Replacing corrugated metal interior walls with OSB/drywall

[ScaldedDog]

My new-to-me shop is a Morton building with corrugated metal interior walls. I've come to hate them, mostly because of the difficulty mounting anything on them - cabinets, hanging ladders, even a basic shelf has a 3/4" void behind it that has to be worked around to keep things from falling down behind the it.

I'm considering two projects, and would like your thoughts on anything I've not considered:

First, I need to support the girts so that I can mount things easily, whether I replace the metal, or not. Would something as simple as toe-nailing 2x4's between the girts from floor to ceiling in the orientation shown be enough?

I was also considering notching them perpendicular to the girts as below, but that compresses the insulation about an inch and a half, which I'm thinking is a bad idea.

Second, since I have to remove the metal, anyway, I'm thinking of replacing it with 3/8" drywall over 1/2" OSB. I had this in my last stick-built garage and loved it. It would be attached to the bottom plate shown below, and sit on the metal sill, and so be up off the floor.

On top it would fit in same metal c-channel that Morton used to hold their metal siding, and to separate it from the perforated metal ceiling, which I'd keep.

I really don't have the time, energy or money to do all of this but, if I am going to do it, now is the time. I'd appreciate your thoughts, particularly if you've done something similar.

Mark

 

[ScaldedDog]

I thought I'd get more opinions on this...

Mark

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[u2slow]

OSB and drywall are 2 materials I hate.

I would use 5/8" or 1/2" plywood (I used 1/2" in my shop) supported by whatever 2x4 backing you find adequate (I'm stick-framed with studs on 12" and 16" centers). I can hang just about anything anywhere.

 

[matt_i]

You can buy a Kreg Jig that's designed for 1-1/2" framing materials "2 by..."

Then use torx drive screws and you're on the way. Imo a lot more precise and stronger than toenailing which knocks the thing out of alignment on the way to destroying the end-grain.

I think your pic is in the middle of the wall, do you have a solid support coming up from the concrete? As that's going to be a lot of concentrated load on the "column" that you'd be building.

I would also urge some restraint in hanging "alot of things" from the walls.

Since your "columns" are broken at every girt and oriented "flat" their bending strength is a fraction of what a typical stud would be, which has the advantage of being continuous vertically and "on edge" relative to the moment-load.

The girts are continuous but are going to be most flexible at center-span between the posts.

 

[Showkey]

Plywood vs OSB comes up all the time in the GJ.

OSB is also more consistent than plywood. Plywood is available in many plys and different levels of quality. OSB is usually more consistent across the board, meaning what you see is what you get. Plywood and OSB are generally considered to have the same load strength.

Osb is stronger than plywood in shear. Shear values, through its thickness, are about 2 times greater than plywood. This is one of the reasons osb is used for webs of wooden I-joists. However, nail-holding ability controls performance in shear wall applications.

7 or 8 ply birch is great looking stuff @ $50 a sheet often prefinished too.

 

[raddksn]

You can buy a Kreg Jig that's designed for 1-1/2" framing materials "2 by..."

Then use torx drive screws and you're on the way. Imo a lot more precise and stronger than toenailing which knocks the thing out of alignment on the way to destroying the end-grain

I bought a Kreg jig years ago and put it on a shelf in the basement and forgot about it! ran across it a month ago and tried it WOW is that thing handy!

 

[u2slow]

Plywood vs OSB comes up all the time in the GJ.

OSB always sustains moisture degradation in my climate.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks guys. I ended up deciding to keep the metal walls, and use unistrut sitting on the concrete floor and screwed to the girts to hold up my shelves, which is probably wildly overkill for anything they'll need to hold up. I'd still like to rip out the metal and replace it with OSB and drywall, but sometimes done is better than perfect.

Mark

 

[Beal095]

Just a thought, I used LP Smartside 4x8 sheet cut in half on the bottom up to 48" high, then drywall on top. The siding gives a nicer look than OSB and is strong. I'll then put a trim piece on the seam.