Bark side out?

[TonyF]

On board and batten siding, I've seen several references to place the bark side out to help with cupping. Comments? I'll be using rough sawn SWP.

Thanks

Tony

 

[Lloyd_E]

Look at the end grain... The curve of the rings should face out. Like this: nail should go into curves like this: I--- ((( . If it is the opposite, when it dries the board(batten) edge will move(cup) away from the board allowing water to drip behind the batten. If you happen to get the ring/heart in the center of the end grain just nail in place: end grain will look like this: (((O))). Same goes for the siding.

Hope this helps.


PS: Use spiral nails to hold. I used siding nails but with our winters and frost they tend to pop out. Also, if you have to add another batten to get height, make the joint at an angle(I use 25 degrees) so that the overlap allows water to run off or away from the batten. I also pre-drill a pilot hole on the ends to prevent splitting... this also depends on how green the wood is too.

If possible use T&G for your siding.

 

[TonyF]

Look at the end grain... The curve of the rings should face out. Like this: nail should go into curves like this: I--- ((( . If it is the opposite, when it dries the board(batten) edge will move(cup) away from the board allowing water to drip behind the batten. If you happen to get the ring/heart in the center of the end grain just nail in place: end grain will look like this: (((O))). Same goes for the siding....

Thanks Lloyd, what you describe is the bark side out, nice to get some confirmation.

 

[JB4310]

Never heard it described like that but I guess yeah it's bark side out.

JB

 

[SandburRanch]

No matter how much Kilz or whatever primer and paint you apply to wood with the wrong side out it won't stay when the grain lifts. This exterior trim board went through the mill bark side in so it had to be installed that way. A shame manufacturers don't know or don't take the time to care. This pic was taken after a year of new primer and paint. The old paint had been stripped to bare wood. Southern exposure.

 

[piller]

OK, suppose the board is a rough cut 1 x 8 that is green. If the board is attached with the bark side out, as the board dries:

1) it will shrink in both thickness and in width so that it is no longer 1 x 8, it will become something like 7/8 x 7-1/2.

2) The rings of the grain will want to straighten out, the board will cup, the outer face of the board will become concave, this will cause the edges of the board to move away from the frame.

Is the idea of putting the bark side out to have the edge lift of the boards due to cupping tighten up the board to batten connection as both boards shrink in thickness?

If the batten behaves the same as the board I would think that one might prefer to have the board installed bark side out (so that the edges will push out against the batten, and to install the batten with the bark side in (so that the batten edges will push in against the board. Does that make sense?

 

[SandburRanch]

OK, suppose the board is a rough cut 1 x 8 that is green. If the board is attached with the bark side out, as the board dries:

1) it will shrink in both thickness and in width so that it is no longer 1 x 8, it will become something like 7/8 x 7-1/2.

2) The rings of the grain will want to straighten out, the board will cup, the outer face of the board will become concave, this will cause the edges of the board to move away from the frame.

Is the idea of putting the bark side out to have the edge lift of the boards due to cupping tighten up the board to batten connection as both boards shrink in thickness?

If the batten behaves the same as the board I would think that one might prefer to have the board installed bark side out (so that the edges will push out against the batten, and to install the batten with the bark side in (so that the batten edges will push in against the board. Does that make sense?

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Seems reasonable to me. But the batten is so narrow cupping shouldn't be much of an issue so I'd install it bark side out also when possible so it will retain paint as described before.

A few years back (maybe 75 -100) this wasn't much of an issue with board and batten siding because quarter sawed lumber was readily available but today it is an issue and that's one reason for the development of synthetic building material.