Shop Finishing

[gdog]

I have a 12 x 24 portable building to set up shop in. It has wooden siding and 2 x 4 wall studs. I want to insulate and finish the inside. A couple of questions:

1. Should I run the wiring before I insulate or insulate and put the wiring on top of the insulation?

2. I want the walls to be durable, is drywall the best for the walls.? I want someting that I can paint a light or white color. The cheap panelings are all so dark.

All suggestions kindly appreciated.

[LCHIEN]

it'll look nicer if the wiring is underneath which is why you seldom see surface wiring. But you can run surface wiring - there are some wiring systems for running surface wiring in channels and surface mounted wiring outlets/switch boxes.

I think drywall is about as cheap as it gets for walls. Can be cut with a knife. paints easily. Why use panelling if you're going to paint it?

[gmack5]

I think that an inside covering of 1/2" OSB, painted with a roller would be more appropriate for a shop.
You might even want to paint it before installation, that way you've protected both sides of the OSB.
There are "T" strips that you can use where the sheets butt up to each other rather than trying to use tape and "mud" ala dry wall finishing.
Don't forget to put some kind of vapor barrier in the wall before you button it up.

[gdog]

I was wondering if I should put the wiring under the insulation or on top of it. I intended to put the wiring inside the wall.

[Nick Keenan]

Wiring should run through a slit in the insulation (I'm assuming it's fiberglass batting) so it's not a matter of over vs. under. You can do it either way, but most commonly people wire and then insulate.

Drywall has a lot of advantages. In addition to being cheap and easy, it has good acoustical and fire resistance properties. For a shop, the drawbacks of drywall are that it dents easily and is somewhat difficult to hang things from. Plywood or other wood product is more practical. However, it is substantially more expensive. If you are on a budget you may want to try cutting plywood sheets in half lengthwise and covering the wall from 3 to 5 feet, which is the part of the wall that gets the most abuse and is where you usually hang things.

Nick

[monte]

I used 7/16 osb on both the walls and ceiling in my shop. I used batting in the walls for insulation and blew the insulation in the attic area. Generally it's best to run your wiring before insulating.

[guycox]

I saw some primed plywood panels from Georgia Pacific at one of the big boxes retailers (BORG or LOWES) about a month ago. As best as I can recall, there were about the same as the cost of OSB -- smoother and already painted good enough for the shop... I'm planning another outing early in the AM and will report back.

[dlminehart]

I used OSB for my shop walls, and wouldn't do it again. It's not as structurally sound as plywood; kinda half way between plywood and particle board. It does hold up better than sheetrock. However, the surface is pretty coarse, and the coarseness is exaggerated if you paint it a light color to improve the lighting in your shop. I ended up spending an hour smearing spackle over the surface to even it out some. Wish I'd just gone with plywood or ply+rock.

[RodKirby]

I used 1/2" MDF to line all my walls - I wanted something that would let me easily attach "things" to the walls. Worked great for me.

I chose to leave it "raw", but you could paint it any way you like.

BTW Rather than try and match joints "perfectly" I used a 1/4" roundover router bit on all edges. My approach is; if you can't hide a joint, feature it!

[monte]

Good idea on the roundover bit Rod. I never thought of that.

[don_hart]

To answer the wiring question you should wire before you insulate. When you wire be sure to drill the holes as close to dead center on width of the studs as you can. For drilling the holes if you have a good heavy duty 1/2" drill I suggest you use auger bit. one of these takes more drill to operate but is much easier to drill with as the but pulls itself through the wood. If you do not have a drill that will power an auger bit of the size you will need (3/4") you will have to use a spade but.

If you have not done this kind of work before the normal proceedure is to nail up all the boxes then drill all the holes then pull all the wire leaving about 8" of wire sticking out of the box. Then stuff all the wire back into the box, put up the sheeting then install the outlets and switches then make the connections in the breaker box.

If you have any questions about this process do not hesitate to ask.

[Ryan F]

I used 3/8" bead board plywood on the walls of my shop. I was going for a more "homely" environment. I really didn't like everything painted white.... it seems too much like a factory. Anyway the walls work out great and hold up well. I use batting for the insulation and ran all of the electrical first. I put 1 duplex outlet every other stud. I have used almost all of them. I would suggest to put 2 or 3 outlets on the ceiling and maybe a couple on the floor (if you can). Hope the pictures help.

http://www.kcflahertys.com/wood/shop/shopfloorplan/shopfloorplan.htm

[dlminehart]

I used the blue plastic "new construction" boxes from HD . . . the ones you nail to studs. Next time, I'll use the metal ones. The plastic is too flexible, especially on the 4x boxes. When you push in a plug, the receptacle farthest from the stud flexes backward. I've heard that screwing through the plastic into the stud can help . . . but that's a hassle. I recommend paying a bit extra for the metal boxes (and plastic wire protectors) for 4x boxes.

[Woodnut]

Actually like the Surface Wiring options. I did my shop in Wiremold tracks and boxes. I got them at the BORG. Search for "Wiremold Non-Metallic" and then click on the [u]Wiremold Non-Metallic Raceway Starter Box</u> search result. Or,

Go to Wiremold's website and get the PDF spec sheet for their surface wiring products: Specsheet

I really liked the flexability it gave me, allowing easy changes in the electrical configuration without the need to dig into any walls.

Of course, you will want to check and see if this product will meet the code restrictions in your area. I have found that most allow these if it isn't in a living space. (Just don't tell them how long you really spend in the shop... [:0])

[gerti]

I am undecided about the electric installation. Under the wall will look 'neater', but later when fastening things to the wall you will need to be careful not to screw/nail into the wiring. Above the wall it can be more in the way, but it is easier to modify when needed. If above the wall I recommend oversized conduits or similar. You could even run a 'channel' all the way around the wall that contains the wiring and into which the outlets are mounted.

Either way I would recommend GFCI protected outlets for shop use. That way you are somewhat protected should you nick a cable.

Gerd