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General => General Forum => Topic started by: AdironDoc on December 13, 2010, 09:57:16 AM

Title: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: AdironDoc on December 13, 2010, 09:57:16 AM
While talking with my builder about the interior walls, he suggested smoothly finished boards from his mill, lightly stained and preserved. A slightly glossy look will make cleaning easy he noted.

I, on the other hand, lean towards something more rustic. I asked about rough cut boards but he said cleaning would prove impossible. Sat at a "log cabin" steakhouse last week and admired their hand hewn log walls and chinking. Of course it wasn't a log building, but it looked good too.

I'm trying to avoid a refined, finished, or smooth look, in favor of a rougher, more rustic flavor. Something that asks for a bearskin or pair of snowshoes on the wall. Any ideas on wall options for the main room of a hunters cabin? Has anyone used rough cut boards horizontally arranged? When stained light brown and preserved, are they impossible to clean? Must walls even be cleaned regularly? I've had 4 houses and never washed a wall once.
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: JRR on December 13, 2010, 10:19:09 AM
A vacuum cleaner wand works as well on walls as floors, on all sorts of surface finishes ... if however, new paint is needed ... new paint is needed.
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: Ernest T. Bass on December 13, 2010, 10:49:19 AM
We finished the inside walls of a cabin with rough-cut boards. We got 1/2'' boards ripped out of the logs with their rustic edges still intact and did a horizontal board-and-batten type of thing.

(https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/AirsoftAndy/gcabin.jpg)

They aren't super easy to clean, but how often do you need to scrub rustic walls? These are still looking good. With this style, you could still plane and finish the boards whilst maintaining the rustic look. As an added bonus, it's really easy to pop a board off and tinker with the plumbing or something. It's also cheap.. We paid $0.70/board.
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: dug on December 13, 2010, 11:02:41 AM
A friend of mine has a home with rough sawn boards on the ceiling and some of the walls. They are unfinished and at least 10 years old, looks fantastic. I doubt they have ever cleaned them.

Personally I like the look much better than a smooth finish.
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: AdironDoc on December 13, 2010, 11:39:13 AM
Wow, that's a great look! I may not use the "live edge" Adirondack style only because I'm already doing that for the exterior boards. Great to know what others have successfully done. I'm leaning towards rough cut (rip sawn?) boards, lightly stained and preserved. Ship lap pattern, I suppose. I'll pick up a vacuum with wand after "the dust settles" ;)

Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: MaineRhino on December 13, 2010, 01:48:11 PM
It's not an interior shot, but this is what my chicken coop looked like when I put on rough-sawn, shiplap boards with a stain.

(https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd127/MaineRhino/Otisfield%20Misc/MVC-713F.jpg)




I prefer the T & G V-match that many here have used.

(https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd127/MaineRhino/Mountain%20Camp/008-3.jpg)
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: muldoon on December 13, 2010, 02:06:07 PM
rough cut cedar locally milled.  the boards were about 5/8" thick and came in 10' lengths.  They are not planed smooth, but until reading this thread it never even crossed my mind that I might one day need to wash them. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/October%202010/_thumbs/640x480-DSCF9248.JPG)
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: AdironDoc on December 13, 2010, 05:44:04 PM
Quote from: MaineRhino on December 13, 2010, 01:48:11 PM
this is what my chicken coop looked like when I put on rough-sawn, shiplap boards with a stain.

I'm kinda thinking your chicken coop would look great in my main room! Nice color, nice look. Thanks for posting that pic. The beveled V-match looks a little too finished. It looks smooth. Is it rough?
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: Don_P on December 13, 2010, 05:49:40 PM
Bandsawn is smoother than circular sawn. I've used an osborne brush, a cup wheel with grit embedded nylon bristles, to smooth and remove 165 years of accumulated crap from a hewn cabin, it would do the same on a roughsawn board. If you want a real workout you could also hew a surface with a broadaxe or adze. Western Redcedar often comes with a smooth face and a brushed face, even in V groove patterns
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: MaineRhino on December 13, 2010, 05:56:08 PM
Mine are smooth, with 2 coats of poly. We had considered something more rustic, but dust would accumulate on something more rough sawn, and I have allergies.  d*
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 13, 2010, 06:15:30 PM
Nice look there, Andrew.  We also have some similar to that, some home-made shiplap and some plain boards.  No cleaning other than dusting a bit in 8 years - they are band saw cut.

Not wood but old metal is cool - this one is from a burned down building.

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/greatroomtable.jpg) 
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: Ernest T. Bass on December 13, 2010, 11:48:57 PM
I've said it before but I still love that little table... The walls are neat too, and very practical around a stove.
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: poppy on December 14, 2010, 12:41:22 PM
Other than maybe dusting for spider webs, who would clean walls in a cabin?   ???
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: Sassy on December 14, 2010, 03:34:20 PM
I dust for spider webs at least once a week - they love our cabin - Glenn has pet spiders & webs by his chair that he won't let me remove - he says they catch the moths & bugs flying around when we leave the doors open at night   d* 

I also vacuum the logs on he ceiling & boards on the walls - there's no way to scrub them - we have so much dust around during part of the year w/the fine clay ground & then when Glenn decides to do more building inside the house - there's tons of sawdust - I sweep up what I can & vacuum - but I've had to relax my standards of cleanliness here in the cabin   ::) 

I do like the rustic look of the rough wood walls, though.  And also like the metal walls   :)
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: AdironDoc on December 14, 2010, 04:32:22 PM
A few people have noted that the walls above and around the wood stove tend to get darker or smokey. Aside from that, I've never washed a wall in my life.. ok, except maybe crayons in the kids room.

Doc
Title: Re: Interior wall finishing options for rustic charm
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2010, 06:17:43 PM
Quote from: Ernest T. Bass on December 13, 2010, 11:48:57 PM
I've said it before but I still love that little table... The walls are neat too, and very practical around a stove.

Some people wonder about my choice of connection hardware.... 3/4 lag bolts and washers..... but it gives the effect I want... simple natural materials contrasted by the industrial look... :)