Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
kdw72697

Plywood instead of Drywall?

kdw72697
13 years ago

Hello,

Do you think it would be possible to replace some drywall with plywood? Or is it the law that all interior walls must be drywalled? ;)

Some explanation: The wall going up our stairs is covered with a "lovely" homemade stucco made of joint compound. We've always hated it (and we constantly scrape our knuckles against it when we go up or down the stairs while carrying laundry baskets), but repairing or replacing it has always been at the bottom of the priority list.

Now we are in the process of refinishing the stairs. The carpet is off, and before I go to the trouble of sanding and refinishing my steps, it seems to make sense to make a mess first and rip the stucco-ish drywall out now.

We'd like to do faux wainscoting or beadboard in that area, and it seems like kind of a waste to do all that taping and spackling with drywall if we're only going to cover it up.

Any comments welcome! Thanks!

Kelly

Comments (9)

  • live_wire_oak
    13 years ago

    Taping and mudding needn't be perfect if you're covering it up, but the drywall needs to be behind the wood for fire safety reasons. Especially in a stairwell where a fire could roar from one floor to the next when feeding off of the wood.

  • macv
    13 years ago

    There is no reason to avoid plywood except that it is more expensive and more difficult to install than drywall. If the drywall is going to be covered it doesn't need to be taped.

    If you plan to install beadboard put up drywall and then add the beadboard over the lower portion or put the beadboard directly on the studs and drywall above it.

    Walls (excluding trim and including paneling thicker than 1/4") and ceilings of a home must not have a flame-spread classification greater than 200 (class A, B, or C) or a smoke-developed index greater than 450. All common plywood construction panels are well within these these limits. Any furred spaces must be fireblocked.

    There is no special fire protection treatment required for a stairway in a home. Usually the upper hall will ignite from superheated gasses before a stairway ignites. If there is an enclosed space below a stair, the bottom of the stair must be protected with 1/2" drywall.

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    Tearing out the textured drywall is likely to be faster than trying to smooth the surface (and likely less messy, or at least no worse than taping).

  • kdw72697
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks so much!

    As long as I am not making it any *less* safe, it's good to know I have options.

    What's currently there is so...umm..."interesting". I will say, though, it's darn durable, because as much as we would have liked for it to happen, NONE of it has worn off!

  • andrelaplume2
    13 years ago

    ...any chance of putting your beadboard up right over the stucko?

  • kdw72697
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I wish we could just slap it up over the stucco. Unfortunately, the wall surface is bowed from their handiwork, and besides that the individual stucco "peaks" stick out as much as 1/2" in some places! It is so very, very weird...

  • macv
    13 years ago

    All MDO plywood has waterproof adhesive so it is Exterior rated. It can also made with Marine grade plywood.

  • drywall_diy_guy
    13 years ago

    Drywall is very easy to cut. Plywood can be very difficult to cut if you need custom fit pieces. I would go with drywall. No need to tape or mud given that you are covering it right?