What to use for interior walls

[JoeSimcoe]

Hello - I am new to this forum, and am looking for ideas about how to finish out the interior walls of my unfinished three car garage.
Two bays will be parking and storage for 'normal' garage stuff - the third bay is oversesized and will keep m truck with room in front for a small shop area.
I woyld really appreciate suggestions on what to use for walks and ceiling - I am trying NOT to use sheet rock ...
Joe Simcoe

 

[38 Dodge Coupe]

I have a 30 x 32 garage/workshop. I insulated the garage and sheet rocked the ceiling and located gently used slatwall for the sides. The slatwall looks great but it took two of us to put them up as they are heavy.

 

[bdamico]

hello -- many, many threads on this - search "wall covering" title only

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=31718049

 

[Oceandweller]

Sheet rock pound for pound will be the cheapest. Do what I did, 3/4 sheetrock and 1/4 the area that will be used to hang the most stuff, or areas that will need the most weight load, hanging, areas where you need to put in a screw without looking for a stud use wood.

 

[Cyberbear]

Since for you drywall is out, along with it's fire prevention capability, it seems that some other type of sheet material needs to be used. Being old school, I'd prefer plywood of a suitable thickness. Also, the ambient odor of OSB, particle board and other similar products are intolerable for my long term use. Some people's allergies are aggravated by long term exposure, things to consider when friends are visiting.

 

[ktmracer]

I did plywood. A C grade. For one really good side. 1/2 " I really like the look and plan on wiping stain on the inside of the white garage doors to tie them in. Good luck.


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[ktmracer]

I did plywood. A C grade. For one really good side. 1/2 " I really like the look and plan on wiping stain on the inside of the white garage doors to tie them in. Good luck.


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[lakeroadster]

LP Smartside 4' x 8' sheets. Tongue and groove edges, pre-finished.

Goes up quickly, it's as durable as plywood, looks better, and you don't even need to paint it.

http://www.lpsmartside.com/products/Panel/

Available at Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/LP-SmartSide-SmartSide-48-in-x-96-in-Strand-Panel-Siding-27874/100055901

Picture below is of my previous shop. We used LP SmartSide on the ceiling and walls.

 

[justanengineer]

Assuming it's a detached garage and local code allows something other than Sheetrock, there's plywood, son, even paneling. JMO but the best all around choice tho is rock.


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[mjweimer]

I too chose drywall for my 30x40x12 stick-built and don't regret it. My contractor told me it was cheaper than OSB since his guys were more familiar with installing it (think trimming around outlets), comes in longer sheets and it takes paint faster...I painted mine gloss white to maximize its reflective capability and to keep it easy to clean if needed. (A bright finish cannot be understated for how much it helps reflect light and brighten up the space.)

Have you looked at using metal siding for the walls and ceiling? I can't speak to the cost, but I have worked in several shops with this type of interior and it is very nice. If I end up adding on another bay I will be looking into this seriously. I think it is ideal for a welding/cutting area or wash bay area.

I have heard that you can use the lowest grade exterior finish to save cost...no personal experience though.

 

[skoronesa]

26ga galvanized sheet metal. you can get it from a supply house that sells duct work. Roxul insulation for fire resistance and to help with the sound. It will echo/be louder but it won't be drywall and it won't light on fire. Sheet metal is not a fireproofing material in that it transfers heat and wont protect the studs so you could go with metal studs.

 

[regguy1]

Something different, photos and videos here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140674&highlight=26'+30'+Garage+photos+videos

 

[Richard Cranium]

I would say 90+ 0/0 of garages are sheet rocked, I would say for fire protection.

 

[KDXSR5]

LP Smartside 4' x 8' sheets. Tongue and groove edges, pre-finished.

Goes up quickly, it's as durable as plywood, looks better, and you don't even need to paint it.

http://www.lpsmartside.com/products/Panel/

Available at Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/LP-SmartSide-SmartSide-48-in-x-96-in-Strand-Panel-Siding-27874/100055901

Picture below is of my previous shop. We used LP SmartSide on the ceiling and walls.

This looks nice. Did you finish your new shop in a similar manor?

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I would never consider drywall for a garage anyways. Plywood would be best, OSB would be just as functional and cheaper, but not as nice looking as plywood. I've got a mix of OSB and plywood, just using whatever I got cheap or for free.

 

[lakeroadster]

This looks nice. Did you finish your new shop in a similar manor?

Thanks!

The attached garage on our "circa 1978.. new to us" home just had sheet rock on the adjoining wall to the house, the rest was just open studs. We finished it this year with LP SmartSide.

The barn we just built will have a combination of steel (reworked from the barn build) and wood inside. I'm slowly making progress on that.

 

[p_mori7]

Plywood here as well. Am really happy with it.

 

[padroo]

I didn't read all the threads but hardie panels are fireproof and look nice.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/James-Ha...ement-Sierra-8-Panel-Siding-9000523/100072921

I believe you can get them in 10 foot lenghts.

 

[Kevin54]

Hello - I am new to this forum, and am looking for ideas about how to finish out the interior walls of my unfinished three car garage.
Two bays will be parking and storage for 'normal' garage stuff - the third bay is oversesized and will keep m truck with room in front for a small shop area.
I woyld really appreciate suggestions on what to use for walks and ceiling - I am trying NOT to use sheet rock ...
Joe Simcoe

First off.....WELCOME to Garage Journal. For just about any question you ask, you can find an answer on here.

As far as wall covering.....Pick what YOU like. When it comes to that, you will get a load of different answers. There is drywall, OSB, Plywood, just for starters. Then you have corrugated tin, corrugated tin and drywall, corrugated tin and OSB, OSB and drywall, drywall over OSB, OSB wainscoting and drywall on top, plywood and drywall, plywood and tin. But then you can have metal panels. Metal panels and OSB, metal panels and drywall, metal panels and plywood, and just about any other combination that you can think of and it's been done on here. Oh, and I forgot barnwood and paneling.

Then once you figure out the wall covering it comes to paint. Then there are the stripes. Then the color of paint, the color of stripes, how high to put the stripes, how many stripes, how many colors to paint the stripes, stripes only, stripes painted the same as the lower half of the garage, stripes a different color than the lower half, and any color or combination you can think of, it's probably been done.

But don't forget the ceiling either. Plywood, OSB, Drywall, Metal, color or white........

It just boils down to what you will be doing in the garage, do you throw wrenches or not, do you want to hang anything anywhere, do you want it to look like the inside of your house or the inside of a barn......

Basically it is how YOU want it to look and how tough YOU want it to be. But above all, do a search before you ask what material to use for airlines and whether PVC will work or not.

Again.....Welcome to Garage Journal!!!!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Arguably, more house fires start in the garage than anywhere else. The storage of vehicles in the garage, welding and grinding and other spark producing processes engaged in the garage, the storage and use of solvents, gasoline, aerosol cans, etc all make it the most fire prone and hazardous area of the house.

I'm not sure of where you get your data from but I think it is quite incorrect.

 

[NUTTSGT]

First off.....WELCOME to Garage Journal. For just about any question you ask, you can find an answer on here.

As far as wall covering.....Pick what YOU like. When it comes to that, you will get a load of different answers. There is drywall, OSB, Plywood, just for starters. Then you have corrugated tin, corrugated tin and drywall, corrugated tin and OSB, OSB and drywall, drywall over OSB, OSB wainscoting and drywall on top, plywood and drywall, plywood and tin. But then you can have metal panels. Metal panels and OSB, metal panels and drywall, metal panels and plywood, and just about any other combination that you can think of and it's been done on here. Oh, and I forgot barnwood and paneling.

Then once you figure out the wall covering it comes to paint. Then there are the stripes. Then the color of paint, the color of stripes, how high to put the stripes, how many stripes, how many colors to paint the stripes, stripes only, stripes painted the same as the lower half of the garage, stripes a different color than the lower half, and any color or combination you can think of, it's probably been done.

But don't forget the ceiling either. Plywood, OSB, Drywall, Metal, color or white........

It just boils down to what you will be doing in the garage, do you throw wrenches or not, do you want to hang anything anywhere, do you want it to look like the inside of your house or the inside of a barn......

Basically it is how YOU want it to look and how tough YOU want it to be. But above all, do a search before you ask what material to use for airlines and whether PVC will work or not.

Again.....Welcome to Garage Journal!!!!

Well said Kevin but by chance did you just watch Forrest Gump ? That sounds like Bubba telling Forrest about every way to eat shrimp.



Joe, Welcome to GJ. One question that I have for you, is this an attached or detached garage ?

 

[aar0s]

I used 7/16 osb for the walls in my garage, five years on I've not managed to burn it down, and I have never had a problem with the odor but I open my doors often.

If you do want to use plywood and AC grade price puckers you up look around for some B
C grade. We sell it for about 5 to 7 bucks a sheet cheaper than AC. It has a sanded side but the voids in the plys between are not filled like AC. I've also seen some fir plywood that had a nice finished side, but not filled and sanded, priced just above CD grade.

You could go all Pinterest fancy and do a reclaimed pallet lumber wainscot with a sheet of drywall above it, only have the head joints to mud then.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I didn't read all the threads but hardie panels are fireproof and look nice.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/James-Ha...ement-Sierra-8-Panel-Siding-9000523/100072921

I believe you can get them in 10 foot lenghts.

I wanted to use hardie panels for our shed, but no stores anywhere near here carry them, and shipping is unavailable.

 

[ard]

Just a datum-

In the barn, for the horse areas, I used 1/2" osb then nailed up 1x4 tongue and grove over top. Above 8ft it is sheetrock, as is the ceilings. All walls insulated as well with fiberglass bats.

I felt the 1x4 over rock would not be as strong, and alone not enough. The composite has withstood the test of time. Few kicks, few splinters. Looks good after 14 years.

As I look to the next shop, I will surely sheetrock- but might panel, slatwall, metal etc over top. Rock has a unifying and clean look, so having that from 8 or 10 ft above grade on the walls, then the ceiling, would make it nice and clean.

 

[matt_i]

A variation on the drywall is this: a "knockdown" texture. I have this in my existing shop and plan to do a version of this in the new part I just built. It hides little dings and scrapes pretty well. I sourced Type C drywall for even better fire resistance than Type X.

I recall my Dad putting up a piece of T-111 siding in the area where our old metal trash cans resided and had the wall looking pretty shabby previously. Worked very well.

The other design feature if starting from scratch is to build an 8" thick block or concrete wall on which to set 2x6 framing. Makes it much more difficult for "boxy" things to simply ram the wall.

 

[MoparTrucks]

Since I believe you're a fire professional, how about giving us some information if you feel differently? My data/experience comes from building design/code compliance, and the commentary to code that talks about why certain fireproofing features are required or desirable in a garage and similar occupancy's where flammables are stored, welding is performed, as well as other spark producing processes. So, my advice comes from that perspective, not a fire fighting one. I'm very interested to hear the incident side of it and how that contrasts with the design side of it.

I do know that kitchens are also fire prone, because of the use of heat and particularly cooking oils.

If you have contrary or differing information, I'd love to hear it, I'm always eager and willing to learn something I can use to improve my knowledge and application of it.

Dave, I am a Captain in my Fire Department and currently in charge of our Fire Prevention program so I will throw some things out there until NUTTSGT chimes in; cooking is by far the single biggest cause of residential structure fires followed by heating. There has been some changes over the past 20 years or so as smoking decreased (still a major cause of fatal fires) and folks started using alternative heating sources like wood stoves, space heaters etc. Of major concern in many districts it the increasing frequency of arson which can actually be traced statistically to track the economic situation of the area. Most of it isn't fire bugs, its property owners (residential and business) upside down on their mortgages or in other financial distress.

We still see garage fires but most of the code issues you refer to are because of the fire loads typically found in garages and their potential for rapid fire spread, not necessarily because of their frequency.

NUTTSGT has more experience than me in these issues I am sure but that is my take on it.

 

[Farrier]

^^^^ I agree.

As a paid call engineer/firefighter of many years, i've become quite the traditionalist...... All real wood construction. I do not like glulams, or any other manufactured woods. Modern construction burns very quickly and very hot.

My vote goes for sheet rocked interior walls.

 

[rburke65]

I used 4'x10' sheets of LP Smart siding and old barn siding.

 

[ktmracer]

Brief Ode to plywood. Sadly, I can't grind sparks towards it. I think a tile cove on the bottom could reduce my spark nervousness. I wouldn't use plywood in a welding shop e.g. On the plusses, I can unscrew a panel and make changes. No football shaped plugs with AC, the nice grain is worth a little upcharge imho. No tape lines to ever crack, it's precracked. It's strong for hanging something even between studs. Some satin polyurethane is easy too. And if scratched I imagine that it's forgiving to repair. Someday I want a suspended ceiling, 2'x2' since it too would be flexible for changes and precracked

I find the comments really interesting and you guys give me some ideas how I could do plywood better for fire issues (next time). (For house garage tune up someday, to match).




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[justanengineer]

Basically it is how YOU want it to look and how tough YOU want it to be.

If the OP had rock or other approved material in already I would agree wholeheartedly, decorate away, however the OP is looking for alternatives to rock and the materials discussed commonly wont meet code hung by themselves.

 

[bgarrett]

I bought white sheetmetal roofing for my interior walls and it will be installed wrong side out

 

[NUTTSGT]

Since I believe you're a fire professional, how about giving us some information if you feel differently? My data/experience comes from building design/code compliance, and the commentary to code that talks about why certain fireproofing features are required or desirable in a garage and similar occupancy's where flammables are stored, welding is performed, as well as other spark producing processes. So, my advice comes from that perspective, not a fire fighting one. I'm very interested to hear the incident side of it and how that contrasts with the design side of it.

I do know that kitchens are also fire prone, because of the use of heat and particularly cooking oils.

If you have contrary or differing information, I'd love to hear it, I'm always eager and willing to learn something I can use to improve my knowledge and application of it.

Dave, first off, let me state that by no means was I judging your intelligence or anything like that. If you felt that way, let me offer an apology. This also might be somewhat long winded and I don't want to take away from the OP's thread.

I've often mentioned that fire is covered in Chapter 13 of Murphy's Law. Simply put, if fire wants you or your stuff, it's going to get it. Take every precaution in the world and it will seek a way to get it. Remember that and use it with and open mind.


Codes from the NFPA are generally developed from trends and very good studies, not knee jerk reaction like laws. When you see recall on appliances, many of those are due to issues that have happened, we (FD guys) get called, make out our reports inculding make/model numbers which get foward to the state. At the state level, when reports start coming in, trends are found and those are compiled and sent farther down the chain. Insurance companies send in their investigators and we work with them, point stuff out them and also learn from them. Sometimes, they will take the applinaces with them, other times, our guys have to go to court to testify to what our investigation found.

Garage fires can and do happen. Everybody needs to take precaution to prevent them. Take a stroll out to your garage and look around, what do you see that can contribute to fire growth and spread ? Yes, there's a lot of things that can make it grow, including the big one, your automobiles.

What do you keep in your garage and what do you do in your garage ? If you garage is attached and you use it as a workspace/workshop, by all means, use more caution. I've mentioned it also, put drywall/sheetrock on the adjoining wall to create a fire break.

HOUSEKEEPING. Yes, that's caps because it's very important. It can be the biggest issue to the safety of your garage, it's what can make or break your garage. Couple housekeeping with common sense and you have a formidable foe to fire. Do you store "stuff" in your garage, what is that stuff ? What's it in ? cardboard boxes ? plastic totes ?

Think about that stuff if you're cutting/welding/hot work. Do you sweep up after doing hot work ? Does it go in the garbage can ? Next to it ? What about that broom you just used ? Does it get hung back on the wall or placed somewhere in the middle of the garage till the next morning ? Say it picked up an ember for hot work. Would you rather have that broom burning an hour later in the middle of the garage or hanging on the wall next to some cardboard boxes ?

Are you careless with rags, oily or not. A simple grinding spark can ignite those rags rather harmlessly landing on a workbench top. Are those rags soaked in linseed oil ? If they are I hope to heck you don't toss them in the trash, leave then on the bench or someplace similar. I've been on two large commercial dumpster fires where they were known to be the cause.

If you decide to use plywood or osb for walls, I'd suggest you make sure there are no gaps under it at the bottom. A simple bead of caulk or the like at the bottom to prevent a welding from rolling underneath and causing an issue.

If you choose to cover your garage in drywall by all means have at it. Just remember, it's not a guarantee that your garage won't burn down. Hundreds of homes burn everyday across the US and they utilize drywall.

 

[Ggg]

I have a hard time understanding the reluctance to use sheetrock on a garage and the desire to use a flammable material instead that I see prevalent on this board.

I'm just thinking out loud here, maybe the reluctance you speak of is due to building construction. Pole frame construction shops move more than say stick built structures. The movement would cause cracks in the mudded joints.
I did a cost comparison last month of drywall / tin siding panels for my ceiling. I accounted for everything; mud, screws, lumber, trim, lift rental, even paint. The material list for drywall was within $100 of the same cost for tin, with a lot less labor.

 

[roadrunner255]

Happy new year all!
I'm installing 3/4" plywood with self tapping wood to metal screws.

What is the spacing on fastener attachment to the perlins, was thinking 18" horizontal,.

Cheers

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[Ggg]

ssdave - In the context you are speaking your 100% correct there are building codes for fire walls, fire rated doors. etc. that should seperate the living area from an attached garage. If someone is not building to those codes as a minimum standard they take responsibility for their actions, the consequences for which could be quite severe in a worst case scenario.