When wide square edge boards are being used for board and batten siding, how should the batten strips be nailed?

When wide square edge boards are being used for board and batten siding, how should the batten strips be nailed?

• A. to only one siding board
• B. at intervals of 4 inches or less
• C. solidly to the boards on both sides of the strip
• D. only with un-coated nails

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to let the siding boards move with changes in humidity, while the batten simply covers the joints. When wide square edge boards are used, you fasten the batten strip to the underlying board on one side of the joint only, rather than driving nails through both adjacent boards. This single-side attachment secures the batten while still allowing the boards to expand and contract without binding. Nails should be appropriate for exterior use (galvanized or other corrosion-resistant), not un-coated. Nailing the batten to both sides would constrain movement and could lead to gaps, buckling, or splitting, and nailing at very close intervals isn’t a standard requirement for this purpose.

The key idea is to let the siding boards move with changes in humidity, while the batten simply covers the joints. When wide square edge boards are used, you fasten the batten strip to the underlying board on one side of the joint only, rather than driving nails through both adjacent boards. This single-side attachment secures the batten while still allowing the boards to expand and contract without binding. Nails should be appropriate for exterior use (galvanized or other corrosion-resistant), not un-coated. Nailing the batten to both sides would constrain movement and could lead to gaps, buckling, or splitting, and nailing at very close intervals isn’t a standard requirement for this purpose.