[left]The exterior walls of my 1920s-built bungalow have a basic construction of wood siding > framing > shiplap > drywall (added ?). There is no sheathing or wrapping or insulation of any kind. Just empty wall cavities between shiplap and wood siding.[left]We recently removed the drywall and shiplap from a kitchen wall, corrected some failing wall studs and bottom plates (what a mess...) and we’re trying to decide what material(s) to use to cover the wall. We want to have “some” amount of barrier from the elements (heat, moisture, critters in the crawl space). This wall will support base cabinets, sink, dishwasher, floating shelves and a tile backsplash. The other 3 kitchen walls (all interior) and ceiling have shiplap in tact and we’ll hang new drywall. at first, we thought we’d use 1/2” plywood, but I’m not convinced that will hold up to the external elements and moisture. It also fails to meet codes for fire resistance. Additionally, I don’t think that plywood is the best backing for wall tile. Drywall, with its paper backing also seems like a no-go against moisture and elements. I’ve also been looking at materials like green board, but they seem to have mixed reviews. so, I was thinking of using cement board (Durock or Hardie backer) on the entire wall. I know that some folks use it in exterior applications and that it’s designed for tiled and wet areas like showers. I’m not sure if we’ll run the backsplash all the way up to the ceiling, but it seems as though cement board can be painted, though not super easily. thoughts? Any reason I shouldn’t use cement board for this application? Other products you’d recommend? Thanks![/left][/left]

I'm remolding a building that has a drop ceiling in it that needs replaced. I don't like the drop ceiling and want to replace it with drywall. The ceiling joist are 40" above the drop ceiling and I want my new ceiling to be the same height as the drop ceiling was.