Finishing Garage Walls with Plywood

[cls89]

Planning to finish the inside of my garage walls with plywood. Looking for some advice / feedback. Details below.

General Plan Information

1. Plywood thickness. Planning to use 1/2 inch thick plywood.
2. Plywood type.
   1. CDX is $22 for 4x8, 1/2” thick
   2. BCX is $37 for 4x8, 1/2” thick
   3. Leaning towards CDX for cost reasons. I could get BCX 3/8” thick for $32 but still $10 more per sheet. Tell me what you think.
3. Plywood orientation. Planning to install the plywood vertically instead of horizontally. The 8ft direction will touch the ceiling and garage floor.
4. Planning to use #8 1-5/8 inch long deck screws. Let me know if a different type of screw should be used.

Questions / looking for advice

1. The garage floor sweats / gets wet from condensation during the humid months. I would like to protect the bottom edge of the plywood walls from the concrete floor when it does get a little wet. I figured there are two ways to do this.
   1. I can seal the bottom edge of the plywood with something like deck joist tape / flashing to help protect it from the wet concrete floor.
   2. I can keep some clearance between the bottom of the plywood wall and the garage floor.
      1. I would leave a small 1-2 inch gap between bottom of the plywood wall and the floor.
      2. I could put 1x2 western red cedar or 1x2 PVC board to fit into the gap to cover / give it a more finished look. Only thing I don’t like about the white PVC board is that it wouldn’t look right with the plywood wall. I would lean more towards the red cedar in this application. Ether of these boards can tolerate moisture / rot. Tell me what you think? Maybe even a treated board?
2. Also looking for advice on how to cover the seams. Should I fill the seams with caulk, cover them with thin wooden strips / battens, or cut a rabbet on the edges of the plywood and lap them?

 

[Mick56]

I would coat the bottom edge and up a few inches on both sides with linseed oil. After it dries, it can be painted, later on.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Whatever you use, raise it at least 1/2" off the floor or moisture will wick up from the bottom and begin to destroy it.
But why not use drywall? Even if you never tape it it will look nicer than plywood, is much cheaper, is simple to repair and your insurance man will like you too.
And it can always be taped - even years from now if you decide to doll the place up a little.
I did all 4 walls and ceiling with 5/8 type X (fire rated) drywall.

 

[bluedog225]

Drywall makes sense from a fire perspective. Then a band of 3/4 cdx at torso height for attaching whatever. Put 1/4 or 1/2 gap under the Sheetrock.

 

[Fixr]

Whatever you use, raise it at least 1/2" off the floor or moisture will wick up from the bottom and begin to destroy it.
But why not use drywall? Even if you never tape it it will look nicer than plywood, is much cheaper, is simple to repair and your insurance man will like you too.
And it can always be taped - even years from now if you choose.
I did all 4 walls and ceiling with 5/8 type X (fire rated) drywall.

I used 3/4" plywood on all the walls so I can attach anything anywhere, didn't have to tape and float and sand, and because I got the plywood really cheap.

 

[LopezBart]

I'd use at least 1/2" spacers when installing the plywood to keep it off the slab. As far as cove base goes, it's a matter of taste, rubber works well and doesn't rot. Plywood is definitely a nicer surfaces in terms of durability and easy fastening of brackets, shelving, etc.

 

[Rusted Nut]

B grade had a better face, I wouldn’t spend the money for a garage. 1 1/4” screws are plenty long enough for 1/2” sheathing. Hold sheets up a 1/2”, caulk the gap if you want.

 

[Ultradog MN]

I used 3/4" plywood on all the walls so I can attach anything anywhere, didn't have to tape and float and sand, and because I got the plywood really cheap.

Drywall is classy.
Taping, floating and sanding ain't so bad. I can hang anything anywhere.
Really cheap is good.

 

[bearcmkt]

7/16 osb, caulk if you want, paint.

 

[russ455]

If cost is important how about osb? I’m trying to make that decision myself

 

[cls89]

Whatever you use, raise it at least 1/2" off the floor or moisture will wick up from the bottom and begin to destroy it.
But why not use drywall? Even if you never tape it it will look nicer than plywood, is much cheaper, is simple to repair and your insurance man will like you too.
And it can always be taped - even years from now if you decide to doll the place up a little.
I did all 4 walls and ceiling with 5/8 type X (fire rated) drywall.

Yea I would probably raise it at least 3/4” off of the ground.

I’ve considered drywall, and I’m not opposed to taping, mudding and painting. I agree, I think white walls would look nice. The problem for me is durability. The drywall dings / dents easily. I feel like it’s also resistant to higher levels of humidity.

 

[drmarkr]

I used vertical 3/4 tongue/groove, screwed to the girts. Floated the joints and screw heads smooth. It turned out great. Having the ability to mount anything directly to the walls is worth the extra cost, IMO, and it looks damn near as nice as drywall.

 

[Jgaz]

Definitely get the drywall or plywood up off the floor. I had three different garages in SE Michigan and the floor always got wet in the winter time.

My situation is a bit different than yours in that I have about a 4” stem wall in my garage.
The garage was also dry walled by the builder before I bought the house.

On one section of my shop wall I have added a sheet and a half of high quality 3/4” plywood (type unknown) that I painted to match the drywall above it. I was lucky to buy the two sheets at a good discount due to damage on the corners of the two sheets. I wish they had damaged more!

These sheets have allowed me to change the configuration of my dust collection piping as well as clamp hangers etc several times without anchors or looking for studs.

These two pictures were taken about three years apart and I’m thinking about changing some things again in this section.


You can kinda see the changes as well as what I mean about a stem wall.

 

[Jgaz]

Having the ability to mount anything directly to the walls is worth the extra cost, IMO, and it looks damn near as nice as drywall.

This! ^^
You can see the look of my plywood and drywall in my lower picture.
The plywood ends at the bottom edge of the electrical box

 

[earl84]

My garage was drywalled before I bought the house. I do a lot in the garage, auto maintenance, ATV Maintenance/storage, some welding, easy woodworking, general maintenance, deer/elk processing. I have not dinged the walls even once that I remember in almost 6 years. If it happens, it's easy to fix, or not fix it. Even though we all love to spend time out there, in the end it's just a garage. And I don't think it's a big deal to use a stud finder and affix things to studs. YMMV.

 

[cls89]

Whatever you use, raise it at least 1/2" off the floor or moisture will wick up from the bottom and begin to destroy it.
But why not use drywall? Even if you never tape it it will look nicer than plywood, is much cheaper, is simple to repair and your insurance man will like you too.
And it can always be taped - even years from now if you decide to doll the place up a little.
I did all 4 walls and ceiling with 5/8 type X (fire rated) drywall.

Just to be clear, is this what you used (link below), or did you use something that was mold / moisture resistant?

5/8 x 4 x 8 Type X Fire-Rated Drywall

This fire-rated wallboard is made with cores formulated to offer greater fire resistance than regular wallboard. Generally, these fire-resistant wallboards used to delay heat transfer to structural members are designated as "Type X" products.

www.menards.com

 

[nadogail]

I used drywall because it was the best bang for my limited budget.
I don’t regret covering the walls of my Garage Shop with drywall.
In the Shop Toilet room I glued FRP onto the walls. If FRP is good enough for commercial kitchens and McDonalds Restrooms I is perfect for the small room that encloses the shop toilet.

 

[u2slow]

Horizontal 1/2" sheets had already been started by the GC due to to shear considerations, so I stuck with it.

I used the cheaper plywood. Price flipped a few times between sheathing and finished. Once painted makes minimal difference is appearance. Caulk any noticable gaps later.

 

[cls89]

I used drywall because it was the best bang for my limited budget.
I don’t regret covering the walls of my Garage Shop with drywall.
In the Shop Toilet room I glued FRP onto the walls. If FRP is good enough for commercial kitchens and McDonalds Restrooms I is perfect for the small room that encloses the shop toilet.

What type of drywall did you use? How did you hang it? Assuming vertically for less seams?

 

[nadogail]

5/8, vertical with taped seams, primed and painted with Eggshell Whisper White Acrylic Paint.
The garage has a stem wall about 5” high at entrance. The toilet and sink are at the end furthest from the car door. The Man Door is at the high end of the garage.

 

[pembol]

I am also waffling on this same decision of plywood vs drywall for interior shop/garage walls. In my case it is driven more by aesthetics and convenience than cost. I would do plywood myself, whereas I would hire drywall out, so even with the fanciest ply it would be cheaper than drywall. I also like the look and warmth of plywood walls, and would use ACX or even birch with a clear or natural finish. If you are good with the appearance of plywood, what are other downsides?

 

[Steve W.]

I went with 7/16" OSB. Two coats of primer, two coats of white. Can still tell it's OSB, but with all the cabinets and shelves, you can't see much of it, so it's simply not a problem.

.

 

[u2slow]

If you are good with the appearance of plywood, what are other downsides?

I haven't found a downside. I did the laundry room (in the house) in plywood too.

 

[karoc]

I also use cdx 1/2 in my garage, which that was about 20yrs ago. I use short decking screws so wouldn’t rust, couple coats SW’s latex paint. Other than dust, it still looks good for its age.
I am thinking of using Zip in my new garage since it resist moisture pretty dang good. With green side out, I would say it’s already primer. Zip I believe is about same cost but 7/16 thick

 

[Ultradog MN]

Just to be clear, is this what you used (link below), or did you use something that was mold / moisture resistant?

5/8 x 4 x 8 Type X Fire-Rated Drywall

This fire-rated wallboard is made with cores formulated to offer greater fire resistance than regular wallboard. Generally, these fire-resistant wallboards used to delay heat transfer to structural members are designated as "Type X" products.

www.menards.com

That is the stuff. From Menards actually.
Another reason to use drywall is it comes in 8, 10 and 12' lengths.
My walls are 9' 4".
One thing to remember is type X is all 5/8" and it is NOT the Ultralight stuff. It's heavy so getting 12 footers off the trailer and up on to a panel lift is Not a one man job - unless you get creative.
I posted this photo here somewhere before.
I hung all type X in my 19x33' shop area. Alone.
Edit: it is all the white stuff - not the green/water resistant.

 

[Bert_]

I'd take plywood over drywall any day. 1/2" CDX gets my vote. Plan on painting it a light color.

Are you just doing walls?

 

[Hank11]

T1-11 would look nice and its water resistant since its an exterior sheet. You could paint it now or you could paint it later. White walls are nice. They help a lot with light reflection. CDX is going to be pretty sad looking no matter what you do. Drywall is cheapest and it’s really easy to repair if it’s damaged. The repair can look just as good as new. Vinyl cove base is cheap, easy and looks pretty nice. Water won’t hurt it. If the floor “sweats” and that’s all, just hold the drywall or other material up a half inch. If it floods, you need a better plan.

 

[cls89]

I'd take plywood over drywall any day. 1/2" CDX gets my vote. Plan on painting it a light color.

Are you just doing walls?

I wasn’t planning on painting it. Walls would be plywood. I plan on spray foaming the roof deck in the garage and covering it rough cut pine.

Another question I have that I didn’t as is are there any issues with using plywood walls in a detached garage. In terms of building code or insurance?

 

[drmarkr]

I wasn’t planning on painting it. Walls would be plywood. I plan on spray foaming the roof deck in the garage and covering it rough cut pine.

Another question I have that I didn’t as is are there any issues with using plywood walls in a detached garage. In terms of building code or insurance?

Oh man....you gotta paint it. Semi-gloss bright white. Doesn't cost much and you can do it yourself. The amount of additional light reflection you'll get is WAY worth the time and money! Just do it!!

 

[cls89]

T1-11 would look nice and its water resistant since it’s an exterior sheet. You could paint it now or you could paint it later. White walls are nice. They help a lot with light reflection. CDX is going to be pretty sad looking no matter what you do. Drywall is cheapest and it’s really easy to repair if it’s damaged. The repair can look just as good as new. Vinyl cove base is cheap, easy and looks pretty nice. Water won’t hurt it. If the floor “sweats” and that’s all, just hold the drywall or other material up a half inch. If it floods, you need a better plan.

I was also considering T1-11 in terms of plywood options. It looks nice. About the same cost as BCX. How would you go about fastening the T1-11 to the studs? Still use screws or nails?

 

[pembol]

Oh man....you gotta paint it. Semi-gloss bright white. Doesn't cost much and you can do it yourself. The amount of additional light reflection you'll get is WAY worth the time and money! Just do it!!

I dunno, if you use a decent grade of plywood, the raw wood look is pretty nice. Here is Frank Howarth's awesome shop, which appears to use unfinshed plywood for walls: https://www.woodmagazine.com/workshop/inspiring-shops/architects-modern-shop

 

[TonyG109]

Oh man....you gotta paint it. Semi-gloss bright white. Doesn't cost much and you can do it yourself. The amount of additional light reflection you'll get is WAY worth the time and money! Just do it!!

What drmarkr said! I did the walls in my 30' x 50' x 12' garage with 3/4", err 23/32" OSB and can hang just about anything anywhere. A couple coats of high build primer and a very very light gray finish coat and the place was transformed from a dark hole to a bright work area. Definitely paint it! Cheaper and easier than installing more lights!

edit: Just saw the reply about Frank Howarth's shop. I'm not sure if you're in it for the long haul, but raw wood will usually darken with age.

 

[OccupantRJ]

1/2” BC plywood on my walls because I needed to hang a lot of things up. I mounted it with deck screws and used Dap spackle to cover screw heads. It was $20 a sheet back then and I have not regretted using it for one minute.

 

[pembol]

What drmarkr said! I did the walls in my 30' x 50' x 12' garage with 3/4", err 23/32" OSB and can hang just about anything anywhere. A couple coats of high build primer and a very very light gray finish coat and the place was transformed from a dark hole to a bright work area. Definitely paint it! Cheaper and easier than installing more lights!

edit: Just saw the reply about Frank Howarth's shop. I'm not sure if you're in it for the long haul, but raw wood will usually darken with age.

I can't tell if he has some sort of finish on his walls or not. He seems to know what he is on about, so I imagine he has thought of this. While I am not nearly the woodworker (or video producer) that he is, the architecture of his shop was a major inspiration for mine.

 

[TonyG109]

He sure has a nice looking shop. No doubt about it!

 

[cls89]

That is the stuff. From Menards actually.
Another reason to use drywall is it comes in 8, 10 and 12' lengths.
My walls are 9' 4".
One thing to remember is type X is all 5/8" and it is NOT the Ultralight stuff. It's heavy so getting 12 footers off the trailer and up on to a panel lift is Not a one man job - unless you get creative.
I posted this photo here somewhere before.
I hung all type X in my 19x33' shop area. Alone.
Edit: it is all the white stuff - not the green/water resistant.

About how much does each drywall panel weigh? How did you go about hanging each drywall panel by yourself? In terms of lifting and setting in place?

Also can I avoid taping and mudding the drywall joints by covering them with luan plywood cut into strips and painted before install? See photo for example.

 

[u2slow]

I was also considering T1-11 in terms of plywood options. It looks nice. About the same cost as BCX. How would you go about fastening the T1-11 to the studs? Still use screws or nails?

Wow. T1-11 (5/8") is twice the price of 1/2" sheathing here. I would not use the 3/8 version standalone on studs.

I use screws for either. I want to able to remove a panel easy if I want to.

 

[Hank11]

I was also considering T1-11 in terms of plywood options. It looks nice. About the same cost as BCX. How would you go about fastening the T1-11 to the studs? Still use screws or nails?

Finish nails or finish screws. Just be neat about it. You can buy colored finish screws.

 

[cls89]

Finish nails or finish screws. Just be neat about it. You can buy colored finish screws.

A finish screw like the one linked below has an enough structural strength for hanging wall panels?

GRK Fasteners #8 x 1-1/2 in. Star Drive Trim-Head Finish Screw (100-per Pack) 119724 - The Home Depot

This GRK Fasteners #8 Star Drive Trim-Head Finish and Trim Screw is an excellent choice for most fine carpentry applications. Self-tapping screws.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Bert_]

Raw wood will soak up a lot of light. It can be overcome but plan on needing 50% more light fixtures.

From a strictly practical perspective, I would have painted plywood walls and tin on the ceiling. It doesn't have the aesthetic that other materials have though.