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Garage interior walls- Drywall or ????

user-159210 | Posted in General Discussion on March 12, 2007 12:11pm

Detached 22×24 Garage. Any suggestions other than drywall to finish off the interior?

Was thinking of using 7/16 OSB (cheaper than drywall now and no taping)but would have to do something with the seams. Not looking for a show-place garage but would like a clean looking interior. Also like the idea of hanging hooks-shelving etc. without finding a stud. Anything else you guys have seen or used along the same lines? thanks -Paul

 

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  1. User avater
    xxPaulCPxx | Mar 12, 2007 12:20am | #1

    I would fill the gaps with a dark caulk.  It would help keep the OSB from expanding if it got wet too.

    Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA

    Also a CRX fanatic!

  2. DanH | Mar 12, 2007 12:30am | #2

    You can always put up OSB with 1/4 or 3/8" drywall glued over it.

    There are plastic or aluminum joiner strips that can be used between sheets of paneling to hide the seams.  These may require ripping a narrow strip off the sheets, though, to maintain spacing.  Check out bathrooms in many gas stations, big box home stores, etc, to see these in use.  Fancier ones are used in some office buildings to permit hanging pre-finished drywall (Durasan) without fasteners.

    There are various plastic/fabric wallcoverings that glue on, kind of like contact paper.  Can be installed with no visible seams (though I don't know how stable they would be, seam wise, in an unheated garage).

    There is a sort of wallpaper designed to go on horizontally and hide wall defects.  It can then be painted.

    So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
  3. myhomereno | Mar 12, 2007 01:02am | #3

    Hi Paul
    I used OSB in my woodwork shop. I didn't worry about the seams to much, I butted the sheets tight together. Initially I was concerned of buckling from the tightly butted sheets but nothing happened. Afterwards I applied one coat of oil based primer and 2 coats of oil based paint. The paint smelled for a while but disappeared after 2 weeks (I left the windows open). Years prior to that I painted OSB with latex paint and some of the wood chips swelled up making it look bumpy.

    Martin

    1. user-159210 | Mar 12, 2007 03:58am | #4

      Martin , which side did you face out and paint? The smooth side (wax) or the rough side

      1. myhomereno | Mar 12, 2007 08:36am | #7

        Paul
        The smooth side is painted. It takes a lot of paint to fill all the voids. I used a long nap roller 3/4" to apply the paint. The I used a 3/8" nap roller to roll it out.Martin

        1. 1muff2muff | Mar 12, 2007 09:02am | #8

          Always thought roof metal would look good in garage.

          1. jimcco | Mar 12, 2007 08:51pm | #13

            My nephew lives close to an appliance manufacturer. He found they frequently have panels like for cutting out refrigerator sides. They were off-speck for appliance use so they sold them cheap. Seems like they were 3'x10'- Made great shop walls.

  4. NatW | Mar 12, 2007 05:08am | #5

    Pegboard. Not fire resistant, but flexible for hanging things (and very easy to find studs). Used it in combination with Luan to match thickness and save a little money. Less likely to dent - but if the seems weren't on a stud it got a bit sloppy. Painted, it can look decent but not showplace.

    1. NatW | Mar 13, 2007 04:21am | #19

      The slats mentioned above are nicer than pegboard. I worked for a temp agency while in school and one of my assignments was for a company that bought all the display pieces from a closed store. They specialized in it - bought the entire chain worth of displays and to resell to other stores somewhere else. You may be able to get a good deal if you follow up after a going out of business or moving sale.

  5. cliffy | Mar 12, 2007 06:50am | #6

    Find some slat wall like in a retail store, then you can hang anything anywhere.

    Have a good day

    Cliffy

  6. User avater
    McDesign | Mar 12, 2007 01:44pm | #9

    I believe FH had an attic office in some article where the guy used OSB for the "temporary" finish floor.  Butted tightly, tan caulked seams, careful attention to screw holes, sand off any text.  Then finished with a few coats of oil-based poly; maybe sanded between coats.  Guy liked it so much he was planning to keep it.  Nice look - sort of like a grass mat

    Always kind of liked that idea - cheap materials, some easy labor.

    Forrest

  7. knight | Mar 12, 2007 05:15pm | #10

    Paul,

    I finished the inside of a 40' x 60' x 18' pole barn last summer.  I used steel on the ceilings and OSB on the walls, caulked all the the seams, and applied 3-4 coats of primer.  Looks good, and is awesome for hanging things.  I think I went through about 45 Gallons of primer with a brush ,roller, and a 12 foot extension pole.  This project was for my mom-in-law, and she had piles of free OSB.  Steel would probably have been cheaper if she didn't already have the wood

     My bro-in-law finished his with steel everywhere.  It looks nice and is easy to clean, but, when he he hung cabinets he had to bang the steel siding ribs flush with the wall so he could get the cabinet backs flush with the wall (looked pretty tacky up close).

    IMHO, if I went with steel, I think I would put plywood up in the areas I anticipate needing cabinets or peg board, and j-channel around them with the steel everywhere else.  Maybe even OSB up to 8' and steel above.



    Edited 3/12/2007 10:16 am ET by knight

  8. User avater
    CapnMac | Mar 12, 2007 07:27pm | #11

    I like the direction DanH is suggesting.

    You could, though, just board & batten the seams (put either a 1x2 or 1x4 over the joints of the OSB).

    One cool thing that would allow, is that you could hang pegboard "on" the battens; or track board between the battens.

    Oh, and paint it all white as soon as it's up.  Plain jane, discount, white.  It makes it seem roomier for having fewer--or at least lighter--shadows.

    Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
  9. Caulk | Mar 12, 2007 07:44pm | #12

    Did you consider ply-bead plywood?  It's a lot more than OSB but, if you want a nicer look and still have the ability to mount things to the walls without finding a stud, it might be the ticket.  (I thought about this for my own detached garage).

  10. highfigh | Mar 12, 2007 09:52pm | #14

    If you have machines that will be parked against the walls, maybe OSB at the bottom and slat-wall above, so hanging things will be easy. Pegboard is OK but the studs or furring strips will invariable cause you to move things to a place that isn't exactly where you want them. You can buy paintable slat wall in sheets where the rows are parallel or perpendicular to the long edge. You can also buy hooks and brackets at some home improvement centers and store fixture stores. You can even get plates that allow you to hang cabinets by just finding the slat you want and inserting the tab, then let it hang down. If the cabinet will be really heavy, you can screw it in.

    "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
    1. DanH | Mar 12, 2007 09:59pm | #15

      You know, another option is the fiberglass-reenforced drywall. Used commercially for firewalls, it's usually covered by another layer of DW, but could probably be taped and finished reasonably well.Much more durable than regular DW. Don't have a clue what the price might be.
      So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

      1. highfigh | Mar 13, 2007 01:52am | #16

        You mean the stuff with the yellow fiberglass overlay? IIRC, it's not cheap but it is a lot more durable that regular. If I was going to rock my garage, I would just use green board. Better for moisture and I wouldn't use it to support much weight. I just wouldn't want to put two coverings on the walls when one would do the job. I like the look of rock in a garage if it's not for working in, just to keep pretty things in. FRP is another good wall covering and with dry-markers, you can draw on it and wipe it off. Like this:http://www.technicalservicesin.com/index.php?page=shopareaGranted, this isn't a woodworking shop but the 4" aluminum diamond plate really looks good against the white walls.

        "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

        1. user-159210 | Mar 13, 2007 03:36am | #17

          I was thinking about plyboard or t & g wood siding about $ 20 a 4 x8 sheet , or even t & g OSB about 15 a sheet ,a little to pricey for a work garage. Just don't feel like taping and spackling. 

          How's about any ideas on finishing the ceiling, have trusses on 24" centers.

        2. DanH | Mar 13, 2007 03:41am | #18

          I was thinking the stuff I saw was blue, but I can't say that I'm sure of that -- my color memory isn't that great.
          So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

          1. highfigh | Mar 13, 2007 05:00am | #20

            I think you're right about the color- most of what I have seen was yellow but that's for exterior use, like under EIFS.
            "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

  11. User avater
    JDRHI | Mar 13, 2007 05:31am | #21

    I use T1-11 for just such an application all the time.

    Looks good (for a garage).....no paint necessary....hang anything, anywhere.

    These pretzels, are making me thirsty.

     

     


    1. Ragnar17 | Mar 13, 2007 07:37am | #22

      Hi all,

      I've been contemplating using OSB or plywood for an ATTACHED garage. 

      Since it's required to "firetape" sheetrock in such a location, would some sort of taping or caulking be required if ply/OSB were used?

      Does anyone know? 

      Thanks in advance.

      1. User avater
        IMERC | Mar 13, 2007 08:12am | #23

        ply and OSB hasn't the required fire rating...

        type X DW if you will...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

        WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

      2. DanH | Mar 13, 2007 02:08pm | #24

        Jeezz --- Enough trolls for one week!
        So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

        1. Ragnar17 | Mar 13, 2007 11:02pm | #25

          Huh?

          1. DanH | Mar 13, 2007 11:08pm | #26

            You had to be there.(Standard OSB is not fire rated and cannot be substituted for drywall in a firewall situation.)
            So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

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