Combine with hardietrim boards for a rustic board and batten look.
Caulking hardie board and batten siding.
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.
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.
For best results use caulks that comply with either astm c 834 or astm c 920.
Re applying caulking when it has begun to show signs of wear can help keep moisture from getting into the wall cavity.
Obviously if using hardi board material allow the system to expand and contract is much less important.
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.
Works well with farmhouse style or modern homes.
1 i chose this caulk because it has 25 flexibility compared to silicone based caulk.
Begin caulking on a dry day when you don t expect rain as rain and damp conditions can interfere with the curing process.
Ensure that the board and batten siding is also dry.
2 house built before 2008 so has no flashing okay to caulk.
A high quality paintable caulk is recommended.
This from installation instructions.
Do not use stains or oil based alkyd paints on james hardie products.
Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur.
Fiber cement siding repair or patching.
For regular hardiplank lap siding the kind you paint after installation caulking at butt joints is optional.
For additional information on finishing james hardie products download technical bulletin 22 from here.
Wherever hardie siding meets a trim board the company recommends you leave a 1 8 gap between the siding and the trim and apply a 3 8 bead of approved caulking to protect and seal the edge of the siding.