Anacortes Board & Batten Siding on an Exposed Peninsula
March Point sits out on its own peninsula between Fidalgo Bay and Padilla Bay, just outside Anacortes proper, which means homes there catch weather from more directions than a typical inland Skagit County property. That matters for any siding choice, but it matters more for board and batten than for most profiles. Board and batten's vertical boards and narrow cover strips look clean and modern from the curb, but underneath that look is a joint pattern with more total seams and more fasteners per square foot than a standard horizontal lap wall. On a site that gets salt air, wind-driven rain, and a long moss season from two directions of open water instead of one, how those seams are built determines whether the siding holds up for decades or starts showing problems within a few wet seasons.
We install James Hardie fiber cement board and batten exclusively, and on March Point in particular we build every seam, fastener spec, and flashing detail around what this specific stretch of coastline does to a wall over time — not around a generic national installation guide.
What March Point's Location Does to a Board & Batten Wall
Driving Rain Against Vertical Seams
Rain on March Point rarely falls straight down. Wind off Fidalgo Bay and Padilla Bay pushes it sideways, and a vertical siding profile with battens running the full height of a wall gives wind-driven rain a lot of joint length to test. A batten that's caulked tight to the board instead of properly lapped with the clearance the manufacturer specifies becomes a place where water gets pushed in rather than shed off. On a peninsula that takes weather from two water bodies instead of one, that detail isn't optional — it's the difference between a wall that dries out between storms and one that stays damp behind the surface.
Salt Air and Fastener Life
Consistent salt exposure is hard on any exposed metal, and board and batten uses more fasteners per square foot than lap siding because both the boards and the battens need to be secured independently. On a property with open water on more than one side, corrosion-resistant fastener spec and correct spacing carry more weight than they would on a sheltered inland home. Get the fastener choice wrong here and the first sign of trouble is usually rust staining bleeding down the face of the batten — a cosmetic problem at first, but a sign the fastener itself is degrading underneath.
Moss on Shaded, Water-Facing Walls
Western Washington's moss season runs most of the year on walls that don't get much direct sun, and March Point's mix of tree cover and shaded elevations gives moss plenty of places to take hold. A batten set tight against a board with no room to ventilate traps moisture right where moss and mildew need it most, which over time leads to staining, softened substrate underneath, and paint or finish failure right at the seam. A batten installed with proper clearance lets that same wall dry out between wet spells instead of holding water against the boards.
Why We Only Install James Hardie Board & Batten Here
Board and batten amplifies whatever weaknesses a siding material already has, simply because it has more seams and more exposed edge per square foot than other profiles. That's a big part of why we don't offer LP SmartSide, vinyl, Cemplank, Allura, primed spruce, or cedar board and batten anywhere we work, including March Point. Those are legitimate products, and other contractors install them competently — we made a professional decision that on a profile this seam-heavy, in a location that takes weather from two directions of open water, we'd rather stand behind one material system we trust completely than offer a cheaper option that shifts maintenance risk onto the homeowner down the road.
| Material | Behavior at Batten Seams | Maintenance on an Exposed Site | Realistic Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hardie fiber cement | Dimensionally stable; doesn't swell, cup, or wick moisture at the joint | Low; factory finish resists salt staining and moss growth | 30+ years with proper installation |
| LP SmartSide (engineered wood) | Vulnerable at cut edges and fastener holes if the coating is compromised | Moderate to high; edge sealing needs regular attention in salt air | 15-25 years, climate-dependent |
| Vinyl | Seams and battens can warp or gap with temperature swings; less rigid overall | Low visible upkeep, but hidden moisture issues are hard to catch | 20-30 years, variable |
| Cedar | Absorbs moisture at every seam without consistent sealing | High; repainting or resealing on a recurring cycle | 15-25 years with diligent upkeep |
James Hardie's fiber cement core doesn't expand and contract with moisture the way wood-based products do, which matters most on a profile built entirely from vertical joints. The factory-applied ColorPlus finish is baked on rather than field-painted, and Hardie's HZ5 product engineering for the Pacific Northwest is built around exactly this kind of freeze-capable, wet-winter climate rather than a warm, dry one.
What a Correct Board & Batten Install Involves
The finished look of board and batten is simple, but a correct install has considerably more going on behind the surface than a standard lap job, and that gap matters most on an exposed peninsula site:
- House wrap or weather-resistive barrier installed and correctly lapped before any siding goes on the wall
- A drainage gap or rainscreen behind the siding so moisture that does get past the surface can dry out instead of sitting against the sheathing
- Boards fastened with corrosion-resistant fasteners at the spacing James Hardie specifies, not just "enough to hold it up"
- Battens set with the clearance the manufacturer's install spec calls for, rather than caulked tight, so the wall can shed water instead of trapping it
- Properly flashed, lapped transitions at windows, doors, corners, and the base of the wall — the places where a vertical profile meets a horizontal surface
- Cut boards primed on-site and installed face-down where cut, so the factory finish stays intact everywhere except the field-cut edge
Skip any one of these and the wall can look fine for a year or two. The problems that follow — seam staining, soft spots at the base of the wall, finish failure along the battens — take a couple of wet seasons to surface, which is exactly why a corner-cutting install can get away with it right up until the homeowner is the one dealing with the consequences.
Our Process for a March Point Project
Walkthrough and Assessment
We start by walking the specific walls involved — which ones face open water directly, which sit in shade long enough to stay damp longer, and whether the existing wall assembly already has moisture issues that need addressing before new siding goes up. Board and batten over a wall with hidden rot just buries the same problem under new material.
Planning Before Install Day
We work out batten spacing, corner details, and how the siding will meet windows, trim, and rooflines before crews start cutting material. On a profile with this many seams, planning the details on paper first avoids field improvisation, which is where corners tend to get cut on a rushed job.
Installation to Manufacturer Spec
Every fastener, gap, and flashing lap follows James Hardie's published installation requirements for this climate zone rather than a generic national standard. That's what keeps the manufacturer's warranty intact, and it's why the wall performs the way it's supposed to for decades rather than years.
Final Walkthrough
We walk the finished job with you, cover what little maintenance board and batten actually needs in this climate, and make sure you know what a healthy seam looks like if you ever want to check the wall yourself down the road.
Why Hire a Crew That Already Works March Point
Board and batten rewards site-specific experience in a way a lot of siding profiles don't, because its failure points are subtle and slow to show up. A crew that's already installed this profile on March Point and around Anacortes has seen firsthand which walls need extra batten clearance because of shade and tree cover, how much fastener spacing actually holds up against wind off open water versus what a generic guide suggests, and where a rainscreen gap earns its keep on a peninsula site versus where it's less critical. That kind of judgment doesn't show up on a spec sheet, and it's the difference between a wall that still looks and performs the same in fifteen years and one that's showing seam staining by year five.
Cost Factors for Board & Batten on a Peninsula Property
Board and batten generally costs more per square foot than standard lap siding, mainly because of the added material — battens on top of boards — and the extra labor involved in fastening and detailing two layers instead of one. A few things move the price further on a March Point home specifically:
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Wall exposure to open water | Walls facing Fidalgo Bay or Padilla Bay directly may need tighter fastener spacing and more careful flashing detail |
| Existing wall condition | Rot or moisture damage found during tear-off needs repair before new siding goes up |
| Batten spacing and reveal | Tighter spacing uses more material and more fastening labor |
| Trim and window detailing | More openings mean more flashing and finish work around each one |
| Site access | Peninsula lots with limited staging space or longer driveways can add labor time |
We'll walk your specific property and give you real numbers rather than a rough estimate off square footage alone — two homes with the same footprint can have very different board and batten costs depending on how many of these factors are in play.
Getting It Right the First Time
Board and batten isn't a forgiving profile to redo. Because the battens cover the seams between boards, correcting a bad install usually means pulling battens, boards, or both, rather than a simple patch. That's part of why we treat planning and detailing as seriously as the install itself on a site like March Point — the cost of getting it right the first time is a lot lower than the cost of tearing out a wall that failed at the seams.
If you're weighing board and batten for a home on March Point, we're happy to walk the property, talk through what your specific walls need given their exposure to the water, and give you a straightforward, no-pressure estimate. There's a form below — reach out and we'll set up a time to take a look.