Originally Published as: The Board and Batten Panels Dilemma
In 2024, 35% of post-frame inquiries from homeowners sought board-and-batten siding. Considering the U.S. pre-engineered metal building market was over $12.9 billion in 2024, that’s a significant group of customers looking for board and batten solutions.
Traditional metal board and batten panels are typically a 10” coverage and can be quite expensive depending on fit and finish. Most customers were willing to pay more compared to traditional ag panel until they found out they would also need a full underlayment (OSB, plywood, etc.), which can be another $8-$15,000 on an average post-frame building.
This underlayment is required for traditional board and batten as it cannot be applied directly to “girts” (exterior horizontal framing used in post-frame construction). The two layers of extra cost was enough to turn a high percentage of homeowners away from their dream of having a board and batten post-frame building.
Metal Exteriors’ Elite Batten, however, is a 36” hidden fastener board and batten panel that attaches directly to the normal exterior framing of a post-frame building. The base Elite Rib panel is installed normally, then clips are used to screw the panel to the girts and to finish the board and batten look, and “batten strips” snap onto the clips.
This process delivers homeowners the board and batten siding that so many of them desire, without the additional costs of sheathing/underlayment. Additionally, the process yields labor savings as Elite Batten installs in less time than the traditional 10” board and batten panel.
