Sheetrockers vs plywood

[Jackfre]

I assisted on a Fujitsu 24k dual mini installation with a 15 and a 9 kbtu evap for a friend the other day. It is his work shop and her ceramic studio. We roughed in the line sets and I strongly cautioned him to watch the rockers. In their discussion with him they said, "oh yeah, we do these all the time." That was a great comfort to the owner as he is a retired union carpenter from the city and has hung mtns of rock. All four lines were kinked. Apparently the guy who knew about being careful around the line sets was on another job that day. "What do we do?" "Well, if you had put plywood up in here we would remove a few screws and be in there, do the repair and button it back up and finish, but because you were sentimental about sheetrock (how can anyone be sentimental about sheetrock?), watch this... The repair was affected and the system went in four days later but I had the red *** all day over it. I still have the red *** over it I know that is my problem but I contrast this with my experience in my shop. When I needed into the wall to run the solar wiring it took me a max of 15 minutes to remove the plywood wall from floor to ceiling. The work was done and it took less than 10 minutes to put the wall back together. It's a shop not the living room. They are tickled pink with the mini-split.

 

[BillK]

Sorry but I simply cannot imagine having plywood on the walls in any building ?? Unless maybe you are going for the "Old Barn" look ??

 

[acmikee]

when I did my shop I used osb because it was cheaper than sheetrock by about $2-3. plus you can hang anything on it

 

[Bert_]

I only see sheetrocked garages in more upscale houses. These garages are used for parking only. Never any work done inside them. Usually don't even store garden or yard tools in that type of garage.

Anybody who works in their garage has wood of some sort or tin.

I never knew sheetrocked garages were popular before this forum.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Agree with the OP, I think. I speak "Hoosier" only...and am not sure what "Red Assed all day" means?

In any case...I spent a lot of time thinking about the interior walls of my garage. It's 13-feet with white #2 steel for the ceiling. I finally settled on bringing the steel down 4-feet around the top to brighten every thing up and using T1-11 exterior plywood sheets under that. The Amish that built it used some of the plywood to do the interior trim around the windows and doors. It looks great.

Sure enough though...the idiot that put in the sewer line to the bonus room bathroom upstairs FORGOT to glue one of the PVC joints in the wall cavity. First time the shower was run there was a wet spot on the T1-11. Like the OP said, 10 minutes to pull down a sheet of plywood and I was able to fix my mistake.

Boy, was I red assed over that! (Did that I say that right???....hmm.) Somehow this reminds me of the barbershop scene in Gran Torino. I should probably stick to Hoosier.

Phil

 

[muduck18]

I only see sheetrocked garages in more upscale houses. These garages are used for parking only. Never any work done inside them. Usually don't even store garden or yard tools in that type of garage.

Anybody who works in their garage has wood of some sort or tin.

I never knew sheetrocked garages were popular before this forum.

Yeah I don’t know that I would have even considered it.
My workshop has tin. And my garage is half stucco and half plywood because the builders did half of it back when it was built. And I added the plywood.

 

[Jim greengo]

I only see sheetrocked garages in more upscale houses. These garages are used for parking only. Never any work done inside them. Usually don't even store garden or yard tools in that type of garage.

Anybody who works in their garage has wood of some sort or tin.

I never knew sheetrocked garages were popular before this forum.

If I was going to have a garage sheet rocked I'd put plywood behind it 1st.
That way you could atleast hang a screw or nail in middle of wall to hang something without it coming out.

 

[txvwnut]

It seems like sheetrock installers will do anything to screw over the other trades. For the brief moment in time when I thought I didn't want to be in automotive I worked for a commercial sound company. Might as well use that electronics tech cert somewhere. Well I was doing a job in an office building, two floors a hundred speakers and fifty volume controls. When I was rough wiring everything I left about a foot of lead through a hole just big enough to fit my vc through the wall. Told the GC on the job what that was and to make sure it doesn't get covered up. He says sure thing I'll let them know.

Came back to the job when it was time to finish the install and guess what. Those dipshits poked the wire back through and patched every ******' hole. Good thing is i knew this would happen and measured up from the floor and over from the jamb before I left. So I poked new holes fished out my wire that somehow was covered in drywall mud. Then just to be a **** I mean I real ****, I moved over and poked another hole and said oops... fifty times. The drywall guy came back in to check on his crew and was fuming. He grabs the GC and shows him to which he replies, you weren't supposed to cover those up. The GC finds me later and says that was a dirty trick I did pocking un-needed holes and laughed about it. I replied, wait'll the DW guy goes to the next floor. That was when I had my good laugh, that m'fer was pissed and ready to kick my ***.

 

[Jim greengo]

It seems like sheetrock installers will do anything to screw over the other trades. For the brief moment in time when I thought I didn't want to be in automotive I worked for a commercial sound company. Might as well use that electronics tech cert somewhere. Well I was doing a job in an office building, two floors a hundred speakers and fifty volume controls. When I was rough wiring everything I left about a foot of lead through a hole just big enough to fit my vc through the wall. Told the GC on the job what that was and to make sure it doesn't get covered up. He says sure thing I'll let them know.

Came back to the job when it was time to finish the install and guess what. Those dipshits poked the wire back through and patched every ******' hole. Good thing is i knew this would happen and measured up from the floor and over from the jamb before I left. So I poked new holes fished out my wire that somehow was covered in drywall mud. Then just to be a **** I mean I real ****, I moved over and poked another hole and said oops... fifty times. The drywall guy came back in to check on his crew and was fuming. He grabs the GC and shows him to which he replies, you weren't supposed to cover those up. The GC finds me later and says that was a dirty trick I did pocking un-needed holes and laughed about it. I replied, wait'll the DW guy goes to the next floor. That was when I had my good laugh, that m'fer was pissed and ready to kick my ***.

Screw em,I wish I had $1.00 for everytime a drywall guy buried one of my boxes in a wall!
I carry a big framing hammer for just such situations!

 

[Rusty Fords]

It seems like sheetrock installers will do anything to screw over the other trades.

I replied, wait'll the DW guy goes to the next floor. That was when I had my good laugh, that m'fer was pissed and ready to kick my ***.

Thermostat wire covered up by DW boss says go out and find it my journeyman says tell the F'n DW'ers to find the Damn thing. No boss says go find it. We walk in General standing there journeyman pulls hammer out swings knocks a hole through both side of wall sticks hand in and doesn't feel it backs up starts another swing in the next space where the General starts screaming STOP STOP! I'll find it!! We both left laughing.

 

[Jim greengo]

Thermostat wire covered up by DW boss says go out and find it my journeyman says tell the F'n DW'ers to find the Damn thing. No boss says go find it. We walk in General standing there journeyman pulls hammer out swings knocks a hole through both side of wall sticks hand in and doesn't feel it backs up starts another swing in the next space where the General starts screaming STOP STOP! I'll find it!! We both left laughing.

Exactly,gives them a whole new attitude really fast!

 

[Jackfre]

HoosierBuddy, Nice place. I think you get it. Basically, you get the red *** just before you drag-up!

 

[nadogail]

Not all of us are mentally deficient but, I too have screwed up some drywall.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Thermostat wire covered up by DW boss says go out and find it my journeyman says tell the F'n DW'ers to find the Damn thing. No boss says go find it. We walk in General standing there journeyman pulls hammer out swings knocks a hole through both side of wall sticks hand in and doesn't feel it backs up starts another swing in the next space where the General starts screaming STOP STOP! I'll find it!! We both left laughing.

Somedays a full bucket of phuckit is just enough to resolve an impasse.
Thanks for the grins.

 

[TwoToque]

Interesting thread and I am on the side of plywood finish. It will give my shop the warm woodworker feel. As stated repairs behind the wall are made easily. The mah and pah lumber yard I deal with recommended it saying it would be about the same cost to do the plywood over drywall in the long run. Plywood a little more expensive than sheetrock but no taping, mudding, sanding and then painting.

On another note in the area where I reside it is actually building code as a fire rating to have sheetrock if the garage is attached or semi detached. It is also required if the detached garage is within a certain distance from your main dwelling. I got lucky and my detached garage is far enough away from my tiny house so I am using 3/8 fir plywood.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Sorry but I simply cannot imagine having plywood on the walls in any building ?? Unless maybe you are going for the "Old Barn" look ??

I used gyproc on the main part of my garage. The wall in the pic is plywood on both sides. The room behind it is also lined in plywood. Tough to tell the difference between the drywall and plywood.

 

[PhantomEB]

My current one. Fireboard where it’s required by city code then OSB for the rest.

Next one will be OSB in the work space then drywall in the drinking thinking space up top.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Ive been down this road, more than a time or two, seems like Ive made of living out of building home shops and moving, Im just starting on shop number 9 ?

Ive always " rocked ", but once had 2 walls in a shop that was OSB, I never really liked those walls...

I like the look of rock better, and because Ive been a heavy fabricator, Ive worried about a smoldering fire at night with plywood walls ( all the way to the floor )

Im rather proficient hanging and mudding rock, so Ive prefered the rock to the look of plywood ( mostly a fit and finish thing ).

All of that said, this summer Im finishing a Morton Brand Post frame shop, and thinking about using plywood. I finished the same exact brand and style building about 5 years ago using rock, so I have that experience to draw, being that the buildings are basically identical in construction.

Last time, I framed new 2x6 interior walls and insulated and rocked them, this time, Im thinking about insulating the existing wall cavities, and running 3/4" T&G 8' sheets of OSB flooring horizontally from post to post ( plus some kind of reinforcing backing ), Im shorter on time and $ this time, and the shop is smaller, with work benches, storage cabinets and the like, there will be almost no visible wall under 8'. Thinking of pre painting the sheets white or dove gray or... ? its a simple shop layout ( not much need for detail ), and I plan to pipe the electric and air on the surface of the OSB.

Ive basically have a 11'+ wall height, and its not worth changing materials, to tin, for the last 3' - 4' of wall.

 

[Rusty Fords]

Ive basically have a 11'+ wall height, and its not worth changing materials, to tin, for the last 3' - 4' of wall.

I bought a unit of 3/4" shop ply. My shop is a wooden pole type construction with horizontal 2x6's with commercial type of installation( instead of flat on the poles) forming the cavity for R19 insulation. I had the insulation company install the insulation with a white vapor barrier over all of it. I stood the 4x8 sheets on end up to the 8ft mark with about 3/4" off the floor. plenty strong to hold anything i attach to it and doesn't damage as easy as rock..

 

[Ilikeike]

Even the newer metal building commercial shops in the industrial areas around here have rock walls, as well as all new homes for the last couple of decades.

This is a shop we rented for our club house a couple years ago, all sheet rock.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Even the newer metal building commercial shops in the industrial areas around here have rock walls, as well as all new homes for the last couple of decades.

This is a shop we rented for our club house a couple years ago, all sheet rock.

Im not a contractor, nor do I work in the trades, but Im of the belief, everything that is built, by someone that is licensed and the building inspected, is going to be rock, fire code requires it.

Where I live there is no licensing of contractors or trades people ( save for the plumber I believe ), and no inspections by any muni, so anything goes, but I think that is the clear exception, not the norm.

That might go a long way to explain what your seeing.

 

[That1Guy]

Im not a contractor, nor do I work in the trades, but Im of the belief, everything that is built, by someone that is licensed and the building inspected, is going to be rock, fire code requires it.

Where I live there is no licensing of contractors or trades people ( save for the plumber I believe ), and no inspections by any muni, so anything goes, but I think that is the clear exception, not the norm.

That might go a long way to explain what your seeing.

I wanna live where YOU live!

 

[cnc-me]

Sorry but I simply cannot imagine having plywood on the walls in any building ?? Unless maybe you are going for the "Old Barn" look ??

Not to mention the terrific fire hazard when using plywood.
Have had two fires in the shop survived both of them, don't think it would have
possible without sheet rock on the ceiling and walls. Once all that plywood gets going you can kiss all your hard earned labor good bye.

 

[Jackfre]

Not to mention the terrific fire hazard when using plywood.
Have had two fires in the shop survived both of them, don't think it would have
possible without sheet rock on the ceiling and walls. Once all that plywood gets going you can kiss all your hard earned labor good bye.

Or, you can prevent fires. In the six yrs I’ve had the shop I have had to get into the walls for mods twice. This spring when I installed my solar system it took me 15 minutes to open the walls surrounding the panel, giving the electrician clear access. Once the work was done, 10 minutes to close everything up. I’m really happy with plywood walls.

 

[Higgins]

For those who would like plywood walls, there is an answer.

Yrs ago, our communications equipment and wiring distribution would be mounted on plywood walls. It turns out there is a fire retardant product Called FlameOFF.

FlameOFF® Fire Barrier Paint is an intumescent paint that can be applied to most building materials. Structural steel is the most commonly protected material, but protection can include other materials such as sheet metal, sheetrock, composite panels and interior woods.

Now the down side, it's $$$$$$$$$ and we purchased it in 55 gal drums.

The project went so far, as to receive NY Fire Dept Approval for the installation!

AL

 

[Jim greengo]

Not to mention the terrific fire hazard when using plywood.
Have had two fires in the shop survived both of them, don't think it would have
possible without sheet rock on the ceiling and walls. Once all that plywood gets going you can kiss all your hard earned labor good bye.

I've seen plenty of houses burn to the ground over the years,running thing is they had drywall instead of plywood on the walls.
They must not have gotten the memo about sheetrock not burning?

 

[PhantomEB]

Going thru the pain of drywall in the basement, never again will I tackle this kinda work. All I will do is beef up around the perimeter for screws to go in, double up where joints are (which is where I am sitting in a bit to set up another room down the line).

GF and I flat out said 1/8” wall paneling in the laundry etc room to avoid mud and tape in there. Drywall guy said lots just board them up and leave them, that’s not my style, we going bead board.

 

[yeldogt]

I've seen plenty of houses burn to the ground over the years,running thing is they had drywall instead of plywood on the walls.
They must not have gotten the memo about sheetrock not burning?

It's all about pathways with drywall. .... fire finds all the pathways and the walls burn from the inside.

My house fire in 12 was from the outside and I had cars on fire ... the wood siding and cedar roof went up ... but the house was spray foamed and with no easy pathways for the flames to spread ... they did not.

The fire consumed the windows -- that's how it got in. There was only one spot where the flames cut through the walls/ drywall -- this was above a window.

The plywood on the exterior walls under the siding was all burnt -- but. stayed standing. Had the building been fiberglass it would have gone up

 

[Jim greengo]

Next garage I build will probably have 1/2" plywood sheathing with 1/2" sheetrock over that.
It will look finished that way,and you'll actually be able to hang things on the wall.

 

[Innovate1]

Im not a contractor, nor do I work in the trades, but Im of the belief, everything that is built, by someone that is licensed and the building inspected, is going to be rock, fire code requires it.

Where I live there is no licensing of contractors or trades people ( save for the plumber I believe ), and no inspections by any muni, so anything goes, but I think that is the clear exception, not the norm.

That might go a long way to explain what your seeing.

Where I am they said plywood was fine for detached garage so that's what I did. I don't intend to weld or do other hot work. Attached garage is a different story and must be drywall or similar fire resistant material.