Is it ok to use clear pine to make wainscotting? My concern is the tendency of pine to expand and contract. The wainscotting will be painted and I saw clear pine at my local wood supply house and thought it looked good. It’s much cheaper than poplar.
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If your gonna paint interior wud, dont matter whut type it iz... fill the crack wit caulk
If JH hadn't been sniffing too much tar he'd also have told you to pre-prime the pieces with primer the same color as your finish color. Then, if there's any movement of the wood, you won't see tell-tale streaks of a different color in the joints.
It's much cheaper than poplar
No kidding, here poplar is less than clear white pine.
Are these sq. edged boards or the more usual 1x3 T&G wainscot boards?
And paint all sides (prior to install) and you stand a good chance of maintaining the stability that you hope for.
If the design is right
>>Is it ok to use clear pine to make wainscotting? My concern is the tendency of pine to expand and contract.
If the design allows for expansion/contraction - i.e., floating boards/panels.
It has worked well for several centuries....
I would think it depends on what kind of look you're going for, but given the rustic appearance of pine, I'd suggest you ship-lap it so that when the joints move they look natural. As others have said, prefinish it so you don't get color differences when it expands.
If you're going to paint, you could also use MDF and save a bundle $.
I've seen some really fine trim jobs done with it. It paints well, can be routed for any profiles you might want, and does not shrink, even in wide sections.
Another vote for mdf. I always cringe at seeing a nice piece of wood go under the paint while mdf likes it.
My only MDF issue
....is that it can be rough on tool edges AND you can end up with a less than spectacular finish if your cutting edges aren't clean and sharp.
Third vote for mdf. For painted applications, it makes a lot of sense. Flat, stable, and it will take a lot of abuse.
Lots of variables in the equation
What is the local climate?
What do you estimate the swing in inside temperature and Humidity to be?
If you choose to use pine, leave it in the house for a while to allow it to make peace with the new environment BEFORE you put it up. Prime all sides BEFORE you put it up.
I've used pine before and you can get ok results, but I'd vote for either poplar or MDF first.
My single MDF isssue is that your cutting edges (Router bits, Saw blades) need to be clean, sharp and well cared for.
Re: lots of variables
ive DECIDED TO USE MDF..I GUESS YOU RECOMMEND BUYING A NEW SAW BLADE FOR THIS PROJECT.. WHAT ARE THE BEST FASTENING OPTIONS.. POCKET SCREWS OR BISCUITS.. SORRY FOR THE CAPS IMI'M RESPONDING ON MY CELL PHONE AND IT DEFAULTS TO ALL CAPS..THANK YOU
Jeff,
Your advice may have merit, but you must then also live in another universe. Show me a wife who'll tolerate you installing wainscotting and then wait six months to paint it. The concept is rediculous for an interior area anyway. Did you get exterior mixed up with interior? Even so you'd still be wrong.