Renovation Detail: Board and Batten Siding
Classic board and batten siding adds timeless appeal to traditional homes, modern structures and every style in between
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger of the before + after super-site, http://www.raenovate.com/.
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger... More »
While some people dream of sugarplum fairies, I spend my slumbers dreaming of beautifully sided homes. As of late, I've been snoozing with visions of homes with board and batten exteriors. The exterior treatment is a vertical design created by installing wide wooden boards with smaller wooden battens covering their seams.
The fun part about this style of siding is that there is no standard for board or batten widths and spacings, allowing for innovation. You can even develop varying patterns on a single home by using multiple board to-batten ratios.
The installation method also insulates your home well. Insulation and a moisture barrier get tucked between the outside wall of the house and the siding, with the wide boards going up next and the battens last.
The fun part about this style of siding is that there is no standard for board or batten widths and spacings, allowing for innovation. You can even develop varying patterns on a single home by using multiple board to-batten ratios.
The installation method also insulates your home well. Insulation and a moisture barrier get tucked between the outside wall of the house and the siding, with the wide boards going up next and the battens last.
A one-and-a-half-story cottage-style board and batten addition highlights this traditional 1902 foursquare. Notice how the design team played with proportion while installing the board and batten on each story.
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| This seaside home features 1 x 12 boards with 2 x 2 battens in Western red cedar. |
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| Board and batten siding, a metal roof and diagonal cross balustrades combine to create a farmhouse feel at this home in South Carolina's Lowcountry. |
White board and batten pops alongside brown clapboard and staggered shingle siding.
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| Board and batten, sometimes referred to as barn siding, looks exceptionally nostalgic in a deep barn red. |
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| Architect Peter Eskuche used board and batten siding to create Norwegian character here. |
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| Architect James Crisp used board and batten siding on this pool house and clapboard on the main residence to create a hierarchy between the two structures. |
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| Board and batten in bright blue makes for a vernacular choice in the historically eclectic Pleasure Point neighborhood of Santa Cruz, California. |
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| This home in Menlo Park, California, features many of our favorite design touches, including a metal roof, exposed rafter tails, board and batten siding, awning windows and a perfect pergola. Does your home feature board and batten siding? Tell us more in the Comments below! More: 9 Top Siding Materials Fiber Cement Siding Takes a Front Seat |
Comments
MBBCreativity I love siding and I love to combine stone and brick with it. I had not thought a lot about vertical siding. Thanks for the info. Here is the house I really want to renovate--it has aluminum siding in my favorite yellow, with matching wood on the back. 
11 months ago · Like
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SPACIFY INC, gorgeous and elegant home designing , love the article!
11 months ago · Like
olldbobbi To me, board and batten siding is quintessential Americana. And I think it's interesting how simply changing the paint color (deep barn red as opposed to a cool blue) changes the mood of the house. Rachel, great choice of pictures for this ideabook!
11 months ago · Like
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ltcroucher Board and batten was my first choice for the 1974 split level house we are currently renovating. The house is on the banks of the Severn River on the Chesapeake Bay. We raised the original roof 6 feet and installed blue B&B siding. Here is a picture of the side of the house. 
11 months ago · Like
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bflogal We had board and batten on the front of our house, but found that the bottom of the boards took up water over time. The result was rotting wood. We live in an area that has harsh winters; perhaps that had something to do with it. In any case, keep the bottom of the siding caulked to try to avoid this problem.
11 months ago · Like
amackinney We just recently built a house in the mountains of North Carolina and for the first time used board and batten. Absolutely love it. 
11 months ago · Like
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nodax We used to have board & batten siding on our 70s ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We got rid of it - spiders love the tiny openings along the sides of the battens and between the boards underneath. We use a lot less insecticide now. Just a heads up for those with arachniphobia!
11 months ago · Like
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olldbobbi nodax - that would do me in! I REALLY hate spiders!
11 months ago · Like
cgedwards Is there a way to change the color on rough sawn cedar board and batten siding?
10 months ago · Like
mrs1467 We love our board and batten on our cottage but we now are battling carpenter bees which have attracted woodpeckers as well. If we had the cash we'd likely change it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
10 months ago · Like
olldbobbi mrs1467 - We also have a problem with carpenter bees. I was told they can't do any damage if the wood has a finish on it, like paint, or polyurethane, but they're still annoying. We bought some Raid spray specially meant for bees and it works very well. Spray before you go to bed and the next day you shouldn't have a problem.
10 months ago · Like
ltcroucher My friend had problems with woodpeckers at one time. The professional they hired hung used CDs which apparently confuse woodpeckers when light is reflected off them. She got rid of the pesky woodpeckers for good.
10 months ago · Like
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shakerjaebs We just purchased this 1925 home in October. We plan to paint it in the spring. This house has so much potential! However, someone painted the battens in a contrasting tudor color. It makes the center focal point so. . . tall and stretched out. We are currently trying to decide on a new color scheme. Any suggestions? 
6 months ago · Like
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mareningles We are doing James Hardie board and batten combined with Hardie shake shingles and lap siding on our home (new construction). Because it is cement fiberboard and not wood, I don't think people have the same issues with woodpeckers/spiders/water/etc. It has an incredible warranty on it (30 years!!), looks great, and is virtually maintenance free. My parents' home has wood board and batten all around the large wrap-around porch, and they do get tons of those little tiny spiders that like to make their homes between the battens, and some of the wood did have to be replaced after 4 or 5 years. Wood inherently takes more work.
12 days ago · Like
Ideabook updated on July 31, 2012.
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