Alternatives for siding run in barn

[biketopia]

Updated With Pictures at the end
So on my 5 acres I have a 4 stall run in barn that is structurally fantastic. The outer cladding however has seen much better days. It currently has t1-11 on the two ends and plywood with small doors for a horse to stick its head out on the back. I want to redo the siding on it, is my best course of action to suck it up and go with t1-11 or would I possibly have another option that might not be $30+ a sheet.

[special-K]

I assume it's framed with horizontal 2xs across posts, not studded up like the house. Is T-11 only $30 now? I bought some a couple years ago and it was $48 a sheet, which was not an inflated cost like the plywood was. Plywood was as much or more.

I don't like T-111. It's destine to rot, especially in this use. Let me guess, is the bottom all rotted out? I guess any wood will do that, but the T-111 seems to really sponge up the water. Unlike lumber, it's laminations of thin wood. So the glue can fail and the thin layers rot quickly. I'm not sure it's any cheaper, but try finding a local sawmill and do board & batten barn siding. Make sure you stay 8" or more from the ground. Another option to consider is the metal roofing/siding used on pole buildings. Again, may not be cheaper but it's do once and forget about it

[MJN]

I'd vote for steel siding myself- covers a lot of area fast with one sheet and it would probably be the last time you'd have to worry about it. I just had my 30x40 shop resided and roofed last week, all steel, took the crew two days and it was done.

[biketopia]

Tim you nailed it, horizontal 2x4s and the handful of sheets close to the ground have wicked the water up and started to rot. I will look into metal siding, hadn't thought of that for some reason, it has a metal roof already. I don't like the idea of t111 either, had considered smart board but that's in the neighborhood of $50 a sheet. I'm sure there's a sawmill near by I could contact, with all the 3 tier horse fences around me, someone is churning out those boards.

MJN, do you have pictures of your building, and if you don't mind a rough idea on cost? You can PM me if you don't want to post it up.

[MJN]

Materials were quoted just over $6000 (siding, roofing, trim, screws, tyvek, rat guard, chimney boot, etc etc). Roofing and trim have a textured finish instead of smooth. I bought the windows and a few other pieces that weren't included. The total estimate for this job came in $5k less than the next closest bid I had but I haven't got the final invoice yet.

[biketopia]

Ahh ok, well I'm going to have to reach out to a buddy of mine that does this stuff and see what he thinks. Metal would be nice, pay once cry once, and it's not all that big, I think it's like 12'x 48' and only 12' at the height of the peak. Plus the whole front is obviously open.

[ballencd]

Nice looking shop!

[Dead Parrot]

2nd the go with metal idea. Make sure you use a treated board for the bottom attachment board. My current place came with a 30x50 pole barn clad in metal. Still looks fairly new after 10+ years. Plus metal is more fire resistant which seems to be becoming more important.

[Just call me Sean]

We use mostly Hardie board or Hardie siding because it's pretty weather resistant.

[special-K]

I was the first one to suggest the metal. I didn't offer it as the first option for a reason. I assumed this run-in shed is for horses? If so, you have to consider a horse's kick. A spunky horse can make a mess out of that tin if you don't put some wood behind it. Just a thought.

The thing with Hardie Plank and SmartSide is they really should have sheathing behind them. I also can see both of those failing along the bottom if close enough to the ground to catch the splash. then there's the cost compared to saw mill lumber. Vertical wood weathers better than horizontal. Water travels 'with' the grain, so is shed better. I put Poplar board & batten sawmill lumber on my barn 30+ years ago. I never put anything on it. The only deterioration is where it was at or close ground level. I priced 1 x 12 pine at a sawmill in the last couple weeks. They were at $1.20 a board foot, so the same per linear foot. An 8' board would cost about $10. I found a small lumber company that sells kiln-dried pine 'rough sawn' (one side) for $1.80 bd ft. At a small old rural lumber yard near here the same lumber was about $1 bd ft higher..

[biketopia]

Good points again Tim. Originally the PO put the run in shed up for his lady friend to have horses on the property. That either came and went or never actually happened. It's just used as storage for my tractor, lawn mowers, split fire wood, and other various stuff that's needed out at that end of the property so I don't have to hike back to the house when I need something. We also have no plans to add horses in the mix. Board and batten would look really good, a decent amount of work to do, but I'll have to get some costs on material and see where it ends up.

[Just call me Sean]

Hardie board doesn't need sheathing behind it. It is the sheathing, it's 4'x8'. It's also concrete based which is why it's so weather resistant.

[special-K]

That's true, or at least what Hardie says. But not for me. I only put it over sheathing. Been using it since it came out but can't say I know everything on it. All I've used has been lap siding and their stucco sheets. All that is 3/8" which I feel is sub-standard for sheathing. Also doesn't give rack bracing. I didn't suggest it here mainly because of cost and was thinking there might be horses involved. You do have to keep it away from moisture. if not properly installed it can fail. The same is true for Smartside.

[biketopia]

Been meaning to update this thread for a while now. Back in March we decided it was time to do something. Contacted my local building supplier and they got me all set up with Union Corrugating panels and trim. The panels were pre cut at 8' and 3' for the gables. Had it dropped off and invited my brother and a few buddies over to tear down the old siding and install new. Was pretty straightforward and easy enough to work with once we got the bottom trim set level, was just a matter of setting the panels on. All in it cost $2050 for enough material to do an 18x40 run in with about $370 of that being lumber to replace broken & rotten pieces and the delivery fee. The supplier was close enough I could of picked it up, but just let them drop it for convenience sake. I also bought a few extra 8' and 3' panels to account to screw ups and future additions or repairs. The roof does not leak, just doesn't look the best, we might paint it or replace, still deciding.

[Palf70Step]

That will look good.!

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

That will look good.!

I second that. It looks great already.

[special-K]

Looks great.

[biketopia]

Thanks guys! And thanks for those of you who suggested going with metal. Did my research and worked with friendly suppliers and it turned out good.