Finishing Garage Walls with Plywood

[Hank11]

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

Sure, why not?
Put one about every foot or so along every stud. Like 24 screws per sheet? Could use less.
Or use siding nails or screws with big heads. Ring shank siding nails work great. A cross hair laser would be a big help to hit the studs. Or string it. Just be deliberate and neat about it.

When I've done this, I've gone for sort of a horse stable look. It can also be used as wainscoting with dry wall above. Finish and paint the drywall and then hang the siding.

 

[Jgaz]

I used the plywood idea in several places in the basement of my Michigan house before I moved west.

Furring strips, vapor barrier, and rigid insulation behind the plywood and pegboard above this sheet.


This will give you idea of what the plywood looks with a natural finish.

 

[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.

Additionally did you strap the walls with furring strips before hanging the drywall, or not needed? Also do you an adhesive with screws or just screws?

 

[Ultradog MN]

Additionally did you strap the walls with furring strips before hanging the drywall, or not needed? Also do you an adhesive with screws or just screws?

No furring strips.
No adhesive.
Regular drywall screws.
For 5/8" drywall I always use 1-5/8" screws but 1-1/4" will probably do.
It does make me chuckle a little to see the lengths some guys will go to avoid taping drywall.
I hired a guy to do the taping/mudwork in a house I bought 30+ years ago but he ended up being a drunk, couldn't show up, wanted more $ in advance, etc so I had to let him go. Aside from his drinking problem he was a decent fellow and gave me a 10 minute lesson in mudding/taping drywall before he left.
That short lesson has served me well and I've done a Lot of it since then.
If I could give you the same 10 minute lesson he gave me I could make you good at it too.

 

[Norcal]

Shop was done w/ 5/8" drywall, gable ends have 3/8" plywood underneath as shear panels because of the lousy siding I chose on those sides & later replaced, the walls were taped & textured and still has the original paint from 25 plus years ago in most places, ceiling is 2X6 T&G pine painted white 31 years ago.

 

[astrohip]

I can keep some clearance between the bottom of the plywood wall and the garage floor.

That's what I did.

I have an enclosed workshop within my metal barn. The workshop is framed with 2x6's. I took the wall that backs against the metal barn and put plywood on it. I didn't want to look at the girts & frame, hence plywood. I used plywood so I could hang anything anywhere. I left the other three sides open 2x6's (the outer wall of the shop is a siding)

When I was hanging the plywood, I took a piece of scrap wood that was the height I wanted, and put it under the plywood on the slab. That gave me a uniform gap along that wall.

 

[cls89]

That's what I did.

I have an enclosed workshop within my metal barn. The workshop is framed with 2x6's. I took the wall that backs against the metal barn and put plywood on it. I didn't want to look at the girts & frame, hence plywood. I used plywood so I could hang anything anywhere. I left the other three sides open 2x6's (the outer wall of the shop is a siding)

When I was hanging the plywood, I took a piece of scrap wood that was the height I wanted, and put it under the plywood on the slab. That gave me a uniform gap along that wall.

Nice. About how much of a gap did you leave between the bottom edge of the plywood and concrete floor, 3/4 inch?

 

[DGersic]

First two times I did my garage (detached, flat roof, northern Illinois), I used sheet rock. Roof leaked, ceiling fell. Didn’t like its lack of resistance to ambient moisture either. So it all came out.

Replaced with OSB on the walls. Painted it grey, with red trim around the door, window, and top edge. Covered the floor edge gap with glue on rubber cove base. Did the ceiling with white plastic roof sheets.

 

[kngelv]

I just had a 24' x 24' built with a 12' ceiling. My smaller two car has plywood. Was thinking of plywood again but a guy I work with did his pole barn with 1" x 8" x 16' tongue in groove pine boards called "carsiding". Saw them at Menards and Lowe's. Looks nice and may go that route.

James

 

[Samh]

I did mine in plywood. I used 5/8" because that is the same thing I used for wall and roof sheathing on the outside. Kept it 3/4" off the floor, no issues with moisture. I honestly prefer plywood walls as I think it makes my garage like a giant gerstner chest and keeps the humidity and rust down in the shop.

 

[BillK]

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

What are you planning to use the garage for ? I did the walls in my attached garage with inexpensive finished wood paneling from one of the big box stores. Lightweight and comes in almost any finish you want. It has held up well but the garage is mainly used for parking the two vehicles. I did one section right by the inside door in 1/4" white pegboard. Great for all sorts of things. Maybe I am strange but plywood or osb just looks "cheap" to me even in a working garage. Here are some ideas:

wood paneling on garage walls - Google Search

 

[djjsr]

I used some composite decking trim board (waterproof). Sealed it against the floor with urethane caulking and screwed to the studs. My walls are drywall so I put a J channel along the bottom of the drywall and it sits on top of the deck trim which is also 1/2".

 

[Higgins]

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.

attached garage?

If attached, your insurance company may not insure the property!

If your heart is set on plywood, you will need to find a dealer who sells FlamFeeez plywood! or other fire related wood products!
Should you choose to go that way and want to PAINT the plywood, you will need to put painters tape over the certification certificate. remove after painting so inspectors or fire departments can see the certification certificate

Any yes, I had to go thru this when we installed a heater / pump for out radiant flooring ....

Oh, and don't faint when hear the price of the material $$$$$

AL

 

[Ultradog MN]

Maybe I am strange but plywood or osb just looks "cheap" to me even in a working garage.

Lol.
I agree but am working on not being such an ornery SOB here. So I wrote that I think drywall looks more classy.

 

[cls89]

attached garage?

If attached, your insurance company may not insure the property!

If your heart is set on plywood, you will need to find a dealer who sells FlamFeeez plywood! or other fire related wood products!
Should you choose to go that way and want to PAINT the plywood, you will need to put painters tape over the certification certificate. remove after painting so inspectors or fire departments can see the certification certificate

Any yes, I had to go thru this when we installed a heater / pump for out radiant flooring ....

Oh, and don't faint when hear the price of the material $$$$$

AL

It’s a detached garage. It’s my understanding only attached garages need to be finished with drywall. I wasn’t aware of issues with putting up plywood walls on detached garage.

 

[dvblanch]

I did the inside of my 24x36 with verticle sheets of 1/2" plywood using the best side out years ago. The plywood added a lot of structural ridgity to the building also and was damage resistant compared to drywall. Painted with a semi gloss white it reflected light very well and was easy to wash as we cut and welded building racecars in that shop. Only downside was echoing and really needed ear protection when hammering.

 

[Bert_]

attached garage?

If attached, your insurance company may not insure the property!

If your heart is set on plywood, you will need to find a dealer who sells FlamFeeez plywood! or other fire related wood products!
Should you choose to go that way and want to PAINT the plywood, you will need to put painters tape over the certification certificate. remove after painting so inspectors or fire departments can see the certification certificate

Any yes, I had to go thru this when we installed a heater / pump for out radiant flooring ....

Oh, and don't faint when hear the price of the material $$$$$

AL

I guess if you have worry about that sort of thing. We just build what we want here. I would say more than 50% of attached garages with new houses have osb or tin.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've never seen an insurance not pay for fire damage to a home/garage for the way it was constructed. The only time they have never paid is when we brought up a possible issue and they brought in their own investigator.

I have OSB in most of my garage but went with BC in the addition. It does look nicer and worth the extra $$. I used the framing nailer to put it up, caulked a few places, primed and painted white. I did however put a drywall screw about 2" down from the trusses in the wall to mark truss location for the future.

If you want it off the floor, consider a 1x4 PT board as a toe kick.

 

[unslow1]

I have drywall in the one at the house. It's drywall because I got it really cheap. The bigger garage is OSB. It's really come in handy a couple of times. Not just for hanging stuff but some critters made a nest. It was as simple as unscrewing and taking down a board to get to it. Then another time we took some down to run more electrical to move some stuff around.

 

[cls89]

I've never seen an insurance not pay for fire damage to a home/garage for the way it was constructed. The only time they have never paid is when we brought up a possible issue and they brought in their own investigator.

I have OSB in most of my garage but went with BC in the addition. It does look nicer and worth the extra $$. I used the framing nailer to put it up, caulked a few places, primed and painted white. I did however put a drywall screw about 2" down from the trusses in the wall to mark truss location for the future.

If you want it off the floor, consider a 1x4 PT board as a toe kick.

Would you rest the plywood on top of the 1x4 PT board, or would you have the 1x4 PT board overlap the plywood wall?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Would you rest the plywood on top of the 1x4 PT board, or would you have the 1x4 PT board overlap the plywood wall?

I'd set the plywood directly on top of the PT 1x4.

 

[olytdi]

I finished my 36x36 with 1/2 in ply -- good side out. I was able to lay it horizontally after putting in bookshelf girts flat to the outer girt such that there was a surface to screw to. That also has allowed me to frame off of the bookshelf where needed to hang things like my two post lift pump on the wall.

I staggered the plywood sheets such that the seams didn't align and used plywood clips between sheets. I used 1-1/4 ceramic deck screws to fasten.

I used a primer (two coats) before painting with a low-sheen white latex (another two coats). I painted each panel after pre-fitting it raw and then numbering each as to where they fit. Painting over 30 sheets 4 times was really a chore but way worth doing.

Painting prior to install was actually easier overall and made the install clean with no paint drips or over-paint anywhere. The reflective nature of white walls is amazing in improving overall brightness in the shop. I had done this in my last shop and liked it so I repeated it in this one. Stiffened up the walls as well. Oh, and though my shop is dry, I always raise the bottom sheet about 3/8 off of the concrete to prevent any wicking problems and used a PT piece on the bottom for attachment at the floor.

 

[astrohip]

Nice. About how much of a gap did you leave between the bottom edge of the plywood and concrete floor, 3/4 inch?

Yes, 3/4". It's enough to keep it dry in the event of a small puddle.

 

[Higgins]

I guess if you have worry about that sort of thing. We just build what we want here. I would say more than 50% of attached garages with new houses have osb or tin.

I was just commenting on what I was subject to in IL and other states..... in yrs passed!!

however, time has passed and many insurance companies and mortgagee companies are reviewing ALL their client properties. i.e. drones!! If your hasn't yet, it will most likely be subject in the upcoming months, or Yrs. Local counties are as well!

If you live in rural to remote areas your safe for now!

 

[Higgins]

It’s a detached garage. It’s my understanding only attached garages need to be finished with drywall. I wasn’t aware of issues with putting up plywood walls on detached garage.

Sorry !! No that wouldn't apply!!

AL

 

[mikester]

I used T-111 on the inside of my detached garage. Its held up very well over the years. I left it unpainted. Put it up with nails instead of screws. Nailed on studs. This summer I might finally paint it a light color. Possibly a light gray.

 

[tradesman]

I finished my 36x36 with 1/2 in ply -- good side out. I was able to lay it horizontally after putting in bookshelf girts flat to the outer girt such that there was a surface to screw to. That also has allowed me to frame off of the bookshelf where needed to hang things like my two post lift pump on the wall.

I staggered the plywood sheets such that the seams didn't align and used plywood clips between sheets. I used 1-1/4 ceramic deck screws to fasten.

I used a primer (two coats) before painting with a low-sheen white latex (another two coats). I painted each panel after pre-fitting it raw and then numbering each as to where they fit. Painting over 30 sheets 4 times was really a chore but way worth doing.

Painting prior to install was actually easier overall and made the install clean with no paint drips or over-paint anywhere. The reflective nature of white walls is amazing in improving overall brightness in the shop. I had done this in my last shop and liked it so I repeated it in this one. Stiffened up the walls as well. Oh, and though my shop is dry, I always raise the bottom sheet about 3/8 off of the concrete to prevent any wicking problems and used a PT piece on the bottom for attachment at the floor.

I noticed you have a King Electric Heater, how do you like it? I just order a 12,500 kw from Home Depot, it should be arriving soon, I had it ship to the store so I can check for damage before I take it.

 

[olytdi]

I noticed you have a King Electric Heater, how do you like it? I just order a 12,500 kw from Home Depot, it should be arriving soon, I had it ship to the store so I can check for damage before I take it.

Good move on having it where you can inspect it. They frequently arrive with crunched corners, etc. I had to send one back. I think it's a good build for what it is -- large resistance heater. It's not a regular heating solution for my shop as I have little to no insulation and probably won't. But if I have a broken vehicle or an important project to complete, it will raise the comfort level suitably albeit at a cost! I'd love to get either overhead IR or a portable diesel radiant but they're all pretty pricey!

Sorry for off-topic, OP...

 

[tradesman]

Good move on having it where you can inspect it. They frequently arrive with crunched corners, etc. I had to send one back. I think it's a good build for what it is -- large resistance heater. It's not a regular heating solution for my shop as I have little to no insulation and probably won't. But if I have a broken vehicle or an important project to complete, it will raise the comfort level suitably albeit at a cost! I'd love to get either overhead IR or a portable diesel radiant but they're all pretty pricey!

Sorry for off-topic, OP...

Thanks for the feedback, That is exactly what I want it for.

 

[giddygoat]

Attached garage I would only use sheetrock, code here is two layers of 5/8 with taped seams with next layer seams staggered and taped all the way to the roof on any wall shared with internal wall to the house. Doors to the the house must be fire rated and have self closing hinges. There was a house here that had an attached garage with three vehicles in it. It was completely finished off with the two layers of 5/8 on the shared wall and 5/8 on the rest. Early in the morning somebody drove buy and saw flames coming out a side window, He stopped and woke up the owners, They had no idea the garage was on fire, all three cars burnt down to ashes, the fire chief showed pictures and the sheet rock was still on the ceiling, minimal damage to the house itself.

 

[Jackfre]

In my 30x34x10 I used 1/2” plywood set vertically. It made it easy to get into the wall when necessary and sheetrock does not offer that. Not being able to see past the end of my nose there were things that got left out or added after the construction of the shop and it would take no time to open up the wall. In your case I would get a redwood 1 or 2x4 set on the floor and place the ply on that.

 

[Jakemedic]

I opted for “cabinet grade” 3/4” plywood in my shop. Personally, I would never have made cabinets out of it, but it gave me the appearance I was seeking, along with the ability to hang whatever, wherever. At the time, it was 32.00 per sheet and I needed 19 sheets. I covered the top 2’ in metal to keep the price down a bit. Only one regret, I didn’t sand between coats of water based polyurethane. Maybe I’ll go back and knock it down and put another coat on it. No, I won’t be doing that, too much stuff in the way.

 

[inphx]

I have a smaller endcap to fab for a set of high density rolling storage cabinets i scored.

I need a PC to walk up to and the HDMI tv monitor with spare tv can be dual use. I wonder if i will have the habit of virtual white boards for my running projects.. not as tactile as a marker and board.. but i need one.

I kept the top high (lazy) but it will hide something stacked on top from behind is my rationale.

 

[Snapped-off]

I did ½" ACX on the walls. Just finished the last sheet the other week. I'll be doing foil- faced foam sheets on the ceiling.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Then another time we took some down to run more electrical to move some stuff around.

Whether drywall or plywood, going with on the wall wiring solves ever having to open a wall back up to change your electrics.

 

[Birdman-in-a-van]

Fire safety is a priority in my book. I put 1/2" CDX up after insulating with Rockwool. Then I put up 1/2" Durock and finished it by taping with Fiberglass tape and mudded the entire surface with Durabond 90. Lightly rasped into shape. Never had to sand any of it, then I applied UGL Drylock masonry paint then exterior latex paint. The Durock is more fire retardant than 5/8 Sheetrock. The plywood gives great strength and allows easy anchoring of electrical boxes or whatever else you desire. The Drylock paint gives a nice textured masonry like finish appearance and fills pin holes, scratches, etc. Say what you want about my color choice, I know its a wild one. Bottom line is it's strong, water resistant, and offers good fire resistance. The room pictured is my heater and compressor room and is my latest add on but this technique was first applied in my main shop area. It's a little more work and cost than just plywood but I think it's worth it.

 

[TheClaw]

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

What's the wood material you have in the second picture? Looks awesome. I'm building a second garage this spring and planned on an accent wall in the back with barnwood. Really like what you did there.

Jeff

 

[TonyG109]

I used some composite decking trim board (waterproof). Sealed it against the floor with urethane caulking and screwed to the studs. My walls are drywall so I put a J channel along the bottom of the drywall and it sits on top of the deck trim which is also 1/2".

I did something like this but I used cement board and instead of caulking it to the floor, I used fiberglas tape and a setting type mud like Durabond. On top of the cement board I used a "Z" trim to transition to the 3/4" OSB.

This created a tub like situation that is waterproof which makes it easy to clean the floor. It also prevents welding sparks finding a place to smolder and start a fire.

The OSB closeup looks like, well, OSB. But from distance it just looks like a slightly textured surface. The angled lighting in this photo really makes the flakes stand out. Higher up on the wall the lighting is much flatter and doesn't show the flakes as much.

 

[Ultradog MN]

What's the wood material you have in the second picture? Looks awesome. I'm building a second garage this spring and planned on an accent wall in the back with barnwood. Really like what you did there.

Jeff

Well, it's kinda long and mostly off topic but here's the story if you want to read it.
A few years ago I built a new deer blind.
Was looking for some wood paneling for the interior and found a guy on CL who was cleaning out his hoarder dad's house.
He had like 45? sheets of it. Carefully stored since the 1950s? All real wood - 1/4" thick and all of it unfinished.
The rub was, I had to buy ALL of it.
So I did.
There was 4 sheets of Cherry and the rest was Oak.
I kept I think 11 sheets and put the rest back on CL - at a higher price but I was willing to sell it by the sheet.
Then a guy came along and wanted ALL that I was willing to sell, for, you guessed it, his garage.
So I got what I wanted for nothing and made a few $ besides.
I finished the pieces I kept and painted 2 sheets white for the ceiling.
Of course, having such nice stuff for the interior caused me go way off the deep end on the rest of the building and I ended up with a fully insulated 8' x 8'6" deer blind complete with 110V power, heat, bunk, nice windows, carpet, vinyl siding and all the rest.
It sits about 15' above the floor of a long ago mined out gravel pit - one step off the ground to walk in.
And the piece you see on the garage wall was an extra sheet that was kicking around here too long so I hung it on the wall behind my cables and hoses just get rid of it.
Oh, and my wife likes to come out and sit with me in it and I shot a big doe for her this year.
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[TheClaw]

Well, it's kinda long and mostly off topic but here's the story if you want to read it.
A few years ago I built a new deer blind.
.....
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Awesome story! I'll have to start looking thru CL for material! Thanks!

Jeff