garage workshop walls

[mike roe]

Hi everyone,

Ive searched all over and read all about garage floors, heating, cooling, insulating..... But I havent found anything about walls. I recently moved and am lucky enough to now have a seperate 2 car+ heated garage totally dedicated to a shop. However, it was used as a garage previously and i am stumped as to how to make it more "homey" or i guess for lack of a better word "cozy." It has a concrete slab floor and bare block walls. I just dont want to look at all the gray concrete anymore. I thought about just painting the walls but for some reason I just dont think paint alone is what im after. as for the floors i am just covering the concrete with the harbor freight foam anti fatigue mats - love those things.

So has anyone done anything, besides painting, to their garage concrete walls to make the place feel better? I was even thinking of using that 4x8 cedar paneling lowes sells for closets although that brings up a moisture issue i dont want to deal with. Im really only after a look - nothing functional like insulation or sound deadening.

thanks!

[Lee Horst]

I put up preprimed outdoor siding. It is a OSB product with a pressed simulated wood grain. It's reletively cheap, hard to punch a hole through, and doesn't really have to be finished. It works great for sound control too. Comes in 4x10 sheets (I think?) I remember we had to trim each sheet a bit to fit. Goes up quick and easy.

[Michael Wetzel]

It also depends how much space you are willing to lose. You will need to stud it out on some fashion in order to install any kind of panels. Will this impact your electric outlets if they were installed in the block walls? You could insulate the area you stud out if you are in a cold climate and add more outlets before you install your panels. It will help with heating costs over time.

[Bernie May]

How about textured paint on the walls?

[Mac McQuinn]

My walls are vintage 1977 imitation woodgrain 1/4" thick peg board paneling covering kraft paper backed fiberglass batts. Actually a nice way to go if you occasionally want to change things around, something i do quite a bit, looking for the optimal layout and use of space.


Mac

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I'm sure we all craved that feeling of being in a, 1800's Vermont barn with exposed beams, wooden floor, solid wood walls, a big old wood stove in the corner and lots of natural lighting. You get the feeling you would be more artistic if you had that kind of atmosphere. I feel the same way. I too occasionally crave that warm and cozy feeling. My shop has sheet rock walls and ceiling, cement floor and florescent lighting fixtures. I suppose if I wanted to change it, I would do it with color. You can paint your shop in warm colors and even mix colors. Blend darkened yellows with some green or paint a wall a deep red with natural wood trim. Make your shelving different colors. Let your imagination run wild. It is only paint. All you have to do to fix something you don't like is paint again.
fmr

[Rich Aldrich]

I live in the northern midwest so, I had to insulate. It depends on your location and weather.

In my concrete block basement, I put insulation sheets (R-max or EnergyShield) - 2" thick against the walls. Then I put stud walls up with the studs sideways so there was less room lost. The walls are held to the floor and blocks with Tapcon screws. You have to be a bit careful of not getting two moisture barriers - one on the inside and one on the outside - which will trap moisture. Then you can sheet the walls with whatever you want.

[Dave Schreib]

I put up preprimed outdoor siding. It is a OSB product with a pressed simulated wood grain. It's reletively cheap, hard to punch a hole through, and doesn't really have to be finished. It works great for sound control too. Comes in 4x10 sheets (I think?) I remember we had to trim each sheet a bit to fit. Goes up quick and easy.

I believe that stuff is called T1-11. Sold at Lowes and HD.

[dan sherman]

1) apply a moisture barrier if needed
2) stud out the walls.
3) run a separate 200A electrical service to the shop.
4) insulate the walls
5) cover the walls with 5/8" osb and then paint
6) use every inch of the walls for tool storage

[Steve Kohn]

I used 7/16 beadboard. I put a ledger strip (1X4) at 8 feet to hide the seam where the walls are above 8 foot. That ledger strip also became the defacto hanging rail in the shop.

I spray painted the entire shop white.

[Jerome Stanek]

you could fir it out with z channel and put some foam board between and paneling to finnish

[David Hostetler]

Mine is currently drywall over studs with no insulation. I am planning on ripping out the sheetrock (damaged over the years, primarily by the previous owner, but I have gashed a hole or two in it moving things around...) insulating, and installing peg board.

I simply don't see any point in putting drywall back up when used as garage or workshop, the space will need wall based storage anyway... Might as well save some bucks and put the pegboard up...

[Dave Clermont]

In my basement i went with 2 x 4 PT studded walls over ridgid insulation with fiberglass faced sheetrock thats both mold and moisture resistant and then put fibergalss reinforced panels over the sheetrock. The same stuff they use in commerical kitchens and bathrooms. It's great stuff nice and bright white washable and resistant to water.

A little over kill

As you can tell I was worried about moisture/water in my basement, previous experience made me a little on the cautious side.

[whit richardson]

Lots of good suggestions for the walls but I'd throw in that guys who have full shops with wood floors will tell you they are easier on feet, knees and back. I'm finding the concrete is harder on the joints and back as the years pass. Now if I stay in the garage we've agreed to put in a wood floor over the concrete where I work at least. For better natural light look at Solatube or Velux products for a nifty natural light system.

[bob frost]

I just walled my whole garage with 1/4 peg board- done