Barn siding for wainscot

[jaker10]

A friend of mine gave me a big pile of old barn siding. This stuff is very old and wide, some 24 inches wide half inch thick. I went to get it and it has been piled up so long its full of nesting ants. ********* ants. I was going to use it for wainscot inside on the man cave area of my new post frame. Should I stay away from using it (because of ants) Can it be treated? When I started to load it I noticed all the ants were hauling off the eggs. If I haul it off and the ants are gone is it good to use? Thanks

 

[Ray-CA]

I did the same thing with some fence boards that I was given. Just called a local pest control company and had all the wood sprayed and left it up on blocks with good air circulation until the chemical smell went away. When I cut it, I wore a mask (just in case) and a stiff brush on hand to clear the dead bugs.

Ray

 

[RPH]

If animals were in the barn you might find a very strong urine smell from the boards. Advice is to always take the upper boards. I know that you didn't have a choice but beware of the smell.

 

[jaker10]

They have been down and stacked fora few years.

 

[Trainman]

One piece of advice....before you install the siding in your house, make sure to bring it inside and let it acclimate and dry out. When I was a kid, dad installed some old barnboard in our family room. It was not dry enough and shrunk to the point we could see right through the gaps in the grain to the insulation beneath it.

 

[5lima30]

One other way to deal with the insects/ drying issue is to take it to a saw mill and have the boards kiln dried. A week in a hot kiln will kill most all insects with no worry of chemicals. JMHO.

 

[jaker10]

Thanks

 

[BADSIX]

there was a thread on here quite some time ago where somone did this in his garage, it looked real good. if your putting the boards on a wall thats a differant color paint the wall first the same color as the boards. that way if you do get any small cracks or srinkage you won't see it so easy

 

[HotrodHR]

Pics please when get the stuff installed!!!

 

[DIC]

Ants can lift and carry several times there own weight...Maybe you could get them to help with your project...