Home Improvements

[harry_rutland]

Hello all--

I just had cellulose insulation blown into our exterior walls, the process for which consists of drilling a whole bunch of approximately 1 1/2 inch holes between studs, sticking a hose up to it, and filling it until it'll take no more.

One section of my house has...I'm not quite sure how to describe it...sort of vertical wood siding: a flat wood surface with decorative 1X2s about every 18 inches or so. My problem is, while I had a plasterer fix the holes in the stucco, this wood section is left with about 20 holes, which only have a loose-fitting wooden plug in them (not the original piece). I need to fix those holes with a patch that will last well against the weather and look good (i.e., be invisible after it's finished and repainted). I'll be doing it myself, and I'm just a novice DIY-er, so anything industrial, toxic or requiring much skill is beyond my reach!

This is all brand-new to me, so any suggestions would be appreciated--if I don't figure this out, I think my wife will make me walk the plank....

Many thanks,

Eric

[Rrandy]

Have you thought about covering the holes with something "decorative" instead of trying to make it invisible? Maybe a strip to match the vertical pieces to extend down from the top and cover the holes? I don't know how to match wood up to wood so that the patch will contract and expand with the existing wood, be weatherproof, and not show with a new coat of paint. Hopefully someone with a trick for that will jump in and help.

[dad4taylor]

It sounds to me as though you have what's called "board and batten" siding.  The "board" part refers to the wide areas and the "batten" part refers to the thinner 1x2's.  The idea is that a bunch of boards are run vertically and the batten provides for sealing at the board joints. This type of siding is very old and was used quite extensively until about the mid-sixties.  Anything later than that is probably decorative.

I can think of three options:

Go to Mcmaster-Carr's website and find a suitable plastic plug and paint to match.  Obviously this won't hide the hole completely.

Use a two part wood filler to fill the hole and then sand smooth.  Assuming there's no foam at that area...you'll have to get something behind the siding so the filler will not just fall in.  I would imagine it will shrink some small amount and maybe even get a crack here or there but those can be filled with caulk later.  The whole think would require a fair amount of work and a basic understanding of working with filler.  There's probably a fair amount of info on this type of work on the internet for either houses or automotive filler work.  Both are applicable.

Assuming the holes are all at the same height (they typically are) then you can use a horizontal piece running entirely from each batten to an adjacent batten. It can be made even better if you cut a section out of each batten at the appropriate height and then ran one continuous horizontal piece but certainly not required.  If you go with the shorter pieces then make sure you finish (prime and paint) the inside part of the wood as well to prevent cupping.  You may even want to run a small bead of gorilla glue along the top and bottom edge as extra insurance.  Also cut the pieces individually one at a time for a snug fit.  and always use caulk top and bottom.  This type of repair would be in keeping with history in that many times the boards used were not long enough to run the entire distance.  In that case a horizontal batten was used to cover the horizontal seam.  If I saw a house with a horizontal batten I wouldn't think it unusual at all.

if you choose one of these routes let me know and I will give more detailed info

Hope that helps

[RussBoyd]

I think Dad has it pretty well nailed. If the battens are 18" apart, it's likely a "false" board and batten, meaning it may be a rough sawn ply under the 1x2 verticals. I also agree with him on the use of something decorative. If you try and patch it, it will look "patched". Hopefully, they at least kept the holes uniform.

[bandit571]

 i'd take some square 1xs, bevel all four edges.    Attach this diamond over each hole.   Paint to match or a contrasting color.   Almost like those metal stars one sees on houses now a days. 

[RussBoyd]

---

bandit571 wrote:

 i'd take some square 1xs, bevel all four edges.    Attach this diamond over each hole.   Paint to match or a contrasting color.   Almost like those metal stars one sees on houses now a days. 

---

Good idea Craig. Hopefull, they have the holes somewhat lined up.

[bandit571]

 One could run a level line across the area of the holes.   If the diamonds are the right size, they should be able to cover the holes, and still be level along the wall.  The holes may wind up in the lower part, the upper part, or near a side of each diamond.   A 1x6 piece should be able cover the holes, and still look good from the road.

[p_toad]

and after all that all i can ask for is a picture of the wall...  

[harry_rutland]

Unfortunately, the holes aren't even close to being uniform in their locations. I don't think the "decorative" solution will work because of that.

P_toad--good idea, I'll try to get a picture of the wall and post.

The house was built in the 50's so it sounds like the board-and-batten construction is likely.

Thanks,

Eric

[amateur60]

I'd think about removing the battens and covering the remaining board, and holes, with clapboard siding.