Inside wall finish Metal Vs ... ? Cost

[Big Dad]

Soon, I am going to be able to pick out the way to finish the interior of the garage .

My 1st thought was

Electrical hid, inside the walls with typical sheetrock, etc

But, I'm also considering possibly just doing it in white metal walls, with exposed wiring in conduit , etc on outside

Anyone looked at costs between the two ?

 

[icenfire01]

I have yet to find anything "cheaper" than sheet rock. That being said I did my walls in rock and my ceiling in steel cus its faster, easier and I didn't have to tape, sand, prime, and paint the ceiling with a scaffold.

 

[Slowgsr]

drywall is easier to clean because it's flat
It has the best chance for airseal, loss of heat.
It's fire rated.
Easily repaired.
My thoughts, my shop is all 5/8 type x, semi gloss paint, ceiling & walls are white except for about 52" up from the floor which is grey.

Surface mounted conduit is just another place for dust to settle. I like drywall but metal is still good, just keep the electrical in the wall. You can always run surface up high for future add-ons.

For cost, drywall seems cheaper but if you need to strap the ceiling, taping materials, (I hired out the taping), and used a manlift for the ceiling work.

 

[Big Dad]

hmm , well good points

 

[rburke65]

Just my opinion....ya can't beat meat for the ceiling....shoot them screws and your dome!

 

[Alexnco]

Just my opinion....ya can't beat meat for the ceiling....shoot them screws and your dome!

Hmmm... heat the building too much and you get... what, Jerky? Do it a bit hotter and it's a barbeque. Overdo it and you get a rustic black cieling. The floor will get messy no matter what...

 

[Alexnco]

Big Dad:
I'm in a similar quandary: What to use for my shop's interior walls.
So, I'm curious: What's your building made from? Wood studs and wood siding, steel panels on wood poles, steel on steel?

 

[Big Dad]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317538

 

[wb4rt]

I built my shop 5 years ago and debated the same thing - how to finish the walls.
I ended up using pressure treated 1x4 for a baseboard in case of water or washing the floor, then 1/2" plywood screwed and running horizontally in case I want/need to run more wires later, with 1/2" sheet rock to the 10' ceiling. I finally painted the baseboard black, plywood medium gray, and the Sheetrock light gray, semi gloss. It looks and works great.

Just something for you to consider.

 

[jloehlein]

I don't know what you're going for, but I have a metal building and used 3/4" plywood. It's nice because I can hang stuff wherever I want. I put down a treated 2x4 base for the plywood to sit on and welded a horizontal run of square tube for the electrical boxes to be screwed to, and as a middle support for the plywood. It ain't pretty, but it's functional and cheap.

 

[nadogail]

With both primer and paint those walls would be fine.

Without paint it will always look like a work in progress.

 

[Alexnco]

Jloehlein & wb4rt: Cool info!
Did you somehow support the adjoining and the free plywood edges?
I realize I may be over thinking this, but experience in Oklahoma makes me wary of leaving any large open areas behind these wall boards... any opening at all would allow crickets and therefore spiders and mice to find hiding and breeding places... Any simple solutions? Or should I just share my expensive "garage"?

 

[wb4rt]

Hi Alex.

My shop is 2x4 stud construction so the plywood joins on the studs.

 

[jloehlein]

The top and bottom of mine are sealed off - the top by the first wall girt, the bottom, I actually have two 2x4s arranged in an L-shape, so the plywood rests on top of one and the other is against the back. The adjoining edges are just butted up against each other. I could silicone around them, but there's still access from the other half of the garage to the backside of that wall. So far, no signs of wildlife. I'll have to keep an eye out. I do treat around the house and shop each year for bugs and the shop is surrounded by gravel on all sides, so I'm sure that helps.

 

[glider]

Tough to beat the metal at .50 sqft. You put it up and your done. Ideal for all temperatures. My ceiling is done and the walls next. I do plan on some osb on the walls also.

 

[Alexnco]

My shop is 2x4 stud construction so the plywood joins on the studs.

Gotcha. Makes sense then... Thanks!

 

[canuckian]

I did metal walls with electric behind the metal and sheet rock on the ceiling. There's a difference in material cost but the time to install the metal is nothing compared to installing, taping, missing , priming and painting sheet rock. Someone mentioned metal would be harder to clean. I just run a deck broom over mine "with the grain" of the metal ribs every few months.

 

[Alexnco]

With both primer and paint those walls would be fine.

Without paint it will always look like a work in progress.

I fully agree, yet I change things around often and I think I wouldn't feel as guilty drilling holes into or mounting stuff onto unfinished plywood as I would on a nicely painted "wall"! I also feel that running into and banging into plain wood walls leaves less noticeable marks and scuffs.
A workable compromise is plain wood in the lower few feet and then painted walls (whether wood, OSB, drywall or metal) higher up (to and including the ceiling?) to improve looks and provide better ambient light reflection.

 

[z28ke]

I'm going to use some old tin roofing on at least one one wall in mine. The front wall where the workbench is I used particle board.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Jloe, are those old radio shack cabinets?

 

[Jazz1]

There is plywood siding on the market. Its 5/8" and has horizontal grooves cut into it..looks like siding. Stain or paint the panelling. Its been on of exterior my sons house for 60 years and Home Depot still carries it.

 

[Big Dad]

After talking to my electrician and others

I guess I will use sheetrock

The electrician said it is about 30% more to wire it .

The good does not outweigh the bad , I'm still thinking about doing a wainscot for the 1st 4 feet on lower wall of metal though

 

[jloehlein]

Jloe, are those old radio shack cabinets?

Yes indeed. I picked up 15 for ~$55/ea. Sold a few to some friends at cost and kept a bunch for myself to make those cabinets