I'm in the last phases of building my new 20' x 24' shop space, not sure what to do about the interior finish. Walls are 2x4 framing, insulated with mineral wool, and the inside is sanded "plytanium" plywood from Lowes, screwed on so I can remove in case I want to change some wiring later. I just finished hanging the last sheet yesterday. Ceiling is also insulated with mineral wool, and the bottom layer is foil-faced polyiso rigid foam, which I will leave as-is.

I originally was planning to just paint the plywood, but now I'd prefer to keep the woodgrain appearance, since it is a woodworking domain. But I don't want to let it just sit bare, would like some sort of finish to protect it. I'm considering using water-based acrylic poly (Minwax or Varathane), since it's easy to apply and dries clear. I do have heat in there now, but I'm concerned about ventilation, it's too cold to open the windows. Would rather avoid oil-based poly. I would give it a quick pass with some 120-grit on a ROS to remove the grade stamps and random pencil marks.

Is there a better choice? What have others done, besides traditional paint?

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