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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Board and batten
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Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:40 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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I’m ridiculous. I just shut my cabin down for the winter yesterday and am thinking about next year

Anyways we’re going to finish the interior with board and batten and paint white. Should look great.

Battens are easy.. but What should I use for sheathing?

Important point. I have to carry all this sheathing up a bluff and back 100 yards. I’ve carried over 100 pieces of 1/2 and 3/4” plywood already and really don’t want to anymore!!!

Battens every 2’ vertical. Should hit studs on seams …Sheathing would be vertical.

Here my additional thoughts/ concerns.


1. 1/4” would be great but I feel it would be too flimsy and/ wavy between studs. Am I right?

2. If 1/4” then I can get sanded plywood or MDF panel which would paint nicely- but again worried about waviness.

3. Would waviness though be noticeable if I have a batten every 2’?

4. If I need to beef it up, then 3/8??? Or should I do 1/2? ( I don’t want to do 1/2 lol).

5. Sanded plywood or mdf… and other material I missed since I’m painting it?

6. Vertical sheathing right? Horizontal seems I’d have this seam/batten at 4’ which i would think is undesireable?

7.Other thoughts/ concerns?

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:42
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1/4" aint 1/4", it is less; go 3/8", which is also less; think of it as honest 1/4"+

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 06:54 - Edited by: Irrigation Guy
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You could use lath to go across your studs. To hold interior paneling you could 2x1/2 if your framing is 16 oc.

*edit*. I thought you were doing true board and batten. After re-reading your post I see that you want to use plywood as your “board” and just tack battens to it to simulate board and batten siding.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 07:59 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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Quoting: Irrigation Guy
After re-reading your post I see that you want to use plywood as your “board” and just tack battens to it to simulate board and batten siding.


Exactly. The plywood would be the sheathing on the walls and battens trim nailed to face over it and to cover seams. Maybe 2’ spacing on battens, maybe 4’… not sure yet.

This is just an internet photo… but this is the look we’re going for.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 08:13
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I work at a lot of high dnd new construction jobs and when the carpenters build what you pictured they either use birch plywood or mdf

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 08:36 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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Quoting: Irrigation Guy
when the carpenters build what you pictured they either use birch plywood or mdf


Perfect. Typically on top of drywall though right? I’m wondering what thickness to use to keep it from being wavy.

Also- I thought birch would be best too… but wondering if sanded plywood would work to keep costs down while still painting nicely

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 08:54
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This is not what I would call "Board & Batten" this is Panel & Board. I've done similar stuff and learned a couple of quick lessons.

Forget MDF, you have to prime & seal both sides and honestly looks crappy fairly quickly. Humidity is the enemy of MDF.

Plywoods work well and depending on the type you can get an amazing finish. You will want nothing less that 1/2" thick if you are attaching to the Stud Work. You will need to vapour barrier exterior walls as usual.

Bang for Buck and best finish I strongly suggest PureBond Plywood. I've built cabinetry, furnishings and much more using this "Brand" and it really is great AND the pricing is better than most others.
LINK: https://purebondplywood.com/products/
** They have a Large Range.
Bang per Buck the ASPEN Plywood is good value, easy to work, Stain/Finish but a tad futsy (aspen get's "hairy")

Using 3" - 3.5" W, 3/4" thick Pine Boards to cover the seams makes a nice finish.

BTW: I would suggest using a mixed white paint & Varnish "Pickling Mix" so you still get the beauty/grain of the wood but as a nice soft look. There are various ways to do so and below if one good example.

How to Create a Pickled Finish on Wood
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/woodworking/21016505/how-to-create-a-pickled-finish-on-w ood

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:50
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How are you gonna 'hang stuff', only use the studs? Good luck with that (btdt)....
Ive been so happy in my past few refurb/remodels at home that even under drywall I put in 'nailers'; ie, typically 1x 4-6" boards at the levels I anticipated 'stuff might go'.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 11:20
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Quoting: Grizzlyman
This is just an internet photo… but this is the look we’re going for.

I wouldnt consider this board and batten. It's more like shaker wall panneling. Some type of cabinet grade plywood would be my first choice. But you can really prob do the same thing with drywall and trim boards.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 13:11
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Quoting: Steve_S
Forget MDF, you have to prime & seal both sides and honestly looks crappy fairly quickly. Humidity is the enemy of MDF.


That’s helpful. I hate mdf. Just thought it might paint nicely.

Aspen/popular is also a great idea- I assume priced between sanded pine plywood and birch.

Just curious- why do you think 3/8 wouldn’t work?

Also appreciate the finish advice!

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 13:13
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Quoting: gcrank1
how are you gonna 'hang stuff', only use the studs? Good luck with that (btdt)....


Not sure I understand the question. Plywood is better for hanging stuff than drywall is…

I understand your comment about the 2x4… just like a cabinet backer… but I don’t think I’ll need to hang anything particularly heavy and if I do I’ll find studs… will be easy to find since they’re under the seams.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 13:19
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Quoting: Brettny
. But you can really prob do the same thing with drywall and trim boards.

Drywall ain’t happening!! Lol.

I understand the nomenclature that it’s not tru board and batten… recreating the look in a way that will sheet my interior.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 13:23 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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What are everyone’s thoughts on just normal sanded pine plywood? If it’s sanded nicely… shouldn’t it paint nicely? Something like this? Bcx sanded.

Disclaimer- I know nothing about paint. I hate painting wood and usually finish all my woodworking with other methods… so I really don’t know what is ok for nice painted finish and what is not.
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Brettny
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 13:32
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Since your just going to paint it there are a number of other sheet goods that you can use. Just go to your local box store and see what they have.

If you dont care about hanging stuff on it and it's going to be painted I'm prety sure they make white panneling with no grooves. I remember it being fairly cheap. Generaly when I hang things on a wall I want to hit the stud anyway.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 15:20
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Griz, If I want to hang a picture I typically would hang it in the open panel space, not on the batten over a stud or not. And plywood may be very good for hanging stuff, but not thin plywood, ime fasteners tend to pull out easily.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 15:26
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Quoting: Brettny


Since your just going to paint it there are a number of other sheet goods that you can use. Just go to your local box store and see what they have


What else would be useful other than mdf or plywood?

I thought about paneling but My concern with just 1/8” or even 1/4 paneling would be that it’s wavy on studs… especially w/ insulation behind it.

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 15:54
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Sanded plywood would work but I will tell you it will cost you more. I've built all of my cabinets and so much more... The Purebond Ply is already well finished and requires very little sanding & prep. It is ALSO TOXIN FREE ! and my friend that is HUGE, formaldehyde inside your home is NOT Good !

They have Maple, Oak, Aspen and other varieties but the costs go accordingly.... Aspen is a nice softgrained wood and takes finishing quite well.

I do not know where you are, but here Lowes, HomeDepot etc carry Purebond Ply, I very strongly suggest when at the lumber yard, look & compare teh quality and then note the price (here Purebond Ply is cheaper).

3/8's while it sounds "ok" it will warp over time between studs as it absorbs and releases humidity. It will look ok for a while but a few years and you will be cursing like a Drunken Sailor on a Saturday after having been at sea for 12 months.

Finishing. I am personally quite fickle about that. I am not a fan of synthetics, chemicals or toxins. IE: I used 18 Gallons of Pure Shellac to finish my Pine Ceilings, Beams & Posts (at 80 a gallon ouch!) and for teh "Hard Wear" areas like Kitchen/Washroom I had to use Waterbased Polyurathane (danged humid zones) and also on all my cabinetry works.

Doing a good Pickling Job is not at all hard and the link to the article I provided above really covers it well. There are different ways to do it, using different products and methods and also depending on the outcome you want. I have done it with Plywoods and full-on proper planks which actually can really pop thanks to the grain.

NB: With Ply's the grain kinda fools you and can trick you (not always nicely). IF you choose that you want to try pickling, I suggest you buy a sheet or two of thinner identical ply to practice on BEFORE putting anything on the wall.

I suppose I ought to clarify a bit. I am near Algonquin Park Ontario, 100% offgrid solar powered and designed, built my Passive-Haus cabin. I have numerous mills around me specializing in different wood species, hardwoods to softwoods, you name it, all within 45kms of me. Everything in my home is Neutral or Natural as this is my Bucket List Item. All lumber, planks, materials are locally sourced. Beams and even cabinet doors are rough cut Red & White Pine and finished as such. Cabinet "Boxes / Carcasses" are of course made from 3/4" PureBond. The outside of the house is even Live Edge White Cedar...

Crazy enough to a point. I even milled my own baseboards, casings and finish trims. I wanted 5" Baseboards & 4" Casings with details, so that's what I did... No Particle Board, MDF, No crud. Even my counter tops are 10mm Vitrified Ceramic Tile (mirror finish smooth & refractive too).

Nate R
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 16:17 - Edited by: Nate R
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Another thumbs down vote for MDF.....don't forget how HEAVY it is!

I'd be tempted to try 3/8 ply for this. I used a bunch of CDX 3/8 this year on my house....I could see it being OK in a sanded format. IIRC it was 0.31"

-Nate

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 16:32
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Quoting: Grizzlyman
What else would be useful other than mdf or plywood?

I thought about paneling but My concern with just 1/8” or even 1/4 paneling would be that it’s wavy on studs… especially w/ insulation behind it

With Insulation pushing on it I would remove 3/8 ply or any panneling from the list. You can use furring strips horizontally and that should really help. I would think you can use panneling then.

Nate R
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 17:48
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How much pushing will the insulation do? Shouldn't be much in normal stud depths. I used my 3/8 ply to hold 3 1/2" R11 fiberglass into a 1 1/2" cavity on my house. That took some pushing to get unto place, but nailed flat enough. (Couldn't readily get thinner stuff)

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2021 18:34
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Quoting: Nate R
How much pushing will the insulation d

Not much at all I would think. The poly vapor barrier holds most of it back anyways.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 27 Jun 2022 19:19 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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Thought I’d bring this full circle. Started with the board and batten look this last weekend. 1/4” nice birch plywood w/ 1/4”x2 1/2 battens.

We really like the look of it. 1/4” plywood is more than enough and not wavy at all. It’s also super light. Using wood veneer core instead of the mdf garbage.

Plywood is $45/sheet and Battens are $6 each… just stupid ridiculous prices…Nothing is cheap anymore so I’m just biting the bullet and paying it. I could rip my own battens but frankly don’t want to deal with all the sanding that would result and the prices for pine boards even would result in only minimal savings.

It’s going to take about 35 sheets to finish the interior.

All we be painted white. Using cabinet grade birch plywood for as nice a finish as possible when painted. Only have a few of the battens up as of now.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 27 Jun 2022 21:01
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Looks good!

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 07:24 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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Just finished the interior completely this weekend. It will be painted white. We just love the look.

This took about 35 sheets of plywood and somewhere around 150+ battens.

Interior done! 👊
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Aklogcabin
Member
# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 10:23
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Wow that looks real good. Seems your instincts were correct

rpe
Member
# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 20:14
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Looks great! It does seem a shame to cover up the nice wood look though. Have you considered a white-wash rather than paint? That might preserve the look of the wood, while still brightening the space. We did that in our master BR, and are very happy with the result. We had a couple different batches of pine, and they all blended nicely after the whitewash treatment. Our local Benjamin Moore store has a recipe for a white-tinted polyurethane that we used for the whitewashing. We used 1-2 coats depending on area.
Whitewash
Whitewash


Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 22:57 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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rpe
Yes! We were actually just talking about that today!!!

It is very nice in natural wood as is and maybe a light whitewash would be better than the original plan of opaque white.

I did unfortunately orient a few panels above the big window the wrong direction to use up scraps…. I even thought about it as I was doing and said “it’s just going to be painted… what’s the big deal “…lol. Will have to redo probably if we keep the grain exposed with a whitewash.

Still undecided… but love the feedback and totally agree!

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 19 Jul 2022 08:04
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If above the LOS, line of sight, others likely wont notice. But you will, for a while at least, because, well....try not to, lol.
BTDT on every build and remodel of mine. I Know where My Mistakes Are.

jsahara24
Member
# Posted: 19 Jul 2022 10:41
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Quoting: gcrank1
If above the LOS, line of sight, others likely wont notice.


I always say, no-one looks up, except for me of course when I'm criticizing every decision I made throughout construction! haha

tichalet
Member
# Posted: 21 Jul 2022 08:32
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Agree with others here & was thinking the same before reading the suggestions.

It looks wonderful as is now, but a whitewash might offer the best of both worlds: light & airy in the summer but still cozy & cabin-y in the winter. You can always paint it later if you decide you still need it to be brighter, but you can't un-paint. (Well, I s'pose technically you could but it would be a miserable undertaking.)

Trust your instincts, though. I sure do - the design choices you & your wife have made so far are superb. This cabin is truly <insert chef's kiss emoji here😉>!

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