Panelling vs Drywall

shirts · #1 2012-05-20, 5:36pm

WHY or WHY didn't I use panelling for the walls in my little studio?!?! After spending the whole afternoon putting up the drywall, I am TOTALLY discouraged that I still have to tape and mud (skills that I am sure to perfect on the last seam!), sand, prime, paint... Sigh... At the pace that I work (cause of the distractions of 2 young children and a husband that works full time), it will be WEEKS before I can get at the torch.

Sigh.

I would be curious to know what other people have put for walls in their studios (though perhaps I should have asked this the other day, before I headed off to the store to pick up the supplies...).

Off to soak my aching body in the tub,
Annie.

PS - pictures to come, eventually. I am just too tired to think about resizing and posting images... Had I used panelling, I would probably have had the energy to post pictures

tivydave · #2 2012-05-20, 8:15pm

you can get paint/primer in one. and you can paint d/w any color you like. painted paneling looks like crap. you can wallpaper d/w if you like. its more insulating than paneling. it usually looks better unless you pay the big bucks for decent paneling. think of the rosy glow of pride you will have when finished. or is it just a sweaty face? terry

purpledragonfly · #3 2012-05-20, 10:15pm

if I lived closer I would volunteer to mud for you. I love to spread drywall mud, to me its just one of those things kind of like making beads that I can get lost in and not worry or think about anything else. The sanding part is fairly easy, you don't sand it that much, then just wipe it all down with a damp cloth before you paint.

I did 3/4 of the mud in our house back in Texas! Did I say I love spreading dry wall mud!

shirts · #4 2012-05-21, 4:25am

Quote:

Originally Posted by tivydave

you can get paint/primer in one. and you can paint d/w any color you like. painted paneling looks like crap. you can wallpaper d/w if you like. its more insulating than paneling. it usually looks better unless you pay the big bucks for decent paneling. think of the rosy glow of pride you will have when finished. or is it just a sweaty face? terry

You are so right - thank you for the reminders and for things I didn't know (more insulation? Great for our Canadian winters!!). Glow of pride, indeed! I am cutting my teeth on this project... Up until now I have hired everything out saying "My husband and I are not handy". My husband is STILL NOT handy, but I now am (not sure if this is a good thing - being handy = a lot of work!!).

Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Annie.

shirts · #5 2012-05-21, 4:29am

Quote:

Originally Posted by purpledragonfly

if I lived closer I would volunteer to mud for you. I love to spread drywall mud, to me its just one of those things kind of like making beads that I can get lost in and not worry or think about anything else. The sanding part is fairly easy, you don't sand it that much, then just wipe it all down with a damp cloth before you paint.

I did 3/4 of the mud in our house back in Texas! Did I say I love spreading dry wall mud!

I posted a similar complaint on Facebook (re: all the work still to do once the drywall is done) and I received lovely nudges of support - but no one offered to come and do it (though I did suggest it - jokingly - to 1 friend!).

Who knows, I might actually enjoy the meditative state of getting the drywall up (though it will take me a bit of time to get used to the tools - while I work lots with my hands, the tools are much smaller!).

Thanks so much for your thoughts - I shall change my attitude about the job that lies ahead!
Annie.

Dale M. · #6 2012-05-21, 6:45am

A large consideration here is drywall is also fire retardant and will slow any combustion accident and maybe give a little more time to fight a fire if necessary... Paneling on the other hand is a fuel and fire will burn hotter and faster.....

Most "code" construction (in US) specify a 1 hour firewall between a attached garage and "living" space" that usually consists of a wall with a layer of drywall material on each side of studs.... I know a "studio" is not same as garage/living space, but it can be a containment enclosure to keep a fire from spreading and it would give more time to fight a fire before it spreads to adjoining structures or whatever...

Bottom line here all the back breaking work and sore joints and complications in the installation is really a good thing.... Sometimes important things (subtle) get lost is aesthetics of a studio..... Notice that a lot here... People are sometime more concerned with "pretty" than survival (safety)...

Dale

bepnewt · #7 2012-05-21, 7:49am

Multiple times I've heard "Hang the drywall yourself and hire someone to do the tape and mud." I couldn't agree more. If you don't like or aren't good at the tape/mud, then it can be very frustrating and life is too short for avoidable frustration. If you're in a situation where you can't afford to pay someone to do the tape/mud then barter it - trade lampwork or something you do like doing to someone who will do the tape/mud.

I feel your pain, but won't ever go through it again, myself.

If it doesn't come out nice and smooth, take a look at texture painting the walls. Once my wife discovered texture paint, her DIY life got much better.

-BEPNewt

shirts · #8 2012-05-21, 9:29am

More good points! Thanks, folks!! After a little lunch, I shall go and try my hand at the taping and mudding - if it terrible, I shall hire it out!!

Annie.

cheng076 · #9 2012-05-21, 9:59am

I'm just the opposite. Hire the D/W hanging (it's too damn heavy) and do the tape and mud yourself (it's easy peasy).
On the other hand I prefer paneling in a work area where the esthetics are not a big factor. I usually use something like 1/2" or 5/8" plywood of some sort. It lends itself to hanging shelves and brackets etc without them pulling out.

Lorraine Chandler · #10 2012-05-21, 11:36am

Dry wall with fire retardant

eregel · #11 2012-05-21, 1:07pm

I don't care what the count is, I consider "drywall" a four letter word. Took me decades of therapy to stop having nightmares after the last time we used it. I've taught other people to tape & mud but I sincerely hope NEVER to ave to do it again myself.

That said, if my studio was attached to living space, I'd have sucked it up and used drywall for the safety factor. Since it's 100 feet from the house, and even farther from any neighbors, I used paneling and pegboard.

tivydave · #12 2012-05-21, 3:11pm

guess its symantics. to me plywood is just that or osb. paneling is the crap they put in dens and family rooms--you know, the icky (fake) wood looking stuff. still the only hard part of drywall is the lifting. make certain you get drywall screws and its easy to attatch. mud and tape are really easy. ditto the sanding. you can see a bad tape job thru texture. expanding screws are your friend. if you want pegboard, install furring strips first to the studs and then screw pegboard to the strips. super easy.

a little knowlege and some experience and you WILL be handy.

shirts · #13 2012-05-21, 5:44pm

Ok, tape is on (used the fibreglass mesh tape) and the 1st coat of mud is on that. I certainly didn't enjoy myself and I have no idea if I did it well (will have to go back to youtube to watch the "how to" videos again!), but I did it! I had hoped that the lovely weather would dry it really fast and I could get another coat on before bed, but it was not in my favour...

Now if only I could find the camera battery charger so that I could snap a picture or 2 to share with you all... Thanks so much for all of the support!!

Annie.

Mountain Snail · #14 2012-05-22, 1:00pm

I have a shed and just painted the walls. No insulation or drywall. We live in a squirrel-rich environment

and they tend to build nests in shed walls. For my workbench though, we encased the entire top and surround in sheet metal so that no bits of flying glass will hit anything other than sheet metal. The floor is ceramic tile. I am paranoid.

DayDream Beads · #15 2012-05-22, 8:49pm

Tomorrow I plain on covering my work area walls with sheet metal also. I am thinking of leaving the floor as is. It's too pretty to cover. Do you have a picture of your workbench area that you can share, I would really love to see how it looks. Also how did you apply the sheet metal with liquid nail? That's what I plain on using. I will be applying it over drywall.

tivydave · #16 2012-05-23, 9:08am

i think it would be more secure to use mechanical fasteners than a glue which might melt/become brittle w/the heat. i would use screws and washers. yes, they would be quite visible which is the point--its a work area so go hardhat decore. you would have to search for the correct screw that would cover a washer hole. i'm thinking fender washers. you could use flashing or light weight diamond plate sheet metal on the wall and flashing on the workbench.

cheng076 · #17 2012-05-23, 11:32am

You can get sheet metal screws in lengths that will work well to secure metal sheet to drywall or other covering that have a washer like shape to the head. They look like they have a washer built into the screw head. Aptly called 'Washer Head Screws'

pjh

DayDream Beads · #18 2012-05-23, 8:16pm

Tivydave, I think when they put the insulation and drywall in this trailer, they glued it, I don't think even though I do see drywall screws, but there is no wood framework, it is all metal. That's why we figured we would glue the metal sheets on the walls.

pjh, I did see those type of screws maybe I will check tomorrow when I go out and check of those, pick up some and give it a try. who knows it may work out ok.

Thanks for your input.

Mountain Snail · #19 2012-05-24, 5:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DayDream Beads

Tomorrow I plain on covering my work area walls with sheet metal also. I am thinking of leaving the floor as is. It's too pretty to cover. Do you have a picture of your workbench area that you can share, I would really love to see how it looks. Also how did you apply the sheet metal with liquid nail? That's what I plain on using. I will be applying it over drywall.

We used screws and in a few places, tiny nails. Here is a picture of my bench before I covered it in spilled frit, random piles of rods, and candy bar wrappers.

Mountain Snail · #20 2012-05-24, 5:15pm

Sharp edges are covered in metal tape.