TONGUE AND GROOVE BOARDS FOR YOUR WALLS AND CEILINGS

What are Tongue and Groove Boards?

T&G boards are milled with a protruding tongue on one edge of the board and a receiving groove on the opposite edge. These lock together on consecutive boards, creating a very tight, stable joint that can be milled with a wide array of patterns on the face to provide the perfect look for your project.

Tongue and groove has been regularly used in homes since the end of the 19th century, and continues to prove an excellent option for finishing your walls, ceilings, floors, and more.

We supply our kiln-dried tongue and groove wood in multiple patterns, including v-groove, bead board, and square edge all milled with the tongue and groove joint. Tongue and groove is also a great option for flooring and you can find the T&G flooring section here.

Tongue and Groove Wood Patterns:

V-Groove

The V-groove pattern with tongue and groove is a very popular option. When these boards are milled there is a 1/2 "V" cut into the edge of the joint. When two boards are connected the two halve "V"s form an actual V-shaped groove down the length of the board. Sometimes this is referred to as car siding, based on the historical installation of v-groove boards in old railroad cars. This pattern is illustrated in the picture below. 

This option is great for walls and ceilings both and we carry its in three species of wood: poplar, pine, and cedar. Below are the three species and examples of how some of our incredible customers have used this wood option in their home!

Poplar:

We carry our #2 common grade poplar in 2 widths; 6” and 8". #2 lumber, or common grade, is a lower grade lumber, but it ends up having a ton of character! You will still see some cracks and barky edges, but there will be significantly less waste in poplar than you might find in other types of wood. It's loaded with so much character that lots of people who are planning to paint actually change their minds once they see how it looks natural. BUT if you want to paint, poplar is a great option as a species.

Pine:

The Run of the Mill- Our pine tongue and groove comes in what we call our popular Run of the the Mill grade at widths of 6" and 8" and is our most popular item available. The Run of the Mill shiplap is available in eastern white pine and ponderosa pine. This option is a lower grade of lumber than the common grade that our poplar comes in so it has plenty of character and knots in it, but it also has more missing knots, cracks, and things that amount to waste - depending on how you view it.

The Benchmark- We also carry what we call our Benchmark lumber. This Eastern White Pine is a much cleaner offering than our Run of the Mill and offers customers a beautiful product with less waste. The boards are custom milled to the pattern of your choosing.

Cedar:

Our eastern red cedar option has been growing increasingly popular recently. Like the poplar, the cedar tongue and groove boards come in a common grade or #2 grade lumber. You can get this option in a 6" and 8" width.

Blue Stain Pine:

Our blue stain ponderosa pine comes in 6" widths. This option comes in a common grade (#3). Everything is milled to a v-groove at the joint only on one side and a flat-back on the reverse side. The blue stain is a very popular option for walls, floors, and ceilings. The blueing in the wood is created by a fungus carried by beetles that infects and kills the trees. The shades of blue vary from tree to tree and offer a ton a character to walls, floors, and ceilings.

Bead Board

Is also a popular tongue and groove pattern. The beadboard pattern is created by cutting a recess and bead down the edge of the tongue and groove board. When the boards line up together they create the beaded effect down the edge. There is also a bead that runs down the middle of the board that adds more texture to the board. This is all illustrated in the picture below.

The tongue and groove beadboard option is also great for walls and ceilings and we carry it in pine, poplar, and cedar. Historically, older homes had beautiful beadboard ceilings on porches, in living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens, and that style and character has been resurrected as new styles are bringing back elements of those clean lines and rich character in the beadboard. Below is more information on this product and examples of how some of our incredible customers have used this wood option in their home!

Pine:

Our pine tongue and groove comes in both our Run of the Mill grade and our Benchmark grade at widths of 6" and 8". The popular run of the mill shiplap is available in eastern white pine and ponderosa pine. What some people don’t know is that our v-groove and beadboard actually come on the same board! On one side of the board you will find the v-groove and on the other you will see a bead board pattern. This means that you get a 2-in-1 deal!

Cedar:

The cedar beadboard pattern actually uses the same principle as the pine beadboard. When you buy our cedar v-groove pattern you get the beadboard pattern on the reverse side.

Poplar:

The poplar bead pattern comes in 6" widths. This option comes in a common grade (#2). The poplar is a very popular option for walls and ceilings.

Square edge

A square edge on the tongue and groove gives it a shiplap look. Instead of a bead or a v being cut down the side of the board it is simply left square creating a flat surface when fitted together edge to edge.

Pine options:

Our customers tend to utilize shiplap for the square edged look in our pine, but we do at times carry a tongue and groove pine with a square edge already milled. If you prefer not to face nail the square edged shiplap, you can message us for custom milling options and pricing for square edged tongue and groove.

Poplar:

Our square edge poplar tongue and groove comes in widths of 3", 4" and 6”. This option is a (#2) or common grade option that looks killer on our customer's walls! Many of our customers utilize our 1x8 poplar shiplap for that square edge look. If you would prefer the tongue and groove poplar in 1x6 or 1x8 with the square edge, message us for custom milling options and pricing for square edged tongue and groove. Below are some pictures of the 3" and 4".

Cedar:

We typically mill our eastern red cedar tongue and groove with a v-groove pattern (at the joint only) on one face and a beadboard pattern on the reverse, but we can also mill a v-groove/flat-back combination if needed. For custom milling options, feel free to contact us.

Blue Stain Pine:

Our blue stain ponderosa pine comes in 6" widths. This option comes in a common grade (#3). Everything is milled to a v-groove at the joint only on one side and a flat-back on the reverse side. The blue stain is a very popular option for walls, floors, and ceilings. The blueing in the wood is created by a fungus carried by beetles that infects and kills the trees. The shades of blue vary from tree to tree and offer a ton a character to walls, floors, and ceilings.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The lengths in packs will vary, but the most important thing to consider is that we try to discourage customers from expecting they’ll always be able to use full length boards. When you account for cracks, missing knots, and other board waste, you should expect butt-joints. Simply put, this is part of using lower grades of lumber. If you look at most every picture of our customers’ homes, you will see those character-filled boards and maybe even some missing knots installed in their homes.

MORE INFO?

Need more information about what’s available, how to plan your project, what to expect, or are ready to order? Send our lumber specialists a message below or give them a call directly. We’re excited to help you!

Where and How to Use: Tongue & Groove

Our customers prove how perfect our tongue and groove looks on both walls and ceilings. The character in those boards is a perfect compliment for finishing work in most any room of your home! Applying the wood directly to the studs or even directly over existing drywall makes this product super easy to install!