Finishing garage interior - not sure how to tackle interior walls

Submitted by payzanto t3_zxmbuw in DIY

Hi all, I'm VERY new to DIY and home improvement, but I've been learning a lot over the last few days watching YouTube videos and reading this subreddit.

I'm looking to renovate and finish my garage interior. The major things I'd like to do are:

  1. Finish the interior walls
  2. Apply some higher quality flooring (epoxy, etc)

I'd like to focus this help request on how to finish the interior walls. Here is a link to an album containing a few photos of one of the walls. These photos are representative of all walls inside the garage (they all look the same and are in the same relative condition).

Ultimately, I'd like to hide all seems and screws and paint the walls a smooth white. I've watched a lot of videos on installing insulation, drywalls, applying mud and tape, and eventually painting. But I'm having a hard time figuring out where to start from the current state of my garage.

My understanding is that my garage already has drywall installed, albeit in pretty bad condition (lots of peeling, butt joints everywhere, non-trivial gaps between drywall boards, not all screws inset, etc). I'm not sure yet if there is insulation underneath, but to be honest I'm not sure I even need it? Assuming my understanding above is correct, would the next step be to apply just a ton of tape and mud everywhere to attempt to hide all of the defects, and then ultimately paint stuff? Or given the photos above, perhaps installing completely new drywall would be a smarter step? Or, perhaps my understanding is completely off, and this isn't drywall altogether, but something else entirely. A little lost... thanks in advance for the help!

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ndthehorseurodeinon t1_j213t3v wrote

Can't quite tell but I do not think that is drywall, looks like it may be fibreboard? If so you can't really mud that, may want to consider installing some type of durable panelling (there are products made for this type of thing, or even mdf or plywood) and use that as the finished wall. Or could put new drywall over top and mud that. But Mudding and taping is a lot of work if you're new to it, and drywall is easily damaged in a garage, although it does look great when new.

As for insulation, guess it may depend where you live. If you have cold winters and ever want to hear the garage it's a must.

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2fupduck t1_j22dlq1 wrote

Posters , Beer signs , pictures , traffic signs , flat screen , clock , dart board , tools , broken parts, that kinda stuff. Thats how you cover your garage walls the right way.

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The3aGl3 t1_j214e6d wrote

From the texture it looks more like you have some kind of particle board instead of drywall.

Personally I'd unscrew a smaller piece, that'd allow to look for insulation, as well as closer inspection of the "drywall". I also don't think that you'll get a very nice finish on it if this is your first time, at least not for any reasonable effort. Filling the gaps is one thing but getting the whole area flat is a whole other ordeal. Not doing it would leave you with clear filler lines everywhere in contrast to the texture of the wall.

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from125out t1_j21663m wrote

Looks like it has an asbestos type colour to it.

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The3aGl3 t1_j216qad wrote

You're right but to me the particles don't look fine enough. OP should definitely make sure though.

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payzanto OP t1_j217irm wrote

I think you're both right that it's some kind of fiber/particle board. Managed to pull some of it back and that's what it looks like. I'll also test for asbestos I guess.

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604_heatzcore t1_j2197fd wrote

Don't guess.. do it especially if your going to do the work yourself. Asbestos is no joke If it was built after 85 it probably 99% isn't asbestos. That isn't drywall it's something else with fibers in it so mudding and sanding that isn't very ideal. Another option is to drywall over it. Which also helps with sound deadening and Insulating.

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604_heatzcore t1_j219dvh wrote

The epoxy part will be easy it's all in the prep. Unless you floors are bad I would float it with self leveling compound then epoxy it.

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OutinDaBarn t1_j21c9eo wrote

I'd drywall over the top of the fiber board if you can. Are there any outlets and switches you'd have to deal with?

You can hang the drywall yourself and find a drywaller to mud and tape it. I had a guy mud and tape my garage for $300. Worth every penny. I talked to him before I started drywalling so it was the way he wanted it for mudding.

As with most trades having cold beer around helps.

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payzanto OP t1_j21ecuj wrote

There are some outlets and switches. I'd like for them to be flush with the installed drywall. I'm not sure yet how to do that. Currently the outlets and switches protrude from the particle board (as demonstrated in the 2nd photo in https://imgur.com/a/70C616t).

Why drywall over fiberboard instead of just replacing the fiber board with drywall altogether? Just easier to place it on top, and provides a tad more insulation keeping the fiber board around?

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OutinDaBarn t1_j21npzx wrote

If there insulation behind the fiberboard, I'd be inclined to just leave it. If it has asbestos in it that's the cheapest and easiest. It's a fair insulator too. I hate fiberboard. No real reason, I just do. lol If you take it off you have to do something with it. It's made not to burn worth a darn. Dumpsters are expensive.

The electrical presents some interesting challenges. You can move the boxes out by cutting around the fiberboard and moving them or extend the boxes. Depending on who wired it you may have enough wire to extend them. Murphy's law says some of the wires will be way short, always!

If you take the fiberboard off you could move the wires in the exposed conduit into the walls and clean that up. That's a factor to consider. I only saw the 1 section of conduit.

There's not a wrong way to go. It's really your choice. Just because I have an opinion, doesn't make me right. Hopefully, I'm given you somethings to consider.

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Fmlyhmalm t1_j23mib7 wrote

What you have on you wall is concrete board many brands make it hardi-board or dura rock ect which you can skim coat with concrete (mix to the consistency of drywall mud) to make it smooth. Or you can go right overtop with drywall and construction adhesive.

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WISteven t1_j23xstm wrote

Find a sketchy drywall guy who works for cash and watch and learn. They can get it done fast. The meth heads are very productive in the first three hours or so.

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No_Pomegranate2580 t1_j21nvr4 wrote

I would pull the fiberboard, insulate and install drywall. I would have a pro mud it and I would also consider an FRP wainscoting. Garages get wet and drywall and wet do not get along.

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03223 t1_j21xmvq wrote

After looking and reading I have one question: Why? If it's just that it's dirty and has seams and screws... It's a garage, not your living room. Paint it if you want, but beyond that you'd be spending a LOT of money and time... for what real purpose? So you can say "Look at my beautiful garage?" My suggestion: Put the time and money into living quarters.

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