What are the walls now? And in general, where is this cabin? We have threads around here that span from log cabin remodel way up north to folks doing frame cabins down south, to all sorts of in-between.

What about sheets of cork? Or cork tiling? natural insulation.

It's been gutted so there are just stud walls at this point. It used to have drywall that wasn't taped along with some ash (wood) on some walls (before we owned it).

It's located on a lake slightly south of Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. It gets very cold and there is lots of snow.

Has the ship sailed in terms of shiplap or do we qualify for a good application? Drywall could work and would be less $$, but it could be a big problem.

Thanks!

I would think since you are down to studs you can probably install anything you like. You aren't trying to cover/compete with chinked logs so that isn't an issue. Since you are at studs, you can take some time and get some insulation on those walls before you cover them too.

It being winter with that cold and snow might be a problem right now, because it sucks to work in a cold cabin- but that shouldn't be a problem once it warms up again in the spring.

IMO insulation is the big item and as for the wall material I think not drywall I grew up with a cabin that was unheated unless we used it for Christams in Alberta we had I think pretty cheap wall pannelling that looked like wood but I do remebr my Dad going a bit overboard for insulation too . In the walls and the ceiling. We used a wood stove for heat and I loved going there for Christmas my Dad would go the day before and get the heat going. So I guess I am saying go pannelling easy to install and worked well for us.

There are forums and lots of info on line and the condensus seems to be;

Insulation will not only extend the use in the spring and fall, but help with dampness in general.

Idea below could be a good solution using tongue and groove on ceiling and panelling (for budget purposes) on walls. I really like the light and dark combination and the addition of wood trim.

I live in northern NY and have an unheated sunporch with pine tongue and groove. You can paint or do a white wash in it that tones down the wood look. (We used exterior paint) The porch is 15+ years old and we’ve had zero issues with the walls.

Also there is a builders leftovers page for Muskoka area on Facebook. You might be very pleasantly surprised at what you find on there. It’s worth a look. They often have doors and windows, plumbing supplies etc. Just what you might need when redoing from the studs.

When I was young, my parents had cottages which were unheated during the winter. Not as cold as where you are, but we had the added dampness. Cottage did have insulation of some sort, and walls were probably plastered. All cottages had wallpaper, which was still tight to the wall 40 years later.

I did google your dilemma and came up with an answer directed to the OP, who lives in Ontario. Use blueboard and struct-lite plaster. Heat interior before, during and after installation for 1 to 2 weeks.

Thanks everyone! We do plan to insulate the walls and the ceiling.

I found this on the Home Depot site. https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hdg-3-8-inch-beaded-pine-plywood-11-32-inchx4-x8-/1000137181 It's only 3/8 thick though - is that thick enough to go directly on the studs? We have kids but they are older.

I've tried calling Muskoka Lumber, but they must be closed for the holidays. The lumber place closer to us seems to just have the plywood beadboard ($35.99 for a 4x8 sheet) and said not to go with mdf. It's hard when everyone has a different answer.

How about this beadboard on the walls and T&G pine (whitewashed) on the ceiling?

Here are a couple of photos I found...

Muskoka Lumber is only open weekdays. I'm not sure if they are closed for the holidays or not. We've had absolutely no issue with the MDF. I've never seen the plywood version. I will say the MDF if not a cheap solution but since it is pre-primed it goes up quickly and finishes quickly.

We used pine v-joint on our ceilings and the MDF Beadboard on the walls. I've just found a few pictures to show you how it looks. The pine V joint is painted but wiped back so you can see the grain and knots through.

In both these photos the pine is unfinished and the MDF is up but just the primed surface.

In this photo, the MDF is painted (BM Grey wisp) and the ceiling is painted a flat white.

We love these finishes and I wouldn't change them for anything else if I had it to do over again. The V-joint came from Muskoka Lumber as well but you can get it almost anywhere. The MDF isn't as easy to find. I've never seen it at Lowe's or Home Depot.

The problem with 4 X 8 sheets is that you will have to find a way to cover the seams. The beauty of the MDF is it is T & G so no visible seams. They have lengths up to 18' so you can cover even tall walls without seams.

Thanks @mvcanada! I really appreciate all the info and the wonderful photos. I love the way your place looks. The photos give me some hope that eventually we'll figure this all out. It's way harder than we thought it would be.

Is the mdf beadboard right in the studs? Our studs are 16" apart. Would this work for us - there would be a joint in the gap?

Did you do the t&g pine in your main living space and the mdf on the bedroom ceilings? What did you do for the bathroom?

Thanks again

Hmmmm good question about the MDF. I'll have to ask our contractor how it is attached. You shouldn't have any gaps.

All the ceilings are pine tongue and groove. All the walls are MDF panel Beadboard.

The bathroom had diagonal tongue and groove V joint cedar on 2 walls and drywall on the other walls. We've left it but are considering whitewashing the cedar walls as it makes the room a bit dark.

If you have a chance look for some of the real estate magazines from the Muskoka area. There are lots of really gorgeous pictures that you can use for inspiration, just to get ideas. There is one called Dockside that always has nice photos in.

I just found a photo showing the beadboard partially installed and I see that there is blocking between the studs to fasten the boards. I know he runs a small bead of caulk in the seams as well.

You can see the unfinished pine ceiling here too along with the MDF with just primer on it.

That beam will be clad in nicer wood and stained dark to match the floor.

We used Hickory Engineered hardwood, floating installation and are very happy with that choice.

I'll be happy to share information on any of the finishes etc that we've used. Our cottage was a Viceroy cottage built in the late 70s. We've been trying to do at least one upgrade every year even if that was just ripping out old carpet and replacing with hardwood (we laid it ourselves - that is a relatively easy DIY job) or painting a room. We've replaced all the windows and doors and put solid doors on the bedrooms to replace the old hollow ones and that made a big difference to the noise levels in the bedrooms if people were in the living space. I recommend that choice - it was worth the spend for the solid doors.

If you need a wood stove or fireplace - I recommend The Fire Within in Bracebridge.

Let me know if I can offer more information. Happy to help

Hi, Chris! I’m researching the answer for the very same question for our seasonal camp in Vermont. What did you end up using and what’s the verdict so far?