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Over the past seven years I have been building cabin in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Initially I planned on siding the place in vinyl. A neighbor just sided his place in 1″ x 8″ hemlock board with a 2 1/2″ batten. It beats the hell out of the look I’d get from vinyl.
My current exteriors walls are OSB. I plan on using a semi-transparent stain and dipping the boards and battens or rolling both sides before installation. What should I place over the OSB before installing the board and batten siding? House wrap? 30# Felt? Nothing?
Someone suggested firring out the walls to give the hemlock a chance to fully dry after a rain, but my windows were installed with no room to extend them for the extra depth firring strips would require.
Any suggestions?
Replies
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Dave,
30# felt. If your windows have a nailing flange on them, make sure the felt gets under the bottom flange. Also make sure you flash the tops of the windows and/or the head casings and any other trim board. If the inside of the cabin isn't finished yet, you should also put some horizontal blocking in between all the studs on 24" centers to nail the boards to. I doubt the nails will hold in just the osb over an extended period of time. If the inside is already finished, consider screwing the boards on. Cover the screws up with the battens.
Red dog
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I agree with Red dog's suggestions to install horizontal backing and use felt, although I'd probably use 15#. Nailing both edges of the board is askin' for trouble though.
I think you are supposed to nail the boards in the center and nail the batts between the boards. The batts will keep the boards from cupping, but allow them to swell and contract behind the batt.
If you nail the boards on both edges or if the batt nails go through the edge of the boards, the boards will crack, since you will be pinning both sides and they'll only be able to shrink towards the edges, therefore crack.
I have never used Hemlock as siding, but that's how we put up Cedar board and batt.
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Dave,
If it is too late for blocking, maybe use trim head screws to fasten with. Jim is right, the middle of the board is the better place for the fasteners.
Red dog
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...Dave.....
Hemlock isNOT very rot resistant and loves to absorb water it omes in contact with...I would apply a backfinish to anything I used, including dipping the ends...
Depending on type of winidow (If they are clad with a ailing flange) then you can make a casing extension and false sill that will allow you to furr out the wall...
you can slos use Cedar Breather as a rain screen...
and last but not least.....if you don't have generous overhangs on your house to protect your windows and door tops, I would use any VERTICAL siding, it becomes a tousand gutters diverting water into your sheathing
think about fiber cement siding......
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I once got a good deal on rough hemlock boards which I used for sheathing. Frankly, I don;t much like it. It is prone to cupping and splitting. I do like board and batten, it is used extensively in Sweden, but it is true, it should be well-sheltered by projecting eaves. YOu need roughly 18"-24" projection to shelter a typical 8-9 foot wall depending on how hard the rain drives in your area. Also, you need quite a hefty batten. Firring out your wall, especially since you have OSB up is a good idea. Yes, rain will get to the back side of board and batten, but it gets behind vinyl siding and cedar shingles too. It is better to protect your walls with eave overhang and well-applied builder's felt than to worry about water getting behind the siding!
MSC
Here in Maine we use 2nd clear white cedar shingles. Nowadays they mostly come from New Brunswick and run around $35 a square. Take a trip up to Maine, buy your shingles and take them back home! You will be better off than going with vinyl siding or fiber cement...they are time-consuming to put up with nails, but folks are using pneumatic staplers with good results today.
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I agree that hemlock would be my last choice for a siding product. I also agree that 15# felt is adequate - although I have been using "4 sq" 15# felt which is a little heavier than standard 15# felt
I am currently on a job installing 8 new windows in the south wall of a house that has cedar board and batt siding. Part of the job is to install new board and batt. I recall reading an article once, long ago, that the the proper way to fasten board and batt is to drive the fasteners along side the board and then clinch nail it. This will inhibit the probability of splitting due to "pinning" both sides. Backing - 24" to 36" oc is critical.
I would certainly rethink my material choice.
I heartily disagree with the notion that rain will get behind cedar shingle siding. As a matter of fact - in the old days they didn't even use paper behind the shingles. I live on the Oregon coast and let me tell you - we get some of the heaviest wind driven rain you can imagine. I've remodeled numerous structures that were many decades old, had cedar shingle siding and the 1x6 ship lap sheathing behind was like brand new. If you are getting rain behind your cedar shingles I suggest you re-examine your installation methods.
Good Luck
Buz
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Over the past seven years I have been building cabin in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Initially I planned on siding the place in vinyl. A neighbor just sided his place in 1" x 8" hemlock board with a 2 1/2" batten. It beats the hell out of the look I'd get from vinyl.
My current exteriors walls are OSB. I plan on using a semi-transparent stain and dipping the boards and battens or rolling both sides before installation. What should I place over the OSB before installing the board and batten siding? House wrap? 30# Felt? Nothing?
Someone suggested firring out the walls to give the hemlock a chance to fully dry after a rain, but my windows were installed with no room to extend them for the extra depth firring strips would require.
Any suggestions?