Over the past years we have been seeing a huge increase in demand for shiplap products in the homes that we supply. It seems that just about every home I measure and supply, there is always at least one area with it such as an accent wall and in some cases entire rooms, walls and ceilings. One conversation that consistently arises is what is it called? Most commonly referenced as “Nickel Gap”. Now although this is a type of shiplap it is not a broad description, in fact it’s quite the opposite.
The term “Nickel Gap” is referencing the spacing between boards. A true nickel gap is 1/8” spacing between boards. The product we stock here at Shepley for this application is prime finger jointed product called Shadow Gap. This product is stocked in two different sizes, 1x8 and 1x6 at 12’ and 16’ lengths (note that these boards are actually 5/8” thick) with the 1x8 offering 6-7/8” face coverage and the 1x6 at 4-7/8” coverage, and both sizes are “pre gapped” meaning that the boards will give you a nice consistent gapping with little to no need for adjustment in the field.
Another shiplap that we stock and supply is what we have branded “Sheplap” (see what we did there?) This is a shiplap product with a pre-gapped with ¼” spacing. This product is made of MDF and is ideal when there is a concern for movement in the install area. It is ½” thick by 8” (7-3/4” coverage) and available in 16’ lengths only. Shepley brought this on to the shelves years back when we saw this trend beginning and is only available at SWP. The ¼” gap allows installers to either use the predetermined spacing or modify in the field to the desired gap.
These certainly aren’t the only options for shiplap, we also stock a 1x8 Eastern White Pine shiplap for when a natural finish is being desired and our shops are more than capable of custom milling any specie or gap size that is being sought.
For any more information please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Shepley representative and as always, thank you for your business!