Easiest Ever DIY Board and Batten Wall Tutorial (2024)

FAQs

Easiest Ever DIY Board and Batten Wall Tutorial? ›

Fiber cement is the cheapest material for board and batten siding. It costs around $0.75 to $5 per square foot only. Fiber cement is a mixture of three different materials. Essentially, it is made by combining wood cellulose, sand, and cement.

Fiber cement is the cheapest material for board and batten siding. It costs around $0.75 to $5 per square foot only. Fiber cement is a mixture of three different materials. Essentially, it is made by combining wood cellulose, sand, and cement.

While all types of wood are great to use as board and batten siding material, cedar is the most preferred species of timber by homeowners as well as builders. Generally, cedar is much more durable compared to other wood species.

Seams where two boards meet should be filled with nail hole filler and sanded smooth when dry. Seams where a board meets a wall should be filled with caulk and smoothed out with your finger or a damp rag.

In order to attach, I first glued each board with liquid nails for extra security, and then I nailed the pieces in with a Brad Nailer. I highly recommend using a brad nailer, so the nails are almost invisible and it has a more seamless and high-quality look to it.

If you love the look of board and batten – after all, it's an awesome stylistic choice – there's no need to give up on your design dreams of having a board and batten house exterior. Instead, consider fiber cement, the best modern alternative to vinyl siding board and batten.

Drawbacks of Board and Batten Siding

One major drawback of board and batten siding is the cost. It can be more expensive than other siding styles, like traditional lap siding. However, many homeowners find that the durability and timeless appeal of board and batten siding justify the higher upfront investment.

If you're using thin, lightweight lumber, you won't need to stress about it. However, for everything else, it's a good idea to attach your boards to the studs wherever possible. If you can't find a wall stud, use wood glue/liquid nails and a nail that's long enough to secure the wood to the wall.

Both wood and MDF are common for board and batten installation. MDF is easier to work with, smoother, and more cost-effective. Wood is solid and more durable, and ideal for wet areas, but you'll need to use a high quality wood that has no knots or warping (this will increase the cost).

apart, battens should overlap by at least 1/2 in. With wider boards, increase batten overlap proportionately. While there are no set widths for board and batten siding, an attractive combination is 1×3 battens with 1×10 boards. Siding should be nailed to horizontal blocking lines or to furring strips.

How high up should board and batten go? ›

Remove baseboards before beginning. While the height of board and batten is a matter of personal preference, a good rule of thumb is to place the height either above or below the center of the wall. For our eight-foot wall, we are installing board and batten at a height of five feet.

DIY Board and Batten Siding Installation vs. Hiring a Professional. The cost to install board and batten siding yourself is between $0.75 and $10 per square foot.

Secure it to the wall using brad nails (only nail the very outside edges of your hardboard so that the nail holes will be covered by your boards.

The overlying batten covering the gap between boards should be attached with one nail per bearing, the shank passing between the edges of the under boards. Use two nails per bearing on boards 8 inches and wider placing the nails 2-1/2 to 3 inches apart.

The total cost to install board and batten siding averages $2.25 to $12.50 per square foot. While professionals will likely give you one per square foot price that includes both materials and installation, their labor typically comes out to about $1.75 to $2.25 per square foot.

Vinyl is less expensive than other siding materials like wood or fiber cement in the board batten style but more expensive than your traditional horizontal vinyl siding.

Finally, we'll leave you with how board and batten siding compares to lap sidings, such as Dutch lap, bevel siding, and shiplap. Board and batten siding costs between $5 and $12 per square foot on average. Lap siding has a cost range of between $1 and $9 per square foot, depending on the material choice.