Lining garage

[sharky2015]

Hi, i have a sectional concrete garage that i would like to convert into a basic workshop/storage space.

I plan to build stud walls within the garage walls, but I'm a little unsure about which material would be best, and also the best fixing methods. I was thinking WPB plywood for the wall linings either 1/2" or 1", and i have been debating whether or not to use a grab adhesive rather than fixings, to fix the stud work to the concrete walls and reinforced pillars'.

If you don't mind i have a few questions.

1. Is 2x2" tantalised about right for the stud work?

2. Would 1/2" or 1" plywood be better for wall lining? obviously 1/2" would be cheaper but will it be strong enough to screw into, for hanging hooks or the odd shelf etc.

3. As the garage concrete panels are reportedly quite brittle when drilled into, and the concrete pillars reinforced is it a good idea to use grab adhesive to fix the stud work to the walls? Will grab adhesive be strong enough? I know its supposed to be all great stuff, but I'm always sceptical.

4. If grab adhesive is a bad idea, do you think i would be able to get secure screw fixing into the reinforced concrete pillars?

5. I will be having the current electrics in there up upgraded, some of which will be run in the stud work, and some of which will be surface run on the plywood in trunking/conduit. Is it acceptable to run electrics along plywood? As i know plaster board is fire rated etc, so i wasn't sure what the stance is with plywood walls. The garage is detached from the house so i think that should help with any fire ratings.

Thanks

 

[SpoonsbySven]

Hi Sharky,

Do you mean the precast concrete panels that bolt together?, If so, my garage/workshop is the same, and I had the same concerns as you about drilling into them. I don't think there's sufficient depth of material to get a good fixing in.

For what it's worth, my solution was to glue blocks of wood onto the "recessed" areas of the panels, and then fix the lining to those. With hindsight, i think gluing a length of 2x2 or even 3x2 to run the full length of the recess would be worth doing. I've had slightly mixed results from grab adhesive, but the ones I did using epoxy resin are rock solid!

1) IMO, 2x2 is OK for the "studwork". On mine, there's a wall plate of 3x2 running along the top of the panels that I fised into as well.

2) I used 10mm OSB, mainly because it was cheaper. If I want to fix things onto the walls, I find a way of using the blocks that I glued to the concrete panels (using a length of 2x2 of wood to run the length of the panel would make this easier). For areas of wall where I want to fix lots of things (hanging tools above the workbench) I scavenge any old piece of sheet material 15-20mm thick, fix that to the wall, and fix into that.

Having said that, 18 or 25mm ply/OSB would obviously be sturdier, if you can afford it.

3) As I said above, mixed results from grab adhesive. However, some of the bits that didn't work as well were done when it was pretty cold, so that may well have been a factor. I gave the surface of my panels a really good wire-brushing, and then a wipe over with a slightly damp cloth before fixing the blocks.

4) see above. I definitely think adhesive over drilling.

5) I'm not an expert here, but when I upgraded the wiring in my workshop, I ran it (twin and earth) behind the sheeting wherever I could, and kept surface mounting to a minimum. Using trunking/conduit is more than I did, but sounds very sensible. Using trunking didn't really occur to me, as I was just copying and extending what was there already. On the advice of a sparky, I installed a new "garage consume unit", and had him "commission" the stuff I'd installed, and he said it was fine.

HTH.
Best,
Sven

 

[sharky2015]

Hi Sven, thanks for your reply. Yes thats exactly what i mean precast concrete panels that are bolted together. I agree there does not seem to be sufficient material to fix into. Fixing 2x2" the full-length of the recess seems like a good plan, i did originally think to fix the stud work to the reinforced pillars but doing that would reduce the size of the garage by about 6" overall. I was thinking tantalised 2x2" for the stud work rather planed, do you think that is a good idea?

I did originally consider OSB, but i thought due to the precast concrete being prone to ingress of water during the winter months then WPB plywood would work better for me, the stud work will be insulated as well but can't keep the water out completely with the precast concrete construction. I also have been hearing a lot recently how OSB nowadays isn't what it used to be, and is starting to be phased out. Also i assume i would need to use OSB3, which i am told has a lot less strength than the standard OSB boards.

From a cost point of view 22mm sheet material is defiantly out, 18mm would be my preferred size but due to weight on the stud work and cost of the boards i think i might try and get away with 15mm possibly 12mm at a push?

I will definitely try epoxy resin as u suggested, and i will make sure to thoroughly clean concrete surfaces beforehand.

Thanks

 

[deema]

For fastening to the walls, have you thought of running a French cleat around the shop? This will allow you to fasten the rail securely to the studs whilst enabling infinite adjustment. You can buy steel French cleat track that they use for kitchen wall cupboards in I think it's 2 or 3m lengths extremely cheaply as a more discreet solution that achieves the same result.

 

[Dee J]

When I lined out the end of my garage I used 18mm t&g water resistant flooring grade chipboard. Set vertically and secured top and bottom it only needed minimal support in the middle. used 25mm polystyrene first for insulation - then polythene vapour barrier, then the chipboard. Heavy to use, but paints up well. Did a floating floor and the ceiling with the same stuff!

 

[sharky2015]

Yeah i have pondered the idea of french cleats, it is a pretty good system.

I can't really fix to the ceiling, as the roof is pretty thin steel trusses, so i was thinking sole plate and then fix to the reinforced pillars. I really like the idea of using epoxy resin, but all i could find locally today was araldite which comes in a 25ml container, does anyone know a better product available? Or do you think gorilla glue would do the job?

Thanks

 

[Silverbirch]

I lined my sectional concrete garage several years ago, fixing the studwork mainly with building adhesive. I then lined insulated with rockwool, with a polythene membrane and clad with 15mm chipboard, painted. The chipboard is adequate for screwing in storage hooks, light shelves, chisel racks etc. I used a ply panel to fix a wall cupboard onto. The rest of my cupboards are floor standing.
It has held up well, remaining cool in summer, warm and dry in winter, with no sign of deterioration.

 

[tomf]

You'll be fine fixing into the walls as long as you drill into the thickest part at the panel edges. Go slow and without hammer action and you'll be fine, I used to have a work bench with lots of heavy stuff on it hanging off the wall of my old garage.
You could use 2x1 roof batons to keep the max width, fix them horizontal, maybe 5/6 high to spread the weight.
If you line with chipboard make sure it's the denser stuff not the wheatabix one as it will hold very little.