What do you guys use for your wall?

MxRider2637 · Feb 12, 2010

I was going to put in drywall in my garage soon and have heard from many people to not use it because it gets dirty quickly and needs re painted often. Some people said to use plywood, which i already laid a few pieces up. What do you all have up, metal, drywall, wood, etc.?

Teikas Dad · Feb 12, 2010

I just bought 26 sheets of Smartside at Lowes today. It's OSB that has a T1-11 texture on the front and is already primed and ready for paint. 7/16"

OccupantRJ · Feb 12, 2010

I did my compressor and bolt bin room with drywall. It looks really nice, but I put 1/2" BC plywood in the main workshop because I do a lot of restoration and mechanical repair, along with wood and metal fabrication. I still have to paint it, but I'm now glad I chose the plywood. In another workshop, I had lots of pegboard. This time, I'm making brackets to hang my often used tools on. The pic is of a couple of unpainted brackets and walls before painting, to test for locations.

RJ

sstruckguy · Feb 12, 2010

I used OSB on the walls and ceilings. The wifey still gripes about "shoulda used sheetrock", but my way always leaves a solid surface for hanging/mounting/using ALL of my wall(s) and ceiling. I also have 272 running feet of light.(34..2 bulb..4 foot fixtures in a 28x40)

I can see AND not hunt for a stud

ScaldedDog · Feb 12, 2010

Drywall over OSB. The best of both worlds, IMHO, and I'd do it again.

Mark

knucklebusted · Feb 12, 2010

I, too, put up all OSB except for my bathroom that was drywalled as part of the bathroom deal. Then I painted it exterior gloss white. I've been known to, uh, sling a wrench in a fit of rage so the drywall would not hold up to my temperament.

Scout Driver · Feb 12, 2010

Light dirt, grime etc. can be wiped off of gloss or semi-gloss paint. Not as true with flat paint.

Scott

Dan in Pasadena · Feb 12, 2010

Drywall.

You can have it look clean to start, then repaint it in 5-10 years OR

It can look dirty right from the beginning! :bounce:

PassnThru · Feb 12, 2010

Don't miss this recent relevant thread:
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55451

JMURiz · Feb 12, 2010

5/8" gypboard for fire rating and strength, painted with semi-gloss for ease of cleanup.

sctattooer · Feb 12, 2010

slatwall over sheetrock.

wild32hotrod · Feb 13, 2010

a friend of mine was redoing his barn and I got the tin from the roof the some of the barn siding I'll try and get some better pics of anybody wants to see more

mustangmccance · Feb 14, 2010

I use plywood on the bottom and pegboard on top. the plywood keeps me from banging jacks and bumpers etc through the wall and I like white pegboard then I can hang stuff anywhere.

Daniel Dudley · Feb 14, 2010

wild32hotrod said:
a friend of mine was redoing his barn and I got the tin from the roof the some of the barn siding I'll try and get some better pics of anybody wants to see more

That is very cool. :thumbup:

I enjoy it when people reuse old materials to good effect, and that looks great.

I personally have drywall on my walls, Mildew resistant paint and the lower half is grey. It has never been a problem, but then I have installed a lot of drywall and I don't have a problem with taping,

This is the real reason many guys don't like drywall, even though they won't say it. I like smooth walls, and I felt compelled to cover the insulation.

I like plywood over OSB, as OSB smells for years unless you paint it, and it is a dust catcher. I like the idea of the paintable T111 type board, if the price is right.

FWIW, I was never happy with the look of plain white walls in my garage, it looked too sterile, and not at all like a workshop. Painting the lower walls grey really makes the white drywall look go away. :thumbup:

I built my garage based on my budget, skills and personal preference. It isn't a showcase, but most people like it If you build yours the way you want, it will turn out fine, no matter what materials you use, and nobody will complain.

After a certain point, all the choices become inhibiting, and stop you from moving on. I just wanted walls, so I could move the shelving and stuff back in. I never did score any cool barnboard or metal or free materals. But I got my walls up, made them look nice, and now I am on to the next exciting cartoon adventure.

More adventures please. :lol_hitti

lilredex · Feb 14, 2010

The interior of my garage is done in vertical 1 X 10" pine boards. In my travels, I regularly visited a steel wholesaler that imported much of his product from Japan in luscious crates made of twenty to thirty foot pine boards, which were just laying around getting broken and were calling out to me looking for a new home. I took my truck and spent the day there with my chainsaw and other tools and reduced that "garbage" to useable 8Ft. lengths, two paint pails of old nails, and a bunch of kindling that got burned in my stove. Only sawdust got left behind (which I swept up).

Everyone was a winner here...........they were ready to pay someone for the clean-up.

This garage.

remileblanc · Feb 14, 2010

i used vicwest steel siding for the inside walls and ceiling. dont have to worry about grinding sparks or welding/torch cutting as everything is metal covered.

little d · Feb 14, 2010

mx, it all depends on what your wanting, personal choice. with that said, no matter what you use-a, make sure you are not getting moisture from outside, and b- leave a gap between the floor and the wall covering, i like 3/4".

aar0s · Feb 14, 2010

if/when i get to that point ill probably go with either a no-line osb or if i have water in the garage i have some 16 ft white vinyl siding stashed away at work thats left over from a job.

TheShrine · Feb 14, 2010

Some like it...some don't....I do. I can hang anything anywhere and not worry about stability or future repairs if I change my mind. Someone said earlier that they didn't like the smell....smells like wood to me. :dunno:

The metal is a facade screwed to the OSB and wrapped in cedar dadoes. ALL trim is cedar. I like the painted wallboard until I have to repaint and/or make repairs.

lpigg · Feb 14, 2010

Drywall for me. Much cleaner look and easy to repair if damaged and easy to clean.

Vernmotor · Feb 14, 2010

5/8 firewall drywall . paint it//

ZRX61 · Feb 14, 2010

T1-11 here

e-tek · Feb 14, 2010

wild32hotrod said:
a friend of mine was redoing his barn and I got the tin from the roof the some of the barn siding I'll try and get some better pics of anybody wants to see more

From what we can see in the small photo - WE DEFINITELY WANT MORE!! :thumbup:

ddawg16 · Feb 14, 2010

5/8" Drywall painted with high gloss exterior paint.

fatboy99 · Feb 14, 2010

e-tek said:
From what we can see in the small photo - WE DEFINITELY WANT MORE!!

Ill second that motion

tcianci · Feb 14, 2010

Think about it, OSB, plywood and drywall will all get dirty and neeed paint if the environment causes it. No surface is going to be better than another in that case. If your garage is attached, your building code probably requires a rated wall between the house space and the garage space. My garage is blueboard with veneer plaster, then a couple of coats of semi-gloss medium gray paint. It has held up fine for 10 years so far and even though the walls are a light texture, they clean up fine with a vacuum cleaner. I don't do large spray painting projects in there but plenty of cutting and welding. I have never had an issue with a drywall or plastered finish. It's also the cheapest material to use and the easiest to patch, modify or repair.

rwhite692 · Feb 14, 2010

I was thinking about doing corrugated metal panels or maybe T1-11 on the lower 4' of my shop but it's just not in the budget for now.

Not when Durabond fire-rated 5/8" sheetrock will do...And getting it half off at Lowe's for $9 (4x12' sheets) didn't hurt, either. I just hung the last of 26 sheets of that stuff, today.

35mastr · Feb 15, 2010

rwhite692 said:
I was thinking about doing corrugated metal panels or maybe T1-11 on the lower 4' of my shop but it's just not in the budget for now.

Not when Durabond fire-rated 5/8" sheetrock will do...And getting it half off at Lowe's for $9 (4x12' sheets) didn't hurt, either. I just hung the last of 26 sheets of that stuff, today.

Is this stuff still half off???

MxRider2637 · Feb 15, 2010

Wow... i am shocked to see so many answers! Thank you for all of the input. I had trouble finding this thread that i started since i just joined not to long ago. I am thinking of putting plywood on the lower 4' like i was doing and just put drywall on top or a metal of some sort. Thanks for all of the ideas.

nolatoolguy · Feb 15, 2010

Definitly some good 3/4 marine grade plywood

rwhite692 · Feb 15, 2010

George when I was calling around a couple weeks ago for drywall prices, my local Lowes informed me that they were going to stop carrying the 12 foot sheets of 5/8", and only carry the 8 footers, because the 12' stuff was just not moving (probably due to there being very little new construction going on in my area). They had marked it down to 1/2 off to blow it out. I don't know if this was also happening at other Lowe's locations....

aar0s · Feb 15, 2010

ddawg16 said:
5/8" Drywall painted with high gloss exterior paint.

nice and clean lookin :thumbup:

Is that connected to the house or to the stairs go up to an apartment/man cave?

BillGalbraith · Feb 16, 2010

I just met with my builder today. I'm starting a 28x28 garage, block walls. He said that some of the garages that he has done recently have just had the knock-down normally applied to drywall applied directly to the block. He said it came out pretty good looking. I'll have to see it for myself. I'll get a picture if I can.

Kapn · Mar 18, 2010

I too have been searching and reading quite a lot about sheet metal, t-111, drywall, osb, etc. I think I've decided to go with t-111 on the lower 4' and drywall on the upper 6'. I've got 16" 2x4's and I was going to use 1/2" drywall.

What thickness T-111 should I use?
What about the seam between the two? Cover it with a 1x3 trim board? Will there be an offset if I use 3/8" T-111 and 1/2" drywall?

What about the T-111 contacting the concrete block. The bottom of the wall has pressure treated 2x4 at that interface. Should I hike the T-111 up 1/4" so it's not touching?

Gary S · Mar 18, 2010

My current garage has OSB walls painted white with one coat of Oil based sealer and a second coat of latex gloss paint. I love it.

My previous garage had drywall, and it took only a couple of years for it to turn into wetwall, and start to crumble and warp from the humidity and water. I'd never again consider drywall.

Kevin54 · Mar 18, 2010

MxRider2637 said:
I was going to put in drywall in my garage soon and have heard from many people to not use it because it gets dirty quickly and needs re painted often. Some people said to use plywood, which i already laid a few pieces up. What do you all have up, metal, drywall, wood, etc.?

It doesn't get any dirtier than anything else, whether it be drywall, OSB, tin or whatever. And depending on what color it is painted will depend on how dirty or not it looks. When it comes to drywall vs ? there are dozens of threads on this and has been debated time after time. It all boils down to that it is a personal preference. Whether you are going to pay someone to put it up vs. a DIY job. Whether you are going to be hanging a lot of tools, shelves, cabinets, etc. on the walls and can only do it into the studs vs. driving a nail anywhere you want. Some don't like drywall, some don't like the looks of painted OSB.

So basically it is what you prefer and what you are comfortable with as far as intallation

NUTTSGT · Mar 18, 2010

I have painted OSB, I 'd use it again.

Jack Olsen · Mar 18, 2010

1/2" Plywood.

Some of it's covered with aluminum flashing near where I weld and grind. But then it's all painted the same.

StingRay · Mar 18, 2010

1/2 fire rated drywall. My shop is insulated with spray foam. I wanted the fire protection. The bottom 4 feet has a nice grey melamine coated 5/16 baltic birch plywood over the drywall for durability. It was the flooring material from Dodge Sprinters that we remove at work. It was a ton of work to salvage and make usable but is super tough, cleans really well and will even resist lacquer thinner.

jeepnut24 · Mar 18, 2010

How are these OSB walls passing code? Are they all non connected garages? I thought it was common to require 5/8 sheetrock on the shared walls?

What do you guys use for your wall?

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