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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Venting and Walls
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Newcabinowner
Member
# Posted: 1 May 2022 17:19
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Hello,

I have a 10x10 cedar sided cabin that is insulated with R-13 rockwool and a vapour barrier. I would now like to put up the walls and have 2 questions:

1. I do not have any ventilation in the cabin and would like to use it as a home office/guest room. There are two screened windows that open, but I wonder if I should put in gable vents. The insulation and vapour barrier are done and follow the ceiling line for a cathedral ceiling. Is it still possible to install ventilation?

2. For the walls, I was looking at options for wood paneling. I don't want drywall. I was thinking either getting 4x8 boards of plywood cut down to 6 inch pieces to use as faux shiplap or to just accept the cost and get the tongue and groove pine that would only be a bit more expensive. This would be to put up directly over the insulation and vapour barrier. Any tips or instructional videos?

I am a new home owner with very little experience with home renos, but keen to make the most of this lovely cabin. The cabin has electricity so I plan to use a fan in the summer and possibly attach a fan to the ceiling later. I am still looking into options for the winter since it can get as cold as -30 C.

Thanks!

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 1 May 2022 19:02 - Edited by: gcrank1
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I have done 2 with t&g, some the thin interior stuff only fairly decent on 16" centers studs (probably should have put up some 1/4" luan underlayment 1st) and some with 'boxcar siding' (much more substantial). Ive also done locally milled 3,4,5" t&g cherry for our living room at home. The hidden nail technique is what you use; looks GREAT when done.
Ripped plywood would be a lot of extra work and Good plywood aint cheap. When done it would look like, well...ripped plywood
Imo, dont use a dark wood or stain, a cabin gets more like a cave without 'reflective' surfaces. Natural pine is a nice rustic look.
Fwiw, white painted drywall with wood trim and accent boards on the seams is a nice and bright interior and has an old-world cottage look. Could use a wainscoat lower and chair-rail too.

travellerw
Member
# Posted: 1 May 2022 19:24
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Yup.. If you don't want to do drywall (by far the cheapest), then T&G is your best bet. The plywood would look hokey!

ICC
Member
# Posted: 1 May 2022 20:45
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Quoting: Newcabinowner
1. I do not have any ventilation in the cabin and would like to use it as a home office/guest room. There are two screened windows that open, but I wonder if I should put in gable vents. The insulation and vapour barrier are done and follow the ceiling line for a cathedral ceiling. Is it still possible to install ventilation?


If the insulation has been installed between the rafters and the plan is to apply the finish ceiling material to the underside of the rafters, no, there is no way to ventilate the insulated roof space without removing the insulation and starting that all over. How deep are the rafters you have?

IMO, faux lap boards ripped from plywood will look cheap and maybe even tacky. T&G does make a nice wall. The thin (approx 5/16" or less) is really meant to be applied over something else that will give the wall rigidity. Drywall would be my choice as a base with thin T&G glued to it. Or genuine 3/4" thick T&G.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 2 May 2022 08:21
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Do you plan on heating or cooling it? If so what type if heat?

mj1angier
Member
# Posted: 2 May 2022 09:16
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I will say that T&G is the best to do if doing by yourself and is pretty easy if you use an air nailer, Ship lap is a pain by yourself- that is what id id on the walls and said heck with that and used T&G on the ceiling.

If you have a Craiglist type site in your area check for it on there. We have a supply place that puts bundles of #2 pine T&G up for a good price. It will have some cracks and knot holes to cut out, but is fine for DIY and you are not rushing- it would make a pro mad because of the time waste, lol

First photo is after I had on walls and started on roof.
Second is with all our crap in it lol
ceiling
ceiling
Full
Full


mj1angier
Member
# Posted: 2 May 2022 09:19
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This is the kind of listing we get around here:

URL

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 2 May 2022 09:23
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Fwiw
We had an A-Liner camper, not too dissimilar in size to your 10x10. In the roof, near the ridgeline, was a 'Fantastic Fan', a 3 speed powered fan, reversible, with a typical camper type crank up/down lid.
It was the next best thing to air conditioning. With the windows open on the shady side and the fan exhausting it would draw cooler air in and across us. If we wanted to 'feel the breeze' we would run it into the unit.
I expect a 'peak mounted' small home type fan vent might do the same for you to get the heat out of the top where it just keeps 'stacking downward' until you are uncomfortable. I made a diy version for our offgrid 16x24 cabin; it made a Huge diff last summer!
For heat, since you have elec, just use a suitable sized elec heater. Baseboard maybe?, but with a floor standing you can move where you want. No fumes or carbon monoxide issues. A friend used one of those fluid (some kind of oil?) elec space heaters that looks like an old small cast iron radiator, it works well for him.

BRADISH
Member
# Posted: 3 May 2022 11:33
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Quoting: Newcabinowner
I was thinking either getting 4x8 boards of plywood cut down to 6 inch pieces to use as faux shiplap or to just accept the cost and get the tongue and groove pine that would only be a bit more expensive.

I would very much recommend against this. Cutting the pieces that thin, you are very likely to end up with delamination issues over time and it will look especially terrible. While more expensive, I would say keep on the lookout for some T&G pine or something build for purpose there.

I ended up scoring 1200LF of pine T&G for $300 last year from a builder who over ordered on a house. Some of it needs to be cleaned up, but for the most part it is in great shape. So its out there, just gotta jump on it.

Whiskerbiscuit
Member
# Posted: 3 May 2022 19:22
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I did the ceiling of my cabin with 8" wide plywood strips ripped on a table saw (3/8" thick). Gave them a coat of varathane before attaching and am pretty happy with the results. I'd probably advise against it for wall panelling, but I don't mind the look at all for a ceiling. At the time a few years ago it worked out to around 65cents a square foot, hard to beat.
Plywood strip ceiling
Plywood strip ceiling


gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 3 May 2022 19:37
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That does look good in the pic, as you say, for a ceiling. Were they cut on a sheet goods saw jig?

ICC
Member
# Posted: 3 May 2022 21:01
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That is not what immediately comes to mind when someone mentions ripping plywood to look like boards.

In a ceiling application, the height distance may make it more difficult to discern that it is plywood.

That does look good. Not what I would expect

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