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How to install Pine shiplap lining boards?

KPD

Hi there - I am looking at these boards for internal lining / walls - i will stain these and use a nail gun to affix to frame (after installation). When i was in store i had trouble clicking two panels together though and it seemed that it was only doable if i slid the tongue into the groove. This seems impractical to me - what am i missing ? Are they supposed to ‘click’ in when side by side ? The person i spoke to in store could not figure it out either - is there a way ? These are the easiest for me to use and really cost effective and so my preference is to use these rather than a board.

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JacobZ

Hi @KPD,

We've just used these exact timber boards on my son's new cubby house, and they are great to work with. There is a little bit of technique to it, but not much, and once you get it, the work flows nicely.

Keep in mind that timber is a natural product that will expand and contract with changes in temperature and moisture. When they are milled, the tongue and groove will be cut to the exact same size, but after milling, transport and storage, they can expand and contract a little bit, which can make them a little bit tough to get together by hand.

If the tongue is a little bit tight, you would just take a piece of sacrificial timber, place it on the bottom of the new piece you are installing, and tap it with your hammer to force it into the groove. This helps to spread the force of the hammer out along the length of the lining board, so the striking of the hammer doesn't damage that bottom edge. Timber will compress, so even if the tongue is not easy to slide in by hand, with a little bit of force, the timber fibres will compress, and the tongue will go into the groove. I used a scrap piece of 70x35 framing timber as my sacrificial piece of timber.

Where the lining board meets the floor, as you wouldn't have the space to use a hammer to strike the bottom edge of the lining board, you can use a pry bar to lever the piece up into the groove. If you find it is struggling to fit into the groove without the striking force of the hammer, you can also just give the tongue a light sand to remove a small amount of material before installing it.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

Noyade

Morning @JacobZ and @KPD

"We've just used these exact timber boards on my son's new cubby house"

Any photos to share? I used them for a 'roof' on a large wishing well. Painted - lasted around 10 years exposed to the environment and then they started to rot.

I remember having to sand the edges of the tongue for a better fit on some boards.

JacobZ

Hi @Noyade,

Still a work in progress, but here he is showing off his painting skills.

My in laws did all the hard work putting it together, we just assembled it once it was at our place, put it on a base and painted it. Would you believe it is essentially just two modified shipping crates?

@KPD please note that this is an internal lining product so you can't expect it to last forever if it is used outdoors. We are aware of this and happy to accept that his cubby house will not last forever.

Jacob

Noyade

That looks fantastic! @JacobZ. Your son's painting adds character - and worth keeping. Get some hand prints as well.

My father built us a 'cubby' many, many years ago but he was from a different generation who felt the family car should last forever. I came home from work to a concrete base, steel frame and corrugated iron covering all walls and roof. And little "windows" for the grandsons. My wife was furious and angry with him.

I could only smile at his wisdom. The kids grew up and I now have a small shed that will last forever.

KPD

ah thank @JacobZ - that makes a lot of sense. So if i am planning to use as internal boards - vertically - if i was starting left to right i might put the first board up and then sand the tongue of the second board and tap it on the groove side so the tongue slots into the groove of the first board. If so that is a super helpful and very practical

KPD

….cubby looks great too.

JacobZ

Hi @KPD,

That's right. To be honest, I wouldn't bother sanding them first, I'd only sand the tongues if you were really struggling, which shouldn't really happen with pine, which is a soft wood that will compress quite well.

Thanks for that, my little mate loves it.

Jacob

KPD

What would u use as a trim at the bottom and top and is there a simple trick to doing the ceiling i need to know about ?

JacobZ

Hi @KPD,

For the bottom, I'd use any typical skirting board profile. If you were planning to paint, then https://www.bunnings.com.au/66-x-11mm-5-4m-moulding-white-pine-fj-primed-dar_p0021147 would be a good option, or if you want something with a bit more character, https://www.bunnings.com.au/66-x-18mm-5-4m-white-moulding-pine-fj-primed-aus-colonial_p0020754 could be a good option. If you weren't going to paint and wanted a raw timber look to match the pine lining boards, this https://www.bunnings.com.au/64-x-19mm-2-4m-dar-pine-premium_p8401461 would be a good option.

For the ceiling, I'd go with scotia. Similarly, there is a paint ready option https://www.bunnings.com.au/30-x-30mm-2-7m-primed-fj-pine-scotia_p8480065 and a raw timber option https://www.bunnings.com.au/porta-30-x-30mm-2-4m-clear-pine-scotia_p0081589 depending on what you are planning to do.

With both options, you'll have to seal the top edge with a suitable sealer to account for the little gaps where the joins in your lining are. If you are painting, use https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-475g-no-more-gaps-interior-fast-dry-gap-filler_p1230089 , if not, use https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-380g-baltic-no-more-gaps-timber-floors-gap-filler_p1230158 .

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

KPD

thanks @JacobZ