What Is Board and Batten Style Siding?

Get Familiar with the Trendy, Exterior Siding Replacement Style of Board and Batten

Cookie-cutter— this term should be far from the way people describe your home. But you know you’ve heard people say it. “Look at all those cookie-cutter houses.”

Homes are personal to the people who live in them. They should reflect your style and needs. And your home’s exterior is the most commonly viewed portion of your house by others. You, therefore, need an exterior that speaks to you and makes your home unique, and siding is a great way to achieve it.

With so many siding materials and style to choose from, it’s time to take a step back and look at an oldie, but a goodie— board and batten siding, from Lakeside Renovation and Design.

This siding style is making a resurgence in home trends today, so let’s brush up on our knowledge of the siding style.

What Is Board and Batten?

Board and batten has a very literal name, derived from its two, necessary components— the siding board and the covering batten. Battens are a smaller board used to cover the exposed seam between siding boards. The planks are typically run vertically

Board and batten siding has been around for hundreds of years. It was created to literally fill in the gaps of inefficient home siding. With the creation of saw mills came the ability to create actual, cut boards for siding a home. However, simply nailing these newly flushed boards to a home, still left a gap in the siding for air flow and moisture penetration. The solution became the batten, covering the exposed seam and protecting and insulating the home.

Why Choose Board and Batten Siding?

With so many siding options to choose from on the market, you need more than a siding that will merely perform well against the elements. (Although, this should be your first priority when replacing your siding.) You need a siding that will bring a wide range of benefits to your home, and board and batten does that.

Provides a Dimensional and Custom Appeal

While board and batten style siding has been around for hundreds of years, it is currently making a resurgence in popularity. The dimensionality of the siding makes it more visually interesting and appealing while the individually applied battens make the siding feel more custom and original to your home.

Home Value and Appeal

Replacement siding alone can add value to your home. But installing Hardie board and batten siding will not only make your home value increase from a practicality standpoint but from a visual standpoint.

The beauty of board and batten, when properly installed, will give your home the edge if resale ever becomes your goal.

Durability

The resilience of any siding will be heavily reliant on the siding material chosen, but board and batten does have its own advantages. With the batten covering the seams left between boards, it prevents moisture from penetrating the siding, helping to preserve it. Secondly, when utilizing a material that commonly swells with temperature changes, the boards have room to expand and contract, minimizing warping.

Ease of Repair or Partial Replacement

Unlike many other forms of siding, the use of individual pieces in board and batten make it easier to repair or provide partial replacements, as only the affected section will need to be removed, rather than the entire siding.

Options

Board and Batten siding can be installed either vertically and horizontally in a variety of materials, giving you the opportunity to have the style no matter your budget or home needs.

• Wood— Board and batten is traditionally built from true wood siding. In today’s market, this style of siding can come in a wide range of wood types (cedar to oak) and can be painted or stained to achieve your dream style.
• Vinyl— Vinyl’s affordability makes it a great option for board and batten as homeowners can achieve this popular and custom style at a lower cost.
• Engineered wood— Mimicking the look of true wood, engineered wood is another popular option for board and batten siding. It typically provides the same look at a lower cost and without the same aversions to moisture and temperature changes.
• Fiber cement— You can have the strength as well as the many benefits of fiber cement by opting for a board and batten from James Hardie siding. Hardie board and batten affords your home that weed hewn appeal with a lasting durability and low maintenance.
• Steel— Another extremely durable and commonly used board and batten siding material is steel. It is long lasting but can be a more expensive replacement option.

Mixes Well with Other Styles

Installing accent board and batten is another popular modern home trend. The dimensional, yet streamlined trendiness of the siding style helps it to mix well with many different styled homes. So, whether your home is contemporary, traditional, or rustic, board and batten can fit with your current design style and provide a custom look to a typical plank sided home.

This also makes board and batten a great option for partial siding jobs. If your entire exterior does not need replacement, board and batten can be added to the areas that do and tie in well with your current home.

Properly Installed Board and Batten Makes the Difference

But don’t just install board and batten siding. Install the best board and batten option available. James Hardie fiber cement’s durability and resistance to the elements makes it the perfect selection to achieve an appeal and long-lasting board and batten finish.

If you’re still unsure of exactly what style of siding your home needs, Lakeside’s team of James Hardie Elite Preferred contractors can assess your property and help breakdown whether or not James Hardie siding is the right choice for your home. We would love to help inspire your new exterior. Learn more about James Hardie siding today.