Glenhaven Siding What Board and Batten Actually Is
Board and batten is one of the oldest siding patterns in the Pacific Northwest, and it never really went out of style — it just went in and out of fashion. Wide vertical boards (or panels) are installed with narrower strips, called battens, covering the seams between them. The result is a strong vertical line that reads as modern on a new build and as classic farmhouse on an older Glenhaven home, depending on the trim and color around it.
The pattern isn't just decorative. Done right, the battens shed water down and away from the seams instead of letting it pool in a horizontal joint, which matters in a place that sees as much driving rain as Whatcom County does.
Why the Material Underneath Matters More Than the Look
A lot of homeowners shop board and batten by photo — they pick a look, then ask a contractor to build it. We'd rather start with the material. Board and batten is an exposed, vertical assembly with a lot of seams and edges, and every one of those seams is a place water can find its way in if the product behind it swells, cups, or delaminates.
That's exactly the profile where cheaper substrates struggle most. Engineered wood products and thin composite panels can hold up fine on a flat lap installation, but board and batten multiplies the number of exposed edges, and edges are where moisture-related failures start. Salt-laden air off the Sound, a moss season that stretches for months, and near-constant damp shade under mature trees are a hard combination for anything that isn't genuinely stable when wet. It's a big part of why we standardized on James Hardie fiber cement for this pattern specifically — it doesn't swell, doesn't rot, and isn't a food source for the moss and mildew that thrive in our climate.
How Hardie Builds a Board and Batten Look
James Hardie doesn't make a single "board and batten" product — it's a system built from a few different components, and the right combination depends on the home:
- HardiePanel vertical siding with separate battens installed over the seams — the traditional approach, and the most common one we install.
- Artisan Accent Trim battens paired with smooth or select cedarmill panels for a crisper, more finished reveal.
- Mixed-material accents, where board and batten is used on a gable, dormer, or entry feature rather than the whole house, paired with HardiePlank lap siding elsewhere.
All of it comes through in ColorPlus factory finish, which matters more on this pattern than almost any other. Board and batten has a lot of cut edges and end grain exposed at trim returns, and a factory-baked finish resists fading and chipping at those edges far better than field-applied paint — which is where a lot of DIY and job-site-painted board and batten starts looking tired within a few years.
Colors and Combinations That Work
Board and batten reads best with some contrast — either the battens standing out slightly from the field boards, or the whole vertical section contrasting with a lap-sided body elsewhere on the house. Common combinations we see requested around Glenhaven:
| Look | Typical Pairing |
|---|---|
| Modern farmhouse | Dark field color (charcoal, deep navy) with white trim and battens |
| Coastal cottage | Soft gray-green or driftwood field with cream trim |
| Accent feature | Board and batten on a gable or entry, contrasting with a lighter lap-sided body |
Darker colors show less on a full board and batten wall than they do on lap siding, since the vertical lines break up the surface — but it's still worth thinking about southern and western exposure, especially with the sun angles typical of Whatcom County summers.
Installation Details That Actually Decide How It Ages
Board and batten is less forgiving of shortcuts than standard lap siding, mostly because there are more seams and more places for a crew to get in a hurry. A few things we hold to on every job:
- Rainscreen gap. A drainage space behind the panel lets bulk water and vapor escape instead of sitting against the wall assembly — important given how long surfaces stay damp here.
- Batten fastening. Battens need to be fastened into structural framing or proper blocking, not just through the panel into sheathing, so they don't work loose over time.
- Flush, sealed penetrations. Every light fixture, hose bib, and vent through a board and batten wall needs proper flashing — these are the spots that fail first when they're rushed.
- Expansion gaps at every joint, sized to Hardie's published specs, not eyeballed.
None of this is exotic, but it's exactly the kind of detail that separates board and batten that still looks sharp after a decade of Whatcom County winters from board and batten that starts showing streaking and gapped joints in year three.
Is Board and Batten Right for Your Home?
It works well as a full exterior treatment on farmhouse-style and contemporary homes, and just as well as an accent on gables, dormers, or a covered entry against a lap-sided body. It's less suited to homes with very complex rooflines and lots of small wall sections, where the vertical pattern can end up looking choppy rather than clean.
If you're weighing board and batten for a Glenhaven home, we're happy to walk the exterior with you, talk through where it makes sense structurally and visually, and put together a straightforward estimate — no pressure, no sales script.