Board And Batten Exterior Wall Construction

Board and batten is a wood wall treatment that can be applied to interior or exterior walls.

Board and batten exterior wall construction.

Homesteaders and farmers would use sawmills to cut the long boards and the battens were put in place to make the structure as airtight as possible. I love that i can apply this siding as a crew of one with only a couple of ladders and a hammer. Board and batten is also a synonym for single wall construction a method of building with vertical structural boards the seams sometimes covered with battens. The boards may be placed horizontally or vertically.

After our design was finalized we got to work creating my dream grid board and batten feature wall. I knew that the grid board and batten wall was going to be a reality someday so i started planning the room around it. Board and batten is a fairly simple exterior siding system of gaped wide vertical boards with overlying vertical battens covering the gaps between the boards. Initially used for barn and log house exteriors the board and batten style is on its way to taking the modern design world by storm.

The batten are trim pieces that are added to the top of the boards as decorative accent. Eventually i came up with a design plan for the master bedroom. I love that board and batten can be made to look polished with surface treatments such as rounded edges and sanding but can also be instantly rustic when constructed with rough sawn lumber and all its lovely machine marks. The battens are usually but not always about 1 2 inch wide.

Traditionally board and batten siding starts with wide vertical planks boards which are then joined together by thin vertical strips battens to cover the seams. Cedar is a common choice for exterior board and batten siding but other acceptable wood species include cyprus redwood locust white oak and hemlock. With a helper expect to spend a day installing 800 square feet of siding. The board is a smooth board that is applied to the wall first.

If your sheathing is not solid you will need to first attach horizontal furring strips. Before you begin cover the sheathing with building wrap and install trim boards and flashings. You can cover the whole exterior of your house with board and batten siding incorporate board and batten ideas within your interior décor or even add small accents with board and batten shutters or ceilings. You can see all of the details for that here.

The technique is time tested durable easy to repair and when installed correctly allows for the natural expansion and contraction of the siding material. Board and batten can be installed onto solid plywood or osb sheathing.