the website that goes with this blog is an attempt to drum up construction biz so i'll attempt to post some biz related blog posts. this one's about batts. boards and batts. siding. wood shrinkage. wood stain. fir versus cedar.
doug fir 1x3's
batts are time consuming to mill so they cost more than almost anything that comes off the mill (more cuts = more$). usually i sell them to go on top of boards for siding buildings. this load is going to a client who sheathed a outbuilding with painted plywood and is adding batts to make it look like board/batt. i like the old school simplicity of vertical board siding. you cut the boards as wide as practically possible, nail them up right off the mill and let them dry on the building and gap. cover the gaps if need be with batts. somewhat centered nailing patterns let the boards expand and contract from season to season. i've had numerous talks with folks debating about applying stain or paint. some agonize over when, where and how to stain. there's rarely consensus but many like the idea of drying the wood first and then applying stain on all board surfaces before install. bullshit. i believe we've been brainwashed to believe wood needs preservatives. what a waste of resources! stain and paint require lots of maintenance over the years. i don't think wood needs suntan lotion or a condom. our old barn is testament.
north side of our century+ year old barn. random width fir.
so this barn was built in the late 1800's and they basically could take their pick of wood to use because it was an island with lots of big trees back then. maybe they chose fir because it was most abundant and it was what was left over as they cut the frame components. most old barns around here used fir siding. my theory is they shipped off the more valuable old growth cedar to seattle and just used fir because it's very durable. lots of clients ask for me to stock more cedar and i try to accommodate but 2nd growth cedar is nothing remotely like it's old growth ancestor. it's fast growing and prone to rotten knots and beetle infestation.
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