advice wanted on putting up T&G walls

[marc rosen]

Hello Group, Hope you all are finishing up the turkey- we're on Day 4 here. I am finishing off the interior of my additon with 1x8 T&G white pine on (three) 2x6 exterior walls ( R-19 /vinyl siding ) and 16 inch on center. How many fireblocks are recommended for stability on the 8 foot sections? Also, what are your favorite polyurethane finishes? I want a clear finish with no pigment. Brands to look for? Brands you would bnot use again? Thanks in advance, Marc

[HerHusband]

We used 1x6 T&G pine on the walls of our master bedroom and bathroom. Though I think we have a yellow pine and not white?

For the bedroom, I installed rows of horizontal 2x4 blocking at 2', 4', and 6' around the room (two foot spacing). This allowed me to install the T&G boards vertically. I found it easier to insulate first then install the blocking afterwards. Our walls are very sturdy with no "flex".

For the bathroom, we simply installed the T&G boards horizontally directly to the studs. It breaks up the pattern between rooms, and the horizontal layout worked better in the bath. Narrow rows above tiling and whatnot. With the high ceiling in our small bath, the horizontal layout also helped balance the height a bit.

As for the poly, we used a single coat of Olympic Oil Based Satin Poly. Two coats made it too "shiny" for our taste, even with the satin finish. (We DID put two coats of the same poly on our 1x6 T&G cedar ceilings).

Anthony