Finishing inside of trailer

salmonbum

New member
I just bought a 7 x 24 NEO enclosed trailer and I want to finish the inside. I bought some white hardboard last nite at Home Depot ($12 a sheet), along with the trim strips to cover the seams. My buddy bought the same trailer used the same stuff to finish his, when he did it it was 20° outside and he had just bought the board from HD and installed it while it was basically at room temp. Once it was installed and sat for a nite, the board shrank and wrinkled. I bought the board last nite and put it in the trailer so everything will be the same temp when I start working on it. Will it still wrinkle on me? Is there any other stuff that would be better to use and still not to expensive? This stuff is pretty dense (used in showers the HD guy told me) so it shouldn't soak up moisture. I'm just worried how it will hold up to temp changes (shrink/expand).

Also, I'm going to attach with #8 self drilling screws with white snap caps. Is there a caulk/glue I should run down the vertical supports to help with board attachment?
 

stevis

New member
Every material has its own expansion and contraction rates due to temperature changes. So if you are attaching wood to metal you need to attach it so both materials can expand and contract at there own rates. A good example of this is vinyl siding. If you have ever looked at a piece you should have notice that all the precut nailing holes are slotted. This is done so that as the siding and the wood behind the siding moves from temp changes it has room to make up for the different expansion rates. If the siding was not installed like this it would ripple just like what you are talking about. If you do not what this to happen you will need to attach so it has room to move.
 

stevis

New member
Not sure I can not see what you are working with. Just need to make sure it can move, a slot of some sort and maybe a washer and a screw.
 

salmonbum

New member
There is a 12” 3/8” plywood kickplate on bottom. Vertical Aluminum posts are rectangle tubing 1.5” wide, 24” on center. From the top of kick plate to upper trim piece is 57.125”. I was going to use #8 self-drilling screws , with 4 going down each post (12 per sheet of siding). Not sure the best way to slot the hardwood????

I was just at the trailer factory a few days ago, and by looking at trailers they were building finished inside, they didn’t slot anything, just shoot a screw thru and shipped it!
 

Boxer

New member
You could pre-drill the hard board a little bigger and use a washer on the screw to cover the larger hole. It wouldn't take a much larger hole than the screw to help with expansion.
 

salmonbum

New member
You could pre-drill the hard board a little bigger and use a washer on the screw to cover the larger hole. It wouldn't take a much larger hole than the screw to help with expansion.

Good Idea. Actually I bought some Snap Caps to use on the screws. There is a dish type washer that you put on the screw (would hide the hole) and when its fastened you take the cap part and snap it over the dish.

http://www.pro-dec.com/screw-caps-screw-covers/12-12-snap-caps
 
Top