siding question

lauersix6 · January 28, 2009, 10:58:45 PM

am new to this forum, but have read alot of good ideas. i am starting to plan a hunting cabin here in iowa. am thinking of using T1-11 for siding, but have a friend who is a builder, that says squirrels, rabbits, woodpecker, racoons, etc.. really would wreck havoc. since this cabin won't be lived in on a day to day basis. he recommends metal siding to avoid problems. hate to do it because of the looks, but am looking for some ideas. thanks.

MountainDon · January 28, 2009, 11:11:19 PM

What about cement fiber board, it you don't like the looks of metal?

Hardi - panel in 4x8 sheets, vertical look like T1-11.

lauersix6 · January 28, 2009, 11:17:02 PM

thanks, mountain don, do hardi-panels seem to take care of the critters? i suppose i could paint it to get the color i want? i am going to put metal on the roof and under floor joists.

Jens · January 28, 2009, 11:43:47 PM

I saw corrugated metal as siding on a cabin, they put it with the corrugation running horizontally. From a little ways away, it looked like old cottage style drop siding. I thought it was kinda neat, but I am a bit off center!

January 29, 2009, 12:30:44 AM

Hardi panels and planks come primed. They need to be painted within 180 days of installation. Any good exterior paint will do.

They are much harder on tools than any wood product. I believe they are one of the better choices for deterring critters.

Metal is only as good as the workmanship and materials used to seal all those corrugations and/or ribs. Mice are opportunists and determined if they think there's something on the other side they want. A mouse can easily squeeze through a space of 1/4" thickness, like a space under a door or poorly applied soffit. I have read an article about the horrors a metal building owner went through with an infestation of mice. Sorry, I never saved the link. He has mice in all the walls and up in the ceiling spaces as well. After ripping everything out it was determined the mice were entering through the ribbed spaces (vertical metal siding panels).

desimulacra · January 29, 2009, 08:09:05 AM

Not a fan of the look but people are building homes with metal around here, some. I have an all metal shop and it is fairly mouse resistant. As with any building the devil is in the details. Here is a good link showing what I call a "rat guard" ...it works.

http://microship.com/resources/pole-building-rodents.html

davidj · January 29, 2009, 09:16:06 AM

Our neighbor used exterior ply on his 20x10 cabin, no paint just a transparent-ish stain. After sitting there fine for a decade or so, one day a 2" or so hole appeared on the wall near the eaves. After some investigation it turned out to be a woodpecker. He covered it with a bit of wood and no trouble since then.

MikeOnBike · January 29, 2009, 12:37:07 PM

One of the other builders here used a product called SuperDeck to give his cementboard a wood look.

http://www.superdeck.com/masonsselect/6700spec.htm

His thread:

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6124.msg80009

We are building in range fire country this year and will use cementboard. Hope to have the budget for the SuperDeck.

January 29, 2009, 12:56:33 PM

It appears to give a nice finish, however the company has very limited distribution according to their dealer lookup on the website.

Squirl · January 29, 2009, 01:09:10 PM

My father lives in a place full time with T-111. It is in the woods and they have more critters around than you could shake a stick at. He never had a problem with the siding going on 30 years old I think.

MountainDon · January 29, 2009, 01:18:40 PM

The thing I like about cement fiber board is that it does not support combustion.

Porcupines can be a problem in places of NM. But not as big a problem as curious bears. NM_Shooter's got some pictures of bear paw prints all over the cabin side.

ScottA · January 29, 2009, 02:04:55 PM

T1-11 takes alot of paint. I used it on one of my sheds a couple of years ago. It looks fine but I wouldn't use it again because it's such a pain to paint.

Arky217 · January 29, 2009, 05:44:58 PM

If one were to use Avantech plywood to serve as both the sheathing/siding, what would be a good finish to use on it ?
Paint, polyurthane, or what ?

January 29, 2009, 05:52:30 PM

I used T1-11 on the outhouse, and the porcupines have chewed on the bottom edges. Maybe they liked the taste of the stain, or the glue in the wood?

On the camp we went with vinyl, mostly because it is maintenance-free, and gave the cedar-shake look we were looking for.

I've also seen camps with T1-11 and a band of metal along the bottom 2 feet, and that seems to work as well.

MountainDon · January 29, 2009, 06:12:00 PM

Advantech is an OSB type of product, not plywood. While it does have superior water resistance compared to regular OSB, their website does state that it is not approved or certified for exterior exposure. $:-\$

http://www.huberwood.com/main.aspx?pagename=advantechsheathing

see bottom of page.

Redoverfarm · January 29, 2009, 06:48:38 PM

MaineRhino I think they are actually after some substance in the stain. Every stained wood in close proximity with woods will display chewed areas. My cabin was stained and although it is not that prominent it still exist. Then it seems that after a while they quit. Maybe what ever they were after is gone.

I once worked on another log cabin a few years back and it was evey week. I would restain the area and the next week they were at the same place again.

lauersix6 · January 29, 2009, 07:53:46 PM

o.k. i think i have been talked out of the t1-11. sounds like it just doesn't stand up to time. hardi-plank may not be bad. i'll have to compare price of plank and stain compared to metal barn siding. i wonder if maybe stuffing steel wool in the steel siding would keep out mice.

glenn kangiser · January 30, 2009, 01:36:50 AM

There are usually rubber closure strips from the metal manufacturer, but - mice may want to chew through them - I don't know.

Squirl · January 30, 2009, 09:32:11 AM

I have heard the same complaints about any wood or wood product used in the woods. (log, wood lap siding, T1-11) It is part of the habitat.

Rhino as far as the outhouse goes, it is usually from salt. If you look all outhouses usually get chewed. The body dispels of salt through urine. Even a slight miss or wicking action will make the wood taste like bacon to a porcupine. Beavers too. It can be a good way to mark which trees you want them to chew on though. We don't eat many treatments that protect from the weather but this stuff can taste like candy to an animal. Remember even children ate lead paint because it tasted sweet.

January 30, 2009, 09:45:08 AM

Found this tid bit.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/porcupine/index.html

jr1318 · January 31, 2009, 08:39:56 AM

Hello all, Im the one who used the super deck, I got mine at Lamperts, also it is available at quite a few specialty paint store by order,also on internet, it took me 8 gals to do my 22x 22 salt box with 2 coats, if I remember it cost me about 250.00 for it.

Jim

glenn kangiser · January 31, 2009, 10:18:26 AM

Quote from: Squirl on January 30, 2009, 09:32:11 AM
I have heard the same complaints about any wood or wood product used in the woods. (log, wood lap siding, T1-11) It is part of the habitat.

Rhino as far as the outhouse goes, it is usually from salt. If you look all outhouses usually get chewed. The body dispels of salt through urine. Even a slight miss or wicking action will make the wood taste like bacon to a porcupine. Beavers too. It can be a good way to mark which trees you want them to chew on though. We don't eat many treatments that protect from the weather but this stuff can taste like candy to an animal. Remember even children ate lead paint because it tasted sweet.

... and I was just gonna have a plate full of bacon and eggs...

siding question

John_C