Should I seal my painted wood wall?

48772412
by 48772412

We are restoring a 1950's house here in central Texas. I removed wood paneling and found the additions wall was built from repurposed, painted, wood. There is no insulation between shiplap siding and the wood in the photo. I want to keep it as an accent wall. Do i caulk between cracks and seal it with a type of oil or poly?

  9 answers
  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on Feb 27, 2020

    A silicone caulk would probably be your best if you want the cracks filled. It will shift with the wood and not break out. After that I would do two-three coats of a poly. Polyacrylic will be the fastest and not alter the color at all because its water based.

  • Gk Gk on Feb 27, 2020

    Love this! What a nice surprise! I would use silicone caulk and then poly. I do wonder though about not having any insulation.

  • Mogie Mogie on Feb 27, 2020

    If you seal the wood with a paintable caulking before painting you couldn't see any caulking because the paint would cover that. If you are keeping the natural look here are 4 ways to seal wood:

    https://www.wikihow.com/Seal-Wood

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Feb 27, 2020

    I would use wood putty like Durham instead of caulk. Sealing would be a preference but will make it easier to clean.

  • William William on Feb 27, 2020

    Use 100% silicone caulk. It will flex and move with the wood. Wood putty dries and hardens. It will crack under movement. Use water based poly to seal the wood. Dries clear and does not yellow like oil based over time.

  • We had the same issue. No insulation between the exterior siding and the wood wall. We had insulation blown into the space. I wonder if that would work for you?

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Feb 27, 2020

    Before you finish the wood, address the insulation.

    Then if you want to seal or paint the wood siding, do it before you caulk, as silicone caulk will not “accept” any paint nor sealer.

  • Jeremy Hoffpauir Jeremy Hoffpauir on Feb 28, 2020

    There are insulation companies who can inject foam into the space; however, the walls would need to be sealed first. Best to consult with an insulation professional.

  • If you leave this as is, which you're right, super great look, just know that room will run crazy hot in that Texas heat. Best practices would be to remove the wood carefully, build out the wall and insulate it properly, then apply the wood to the built out wall.