With more people discovering the beauty and classic design of a farmhouse, many homeowners have also rediscovered board and batten, a classic vertical siding with a long history in the US. board and batten siding was originally created when sawmills first appeared. It is constructed from wide boards installed side by side, with a thinner strip or batten fastened over the seams.
While it was originally made of wood, board and batten siding can be found today in a wide range of materials and from a number of vendors, including Lowes.
While Lowes is a great place to purchase lumber, tools, and many other things needed for a successful DIY job, it isn’t necessarily the best place to purchase board and batten siding.
Lowes Board and Batten Siding Styles
Lowes carries many types of siding made of different materials, but only one type of board and batten, which is a type of vinyl siding, the same plastic siding that’s been around since the 1950s, but sold in board and batten-style panels rather than horizontal lap siding.
The Problems with Vinyl Siding
While Lowes does carry a lot of good quality material, vinyl siding is often not the best material for your home. Vinyl is billed as being low maintenance, which is true, but its drawbacks usually outweigh this one positive.
Vinyl is made of plastic, and it behaves like plastic. In hot weather, it softens, warps and melts, while in cold weather, it becomes brittle, cracking and breaking easily. It’s also fairly thin and lightweight — good for easy installation, but this means that if you live in an area with high winds, the siding can literally blow right off your home.
Vinyl board and batten does solve one issue with this type of siding; the seams are better hidden by the “battens” than they are in a traditional horizontal lap. Still, the material is thin, flimsy, and only really lasts in moderate climates. After 20 years, it’s usually ready to come off, but many recycling plants don’t accept it, so the plastic usually ends up in a landfill.
A Better Alternative to Vinyl Lowes Board and Batten Siding
If you’ve been looking at Lowes’ board and batten siding, then it’s likely you know you like the style and are looking for something with lower maintenance than wood. While wood has been the traditional material for this style, installation can be time consuming and expensive, while having to scrape and paint around each batten can be frustrating, time consuming, and expensive as well. For this reason, many people will look at options like vinyl, which don’t require painting and are easier to install.
With all the drawbacks of vinyl, it’s not a great fit for most homes. So, a better alternative is to use steel board and batten, like what’s available from TruLog. Steel board and batten is just as low maintenance as vinyl, not requiring any painting or scraping over its lifetime. It’s easy to install, going up in panels, so you can get your home covered quickly at a lower installation cost.
That’s not where the comparison ends, however. Steel siding is much more durable and longer lasting than vinyl, without any of the issues that vinyl has with heat or cold. Steel not only performs well in all climates, it’s also fire resistant as well as moisture and insect resistant, so it can last longer without the issues of wood or vinyl.
Steel siding resists dents from impacs, and is fully recyclable at the end of its lifespan, so it doesn’t have the same kind of negative environmental impacts as vinyl. The panels are designed to interlock without visible seams, so unlike vinyl, which often looks cheap and flimsy after installation no matter how high its quality may be, steel board and batten gives your home an attractive, long-lasting finish and appearance in a range of attractive colors that won’t peel, chip, or fade.
Steel board and batten works on every style of home, as well as every size. It can be installed on its own or in combination with other materials, such as stone veneer, to customize the look of your home. And unlike materials purchased at big box stores, which may not provide adequate customer service and manufacturer information, you can easily get the information and support you need directly from TruLog, so you can rest assured you’re getting a quality product.
Skip Lowes Board and Batten Siding and Switch to TruLog
If you want an easy-to-install, low-maintenance, durable, and attractive board and batten siding for your home, take a pass on the vinyl siding you’ll find at Lowes. Instead, drop TruLog a line to find out more about our quality steel siding and why it’s a better choice for your home. Download our Board and Batten Buyers Guide today!
