What does Board and Batten Mean?
Definition of Board and Batten in Construction
Descriptive term for a type of siding that consists of plain boards, installed vertically and spaced with a minimal spacing ( usually 1/2″ ) to allow expansion and contraction. Another smaller, thinner board is then applied to cover the space that the main vertical boards have created. This smaller board is referred to as the batten, and is fastened through the openings left between the primary boards. This siding application was extremely popular when wood products were sawn with the old fashion sawmill blade and offered a rough surface texture. In addition, the vertical application allowed an efficient coverage, with minimal work, and created a waterproof siding. In the modern installation of board and batten, a membrane is attached to the substrate of the structure to further prevent water penetration and galvanized, aluminum or stainless steel fasteners are used to secure the siding. Board and batten siding is not as popular as it used to be, due to new products that have been developed for siding applications.