In my garage, the builder looks to have installed an OSB wall adjacent to the Living Room. The other walls are just drywall and studs whereas this one has OSB and then drywall on top of it. Is there any reason why they would have installed this wall?
I'm looking to cut a utility access panel into this wall so checking if there's any negatives to cutting through this wall.
Best Answer
That is probably what's called a shear wall. It's laterally structural to support the building's side-to-side forces.
Penetrations in your shear wall must adhere to different restrictions than other walls and you may need to consult an engineer to verify. However, I suspect that if you're just removing enough osb to accommodate a small sub panel you're probably fine, you may need to block around it.