Filling Cracks In Wood

[mscher]

I have a old garage (currently uninsulated) that has horizontal lapped wood board siding.
Some of the boards have small rotted holes, or cracks that start small to maybe 3/4"

Need to find something to fill them, that does not look too shabby and can be painted over. I plan to insulate it and will use plastic sheeting in between it and the woood, but I still need to weather seal the siding as much as possible.

Some options I have tried.

1. Expanding foam for the larger holes and cracks. Works but does not hold up to wear, is hard to paint and looks tacky.

2. Silicone caulking. Works good, but only in small cracks.

Have not tried good old wood filler, but it seemed to fall out prematurely, on previous jobs where the area was large and maybe a little rotted.

Any other ideas?

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

I have a old garage (currently uninsulated) that has horizontal lapped wood board siding.
Some of the boards have small rotted holes, or cracks that start small to maybe 3/4"

Need to find something to fill them, that does not look too shabby and can be painted over. I plan to insulate it and will use plastic sheeting in between it and the woood, but I still need to weather seal the siding as much as possible.

Some options I have tried.

1. Expanding foam for the larger holes and cracks. Works but does not hold up to wear, is hard to paint and looks tacky.

2. Silicone caulking. Works good, but only in small cracks.

Have not tried good old wood filler, but it seemed to fall out prematurely, on previous jobs where the area was large and maybe a little rotted.

Any other ideas?

Well first and formost,
Dont put plastic between the wood and the insulation. You want the plastic on the inside. This will cause the insulation to get wet from condensation. So it will go, Wood siding, Insulation, then the Plastic to the inside of the garage.

Second,
You have to get all the bad wood out of the hole first.

Third.
Take a small piece of 1/4 plywood and glue it to the inside where the hole is. then use exterior wood putty to fill the holes. It they are large then drill a couple small holes in the 1/4 ply just to get it a little to grab on to.

Or the big one,
Reside it with vinyl.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

Vulkem Sealant

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

The best stuff I know of is epoxy putty. Very strong. very tight. can be sanded and takes paint well and is water proof. You wont go wrong using it.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

Drywall mud or automotive filler ...sand right paint nobody will know....except U

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

I would think a bit of caulking rod poked into the cracks and followed up by a good caulking of the paintable variety such as is made by Tremco. Really holds paint well.
+1 on the vapor barrier being on the heated/ tempered side of the insulation.
my .02

 

[rbh]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

If your thinking of keeping out insects and moisture, you my want to look at removing the old board and replacing it with OSB, the put the boards back up as your siding.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

filling wood with bondo works great and its paintable
If your doing exterior work vinyl siding is cheap

 

[gstanton]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

I've mixed sawdust and carpenters glue with success.

 

[eaglejim]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

Caulk for your small holes and the good people of Bondo has made a product that will do the job for wood on the larger ones (works just like their car products),do not use drywall mud on the outside when moister hits it it will reactivate and fall out (sorry dolluper)

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

First.....Carpenters glue and fine sawdust is probably your best bet. Bondo(the autobody filler) will expand and contract differently than the wood siding. That will lead to the bondo popping out of your repair. Caulk in larger holes will do the same thing, and the silacone will break down over time. The glue and sawdust mixture will give you close to the same density as your siding, and will expand and contract along with the wood your patching. It also sands and paints well.

Second.....Biffle is right. The sheeting will act as a moisture barrier to the insulation. It will also act as a final draft-stop. Are you planning on drywalling your garage?

Third....You should never mix OSB and solid wood siding. They don't get along. It all goes back to the expansion and contraction thing. OSB is a hodgpodge of bits and pieces of different woods all glued together.
The glue and sawdust putty should be made of sawdust like what you get out of a belt sander bag or what you collect from under a table saw, in about a 70/30 ratio.

And last....I have built plenty of houses. Every one of them wrapped in vinyl siding. I hate the stuff. It looks like crap and on a hot sunny day I've seen the darker colored stuff get soft. I have also seen it get brittle in the winter.
It goes up easily and quickly, and is supposed to last for years. If you put it over wood siding though, you are in for more work than it's worth. I'd stick with the wood siding. Replace what needs replacing and seal it up as best you can and insulate the snot out of it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

Drywall mud or automotive filler ...sand right paint nobody will know....except U

Ayuh,.... I donno about the drywall mud, but Bondo filler works quite Well,...
Done it many times...
Also, seeing that siding has no real mechanical loads,...
I use plain ole buck a tube Painter's Caulk...After All,... That's exactly What it's made for...
It cleans up easily,+ is very Paintable...

 

[dolluper]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

. I donno about the drywall mud, but Bondo filler works quite Well,...

Yea I knew you would say Bondo would work well thats why I said auto filler...LoL's but drywall hud works well also but better in inside apps

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Filling Cracks In Wood

Auto body filler or if you have the time and money, vinyl siding.