Anticipated small gaps or cracks between wall panels

[frog522]

Hello BYC guys/gals!

I have been working non-stop on getting the coop done for the girls. They are practically full grown and I have to bring them in every night at 8:30pm to let them sleep in a large rubbermaid container in the garage, they insist on it.

Anyways, the sun is beating beating down too hard outside to continue working on the coop. I got all my ideas from the many awesome threads here at the BYC forums, I have to say thanks to you all!

I'm going to make this short as I'll share with you all more details and pictures when I finally get this thing done.

Question for you all: I am using plywood for the walls but most of the time I can't use one piece of plywood to cover an entire wall (maybe need 2 or 3 smaller sheets). Because of this I expect there to be gaps in between the plywood sections (maybe very small but maybe not negligible either). I plan to paint the entire coop when I'm done, but I am trying to figure out if (and how) I can seal the small gaps? I don't know what kind of products there are for this (tape, caulking, other?). Also, do I fill these gaps from outside the coop or from the inside?

Thanks!

 

[Rozzie]

x

 

[elmo]

You could also nail furring strips over the space where two boards join; actually, that's what board and batten siding is.
http://architecture.about.com/od/construction/g/boardbatten.htm

 

[teach1rusl]

Also, as much as possible, cut your plywood sections to end centered along a stud (so that they're pieced together on the 2x4). That way a tiny gap won't matter too much. But either of the before mentioned methods would work just fine; it just depends on what you want the final product to look like...

If you're painting and calking, I'd definitely calk from the outside to blend it well, and then you'll barely notice it after painting...

 

[frog522]

Hmmm...all the doors and plywood wall panels are almost up (no picture update yet

), some places have gaps of 1mm or 2mm at most, would applying caulk still be useful for gaps like this?

What kind of caulk and brands would you suggest? I'm looking forward sealing the gaps this weekend!

 

[33yardbirds]

Gaps the width of an eight penny nail are recomened on the seams. Any gaps I would run battens on the verticle and "Z" channel on the horizontal. You can run a nice clean bead of Phenoseal caulk on either side of your battens, it has good elasticty for expansion and contraction of wood. Follow previous post of seaming on studs.

 

[mgw]

Quote:
agree use furing strips or trimm pieces. try to line the seams up if possible it will look better. looks good so far.