What to Know About Board and Batten Siding

If you're building a new home and considering board and batten siding, there's one detail you’ll want to think through before the siding crew shows up! You’ll need to know how you want the seams to look, especially on tall gable ends.

On these taller sections of the home the siding must be installed in sections. That means seams. And how those seams are treated can completely change the finished look of your home.

Your Two Options

There are essentially two ways to handle these seams. The first is to install horizontal trim where the siding sections meet. This trim visually breaks up the height of the wall and gives the siding a more segmented appearance. Some homeowners prefer this more traditional or farmhouse-style look because it adds architectural detail and symmetry.

White Board and Batten Exterior Siding via Smart Home Beast

The second approach is to aim for a seamless look. In this case, rather than adding horizontal trim, the siding is installed in long continuous runs, and each joint is sealed with metal flashing to keep out water. This metal flashing (Z flashing) gets painted along with the rest of the siding and, when done well, the seams virtually disappear. The result is a cleaner, more modern look without any visual interruption on the wall.

Why It Matters in a New Build

This may seem like a small design detail, but it’s a decision you’ll want to make early. Ideally before framing and definitely before siding begins. Once the siding is installed, it’s not something that can be adjusted without serious cost and effort. If your builder defaults to using horizontal trim and you were hoping for a seamless look, you're either stuck with the change or stuck pretending you love it.

Dark Exterior Board and Batten Siding via Nikki's Plate

Making this call upfront also allows your builder and siding crew to prepare the right materials and installation method. For the seamless option, they’ll need to plan for metal flashing at every joint, and for the trimmed version, they’ll need to account for the added trim boards and how they'll align with the battens.

Planning a new build comes with a lot of these small-but-important decisions. Get ahead of the details with the Ultimate Home Building Checklist to save yourself time, money and your dream home!