Replacing board and batten

[kelLOGg]

I am replacing them on my barn doors because of rot setting in the bottom 2 feet since building it in 1985. The new boards are 15% MC so to be on the safe side I am screwing them on through the middle of the board to discourage splitting as more drying occurs. Later I will add more screws. Is this approach necessary or could I just put in more screws now?


Also I would like to treat the bottom 2 feet with a clear preservative to prevent future rot. What would you use?



 

[bluthum]

a barn door I wouldn't worry much about splitting at 15%. In my  world 12% would be equilibrium for such use. If the boards aren't over 8" or so I'd put a nail or screw about 1.5" from each edge on install and call it a day. 

Treating the bottom edge is a very  good idea if it's close to the ground or subject to ground splash and the only treatment  I use in such a case is copper napthenate which is green. The color eases up some as the wood ages.

[kelLOGg]

I thought I was being over cautious. The boards are about 7.5". 12% is my equilibrium MC too. 

I don't know about the green color. Might experiment with it on a test piece. 

[kantuckid]

Copper is OK but doesn't "repel" moisture.
 I'd use an exterior stain that has enough pigment (the more pigment, the longer it lasts) to protect the wood from effects of the splash zone. My new hay wagon top now has two coats of diesel/crankcase oil mix on it and good to go for a while. Some use ATF mix, both works OK but you should'nt overcoat them later with a proper paint product-choose one or the other 1st time around. Crankcase oil yields a nice walnut tone.  Now what with high priced diesel I just bought a gallon of Lowes exterior paint this week for $9, regular price is $54 gallon compared to $5.55 gal for off road now! even with the used oil being free-it's a thought! 
I had one B&B wall on my shop where years ago I ran out of oak and used poplar instead. A few years ago I sawed through the boards about 4' up against a girt and went back with oak. It has a combo brown semi solid stain on it from buying Lowes mis tint stuff. Thats my regular stopover in a box store-mis tints!  

[barbender]

I'd consider running a strip of galvanized flashing across the area that gets backsplash. 

[kantuckid]

Or buy some metal roofing shorts. Done over, my shop would not be B&B siding but i was broke when io built it. 

[kelLOGg]

I am re-posing my question about treating because I am concerned that treating just the bottom 2 feet may allow water to be trapped behind the treatment by water seeping down from the untreated portion above. Barbender's suggestion about a galvanized section is probably the easiest/best solution but I really prefer the wood to show even if the treatment slightly changes the appearance. Am I overthinking this again? 

I'm really pleased with the appearance and would like to keep it as is as much as possible. It took 2 weeks to finish and maybe 3/4 of the time was spent removing the old boards because the nails holding them on penetrated and were bent over (sometimes as little as 1/4") and had to be straightened to drive out so a claw hammer could grab it. I didn't build the barn to make it easy to modify. New boards are attached with screws. Old boards are being sold as barn wood and the first half are sold.



 

[Don P]

Anything that forms a solid film will do what you are thinking. A finish that beads liquid rainwater but allows water vapor to easily pass through it for drying after the storm works better IMO. Even hitting it with something sorry like Thompsons whenever you see it isn't beading rainwater is better than paint or stains that are almost paint.

[beenthere]

I am re-posing my question about treating because I am concerned that treating just the bottom 2 feet may allow water to be trapped behind the treatment by water seeping down from the untreated portion above

Then treat the full height of the board.

But follow Don P suggestion, to stay away from a solid film for treatment. 

[samandothers]

It would not be clear but what about a mix of diesel, roofing tar and boiled linseed oil (going off memory here).  I was posted about as a siding coating in the past.    I have also seen suggestions of using diesel and used motor oil combo.  I would think it may repel water and could be mixed to try and resemble or be close to the existing barn color.  

[beenthere]

Load that mix with melted paraffin wax and likely will repel water quite well. Use mineral spirits instead of fuel oil should clear it up pretty good too, if that is desired. Use to, in the old days, add Penta to that mix for a good water repellant and preservative treatment. 

[firefighter ontheside]

I imagine the extra shrinkage going from 15% to 12% will be minimal if not negligible.

[Ianab]

I imagine the extra shrinkage going from 15% to 12% will be minimal if not negligible.

Within the seasonal changes that B&B siding is designed to cope with anyway. That's the reason for the battens, to cover the expansion gap between each board. You can calculate approx how much the wood should move, but it will be minimal as you say. 

[kantuckid]

A crack is a crack & a gap is a gap & a batten is a cover up strip... :D

I've never tried diesel with anything except used oil and not on a home. I wonder if the diesel and used oil or asphalt tar prevents linseed oil mold? 
Given todays finish costs are insanely high, it's sure worth a discussion. My last gallon of Lowe's mis tint the clerk rang up the original price of $52 by mistake. What was once $5 gallon mis tints is now $9. 
My hay wagon top of White Oak now has two heavy coats of diesel & used oil and sort of beads water. Those two coats have soaked in and don't come off on anything now after couple months. It still is sort of stinky.
 Not sure what asphalt would do other than darken the color which matters not to me on a work surface. 
Boiled Linseed oil costs $40 a gallon which approaches some engineered coatings so not in my plans soon. 
I like the color used ATF gives wood and maybe a transmission shop gets checked out near me for a bunch of that. A local guy built lots of A frame pine cabins near a local lake and thats was their original finish. 

[samandothers]

kantuckid's post above and my memory of the mix of items in the finish caused me to go back to the thread to review the mix of material in the finish using diesel, BLO, roof tar. 

Economical wood finish? in General Board (forestryforum.com)

This the thread I remembered reading about it.  I realize now that the mix is a bit more brown than I remember.  Why it may darken the doors a bit it may not be the color you'd like.  I have not tried to diesel motor oil, I am considering it for some trailer decking over white oak.

[Stephen1]

protecting the wood from rot. As I like to say, check your drivers license. 
lets see you built it in 1985 so it has survived 37 years. You are 78, I do not think I would worry about protecting from the weather as you will never have to replace it. 

[kelLOGg]

I won't replace it but someone else may.

[kantuckid]

The White Oak floor in my 5x10 utility trailer is now needing replaced. I sawed heartwood then planed the back side to 1" and screwed it down with self threading screws. Now I'll have to remove them all-yuk. 
 It has had many used oil/diesel dousing's over the 25+ years since I ordered it w/o a floor new from a Gatormade Trailer dealer.
Personally, I would never use used oil on a dwelling for health reasons. It is a carcinogen.
 Ask my chemical engineer son to share his thoughts on those who burn used oil in stoves and furnaces. He is an atmospheric expert (really)and cringes at that one.