Paint workshop walls or leave natural wood?

[Mr_Mike]

Well, I expected a more even opinion, but almost everyone says paint. I think at this point, I'm going to leave it raw. I can change my mind later. Besides, it gets me done sooner.

[R Clark]

We made this decision when I moved into the new shop four years ago.  We put OSB up.  Painted white.

But I think you missed the best time to make that decision and execute it.  That time was before you put it up on the walls.  Then you could have just touched up seams if you needed to.

We laid ours out on the ground, all 40+ 4X8 sheets and painted first, then put it up.  Just two cheap rollers, no corners, and no cutting in.  I decided I wasn't going to be too finicky, and would repaint at a later date if I took a notion to do it.  

I haven't taken a notion, not yet anyway.

[Foggy]

We made this decision when I moved into the new shop four years ago.  We put OSB up.  Painted white.

But I think you missed the best time to make that decision and execute it.  That time was before you put it up on the walls.  Then you could have just touched up seams if you needed to.

We laid ours out on the ground, all 40+ 4X8 sheets and painted first, then put it up.  Just two cheap rollers, no corners, and no cutting in.  I decided I wasn't going to be too finicky, and would repaint at a later date if I took a notion to do it.  

I haven't taken a notion, not yet anyway.

+ 1.  If you are thinking paint later think of all the stuff you'll have to move, cover, and work around later. I used a pale yellow semi-gloss because I had a couple gallons left over from something. Is it going to be a workshop or a showplace man cave?

[Wild Turkey]

There's two questions here:  What surface? and What  color?

By "Surface" I mean textured or smooth.  A textured surface will hold dust and have to be blown off, brushed or vacuumed to clean them.

To me that is more important than the color.  I worked in a shop owned by a friend that had walls with enough "tooth" that every six months we had to have a big "blow-out" with all fans and compressors going to get the fine dust headed out the door or down to the floor where we could sweep it up.

I'm going to paint my walls white/off-white semi-gloss to hold down the dust problem.

[jstraw]

I'm currently moving into my new shop.  Had to build out an existing  unfinished basement room.  Very dark and no windows.  Brightening the space is a must.  It had one unpainted sheetrock wall, the rest were insulated studs and open ceiling with lots of exposed pipes and wire.  Put in a drop down ceiling with 2x2 led lights for general lighting.  Currently installing can lights for task lighting over work stations.  I painted the one sheetrock wall, but wanted the versatility of plywood for the other walls.  Found a plywood at Lowes that was pre-sanded and primed on one side.  The primed side was more like a whitewash, where you could see the grain.  The grain is very straight and uniform.  Lowes sells it as cabinet grade.  They sell it in 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4".  It wasn't pure white, is had some tan to it.  Screwed it up with white finish screws and covered the walls with a poly to minimize staining.  Painted the sheetrock to match.  Very pleased with how bright it is now.

[Belle City Woodworking]

I'm currently moving into my new shop.  Had to build out an existing  unfinished basement room.  Very dark and no windows.  Brightening the space is a must.  It had one unpainted sheetrock wall, the rest were insulated studs and open ceiling with lots of exposed pipes and wire.  Put in a drop down ceiling with 2x2 led lights for general lighting.  Currently installing can lights for task lighting over work stations.  I painted the one sheetrock wall, but wanted the versatility of plywood for the other walls.  Found a plywood at Lowes that was pre-sanded and primed on one side.  The primed side was more like a whitewash, where you could see the grain.  The grain is very straight and uniform.  Lowes sells it as cabinet grade.  They sell it in 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4".  It wasn't pure white, is had some tan to it.  Screwed it up with white finish screws and covered the walls with a poly to minimize staining.  Painted the sheetrock to match.  Very pleased with how bright it is now.

jstraw,

Love the drill press base, very nicely done!

John

[jstraw]

jstraw,

Love the drill press base, very nicely done!

John

Thanks. Can’t take credit for the design. It is a project from Woodsmith magazine from several years ago.

[Bill Wilson]

If you are thinking paint later think of all the stuff you'll have to move, cover, and work around later.

That reason alone is the best one for painting now.

[bennybmn]

I wish mine was brighter, still may do the ceiling some day. A friend of mine with a basement shop with mostly peg board walls wishes he got white peg board.

[Stwood_]

Paint.

If I ever get the extra time and money, mine will be painted. It is all osb, and dark.