Batten Board Siding - Which species?

[Doug_D]

Hey all-
Long story short, it seems building gables out of logs maybe more of a chore than it's worth.  I am starting to think about batten siding, but not sure what species to use.  The logs are spruce and I would like something to match pretty close when I stain them.  I am going with a darker stain, so that should help.  I have poplar available and also white pine.  Thoughts?

Any help would be great.

[Magicman]

We regularly use Poplar, but I know nothing about staining it.  We just leave it natural, and it turns a silvery/gray color.

[Dodgy Loner]

Heart white pine would be the most rot resistant of the choices, but any would work just fine.

[Dave Shepard]

There are many barns around here that have had white pine siding on for generations. Jack Sobon did an article for Timber Framing about white pine heartwood. Somewhere I read, and it may have been that article, that white pine heartwood bare to the weather wears away at 1/4" per century.

[TFramer34]

What type of stain will you be using and how is it going to be applied?  If you are using a really dark stain then it shouldn't matter much.  Also method of application can change the outcome. I've built a few houses of spruce that got a dark stain on them, and to me it ruined the look. A nice wiping stain should help protect the character of the wood and blend the mixed species.

[moeh1]

Doug,
Gables aren't that bad to stack out of logs.  I put a board in the center at the peak height and ran a string out to either side. As you stack logs make sure they stick out just past the string and you don't have any fasteners even with the string in the section you'll cut off.  After the logs are stacked, screw a guide board onto the wall ( allow for the pffset of your saw) and run down thru to cut the line.  I went with a worm drive circ saw with a Prazxi beam cutter attachment.  Going downhill  is alot easier than cutting up - I know.
;D
Marty

[Doug_D]

I like that idea Marty, but It's not just the gable ends that are causing the problems, it's the overall roof system that is causing so much heart burn.  We were planning on going with 5x8 beams, 1x6 T&G and SIPs, but I am having a terrible time locating knowledge resources that are in my price range to put the system together.  I may have bitten off more than I can handle and need to re-evaluate the roof system  :-[ .  I am also starting to run into a time crunch.  Whats that old saying about time, quality and cheap cost?  You can have two of the three, but not all three.  I need all 3  ;D

Anyways, I am looking at going with a conventional roof system as it is within my comfort zone...and time!

For Sale: A boat load of 4x8 Structural Insulated Panels!!!

I will use the 5x8's to build a pavilion or something.

[moeh1]

Yeah by the time you get up to the roof, even trusses look good. My roof is 6x8s on 4 foot centers, 2x6 T&G with plastic vapor barrier, 2 sheet of 1" foil faced staggered seams, then nailbase, which is a SIP with only one wood on one side.  These were screwed into the 6x8s with some long long big head screws made for this task.  After that, it starts looking like a regular roof again. 
Sure you want to give up?  Looking up at that ceiling is about the best part of the house.... I'm trying  to post a pic of the prazi but not sure how that is going.....