Cladding the outside of a shed with Cypress pine (T&G floor) - questions please....

[Ashore]

Wattle produce 1 clear exterior product , the other choice for me is sikens but make sure it is the filter 7 type. Both are exxie so if you want to reduce the cost solorguard would bethe go.

[FenceFurniture]

Brett,
Have you considered over moulding the vertical joints? This will allow you to sand up the outer face once boards are fixed, paint the face then screw a D batten over each joint. I say screw, as that allows the battens to be removed for sanding and easy repainting in the future. No real need to caulk the joints.

Ken, that's sounds good if i were painting it but because it's clear on the Cypress it might end up looking like a pin stripe suit with a different species every 90mm. Essentially that is the same idea as Ian's but using a much smaller profile (which would work just as well at keeping weather out).

When you say no real need to caulk the joints, do you mean if the joints were covered by a moulding (which of course makes perfect sense), or even if I just have the one layer? Given that the timber will be sealed all around I don't expect too much expansion, but I think it would be flirting with aggravation if I didn't allow for some expansion.

Then again, the walls will be clad in sarking so maybe I can just leave a 1mm and skip the Sikkaflex in the butt joints (but still put it in the mitre joints of course)? What does the brains trust think? I can't see the sarking deteriorating because of a moment's direct sunlight each day (going down a 1mm gap that is 19mm deep). It would be perhaps one minute per day, if that.

I must say that some of this 60 year old Cypress has some extraordinary colour and figure. Chocolates, caramels, slight pink, and of course the paler colours. It'd be criminal to cover it with paint.

[FenceFurniture]

Wattle produce 1 clear exterior product , the other choice for me is sikens but make sure it is the filter 7 type. Both are exxie so if you want to reduce the cost solorguard would bethe go.

I thought Wattyl made Solaguard? No?

[Chris Parks]

Nothing you put in the mitre joint is going to last long and nothing done to the joint will stop it opening up or misaligning due to weathering. Get it as close as you want and put a cover strip on it is as good as it will get, forget fine woodworking, this is building a shed extension. A clear finish will also not last as already noted as UV kills any clear in a very short time. It does not have to look a mess when finished but it must be serviceable and long wearing unless you want to be always at it.

[Bushmiller]

Brett

Is there any way you can clad internally with cypress, because there you can revel in the beauty of cypress? In fact the clear finish of your choice will greatly enhance the cypress and last for yonks.

I think you mentioned that you have to buy internal cladding so why not do things the other way around? Clear finish on the outside? Unpalatable though that is.

Regards
Paul

[rwbuild]

If you use the heavy duty roof sarking then you can eliminate the Sikaflex in the vertical joints but definitely use it for the mitres

[FenceFurniture]

Not a bad thought at all Paul. At one point (when I thought they may have been more Cypress available) I considered using it internally, but then I realised it won't take a nail to save it's life, and I use nails in the wall for various tool holding. I s'pose I could pre-drill it....

It would look very nice in the handtools/bench part of the shed (not enough to do everywhere)......o'course I happen to be about 2/3 the way through cutting the scarf joint mitres which wouldn't be necessary inside, but that's no real big deal.

And the splits wouldn't be anywhere near so prone to opening up.....

But what to clad the outside with, I wonder. I could skin back palings and paint them I guess (although I'd have to get hold of quite a few).

Might have to sleep on it. Going to call Sikkens tomorrow and see what they have to say (and take it with salt).

[Bushmiller]

Not a bad thought at all Paul. At one point (when I thought they may have been more Cypress available) I considered using it internally, but then I realised it won't take a nail to save it's life, and I use nails in the wall for various tool holding. I s'pose I could pre-drill it....

It would look very nice in the handtools/bench part of the shed (not enough to do everywhere)......o'course I happen to be about 2/3 the way through cutting the scarf joint mitres which wouldn't be necessary inside, but that's no real big deal.

And the splits wouldn't be anywhere near so prone to opening up.....

But what to clad the outside with, I wonder. I could skin back palings and paint them I guess (although I'd have to get hold of quite a few).

Might have to sleep on it. Going to call Sikkens tomorrow and see what they have to say (and take it with salt).

Brett

On cypress nail guns will work well up to 150mm from the ends and not too close to the edge. 15g or even thinner will be OK internally. Hand nail at the ends of boards pre-drilling almost full diameter of the shank. Rely on the nail head to hold. Have you considered second hand iron for external? You could probably buy it for the same money you were planning to spend on the internal cladding. Check Ebay, but you do have the problem of transporting it home. I first paint the iron with neat Penetrol and then spray paint colour of choice over the top.

Regards
Paul

[rwbuild]

I like Bushmiller's idea

[FenceFurniture]

Is there any way you can clad internally with cypress, because there you can revel in the beauty of cypress?

Rightio, SOLD by the man from Millmerran!

Having considered it for a few days, the idea grew on me. There are a few benefits to doing it this way, apart from not having to be concerned about the durability of the finish outside (and the cost of the Sikkens......). It means that I can get on with erecting a fair bit of it on the existing interior walls and that will solve a storage problem to some extent - I will have to store the boards outside in the shade on a pallet wrapped in builders plastic, so at least it will be a smaller stack. Also means that I can start on part of the shed refurbishing sooner.

I'm yet to do the full research and analysis on sourcing corr.iron, but what I know so far is the following:
The Recycled materials place in Lawson (15 mins down the road) almost never gets second hand iron, and when they do it's $6 per metre (last I asked). There would be holes, tears, dings etc and rust to contend with.
There's a mob near Parramatta that sells new Corr.iron in Zinc Alum finish for $10 per metre (840mm wide which yields 760mm coverage, and 0.42mm thick). Presuming that the finish would be with a coat of Penetrol followed by 3 coats of Solaguard, that would come to about $4.50 to $5 per m² (based upon Solaguard covering 16m² per litre on iron), and that translates to ~$6.50 to $7 per lineal metre of that iron. So that makes that iron about $17 per lineal metre (¾m²) all up, painted. Not a whole lot of difference in total price compared to second hand, and quite a bit less buggerising around.
Lysaght Spandeck in Colorbond from Bunnings is $29.60 per m², which would yield 0.9m² coverage, and so that equates to $24.60 per ¾m² - in other words I would save $7 per ¾m² by painting it myself. I wonder what the longevity difference is between Colorbond and Solaguard?? In any case I think the paint would survive my time at this place.

Another question please: I seem to remember from many years ago that Zinc finish had to be left to weather for about 3 months before painting. Is that still the case, or can the Penetrol go straight on new Gal?

I assume that I should still put roof sarking behind the iron. Much of the current wall cavity has been packed with 70mm thick polystyrofoam, and they also sell this product with a sarking laminate on it, so that may well be the way to go for the new walls (the PS insulates noise and hot/cold). I know many use the cell blanket which has a pretty good R rating as I recall, but I think the PS has about the same rating, and I would think better noise dampening.

[crowie]

G'Day Brett, On the "corro"; my neighbour got 5 sheets from one of the metal recycling places in Penrith at scrap metal cost value...worth a couple of phone calls. I'm away the 2nd to the 9th but happy to assist with transport again if you needs.. Cheers, Peter

[ian]

Hi Brett

Why the fascination with corrugated iron (wriggly tin) for your wall sheeting ?

after all it's s roofing material that must withstand people walking on it.
profiles designed for walls are usually thinner, have a greater coverage (lapping to keep the rain out is not such an issue) and cheaper on a per sq.m basis.

also, why not buy the material in the colour you want?

painting colourbond or zincalum including the surface prep hardly seems worth while to me

[FenceFurniture]

also, why not buy the material in the colour you want?

painting colourbond or zincalum including the surface prep hardly seems worth while to me

Hi Ian

No, I wouldn't paint Colourbond - I was working out what the differential is in buying it in the colour I want as opposed to painting it - about $7 per ¾m² or $10 per m².

Regarding corro - not particularly a fascination with it (although I do like the look for walls), and as I say I'm yet to research properly.

There is still about 30m² of Cypress that could be used, and painted. These are the boards that I can't put through the thicky because of rusted in nails and a plethora of staples. Many of them have snapped off nails that stick out 2-5mm on the under side. There's a possibility that I can mount these boards under side out (rough side out) after grinding down the nails. Don't know yet if I will be able to punch the nails out with the pneumatic punch because off the shocking breakout and board splitting (wetting them down may help like it did with the pallet deconstruction, but I'm yet to attack them). In other words, overall I'm not sure yet how usable these boards will be.

The southern face of the extension can just be clad with good fence palings (like the current). They would get very little weather exposure, and so should last a reasonable time.

[Bushmiller]

Rightio, SOLD by the man from Millmerran!




Another question please: I seem to remember from many years ago that Zinc finish had to be left to weather for about 3 months before painting. Is that still the case, or can the Penetrol go straight on new Gal?

. I think this is your most practical way to go

Regarding the time period before painting gal or zincalume, I think that time period is closer to 12 months and is probably true for both gal and zincalume. The old way was to apply an etch to give the grippy surface for paint. Penetrol does exactly that and will completely stop any minor rusting that is present on old iron. You can paint Penetrol on immediately just making sure the surface is clean. Some have been sceptical on the rust preventative properties of Penetrol. Don't be, as it is one of the building world's little gems.

If you can buy some reasonable S/H iron for a very good price you can end up with a very acceptable product using the Penetrol method. Four litres of Penetrol should be around $75 and two coats of top coat around four litres again should do you. Say $150 all up or a bit more if you want to add extra top coats. This cost of course needs to be factored in. Fortunately you don't have to cost your time or you would only buy new.

Having said that, if you can source some Colourbond of the right colour, that is a preferable way to go as it is a lot less mucking about and the finish will probably last longer too.

I agree with Ian that you don't have to go with the roofing profiles (corrugated, trimdeck, cliplock etc), but in practice you will probably find they are more commonly available S/H and they do have more rigidity to them because of their depth. However, that is not a requirement for walls. Also the roofing profiles look more substantial. Compare it to the look of a lawn locker for example.

I think your thoughts and prejudices will be modified by what is available at the right price.

Regards
Paul

[Bushmiller]

Brett

All is a little quiet on the shed building front. Probably you have been trying to shake off an Xmas hangover .

My final tip on roofing iron (until I think of something else) is on transportation. This either phases people or they transport it extremely unsafely. My simple solution:

Sheet iron 001.jpgSheet iron 003.jpgSheet iron 002.jpg

This is on my stationary pile (I really did want it to be stationary during the high winds we experienced recently), but I transported it the same way on my trailer using the timber just ahead of the tray and just behind it and strapping down firmly as usual.

The use of threaded rod gives more flexibility and allows the iron to be clamped tightly. Timber battens should be at least 100mm x 50mm hardwood. Drills holes a couple of inches wider than the iron. You can weld one nut on the rod or use double nuts as a lock nut or Loctite glue. You can use bolts instead of threaded rod but this is more difficult to gauge

To avoid having huge amounts of thread to screw nuts onto (extremely time consuming) make up some ply wood spacer/washers.

Another alternative is to arrange for somebody else to deliver it .

Regards
Paul