What to use for a playhouse

[ozzymanii]

I'm toying with building my daughter (age 3) a playhouse. The plan I'm working on is a 4x6 playhouse with a 4x2 porch. I'd like to cover the outside of the house with horizontal laped boards.

I want it to look "rustic" like an old cabin made out of rough sawn planks. The problem is cost. I don't mind spending money, but I'd like to keep the cost down. I've looked at pine and cedar, both of wich I like the look of and are light and easy to work, but the cost to cover the outside of the house starts to get out of hand. Especially if you look at lumberyard wood.

Anyone got a source of rough sawn 3/4 or 4/4 pine or cedar? Or, is there something else out there that would work better?


Thanks,

James

 

[DaveO]

Cypress would also be another good choice, may not be cheaper, but it is a good outdoor wood. Check with member Kyle or Hardrock for rough sawn lumber at great prices.
Dave

 

[Joe Scharle]

I've built 2. One from T1-11 and the other masonite sheet. Both are still standing after 25 and 15 years respectively. The sheet allows you to be imaginative in your paint scheme!

 

[ozzymanii]

I'm not so sure I want to do that. Both T1-11 and masonite are settling lawsuits due to inferior products.

Now maybe they worked it all out and the stuff out there now is better, but it doesn't give me warm fuzzies.

James

 

[Travis Porter]

The t1-11 has done well for me when I have used it in the past. I think a big problem is ventilation inside the wall cavities causing it to fail which would not be a problem in a playhouse IMO.

 

[NCPete]

keep the masonite painted and seeled, it should work fine. the product hasn't changed much, as far as I can tell, but it is holding together on the southerly facing sides of my house just fine. I think many of the failure issues can be attributed to bad paint jobs. I wager that either product will outlast your daughter fitting in that house.


I am currently in the process of my claim, significant portions of the siding on the back of my house have deteriorated over the last 11 years, but nothing that I have resided back there has failed yet, and that was 6-7 years ago.


Use masonite with confidence, just don't sink the nails too far, or leave the edges untreated.