Interior Wall Options for a Basement Shop

[Mark J]

Let's assume that I was putting up walls to divide a basement into a workshop and unfinished space.  I am envisioning a stud wall, what are the options for sheathing the workshop side?  Dry wall and plywood, of course, and I've heard of T1-11 (plywood vs OSB & smooth vs rough texture).  What else should I look into?  I like the idea of a material that will hold a random nail or screw.  

I am assuming the wall is un-insulated and un-sheathed on the unfinished basement side.  The walls along the foundation would be insulated.

[pkinneb]

T1-11 would get my vote. Re insulation I would only do it if you are trying to help with sound transfer. Drywall would be better for that as well but T1-11 is so handy I would go that route.

[Dave H]

Dry wall would be the cheapest option, that is what I have in my shop I use french cleats to hang things on the wall. If I need to go between studs to hang something I use toggle bolts for the french cleat they hold hundreds of pounds of weight bigger toggles even hold more. But if money is no issue wood sheeting is the ticket for sure. 

[BillyJack]

That's going to be up to the shop user/owner. 

[Coop]

A smooth surface is sure easier to keep clean. 

[Mark J]

59 minutes ago, Coop said:

A smooth surface is sure easier to keep clean. 

I sure would prefer the smooth T1-11 to the rough/rustic.  

[Coop]

Doesn’t all T1-11 have grooves? I would think that equal thickness ply would be comparable in price and easier to clean? I currently have sheetrock and wouldn’t have anything else if I had it to do otherwise. There’s a stud somewhere! 

[krtwood]

I have drywall and t1-11 in my shop,both painted, and there is absolutely no difference in how they collect dust or how easy it is to clean.  Compressed air doesn't care how smooth the surface is.  T1-11 goes up faster but sucks up more paint.  It really just comes down to what you want it to look like.

[wtnhighlander]

Just be sure to check your local building codes. Some locales are more stringent about fire control, and may insist on a layer of gypsum board, even if you overlay it with something else.

[BonPacific]

On 12/9/2022 at 6:55 PM, Coop said:

Doesn’t all T1-11 have grooves? I would think that equal thickness ply would be comparable in price and easier to clean? I currently have sheetrock and wouldn’t have anything else if I had it to do otherwise. There’s a stud somewhere! 

All has grooves, but I've definitely encountered some with smoother (maybe b-grade?) surface vs the common rough-sawn version. More like "plybead" but thicker. Haven't seen anything like it in stores in years though, so it might not be available any more.

Edit: As for the main topic, practically it's pretty much just drywall or plywood. You could look at tongue-and-groove or shiplap siding if money is no object. FRP on the other hand is easy to clean, great for hobbies that involve a lot of grease or oils, but you'd probably want to put it over top of another substrate for rigidity and it's not ideal if you'll be putting holes in it everywhere.

[Chestnut]

I'd do drywall with the cost of plywood it's cheaper than going all plywood with equal benefit.

[Coop]

I agree. What percentage of your walls will you be mounting to and hanging stuff from? There’s so many creative ways now to mount to sheetrock. The cost savings have got to be substantial. 

[Mark J]

I was under the impression that T1-11 was cheaper than drywall, but I may have that wrong.  

If prices were similar, which would you do?  I like the idea of being able to pop in a screw in any spot and hang something up.  

[JohnG]

Here, 5/8 drywall is $13 ea and 5/8 T1-11 is $43 ea.

With those prices in mind, I’d probably try to do most of it drywall and then strategically place T1-11 in a couple areas.

Not considering cost, I’d do T1-11 throughout. 
 

edited to specify T1-11 thickness.

[Chestnut]

1/2" drywall is $10 5/8" drywall is around $13

3/8" t1-11 is $30. Cheaper than bcx ply

5/8 t1-11 is $40 about the same as 1/2" bcx ply cheaper than 5/8" bcx ply

[Mark J]

Thanks for the reality check, I'm seeing the same thing.  But sheet rock seems more involved to put up, so I wonder how the installed costs compare?  That's probably a little difficult to guesstimate, without talking to the actual installer.

[wtnhighlander]

Drywall is no more difficult to hang than T1-11, except for the possibility of breakage from rough handling. In a finished & painted space, there is the need to tape and mud the seams, then sand. But for a shop, you can choose to skip those steps.

Also, a little forethough can direct you to add 2x blocking between the studs in locations most likely to receive a heavy hanging load, so there is something stronger than drywall to drive your screws into.

[Mark J]

Good points.  And as GeeDub does, mark the locations of the studs.

[Tpt life]

I would tape drywall every time I use it. That is step one, and does not need to look perfect. Dust will migrate through every crack. Honestly, I’d finish the drywall and paint it. The paint cleans a lot easier than the paper. For a one room shop, you might have a friend who would finish it for a steak. 
 

Edit: I am only clarifying, not necessarily pushing toward drywall use. 

[Tom King]

I used the hardboard type T1-11 in our dogroom and several closets, as well as a number of rooms I've done in other places since then.  It's not as cheap as sheetrock, but much less labor.  You just nail it up and paint it.  No primer or paint prep needed.  It has a built in fake woodgrain texture that's really not bad, but is really smooth, and is easy to wipe clean.  Studs are easy to find, but you have to look hard to find the nails.  It's probably about 50 times more dent resistant than sheetrock.

 

 

[Ronn W]

I have 1/2" drywall.  Since I have an exposed concret floot, Imad a mark on the floor at each stud location for future reference in hanging things.  For light objects I just put a 1 1/2" drywalls crew into the sheetrock and hang whatever it is that I am hanging.  Only heavier objects nee to be attache to the studs.