There is just something about wood walls that everyone likes.  Here in Austin, TX there were many houses built in the 1920-40’s that had wood walls without plaster.  Often they were covered with muslin cloth then wallpapered over.   Eventually they got drywalled.  Here’s some pictures of a 1930’s house my company remodeled recently were we found some beautiful old pine walls and decided to re-use them for the remodel.

  We were careful to save all these pine shiplap boards so they could be later re-used.

You’ll notice that we are re-installing the pine on top of the Sheetrock.  That’s critical in my opinion.  Wood is terrible for air infiltration and for sound reduction.  Drywall is cheap and you only really need to finish it to a tape coat before installing the wood overtop.

Biscuits are a finish carpenter’s secret weapon.  We’ve loved this DeWalt Plate Jointer (Biscuit Jointer).  Anytime two board butt we typically biscuit the joint.

Titebond 2 is our favorite wood glue.  My guys keep a 16oz bottle in their tool belts at all times.  Glue is the secret to joints not opening up over time.  Use it liberally in your wood wall installations (or any finish carpentry project for that matter).   

We ran two kerf cuts with our circular saw across the backside of these pine boards to help encourage the boards to never cup.

This house turned out amazing and I think the character of these salvaged pine walls really connects with people who visit.  If you are considering wood, I highly recommend it for your interior walls.

For more pictures of this house you can visit the website of Architect Hugh Jefferson Randolph, AIA.  http://www.austinarchitect.com/archives/360

Best,

Matt Risinger
– Risinger Homes in Austin, TX