# Workshop with concrete walls?



## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

We're close to buying a house that has a 2 car garage underneath one end of the house, complete with cinder block walls. This will be my workshop. I can erect frames with drywall or osb, or paint the block all white and leave exposed.

Thoughts?


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

One of the primary considerations will be moisture. Is the space below ground level? If so, are there any signs of moisture?


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

No signs of moisture.


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## Gilley23 (May 9, 2017)

I'd cover the walls with thick osb and paint it all white. Concrete just bounces sound around, the osb will help to absorb it. Also with the osb you can now much more easily mount and relocate things wherever you'd like to.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Paint with waterproofing paint, concrete holds moisture,even though it dosen't leak it will add to you humidity so just in case paint and use white paint to brighten things up. You could use concrete anchors and mount french cleats for whatever paneling or pegboard you put up.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I would fir it out wall with 2×4's and insulate it. Cover with pre painted masonite with white gloss finish. I have done it this way and like it. If you want you can install elect outlets and/or air lines, inside this wall.


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## msinc (Jan 8, 2017)

I would be curious to know whether or not the outside walls were "treated" with anything before the house was back filled. I build houses and have seen it all. We used to not do anything to block walls and they would definitely have problems with moisture. Then we did the roofing sealer/tar and stick heavy plastic to it before back filling. This was not too bad if you were careful putting it on, if not it can be as worthless as if it is not even there. The best thing to do with it is that thick black polyurethane that gets sprayed on about 1/4" to 3/8" thick and it drys pretty tough and sticks really good. It will hang with you and not leak, even if the wall is poured concrete and it cracks. 
Not sure what all you are trying to accomplish by finishing it…as suggested already, I would get in the house and live there a while {over the winter should do it} to see if you are going to have moisture problems or not. If you do then you might want to look into having it dug out and treated properly or you will never stop the water. Even with the block seal stuff, which in all fairness is pretty amazing, it will still get thru and cause problems. If you do see darkening of the block wall I would definitely not do studs and drywall…you will then have mildew problems. 
If it appears to be dry and there are no moisture issues I would still block seal the wall and then either paint or stud and drywall. I prefer the paint because I can see what if anything is going on later. I hate to paint block walls that are bare because it is a lot of work, but I hate the thought of moisture behind drywall and studs even more. I could care less about sound on the painted wall…just about none of the machines you will probably be using are quiet enough to not need hearing protection anyways, plus a nicely done gloss bright white block wall is pretty, it brightens the shop up and it cleans very easily with just an air hose. This is just my opinion based on many moons of experience, so take it for what it is worth. Best of luck. I am currently in process of building a new shop, it's a steel pole building and I intend to finish the inside with white painted steel panels.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Perhaps you could still attach furring strips our studs to the wall, and cover with plywood or OSB, BUT … keep the bottom and top open for airflow. I have no idea if this would violate building code. But it would allow air circulation behind the boards to reduce mildew problems.

I covered my shop with french cleats. I have made use of moving overhead cabinets around. As well as numerous small hangers and brackets for stuff. But, it's not something I make use of constantly, so just having the flexibility to screw something to OSB or plywood would get you pretty much the same flexibility.

While attaching a bunch of french cleats directly to a block wall would be work, you could still attach furring strips or studs to the wall, then french cleats to these.

Regardless, painting the walls and ceiling a bright white is a great way to increase the effectiveness of your lighting.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Have had my shop in a basement for quite a while, now. Field Stone foundation, parged and painted. I do get a small creek that runs across the floor, after heavy rain storms….and right into a floor drain. Other than that…no problems.


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## HTown (Feb 25, 2015)

Our high school shop had cinder block walls. It didn't seem to be a problem then. I'd second the ideas on anchors and french cleats. 
If you don't like it, spend the money to do something else later. 
Hope you enjoy then new home.


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

Cinder block is very porous. You can almost feel the wind come through them. You need something toseal them preferably on the outside if you are gong to heat the space.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Furring strips, insulate (optional), osb; would be my pick.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

deleted


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I would seal and insulate. Depending on how you want to use the wall would determine how to build the wall out. If you will hang heavy things and shelves on it, I would go with a stud wall and 1/2" plywood.


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## msinc (Jan 8, 2017)

One thing I forgot to mention in my post above, and this is so simple yet can have such a big effect on moisture…make sure that you have "fall" away from the house at the ground level. You need the water on the ground when it rains to run away from the wall. This can solve a lot of block wall moisture problems and not having it right can really make a big mess. It almost always settles down after a house has been back filled and leaves you with negative draft so water runs to the wall. No one ever goes back and corrects this until it causes problems.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

You never said whether the block walls were above ground or not, are they?


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

I was collecting the responses as I moved forward. The walls are exposed at the door, and then move into a rise as it moves to the rear. By the back of the garage, they are underground.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

framing it out= wall space to hang stuff on easily.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

All that I can say, is that after adding my 24KW mini-split heating/ac system, those concerns appear to be history. Besides heating&cooling, you can set it for only de-humidifying and control where your humidity levels are. And yeah, I grew up in a basement that was always too humid… *;-)*

Seal what you can, and then always run the de-humidifier.


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## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

If you do decide to frame it out should give metal studs a thought then don't have to worry about dampness getting into the wood


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## Firewood (Dec 4, 2013)

I used a lot of metal studs in my previous basement build out. They are easy to work with and make a very straight wall. HOWEVER, I would not use them in a shop build again because of the difficult I had installing fasteners that allow for heavy loads. Wood studs are the only way I will go now in the shop. Here is a photo of how I am setting up my new basement shop



















The walls are insulated on the outside with 2" foam and another 1" on the inside behind the stud. The wallls are kept about 1/2" off the poured wall. The rigid foam is not affected by moisture like batt insulation.


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## RobS888 (May 7, 2013)

Charles,

If you think water or moisture is a possibility, look into a concrete densifier like S2000, they penetrate into the surface a few inches and convert the salts to something harder. I used it in my garage, because it is supposed to plug the "capillaries" in the concrete and reduce water moving through the blocks. I have far less seepage, but I regraded as well.

https://www.foundationarmor.com/armor-s2000-concrete-sealer


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

Around 30 years ago when we moved into my present home the house had a moisture problem at the far end of the basement where the concrete block wall backed up to solid clay all the way to the top. I applied 3 coats of the same finish that is used on the inside of swimming pools. Easy to brush on and inexpensive. No moisture or water problems on that portion of the wall in 30 years. Later on in another normally dry part of the basement where my shop is located, the left over remnants of a hurricane moved into the Atlanta area and dumped a huge amount of rain. A stopped up drain outside the wall caused about 2" of water to accumulate in the shop floor. Not wanting that to happen again, we fixed the drain and installed something called a "french drain" on the wall. Not a drop of water ever since. I have a completely dry concrete block wall basement painted white that is heated and air conditioned (just opened up some of the air vents running across the ceiling) and all is well winter and summer. No problem with rusty machines and tools with using some WD-40 sprayed on them occasionally. By the way, painted the floor with gray epoxy when I moved in. That sealed the floor from emitting moisture from the ground beneath.


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