alternative to drywall ?

Well, depends on cheap, and may be affected (if you care) by local codes. Plain old cheap pine boards work well and pass most codes, but even if you can find em cheap, they cost a bit more than drywall last time I compared the two. OSB is not loved by most codes, and costs the earth these days anyway for no obvious reason. If you don't care how the joints look, you can cut drywall down before moving it. Cementboard comes in smaller panels (3x5) and takes impacts and water better, but is more costly per square foot. Pegboard is traditional, though I don't know how it fares with modern codes. Full-on old-fashioned plaster is probably cheap if you provide the labor and can stand the mess.

Thus the reason for the drywall. Fire codes. May not affect you unless you have habitable space down there. Your insurance people may have their, more stringent standards. Most will allow panels over drywall protecting the interior from wires. I would use outdoor Romex in a basement just because. A workshop needs good sturdy wainscoting to dent, with continuous pegboard above. Light-colored tempered Masonite.

I kinda thought there wasn't anything cheaper then drywall, looks like I'm not the only one that thinks so

Not cheap here in Louisiana . . . after Katrina, drywall is at a premium . . .

Steve

I might go this route. I was hoping there was some other cheap but lightweight material. But being in the basement I am very concerned about safety. I'll just have to take my time.

bruno.

Well, run the cementboard price through your estimate. If it gets wet (basement flooding, plumbing problem, etc) it laughs it off (using galvanized deck screws to attach it will help it not show anything). It takes significantly more impact to damage it. In these ways it's better than drywall, which somewhat justifies the price, and it's already in smaller pieces.

Well, my way is not fireproof like drywall but works for me...

I covered the inside wall of my garage with 1 1/2" thick styrofoam insulating panels that have a vapor barrier on each side... they're quick, light ( a 4' x

4' weighs about 3 or 4 pounds) and cheap... about $15 each... the 3/4" that my neighbor used are less than $10 a sheet.. Mac

Dunno, Mac. Is that stuff certified? Older stuff _had_ to be installed under drywall because it melted prior to burn. No ceilings!

I've done a good deal of construction in my day and it almost always comes back to drywall. It's hard to beat for the price and durability. It's heavy, but that's it strength. There just isn't anything any cheaper. I had the same questions when I decided to finish my shop in the basement and that's what I used. I just did a couple coats of mud/tape and painted. Not the pretiest, but it works. I didn't have help moving in the sheetrock so just cut the sheets in half.

The only other thing is thin paneling, but it will cost as much or more than sheetrock and not be near as durable.

Earl

Miko the pooch wrote:

Late last fall I to needed to make some electric circuit modifications to my basement turnery and decided the easiest way to go about it was to rip off the existing drywall. When I replaced it, I decided to skip the mudding and taping altogether. My reasoning was - not counting my lack of skill in making the mudded seams look good - that I could easily replace sheets if any became majorly damaged from a flying bowl or some such. With the walls painted white, the screw heads and seams are not obvious or ugly - and it saved a lot of time, dust and aggravation.

Compared to... can you name a wall covering that is cheaper?

Luan 1/2"

Like I said, it's not "safe", but very effective... in my case, I'll take a chance on my garage walls as a trade off for fast, easy and insulating... I also have three 2" thick sheets that are cut to the height of the open garage door that make an instant "wall" without having to work with the garage door closed... (14' wide garage door)

Mac

also, there's the insulating factor... and I guess if you wanted to really nitpick, the cost of the drywall screws, tape and mud.. lol Mac

Cheaper than drywall? Man, you are cheap! I doubt you will find anything much cheaper than drywall.

Barry

Good for you, but not here though

Stapled up tarpaper...? :) Makes for one, dark interior, though.

Not nearly as attractive as cherry paneling with high gloss white latex..

Mac