New shop,,, what to do with the interior walls?

[Bob Wingard]

I used cement board (Hardi-Panel) ... won't burn ... won't rot ... absolutely will not soak up any water ... bugs won't come near it. Comes preprimed ... paints beautifully ... looks just like T-111 siding.

[Shane Copps]

I put R board up behind some OSB in my shop. I offset the seams and it made a world of difference (shop is an old garage/apartment building) in cutting the air flow through the room. I haven't painted it and as I'm moving, that won't get done but I had planned on it. I also want to vote for external wiring. I did mine that way and I love it. Made for easy installation, doesn't look bad at all, and if someone wants to add to it- easily done.

Thanks

[mark mcfarlane]

How does the Hardi-panel hold screws, for example, for randomly hanging cabinets,...

[mark mcfarlane]

I put OSB on the walls and covered that with drywall, nice off white paint to keep it light and still can attach stuff to the walls with screws, nails, etc. A little more work to install but I love it and would do it again.

Very cool idea. Any cons other than cost/time? I prefer the look of drywall and the durability/screwability of some wood. This sounds like a brilliant solution.

[Steve Kinnaird]

7/16" OSB on the walls and ceiling.
Makes them durable enough to nail or screw things to.
Walls will be painted a soft pale yellow (Baer Hawaiian Pineapple) and the ceilings will be ceiling white.

20150907_215059.jpg

[roger wiegand]

I used drywall painted white with maple slatboard mounted about 42"off the floor all the way around the perimeter. Looks nice and I can hang things pretty much anywhere.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I'm building out my basement shop right now. I'm going to do OSB for shear value (earthquake zone here- I'm also doing a bunch of other retrofitting in the hopes that my wife and I survive "The big one" in our 1921 house). But I really want it to look like a wood shop. So I'm going to blind nail some cedar or tight knot pine over the OSB, purely for looks. That way I get the appearance I want, the shear value, and the ability to hang stuff anywhere. Win-win-win! Ignoring of course the extra work and money...

[Scott Dorrer]

Some good suggestions here. Kinda leaning toward the 7/16" osb. I have some left over pieces from a shed I'm building and will give them a coat of paint to see if I like it before spending money.

[Michael Cole]

I wanted to do t1-11 but the person putting up the walls convinced me to do osb on the bottom and drywall up the rest. I wish I had stayed with my idea or at least done osb all the way. The osb would probably have been cheaper than the drywall by the time I figured in the cost of taping and mudding and the t1-11 would not have been that more expensive in my small shop. Need to learn to stick to my guts.

[Tom Clark FL]

First thing to remember is that it is a shop, not a home. By the time you get your tools and cabinets in place not too much of the walls will still be seen. I hung 7/16 drywall in my steel building, and finished with two coats of … primer. Works great and makes me happy. Super easy to do. Just don't leave the walls dark, unless you like working in a dungeon.

[Kent Adams]

OSB will collect dust from your tools. Go with at least 1/2 plywood. Whatever you choose, use a gloss or semigloss on the walls to make them easier to clean. I used 3/4 inch plywood in my shop and painted with a gloss neutral color. Works great and I don't have to worry if I want to nail or hang something on the wall. It doesn't collect dust as much as OSB would either.