Garage wall covering, not drywall edition.

I'm at the point where it's time to start thinking about what to put up on the garage walls. Drywall works, but it's fragile for someone a clumsy as me. Plywood works,and I can paint it, but it ends up looking like painted plywood which leaves something to be desired aesthetically.
Is there anything out there that is fairly durable, fairly attractive and doesn't require me to sell a child to afford?

I once did an entire room in white melamine pegboard. Looked great and the utility was awesome. I doubt it was any more durable than drywall though.

Drywall is available in heavy duty Abuse Resistant and extreme duty Very High Impact varieties.

Drywall then laminate over it to protect it. More expensive, but durable and can be cleaned easily.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wilsonart-48-in-x-96-in-Laminate-Sheet-in-Frosty-White-Matte-Finish-1573603504896/203592650?N=5yc1vZc3b5Z7fs

There are coated hardboard options out there. Most are 1/8" and coated with paint or plastic. If they were used at the bottom of the wall most damage would be covered and they are easy to clean. There are some that have textured faces as well, but that would be harder to clean. Most should be available at your local big box hardware stores.

My local home improvement place sells both Steel and a plastic with the profile of the tin for lining commercial buildings.

Plywood is crazy flammable. Drywall is not. Also, white walls in the garage make everything brighter and easier to work on.

Woody makes a good point. If the garage wall separates from living space, I believe there is a code requirement for 5/8" FC wallboard.

A buddy of mine did the entire inside of his garage with vinyl siding. He had a floor drain and this allowed him to wash his cars inside the garage in the winter. He was pretty eccentric, but his car was always clean.

Corrugated steel panels. Similar to the Grosh's exterior.

Somewhat related.

My parents and I built a house in the same way that you built a grosh (meaning, we were swinging hammers) and we did everything ourselves except the foundation (duh), the plumbing (mandated by NY to be union labor), and the sheetrock.

I hate sheetrock. I've done it several times and I've always hated it. I don't hate many things. I don't know how much they charged exactly, but those four guys brought more than four cases of beer, and a set of stilts each, and they had the whole thing (with very complex cathedral ceilings up to around 15 feet tall) knocked out in less than a day and it looked fantastic.

If you decide to use rock, I would farm it out. And if you read the truck thread, you understand how I don't ever farm anything out to anyone.

My garage came pre-lined with (plain) pegboard everywhere. It's not exactly pretty, but is very functional. It seems durable enough to me, and is nothing that would cause me any concern if I did a little damage to it anyways. White melamine pegboard, as noted by DILYSI, would definitely be a bit nicer looking too.

corrugated sign board call local supplier also great for indoor flower gardens

this

5/8" drywall for clean and bright effect. Then install 3/4" plywood on the walls (rip sheets in half lengthwise) fabbing up a 2' strip to just over head high and install the other half of your plywood at the top creating massive storage for bulky items and a nice solid surface to hang things on. (hanging anything on drywall is a PITA)

It was called megashelving in a home improvement magazine a few years ago. I installed it in my garage and was very pleased with the result.

White tile board paneling. cheapest thing I've found. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Thrifty-White-32-sq-ft-Hardboard-Panel-Board-709106/202090193#specifications

Don't install something INSTEAD of drywall, install something ON TOP of drywall.

The drywall offers fire resistance and draft sealing. It should be taped, even if it is going to be covered.

Plywood offers limited draft sealing, and no fire resistance.

Then, cover as much of it as you like with a product like this:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_128526-34299-217863_4294928817__?productId=3090005&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

It's a fiber cement panel. Super hard and durable. You could install it full height, or just the lower few feet (like a wainscoting). It is available in different patterns (v-joint, beaded, knock down, smooth, etc.). Not flammable. Paintable, or you can leave it light grey.

tuna55 wrote: Somewhat related. My parents and I built a house in the same way that you built a grosh (meaning, we were swinging hammers) and we did everything ourselves except the foundation (duh), the plumbing (mandated by NY to be union labor), and the sheetrock. I hate sheetrock. I've done it several times and I've always hated it. I don't hate many things. I don't know how much they charged exactly, but those four guys brought more than four cases of beer, and a set of stilts each, and they had the whole thing (with very complex cathedral ceilings up to around 15 feet tall) knocked out in less than a day and it looked fantastic. If you decide to use rock, I would farm it out. And if you read the truck thread, you understand how I don't ever farm anything out to anyone.

This! After pricing out drywall I got a quote from a local drywall hanger. They weren't much more than the material would have cost me, did fantastic work, and it was a week long project instead of spread out over several weekends. I wouldn't do it any other way now for a full room.

dj06482 wrote:

tuna55 wrote: Somewhat related. My parents and I built a house in the same way that you built a grosh (meaning, we were swinging hammers) and we did everything ourselves except the foundation (duh), the plumbing (mandated by NY to be union labor), and the sheetrock. I hate sheetrock. I've done it several times and I've always hated it. I don't hate many things. I don't know how much they charged exactly, but those four guys brought more than four cases of beer, and a set of stilts each, and they had the whole thing (with very complex cathedral ceilings up to around 15 feet tall) knocked out in less than a day and it looked fantastic. If you decide to use rock, I would farm it out. And if you read the truck thread, you understand how I don't ever farm anything out to anyone.

This! After pricing out drywall I got a quote from a local drywall hanger. They weren't much more than the material would have cost me, did fantastic work, and it was a week long project instead of spread out over several weekends. I wouldn't do it any other way now for a full room.

I will triple quote this for truth if you go the drywall route.

However I will say that I have only had 'open wall' (detached) garages in the past with the studs showing. I hang and store quite a bit of stuff in between the studs and in my current garage would hate to lose all that room.

Very cold in winter though.

SVreX wrote: Don't install something INSTEAD of drywall, install something ON TOP of drywall. The drywall offers fire resistance and draft sealing. It should be taped, even if it is going to be covered.

This had occurred to me as I was standing in the garage drinking coffee thinking about it. There won't be that much taping (good taping anyway) when it's all said and done because there will be a lot of cabinets.
Keep the suggestion coming, I'm looking at all of them and thinking about it.

Tape it anyway, even behind the cabinets. Doesn't have to be pretty.

You won't regret it.

In reply to SVreX:

That's the plan. Same reason I taped the ceiling under the beadboard in the upstairs. I just have to do a much better job where it will see the light of day.

We use FRP panels at work in all of our high abuse areas, and it holds up quite well. It's off white, textured, extremely cheap, easy to install, and cleanable.

Forgot about FRP. Good idea.

golfduke wrote: We use FRP panels at work in all of our high abuse areas, and it holds up quite well. It's off white, textured, extremely cheap, easy to install, and cleanable.

Where do your source it? The FRP at Home Depot is something like $35 a sheet.

Commercial suppliers. (Places that sell commercial ceilings, drywall, acoustical materials, etc).

Cheaper than HD, and MUCH better quality