Caulking Hardie Board And Batten Siding

For regular hardiplank lap siding the kind you paint after installation caulking at butt joints is optional.

Caulking hardie board and batten siding.

Fiber cement siding repair or patching. Begin caulking on a dry day when you don t expect rain as rain and damp conditions can interfere with the curing process. A high quality paintable caulk is recommended. Homesteaders and farmers would use sawmills to cut the long boards and the battens were put in place to make the structure as airtight as possible.

Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur. For additional information on finishing james hardie products download technical bulletin 22 from here. 2 house built before 2008 so has no flashing okay to caulk. Works well with farmhouse style or modern homes.

One of the main concepts of board and batten siding is to allow the boards to move under the battens and caulk would limit the ability of the system to expand and contract. Traditionally board and batten siding starts with wide vertical planks boards which are then joined together by thin vertical strips battens to cover the seams. When james hardie siding products butt into wood based materials a 1 8 gap will allow for expansion and contraction of the wood based product. Re applying caulking when it has begun to show signs of wear can help keep moisture from getting into the wall cavity.

1 i chose this caulk because it has 25 flexibility compared to silicone based caulk. Obviously if using hardi board material allow the system to expand and contract is much less important. Do not use stains or oil based alkyd paints on james hardie products. This from installation instructions.

Or go for the more minimalist look of simple vertical lines. Combine with hardietrim boards for a rustic board and batten look. For best results use caulks that comply with either astm c 834 or astm c 920.