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Wood turnout that consists of narrow perpendicular strip show or batting installed over a monotone base or plank is know , logically enough , as board and batten , or batten board . It has been democratic for centuries on the outside of mansion , and has since become a voguish way to tot up visual pursuit to interior walls .
Batten Board Origins
With the arrival of sawmills to 18th - century America , home building begin locomote aside from whole logs ( as in cabins ) and Freemasonry toward lumber . This typically meant first constructing a gaunt shape and seize long , flat boards to it to form a weather - resistant barrier . Installing board vertically encourage rain to run down along the exterior of the mansion rather than ooze in . Adding battens to spread over the seams between the larger dining table provided extra weatherproofing protection .
The big , matt boards had a tendency to warp , however , and by the late 1800s , horizontal lapped railroad siding ( narrow-minded horizontal boards installed from the bottom up , with each subsequent board lapping the one below ) proved more effective at shedding rain and so became the average . Today , board and batten turnout is kiln - dry to reduce warping , and it ’s installed over framing , sheathing , and a vapour barrier to lend greater morphological integrity .
Board and batten move within in the late 1800s as a means to forbid chairs from denting the lower dowry of plaster walls . Around the mid-1900s , the plank and batten wall became a desirable “ search , ” particularly inbungalows , Arts and Crafts , and state - style abode .
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While some householder prefer to put in a flooring - to - cap display board and battenaccent wall , the most popular midland covering is its original , practical one : Board and batten is usually installed about 32 inches up from the level , at just the right height to protect walls from chairs ’ dents and dings .
Board and Batten Siding Cost
turnout is measured and estimated in “ square , ” which is the eq of 100 square foot . Installing board and battenexterior sidingis more expensive than installing vinyl siding but about the same price as direct Natalie Wood andfiber - cementum siding .
Anytype of woodused outdoors should ideally be resistant to moisture , waste , andinsect damage . Cedar is a common selection for exterior board and batten siding , but other acceptable woods species admit cypress , sequoia , and fir , in addition to engineered stuff like composite siding and fiber cementum . Although it ’s less water- and bunk - resistant , pine tree is also normally used in wood turnout and suitable for a board and batten exterior — so long as it ’s regularly repainted and checked for damage .
DIY board and batten side material toll can vary fairly widely , with most cloth costing between $ 100 and $ 1,000 per public square . cypress tree turnout is the most costly of thesesoftwoods , running anywhere from $ 400 to $ 2,100 per square . Cedar plug-in and batten is more low-cost , average $ 280 to $ 300 per square , and offer a corresponding level of enduringness and resistivity to the ingredient . The same is generally true of sequoia and fir tree , which run between $ 300 to $ 1,000 per square , while pine siding costs range from $ 100 to $ 500 per second power , labor let in . Add another $ 15 to $ 40 per satisfying toseal , smear , or paintany type of wood sidetrack after it ’s instal , as well as a little extra for the screws , caulk , and furring strips required for installation .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Trimming interior wall with panel and batting is far less expensive because no base planks are used . The battens are fastened onto drywall , which substitutes for the wider vertical boards used in exterior siding . Because interior accent walls need n’t brook up to the element , DIY - ER can utilise bum wood , such as pine tree , rather than more high-priced cypress or cedar .
Instead of square toes , the cost of interior board and batting can be estimated by hearty footage . For professional board - and - battenwainscotingyou can expect to bear somewhere between $ 7 to $ 20 per square foot . DIYers will spend much less , even when report for the necessary paint , nails , and glue .
Board and Batten Siding Installation
If you have canonic woodwork skills , let in the ability to measure and cut the boards precisely , and you ’re comfortableusing a orbitual saw , acaulking gun , and anail gunor piece of ass gun , you are well equipped to instal either type of plank and batting : theexterior sidingor the interior trim . Less piece of work is involved installing interior panel and batten trim , however , so it ’s well suited to the new do - it - yourselfer .
Installing Board and Batten Exterior Siding
Every home is different , of course , so step - by - stride instructions for exterior siding installation will deviate from property to property . ( Whatistrue for every home is that you should always utilise galvanizedscrews — they do n’t corrode or corrode , so you wo n’t end up with rusting stains on your wood railroad siding . ) Here ’s how the process of display panel and secure siding installation generally unfolds .
In club to firmly bind the perpendicular flat boards to the exterior of your house , you ’ll need to instal horizontal furring strip flight strip , which provide a structural frame on which to seize the board . Furring comic strip can be made by attaching 1 × 4 boards horizontally to your habitation ’s plywood sheathing , spacing them 24 column inch asunder , and nailing them to the studhorse beneath the overlay .
This is where preciseness number in , and the old expression “ value doubly , rationalise once ” enforce . measuring stick from the underside of the soffit to ¼ column inch below the top of the foundation . Use a circular saw to cut the ends of the board .
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No matter what character of wood you choose , it ’s likely to elaborate and shrink somewhat due to atmospheric condition variations , and if the display panel are weightlift tightly against one another , the pressure level could cause warping . To keep this from pass , rather than butt the top of the boards tightly against the soffit , leave a ¼-inch spread . This will put the bottom of the board ½ inch below the top of the foot , which will help protect the woods sill plate , located on the top of the substructure , from the rain . Likewise , keep a ¼-inch break between the erect boards as you attach them to the furring strips .
Once the vertical board are in shoes , install a top passementerie board ( using battens ) , positioned horizontally and butted tightly against the soffit . This will cover the ¼-inch gap and give you something to abut the top end of the batten into .
The battens should edge tightly against the top trim board and be flush at the bottom with the all-encompassing perpendicular boards . While the width of the batten is your choice , they should be wide enough to overlap the edges of the expectant boards by at least ½ inch on both sides .
Photo: Zillow.com
By running a bead of caulking in the crease on both side of the batten , you ’ll make a water - repellent seal that keeps water from seeping beneath the railroad siding . expend a paintable latexexterior caulkif you design to paint the siding , or choose a percipient exterior latex caulk if you ’re going to use a light - pelage seal to the siding .
Installing Board and Batten Interior Trim
Outfitting a wall with gameboard and battenwainscotingrequires basic carpentry skills and tools , and a little advance planning . Do n’t pass over chalk out out the layout on paper first — the best time to make adjustments to batten placement is before you have a cock in your paw .
Doing a layout on paper will let you correct the spacing of the battens for a uniform look . Measure your rampart and create a to - plate layout so you ’ll have a balanced practice across the bulwark . This will prevent issues such as having a 12 - inch space between battens at one corner and only a 3 - in blank space at the other corner .
Using chicken feed lines to interpret each batting , in addition to the horizontal base and top boards , transfer the layout to the wall . Though an special footfall , it will act as a guide for installation and give you an melodic theme of how the finished innovation will look . If you want to make layout changes , this is the clock time to do it .
Photo: Zillow Digs home in Greenbrae, CA
Standardbaseboardsare usually thinner than the boards you ’ll need to utilize as battens . For a unvarying look , remove the baseboardand install a new al-Qaeda , using a control board the same heaviness as your batting . Usefinish nailsto seize the board to the wall studs .
Even though they may look perfectly square , walls and floors are often more or less out of level . Use a levelto set up the top trim board and attach it to the bulwark studhorse with refinement nails . Then , measure and burn each batten separately . The measurements may alter slightly .
Sincedrywallis made from compressed gypsum , which is crumbly and does not harbour nails firmly — you’ll need to useconstruction adhesiveto attach the battens . Apply a zag bead of gum to the back of a batting , but not so much that it exude out when you set the batten on the rampart . With the batten in place , insert a twosome of conclusion nails at angles to attach the bottom and the top of the batten to the trimming boards . midway between the top and bottom , where the board may gap away from the bulwark , insert a distich of finish nails , angling them inward just to facilitate hold the board tightly in place as the mucilage dries .
Photo: Zillow Digs home in Kirkland, WA
Smoothspacklein the holes left by the finish nails and then paint both the display board and the wall to a lower place to create a ruined aspect . Because the circuit board and batten facial expression is considered “ trim work , ” it ’s best to use an tooth enamel that matches the other trim in the room , rather than received bulwark paint to paint the passementerie .
FAQs
Before you dive headlong into pull in your board and batten wall thought a realness , you may still have some unanswered question about this style of passementerie and siding that were n’t fully address above . Here are some more factors to consider about board and batting , such as which designing trend suits it well and what coiffe it aside from wainscoting .
Q: What is the difference between wainscoting and board and batten?
Wainscoting broadly speaking refers to bulwark paneling that protects an upcountry wall ’s low-down portion , while board and batten is simply a style of pane and railroad siding . Posing a question about wainscoting vs. board and batting is kind of compare apple to oranges . you may , however , have wainscoting in a board and batten panache .
Q: Is board and batten “farmhouse” style?
When looking for house design idea that holler “ farmhouse , ” board and batting siding or wainscoting emphatically outfit the bill . Modern display board and batten mimics the aspect of traditional habitation and barns , making it very compatible with farmhouse flair .
Q: Is board and batten outdated?
Board and batten may be old , but it ’s still very democratic . Being flat tied to farmhouse style , board and batten remain fashionable because that drift has yet to fade .
Q: Can board and batten look modern?
Part of gameboard and batten ’s appeal is that it ’s amodern farmhouse styleessential . Modern board and batten can utilize pop paint colours and newer materials like vinyl radical or composite siding for an updated flavor .
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Photo: Zillow Digs home in Howell, MI
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