Question: Can you put freshly cut board and batten Hemlock siding on a barn which has been sheathed and covered in tyvek or will the tyvek on the back side cause uneven drying and the cupping of the boards?
Particulars: I have an old barn (plus or minus 100 year old post and beam construction) I use as a shop and it needs siding. The original construction had tongue and groove, random width vertical boards. The barn was getting pretty drafty and I would like to heat the space so I decided to go right over the existing siding with sheathing, tyvec, then new siding. I’ve sheathed and put up the tyvec and now need to decide on what type of siding to put on. I’m open to most anything, tin or vinyl would be the least expensive, cement board most durable but I have trouble justifying the cost. Now my lumber supplier has offered me hemlock board and batten siding for a reasonable price. I’m not crazy about board and batten but at least it’s still wood and comparable in cost to vinyl or tin. Recommendations?
thanks,
Mark
Replies
The Tyvek won't cause cupping, but the sheathing may.
the key is the battens - they have to be fastened securely enough that they do not allow the boards to cup - drive screws thru the battens into both the sheathing and old siding -
one nail in the center of each board and make sure your batten screws are placed between the boards - outside corners are the exception to this rule - where you drive your screw thru the corner, thru the board, and into the sheathing/strapping, letting the opposite edge of the board shrink/expand under the batten -
a B&B job, where details are nicely attended to, is quite attractive IMO -
hey, thanks for that bit of wisdom, I was going to sheath my own shop with B&B because of price, but had the same question. I have a neighbor with a sawmill and will be using local, air dried cypress. You just solved a nagging problem.
A hundred year old barn with anything but wood siding. You made the right choice!
Marc,
A different approach was taken by a client I worked for 2 years ago.
Sheathed etc. then sided with metal (galv) then the flats of the galv. metal were infilled with inexpensive wood (1x 8 IIRC).
Looks great and gives the look of the wood and the durability of the metal.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
Edited 9/12/2007 10:41 pm by dovetail97128
If you're worried about the Tyvek causing the planks to dry unevenly, why don't you furr over it and nail the B&B to the strapping?
Remember to lay the hearts out on all the planks so they will cup uniformly towards the wall.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Lots of good ideas here, thanks everyone.
Mark