knows things....... I'm living his advice....
i would lath it out with 2x4 ,16" or 2' O/C flat and anchored to your basement walls then your OSB or drywall .
concrete and block hold moisture, even though it seems dry. If you are really set on fastening your OSB directly to the walls, I would at least drylok them first.
OSB does not hold screws quite as good as regular plywood, but it holds up better to moisture. Regular plywood will delaminate...OSB will not.
We use nothing but advancetech sheeting on subfloors...it is Waaaay better than plywood or regular OSB..
Zip wall is OSB with a rubberized coating on one side, we use it for exterior sheeting and is better than conventional OSB and tyvek
Tapconing zip wall to the foundation with the rubber toward the wall might be an option, but even that may trap moisture....and your right back to lath and a airspace.
If your "framing" you finished is referring to lathing the basement walls, my apology for such a long winded reply above.
Just keep in mind whatever you screw into the screw is only as strong as the backing. If anchoring to OSB alone, more is better.
Personally I'd feel a whole lot better anchoring screws holding larger mounts into studs.
I think 3/8 would be fine if you are putting some type of tongue-n-groove over it.
I've had no problems at all with mine done that way.
Good luck, Robb
3/4" plywood, no OSB. I hang heavy (a few hundred pounds) switch gear off of 3/4" plywood with lag bolts, and have never had a problem.
I did 1/2 plywood then drywalled
@ STIX - "Check with county code. Most require 5/8" in living spaces."
Id like to see that code book
Some nice man caves there fellas..Id go with 3/4
Whatever you use, if there are doors and windows involved, be sure your overall wall thickness matches the width of the door and window jambs. Otherwise, you will have some tricky trim details to deal with.
Matt
If it was mine, like many have stated 3/4 plywood. Over the course of my life I have learned it's cheaper to do it right, and once.
No OSB. Plywood and if you’re hanging mounts bigger than deer… elk, moose etc go 3/4. Think about how many threads of a screw actually do the work in 3/8 or 1/2 inch. Not many!
GG brings up a good point about allowing for window trim, etc. Wasn’t my builders first game room…..3/4” plywood, then drywall and 80/20 finish.
The attached link shows pullout values for OSB panels and thicker definitely has higher values, but your main force is going to be shear, not withdrawal. If your area is not very large, who cares and go with thicker or block areas you know will have higher loads? If its large, you may want to sharpen your pencil and figure out what you really need. If your finish material is only drywall, then the strength is only from the OSB or plywood. If you finish with T&G pine or some of the barn material (I think looks really nice), then you'll get more capacity from the finish material than you will from the OSB or plywood. I don't have any mounts myself, but I am a structural engineer.
I did mine opposite of most of you guys, I did sheetrock over the studs/insulation, then the 3/8 plywood then the t-n-g.
Some dang good advice here for sure,
Robb
I went with 3/4 OSB over the drywall already in place. Then I put a LVT flooring planks over the OSB. Hope to be able to hang stuff anywhere without having to find a stud. Still waiting for my trophies from South Africa to get done at taxidermist from 2019. Darn Covid.
Thanks for the advice guys, some good info here and some great rooms. The outer walls are already insulated and have moisture barrier done. I did not like the half pony walls around the outside so on half of them I put a new wall inside it.
I am planning on putting drywall over the plywood other than one feature wall that will have barn wood from my Grandparents first house.
I have started to put some blocking in places where there may be larger mounts for added reinforcement.
I will come back and add some pictures of the finished product when I finally get it done.
Good for you
Looking forward to your updates
No need to go overboard on to much reinforcement's.
My walls have plenty of weight on them all the way up to 12ft.
Good luck, Robb
I went with three-quarter plywood it as it is by far the strongest and with some of these head mounts I just don’t wanna worry about them falling.. it’s a buy ones cry once type of scenario but while building our house it was a no-brainer for me.
The only time 5/8” Sheetrock is required is for Fire protection.
That’s for both IRC & IBC ( International Residential Code & International Building Code - Commercial)
If you know where mounts are going I'd put 2x8 blocking between studs .Then drywall over.
Lots to think about when planning a trophy room for sure and some different ways to get it done as it relates to cost and your situation. One thing that I found helpful was to take detail photos of all the framing before any sheet goods were hung. Helps a bunch. Good luck!
Others may have stated, 1/2 CDX is what I would use, OSB just doesn't hold well with wall anchors. There is a lot of great advise in this thread.
No pictures of how mine was done but we put 2x4's nailed to the 2x6 studs then Plywood between the studs so when done the wall was flush to the studs then drywalled over that. Di8d this to within about 2 feet of the walls and 4 feet from the floor.
