Looking for your opinion on sheathing instead of T1-11
builderman12
| Posted in General Discussion on
Does T1-11 plywood (not OSB) have any special treatment done to it compared to normal 19/32 plywood? Is the only difference it having tongue and groove ends, vertical cuts every ~6″ giving it the board and batten look + premium price?
Although the vertical cuts may give it a nicer appearance, I feel it weakens the overall strength (it cuts through 2 ply boards every ~6 inches).
I’m considering normal 19/32 plywood as an exterior sheathing for a 16 x 16′ cabin. For the gaps ( since its not T & G ) use vertical 3″ or larger furring strips like board and batten. This would be every 4′. I plan to seal with Bickmore Pine Tar which will stain it black.
Opinions / thoughts?
Replies
T1-11 does not look like board and batten, it looks like vertical siding. Although it is 5/8 the strength is equivalent to 3/8 which is fine for wall sheathing. The surface is rough sawn and relative free of defects. I don't know what grade of plywood you would consider using but one without patches would be quite expensive. With battens every 4' it's not going to look like anything other than cheap plywood. Even if you use more battens, chances are that they will not line up with splices in the veneer and it will still look like cheap plywood.
In my opinion the idea of sheathing as siding isn’t a great idea. Plywood is laminated and anything laminated is not durable in wet environments. If you want a board and batten look sheath it and just do board and batten, or use a sheet good like a 4x8 cement board sheet with board and batten over the seams.
T1-11 is a passable inexpensive exterior wall siding material if installed and maintained properly. Being relatively inexpensive, it need not last as long as better siding materials. From my personal experience, dozens of affordable homes have successfully been protected with T1-11 for the 40 years I've been occasionally specifying it. As to aesthetic preference, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I suggest that T1-11 looks better than cheap plywood with minimal battens.