Ferndale Siding Board & Batten Siding in Kendall: A Style That Has to Work as Hard as It Looks
Board and batten has a clean, vertical-line look that suits the mix of farmhouse, craftsman, and newer-build homes scattered through Kendall and the surrounding stretch of Whatcom County. It's a popular choice for accent gables, porch fronts, and full exteriors alike. But board and batten is also one of the less forgiving siding profiles when it comes to water management, because it relies on overlapping vertical boards and battens to shed rain rather than the simple horizontal lap that most homes in this region were originally built with. Get the install wrong and you're not just risking a cosmetic problem — you're risking moisture getting trapped behind the boards in a climate that doesn't dry out quickly.
That's the real conversation homeowners in Kendall need to have before choosing this look: not just "do I like the style," but "who is installing it, and do they understand what this specific profile needs to survive out here."
What the Local Climate Actually Does to Board & Batten Siding
Kendall sits inland from the Puget Sound coastline but still gets meaningful salt-influenced air moving through Whatcom County, along with the same driving rain and extended damp season that defines siding performance across this part of Washington. None of that is unique to board and batten, but the profile makes each of these factors matter more.
Salt Air and Fastener Corrosion
Salt-laden moisture in the air accelerates corrosion on fasteners, flashing, and any metal trim details worked into a board and batten design. Board and batten uses more linear feet of fastening and more trim transitions than a standard lap job, which means more places for a cheap or mismatched fastener to fail early. Stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners rated for coastal-influenced exposure aren't optional here — they're the difference between trim that holds for decades and streaking rust stains within a few years.
Driving Rain and Water Path
Whatcom County storms don't just fall straight down — wind-driven rain pushes water sideways and up under laps and battens if the assembly behind the siding isn't built to handle it. Board and batten depends entirely on the vertical boards, the battens covering the seams, and a correctly installed drainage plane behind all of it. If that drainage layer is skipped or installed wrong, water that gets past the battens (and eventually, some always will) has nowhere to go but into the wall assembly.
A Long Moss and Shade Season
Kendall's tree cover and the region's long stretch of wet, low-light months create ideal conditions for moss and algae growth on north-facing and shaded elevations. Vertical board and batten actually sheds surface growth a little better than some horizontal profiles because there are fewer flat horizontal ledges for spores to settle on, but the battens themselves create narrow shadowed channels that can hold moisture and organic buildup if the siding material underneath isn't dimensionally stable and properly finished.
What a Correct Board & Batten Job Actually Involves
A lot of what separates a board and batten job that lasts from one that fails early happens behind the boards, not in the visible finish work. Here's what we consider non-negotiable on every Kendall project.
A Real Drainage Plane
Every board and batten installation we do goes over a code-compliant water-resistive barrier with a drainage gap behind the siding — either a rainscreen furring system or an equivalent drainage wrap. This gives any moisture that gets behind the boards a path to drain and evaporate instead of sitting against the sheathing.
Fastening and Board Layout
Boards need to be fastened per manufacturer spec with the correct nail pattern, penetration depth, and edge distance. Overdriving nails, using the wrong fastener length, or fastening too close to a board edge are common shortcuts that lead to cracking, popped fasteners, and water intrusion points down the road.
Batten Placement and Expansion Room
Battens have to cover board seams with enough width to account for material movement, and gaps have to be sized correctly rather than caulked tight in a way that traps moisture. Over-caulking is one of the most common board and batten mistakes we see — it looks tidy on install day and causes problems within a couple of wet seasons.
Flashing at Every Transition
Windows, doors, roof lines, and any horizontal trim board need proper flashing integrated with the drainage plane before the vertical boards go up. This is the step that's easiest to rush and hardest to fix after the fact.
James Hardie Board & Batten: Why This Is the Only System We Install
We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively — no vinyl board and batten, no LP SmartSide, no primed spruce or cedar boards. For a profile that depends this heavily on dimensional stability and moisture resistance, the material choice matters as much as the installation.
Hardie's board and batten products are engineered fiber cement, not wood or wood composite, so they don't swell, cup, or rot the way traditional board and batten materials can when they take on moisture at the seams. They come through with a factory-applied ColorPlus finish, which holds color and resists the fading and touch-up patchwork that field-painted wood or vinyl board and batten needs over time. For a climate with this much damp, shaded exposure, that's not a cosmetic upgrade — it's a maintenance reduction.
| Material | Moisture Behavior | Finish Longevity | Fire Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hardie Fiber Cement | Dimensionally stable, engineered for wet climates | Factory ColorPlus finish, long fade resistance | Non-combustible |
| Vinyl Board & Batten | Can warp or bow with temperature swings; seams are a weak point | Color molded in, fades over time, cannot be repainted easily | Combustible |
| Primed Wood/Spruce | Prone to swelling and rot at exposed seams if maintenance lapses | Field-painted, needs recoating on a regular cycle | Combustible |
Our Process for Kendall Board & Batten Projects
We walk every job the same way, whether it's a full-home re-side or a single accent gable.
- On-site assessment of the existing wall assembly, moisture readings where relevant, and a look at shaded/exposed elevations that will need extra attention.
- Removal of old siding down to the sheathing, with any rot or damaged framing identified and addressed before anything new goes up.
- Installation of a water-resistive barrier and drainage plane appropriate to the wall assembly.
- Flashing at every window, door, and horizontal transition.
- Board and batten installation per James Hardie's fastening and spacing specifications.
- Final walkthrough covering caulking, trim, and touch-up before we call the job complete.
Maintenance Board & Batten Needs in This Climate
Fiber cement board and batten is low-maintenance compared to wood or vinyl, but "low-maintenance" doesn't mean "no maintenance" in a climate like this one.
- Rinse shaded and north-facing elevations once or twice a year to keep moss and algae from building up in the batten channels.
- Keep gutters clean and downspouts directed away from the wall so runoff isn't repeatedly washing across the siding.
- Trim back tree branches and landscaping that keep any section of the siding in near-constant shade or contact.
- Have caulking and flashing points checked periodically, especially around windows and doors, since these are the first spots a failure will show up.
- Watch for any fastener staining or discoloration, which can be an early sign of a corroding fastener worth replacing before it becomes a bigger repair.
Why It Matters That We Already Work in Kendall
Board and batten installation quality depends on details that don't show up in a brochure — how deep the drainage gap needs to be for a given exposure, which elevations in Whatcom County's tree-covered lots need extra flashing attention, and how the local mix of driving rain and shaded moss growth actually plays out over a full year on a house. A crew that's worked this area knows what a Kendall winter does to a wall assembly that wasn't built with a real drainage plane, and builds accordingly from the first day of the job rather than learning it the hard way on your house.
We also know the permitting and inspection expectations for exterior work in this part of Whatcom County, which keeps projects moving instead of stalling on paperwork.
What Affects the Cost of a Board & Batten Project
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Existing wall condition | Rot or damaged sheathing found during tear-off adds repair scope before new siding goes up |
| Amount of trim and transitions | Board and batten uses more linear trim than lap siding, and each transition needs flashing |
| Home height and access | Multi-story sections and steep or obstructed lots take longer to stage and work safely |
| Full re-side vs. accent application | Gable or porch accents cost far less than a full-elevation or whole-home installation |
| Color and finish selection | Custom ColorPlus finishes and specialty trim profiles can affect material cost |
We give homeowners a real number after seeing the house, not a phone-quote guess — board and batten pricing varies too much based on trim scope and existing wall condition to estimate accurately any other way.
Is Board & Batten the Right Call for Your Kendall Home?
Board and batten is a great fit for homes where the style matches the architecture and where the installer is going to respect what the profile needs structurally — a real drainage plane, correct fastening, and flashing at every transition. It's a poor fit when any of those get skipped to save time or cost, especially in a climate that gives wall assemblies this little chance to dry out between storms. If you're weighing board and batten against a standard lap profile for your home, that's worth talking through before you commit to a look, not after.
If you're considering board and batten siding for your Kendall home, we'd be glad to take a look and walk you through what a correct installation involves for your specific house. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate using the form below.