Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Plywood over Sheet Rock

Need some opinions. I am gong to put some plywood over sheet rock in my garage so I can hang more signs without having to worry about trying to hit the studs. Is 1/4 inch thick enough? Other options to consider? As always, I appreciate any and all opinions. Thanks.

1/4" is not enough to hang signs on in my opinion sheet rock will not hold & I doubt the 1/4" ply would make much difference.

3/8ths???

the only real heavy one I have is a 6ft Texaco Banjo. Eventhough they are mostly porcelain, they are not huge.

Alex:

Why not just run a 1 x 4 along the top of the wall. Mount it securely to the header/studs and then you can hang anything from it using eye hooks/SS cable and swedges - or small chain if you like.

This way, you can move things around and not have to worry about numerous holes in you walls.

Later . . .

Jim

Thanks, Jim...good idea

How big are the signs your hanging? I bought a 4 x 8 peg board sheet at Menards and mounted it to 6' 1x2's. I had all my air tools hanging from that no problem.

The 1x2's were on studs

Another Idea we used is the trolley system. Barn door hardware trolley so that as Jim stated you can hang it, move it around in case you get others that are bigger or smaller, and it will hold lots of weight. We used this for neon signs.

Thats cool.

Hello, if you are goin to put wood over drywall, I would recomend 7/16 osb but to do that properly you will have to nail osb to the studs anyway to do it rite, buy a cheap stud finder to put signs up, you do not want a porcelain sign to hit ground from any height.

I would think 1/4 in. might work if you used toggle bolts that expand behind drywall. I done my garage in 1/2 in.because we was building racecars there in the begining.
I like the idea of the trolley system,and also 1by4 Jim spoke about,I have that where wall meets ceiling and hang large signs from it.

I'd use T-111. You can screw anything to it and it's easy to put up.

Your wanting to hang $xxx+ signs on 1/4" plywood!
Might as well go shark fishing w/ a FLY ROD & 3# line.

Good sheetrock anchors will hold an absolute ton of weight when used properly. We've hung 50" plasma TVs to drywall alone...I don't know why you'd need plywood...that is, of course, unless you're hanging something enormous such as the previously-posted neon sign

That's why I am asking...LOL. I have thought of the toggle anchors but was told they will let loose as well.....Keep them ideas a'coming.....

As someone who used to do a lot of drywall (I have a checkered past ) The plasma TV can be replaced and insurance might pay for it, an old and possibly rare sign, perhaps not. If you do go into drywall, do what they do at galleries for heavier pieces, use two hooks.

There are lots of ways to have drywall but set up a system where you still are anchored into wood. Like having a small piece of plywood screwed into studs that the sign would cover and be attached to.

I inherited a European hanging bookshelf system where the shelves were metric, so when we did the house rebuild after the tornado, I had wood put in at all the screw heights between the 16" spaced studs--just like some of the better home builders do for their towel racks, etc. My books would bow the wooden shelves but the verneered but metal vertical pieces the brackets were on, never budged. Plus I hit wood no matter where I placed the bookshelves left or right on that wall.

I have sheetrocked walls in my garage and I put brick panelling on it and that is probably only 1/4" thick, I glued it on and used paneling nails into the studs and I have had no problem with it holding large signs. I have a 36"x72" Porcelain sign that has been hanging on it for 6 months.

1/4" plywood would be fine, 3/8's is better. Ensure the plywood is secured to the wall studs and not the drywall.

Alex the signs are going to be sitting flush against the plywood (vertical to the wall) therefore the screws are holding the sign flush against the wall. Would take a tremendous amount of force to cause the screws to pull out of the plywood (use screws with coarse wood threads). The downward force of the weight is perpendicular to the screw shank.

Different then if the signs were being mounted perpendicular to say a ceiling where the sign is suspended and a greater load/force is exerted on the screws. In this scenario the screws will eventually pull out because the downward force of the weight is linear to the screw threads.

Clear as mud. Hopefully, I articulated it well enough for you to visualize what I was trying to explain.

That's a lot of Big Words Dave!! LOL!!!

It was the only way I could explain what I was visualizing in my mind. I think my mind is like my shop; very cluttered.

Jason, Dave & I live on the Edge of The Ring Of Fire {Earthquake Country}.

tear what you have down- insert 2x6's in wall anywhere you will be hanging big signs, clocks etc, take pictures so you remember where there at. you might want to insulate outside walls- drywall with 3/8" drywall- anchors in drywall hold signs well..

What's wrong with just using wallboard anchors? Each one holds 50 lbs.

Don't cover up sheetrock with plywood, especially OSB. You are covering up a great fire stop with a wonderfully flammable wood chip & resin fire trap. For the mamma-jamma size signs, screw 1"x3"s to the studs, paint to match your wall & be done with it. I have seen too many shop's/garages destroyed by fire where large amounts of OSB was present, where sheetrock would have stopped the spread. (I am not a sheetrock salesman, I am a firechief). As a matter of fact, our flashover simulator for the new firefighters is powered by 3 sheets of 4x8 OSB & half a bale of straw.

Here is an option that has worked well for me.Remember,at the top of that stud wallis a double thick plate;probably doubled 2X4's or 2X6's stacked for a thickness of 3" with a seam at 1&1/2 ".I took a 1/4" eye lag screw long enough th go through the sheetrock and on up through one level of the plate and on into the second piece.I drilled a pilot hole,at an angle to minimize verticle load and eliminate any possibility od hitting the seam,and screwed the eye lag in.

Then using master chain links I simply hung my 42" Texaco at the desired height.I didn't bother with any other screws attaching the sign to the wall.The top sticks out from the wall about 1" but that doesn't bother me;no more holes in thwe wall.I t has been there for years.

If you like,you could anchor it to yhe wall in a few spots using anchors as shown.Good luck.