Another Drywall Related Thread..

[Boots&Slicks14]

Did some searching with no luck.

I'm trying to finish the inside of my garage and was wondering if a non-flammable alternative to drywall exsists that's more affordable than drywall?

If not, is there a less flammable alternative to OSB that's more affordable than drywall?

Or am I asking for something that's too good to be true?

 

[38 Dodge Coupe]

I suspect you will not find many products that cost less than drywall. I looked when it came time to insulate and finish my garage 30 x 32 and after looking at other options, I went with drywall and installed it myself.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

I suspect you will not find many products that cost less than drywall. I looked when it came time to insulate and finish my garage 30 x 32 and after looking at other options, I went with drywall and installed it myself.

Mind telling me what it cost you in the end to DIY?

Did you have all the tools needed already to install the drywall as well?

 

[xtremek]

What about reclaimed barn siding and flame retardant? One barn should do your entire garage with plenty left over.

 

[xtremek]

Or used tin roofing? You can't get more flame resistant than that.

 

[speed bump]

There are some flame resistant plywoods and other things but none of them are even close to as cheap as 5/8 fire rock.

 

[nadogail]

When you consider acquisition, transportation and installation costs what is cheaper than drywall?

 

[James-W]

Personally, I prefer drywall because it is easy to put up and it is easy repair if you damage it in some way.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

Or used tin roofing? You can't get more flame resistant than that.

Actually thought of that, I bet it would look cool, however as far as ever putting up cabinets or anything that probably wouldn't be the best.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

When you consider acquisition, transportation and installation costs what is cheaper than drywall?

Are you asking me?

 

[readhead]

If this is an attached garage and being inspected then metal will not pass unless it is applied over drywall or is a heavy enough gauge to qualify for a fire rating.

I can't picture anything that would be cheaper than drywall.

 

[maxpower_hd]

Here you need to use 5/8 drywall for anything attached to a living space. In my case the ceiling and one side wall. The rest I was able to use 1/2".

As far as cost, the price will be the number of sheets of drywall needed x the cost of a sheet. Current cost here is around 12 bucks a sheet. It's only a dollar or so difference between the two. The biggest benefit to 1/2" is the install. It is a lot lighter, especially for the ceiling.

The only special tools needed are mostly tools you may already own if you are considering this a DIY project. Screw gun, screws, drywall tape, a couple of mudding knives and some sanding equipment, a razor knife, tape measure, etc. The ceiling is the hardest part. I would recommend getting some friends to help with at least that part. You can rent a lift too which is usually somewhere around $40 a day. I borrowed one and had two friends help with a lot of it.

 

[icenfire01]

So you want something with the same properties as drywall and yet it must be cheaper than the most common building component in North America? I feel if a product exists then we would all be using it.

 

[z33tec]

So you want something with the same properties as drywall and yet it must be cheaper than the most common building component in North America? I feel if a product exists then we would all be using it.

Yeah, agreed. I just drywalled my garage. If there was a valid, cheap alternative, I would have used that instead.

There are certainly cheap alternatives, but they won't be fire resistant.

 

[38 Dodge Coupe]

As far as cost- I don't recall exactly. I had 30 sheets of drywall on the ceiling that were less that $10.00 a sheet @ and maybe half that many on the three walls. ( front of garage has three doors) I already had the drywall tools to install and I bought a used lift for under $100 so I could do the ceiling. So insulation and drywall probably under $1,000 including misc stuff drywall screws, joint compound, tape etc. I picked up all the materials in my trailer from Menards so no delivery charge.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

If this is an attached garage and being inspected then metal will not pass unless it is applied over drywall or is a heavy enough gauge to qualify for a fire rating.

I can't picture anything that would be cheaper than drywall.

It's detached.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

Here you need to use 5/8 drywall for anything attached to a living space. In my case the ceiling and one side wall. The rest I was able to use 1/2".

As far as cost, the price will be the number of sheets of drywall needed x the cost of a sheet. Current cost here is around 12 bucks a sheet. It's only a dollar or so difference between the two. The biggest benefit to 1/2" is the install. It is a lot lighter, especially for the ceiling.

The only special tools needed are mostly tools you may already own if you are considering this a DIY project. Screw gun, screws, drywall tape, a couple of mudding knives and some sanding equipment, a razor knife, tape measure, etc. The ceiling is the hardest part. I would recommend getting some friends to help with at least that part. You can rent a lift too which is usually somewhere around $40 a day. I borrowed one and had two friends help with a lot of it.

I would definitely need to hire help and rent a lift, my ceiling is 12 ft. high. I would have to invest in a nice drywall saw as well, it adds up.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

So you want something with the same properties as drywall and yet it must be cheaper than the most common building component in North America? I feel if a product exists then we would all be using it.

That's not what I said, and I don't think you're considering the labor. Drywall involves more finishing than other materials, and as I just mentioned, I would have to hire help.

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

As far as cost- I don't recall exactly. I had 30 sheets of drywall on the ceiling that were less that $10.00 a sheet @ and maybe half that many on the three walls. ( front of garage has three doors) I already had the drywall tools to install and I bought a used lift for under $100 so I could do the ceiling. So insulation and drywall probably under $1,000 including misc stuff drywall screws, joint compound, tape etc. I picked up all the materials in my trailer from Menards so no delivery charge.

A $1,000 was about what I was guessing as well.

 

[Shiftless]

What's a drywall saw?

You mean one of these?

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

Here's one.

 

[Shiftless]

Here's one.

That's what I thought...kinda threw me off when you said buying one of them is an investment.

Comic understatement, right?

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

I know this is a "rotary tool", but this is more what I was thinking when I said "saw".

 

[Shiftless]

I know this is a "rotary tool", but this is more what I was thinking when I said "saw".

Or a rotozip

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

And here we have a Rotozip Rotosaw.

 

[icenfire01]

That's not what I said, and I don't think you're considering the labor. Drywall involves more finishing than other materials, and as I just mentioned, I would have to hire help.

I dont think your labor is going to change much. If you do plywood your are still going to have hang 4x8 sheets on the ceiling. (Renting a lift ect) You dont tape or mud with plywood but if that's what you like you could just do rock for a lot less per sheets and not tape it. Also have you ever tried to cut a outlet hole out of plywood. Way more labor than punching a hole in sheetrock. If you go to something like ships lap or box car siding that takes a ton of labor to install, going up and down a ladder a hundred time because you are only covering 6-8 inches a time. Way more nailing... ect.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[GAR64]

Since the ceiling is the most labor intensive part of the job, you may want to consider a metal ceiling. Definitely think drywall on the walls is the best option.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I would definitely need to hire help and rent a lift, my ceiling is 12 ft. high. I would have to invest in a nice drywall saw as well, it adds up.

My ceilings are 12' high as well and two floors. Plus I had to use 5/8 on the garage ceiling. The borrowed lift was the key to the ceilings. If you don't want to buy one you can rent a lift for cheap. I hired no help. 1/2" sheet rock is about the same weight as plywood and plywood doesn't finish well. If you don't care what it looks like just a quick tape and joint is pretty fast.

A drywall saw is nothing but a razor knife or a sawzall blade with tape around it. Unless you're doing it a lot you don't really need anything more than that. I think you may be over thinking the labor factor. The only thing I can thing of that would be a lot easier than drywall is foam insulation board like what would be behind vinyl siding but 4x8 sheets. But I believe it is more money.

 

[lakeroadster]

..... is there a less flammable alternative to OSB that's more affordable than drywall?

Affordable.... Once you consider labor, even if it is your labor, it's hard to beat SmartSide Panels.

They are:

• light weight, easier to hang than drywall.
• flat, easier to install than metal roofing.
• flat, easier to hang cabinets on than metal roofing.
• tongue and groove, no taping and mudding.
• pre-finished (I didn't even need to paint them).
• more durable than drywall.
• wood: easier / quicker / less of a mess to cut than metal or drywall.
  

Drywall is messy to install, messy to finish and once you're done it isn't durable enough for a working shop. If you bump into SmartSide with a 2 x 4 or whatever, it doesn't even leave a mark. Do that with drywall and you will be patching holes.

I used SmartSide 4' x 8' sheets on the wall and ceiling of my shop & installed them all by myself with no help. I liked the original color so I never even painted any of them or the pre-finished composite trim boards.

I rented an electric scissor lift to install the panels on the ceiling. I made an overhead roll bar looking structure out of 2 x 4's and put it on the scissor lift, then set the panel on that, raised the lift and nailed the panels in place.

The finish on the panels is durable too. If you get grinding dust, mud, oil or whatever on it you can wipe it right off.

Makes for a nice looking shop, with minimal effort. Here's a picture from when my shop was all shiny and new

 

[icenfire01]

Since the ceiling is the most labor intensive part of the job, you may want to consider a metal ceiling. Definitely think drywall on the walls is the best option.

I would vote for this as well as its what I did in my garage, but that will not meet your requirement of "cheaper than drywall". Steel can get pricy.

You can have it done fast, done cheap, done right. Please pick two of the three.

 

[Bluedodge]

12' sheets of 1/2" drywall are $9.32 a piece; so you're looking at $2.40 per running foot.

How big is your garage?

24'x24' would be 96'. $250 in drywall for the walls (actually less because garage doors eat up almost a whole wall), another $125 for the ceiling.

$375 plus screws, a few rolls of corner tape, fiberglass tape, and a few buckets of lightweight joint compound.

$500 to $600 tops.

Rather than renting a lift, but a HF lift for $160 ($200 minus 20% coupon). Take your time doing the ceiling, then put it on Craigslist for $125.


https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/drywall/drywall-panels/c-5656.htm

http://www.harborfreight.com/drywall-panel-hoist-69377.html

 

[Boots&Slicks14]

Affordable.... Once you consider labor, even if it is your labor, it's hard to beat SmartSide Panels.

They are:

• light weight, easier to hang than drywall.
• flat, easier to install than metal roofing.
• flat, easier to hang cabinets on than metal roofing.
• tongue and groove, no taping and mudding.
• pre-finished (I didn't even need to paint them).
• more durable than drywall.
• wood: easier / quicker / less of a mess to cut than metal or drywall.
  

Drywall is messy to install, messy to finish and once you're done it isn't durable enough for a working shop. If you bump into SmartSide with a 2 x 4 or whatever, it doesn't even leave a mark. Do that with drywall and you will be patching holes.

I used SmartSide 4' x 8' sheets on the wall and ceiling of my shop & installed them all by myself with no help. I liked the original color so I never even painted any of them or the pre-finished composite trim boards.

I rented an electric scissor lift to install the panels on the ceiling. I made an overhead roll bar looking structure out of 2 x 4's and put it on the scissor lift, then set the panel on that, raised the lift and nailed the panels in place.

The finish on the panels is durable too. If you get grinding dust, mud, oil or whatever on it you can wipe it right off.

Makes for a nice looking shop, with minimal effort. Here's a picture from when my shop was all shiny and new

Thank you.