Drywall first versus Slat Walls

[MsMarieH]

Right now the majority of our walls in the garage are bare studs. We are going to insulate all walls.

We want to get slat walls and I am debating about putting up drywall first. It isn't required for the slat walls, but I am wondering if drywall will help at all with the insulation/warmth of the (unheated) garage in the winter. Remember, I live in Chicago suburbs and it gets dang cold here in the winter!

Does drywall have any value in that respect or is it negligible enough that we should skip it? Is there any other reason to use it or not that I might not be thinking about?

What are your thoughts/opinions?

Thanks!

 

[Bulldog13]

Of course it will help...any additional layer on the wall will increase the insulation value of the wall..why the slat walls?

 

[Tech Guy]

If taped and mudded properly then it seals over the vapour barrier and provides that extra warmth. With the slat walls you will have unsealed joints. Just my opinion

 

[bimmer1980]

drywall really doesn't have any r-value. However, it would help with air filtration. The biggest thing it does is provide a fire stop. You could probably jsut put up a good layer of vapor barrior (or Plastic sheeting) and just put the slat wall over that and be done.....

 

[MsMarieH]

Of course it will help...any additional layer on the wall will increase the insulation value of the wall..why the slat walls?

We're doing the slat walls so we'll have flexibility for moving things around and rearranging things in the future (grins... and mostly cause my hubby likes them and wants them and what hubby wants, hubby gets in his garage - aren't I a good wife???).

http://www.floorguard.com/specialty-organizers.html This is the system we are looking at. It will allow the cabinets to be adjusted anywhere we want to put them, moveable shelves, hooks, etc. Cool system.

drywall really doesn't have any r-value. However, it would help with air filtration. The biggest thing it does is provide a fire stop. You could probably jsut put up a good layer of vapor barrior (or Plastic sheeting) and just put the slat wall over that and be done.....

We do currently have drywall on the part of the garage that butts up against the house. That was required by code when the house was built. I'm not sure it would be all that much of a fire stop for the remaining walls, but that could be a good point. I'm all about safety!

 

[1320stang]

I worked in the University bookstore for a while when I was in college. In another area was the university gift shop and I was working there when they put slat wall up around 1988 or 1989. Grey (melamine?) with grey slat fillers and the slat wall was made from particle board or MDF. After a couple of years worth of moving stuff around the edges were chipped and it looked a little crappy to me. And I can only imagine just the dust and dirt that will get into the bottom of the slats, let alone if it's a working garage that sawdust or a grinder might be slinging sparks in.

I still don't see everyone loving slatwall so much.