I have been moving along the last month building my 40×60 barn which is actually a 5 bay garage for working on old car resto. I am putting OSB sheathing over the wall purlings, then 15lb felt, and then…? I am a lazy SOB with too many other projects, and really want a siding that will keep the building looking like a barn but that will have little maintenance. I definately dont want to be staining every other year but figure some sort of rough sawn wood would look nice, any ideas of what can be left natural and weather to a nice color? I attatched a pic of my other existing barn, any idea what kind of wood it is? It is golden and has weathered black and grey in many areas. It has never been stained and seemed to hold up well although it is very old and dry now. I would like to match it if possible, but not necessary. Rough sawn pine is available around me, any idea what that looks like if left natural? All suggestions welcome, I really dont want to use vinyl siding!
Dave
Replies
My guess is that you've probably got pine on the building in your photo. Cut into a piece of it somewhere and the smell should tell you. (pine has a nice distinctive aroma,at least to my nose).
Don't know your location, but unless you're in a climate that's pretty damp much of the year and you follow good practices of keeping the siding clear of the soil and plants, etc., pine should be fine.
Nice car.
Oh, one thing you might consider for a finish is "shingle oil," available at your local oil co. distributer. It's cheap, about $5 or $6 bucks a gallon in fivers and can be applied with a garden sprayer. Some of the local farmers use it on their outbuildings because it's cheap, easy to apply (you said you were a lazy SOB with too much to do) and actually looks pretty good, but should be reapplied every couple of years.
It's not "fine homebuilding" but it does protect the wood. What doesn't soak into the wood will eventually end up on the ground however so you'd want to spread some painters plastic or housewrap scraps down while you are applying it.
Maybe I should rephrase..not so much lazy as overextended. Always seem to be 10 of my own projects going on plus everyone else needs help with something, plus normal around the house stuff...so getting time to do some staining is almost impossible, even when it comes to restaining the front porch deck which is a lot smaller than this building. Will rough sawn pine hold up if left natural? I know it will shrink quite a bit which is why I am using the OSB sheathing first so I dont get air leaks. I do want this building to be tight so I can heat it in the winter and not have rain leaks.
You could nail it up as claps (you don't need beveled for what you're doing) or do a board and batt. There are a lot of outbuildings built that way that have a century under their belt with no finish or sealer, although the shingle oil is a viable alternative.
I know EXACTLY what you mean about being over extended!