Finishing 1/2" OSB walls in my shed - paint, panel over it, or just drywall?
About a year ago I had a 12x14 Amish-built shed delivered and I've been doing all the interior finishing myself - insulation, electrical, lighting, workbench, flooring, the works. It's gotten a ton of use as an outdoor gym, workshop, and TV/hangout space. I've even crashed out there a few times when we've had guests in town. It has AC/heat but I don't run it constantly, so it's not a wet environment but it does get some Northeastern humidity occasionally.
Early on I went with 1/2" OSB on the walls specifically for the utility - I wanted to be able to hang anything anywhere without hunting for studs. No regrets on that call. But now I'm at the finishing stage and trying to decide how to make the walls look halfway decent without losing the function.
Three options I'm weighing:
- Paint the OSB directly. I know it's tricky to get a clean look because of how the strands soak up paint. Anyone actually pulled this off in a way that looked decent? Primer recommendations? Roller vs sprayer? I've heard of people using drywall mud before painting and know oil based primer is important.
- Panel over it with something like Eucatile. This appeals to me because it'd give a finished look fast, but I'm not sure how it holds up with occasional humidity swings. Anyone run this in a similar space? It's pretty cheap especially compared to the cost of paint + primer - and I could tack it up with my nail gun and some glue pretty quickly over the OSB. I just don't want to regret it later.
- 1/4" drywall over the OSB. I genuinely hate drywall and drywalling, and this feels like overkill on top of OSB that's already solid.
Goal is aesthetically pleasing but not perfect - this is a working space, not a guest house. Would love to hear from anyone who's been down this road.