I have an attached garage with the part of the garage against the house insulated and drywalled (I think fire codes require the drywall).
The rest of the garage was just studs and no insulation or finish wall. I insulated the walls and now I want to put something on them so I am not looking at the fiberglass batts between the studs. Drywall is cheapest, but i don’t want drywall. I would rather put something like plywood or waferboard – or something so it will be more useful – durable for hanging stuff and shelves etc. I also will put it on with screws so I can take them back off if I need to – possible future wiring changes would require me to get back in the walls again and I dont want to rip out drywall.
Is there a law against putting plywood-or other wood panels on these walls that are not against the house?
Any suggestions on inexpensive wall material that is wood like plywood or wafer board?
Thanks for any help!
Replies
Charlie,
I used some inexpensive paneling in a very light color. Works great. Also did two sheets in pegboard for hanging all the "junk" on. If I need to hang anything heavy in the paneled area, I just make sure the screws go into the studs.
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Is your garage door insulated? Just wondering why you put insulation on walls not shared with the house.
I don't think putting up wood product on those walls is a code issue, if you can have bare studs you should be able to cover them with wood.
If you ask me, I'd rather look at drywall than ply or OSB.
I use the garage in the winter as a work shop and I have a suspended gas heater (Hot Dawg model) that I heat it with when I am out there.
With the cost of natural gas I was getting killed on my heat bill whenever I ran the heater so I pumped cellulose in the attic, fiberglass batts on the walls not already insulated (the ones against the house) and yessir, I glued R-5 foam panels on the garage door.
1/2" T-111 exterior plywood, grooved at 4" centers, cut each 96" length in thirds, put it on the bottom third of all walls, and then use 1/4" tempered hardboard pegboard from there up. Hang it all on with drywall screws.
In some areas code would require the walls to be drywalled from the start, but even if that's code in your area now, you're "grandfathered" and can do anything you want, so long as you don't do something stupid like leave foam insulation exposed. (Or even stupider, like leaving it exposed and setting off fireworks next to it.)
Having said that, my preference would be 3/8" flakeboard followed by 3/8" drywall (probably glued between). Gives you a nice finish and a modicum of fire resistance while still being quite durable and easy to attach things to. If you need to open a wall for something then you just chop it open and then patch it like drywall.
If you want it removable, you could first laminate the drywall and flakeboard together, then attach them with thin wood or aluminum strips for battens.