Should You Put Shiplap Over Drywall?

Cladding technology with Shiplap has recently become a favorite with homeowners. Although the technology is not new, it has become more popular for the beautiful surfaces on the walls. However, the vast majority of the houses have dry stone walls, which makes the transition to Shiplap difficult. Some are smarter and think they can apply one coating to the other, but does Shiplap work over drywall? Today we will find out.

The ship hatch is a technique in which wooden slats are placed one above the other by means of a flange on the sides. Installation is simple and an assembly process that is similar to putting together a puzzle.

However, the result is a waterproof wall against the elements of nature. Its resistance is so good that it is even a technique used to line boats.

Install Shiplap over drywall

Image source: Nicole Peters Interiors

As mentioned earlier, most homes have drywall, so installing Shiplap seems like an impossible task. Removing the drywall is considered an unnecessary task that incurs additional costs. Therefore, there are owners who believe that Shiplap can be placed over drywall for use as a support surface.

If in doubt as to whether this is a viable alternative, you will be happy to know that this is possible, although the existing wall, either drywall or plaster, should be prepared for this installation.

The first thing to consider is if the wall is damaged. Bumps and small imperfections do not affect the installation, so the ship’s hatch can be used to cover it. It is best to repair serious damage before proceeding.

Can you attach Shiplap directly to the bolt? Yes, in fact they will be the support for the ship. However, you cannot start the installation if you have not previously found and marked all the pens on the wall.

How to install Shiplap over drywall

Image source: Nicole Peters Interiors

If you have fallen in love with Shiplap and want to install it in your home, you have two options. The first is to hire a specialist to do the installation. However, this can be unnecessary as it is not difficult to do it yourself. The second option is to install it yourself and you only have to do a few steps.

If you follow this simple guide, you can build a new wall that is recommended for renovation programs.

Let the ship’s hatch adapt to the weather

Wood is a sensitive material when it comes to the weather. Sudden fluctuations in air humidity can impair the integrity and make the construction very brittle. To prevent this from happening to you, you must have the wood adapted to the environment in which it is to be installed.

Leave the ship’s leaves in the room you want to convert for several days so that they adapt to the ambient conditions.

Another thing you can do before laying Shiplap over drywall is to paint the wall a dark color so that it will hide if the wood cracks.

The studs will be the support

The biggest problem with installing a new coating over an existing one is that you have to find the supporting structure to reuse it. In this case, the drywall is studded, and this is the base on which you nail the ship’s hatch.

The horizontal shiplap constructions do not have as many drawbacks in this regard, since the boards are installed perpendicular to the bolts, so they always have one underneath.

However, vertical installations are more complex because the bolts are parallel to the ship’s hatch and may never meet. In these cases, you need to create additional support with ¼ inch studs that you need to screw onto the existing support.

If this process is very complex, or if adding an additional panel increases the wall thickness significantly, you can glue the ship’s hatch over the drywall.

Regardless of your case, you should always determine where your wall posts are before proceeding with the installation. You can use a stud finder for this.

Installation of ship walls

After you have identified all the bolts, you can proceed with the installation of the ship hatch. To connect the planks, you need a special adhesive for this job. Most construction adhesives work perfectly.

Keep in mind that drying the glue can take several hours. If the planks are not held on, they will come loose. So that you don’t have to hold a single board for hours, you have to use small support nails.

Line up the tack nails so that you can use them as a guide during the installation of Shiplap. It is enough if you set a nail every three feet.

You start the installation from the baseboard. Here you glue a long wooden strip, maximum 8 feet long. Make sure one side is attached to the corner of the wall so you can use it as a reference. Complete the entire skirting board with additional wooden slats as required.

Now nail the 8 foot plank in place and place another similar plank on it, but on the opposite side of the wall and at least a cent apart. The penny measure is sufficient to create the necessary tabs for the installation of the chip map.

Repeat this process with each new row and always change the position of the table so that it can overlap.

Since the wood is hardly perfectly straight, it is best to use a spirit level to check that there are no serious deviations. If you find bugs, you can fill them with a leftover piece of wood.

To avoid discrepancies, first install each new row from the same corner and always use the penny to create the gap between the tables.

If an electrical object such as a switch or socket is attached to the wall, please measure it before placing the ship’s hatch. Mark it on the table with a pencil and cut the piece with a saw. Remember that you have to do the process in both tables.

Add a little color

Some woods have a beautiful natural design, but this is not the case most of the time, so you’ll need to paint the ship’s hatch. This not only serves aesthetics, but also offers an additional protective layer.

First, apply a primer that you can paint on. Then paint the larger areas with a roller.

With a small brush with a stiff tip, you can outline the joints between the boards. You need to remove excess paint from the joints before it dries. Otherwise unsightly bumps occur. Insert a sheet of paper or cardboard into these notches to absorb the color.

Since it is wood, you will most likely need two coats of paint to get the color you want.

Are there any advantages to installing Shiplap over drywall?

Image source: Janet Shea Interiors

The installation of Shiplap over drywall has the advantage that there is prior support for the work. In this way, you will receive instructions on how to create a straight wall and are not just perfect for placing nails that can hold the wood.

With two layers of cladding, you also have better control over the temperature of your home and a more resistant wall to rain and snow.

However, it is always recommended to install the ship from the beginning. Drywall complicates the process because you need to determine where the studs are. The result can be a thick wall that takes up space in your rooms.

Final considerations for installing ship walls over drywall

Depending on your drywall, you can do some additional tricks. For example, most drywall has a slightly rustic texture that doesn’t care about installing Shiplap on it. However, there are rustic walls where it is best to smooth them down with sandpaper first.

Do not fully connect the boards as this could damage them. When wet, the boards tend to expand a bit, and if they don’t have free space, they start to crack and kink. You should leave at least ¼ inch on the sides of the wall to allow the wood to expand. You can cover them with molded parts if they are very noticeable.

Remember that the most important thing in a drywall installation is determining the position of the studs. As long as you have this under control, you shouldn’t have any problems with the project.

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