How to fill large gaps between wood beam and paneling?

[MariaDF]

 

 So we recently moved into our home and I have discovered these huge finger thick gaps between the roof beam and wall panels. I need advice on how to best fill and have a visually pleasing result as it is in the living room (but essentially everywhere in the house). Thanks for helping me!

[JacobZ]

Hi @MariaDF,

Thank you for your post and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Is it possible to get some more photos of the space? This is definitely not a standard way of closing in a living space so I'm not sure if they have left this gap for a reason or not.

You may be able to simply attach a piece of timber to cover the gap, but I'd have to see more of what is going on to know whether this is the best method of doing this. 

Allow me to tag @Nailbag, @Jewelleryrescue and @TedBear to see what they think.

Jacob

[MariaDF]

Sure understand, I have taken a few more photos- it is gaps galore 😩, marked the original one with red so you can see where it is in the room. You can only see it on a ladder or in case of the brick wall gaps when you look straight at it (other images). Hope that helps clarify my dilemma. Was thinking a polyfiller and then quads but the gaps are uneven and ranging from 1-2cm. 

 

 

 

Marked the other gaps red as well, so it is more clear where they are.

 

 Also think that originally there were no gaps but the whole house has settled over the last 40years and then the gaps appeared? It is a 2 storey home, the pics are upstairs from the main living space and the bottom of the home is mud brick. 

[JacobZ]

Hi @MariaDF,

Your suggestion of a gap filler such as this Poly Cedar Coloured Caulk Gap Filler followed by quad or a timber batten would certainly work, but I am concerned about the fact that you can see through to the outside of the house through these gaps.

Covering the gap from the inside using filler and timber would give you a good aesthetic fix, but there is potential for water to get in from the outside, sit in the gaps and rot the timber. To fully address the issue, you will need to repeat the process of filling and covering the gap on the outside as well.

Can you get any photos of the gap from the outside? I understand it is the second story, so if it is not possible to do so safely, please don't. 

It may be worth considering the assistance of a handyman or carpenter considering the height the gaps would be on the outside.

Let me know what you think, I'm happy to offer further advice if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[TedBear]

Hi @MariaDF , I have the same concerns as @JacobZ about this. It seems very odd to see the outside through a gap in an inside wall. Is there only one layer of cladding? I suspect that the timber was still green when installed and has dried and consequently shrunk, to open up the gap like that. It's the is no external cladding then exposure to weather will destroy those boards eventually, so I hope that's not the case. As @JacobZ says, you'll need to be fitting boards along the outside gaps, not just the inside gaps. You may need to consider an expanding filler to seal the wind, rain out, then cover that with strips. Looking forward to seeing the external photos though.

[MariaDF]

 

 

 

Took photos from both sides of the house as can‘t reach the top gap even with a ladder. You can see the cladding and the top beams. I have been told that expanding foam is difficult to work with in such narrow gaps. The previous owner loved expanding foam and used very liberally and did not care about the looks of it. I have circled the gap that is visible in the previous photos. The other photo is from the other side of the house. 

 

[TedBear]

Please don't fill with polyfilla since the timber will cause it to dry hard and crack in this situation. You could use a flexible sealer (tube and caulking gun), then run a timber strip along the lengths of gaps to hide them. Expanding sealer would do better job of sealing it, but as you have said, it can be messy to work with if you over do it. You would have to mask the inside timber to prevent the foam getting onto the timber, so a caulking gun may be easier in the long run. You need to use a flexible sealer because the verticle boards and the horizontal boards that they (almost) connect to, will move differently, so a non-flexible sealant will crack.

Perhaps this product would suit you ...

Crommelin 300ml Hybrid MS Polyurethane Sealant

https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommelin-300ml-hybrid-ms-polyurethane-sealant_p0356878

[MitchellMc]

Hi @MariaDF,

Some great advice from @TedBear there. I'd run a bead of the polyurethane sealant inside and out and then add a Quad moulding to cover it on both sides.

Mitchell

[MariaDF]

Thanks so much @TedBear @JacobZ  for your advice- will try that hybrid polyfiller and run quads on the inside and outside have to see how I can get to it without scaffolding… Really appreciated!!! Will keep you posted once I have started to show how it is going.