Thin T&G pine panels from B&Q etc

[Clodi]

Not sure if this has been discussed as I can't find a way to search.

On youtube I have seen various boaters using either MDF! or the thin t&g pine to panel their cabin walls. My question is, is it any good?

Our boat has spray foam then half inch ply finished in a tasteful farrow and ball. As I'm making alterations I'm wondering about facing the ply with the thin stuff to improve the look and make it, in my opinion, look better.(I think mdf is the work of the devil btw.)

has anyone used the thin ply?

[rusty69]

I used some when we first got our boat. After a couple of years, it started to warp, or maybe bow. You may be ok on top of ply , particularly if you can fasten it well. 

 

Ripped all ours out eventually, and used ply. 

Edited May 20, 2018 by rusty69

[70liveaboard]

No to MDF (just imo), but thin t&g can be fine if the boat is pretty dry most of the time.

Could you link the builders using MDF from YT  ?

 

Edit: You mention thin ply, I assume veneer ply. 4mm veneer ply would be o.k. but you would need to fully paste it to the other ply really (glue). That way you'll have little to no problems with it.

Edited May 20, 2018 by 70liveaboard

[Hudds Lad]

I've never managed to buy any timber from B&Q etc. that was straight or not full of knots, better off finding a local timber supplier who knows what they're doing IMHO

[harrybsmith]

I've been very tempted to clad my sides with laminate flooring- seems perfect for the job (dimensionally stable, wipe clean, nice and thin, pre-finished etc)

[W+T]

I wouldnt even bother with the BnQ wood. I have used the TnG in the past and as said above it warps, and bad. It mat be ok if you and glue it down fully thought. Around the edge and zigzag.

 

Like Harrybsmiths idea

[Arthur Marshall]

I clad my boat in T&G. I did the first bit with stuff from B&Q before getting a lecture from a woodworking mate and getting the rest at twice the price from a woodyard. The B&Q stuff shrinks every year and has had to be refixed many times. The timber yard stuff is perfect after 20 years. 

You have to check every single bit of wood at B&Q for splits and warp - you can get some OK stuff but mostly it's awful. 

[starman]

The thin t&g is rubbish and will warp - it's also shot full of knots which will bleed through paint eventually however hard you treat them with knotting.

Personally I would have no problem with water resistant (blue) mdf though it is heavy and needs good support or it will sag. The stuff is used in damp kitchens and bathroom environments without problem.

[Clodi]

2 hours ago, harrybsmith said:

I've been very tempted to clad my sides with laminate flooring- seems perfect for the job (dimensionally stable, wipe clean, nice and thin, pre-finished etc)

I think I saw 'Johno' on YouTube has done that. I must admit I have thought of  using that. We have some aquaflex totally waterproof flooring in our bathroom and I thought of using it on the inside face of my semi-trad above the locker seats (if you know what I mean,. Each panel is about  a quarter inch thick with an air gap so has great insulating properties.

I haven't heard anything good about thin t & g.

 

 

[70liveaboard]

We think MDF backed laminate is a bad idea for boat fitting. Moisture resistant MDF is better, but still not as good as ply, or indeed varnished t&g (even thin t&g), provided they're checked for quality prior to use. MDF will eat moisture of any type, from condensation to pipe or accidental spillage. Its cheap and cheerful, but has no real longevity if moisture gets near it.

MDF will soak up moisture and retain it longer, therefore could lead to the following; expanding/swelling, warp & rot.

All woods will do the same and rot eventually, just finding the ones that do this slower in the areas its used and those that will dry out better after an event, should there be one..

 

If your boat is sprayfoam insulated, then that would be a better option, but still, how do you guard against condensation (the type you can't see behind) and accidental water spillage, also weather that's taken into the boat.

 

Just beware, good luck with it anyway. Make sure to have a solid fuel stove, nice dry heat..

[WotEver]

15 hours ago, harrybsmith said:

I've been very tempted to clad my sides with laminate flooring- seems perfect for the job (dimensionally stable, wipe clean, nice and thin, pre-finished etc)

... and made from MDF...

[BWM]

B+Q/Wickes t+g reminds me of these. As others have suggested it would be better to invest in a better product from an independent timber merchant.

[BlueStringPudding]

I've got Homebase cheapest pine T&G on the walls. Ten years on and it's still perfect. No warping or separating even though my boat undergoes some extremes of temperature and humidity. Before installing, I varnished each plank front and back with a silk varnish and left a millimetre or two expansion room when I slotted them together. 

I wouldn't use MDF having seen some turn to mouldy porridge on other boats. Laminate flooring I've used had MDF sandwiched inside and it still managed to bubble and ripple at the joins after a few years.  Same goes for OSB - moisture turns it to goop. I can't comment on cheap ply coz the only stuff I've used is marine quality thick stuff for replacing OSB porridge under the windows before then covering with T&G.

Edited May 21, 2018 by BlueStringPudding

[koukouvagia]

1 hour ago, BlueStringPudding said:

 

I wouldn't use MDF having seen some turn to mouldy porridge on other boats.  

MDF has a bad name amongst boaters probably either because it's not applied correctly - you need  a vapour barrier, for example, or because it's put in the wrong place - too near the bilges or in a bathroom.

I fitted Hampton out in MDF above the gunwhales and ten years on it is still in pristine condition.  (You have to be careful working with it, taking the approriate precautions).

 

[Murflynn]

5 hours ago, BlueStringPudding said:

I've got Homebase cheapest pine T&G on the walls. Ten years on and it's still perfect. No warping or separating even though my boat undergoes some extremes of temperature and humidity. Before installing, I varnished each plank front and back with a silk varnish and left a millimetre or two expansion room when I slotted them together. 

 

ditto with Wickes cheap T&G.  Ceiling lining - 6 years and never a problem.  Prime coated on the reverse side.

 

cheap pine T&G has been used in old houses since the year dot - seems to last OK, even in bathrooms and kitchens.

[jddevel]

With a marine ply base- real marine ply not B&Q rubbish- I`ve sprayed (carpet spray) and stapled up round the edges and covered in oak trim although could have covered staples with a material trim upholstery material. To me looks great,warm condensation free and fire retardant. Not traditional but a wide range of choice.

[Clodi]

Thank's to everyone who replied. I'm lucky as my starting point is 1/2" marine ply & I just want to improve the style & grab a few extra inches below the gunnels.

I'm certainly going to enjoy reading butty hamptons story. Funny enough regarding old houses we live in one and our scullery is lined in very old t&g which I've just convinced my wife needs to be modernised. I just hope she doesn't see this and realise why I'm taking such care preserving the wood and not sticking it in the skip.

[rusty69]

Just now, Clodi said:

I just want to improve the style & grab a few extra inches below the gunnels.

You may want to rephrase that bit