Favorite material for interior garage walls

Carl Voss · Sep 2, 2010

For the second issue of Great Garage Makeovers, we're about to launch into an upgrade project with a homeowner. But first, we'd like some advice.

This 2-1/2-car garage is standard stud construction. Owner wants to insulate the walls and ceiling. Currently, nothing on the interior walls--no drywall. Zip. Cozy ceiling height--just 8'2"--fairly typical

So what do you like for sheet goods on the walls? Save some $$ and just go with drywall? (Myself, I hate to tape and sand.) Drywall over paneling or plywood for more rigidity? Just plywood?

In the first issue of Great Garage Makeovers, we found a homeowner or two who liked the convenience of decorative panels (FashionWalls by DPI). There may be other great options we're not aware of.

There's a lot to cram into this garage, (5 bikes, kids play stuff, yard and garden) so I suspect some walls will have cabinets or organizers pushed against them.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Carl Voss
project editor, Great Garage Makeovers

regguy1 · Sep 2, 2010

Hello Carl,

I also did a soffit storage project, thread and photos here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65557

Epoxy floor thread, has a couple of better photos of the walls:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66867

I didn't want to do drywall, I insulated and used pegboard / paneling combo
26' x 30' detatched garage with 8' 6" ceiling, take a look:

wouldworker · Sep 2, 2010

Very little choice where I live. If the garage has a common wall with any part of the house, it must me drywalled to meet code. Insurance companies get in the fray also. As I understand it, it is permissible to add plywood, OSB, pegboard etc over the drywall. The drywall is not required to be taped or mudded as I understand it.

daveroy · Sep 2, 2010

in 'The Greatest Thread Ever' they used some form of fiber coated ply. I believe it was available in different thicknesses and was white shiny surface. It looked like a great wall surface product in the pictures.

strnge · Sep 2, 2010

It depends on what you want to put on the walls. I would go with insulation then plywood on top. I like to hang porcelain signs on my walls, and eventually I want to hang heavier items on the walls.

Mike

copterdoctor · Sep 3, 2010

you joined in August of 2008, and THIS is the first time you've ever posted?? you would think after "lurking" for 2 almost 3 years you'd have seen a bunch of suggestions.... but it all depends on what your client wants isn't it? or maybe I'm just missing something here???

Bigpigdave · Sep 3, 2010

I like steel over plywood or painted plywood but they may not meet code by themselves in some areas. We used to use fiberglass panels from AgriTek in some of the farm buildings. These were pretty awesome as they shed H2O and were very easy to keep clean.
Thanks, Dave

markviii · Sep 3, 2010

The glossy white wall board is called FRP or RFP. - info from the "Restored 1930's Auto Shop" thread follows: (I couldn't find the exact post, but here's some info)

The wall panels I used are OSB covered with fiberglass, don't know that it has a specific name. Available at lumber yards. You can get it 7/16" up to 3/4" in 8',9' and 10' lengths. It's smooth, bright glossy white, with great light reflectivity. Once it's installed, no other finish work is involved. Since it's backed with OSB you have material you can screw to. I used 1/2 " X 8' sheets. Hard on saw blades but it's biggest down side is cost. Over $70 per sheet with 220 sheets in the building. But once done it's durable, water proof, stain resistant, looks and works great! Kind of a front loaded cost. Expensive up front but then you're done. Easily lasts a lifetime.

Hope this helps.

Chris (markviii of the Restored 1930s Auto Shop)

michel · Sep 3, 2010

Dont want to derail the thread but is the Mjjax installed permanently? and do you loke it?

JC23 · Sep 3, 2010

I used the painted version of T-111. They come already primed. It allows me to hang just about anything on it due to its thickness and ability to hold even big screws. My garage has a nine foot celing so I made six inch pieces for the top and bottom and it worked just fine. The fact that it was tongue and groove made it fit great, too. Now I have the walls just about covered with stuff I've hung on them.

Using the painted version made the panels smoother to the touch and less prone to giving off those PIA slivers. The vertical lines make the walls look taller, too. One last bonus is that painting it is a bunch easier than the stuff that isn't.

Hope that helps. Really dug that mag, too. Read that baby cover to cover more than a few times.

28HopUp · Sep 3, 2010

When we moved into our home in 2005, the drywall in my garage was non-finished on two walls - just tape & mud. The exterior walls were open studs. Here's a "before" shot -

So I re-taped the ceiling and upper walls of the existing drywall. I also insulated, ran wires, vapor barrier, and drywalled the unfinished walls. That allowed me to cover the lower portion of the walls (which were banged up and poorly finished) with plastic corrugated roofing material that I bought at Lowes.

View media item 5604

The panels come in different lengths, but I bought 12' sections and cut them in half (lowering my cost for material). They are secured with black pan-head screws, and the plastic is thin enough that I can push the pointed screws through rather than having to predrill. The plastic also cuts with a unility knife or scissors, which is much easier to work with than traditional metal roofing. It also comes in a few different colors. I picked the tan color, and then selected a complementary color pallet with that as the base. The green upper walls with off-white trim colors accents the tan nicely IMO. I painted the cherry cabinets, which were free after a buddy rebuilt his kitchen.

shorin · Sep 3, 2010

My house garage is covered in chipboard, and I love it. Makes it really easy to hang stuff wherever I want.... The shop garage is drywall, and it's not nearly as handy....

Danny

regguy1 · Sep 3, 2010

michel said:
Dont want to derail the thread but is the Mjjax installed permanently? and do you loke it?

The MaxJax is bolted down and could be removed for storage but I really don't have a reason to do that as it's easy to park with it in place.

It's quite nice to work under with the roller seat and my Frontier pickup can go all the way up even with my 8' 6" ceiling. A mid rise lift is a compromise, I chose it rather than making modifications to the building, plus it plugs in to standard outlet so no wiring project either, all in all I'm satisfied with it.

imok · Sep 3, 2010

regguy1 said:
The MaxJax is bolted down and could be removed for storage but I really don't have a reason to do that as it's easy to park with it in place.

It's quite nice to work under with the roller seat and my Frontier pickup can go all the way up even with my 8' 6" ceiling. A mid rise lift is a compromise, I chose it rather than making modifications to the building, plus it plugs in to standard outlet so no wiring project either, all in all I'm satisfied with it.

I don't meant to hijack the thread but that MaxJax looks like a nice alternative for a garage with low ceilings. Can you give me the model number?

Thanks,
Charles

regguy1 · Sep 3, 2010

imok said:
I don't meant to hijack the thread but that MaxJax looks like a nice alternative for a garage with low ceilings. Can you give me the model number?

Thanks,
Charles

I don't think there is a model No. just MaxJax name. Costco has them for a good price:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...540&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C

Gabe and Rudy were helpful during my purchase and installation
Here's the MaxJax Dannmar site:

http://www.maxjaxusa.com/

There's a MaxJax Installation thread here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35763&highlight=maxjax

20V'er · Sep 3, 2010

I did one wall in my basement storage room with this stuff.

http://www.shopequip.co.za/images/silver Grey slat board Large.jpg

I bought a bunch of cheap used hooks from a place that sells new and used retail fixtures. I actually stack lumber (lots of hooks to support the weight) on it and a bunch of outdoor items (skis, kayak gear and other misc.) Hopefully this winter I will frame out the outside two walls and insulate and cover them in the same stuff.

Stuff with metal in the grooves is more money, but is supposed to hold more weight. Stuff that is white laminate is more money but would be easier to clean. I did not get either and have been fine so far, I could see myself painting it at some point if I get bored during a long cold weekend.

Of course it is MDF so keep it away from an area that is going to get wet or even damp.

Dan in Pasadena · Sep 3, 2010

markviii said:
The glossy white wall board is called FRP or RFP. - info from the "Restored 1930's Auto Shop" thread follows:

"...The wall panels I used are OSB covered with fiberglass, don't know that it has a specific name. Available at lumber yards. You can get it 7/16" up to 3/4" in 8',9' and 10' lengths. It's smooth, bright glossy white, with great light reflectivity. Once it's installed, no other finish work is involved. Since it's backed with OSB you have material you can screw to. I used 1/2 " X 8' sheets. Hard on saw blades but it's biggest down side is cost. Over $70 per sheet with 220 sheets in the building.

Uh huh....riiight! That comes out to over $15,000 to cover the walls! :rolleyes2

Even in say a 24'x24' garage covering 3 walls floor to ceiling, it would require 18-20 sheets @ $70 per = $1260-$1400 to sheath the walls.

Meanwhile, back in real life where guys of more ordinary means live, that's nutty expensive. It's drywall or tempered pegboard for me. Cheaper, clean and you can paint it when it gets dirty.

R6 Racer · Sep 3, 2010

My thoughts...
I would insulate, vapor barrier, plywood (probably 5/8", rough on both sides...cheaper!), then drywall. All after any wiring (including electrical, computer & sound) & plumbing was done. Air lines (if you have them) should be on the outside of the walls, for maintenance & change purposes.
I like the clean, bright, smooth look of drywall & having plywood under the drywall lets you mount anything anywhere! Plus the fact that repairs of any "mounting" holes can be done easily after you decide to move something.
Because as we all know a garage is an ever evolving thing!

Good luck with the project! I'm looking forward to the next issue.

Steve

P.S. If you want another "project" for this or any other article/issues...
PICK ME! PICK ME! :drool:

regguy1 · Sep 3, 2010

Dan in Pasadena said:
Uh huh....riiight! That comes out to over $15,000 to cover the walls!

Even in say a 24'x24' garage covering 3 walls floor to ceiling, it would require 18-20 sheets @ $70 per = $1260-$1400 to sheath the walls.

Meanwhile, back in real life where guys of more ordinary means live, that's nutty expensive. It's drywall or tempered pegboard for me. Cheaper, clean and you can paint it when it gets dirty.

I've been thinking that as an alternative to the paneling I could've used low priced laminate flooring for the upper / lower sections of the walls. I've seen white /gray colors similar to panels I used and it would install easily on the nailing strips I had to put between the studs. Low priced laminate is avaliable for maybe $1.00 / SF so that would put it at $32.00 for a 4' x8' panel as a comparison I paid about $15.00 / sheet for the paneling so it would be a bit more but would be a lot tougher and easy to clean.

Falcon67 · Sep 3, 2010

The MDF panelling I'm buying at Lowes for the house runs about .44/sq ft. It's much sturdier than wood panel for not quite $1 more per sheet. We'll paint it once it's up on the wall. It adds texture to the surface, makes for a good stiff wall when glued and gets you out of tape and bed. Downside - it hides the stud locations, add about $7 per panel for good glue and it's still a PITA to get it flat to the wall even with the best glue. You're also paying more total per sq/ft of wall - figure with sheetrock under that you are in the .88~.95 / sq ft where with rock+tape+bed you might be at .25~.30. Also, glued paneling goes up slow because of the stiction/stay flat issues. I imagine if you count tape+bed time, they end up about the same.

As noted in another thread, OSB is a great middle ground with a BIG caveat: pos = cheap, nail stuff anywhere - negs = pain to paint, not fire rated

was2 · Sep 3, 2010

No one mentioned wainscoting with corrugated metal sheets. May not fit the theme but have seen it in lots of bars and restaurants, not to mention some fine looking projects on these threads.

drmoonshine · Sep 3, 2010

No interior wall is nice it gives it the garage feel. While looking at this thread I've come to the conclusion I should step it up and get a nice clean look.

regguy1 · Sep 3, 2010

Falcon67 said:
As noted in another thread, OSB is a great middle ground with a BIG caveat: pos = cheap, nail stuff anywhere - negs = pain to paint, not fire rated

A comment on the OSB, you're right with the above comments. I wanted a finished look and I think OSB looks somewhat crude even when painted. I did use some OSB behind the pegboard (between the studs) on the left of the walk in door, I was able to mount the thermostat and key box. With some forethought one could put OSB in areas (behind finish material, between studs) where you'd want to attatch something.

regguy1 · Sep 3, 2010

drmoonshine said:
No interior wall is nice it gives it the garage feel. While looking at this thread I've come to the conclusion I should step it up and get a nice clean look.

Yes, you can still work in there...you'll just feel a little more pride in your surroundings

JC23 · Sep 3, 2010

Carl,

I sent you a PM.

jc

Bigpigdave · Sep 3, 2010

Falcon67 said:
The MDF panelling I'm buying at Lowes for the house runs about .44/sq ft. It's much sturdier than wood panel for not quite $1 more per sheet. We'll paint it once it's up on the wall. It adds texture to the surface, makes for a good stiff wall when glued and gets you out of tape and bed. Downside - it hides the stud locations, add about $7 per panel for good glue and it's still a PITA to get it flat to the wall even with the best glue. You're also paying more total per sq/ft of wall - figure with sheetrock under that you are in the .88~.95 / sq ft where with rock+tape+bed you might be at .25~.30. Also, glued paneling goes up slow because of the stiction/stay flat issues. I imagine if you count tape+bed time, they end up about the same.

As noted in another thread, OSB is a great middle ground with a BIG caveat: pos = cheap, nail stuff anywhere - negs = pain to paint, not fire rated

If you read most paneling instructions or data sheets you will find that it is supposed to be installed over drywall which has been taped. I found this out after paneling part of a room in my house. The MDF paneling tended to bulge over time due to the pressure from the insulation behind it. I am talking about the thin (1/8" to 1/4") stuff. Just some info I found, your mileage may vary.
Good luck, Dave

gumbudah · Sep 3, 2010

I like the look of smoothe drywall. If I had my druthers and cost wasn't an issue, I think I'd use drywall over plywood, to get the durability plust looks. Since I didn't want to spend an extra $15 per sheet, I'm going with just the 5/8" rock. Anything I want to put up on the walls, I'll just have to plan to secure it in the right spot.

lilredex · Sep 3, 2010

Mine is finished in 1 X 10" pine boards that came free, from Japan (shipping crates). Spent a day dismantling and rough sawing to length. Both myself and that business were very happy with those results.

If you like the look of wood, and you live where there are trees, check out the small rural sawmills. You can often get good deals there, on rough sawn lumber.

Kevin54 · Sep 4, 2010

lilredex said:
Mine is finished in 1 X 10" pine boards that came free, from Japan (shipping crates). Spent a day dismantling and rough sawing to length. Both myself and that business were very happy with those results.

If you like the look of wood, and you live where there are trees, check out the small rural sawmills. You can often get good deals there, on rough sawn lumber.

How about some pics?

Kevin54 · Sep 4, 2010

Not to hijack, but Regguy1....could you post a pic of how much room you have under the car while sitting on a roll-a-round seat just for perspective? I have the same ceiling height as you and a MaxJax looks like a good option. I just don't want something that you still have to lean down so you don't bust your noggin. My arthritis and separated shoulder has gotten to the point that laying down on concrete is hardly an option anymore.

regguy1 · Sep 4, 2010

Kevin54 said:
Not to hijack, but Regguy1....could you post a pic of how much room you have under the car while sitting on a roll-a-round seat just for perspective? I have the same ceiling height as you and a MaxJax looks like a good option. I just don't want something that you still have to lean down so you don't bust your noggin. My arthritis and separated shoulder has gotten to the point that laying down on concrete is hardly an option anymore.

I'll take a photo and post it here. Will PM you when it's up :thumbup:

Where approximatly are you in OH ?

mcdtommy23 · Sep 4, 2010

3/4" plywood with FRP over that! You can screw whatever you want wherever you want, it cleans up easy and is very very durable.

regguy1 · Sep 4, 2010

Kevin,

Photos requested are posted here, last post on page 1, additional photos on page 2 (14 total)

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71225

Carl Voss · Sep 13, 2010

What a great selection of possibilities!

We may need to publish an entire column on all the options.

I'll first need to check with our city permit department to see if drywall over insulation is required for a detached garage.

popcorn-guy · Sep 15, 2010

wouldworker said:
Very little choice where I live. If the garage has a common wall with any part of the house, it must me drywalled to meet code. Insurance companies get in the fray also. As I understand it, it is permissible to add plywood, OSB, pegboard etc over the drywall. The drywall is not required to be taped or mudded as I understand it.

It is my understanding that "all" states abide by the UBC (Universal Bldg Code), which is the minimum accepted code to build by, and any attached garage that has a wall adjacent to the living quarters must be drywalled "and" taped. Otherwise it is not a firewall. In my locale, one must also use "fire caulk" as well.

regguy1 · Sep 15, 2010

Carl Voss said:
What a great selection of possibilities!

We may need to publish an entire column on all the options.

I'll first need to check with our city permit department to see if drywall over insulation is required for a detached garage.

Please post what you find out regarding this issue, Thanks

MN BIANCHI · Sep 15, 2010

I used pre-finished tongue and groove pine for the dividing wall in my shop. The other walls are steel sheet metal panels.

Markgyver · Sep 16, 2010

Has anyone thought of using those PVC panels that they use in public restrooms to cover the walls. I know lowes carries them in white but I wonder if they could order in other colors.

ersatzs2 · Sep 16, 2010

The discussion is not complete without a mention of Magnesiacore. I really tried to use this for my garage, but at the end of the day, it was just too pricey to justify; not just the sq foot cost but the fact they have to drop ship and don't have regional distribution. But to my mind this is the ultimate interior finish: good looking, very strong, fireproof, easy to install.

http://www.magnesiacore.com/index.html

swharris · Sep 16, 2010

Kevin54 said:
Not to hijack, but Regguy1....could you post a pic of how much room you have under the car while sitting on a roll-a-round seat just for perspective? I have the same ceiling height as you and a MaxJax looks like a good option. I just don't want something that you still have to lean down so you don't bust your noggin. My arthritis and separated shoulder has gotten to the point that laying down on concrete is hardly an option anymore.

This is my biggest problem with these medium lift racks. You can't stand under them. Try and get some good leverage while sitting on a rolling stool. Not gonna happen. I guess it could be those lessens from my dad about never doing a job sitting down on your *** affecting my opinion.

Haha, just remembered I told my 9 year old son not to work on his skateboard sitting on his ****. Weird how things you hated hearing from your parents you find yourself saying to your own.

Favorite material for interior garage walls

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