Give your home the desirable innovative farmhouse flavor with board - and - batten siding . We ’ll show you the right way to put in vertical boards and batting .
James Yochum
You ’ve heard of board - and - batting as a trendyinterior paries end , but did you know you’re able to also use the material as exterior railroad siding ? True table - and - batten is made with vertically installed all-embracing boards and narrow battens fastened over the gaps between the boards . In visual aspect , plug-in - and - batten railroad siding can look rustic or modern , bet on how rough the lumber is and its select finish .

Credit:James Yochum
Perhaps the most plebeian board - and - batting arrangement practice 1x10 boards and 1x2 or 1x3 batting . you’re able to also use 1x8 or 1x12 circuit board and 1x4 batting . To varnish out moisture , the plug-in should be in good condition and spare of any undefended knots — the battens themselves should lap at least 3/4 inch onto the table on both sides . Cedar is a good lumber of option because it ’s subdued ; harder woodwind , such as air pressure - treated pine , will not varnish as well and is more likely to break through after induction . Board - and - batting can be installed onto upstanding plyboard or OSB sheathing , though if your sheathing is not upstanding , you will require to first attach horizontal furring strip .
In oecumenical , you could gestate to pass about a twenty-four hours set up 800 square foot of siding if you have a help manus . Before you begin , cover the sheathing with building wrapper and set up trim board and flashing . You should also make certain you ’re comfortable measuring , pose out a line , driving nails , and cut with a power saw before you take on this task .
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
Better Homes & Gardens
Prep Your Exterior
make the exterior walls of your base as you would for other wood sidings by applyingbuilding wrap , self - stick flashing at the corners and around windows and threshold , and alloy flashings as required .
Install Water Table Boards
Around the entire menage , install a 1x6 or wider water table , with its bottom bound 2 in below the sill home base . Snap level chicken feed line to help you keep the water - table boards straight and sequester them by driving two or three nails in at each stud . If the instrument panel are not recollective enough to span across a wall , link up them with ascarf jointor a simple butt joint . impound drip cap or izzard - flashing over the water mesa .
Plan Your Layout
On each exterior rampart , bill from the corners to contrive a layout that avoids narrow slivers next to doors and window . Take into account both the width of the boards and the thickness of the gap between card . For case , if you are establish 1x10 board that are 9 - 3/8 in wide ( measure to be sure because they can depart in width ) with a 5/8 - inch gap , calculate 10 inches for each board .
In some arena , it ’s plebeian to attach perpendicular 1x2 furring strips before establish display board - and - batting siding . If your overlayer is not solid plywood or OSB , these strips are demand to cater a nailing surface . Attach strips around windows and doorway , then lay out and attach horizontal strips every 16 in . Nail the strips to framing members .
Furring strip bring the siding out from the sheathing 3/4 inch . As a result , you may take to rip - cut of meat and attach wood extenders onto your window and doorjamb so there will not be a crack between the trim and the jambs .

Credit: Werner Straube
Place The First Board
You may rip - cut the first plug-in to achieve the desire layout . Cut the duration to fit or to a determined top if you will stack boards on top . Place the board on the body of water table about 1/4 - inch shy of the corner , use a level to check that it is plumb , and drive couple of nail in every 16 inches . Place the nails about 2 inches from the side of the board — the nails should be long enough to prod through the sheathing .
Attach Next Boards
seize the next panel in the same way . Use spacers ( 5/8 - inch plywood is shown here ) to maintain fairly consistent gaps . Every third or 4th board , go over for plummet and make adjustments as need . ( The battens will underwrite the most pocket-sized imperfections . ) When you take on a window or door turnout , cut the control panel so that it ’s about 1/4 - inch above the clipping ’s dribble - cap flashing .
Capture The Angle
Use a deoxythymidine monophosphate - cant to conquer the angle at a profligate end . Wherever potential , cut the slant first , then hold the piece in place and score the other side for make out to distance .
Install Flashings
Where plug-in are not long enough to reach all the way up to an eave or graze , install all the add-in at the same summit . Cut and install Z - flashing over the boards and set up the upper composition 1/4 - in above the flashing .
Install Battens
deploy the battens to cover the gaps . force back nail ( which will need to be longer than the panel nails ) through the gaps ; avoid driving through the board . expend a level to ensure the boards are plumb . If a batten is crook , stretch a drawing string alongside it and force it directly as you ace .

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens


Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens

Credit:Better Homes & Gardens