Should you drywall your garage or not? Indeed this is the question that this article looks to answer. More specifically, is installing drywall on your garage okay or not? The option to drywall a garage is very different for many individuals. Basically, this choice will depend on what you intend to do with your garage space.
Basically, the art of drywalling a garage space comes with myriads of benefits. On the other hand, it equally comes with a number of disadvantages that you should personally consider. While at it, you should also compare the benefits of drywalling your garage, to applying simple plywood as a finish to your garage.
This article will go into detail as to what drywalling is as well as the benefits you will get from drywalling your garage. Hopefully, these aspects will go a long way in helping you make an informed decision as to whether to drywall your garage.
Read along to find out.
Should You Drywall a Garage?
Before delving deeper, it’s only fair to get a better understanding of what drywalling is. Basically, drywalling is a construction material that can be used to fortify both ceilings and walls. Ideally, this is a finishing material that improves the overall aesthetic value of your ceiling as well and walls
In technical terms, drywall is a sheet of gypsum that has been treated. Gypsum is a typical sulfate mineral that comes with different properties. These properties make it optional for drywall to be used in different applications of construction, including walls and ceilings. Perhaps the best thing is that gypsum is not a high-temperature material, but is highly soluble in water.
In order to make gypsum a formidable material for drywalling, it is first heated up. This is to ensure that the natural water within the material is completely removed. After that, the material is mixed with a number of additives, before being rehydrated.
Related: 6 Drywall Alternatives for Garage
What You Should Know About Drywalling
Drywall is relatively a new construction material. Basically, this material has been known to ease the process of construction on many modern buildings. This is mainly because modern building designs are quite versatile, not to mention complex, thus making drywall the go-to choice for construction.
In the previous decades, walls and ceilings were constructed by placing layers upon layers of different plaster materials on a lathe- which are basically wooden strips. Due to the complexity of these materials, they were quite unreliable, inefficient, and costly. Thanks to drywalling, you can now carry out your construction with ease and in an efficient manner.
What are The Benefits of Drywalling Your Garage?
As mentioned above, drywalling is an innovative construction material that has completely revolutionized how people construct their ceilings as well as walls. It comes with a number of advantages which include increased efficiency and ease of construction.
Even so, these aren’t the only benefits that you can benefit from using drywall, more so, in your garage space. Without much ado, let’s take a look at these benefits.
Also, Check: OSB Vs. Drywall Garage: Choosing the Right Garage Wall Covering
Fire Protection
You can compare your garage space with an industrial building. Due to the presence of chemicals, detergents, and many other hazardous materials, chances are that fire can easily break out from your garage.
But how can you manage or prevent fire in your garage? While there are many ways to put off a fire using a fire extinguisher, there are few ways of preventing fire in your garage. After all, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure!
So, how can drywall protect your garage from the fire? Well, drywall is created from gypsum, which is a mineral product that is highly resistant to fire. With such features, drywall is a good option for a garage that will see a lot of activity from chemicals and power tools among many other hazards.
If you are planning on converting your garage into a workshop, then it’s of utmost importance to remember that you will be carrying out lots of automobile work. And with such work, comes the danger of dealing with flammable petroleum products. Therefore, installing drywall will be a good option for preventing any form of fire in your garage.
It Reduces Noise
While this is a good characteristic, it is worth mentioning that drywall doesn’t offer complete soundproof. However, it goes a long way in reducing the intensity of noise that is being produced from your garage. So, if you intend on doing a lot of active and physical work on your garage, drywalling will definitely be a worthwhile investment.
This comes in handy especially if you live in a densely populated area or a neighborhood with strict HOA noise policies.
It Offers Ample Visibility and Lighting
Even so, this does not mean that you can up the levels of brightness in your garage, simply by drywalling. Basically, you can paint your drywall with a brighter shade of paint. Remember that visibility is crucial in a garage. You wouldn’t want to be short of visibility while working with sharp objects in your garage, would you?
It Increases the Value of Your Garage
Finally, having drywall in your garage will go a long way in improving your garage’s resale value. It goes without saying that most home buyers would love to buy a clean and fresh-looking home with innovative drywalls.
Therefore, if you are anticipating selling your home in the near future, using drywall is a great way to not only increase the aesthetic value of your garage and home but also increases the resale value of your entire home.
What to Consider Before Hanging Drywall?
Hanging drywall is an essential part of any home improvement project. It’s also a job that requires a lot of skill and practice. If you’re new to hanging drywall, there are a few things you should consider before starting.
Before you start hanging drywall, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the proper tools and materials ready. Here are some things to keep in mind before you hang the drywall.
Building codes for your area?
These may vary depending on which state or city in which you reside. Always check with your local guidelines.
Type of Insulation
Insulation is important for keeping a garage warm or cool. Without insulation, the walls play only a cosmetic function.
You can live with this if you live in a relatively temperate climate with a stable temperature. But if you live somewhere with extreme temperatures, you may need to consider this.
Determine if your garage may need additional framing.
If the framing in your garage was done correctly, you may be able to skip this first tip, but you should still consider it before you drywall your new garage. Is there anything else I should do before moving to drywall besides framing?
Sometimes in unfinished garages, there may be some additional framing work needed, especially near the ceiling, or the corners of the wall. With rough framing, there may be some extra studs or blocks needed to ensure that the drywall is properly secured.
You may need to add some nail holes to your wall so you can hang lights from the ceiling or a spot to mount a cord reel holder.
Assess your electrical.
Better planning will make for an easy project. I will admit that there have been times when I have closed up a room and then thought, “I wish I had put an outlet here, or maybe I should have fixed that thing over there.”
Before you drywall your garage make sure you know exactly what you want to do with the space. You may want to use it as a workshop, so make sure you plan accordingly. Also, consider how you will power things such as tools and equipment. Planning ahead for electrical needs can help you avoid having to drag an extension cord from one place to another.
FAQ
Can you drywall an unheated garage?-You can drywall an unheated garage. The biggest thing to be concerned about is moisture, not temperature. If there are large changes in temperature, moisture could build up inside your walls and cause mold or rot.
You can build a garage that minimizes the risk of mold and decay, but you can also add drywall and add heat or air conditioning later, should you need to. Can you drywall a garage with no insulation? Yes, but it will only make a cosmetic difference. The drywall alone will do nothing to stop airflow. You need to add insulation before you decide to use drywall.
What is the building code for garage drywall? Most residential building codes only specify a wall between your garage and living space. You would need a ¾ inch thickness of drywall to be a fire barrier.
Exterior-facing walls should be built using ½ inch drywall. However, ¾ inch drywall may also be used. Always check with your local building code before beginning your project. Remember to check to see if you need permits to drywall your garage before getting started.
Conclusion
If you have a lot of important things in your garage or simply spend a lot of time in your garage, then it’s worthwhile to drywall your garage. Not only does this material all longevity and a positive visual appeal to your garage, but it also adds a protective layer to your garage.
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