Walls and Floor...

[Izzy Charo]

I'm in the process of re-doing my shop and have the opportunity to make some changes... I'm considering using T-111 siding for the walls instead of sheet rock...and wondering if anyone on this forum has done that? I like the look of the T-111, but it is rough as it's designed for outside use (as I understand it)...perhaps I light sanding would help. As for floors, the subfloor will be plywood, but I'm tempted to look into 3/4 inch solid oak flooring to put on top of that,,,I believe there are some less expensive "shop grade" oak plank options out there...overkill? Would love to hear what others have done, and if in the SF Bay Area, where they obtained their materials?
Thanks,
Izzy

[Bill Dufour]

I do not understand this obsession with textured siding. To me it looks old and weathered. Good old growth redwood siding is not rough it is smooth and no real grain show through. I think it is an attempt to make folks think it looks like "real" wood not just cardboard. I agree a sanding might improve the look. Or install it backwards.
Bil lD

[Ronald Blue]

Not knowing what your shop dimensions are I will throw this out there. Mine has 14 foot side walls. So the bottom 4 feet is 3/4" OSB for durability and painted white. The remaining 10 feet is covered with white tin like for roofing or on a pole building. The ceiling is covered with the same white tin. All electrical is ran in conduit on the surface. I wanted white for the best lighting qualities. Just what I did and another option.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, half my shop has T1-11 on the walls and I really like it. I absolutely despise the OSB I used at the other end. But that's me. Should I ever build a new shop if we move to downsize in the future, there will be no OSB involved and I'll either do drywall or T1-11 again.

[Mike Kees]

Stick with plywood on the floor. It is a shop. Stuff happens, glue, finishes,things occasionally get dropped etc. Also you can attach blocks to the floor with screws to help assemble things and remove when done. I have a plywood floor and used exterior stain on it because it was inexpensive and not as slippery as paint.

[mike stenson]

I do not understand this obsession with textured siding. To me it looks old and weathered. Good old growth redwood siding is not rough it is smooth and no real grain show through. I think it is an attempt to make folks think it looks like "real" wood not just cardboard. I agree a sanding might improve the look. Or install it backwards.
Bil lD

I generally agree with Bill. T-111 is the outer sheeting on my shop (aka the barn), so I've hung it recently. Outside and stained it looks fine. Personally, the time spent sanding 4x8 sheets, over and over, would be worth just buying tongue and groove. Backwards would just leave a ton of exposed voids.

[David Walser]

Izzy -- I'm in the process of remodeling my shop. It had no insulation and just studs on the interior walls. It is now insulated and I used 1/2" sanded plywood for the walls. (It also has a mini-split, which is the best $1,300 I've ever spent.) I went with plywood because I thought it would be more durable and make it easier to attach things to the walls. So far, I'm happy with the decision. I still try to hit a stud when hanging something heavy, but I have a lot more flexibility when hanging lighter things. It wasn't that much more expensive nor harder to install than the other options I considered.

[Izzy Charo]

Thanks Jim...any chance you could post a picture of how you used the T1-11 in your shop? Did you cover the entire wall (floor to ceiling) or just he upper half ... Thanks!

[Izzy Charo]

Thanks! Sanded plywood sounds like another good option.... I am also looking at a mini-split unit.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks Jim...any chance you could post a picture of how you used the T1-11 in your shop? Did you cover the entire wall (floor to ceiling) or just he upper half ... Thanks!

You should be able to see things in this photo, Izzy...floor to ceiling. Older photo before the dedicated guitar bench and new main benchtop 'cause it shows more wall



For the floor question, which I failed to address previously. I'd probably stay with the plywood, but if I put surplus oak strip flooring down, I'd probably try to do unfinished or just some oil to keep it from being "slick".

Oh, I HIGHLY recommend the mini split. I'm uber pleased with mine and it costs "almost nothing" to run, both winter and summer here. My shop is always comfortable.