Replacing damaged 3/8" sheetrock

[stamminen]

I have a 24x24 garage with sheetrock walls. A lot of them had significant damage so i'm tearing out the old stuff and putting in new.

From my measurments the walls currently have 3/8" drywall. I would like to put 1/2" sheets just for extra durability but would they stick out like a sore thumb next to the existing 3/8" sheets?

I'm also tossing around the idea of going with plywood instead. Depends how much cost is..

 

[Ainsley]

Price out some OSB. I'm in the process of converting my 12x25' garage into a shop and that is the route I'm going. I'm going to paint it with some oil based wood primer to block and seal any bleedthrough and then finish it off with some white 100% acrylic water based paint for durability and to keep the light reflectance high.
Some people say it off-gasses but what doesn't!

 

[FJ 432]

Just a question.

Typical construction is 1/2" drywall or 5/8" is fire rated and beefier. They make 3/8 according to Home Depot...so are you sure it's 3/8?

 

[ddawg16]

Is the garage attached or detached? If attached, any wall adjacent to the house must be fire rate type X 5/8" drywall.

OSB is an option otherwise.....but not without it's issues....like fire.

Personally, I'd do 5/8" drywall. Only slightly more in cost...but a whole lot stronger.

Drywall is easier to tape and mud...and looks better.

But also important.....if your pulling off all the existing....NOW is the time to run any wiring you want. You can never have enough outlets. Put them at at least 50" above the floor....that way you can lean a 4x8 sheet against the wall and not block it.

 

[Casey69]

first off - how did the existing walls get damaged? if it was from the previous owner, then i'd go w/ drywall. if you're swinging engines around in there & tearing up your drywall, i'd get osb or plywood for the extra durability.

3/8" drywall seemed to be used more frequently years ago, but i don't see it used much anymore. as dawg mentioned, if you tear it out, you should probably replace it w/ 5/8 if it shares a wall with a house so it's up to code (along w/ the addl fire protection).

 

[stamminen]

The building is detached. The previous owner had the building built around 1995. I've only owned the property for a year. Only some of the walls are damaged. I'm looking at probably 8 sheets of drywall.

I'm certain it's 3/8". I'm planning on using this little building as a heated shop for winter. The walls and ceiling are already a white color. I plan on going over it again.

Just wondering if I should use 1/2" or 5/8 sheet rock against the existing 3/8 would it look like **** our could I mud over it?

 

[CTyankee]

The building is detached. The previous owner had the building built around 1995. I've only owned the property for a year. Only some of the walls are damaged. I'm looking at probably 8 sheets of drywall.

I'm certain it's 3/8". I'm planning on using this little building as a heated shop for winter. The walls and ceiling are already a white color. I plan on going over it again.

Just wondering if I should use 1/2" or 5/8 sheet rock against the existing 3/8 would it look like **** our could I mud over it?

Just go with the 3/8 if you're only going to be replacing some of it. IMO it's going to look like **** if you don't. If you need something beefier/stonger for hanging stuff or an area that will get lots of abuse you can always plywood a small area.

 

[9C1]

How badly is it damaged?
Consider going over the existing 3/8 with another layer of 3/8 staggering the new joints with the old joints.
The + is that will give you increased fire resistance and decreased sound transmission, but the - is any outlets that are poking through the drywall will need a deeper mud ring which is not so easy to do with one layer of drywall already in place.
Terry

 

[stamminen]

Just go with the 3/8 if you're only going to be replacing some of it. IMO it's going to look like **** if you don't. If you need something beefier/stonger for hanging stuff or an area that will get lots of abuse you can always plywood a small area.

That's what i'm kinda planning on doing. If I find I need stronger walls i'll just double wall it.

One more question though.

I'd also like to install surface mount fluorescent shop lights. Currently it has 4-5 of your typical incandescent bulb sockets. Would my best bet for getting a clean looking ceiling be to replace the sheet rock that has holes already in it for the existing lighting?

Or could i somehow patch the holes the old light fixtures leave behind?

here are some pictures of the garage currently.

Could recessed can lighting be an option with the existing holes?

The 2 flourescent fixtures in there currently are just hung by chains from the ceiling and plugged into an outlet.

 

[fury9]

Drywall is tapered on the long edges to compensate for the initial coat of tape and mud, I'd put 1/2" up.

 

[CTyankee]

I assume at some point you're going to finish the ceiling? If so, patch up the holes and tape them when you do the rest of the joints. Small holes can be patched without cutting the drywall back to studs/joists. Google patching holes in drywall. There are various ways to do it.