Anacortes Siding Board & Batten in a Neighborhood Built for It
Old Town Anacortes is one of the city's older residential pockets, with a housing stock that leans toward simple, upright forms — cottages, bungalows, and mid-century homes with straightforward gable and shed rooflines. Board and batten siding, with its vertical lines and strong shadow lines, tends to suit that architecture better than a wide lap profile does. It reads as honest and unfussy, which matches the character of the neighborhood rather than fighting it.
That said, board and batten isn't just a style choice. The vertical boards and the battens that cover the seams between them create a very different water-shedding path than horizontal lap siding, and in a place like Anacortes — with salt air off Fidalgo Bay and Rosario Strait, driving rain that comes in sideways during winter storms, and a moss season that can run most of the year — that water path has to be engineered correctly or the siding will fail well before its time.
What This Climate Actually Does to Vertical Siding
Salt Air
Proximity to saltwater means airborne salt settles on every exterior surface in the neighborhood, including siding, fasteners, and trim. Salt is corrosive to standard fasteners and hardware, and it accelerates the breakdown of paint films and lower-grade composite materials. Any board and batten system installed here needs corrosion-resistant fasteners and a factory finish that's built to hold up under that exposure, not a field-applied paint job that starts chalking in a few years.
Driving Rain
Anacortes gets weather off the Strait that doesn't just fall straight down — it drives sideways into west- and south-facing walls. Board and batten has more vertical seams per square foot than lap siding, and each of those seams is a potential water entry point if the battens aren't spaced, fastened, and flashed correctly. Get the gaps wrong or skip a proper drainage plane behind the boards, and driving rain will find its way behind the siding.
Moss and Sustained Moisture
Skagit County's long damp season keeps north-facing walls and shaded siding wet for extended stretches, which is exactly the environment moss and mildew need. Moss growth on siding isn't just cosmetic — it holds moisture against the surface and, over time, that sustained dampness degrades materials that aren't dimensionally stable or moisture-resistant. Board and batten field boards can be some of the slowest-drying surfaces on a house if the siding sits tight against the wall with no airflow behind it.
What a Correct Board & Batten Job Involves
A board and batten installation that's actually built for this climate involves more than nailing boards to the wall. The details that matter most:
- A drainage plane (weather-resistant barrier) installed correctly behind the siding, with proper laps and flashing at every penetration
- A rainscreen gap — a small air space between the back of the siding and the wall — so water that does get behind the boards can drain and the wall can dry
- Correct batten spacing and fastening so the seams stay tight and consistent instead of opening up as the material moves with temperature and moisture
- Corrosion-resistant fasteners rated for coastal exposure, not standard interior-grade hardware
- Proper flashing at windows, doors, and any horizontal trim so water is directed out and away from the wall assembly
- Correct clearance from grade, decks, and roof lines so the bottom of the siding isn't sitting in standing water or snow load
Skip any one of these and the siding might look fine for a season or two, but the problems show up later — usually as swelling, cracking, or moss and mildew staining that keeps coming back no matter how many times it's cleaned.
Why We Only Install James Hardie for This Application
We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively, and board and batten is one of the applications where that decision matters most. Hardie's vertical siding system — HardiePanel with HardieTrim battens, or the Artisan lines for a more refined batten profile — is fiber cement, not wood, wood composite, or vinyl, and that distinction is the whole point in a climate like this one.
Wood board and batten looks the part, but raw or primed wood siding needs ongoing maintenance to survive salt air and sustained moisture, and it's a food source for the mildew and moss this region grows so well. Vinyl board and batten is low-maintenance in a general sense, but it's a thin plastic product that can warp, fade, and become brittle with age, and it doesn't hold paint or take the kind of crisp shadow line that gives board and batten its character. Engineered wood products like LP SmartSide use wood strand cores that, when the factory coating is compromised at a cut edge or fastener hole, are vulnerable to moisture intrusion in exactly the way this climate tests for.
Fiber cement doesn't have that vulnerability. It's non-combustible, dimensionally stable, and resistant to moisture-driven swelling and rot. James Hardie's ColorPlus factory finish is baked on under controlled conditions and backed by a real finish warranty, which means the color and the boards themselves are engineered to handle UV and salt exposure without the homeowner having to repaint every few years. That's a meaningful difference on a coastal job where field-applied paint is fighting salt air from day one.
Product Comparison for This Application
| Material | Salt air performance | Moisture/moss resistance | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hardie fiber cement | Non-combustible, factory finish resists salt-driven fading | Dimensionally stable, does not rot or swell | Occasional wash; no repainting on ColorPlus finish |
| Cedar / primed wood | Finish breaks down faster under salt exposure | Vulnerable to moisture, rot, and moss without upkeep | Regular repainting/staining and moisture checks |
| Vinyl board and batten | Can fade and become brittle with UV/salt exposure | Won't rot, but traps moisture behind panels if not vented | Low, but limited repair options if damaged |
| Engineered wood (LP-type) | Coating wear at edges exposes wood strand core | Moisture intrusion at compromised edges leads to swelling | Requires prompt repair of any coating damage |
How We Approach a Board & Batten Job in Old Town Anacortes
Because we already work this part of town, we're familiar with the older wall assemblies common in Old Town Anacortes — homes that were often built before modern weather barriers and rainscreen practices were standard. That changes how we scope the job:
- Assessment — we look at the existing wall assembly, check for hidden moisture damage or rot behind the current siding, and evaluate what's actually driving the decision to re-side (moss buildup, failing paint, water intrusion, or simply wanting to update the look).
- Wall prep — any compromised sheathing or framing gets addressed before new siding goes on. Installing new board and batten over a damp or damaged wall just locks the problem in.
- Weather barrier and rainscreen — a correctly lapped weather-resistant barrier and a proper drainage gap go in before a single board is installed. This is the step that determines whether the siding will actually hold up to driving rain.
- Board and batten installation — Hardie panels and battens installed to manufacturer spec, with correct fastening, spacing, and flashing at every window, door, and trim transition.
- Final detailing — caulking, trim, and touch-up work done to a standard that holds up, not just one that looks finished on install day.
Cost Factors for a Board & Batten Project
Every home is different, but the same handful of factors drive the price on most board and batten jobs in this area:
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Wall condition | Rot or moisture damage found during tear-off adds repair scope before new siding can go on |
| Home size and wall complexity | More corners, gables, and trim details mean more labor and material |
| Existing siding removal | Full tear-off vs. re-siding over an already-sound wall changes the timeline |
| Batten spacing and trim detail | Tighter spacing and more decorative trim add material and installation time |
| Access | Tight lots, fencing, and landscaping around older homes can affect staging and labor |
We don't quote a job without seeing the wall in person, because the tear-off is often where the real scope of work reveals itself — especially on older homes where the existing siding may be masking moisture damage that's been building for years.
Maintenance After Installation
A correctly installed James Hardie board and batten system is genuinely low-maintenance, but "low" isn't "none." In a salt-air, high-moss environment, we recommend:
- An annual visual check for moss or mildew buildup, especially on north-facing and shaded walls
- Gentle washing (garden hose and soft brush, not high-pressure equipment aimed directly at seams) to keep salt residue and organic growth from accumulating
- Checking caulking at trim and window transitions periodically, since caulk is the one component that does wear out before the siding itself
- Keeping gutters and downspouts clear so runoff isn't concentrated onto specific wall sections
None of this is heavy upkeep — it's the kind of routine attention any exterior in this climate benefits from, and it's a fraction of what wood siding requires to stay protected.
What to Check Before Hiring a Board & Batten Contractor
Board and batten is less forgiving of installation mistakes than lap siding, because there are more seams and more opportunities for water to get behind the wall if the details are skipped. Before hiring anyone for this work, ask:
- Do they install to the manufacturer's written specifications for rainscreen and fastening, or their own shortcut method?
- Will they show you the weather barrier and drainage plane before the boards go on, not just the finished exterior?
- Do they have experience with older wall assemblies typical of Old Town Anacortes and similar established neighborhoods?
- Are they using corrosion-resistant fasteners rated for coastal exposure?
- What does their warranty actually cover — installation workmanship, not just the manufacturer's material warranty?
If you're weighing board and batten for a home in Old Town Anacortes and want a straight answer on what your walls actually need, we're glad to take a look and put together a free, no-pressure estimate. There's a form below to get started.