Today’s design market has several major makers of peel and stick wood planks that are thinner than traditional planks and install in a fraction of the time. Pegboard probably isn’t the first thing that you would think of when trying to come up with drywall alternatives. Turns out there are! In addition, once the installation starts, it must be finished without stopping. Drywall Banjo to Tape Drywall. Considered a high-end wall option, veneer plaster is an application system that involves applying one or two coats of thin plaster — with tint or without —  over Blueboard, which is  a special gypsum board. For the longest time, these walls would only be seen in quaint boutique hotels and expensive cocktail lounges. Depending on the atmosphere you want to create and the kind of money you're willing to spend, you can spin the look of a room around without even taking the drywall down. It provides a wall full of stylish interest with little fuss, however, depending on the specific installation, it can be difficult to remove. Once you're sure you aren't leaking water into your basement, you can finish the basement to look like any other room in your home. If you're remodeling a craft room or garage, consider pegboard. Many people will mix and match materials, so maybe one wall in a room is brick while the others are drywall. Plywood can even be used to create a “faux” shiplap wall at a fraction of the cost by cutting plywood into planks and installing them on the wall. Shiplap is the most common type of plank used and the term actually refers to the shape, which is tongue and groove, allowing the wood to expand and contract. After pouring in days of labor on installing drywall, it still needs to be maintained carefully. Texture is one of the main features of concrete and it adds an amazing amount of style and visual texture. Concrete walls are easy to maintain and require no special treatment once they are sealed. Because they're so strong, you don't even need to install plywood under them along the studs. My recommendation here is to use them for one wall of a room and no more. This alternative is the best solution for reducing noise and a safer substitute for conventional laths and plaster. I've got a quote of about $1,500 delivered for the 75 pieces of 12x4 foot drywall … This drywall … Brick homes, brick fireplaces, brick walkways and drives, and yes, brick walls. If ease-of-use matters to you, give this some consideration. In addition, polishing is an option, depending on how rough a look is desired. Making the choice to use plywood walls comes down to two main reasons: Decor aesthetic or construction consideration. Heavy and unwieldy, it takes two people to install a piece of drywall, and the finished appearance is very plain. Obviously you wouldn't put these inside your home like in the living room, but they're great for open air patios that have a roof over them. These materials are also a great option if you want to give your home a warm aesthetic, changing depending on the color of the brick you choose. Starting as a hobby, Worst Room has grown into an information and inspiration wheelhouse for professionals and home owners alike. I'm looking to finish my 1,100 square foot detached workshop. But if you look at well-designed bachelor pads in New York, for instance, with high ceilings, this can actually look amazing when combined with modern decor like glass and black furniture. But first, if you are installing a drywall alternative, you’ll still need a wall that is in good shape. It doesn't require as many skills or tools as hanging drywall does. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home! If you'll never tear the wall down in the future, go for this classy look. Your email address will not be published. Nordic-inspired minimalist decor often uses plywood left in its unfinished state for the aesthetic value. This is because the backside of the pricks was typically covered with plaster and because they didn’t show, they have flaws and an uneven surface. It will always be visible. For an energy perspective, concrete homes save energy and are fire-resistant. The best way to pull this off is to use it on a smaller accent wall. The real treat here is how you can then design any amount of shelving and storage space thanks to the evenly spaced hook holes. It can actually be a pretty good option to consider, though. But this look went out of style in the 1990's, to be honest, especially combining it with wallpaper. See more ideas about alternatives to drywall, drywall, plywood walls. These are basically the same concept and look as drywall but more durable and scratch resistant. Earthy pieces in wood along with thick, dimensional textiles are ideal for concrete interiors, making them warmer and softer. Wood planks, however, do not go with all kinds of homes. There are 3D textured panels that are fairly easy to install and can be placed right on top of your existing walls. There are some with surface designs that make for a nice, second 3D layer, as seen above. Finally, if you are into the modern aesthetic and like a raw, untouched finish, you can simply leave the structural surface of the wall as it is. Because the bricks may be old and have been damp in the past, old mortar between them can crack and crumble, meaning that you might need to repair or replace some areas. Start a renovation only to find old brick underneath the plaster and most homeowners will jump for joy because exposed brick is a very popular design element. Stylistically, wood plank walls have to match the decor, otherwise, they look out of place, but for the modern farmhouse style, they are perfect. They also work for making a staircase pop visually. Drywall brings a whole new group of problems when used for ceilings. Some types can be painted to match your existing color scheme. However, you can replace the drywall with other wall materials like concrete or fiberglass. It’s much more straightforward and just has to be screwed the studs, either on its own or over existing drywall. They can be used indoors but absolutely not on all four walls or even a large wall. The current popularity of farmhouse and rustic home decor style — along with wildly popular home renovation television shows — have made decorating with wood plank walls one of the hottest trends. But there are many alternatives out there, each with different advantages and disadvantages. ), Standard Garage Size: Diagrams & Dimensions Up to 4 Car Garages, How to Remove Rust From Tools (Prevention Tips & More). Your basement is the most likely … When drywall starts getting damaged, it happens visibly. Solar & Alternative Energy ... To produce this classic look, a mixture of drywall mud and water is first sprayed onto the surface; then, a finishing knife is used to carefully flatten the peaks into a smooth, delicate pattern. These products are ideal for an accent wall or accent feature, not all four walls of a room. Copyright © 2008-2021 - All Rights Reserved. And we haven't even mentioned the dusty mess it makes. If you're trying to cover a wall made of cinderblock or concrete, Wahoo Walls is a brand of product that's a basement wall finishing system. What is great is that you can also paint plywood into the color of your choice! A child with a marker can ruin an entire room in seconds flat. Don't quote me on that. Learn more about, 17 Bedroom Feng Shui Rules for Serene Relaxation, 11 Bed Alternatives for Saving Space in Your Small Rooms, 16 Mega Mansions That are Outrageously Nice (& Priced! There are other garage walling options like plywood, OSB boards, concrete boards, and others. You can get lath as wood, use hand-split timber, or even use the newer rock lath or metal lath. Overall, plywood doesn’t have many drawbacks. Drywall sheets average about 50 lbs. But the real challege is cutting it to the right size, as you'll need metal shears are access to a table saw or circular saw with a specialized blade. If you use a plaster that incorporates horsehair, it'll be stronger and provide more visible texture to the surface. It's very similar to the stucco that you'd use on the exterior of your house but without the need for any wire mesh. The only other drawback of wood plank and shiplap walls is that they can seem to attract dust. When compared to drywall, however, certain types of plywood don't fare as favorably. It can warp over time, bloat from moisture, and honestly looks cheap once you've seen the alternatives. It's a time-consuming process and what is worse is that it's not a one-time experience. Right now it is insulated just on the side walls, with otherwise open studs. A stone or brick wall is an old classic that never goes out of style. If you like the look of a weather wood wall but are in no way handy, there are other cost-effective alternatives. Think about the Ikea style furniture with sharp edges and minimal design. Installing this type of wall option requires a specially skilled professional and, in some regions, they can be hard to find, especially if the technique is not locally popular. These types of plaster walls have a number of advantages such as being a barrier against water – something that definitely cannot be said about drywall. This means you'll gain a solid inch in both directions of your room too. And if you're worried about hanging anything too heavy, just add more support hooks or shelving supports. But lets not fully take away from it, because drywall also makes a great drop ceiling alternative. Do it carefully or you risk coming off as looking cheap or even trashy to city folk, unless you use surfaced sheet wood. This is another alternative to drywall that can have a great impact on your home’s look and value. If the existing wall is damaged in some way and patching is not enough, you’ll have to install new drywall, either for the entire surface or just the damaged section, depending on your situation. Also, if the panels become damaged in any way, replacing them could prove challenging. You can paint the screw tops the same color as the board and they'll be invisible. This isn't an inexpensive alternative and can cost even more than drywall does. Drywall in Waltham, Massachusetts, shows us how to mud and tape drywall, using premixed joint compound (a.k.a. The variety of materials currently available is quite stunning and ranges from wood to tiles to panels crafted from compressed coffee grounds or pottery shards. Plaster also has a smooth, consistent surface. Pros of Drywalls Drywall is quickly becoming a replacement for plaster for the interior walls of homes. Corrugated metal panels are the wavy sheets of metal you often see on the sides of barns or even on a roof. Another huge plus is that drywall is fire-resistant. This is a different aesthetic to pull off as it can just as easily look like a wall that has been left incomplete. This is a cost-effective alternative and is especially suited to country-style homes. The choices here are nearly endless, only limited by what manufacturers think will sell in large enough quantities to justify making. These types of 3D wall cladding generally install fairly easily, either like tile that uses mastic, or is simply a peel and stick product. We’ve pulled together a list of the most popular ones and run down what you need to consider before installing each one. Unlike drywall installation that involves taping and sanding for a smooth surface, no sanding is required for the finished plaster, which installs much faster as well. Using hardwood boards without the tongue and groove is also an option but might be a little more challenging when it comes to spacing the boards. The board is used because it has advantages over drywall like being harder and easier to fix. First, plywood is inexpensive and sturdy, as well as easier to install than drywall. Cork walls are similar to the finished result of pegboard, but they don't support much weight. These are also more resistant to mold and other problems that plague normal (and cheaper) drywall. Alternatives to Drywall for Garage Walls. If the existing wall is damaged in some way and patching is … 18 Drywall finishing tools tips and tricks to make your life easier and help the project to look perfect! You can also choose from different types of wood and finishes, thus giving you a lot of variety. These perform the task of both the plywood and drywall. Paneling or a custom finish are two of the most popular alternatives to drywall in the basement. Basement Wall Systems Vs Traditional Wood & Drywall What I like about Wahoo Walls and the DRIcore SMARTWALL® is they appear to be the best options to prevent mold. Most residential wall surfaces are painted drywall, but interior designer Courtney Fadness likes to incorporate alternatives to drywall such as wood, tile, and natural stone into her projects where … These wood planks allow you to give your home an elegant and rustic feel without the maintenance issues that come with traditional drywall. If you know how to use a screwdriver (or better yet a power drill), installing plywood should be a cakewalk. Slap these right over the plywood instead of drywall and you have an easy-to-clean surface and you can skip all the choices about which latex paint to use that best protects the wall from wind and rain. But first, if you are installing a drywall alternative, you’ll still need a wall that is in good shape. While installation might not be complicated, doing it properly is key, otherwise, the planks can warp or rot. Finishing Tools – for taping, mudding and sanding drywall. Today, however, you have the option of bringing this aesthetic into your home and what is great is that they do not need to cost an arm and a leg. The following are some of the best drywall alternatives available on the market. Alternatives to Drywall Ceilings. While it was most often chosen for budgetary reasons, homeowners are now choosing to install plywood walls for decorative reasons. Crossing over from the contract and hospitality world, three-dimensional wall coverings have burst onto the residential scene as homeowners look for new ways to jazz up their rooms. You see this style of decor in dry states like Arizona, where deserts abound and there's still the influence of Mexican-style adobe architecture. This drywall alternative can be directly fastened to the existing wall by screwing the panels in place. It also lacks soundproofing, making this a terrible option overall. You'll lose that to trim if you aren't going to tear up your carpet or flooring to redo that, but it'll still feel more spacious. Wood planks are an age-old drywall alternative that has certainly stood the test of time well. However, veneer plaster is simpler to use than drywall. If you’re pretty handy and the area to be replaced is not extensive, it can be a DIY project. these garage walling options are ideal for the … It involves a lot of taping, sanding, and mudding before you can finally declare that the work has been done. Jan 9, 2018 - Explore Jordon Stockton's board "alternatives to drywall" on Pinterest. Oktay Ortakcioglu / Getty Images What: This is the simplest ceiling possible—a flat, unembellished ceiling constructed of drywall panels, which are then painted or sometimes covered with texture. All I think about with drywall is children and pets ruining it, an unruly teenager punching a hole through it, and how no amount of precision spackling can actually repair the damage. New types are eco-friendly and are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and low VOC, perfect for those who want a healthier home. 10 Beautiful Drywall Alternatives for Your Garage Walls Most garages come with drywall as a standard requirement. Keeping the inside dry and comfortable means sealing the exposed brick wall with a sealer that will penetrate those holes and pores. That can look amazing. If you paint the brick, cleaning will be a little easier. You can get all kinds of designs and colors, mimic aged bricks, different types of marble, or any kind of artistic design. For those who are worried that this might just a trend,  designers say that most all materials ebb and flow in popularity and plywood is no more or less trendy and does have the timeless appeal of warmth. They are about 3/4” to 1.5” thick and can completely transform how a room looks. If four walls of concrete are too much for your taste, an accent wall is still an excellent design option. Why: This is a good choice if you want the cheapest ceiling possible, or if you want your ceiling to visually recede.A flat drywall … You can't just spackle screw and nail holes in plywood to cover mistakes. Even with all these advantages, there are some drawbacks or challenges to choosing veneer plaster walls. In a craft room it opens you up to an infinite realm of organizational possibilities and makes the room so much more fun. and hoisting them up to the ceiling requires two sets of sturdy arms or a drywall lift. A lot of healthy building designers prefer real plaster because the paper surface on drywall is an excellent food for mold. Once the plaster is applied to the board, it is quite hard and can be left unpainted for a natural style of beauty. 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Once it’s exposed and cleaned up, you might think that’s the end of it, but it does require a little prep work and maintenance. But to use them on all four walls, especially in a room with a polished concrete floor, will begin to feel like a dystopian nightmare. We recently hung pegboard in my brother's unfinished garage and not only does it look great and is functional, but it reflects light so well that we doubled the brightness without installing any extra light fixtures. Rick is a home design consultant and enthusiast, who's life is consumed by all things home and garden. Slap these bad boys up, paint them how you want, and add some trim and you're done in a matter of hours. Sure, it may be more expensive than other options but they certainly bring something new and unique to the table. Therefore, as an alternative to a ladder or moving scaffolding around, try strapping on a pair of stilts and you’ll instantly be 1-3’+ taller to reach the ceiling and top third of the walls. There are a lot of applications for this, especially project management software. It's similar to the medieval style of wattle and daub. Here, Paul Landry, of P.L. Three-dimensional wall cladding has few drawbacks from a practical perspective. Vinyl siding panels are one of the less cited drywall alternatives but those who've tried them have only great things to say about them. There are different finishes and looks to choose from so you don’t have to settle for the standard brown finish. This can be a concern in a moist or humid environment like a basement or bathroom. Vera Dordick is a global communicator, and creative provocateur. It's a fairly cheap option, and installation is as simple as screwing it into the studs. Whether it’s a small accent wall or a larger portion of main living area, the uneven character and warmth of brick provide an unmatched textural base for a room. Also, most interior brick doesn’t look like the pretty, rectangular units you see on the inside. Especially when these are painted, they resemble true shiplap. In addition to pricey stone and stone veneers, there are highly durable alternatives to drywall. Veneer plaster might be the alternative that comes closest to traditional drywall. It takes just a few tools—a small and a large drywall knife and a swivel-head pole sander—to finish drywall. Very similar to veneer plaster, you can combine laths, which are narrow strips of wood installed horizontally between studs or ceiling joists, and then coat them in plaster. It's pricy but in areas that have high moisture that lead to mold, this can be perfect. They do provide an easy way to have a randomized design across an entire wall and make it possible to easily hang photos or thumbtack anything else you want to it, so long as it's not too heavy. They are easier to remove as well. Are there no other options for home improvement? Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2008-2021 - All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy and Disclosure Update Privacy Settings. The layers in the wood do make it porous and repeated exposure to water because of a leak, for example, will damage it. Over time, it settles in the gaps and make the wall appear to be dirty, so regular cleaning is a must. These, if used across all four walls, give off the feel of the brutalism architecture, which includes a lot of right angles, flat surfaces, and concrete everywhere. I really like this for country and suburban homes. You're going to hang plywood anyways, so with a bit more precision in measuring and cutting you can skip an entire step. While drywall may look great and is the most common, it's not the easiest construction material to use. Couple this with a certain type of wall decorations and you can really pull off a deep country feel. That said, it is much heavier than drywall and typically requires an extra set of hands to attach it properly. Because it’s a rough, uneven surface, it needs more than just a regular dusting to keep it clean. Let's look at those now. As you can see from the many options provided above, if you are looking for drywall alternatives, there's no lack of choices. Lath and plaster used to be a more time-consuming wall surface to install, but over time, the method has improved and is now a faster and easier wall to install, making it a pleasant alternative to drywall. It's a good alternative but if you can afford to use drywall, you'll have access to more features like hanging decorations and moving them. Once the plank has been hung you don't need to do anything to maintain them apart from keeping them dry, especially if you seal them with a light lacquer finish so you can wipe even marker off easily. Last, but certainly not least, any cracks, crevices or deeply carved designs will trap dust, making regular cleaning a priority. The feel that concrete exudes is special, particularly when it is combined with other elements that are more natural. It’s the standard wall surface you find in most homes, especially new ones: Drywall. Her dabbling focuses on interior design, including DIY, jewelry, cakes, sugar flowers, and fiber arts of all kinds. However, brick and stone walls are also sustainable options and will last you a lifetime without requiring any work for its maintenance or cleaning, minus dusting. The strength of this material is next-level, too. While drywall serves as the most common wall finish throughout most modern homes, it's not always the best choice for the garage. Your email address will not be published. Wood planks can be left in their natural state, stained or painted in a variety of styles. While handling veneer plaster is not necessarily difficult, it can take up practically the whole day to get the job done. Use furring strips attached to basement walls: basement panels can be used in a basement finish not using studs and drywall. Plastic panels are extremely easy to install and if you get tongue and groove panels (one of the most common varieties), you can lock it into place swiftly and the wall requires no further work minus the occasional screw. Sheet woods like plywood, medium-density fiberboard and oriented strand board serve as some of the cheapest and easiest-to-install materials for finishing walls in the home. Either way, installing wood planks is a fairly straightforward project if you have the tools, including a power saw, although I can be done with a manual saw. Texture wall panels lend a lot of elegance and beauty to your home while also providing some depth to an otherwise flat surface. Rick serves as owner and editor for our many content contributors. Best of all the surface is harder and more durable than drywall. This fell out of favor due to the advancements in plasterboard and drywall, but can still look great by adding some texture to the wall. These panels click together, and though you may glue them to the wall, I don't think you have to. This is because drywall has many advantages as a material, yet it has a similar look and effect as the previously popular plaster. Whenever people are renovating the inside of their home, tearing down and putting up new walls, the most conventional material to use is drywall. By bending the laths and allowing them to dry, you can create unique wall designs otherwise impossible with other methods, other than stucco. After the drywall is attached to the ceiling beams, there is still a lot of finishing work to do, including covering screw heads, taping… Whether you pick textured panels or simply leave the bare bones, structural surface of the wall as it is, as long as you own the style and execute it with conviction, any room can look elegant and sophisticated. The following are a few alternatives … One reason to use lath and plaster is for non-flat walls, like a curved surface in the corner of the room. You can hang even the largest and heaviest of tools in your workshop. In addition to the standard plywood, there are different types and grades, depending on what you’re looking for and what the purpose is. However, it is also the most laborious and time-consuming alternative on this list. Last, but certainly not least, plaster veneer is more expensive than plain drywall by about 25 percent due to labor considerations as well as materials, because more plaster is used than tape and joint compound for drywall. The main feature here, besides being moisture resistant, is that you don't have to screw into the wall. But are there drywall alternatives? Bricks are made from clay that is fired, so they are porous and absorb moisture — not something you want seeping into your home. This asset could help you figure out the true cost and profit margin for integrating drywall finishing alternatives or trending drywall … Fans of the modern minimalist or industrial look may be drawn to concrete interiors and for good reason: With the right decor, concrete walls can be a major style statement. Plywood and sheet wood are also fairly straightforward to work with, no more complicated than drywall itself. Pegboard is fairly … How to Finish Drywall … There are many alternatives to drywall, for example, plaster and lath, tile, wahoo wall, metal sheet, oriented strand board, magnesium oxide board, adobe brick, fiber-reinforced plastic. Drywall is fairly prone to damage and is not guaranteed to last you a long time. You can always paint over the cinder blocks to achieve a textured panel look. A-Cero Finishes Crystal Tower Interior Design Phase One in Spain, Stylish interior finishes from Nanoeclectic, Interior finishes in ceramic, gres and porcelain, Reasons for choosing banquette instead of chairs for dining rooms, The GitHub HQ Has Bars And Cafes Instead Of Offices, 15 Amazing Homes With Nets Instead Of Floors, Doing a Major Reno? It'll look just like drywall, as seen above. Either way, getting a wall of texture has never been easier. It really warms up a room and can help scatter light around like a popcorn ceiling does. You can think of it like a kitchen backsplash. By covering the entire wall, floor-to-ceiling, you can pull off a cabin aesthetic easily though. Using paper drywall tape to cover the joints where two panels of drywall meet is standard in drywall finishing. So why do people insist on using drywall? As such, all you need for support are some furring strips attached to basement concrete side walls. Before you plan to do this, check building codes in your area because plywood is not as safe when it comes to fire ratings and some states restrict how it can be used in a home. Fear not! You don’t have to settle for ordinary when there are plenty of drywall alternatives available in today’s market. Is there special … To install pegboard, all you have to do is screw it into the wall studs. While it might be the easiest type of wall for builders to install and painters to paint, it can also be rather boring. Plywood is the cheapest alternative to drywall on this list and allows you to finish a room with a certain flair without taking on the expenses of wood planks, veneer or drywall. Your choices here are broader than expected, since cork board comes in various hues of color, thickness, sizes of cork chips compressed, etc. No, you do not have to drywall in the garage. Concrete foundation walls basement finish systems vs drywall basement wall restoration in joliet basement drywall restoration totalFinishing Basement Walls Without DrywallDrywall Alternatives For Basement Insofast15 Delightful Drywall Alternatives For Your Interior WallsHow To Partially Finish …