What to do about particle board pretending to be drywall.

Submitted by Dorksim t3_10n6ttq in DIY

It's been decided that now is the time we'd like to finish a room in our basement. The previous owners were questionable when it came to home Reno's, and the cracked seams.in the drywall downstairs was proof. To get it ready I decided I'd carve out the old crack full and re-do it. Although it wasn't crackfilled. The seam was filled with silicone under tape with a thin coat of crackfill over top. Better still, the two basement walls along the foundation of my house aren't drywalled. They're finished with 3/4" particle board.

So what do I do about this?

The walls are framed, and it does look like there is a vapor barrier behind it as well as insulation. I tried finding some nails or screws with a magnet but no luck. This leads me to believe that the board might be glued to the wall somehow.

Is the solution to just cover the wall with a sheet of drywall (perhaps thinner like 1/2" or something) and enjoy the bliss that is not having to worry about finding a stud?

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Comments

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myhometriangle t1_j67bx0h wrote

Yes, cover the particle board with 1/2" or 5/8" drywall depending on your preference.

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Dorksim OP t1_j69o2fb wrote

Should I try to fasten it to any studs that I can find? Or is fastening it to the particle board enough?

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Prestigious-Crow2235 t1_j68itkq wrote

I'd tear off the particle board. If it isn't fastened correctly the weight of the drywall could lead to cracking. Just do it right and ensure all the time you put it wont go to waste later.

Also gives you a good chance to see if everything behind is done right.

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popflap t1_j69bi09 wrote

#1 stop bitching about the previous owners # if it’s just a shitty basement room you could use some interior stucco and tape the cracks properly, or use some wood waintscotting overtop. Maybe wallpaper top.

Myself I stucko walls like that , I do the cracks and fill them I roll o trowel on a light texture to hide everything f priming first and after and then paint. Sometimes I will as some woodworking to make it pop. Usually looks better than boring drywall.

Plus maybe the had some moisture problems in the wall or something. Drywall sucks near a flood or moisture. Wood particle board might be better there

Avoid drywall if you are living there the dust and mess , not while you live there.

Drywall is a huge expensive mess, if you are new to it ot will suck.

The prob used particle board so they could take it off and look / dry behind.

What said put silicone in drywall cracks ? Drywall can crack from house settling.

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Dorksim OP t1_j69nysu wrote

First of all it's not a shitty basement room, it's going to be a home theatre/computer room. I mentioned it was a basement room to give full disclosure incase it mattered.

Nobody said to put silicone in drywall cracks. The previous owner filled the cracks between the particle board with silicone, taped over it, and then put a thin film of crackfill over that.

I was under the impression that walls had to have a fire resistant covering like drywall. I could very well be wrong though.

I also mentioned that I can't find any screws or nails, and I believe that they've glued the particle board to the studs. So if their intention was to maintain access to behind the studs then they're doing it wrong.

I've also never seen stucco used on interior walls in any house I've been in. It's always been drywalled.

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popflap t1_j69seu9 wrote

It could be held in a friction way. Just trying to help. It does matter, many people won’t put drywall in basements because basements are notoriously damp and can get mouldy. When they do they should use really expensive mold and moisture drywall. A home studio / computer room is a shitty room, it’s a recreation room. It should have wood walls.

The silicone isn’t a bad idea, for walls expected to move I bet they just used what they had left over , a good diy method sometimes.

Stucco or texture if you prefer is in tons of houses. It’s used on ceilings often to save having to perfect a ceiling and it has sound dampening qualities. It’s used on interior walls in most of the world. In America were cheap shitty drywall is used people still put it on top for that craftsman European high quality wall feel.

Good luck. I would consider wall coverings of material like some hung sound panels if it will be a theatre room. Hard surface like drywall is the worse for echo.

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Luckosaurous t1_j6g2ryr wrote

You may want to reconsider how you try to ‘help’ in future because your ‘help doesn’t seem very helpful. More rude and aggressive.

The OP was asking a legit question and providing information about what they’d been left with from previous owners for context and to aid us in answering the question. Your response was to accuse them of moaning about the previous owner and then tell them they should do a really shoddy job of finishing the room. Also as someone who lives in Europe I can assure you drywall (or plasterboard as we call it) is definitely the preferred finish. I don’t think I’ve ever seen stucco on an interior wall, maybe you’re confusing it with lime?

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