I want to replace interior walls that seem to be made of some paper material (simple 60s-70s construction). They are partially stained from old water damage, and I suspect they contribute to the "cabin smell" in the cottage.
What is a suitable interior wall material in a poorly insulated cabin that is left unheated in winter?
A small part will probably be panel - real or faux with panel board, but otherwise, I want smooth walls to wallpaper on. Is gypsum okay?
Grateful for help!
/Anis
What is a suitable interior wall material in a poorly insulated cabin that is left unheated in winter?
A small part will probably be panel - real or faux with panel board, but otherwise, I want smooth walls to wallpaper on. Is gypsum okay?
Grateful for help!
/Anis
Plaster works as long as you don't have leaks that let water in. Otherwise, I could consider plywood - it should be possible to make tongue and groove or rebate so the boards can be glued together. I've personally had a cabin with plaster on the walls without problems for almost 20 years.
Particle board has a tendency to absorb moisture and swell in all directions and start to mold, so it's probably not a good option. But if you're going to use wood and not build with tongue-and-groove planks, I would probably primarily guess formplywood, then OSB, and then regular plywood before considering particle board. Gypsum is a non-reactive material that doesn't swell or mold, but it's not very load-bearing. But then the question is what kind of accident you're referring to—if it's that a tree falls, then it probably doesn't matter much. Or are you worried about water running from the roof down there, or what are you afraid of?
I don't see that it would be a problem as long as you have a protective outer wall that water doesn't run through, because then you lose the insulation capacity in the walls anyway and can get mold growing there. But if you have siding with an air gap behind, it should work with gypsum and the insulation too.
I think they used regular Masonite around that time, and the glue in it is not water-resistant and can leach out and cause ugly stains if it gets water damaged. Mold can start growing in it too, so that might be what you've encountered. But then there may also be some issues with the insulation, but you'll see that when you tear down the interior wall, since I guess you won't be building on the existing and hoping for the best.
I don't see that it would be a problem as long as you have a protective outer wall that water doesn't run through, because then you lose the insulation capacity in the walls anyway and can get mold growing there. But if you have siding with an air gap behind, it should work with gypsum and the insulation too.
I think they used regular Masonite around that time, and the glue in it is not water-resistant and can leach out and cause ugly stains if it gets water damaged. Mold can start growing in it too, so that might be what you've encountered. But then there may also be some issues with the insulation, but you'll see that when you tear down the interior wall, since I guess you won't be building on the existing and hoping for the best.
OK, thanks for the advice!
It sounds like we should focus on plaster as the surface layer. Hopefully, there is nothing structural that needs to be replaced, but we'll see when we start tearing down... There have been a few "accidents" with leaks from the roof over the years in the poor cabin, but now the roof is hopefully ok.
It sounds like we should focus on plaster as the surface layer. Hopefully, there is nothing structural that needs to be replaced, but we'll see when we start tearing down... There have been a few "accidents" with leaks from the roof over the years in the poor cabin, but now the roof is hopefully ok.