Ferndale Kendall sits up the Nooksack Valley from Ferndale, in the stretch of Whatcom County where forested foothills, river-corridor humidity, and the marine-influenced weather that moves in off Bellingham Bay all overlap. It's a different setting than the flat farmland closer to the water, but the underlying pattern that drives exterior work here is the same one that shapes siding decisions across this part of the Pacific Northwest: driving rain that hits walls sideways more often than straight down, salt-tinged marine air that reaches further inland than most homeowners expect, and a moss season under the tree canopy that runs longer than it does on more open, sun-exposed lots.
Board and batten is one of the styles we get asked about most for homes in this area — it fits the mix of farmhouse remodels, newer construction, and cabin-style properties that make up Kendall's housing stock, and it reads as a natural match for the wooded, rural character of the valley. We install it exclusively in James Hardie fiber cement. This page covers what board and batten actually is, what the local climate does to it, and what a correctly built system looks like on a Kendall property specifically.
What Board & Batten Siding Is
Board and batten is a two-layer vertical siding system: wide flat boards or panels go up first, then narrower strips — the battens — are fastened over the seams between them. The result is a run of raised vertical lines with real shadow depth, which is why it reads as more architectural than flat horizontal lap siding and why it pairs so naturally with the farmhouse and rustic-cabin styles common around Kendall.
There are two ways this gets built in practice:
- True board and batten panels — engineered panels manufactured specifically for the pattern, with batten spacing designed in from the start
- Site-assembled board and batten — flat trim boards installed as a base layer, with individual battens fastened over each seam on site
Both methods can look identical from the curb. What actually determines how the wall performs over the next twenty years isn't the assembly method — it's whether the boards and battens themselves are dimensionally stable and moisture-resistant enough to hold up to what a Kendall winter throws at them.
What the Kendall Climate Does to This Style
Board and batten has more seams and more fastener penetrations per square foot than standard lap siding, because every batten is nailed down the length of a seam between two boards. That's a manageable detail in a dry climate. In Kendall, where the exterior envelope deals with sustained moisture for a large part of the year, it's a bigger factor in material selection than it would be almost anywhere drier.
Driving Rain in the Nooksack Valley
Storms moving up the valley push rain sideways into siding and trim rather than letting it fall straight down and run off. On a wooded or partially sheltered lot, that wind-driven moisture often gets funneled and concentrated by tree lines and terrain in ways it wouldn't be on a fully open, exposed site. Siding that isn't detailed to shed rain moving sideways — not just straight-down rain — tends to show water problems first at the seams and corners, which on a board and batten wall means at every single batten line.
A Long Moss Season Under Tree Cover
Many Kendall properties sit under or near substantial tree canopy, and that shade combined with regional dampness produces a moss and mildew season that runs longer here than it does on open, sun-exposed lots closer to town. Moss shows up first on north-facing and shaded wall sections, and it's not just cosmetic — sustained growth holds moisture directly against the wall assembly, which is exactly the condition that leads to hidden rot behind siding that looks fine from a distance.
Marine-Influenced Air Reaching Up the Valley
Kendall is further inland than the coastal parts of the county, but the marine air pattern that comes off Bellingham Bay and the Strait still moves up the Nooksack corridor, carrying enough salt-tinged moisture to matter for fastener corrosion and finish durability over time. It's a smaller factor here than it is on a waterfront property, but it's still part of why we spec fasteners and finishes rated for a genuinely wet, marine-influenced climate rather than treating this as a dry inland location.
Freeze-Thaw Swings
Kendall's position further up the valley and closer to the foothills means it sees sharper cold snaps and more frequent hard frost than towns nearer the water. Water that's worked its way into a porous or poorly sealed board expands when it freezes, which accelerates cracking and seam failure faster than sustained wet weather alone would.
Why We Only Install Board & Batten in James Hardie Fiber Cement
We used to offer a broader range of siding products before narrowing to one system, and that decision came from watching which materials actually held up to sustained Whatcom County moisture and which ones quietly turned into maintenance problems a few years in. Board and batten raises the stakes on that decision because it has so many more seams than flat lap siding, and every one of those seams is a place where a moisture-sensitive material can start to fail first.
- Dimensional stability: Fiber cement doesn't swell, cup, or shrink the way engineered wood or solid wood boards can after repeated wet-season cycling, so the seams under each batten stay tight instead of gapping over time.
- Non-combustible core: Fiber cement doesn't feed a fire the way wood-based products can, which matters for both household safety and insurance underwriting on a wooded rural property.
- Factory-applied ColorPlus finish: The color is cured on in a factory setting rather than brushed on in the field, so it resists fading and moisture intrusion far longer than a field-painted board and batten system.
- Climate-engineered HZ product lines: Hardie builds region-specific formulations, and homes in this part of Washington get product engineered for sustained moisture exposure rather than a generic all-climate mix.
- Strong transferable warranty: Backed by the manufacturer when installed to spec — real protection, not a marketing claim.
We don't install LP SmartSide, vinyl siding, Cemplank, Allura, primed spruce, or cedar. Each has a place in the broader market and plenty of homeowners elsewhere are happy with them. We made a professional call that one system, installed correctly every time, is worth more to a Kendall homeowner than a cheaper option that shifts maintenance risk onto them a few wet seasons down the road.
Choosing the Right Hardie Products for a Kendall Project
| Product Line | Best Use on a Kendall Home | Why It Fits This Setting |
|---|---|---|
| HardiePanel vertical siding | Full board and batten elevations, gables, and accent walls | Purpose-built vertical panel with engineered batten spacing, holds its line under valley wind and rain |
| HardieTrim battens and boards | Battens, corners, and window and door casing | Factory-finished trim resists the same moisture and freeze-thaw cycling as the field panels |
| HardiePlank lap siding | Main wall areas paired with a board and batten accent | Common pairing on Kendall's farmhouse-style remodels — batten accent on a gable or entry, lap on the rest |
| HardieShingle siding | Craftsman or cabin-style accent sections | Textured option for properties wanting a rustic look without real wood's moisture upkeep |
Color and exact profile come down to the individual home, but the underlying product family and installation standard stay consistent — we spec what actually fits a Kendall property's tree cover, sun exposure, and wind pattern rather than defaulting to whatever's easiest to order.
What Correct Installation Looks Like
Material choice only gets a board and batten project halfway there. The rest comes down to installation detail, and on this style the details matter more than on almost any other siding profile because there are simply more of them per square foot of wall.
- Battens fastened on the correct spacing and pattern specified by the manufacturer, not eyeballed for visual spacing alone
- Proper gapping behind and between panels so the assembly can move seasonally without stressing the finish or seams
- Grade clearance kept correct so panels aren't wicking moisture up from damp valley-floor soil
- A house wrap and flashing system that does the actual weather-resistive work, with caulk used to finish details rather than cover for gaps
- Careful flashing at every horizontal transition — window heads, roof-to-wall intersections, and any point where a batten run meets a different siding profile
None of these steps are unique to Hardie — they're the difference between a board and batten wall that shrugs off a Kendall winter and one that starts showing seam problems within a few wet seasons, regardless of what's behind the battens.
Repair vs. Full Replacement
Not every board and batten problem on a Kendall home means a full tear-off. An impact-damaged section, a loosened batten from wind, or an isolated trim failure around a window can often be repaired and matched into existing Hardie siding. But if water has been tracking behind the wall for a while — which is more common on shaded, moss-prone wall sections — or the home still has an older wood or composite board and batten system nearing the end of its life, patching it usually just delays a larger job while hidden rot keeps spreading behind the boards. We'll tell you plainly which situation a property is actually in.
Board & Batten vs. Other Vertical Siding Approaches
| Approach | Moisture Behavior | Finish Durability | Fit for Valley Wind and Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hardie fiber cement (panel + trim) | Dimensionally stable, doesn't swell or shrink with seasonal humidity | Factory-baked ColorPlus finish resists fade and moisture intrusion | Engineered fastening pattern rated for sustained wind-driven rain |
| Engineered wood composite panels | More moisture-sensitive at cut edges and seams than fiber cement | Relies on factory or field coatings with a shorter realistic service life | Varies by manufacturer; not all lines are rated for this level of sustained moisture |
| Primed spruce or cedar boards | Absorbs and releases moisture readily; prone to swelling and cupping at seams | Fully dependent on a repainting maintenance cycle | Performs poorest under Kendall's combination of shade, damp, and freeze-thaw |
| Vinyl board and batten panels | Doesn't absorb water but flexes and can gap at seams under thermal movement | Through-body color but can fade and chalk under sustained UV and moisture | Rating depends heavily on panel gauge and fastening — inconsistent across products |
This isn't a claim that every alternative is a bad product everywhere — it's why, for board and batten specifically, in a climate that keeps wall assemblies wet for as much of the year as this one does, we build exclusively with Hardie.
Design Considerations for Kendall Properties
Board and batten reads differently than flat lap siding because the vertical lines and shadow gaps do a lot of the visual work, which matters more on wooded lots where a home is often viewed at closer range through trees rather than from across an open yard. A few practical notes from working this style locally:
- Darker, saturated colors show shadow lines between battens more dramatically and read well against a forested backdrop; lighter colors soften the look and show less contrast against tree cover
- Board and batten is frequently used as an accent — a gable, dormer, or entry feature — paired with lap siding on the main walls, which keeps cost reasonable while still delivering the architectural detail
- ColorPlus finishes hold their color under the region's UV and moisture cycling better than field-applied paint, which matters most on a style with this much surface detail catching light and shadow
Maintenance Expectations
One of the practical benefits of a Hardie board and batten system in this part of Whatcom County is what it takes off a homeowner's plate. There's no annual repaint-and-recaulk cycle to chase, and the panels aren't absorbing humidity or feeding rot between rain events the way wood boards can. Realistic upkeep looks like:
- A periodic rinse to clear moss spores, pollen, and general debris, especially on shaded and north-facing walls
- A visual check after major wind or rain events for any batten that may have loosened
- Keeping nearby trees and vegetation trimmed back so wall sections get enough sun and airflow to dry out between storms
- Touch-up only where physical damage occurs — not as a routine maintenance item
Why a Crew That Already Works Kendall Matters
Kendall isn't a subdivision with uniform lots — it's a mix of wooded acreage, river-corridor properties, and older farmhouses, each with its own sun exposure, tree cover, and wind pattern. A crew that already works this part of the valley knows which wall faces on a typical Kendall lot see the most moss growth, how far marine-influenced weather actually reaches up the corridor, and where freeze-thaw tends to hit hardest once the elevation starts climbing toward the foothills. That local pattern recognition shows up in small decisions — where to add extra flashing attention, which wall gets the longer-lasting finish priority, how tight to run the battens given the local humidity swing — that a crew unfamiliar with this specific stretch of Whatcom County would have to learn on the job, on someone's house.
Siding Readiness Checklist for a Kendall Home
- Shaded and north-facing walls checked for moss, mildew, or persistent dark staining
- Seams and batten lines inspected for gapping, cracking, or separation
- Trim and flashing around windows and doors checked for cracking or pulling away from the wall
- Grade clearance confirmed so siding isn't sitting too close to damp valley-floor soil
- Tree cover near the home assessed for branches holding moisture against wall sections
- Any soft spots or discoloration probed to rule out hidden rot before it spreads further
If you're weighing a board and batten accent or a full board and batten exterior for a home in Kendall, we're glad to walk the property, talk through where the style fits architecturally, and put together a free, no-pressure estimate.
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