Popular siding for barn. Thoughts?

[sawtooth]

Looking at pine or popular for barn siding. The house was built in 1800's and still has original popular siding so thinking of using it again. Thoughts for good and bad please!

 

[Rio_Grande]

Poplar is fine as long as it stays dry.

 

[vabiker23518]

I'm in the process of having a 24X24 garage built with a board and batten exterior. Instead of pine, I'm having cypress installed. Cost a little more but builder says it will hold up better than pine (really high heat load here in VA). Time will tell.

 

[sawtooth]

I'm doing board and batten also. It's a 40x60 barn with poured wall foundation so wood will be 12" or so off ground. Thinking I will go this route as I really like poplar and have a good supply for it.

 

[pmhowe]

You don't say where you live, and that might make a difference. When I lived in Maryland, poplar was a very common siding for barns. My barn dated from the 1800's and the wood was solid, wherever it was kept from the rain. It also was full of shotgun pellets, .22 pellets, and a few rifle bullet holes. Still, a very good, strong wood, if kept dry.

 

[forgeblast]

We have a mill near us doing rough cut hemlock. Its what I use.

 

[rtimgray]

You don't say where you live, and that might make a difference. When I lived in Maryland, poplar was a very common siding for barns. My barn dated from the 1800's and the wood was solid, wherever it was kept from the rain. It also was full of shotgun pellets, .22 pellets, and a few rifle bullet holes. Still, a very good, strong wood, if kept dry.

Is it safe to assume that someone had to prove to someone else that they could hit the broad side of a barn?

 

[sdef]

I am using T1-11 plywood siding on a now three year old shed and an addition onto the house. I like the rustic type finish, even painted.

 

[PILOON]

Here in Quebec many if not the majority of old barns were sided with popular as it is about the cheapest wood around as well as not meeting structural specs for structural use.
As long as it stays dry it is OK judging by the number of 100+ yr old barns dotting the countryside.
In fact that old weathered barn siding is now a very desirable decorator material and fetches prices that shames exotic paneling.

 

[smstonypoint]

Let's make sure that we are talking about the same thing. When I hear "poplar" I think of "yellow poplar," AKA "tulip poplar," even though that tree is not a true poplar.

What "poplar" are you talking about?

Steve