Gap in shed siding

silver_sky

I've a relatively new wooden garden shed just in since the start of the year. I'm only getting round to treating the exterior now and noticed a gap between two of the boards. I'd guess at about 5mm. It may be due to a combination of shrinkage and manufacturing. Looks like a couple of boards above are closer together which has borrowed that space and so no overlap.

The nails are visible and the board isn't too long (just over 1M). From the inside I can see that the gap is enough that daylight is coming in although can't see through as the internal fabric/sheet is blocking.

Any suggestions at how to tackle this? I could perhaps remove the boards and shift them down slightly. It would mean moving 2 boards. However I'm not sure how I'd get the nails out without making a balls of it. Other thought was run a bead of silicon in the gap and hope for the best.

Picture attached shows the gap and nails.

Thanks!

Lumen

That's looks 2mm at most.

I wouldn't worry about it until water starts coming in. Water shouldn't come through tiny gaps due to surface tension.

The Continental Op

The problem is that the shed makers leave all the materials out in the rain so often sheds are made of really wet material which dries out and gives the problems you have. I took all the boards off one shed and refitted them and was left with a 3 inch gap at the top. With the nail gun finish you have You can't do that without smashing up the panels.

I'd contact the suppliers and see what they say about it?

chooseusername

If you're not too worried about appearance, a thin strip if roofing felt or such like slid up into the groove of the board above

and stapled to the tongue of the one below.

Lumen

It doesn't look like shrinkage to me, it looks like the boards have been fitted with uneven spacing.

Could you just move that one board to even up the space above and below? If it splits to hell when you remove it you could just buy a replacement, they're less than €15 for a 4+m length.

https://www.goodwins.ie/exterior-cladding/c-4001.html

The Continental Op

You have a point, easiest test if it was put together wet is if all the boards have shrunk which should be easily visible from the back. If there is tyvek type membrane on the back you can still feel the gaps. Shiplap in my expereince has a normal lap of 1/2 to 5/8" and I don't like to see gaps of more than 1/8" in the lap from behind.

The problem with replacing a board is that it will often be the same size as the original so at best all you can do is put the new board in with a very small overlap at the top and bottom of the new board. Anyone bothered by aesthetics will have great difficulty getting a board to match. I've just replaced the whole of one side of a 22 year old shed and because I bought the timber in two lots the moulding depths are massively different and quite noticeable.

If that is a 4 inch board (nominally 5 inch in size but covers 4 inch when you allow for the overlap) then I'd buy a 5 inch board (nominally 6 inch in total width) and cut it on a saw bench to fit. If there is a deep top moulding then cut that down to the same as the original first. To get it to fit you might even have to reduce the thickness of the board. I've replaced single panels before and it can be a pain of a job.

Back to Lumen's point if it is a badly fitted board I really would bet back to the supplier.

whizbang

A good thump with a hammer above or below the boards will get you the 5mm you need.

No need to overthink it.

Use a block of wood as a spreader