Workshop questions

[Paul Singleton]

Hello, I have moved and now have a nice 30X60 steel clad building. It is 2X6 framing and bare inside. What suggestions does anyone have for insulation and interior walls. I have seen plywood, steel sheeting and drywall (gypsum board) used and was curious about the pros and cons of the types on materials. Thank you
Paul

[chris vickery]

Hi Paul
I built a 30 x 40ft 3 bay garage about 3 years ago and found myself with the same questions. After a bunch of pondering here is what I came up with;

-insulation, really a no brainer. Put as much as you can. I used Fiberglas Pink R-20. Maybe should have opted for R-28 but R-20 works well. An even better option is Roxul. The ceiling had R-50 blown in.

-when I priced out drywall, plastering, finish and paint then compared it to steel sheeting, it came out approximately the same. Drywall susceptible to dampness and damage.

-plywood is very pricey, OSB looks like hell. Plus it needs to be painted and has no fire retardant qualities.

So, in the end, strapped the ceiling and walls. Used G1S fir plywood for the ceiling. Used light grey steel sheeting for the walls. Epoxy painted the floor.
Building is tight, bright, warm and clean. No worries about welding sparks.
Holds constant 15C all through cold North Bay ON winter. Costs me less than
$1000 per year for heating.(propane) Steel is also nice if you own a bunch of magnets, great for hanging things right on the wall.

And to answer the question I know guys will ask, no I don't use a woodstove. A few reasons 1) insurance wouldn't cover me 2) I travel frequently and really don't have the time nor the want to keep a stove stoked 24/7 3) Hard to keep a large space at a constant temp with wood, either too hot or too cold 4) mess 5) potential dangers associated with things in the garage that like to burn eg propane, oxy/acetylene, vehicles with fuel, paint fumes etc etc
One idea I do like is the concept of an outdoor wood furnace with radiant in floor heating. An expensive option to be sure and only good if you're starting from scratch.

Hope this helps

[Grant Bowker]

Whatever you put on the walls (even nothing) consider painting it with glossy white (or other light colour). You will be amazed how much brighter it will make the place look. Light will reflect to where you can use it rather than being absorbed into an increasingly grubby surface. Also, dirt doesn't stick as well to glossy surfaces as it does to flat/rough surfaces.

[chris vickery]

Good points Grant. This is why I opted for steel- a smooth glossy and light colored surface that is easy to clean and requires no upkeep. Drywall and wood are both rough enough that it doesn't take long to turn grungy. The initial cost of paint and the labour to apply it is also a consideration. My garage is beautifully bright.

[cletrac (RIP)]

You can get plastic sheeting that looks the same as the steel stuff. It's fire resistant and costs a bit more than half of steel.

[Paul Singleton]

Thanks for the input on my soon to be work space. I will probably go for the painted steel. There is a manufacturer fairly close to me and I agree that the steel would be more durable than either plywood or drywall. As for heat, I will be using propane. Chris what type of heat source are you using, forced air furnace or a tube type of heater? I am planning to partition off part of the building and only heat the work space, probably about 30X30.
As to the plastic sheeting, I inquired at a couple of building supply stores and they had heard about plastic garage liner panels but had not sold any. I will do some more searching, but maybe they are not legal to use in Ontario.
Paul