A milled tongue on one edge and a matching groove on the other, so boards lock together and hide every fastener.
Every board leaves our mill with a tongue run down one long edge and a groove cut into the other. The tongue of one board seats into the groove of the next, which pulls the faces flush and locks the run together across its whole length. There is no gap to chase and no seam that opens up the first dry winter after install.
That interlock is also what lets you blind-nail. The fastener goes through the tongue at an angle and the next board covers it, so a finished ceiling shows clean board faces with no nail holes to fill. It is slower to hang than a butt-jointed board and it is worth it every time on work you will be looking up at for twenty years.
Wood moves with the seasons. The tongue sits slightly proud in the groove so boards can breathe without the joint pulling apart or telegraphing a line of daylight. Let material acclimate on site for a few days before you hang it and the run will stay tight.
T&G is the default around Ocala for a reason. It reads as a finished surface rather than as paneling, it works stained or painted, and it holds up in barns and shops as well as it does in a great room. We keep it moving through the mill constantly, which means grade and thickness stay consistent from one order to the next.
If you want the same interlock with a defined shadow line between boards, look at V-joint. If you want a visible reveal and a faster hang, look at shiplap.
Use the coverage width to plan your board count, then add 10 to 15 percent for cuts and waste. Nominal sizes follow standard lumber convention — dressed dimensions run slightly smaller.
| Profile | Nominal size | Approx. coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x6 T&G | 3/4 in x 5-1/2 in | ~5 in face | Tighter board lines, smaller rooms, wainscot |
| 1x8 T&G | 3/4 in x 7-1/4 in | ~6-3/4 in face | Ceilings and large walls — fewer boards, fewer fasteners |
| Custom widths | Cut to spec | By order | Matching existing work and designer specs |
Standard lengths are 12 and 16 ft in stock, with 4, 8, and 10 ft available on request. Call (352) 895-9950 with your square footage and we will run the count with you.
The single most common use we mill for. Boards run perpendicular to the joists or purlins, blind-nailed as you go. On a vault the lines draw the eye up the slope; on a flat ceiling they pull a room wider. Stain-grade in clear, rustic in #2.
Covered outdoor ceilings are where T&G earns its keep in Florida. The tight joint keeps wasps and dirt out of the cavity, and a sealed finish handles the humidity. Cypress is the upgrade pick for exposed work.
The interlock makes a solid panel out of loose boards, which is exactly what a sliding barn door or a stall front needs. #2 grade takes the abuse and the knots look right in an ag building.
Standard stock and what most of our T&G ships in. Dense, machines crisp, takes stain and paint, and priced for whole-room jobs.
Special order. Naturally rot and insect resistant, so it is the right call for exposed porch ceilings and anything that sees weather.
Special order. Poplar is the paint-grade favorite — very little grain telegraph under a sprayed finish. Call us for other hardwoods.
Sound knots and natural color variation. The value pick for barns, shops, rustic ceilings, and anything getting a heavy stain or a painted finish.
Minimal knots and straighter grain. Use it where the wood is the finish — great rooms, entryways, and stain-grade trim work.
The same locking tongue and groove joint with a chamfer milled on each edge, giving a crisp V-shaped shadow line at every seam.
View V-Joint
An L-shaped rabbet cut into each long edge so boards lap over one another and sit flat, leaving an even reveal at every joint.
View Shiplap SidingTell us the room, the square footage, and the finish you are after. We will walk you through species, grade, and length.
Locally yours — Ocala, FL.
