Georgia Pacific Ply-Bead for wainscoating?
 

I want to add wainscoating to our finished basement. The walls are 2x4 framing 16" on center with vapor barrier and fiberglass batt insulation faced with 1/2" sheetrock. I know because I had to get into one of the walls to change an electrical outlet. The product literature for the ply-bead simply states that it must have a "nailable backing" (studs, furring strips, etc...) and can be nailed directly to the backing or nailed to the backing through sheetrock. I was wondering if it would be better to tear out the sheetrock and install 7/16" OSB in its place for greater rigidity and less potential for wavyness? The 7/16" OSB combined with the 11/32" ply-bead would sit proud of the sheetrock wall but it doesn't matter because I'm going to be putting a "drink shelf" at the top of the wainscoating so I can use a rabbeted trim piece to cover the seam. Using the OSB might seem like overkill, but I actually have more of it than I know what do with. I bought 40 sheets of it for $50 from a sign company that went out of business about 2 years ago and it's been sitting around ever since.

Seems like an inordinate amount of work for no reason. Nail it to the studs and use a construction adhesive.
Ron

So I should just go right over the sheetrock as is?

I would.
Ron

Me too!

If your putting a drink shelf on it think about nailing or screwing horizontal 1X4 strips on top of the drywall for backing and applying the wainscoting to that. The top would then be backing for the shelf.

I'd just glue it and pop in the occasional panel nail to hold it in place. The base and the chairrail will hold the rest of it in place. If you build it out with firring strips, you'll need to add mudrings to the electrical outlets and switches