Synopsis of Work for Installing Wall Insulation
& OSB Wall Sheathing.
Work on all aspects was carried out in parallel.
Details of Wall Insulation.
Why Insulate?
If the intention is to spend considerable time in the
workshop during the winter months and be reasonably
comfortable and warm, then insulation of walls &
ceiling is, in my view, essential. With insulation in
place, I have found that using a small oil-filled
electric radiator, it is easy to maintain a working
temperature in excess of 20o C. Conversely, in the heat of the summer, the workshop keeps comfortably cool at a temperature of 18o C.
Details
I decided to use Celotex foil faced insulation
board, 40mm thick for the stud walls (to fit between
the 45mm thick stud timbers), and 50mm thick for the
partition wall (to fit between the 70mm thick stud
timbers). However, I found that obtaining board of
the desired thicknesses was not easy! B &
Q and Wickes both stock Celotex but
not of the thicknesses that I required, and they will
not order the desired thicknesses either which I
think is very poor service!
I then tried ordering online from Travis
Perkins where the desired thicknesses were listed
as being available on their website. However, I then
received a phone call to say that that although
listed as available, the boards of the required
thicknesses were not stocked, and likewise
unavailable.
Eventually I found a company called Insulation
Giant where the required boards were listed on
their website, confirmed as available and delivered
after a few days at a reasonable price. Can recommend
them.
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Delivery, 28th
August 2015
The four Celotex insulation boards (1200mm x
2400mm x 40mm), delivered on the 28th August
2015.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Marking Out & Cutting,
30th August 2015
The boards were easily marked using a pencil
and straight-edge to rule the lines. They were
easily cut using a fine toothed insulation
board saw, as shown here. The edges of the
boards can also be easily sanded to fit a given
space using a sanding block and coarse (40
grit) sand-paper. Remember to wear a face-mask when sanding the boards as the fine dust from the sanding should not be inhaled!
(Click picture for larger view)
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Fitting the First Board,
30th August 2015
After cutting out with the saw and sanding to
an exact fit, the first board was pressed into
place.
(Click picture for larger view)
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One Wall Completed,
1st September 2015.
One wall finished! This was using 40mm thick
insulation board.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Partition Insulation Completed,
3rd September 2015.
This was insulated using 50mm thick
Celotex insulation board.
(Click picture for larger view)
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After cutting & fitting the insulation boards
between the studs, foil insulation tape was used for
sealing the joints between the studs and foil-faced
insulation boards. This prevents air leakage,
completes the vapour control layer and maximises
thermal performance. A polythene vapour barrier was
stapled to the studs before the OSB boards were
screwed in position on top.
Installing a Vapour Control Layer.
This is used to prevent the passage of water or
moisture from within the workshop to the timber
frame. People and their associated activities within
the workshop will produce water vapour which, if
unmanaged, can condense within or between building
elements; a process referred to as interstitial
condensation. This condensation can have serious
detrimental effects upon the building fabric, such as
causing the decay of the timber framework and
corrosion of the metal fastenings, and it may also
reduce the thermal effectiveness of the insulating
materials. A Vapour Control Layer provides a means of
protecting the warm side of the thermal insulation
incorporated in a building by creating a barrier to
the movement of warm, moist air.
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Tools & Materials,
September 2015
A roll of vapour barrier polythene, foil
insulation tape (50mm x 45m), craft knife,
staple gun with staples (for stapling the
vapour barrier polythene to the wooden studs).
(Click picture for larger view)
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Work in Progress,
6th September 2015
The edges of the insulation boards have been
sealed with foil insulation tape and the
polythene vapour barrier is being stapled in
position to the wooden studs.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Insulation Completed, 6th
September 2015
The insulation for the wall in the photograph
has been completed with the insulation boards
in place, edges sealed with foil tape, and
green vapour barrier polythene stapled over the
top. The next step for this wall will be to
sheath it with the OSB boards.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Sheathing Completed,
12th September 2015
The same wall after sheathing with the 18mm
thick Orientated Strand Board.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Details of OSB Wall Sheathing.
Oriented Strand Board (OSB), also known as
Sterling Board, Sterling OSB,
Aspenite, and Smartply in British
English, is an engineered wood particle board formed
by adding adhesives and then compressing layers of
wood strands (flakes) in specific orientations. OSB
may have a rough and variegated surface with the
individual strips of around 25mm × 150mm (1"
× 6"), lying unevenly across each other and
comes in a variety of types and thicknesses.
Reasons for Use.
OSB is a mechanically strong sheathing which has a
uniform consistency. It is a very effective substrate
for the attachment of a variety of fittings such as
shelves, electrical conduit and associated metal-clad
sockets. The 18mm thickness OSB was preferred for
mechanical strength and for accepting fixtures. OSB3
is a precision-engineered structural board for use in
load-bearing humid conditions and is specifically
recommended for wall sheathing, hence its use in this
project. OSB is a much cheaper option than using
plywood and is more consistent in properties with,
for example, no hidden voids as is commonly the case
with plywood.
Fixing to Studwork.
Fixings should generally be long enough to allow
about 20mm penetration into the substrate or have an
overall length of about 2.5 times the panel
thickness, whichever is the greater. Parallel core
screws should be used because they have greater
holding power than conventional tapered wood screws.
Drill pilot holes for all screw fixing. Typically,
the holes should be 85 to 90% of the screw core
diameter. Fixings into the board face should not be
within 8mm of edges and 25 mm of the corners. In
environments with typical humidity and temperature
conditions, it is recommended that when fixing
adjoining square edged panels, that a 3mm gap should
be left at all edges of each panel. Nailing the
boards to the studwork is also an option, but in this
instance screwing was the preferred option.
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Durgun Lift and Lock, Drywall Lifting Tool
This is a must-have tool for anyone working
alone, trying to install heavy OSB panels. It's
very easy to slip this under a corner and lift
the panel while checking for flush fit, plumb
and square. Your hands are free to position the
piece while holding a square or level. Once you
have it positioned, simply lift your foot and
it stays, ready for screwing.
It's great for doors too. Easy to lift and hold
the door for installation or holds the door
open and stable for installation of new locks,
doorknobs, etc.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Details of Installation.
13th August 2015..
11 Sheets of OSB (for wall sheathing), and 2 sheets
of insulation board (for partition wall), and some
replacement roof ties delivered. All from Travis
Perkins
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OSB & Insulation Delivered
13th August 2015.
Insulation board was for the partition studwork.
Insulation for the wall studwork was ordered
from a different company as Travis
Perkins did not stock the required thickness.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Moving an OSB Board,
13th August 2015.
Sheets of 18mm thick (1,220mm x 2,440mm) OSB individually weigh
34kg and two people should be on hand to move
each sheet. However, one easy way for one
person to move a sheet is to use an old
skateboard, as shown here.
(Click picture for larger view)
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OSB Techniques & Tools.
The 18mm thick OSB boards were cut to size
using a jigsaw. For fixing the boards to the
studwork, I preferred not to use nails but to
screw the boards in position using
parellel-sided 5mm diameter woodscrews, 60mm
long for the 70mm thick studs of the partition
wall and 50mm long for the 45mm thick studs on
the walls. The pilot holes for the screws were
pre-drilled to a diameter of 4mm. See below for
more details.
The photograph shows a selection of the tools
used in the installation including the drill,
screws, drill-bits and the Durgun board lifter.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Using the Durgun Board Lifter.
The OSB board is held in the correct vertical
position with the Durgun Board Lifter. The
board's correct lateral position is achieved by
abutting the vertical edge against several
temporary positioning nails driven into the
centre line of the vertical stud.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Attaching the OSB Sheathing.
Adjacent boards had a 3mm gap between them and
a similar gap at the top and bottom of each
board to allow for contraction & expansion
due to changes in humidity. I preferred not to
use nails but to screw the boards in position
using 5mm diameter, parallel-sided woodscrews,
60mm long for the 70mm thick studs of the
partition wall and 50mm long for the 45mm thick
studs on the walls. The holes were pre-drilled
to a diameter of 4mm. Screw intervals were at
the recommended 150mm intervals along all edges
of the boards and, for mid board vertical
studs, the screws were at 300mm intervals. 54
fixing screws were used per full OSB board.
NOTE. The insulation boards in the
interstices of the studwork, and the overlying
polythene vapour barrier have been omitted from
this diagram for clarity. The OSB boards are
shown as translucent ghosts to reveal the position of
the underlying wooden stud framework.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Two Photographs Showing the Positioning of
Adjacent OSB Boards.
The right photograph shows the the first OSB
board butted up against the positioning nails
driven into the centre line of the vertical
stud. The second (left) photograph shows the
second board butted up against the nails on the
other side of the stud and both boards have
been screwed in position, with the nails
ensuring a 3mm expansion gap between the
boards. The positioning nails were then
removed.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Erection of the First OSB Board, 3rd
September 2015.
The first OSB sheet, encompassing the new
partition doorway, was cut to size and screwed
in position. Work started on the exterior of
the partition stud wall whilst waiting for some
additional wall insulation board to be
delivered.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Completed Sheathing (1),
23rd October 2015
Workshop showing completed
sheathing, window and electrical sockets.
(Click picture for larger view)
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Completed Sheathing (2),
23rd October 2015
Workshop showing
completed sheathing, door, lighting and
electrical sockets.
(Click picture for larger view)
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