Simulated wood grain finish (hardboard) panels installation

[Chris]

I want to install wood grain finish panel on interior walls and on ceil in my new construction. The construction is a small inexpensive one room chalet (16' x 24') I did it myself with some friends and I will spend there my weekends and some vacation and is in Canada. The wood grain finish panels are 4' x 8' sizes and thickness is 2.6 mm. I would need some advice how to install them on the wall and on the ceiling of the cathedral roof. I want to avoid them to be undulated because of dilatation (expansion). I did just add R-20 pink fiber glass insulation on the wall (studs is

2"x6" at 16" on center) and cover with 6 mil vapor barrier. How should I put these panels in order to cover the walls and the ceil?

May I put them directly on studs in contact with vapor panel? Or is better to use some horizontally furring strips? Also I would not like to use a gypsum wallboard as a back support.

Thanks, Chris

[dpb]

Don&#39;t know the specific and you don&#39;t say what the material is, but the dimensions given indicate this is a very thin (< 1/8") panel. In order to keep something that thin flat you definitely will need furring strips or other stiffer material behind them, especially on a ceiling. I&#39;d think 2-ft spacing might be adequate. As always, for required spacing between sheets to account for expansion and recommended use including backer material, etc., check manufacturer&#39;s recommended installation notes which are almost always available either in the retailer&#39;s location or online. I&#39;d venture a small gap just so they don&#39;t butt hard up against each other would be adequate for interior use, but that will obviously depend on what the panel is made of as various composites have differing expansion characteristics (mostly humidity-related).

[professorpaul]

I used some of this some years ago in a summer place in the Poconos. I put it on over conventional dry wall. Even with LOTS of panel cement and nails, still had some problems with moisture causing buckling. Make sure to leave a little space between panels for expansion. Run a stripe of black paint/stain down the joint before you put the panels up, or you will see the dry wall. On the outside walls, the dry wall had insulation behind it. It was pretty thin stuff.