FL&B External Door poser

[Stuartgb100]

If cladding with vertical t&g boarding, how tight should the joints be ?
Each door leaf will be 900mm wide, 2000mm high.
Timber will be douglas fir.
Tg&v boards will finish at 19x125mm.
Thanks.

 

[Jacob]

If the doors are going outside the boards are likely to expand and should be fitted loose, unless already high moisture content in which case they might even shrink.
If the doors are going inside the boards are more likely than not to shrink and should be fitted push fit close together.

 

[niall Y]

Not tight at all, especially if getting a regular soaking. I would leave about 2mm at least to allow for expansion.

In this instance there is a lot to be said for using a lapped joint instead of T&G.. It doesn't trap the water so readily. And with the thinnest sections being a 1/2 and not a 1/3 the thickness of the boards, makes for a more robust joint.

I first saw this used on a door that I remade, for a Victorian walled garden, and have adopted the practice for all subsequent garden doors/gates.

 

[johnnyb]

it's very easy to put these in to tight resulting in a bowed door. 2 to 3 mm. even more on a garden gate with total exposure but it does depend on the timbers moisture and also how wide those boards are.

 

[Stuartgb100]

Ok, many thanks for the advice.
I'll start by finding the moisture meter.
Cheers.