I am in the process of installing a T&G porch ceiling and am curious if anyone has a good method for closing the gaps prior to nailing. In the past I have used various bar clamps but there has to be a better way. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it.
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Do not know how the people who know how to do it do it but there are several methods I have used. If a porch I guess there is no vapor barrier or anything other than rafters or ceiling joists.
Have not used one but the bow wrench you use for decking would work but be overkill. I used a very thin flat bar or old chisel and sink it in to the edge of the joist and pry it tight and shoot it. Also rip the tongue off a scrap piece and use it to tap it in. Have rubbed dab of paraffin on tight ones but usually it is warped boards rather than tight t&g. We put up almost a mile of t&g 1x6 in our house.
Like the second poster I'm not a pro at this, but I tapped a short scrap piece to push 'em in, and a quick clamp to hold it. Worked great, still no gaps, but someone here might have a better, more efficient way.
I have a similar project coming up that will involve installing stained beadboard on a porch ceiling, and have thought of getting one of these to help with the installation:
http://www.bowrench.com
If I wanted a painted finish, I would use Azek.
Aaron
I ordered a bowrench and the T/G adaptor. I'll let you know how it works.
if the gaps arent too big, ie: the tongue hits the groove, one method that works pretty well is to start where the gap is biggest, start an 8 or 10 penny finish nail at an angle towards the gap, and then lift the outside edge of the board away from the joist. As you drive the nail into the joist, the angle of the nail should pull the board tight. use a naul set to drive the nail home. This also works great with stubborn decking!
I install acres of this t&g each year. The best way I have found for closing the gaps in bowed boards is to take a piece that is about 8 inches long, rip it on a 7 degree angle, place the groove side against the tongue of the bowed board(at the worst part of the bow) on a joist location. Nail the other half of the ripped piece to the joist so that the grooved side of the rip will slip past it in a wedging action.Works every time.
I have never seen this method used anywhere or by anyone. My guys tell me that I invented it , but given the simplicity of the solution, I"m sure that others have figured it out. Is there anyone out there taking bows out of boards with this method?
Jay hate to break your bubble but been doing it this way for years, screw one straight piece to joist drive tapered piece in between nail off, bada bing bada boom. I like to screw the one piece on cuz it just speeds up the install and removal and centers are all ready for the next time,
Works the same for doing hard wood flooring
On another note heard that Al gore also invented the internet, but hey whata I know.
But if you want we can both call it a wedgy, and I'll give you all the credit so you don't lose face with your crew lol
As I said, "I"m sure that others have used this method", I"m not claiming to have invented it. Read the post again, this time with both eyes open.
Just pulling your chain Relax take a deep breath no harm intended
Alrighty then....!
I have "inovated" dozens of techniques to make my production go smoother, faster , easier,and I'm pretty sure that I'm not smart enough to have been the first guy to have figured them out.
The wedge technique is a great inexpensive technique, but it might not be as fast as using the bo-wrench.
I used the bo-wrench on a 1000 st ft mahogony deck, and some of the boards were out 3/4" in 16 ft or so, and the bo wrench did the trick, and was easy to use...except for the amount of force needed on some of the boards. (the deck still looks great 2 yrs later
It might be overkill for T & G...and a pain on top of a ladder, but it would eliminate some extra steps.Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
I have done it that way with a lot of success.
I just wanted to thank everyone for their input. Today I got around to putting installing the ceiling boards using the bowrench and it worked great! I purchased the T/G attachment and was able to easily pull the boards into alignment.
I just finished nailing up 1200 ft. of cypress T&G on walls, not a ceiling. I used a screwdriver to draw the boards together. I have a set of old all steel drivers. Maybe you've seen them, they're all steel with a couple of wood grips for the handles. I used one of those as a pry bar. I placed it against the stud on top of the tongue at a slight angle and gave it a couple of wacks with my hammer. Then I used it as a pry bar to squeeze the boards together. Worked good for me.
Jay's method is the same as the one I've used for years.
Using opposing wedges to move things has applications in a lot of places....tightening T&G, deck boards, edgeset wood flooring, etc. are good places to get in the habit.
take a scrap piece of lumber..shoot it in to the joist above with a nail gun at about a 45 degree angle above and behind the piece you're taking the gap out of...push with one hand and shoot with the other, it's faster than the wedging action and you won't damage the piece you're nailing......shoot a few nails into it, when done, just pull it sideways to the joist and it pops right off....
If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Ok, here’s how it’s done gents. Take a block of something hard, say inch and a half by inch and a half by eight inches. Say three or four inches from the end drill a hole slightly smaller than a three and a half inch deck screw and the hole should be at a steep angle. Countersink the hole enough to accommodate a small washer. Now the screw goes through the washer into the hole and into the joist or stud or what have you and when placed against the t &g board and screwed in slowly, EUREKA, she sucks right in nice and tight. If you want to get fancy, notch the end of your tool to slide over the board slightly to hold in place (particularly overhead) and you can install 16 footers alone. Happy hangin’