need help building wooden ceiling for pilot house

[Drew74]

Hello!

Hoping to find some reading material on the construction of wooden slats (?) for the ceiling of a pilot house. Need to add insulation as well.

Many thanks in advance!

Drew

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Drew74

Hello!

Hoping to find some reading material on the construction of wooden slats (?) for the ceiling of a pilot house. Need to add insulation as well.

Many thanks in advance!

Drew

Use tongue and groove and your choice of wood. Ensure backing is glued/epoxied to cabin top at 16” centres (greater if the wood is thicker) add your insulation between backing. Fasten your T&G to the backing keeping your fasteners tight and in line with each other in order to a) leave fasteners exposed b) hide fasteners behind a batten c) countersink and plug all fasteners in either option a or b.

[Drew74]

should I use board insulation? If so, does it matter which type? I also want to insulate below my floorboards.

Thank you for such a thorough reply!

[Oeanda]

I made tongue and groove red cedar strips with a tablesaw, simply because nothing was available locally. 2” wide and about 1/4” thick. Then pre-painted, and glued on, with the occasional stainless brad nail. Then some touchups, and more paint. Time consuming. Actually, I’m still not done .
But certainly most civilized areas on earth will have suitable pre-made wood strips available.

Edit. I should’ve mentioned that - the damaged headliner I was replacing was actually just a type of thin paneling, i.e. fake tongue and groove, known as beadboard. Or whatever version of such product they used in Taiwan in 1980…. Panelling would’ve saved a lot of time
The stuff on our boat held up well for most of 40 years. But I wasn’t able to find anything locally that didn’t seem like total junk.

[Drew74]

Thank you! No insulation?

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Drew74

should I use board insulation? If so, does it matter which type? I also want to insulate below my floorboards.

Thank you for such a thorough reply!

I’d use board insulation for the top, your choice really. Anything foil faced won’t get the stated R rating without a proper air space. My choice would be HS40 for its properties (although it looks like old bead board insulation, it is not) pretty sure they make it down to 3/4” maybe 1/2” but not sure. Try and avoid polyiso as it is highly flammable. For under your floor, best would be a two part closed cell polyurethane foam to hit the hard to reach areas. Be cautious with the two part packs you buy at hardware stores as most of these use flammable blowing agents ant can settle in the bilge ie KABOOM! But if you’re careful and provide adequate ventilation you should be ok.

[Oeanda]

Originally Posted by Drew74

Thank you! No insulation?

No insulation as such in my case because there simply wasn’t room. I did use gorilla glue to attach the wood, which foamed up and expanded quite nicely under the wood filling all gaps and presumably creating a microscopic amount of insulation value. I was happy with the way that glue functioned, although it was a bit messy

But - I was working around the remaining bit of existing headliner, and the cross members stayed in place. So it was more like a large scale repair job. If I was completely starting from scratch I would’ve at least put in a layer of the thin camping mat type foam, or Reflectix, or perhaps something more upscale if I had found something.

[psk125]

You might want to try looking for beadboard. Not the panels, but the individual boards. Better quality lumberyards will carry it. Though it comes in a variety of woods, cedar is rot-resistant, light, and will look good varnished or painted.

[deblen]

I'm sure you can find tounge & groove western cedar canoe strips locally for much less$$


cedar (red) strip bundle 16 - 17' (64pc) : csb-r : noahsmarine.com

[Bowdrie]

It's unlikely that the breadth of the PH is equal throughout the fore-and-aft length, (the camber might even change?).
If this is the case, (and if you want to use individual strips,) then you first need to establish a center line, and you'll start with the outboard strips first, working in towards the center.
The "first on" outboard strips will need to be tapered to take-up any differences in breadth and/or notched/fitted to go around protrusions or fittings.
Keep the strips parallel to the center line as you go.
Then, the last strip, (that runs down the center,) will be of required width to fill that space, (wider or narrower as the case may be).
Best visual results are obtained when there are an odd number of strips, the one centerline strip with equal numbers of strips on either side.
Insulation?
Others have already covered several bases for your decision.

[c.K.]

Originally Posted by Drew74

Hello!

Hoping to find some reading material on the construction of wooden slats (?) for the ceiling of a pilot house. Need to add insulation as well.

Many thanks in advance!

Drew

Hey Drew
Why not clue sheets of pink styrofoam on a well-prepared ceiling using liqiud nails here you have the spacers and insulation at the same time
It does work

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

It's unlikely that the breadth of the PH is equal throughout the fore-and-aft length, (the camber might even change?).
If this is the case, (and if you want to use individual strips,) then you first need to establish a center line, and you'll start with the outboard strips first, working in towards the center.
The "first on" outboard strips will need to be tapered to take-up any differences in breadth and/or notched/fitted to go around protrusions or fittings.
Keep the strips parallel to the center line as you go.
Then, the last strip, (that runs down the center,) will be of required width to fill that space, (wider or narrower as the case may be).
Best visual results are obtained when there are an odd number of strips, the one centerline strip with equal numbers of strips on either side.
Insulation?
Others have already covered several bases for your decision.

Start on the center line not on the outside. You run the risk of a tiny center piece or two partial pieces right in the line of sight. Hide the small pieces on the outer edge, also makes scribing to the hull shape easier.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by rbk

Start on the center line not on the outside. You run the risk of a tiny center piece or two partial pieces right in the line of sight. Hide the small pieces on the outer edge, also makes scribing to the hull shape easier.

Not at all, this is why you "line-off" the breadths, so that you don't end up with a tiny strip in the center, (nor a huge wide one,) although a somewhat wider one is preferred in the center, it makes centerline fixtures such as lights have a better visual appearance.
Far easier to scribe the outside border strips to fit first, then rip the inside edge to match your line-off marks.
Ask me how I know, (having done it more than once).
It's somewhat similar to bottom planking on a wood boat, you don't try to fit the garboard plank last.
One can also look at a "layed" deck, the covering boards, (the borders,) are done first, then the decking goes on between them, the centerline king-plank goes in last, and is wider, obviously a "nibbed"" king plank for a "sprung" deck requires a different sequence, (patterns are used).

[Orion Jim]

Ash is widely used for ceiling. Holds varnish very well and remains light in color. Mine are 38 years old this year and look as new. They are not tongue and groove but there are no gaps as it is a very stable wood.
This photo was taken several years ago while I was applying a coat of varnish to the interior.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

Not at all, this is why you "line-off" the breadths, so that you don't end up with a tiny strip in the center, (nor a huge wide one,) although a somewhat wider one is preferred in the center, it makes centerline fixtures such as lights have a better visual appearance.
Far easier to scribe the outside border strips to fit first, then rip the inside edge to match your line-off marks.
Ask me how I know, (having done it more than once).
It's somewhat similar to bottom planking on a wood boat, you don't try to fit the garboard plank last.
One can also look at a "layed" deck, the covering boards, (the borders,) are done first, then the decking goes on between them, the centerline king-plank goes in last, and is wider, obviously a "nibbed"" king plank for a "sprung" deck requires a different sequence, (patterns are used).

Agree to disagree, this should only be used topside or structural decking as mentioned. Unless you pre-measure and square the assembly up to the cabin which are usually not this will end badly, and take far longer, more so for an amateur. Usually when your method is done and hasn’t worked out a batten is installed on the center line to hide the inconsistencies.