# What to use for shop walls.



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Hey Guys,

I had a question for you-all. My shop is a detached 14X36 building. I am in the process of insulating and putting up the drywall. After installing a few panels of drywall this wekend I remembered how much I hated it due to the mess it makes, the time to install and thinking back to my last shop it did not really stand up that well due to being dinged and dented all of the time. I am considering using pegboard, OSB or 11/32 southern yellow ping seating due to price. Any insights on what is best to use?


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

Depending on YOUR concerns in most areas, insulation has to be covered with a solid surface to meet code for fire retardation.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

My shop is just a little smaller than yours and the interior is covered with 7/16" OSB painted with a heavy white latex paint. Having wood everywhere means you can mount nearly anything anywhere on the wall without having to look for a stud. It's also quite a bit more abuse resistant, on more than a couple times I've had lumber get away from me that would have severely damage drywall, but barely scratched the OSB. 7/16" OSB isn't very expensive either.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

I'm onboard with Yeti. My garage is a 30×30 steel building. It was a bear to come up with studs to hang the insulation and OSB. I also painted mine white. That made a tremendous improvement with the lighting.


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## BuzzBate (Nov 2, 2012)

A friend just finished his shop last year. He used OSB for half his walls and PegBoard on the upper half. It wasn't cheap, but I love it.


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## JBrow (Nov 18, 2015)

agallant,

One idea that could be considered is to use different materials in an effort to take advantage of the pluses and minuses of these different materials. OSB or plywood could be installed, perhaps as bands that go all the way around the shop. It could be placed in areas where damage is like to occur and where cabinets, shelves, and hangers would be installed. Then use drywall everywhere else. This controls costs, provides some fire rating, makes cutting around wall penetrations easier during and after installation (for outlets added later), and provides secure fastening points for cabinets, etc.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I've used 5/8 drywall and plywood in shops and haven't had any problems with either.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## DirtyMike (Dec 6, 2015)

I have osb for my shop walls and no studs in the wall due to someones bright idea. I will be remodeling my shop this spring and i don't think osb or drywall will be used. 1/2 '' plywood is what im leaning toward, good luck.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

For all it's drawbacks, I still prefer drywall. Cheap, easy to repair, sound deadening (a little), and as someone mentioned there's that fire thing…....


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

Another vote for drywall. I never did my shop with drywall; just left the vapor barrier exposed and went with it. Someday I am going to have to remedy that. Drywall will be what goes in there.


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## xeddog (Mar 2, 2010)

I also vote for 1/2" plywood and a good layer or two of white semi-gloss paint. OSB would probably be good for shop walls to, but I just don't like any of the "Engineered" materials like OSB, MDF, etc. My son used 3/8 ply in his shop and while it will probably serve him well, it just doesn't SEEM sturdy enough.

Wayne


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

Another OSB walled shop here. I've not completed painting, but am doing primer coat of original Kilz (not Kilz II) and latex paint. Walls are a light, light eggshell off-white and ceiling flat ceiling white.


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## 01ntrain (Jun 21, 2015)

Since the walls are already insulated….does thickness of the product matter?

I used a 1/4" tempered hardboard with white-coating. It was pretty cheap, easy to work with, and adds light-reflection in the room to brighten things up.


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## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Thickness does not matter. At this point I am looking for cheap without the PITA effort of drywall. I am leaning towards OSB as its $8.99 for a 4×8 sheet at the local HD.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

> Since the walls are already insulated….does thickness of the product matter?
> 
> I used a 1/4" tempered hardboard with white-coating. It was pretty cheap, easy to work with, and adds light-reflection in the room to brighten things up.
> 
> - 01ntrain


I have learned over the years that "Nothing is permanent" so I built my shop and my friends shop using screws. Makes the walls de-mountable. I put 1/8" pre painted Masonite on the walls, right on the studs. I have since removed the wall to return the shop to the original ,one stall of a three car garage, when I sold that house. If I were to build a shop again where the wall would never move (outside wall) I would put up sheet rock on the studs and then the painted Masonite over it. No need to sand and finish the sheet rock. The white glossy surface of the Masonite cleans up well and reflects light well. I install it with screws so I can then tell exactly where the wall studs are located. I installed all my wiring in conduit on the surface of the Masonite. Changes are pretty simple then. (There will be changes in the future). One more tip: wherever you put the duplex outlets, opt for four-plex instead.


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## eflanders (May 2, 2013)

My vote would be a combination of plywood and drywall. Why? To meet building code, cost control, flexibility, durability and resale. The first / lowest 4' layer would be drywall, the next layer would be plywood for dent resistance and the hanging of things. Above the ply would be drywall. Yes OSB is cheaper than ply, but it also looks cheap and can be a pain to work with vs. plywood. If you do this, you would only need to tape the joints between the sheets of drywall or you could use a wooden trim strip to cover the joints which would add some contrast without any taping.


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## Tony1212 (Aug 26, 2013)

You definitely need to check your local building codes to see what is allowed for fire ratings.

That said, I used 1/2" OSB on my detached garage shop - walls and ceiling. I painted it all with a semi-gloss latex since it was cheap and plentiful. I also used screws so I could take it down and replace it if something really damages it. All of my shop wiring is in exposed conduit, so it was really easy to just screw it in anywhere without worrying about studs.

I wouldn't go with ply since it really doesn't have any advantages over OSB other than looks in this application (unless that is what you're going for) and it is much more expensive.


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## OldCoach (Jan 3, 2016)

I did mine with OSB unpainted. I can hang anything with screws.


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## Joel_B (Aug 14, 2014)

Whatever you use, put this on top:

http://www.handisolutions.com/index.php/products/handiwall-pvc-slatwall-system


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Plywood on three walls, OSB on the fourth. Wouldn't want drwall in a stand-alone shop. Three walls white, a light shade of green on the fourth. Provides some contrast and a bit of visual warmth to the space. Wood floor, too.


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

On a construction project that I managed, we put 3/4" plywood covered by 3/8" sheetrock in a room that was subject to refiguring of the electronics racks and docking stations hanging on the metal stud walls. It had the look of a sheetrock wall, but it was infinitely re-configurable without having to worry about hitting a stud. If weight is not a concern, and the studs are wood, 1/2" or 5/8 ply would work .


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## teejk02 (Apr 27, 2015)

I splurged on my shop…bright white building steel sides and ceiling…I love bright white for light reflection…hard to do with OSB I think without a lot of effort (did that on the cold side of the shop wall but I probably installed the wrong side out…the side that had the nailing marks on it).


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

+1 to ply, I like the looks of it over OSB. I like the look of wood. If you are worried about light reflection, new ply reflects a lot of light. I used 3/8" in my previous shop and didn't have any problems, but 1/2" would be more substantial. If $$ weren't an issue, I would go with reclaimed planking.

+1 for screws; to cut around windows, I can screw the ply up in a few places, mark the opening, take it down and cut it, then screw it back up.


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## bearkatwood (Aug 19, 2015)

My vote would be 1/4 paneling. I don't care for sheet rock in a shop, it always gets banged up and then looks crappy. Wood baby! it's a wood shop. board and batten looks the coolest. Did you see how Joshua Farnsworth's shop turned out form the wood and shop youtube channel. Very cool.


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

I agree Brian. Agallant, take a look at Smitty's shop, he posted 3 posts above my 1st. He painted his walls but put in wood flooring, you'll be inspired!

Edit: Just looked, pics are down atm.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Another thing to consider, is the shop wrapped with a moisture barrier such as Tyvek? If not I would specifically stay away from drywall except for the green stuff usually designated for bathrooms. Exposure rated siding like some kinds of OSB and plywood would be more tolerant of humidity without growing anything.


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## tomclark (Feb 16, 2010)

One more vote for 7/16 OSB. Super cheap and quick to install. Painted white with Kilz primer, makes the shop nice and bright. You can screw anything to the walls.


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## GT350 (Dec 22, 2012)

I like drywall, it looks best to me when it is painted and also doesn't have nooks and crannies to hold dust. If I want an area with solld wood I will put plywood up in that area to mount whatever tools I want and it gives an accent. I don't find sheetrock to be all that difficult to hang or tape. I also have not had much problem with damage and if I do I'll just fix the hole and repaint that area.
Mike


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## TTF (Sep 13, 2009)

OSB for sure. I would never have anything else. Cheap, strong and I can hang anything anywhere.


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## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

I thought about OSB but I don't like the texture of painted OSB it's not smooth,I'll go with 3/8-1/2" cdx ply.I like the wood for being able to fasten where I want.but then i do plan on french cleats so drywall maybe,but drywall does mold.


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