It’s tempting to add the clean-cut aesthetic that Sheetrock brings to a building, but not every pole building needs it.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to include Sheetrock in your pole building, it really comes down to determining what you’ll be using your pole building for. Sheetrock is a popular brand name for drywall and is not the only option to add more aesthetics to your pole building’s interior. Pole buildings are incredibly customizable, but it can also be tricky to decide what accessories are right for your building.
For the most part, a pole building being used for storage or animal shelter will not install drywall. To help you decide if drywall is right for your pole building, we have listed what drywall is and the types of pole buildings that benefit the most from drywall.
Drywall
Drywall is made of gypsum plaster, usually pressed between thick sheets of facer and backer paper. It is mainly used as a finishing material for the interior of a building and placed over insulation. There are many drywall varieties, and each type is created with different fire-resistance, moisture-resistance, mold-resistance, and soundproofing. Below, we have listed the characteristics of the most commonly known types of drywall.
The Pros and Cons of Drywall
Drywall Pros
Drywall can reduce noise by intervening as a barrier that disrupts sound vibrations from traveling through the building.
Drywall gives your design more appeal. If you want your pole building to have a more clean-cut aesthetic, then drywall is a great way to help achieve it.
Drywall is easily repaired. Accidents happen; whether it’s a small dent from your desk hitting the wall or a medium hole from a doorknob, drywall is very forgiving. Depending on the damaged spot’s size, drywall can be repaired with spackle, a self-adhesive mesh patch, or a drywall patch.
Drywall is fire-resistant. On top of gypsum being non-combustible and incorporated with water, manufacturers often add glass fibers to enhance fire resistance. Adding Glass fibers assists in maintaining the structure of the drywall as the drywall begins to lose moisture. It should be noted that there are many varieties of drywall, and each type is created with a different fire-resistant rating.
Drywall Cons
Drywall is prone to cracking near joints. This happens when the building moves, as all buildings do when they settle, and the shift’s pressure causes the drywall to break.
Drywall is not durable for storage and can be damaged by the objects being stored.
Drywall is heavy, making installation difficult for many DIYers.
Drywall can add up in cost. Like other accessories that we discussed in How Much Do Different Pole Building Accessories Cost, drywall can come at a price and take a good portion of your budget.
Drywall requires stud walls to be applied to a building, but pole buildings are built with vertical studs. Additional preparations to your pole building will need to be made to add drywall.
Drywall is not water-resistant, only moisture-resistant.
Other Options
Plywood
Plywood is built from glued thin sheets of veneer taken from debarked wood. Plywood is known to be more durable than drywall. It is used mostly in roof underlayments, as a subfloor, and as a support for walls, sheds, and garages. Though you may not use plywood to replace drywall completely, it has been used to add appeal in residential rooms as an accent wall.
Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
OSB is an engineered wood formed by mixing smaller pieces of hardwood and softwood, then coated with resin and wax. OSB is not used for finished surfaces, such as residential walls, because it cannot retain paint or stain. When used in residential, OSB would be installed beneath a finish material, such as carpet. However, OSB is used in garages and storage, shares the same durability as plywood.
Pole Buildings That Incorporate Drywall The Most
Drywall is mainly used by commercial and residential pole buildings such as:
Shouse
A shouse is a building that serves as both a home and a shop.
Barndominium
A barndominium is a metal building that resembles (or in some cases is) a barn that has been converted into a home.
Garages
Garages are often used for storing vehicles, projects, and home items.
Home Business Offices
A home business office is a pole building often used as a close-to-home workspace for business operations.
At the end of the day, deciding to Sheetrock your pole building is primarily determined by how you will use your pole building. Working closely with your contractor, and becoming familiar with the materials you want to incorporate in your pole building, will help you avoid setbacks.
Now that you have a better understanding of Sheetrock and its abilities in a pole building, contact us to start planning your pole building today!