Upgrading your home’s exterior with new siding is a great way to give it a facelift without tackling a major demolition, renovation, or home improvement project. While there are various types of siding available, vertical siding is a popular choice. It can help your home’s style stand out from the rest, especially if you live in a neighborhood where builder-grade lap siding prevails.
Keep reading to learn why vertical siding could be the look your home needs to boost curb appeal. Plus, discover the variety of styles and materials available for homeowners to choose from.
What Is Vertical Siding?
Visible shapes and lines are a common feature of exterior house siding. It helps to bring depth and architectural definition. With vertical siding, you see a repetition of vertical lines that fall parallel with the edge of the home. This differs from horizontal siding, where you see a repetition of lines that fall parallel with the foundation.
Vertical siding is not a new exterior technique, but it has certainly become a much more popular siding choice in residential areas in recent years. The style accentuates height, making buildings appear somewhat taller and more spacious. Vertical siding also adds a unique flair to buildings, making them aesthetically appealing. Board and batten siding, in particular, has become trendy thanks to its geometric effect that suits a variety of architectural styles.
Recent innovations have created a wider selection of reliable, easy-to-install, durable siding options. These design and material upgrades have attracted more interest in vertical home siding and allowed builders and homeowners to become more creative with design applications.
What Are the Benefits of Vertical Siding?
Aside from its aesthetic benefits, vertical siding is highly effective at shedding water. This cladding style more easily reduces the risk of pooling and water damage compared to horizontal siding. Some of the best siding materials, like steel, can further increase this benefit.
Popular Vertical Siding Styles
There are so many types of vertical siding options to choose from. So, even with the incredible popularity of this exterior aesthetic, homeowners don’t have to worry about their vertical exterior siding looking like every other house on the block. Let’s take a look at some of the styles more closely.
Board and Batten
Board and batten siding features wide boards installed vertically with narrower strips — called battens — placed over the seams where the boards meet. This distinct design creates a layered, textured look that adds depth and charm to a home’s exterior.
Traditionally used in barns and rustic buildings, board and batten has become a stylish choice for modern and farmhouse-style homes due to its clean lines and classic appeal.
Shiplap
Shiplap siding consists of regularly measured panels lining up with each other for a simple, clean-cut appearance. The style is characterized by long, overlapping boards that fit together snugly, creating subtle shadow lines between each plank. While shiplap is often installed horizontally, using it vertically can add a modern twist and elongate the look of a home’s exterior.
Tongue and Groove
With tongue and groove siding, each board is designed with a protruding tongue on one side and a matching groove on the other. The pieces fit tightly together for a seamless, interlocking finish. The vertical design creates a clean, uniform appearance with minimal visible gaps. Tongue and groove offers a smoother and more polished surface compared to board and batten’s cozy rustic feel.
4 Vertical Siding Materials — Plus Their Pros and Cons
In addition to selecting a vertical siding style, you also need to decide which material you want your siding to be made of. Choosing the right siding material will contribute to your home’s aesthetic and determine its maintenance needs.
1. Steel
Steel is an increasingly popular metal siding material, especially in the board and batten style, thanks to its exceptional durability, low maintenance, and modern aesthetic. Steel board and batten siding resists warping, cracking, and insects.To increase safety benefits, the material is also fire-resistant and can withstand harsh weather conditions like heavy snow or rainfall. Unlike aluminum (another metal siding material), steel has a Class 4 impact rating and can resist dings and dents.
While less common, steel can also be used for vertical shiplap and tongue and groove designs, though these typically require more precise manufacturing to maintain the clean, interlocking lines.
Maintaining steel vertical siding is easy. The siding can be rinsed occasionally with a garden hose to remove dirt and debris. Most steel siding, like TruLog’s, comes with a protective coating, so it resists rust, fading, and pests without the need for repainting or sealing.
If sustainability is among your concerns, steel is more eco-friendly than materials that require more frequent replacement because it’s long-lasting and resistant to weather conditions, pests, and fire. The material is also recyclable without losing quality, meaning steel can be repurposed rather than end up in landfills. The insulation provided by steel further boosts energy efficiency by reducing heating and cooling costs.
2. Wood
Real or engineered wood offers a timeless, natural look that enhances a home’s character. This material is most common with shiplap and tongue and groove.
Real wood delivers warmth and charm. The texture and grain create a rustic, handcrafted appearance. Engineered wood, a popular composite siding, provides a more durable, cost-effective alternative with better resistance to moisture and pests while still capturing the look of natural wood.
However, wood siding — real or engineered — has a limited lifetime and requires regular maintenance, including sealing, staining, or painting every few years and checking for rot or insect damage to keep it looking its best. Opting for a woodgrain steel vertical siding instead can deliver the appearance of wood without worrying about maintenance and damage.
3. Vinyl
Vertical vinyl siding is a budget-friendly building material for home exteriors. Many types of vinyl siding feature lots of siding color options but lack the durability of steel.
While vinyl shiplap and tongue and groove aren’t as widely available as their wood counterparts, they can still provide a clean, modern aesthetic at a lower cost. Batten vinyl siding is sometimes used, but steel is a more suitable choice.
Cleaning the siding is simple, as an occasional rinse with a hose removes dirt and keeps the siding looking fresh. However, the PVC siding is prone to dents and cracks and requires more frequent replacement than steel.
4. Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is a strong and versatile material that offers the visual appeal of wood with enhanced durability. It’s especially popular in board and batten applications, where it mimics the look of traditional wood siding but stands up far better to weather, fire, pests, and rot.
Fiber cement shiplap and tongue and groove styles also provide a sleek, contemporary appearance with the added benefit of stability and resistance to warping.
Often a popular vinyl siding alternative, it’s heavier and more labor-intensive to install than vinyl but requires minimal upkeep. Fiber cement features many of the same benefits as steel siding but has a shorter lifespan.
Installation Tips for Board and Batten Vertical Siding
When installing steel board and batten vertical siding, a few essential steps can help make the process smoother and more successful.
Start by establishing a baseline with chalk to ensure that your siding remains level throughout the siding installation. Some builders may prefer to install a base trim along the bottom edge of the wall, which serves as a guide for the first row of boards.
For the boards themselves, begin installing them vertically from the corners of the wall and work inward. Fix the top of each board first, ensuring it’s properly aligned, and then adjust and secure the bottom.
Once the wide boards are in place, install the narrow battens over the seams to enhance the finished look and protect against moisture infiltration.
This method of working from the top down helps maintain consistency, precision, and alignment, ensuring that your board and batten siding looks both professional and aesthetically pleasing.
Answering FAQs about Vertical Siding
Still have questions about using vertical siding on your home? Read on to learn a little bit more about using this style for your home’s exterior.
Is Board and Batten Siding a Type of Vertical Siding?
Yes, board and batten siding is a type of vertical siding that uses wide vertical boards installed next to each other with narrow strips covering the seams between the boards. The textured appearance adds visual interest to a home’s exterior and is popular for farmhouse or rustic-style homes. It’s also the preferred style for barndominium homes, which are becoming increasingly trendy.
Is Steel Vertical Siding Better Than Wood?
Steel vertical siding offers significant advantages over wood, including superior durability and less maintenance.
Steel siding won’t warp, crack, or rot like wood, making it ideal for harsh climates. Plus, you won’t need to worry about pest and termite damage.
While wood offers a timeless, natural appeal, steel vertical siding is a more modern, cost-effective choice. You can get the look of wood without the need for regular painting or sealing. TruLog’s steel siding comes in a variety of woodgrain finishes that mimic different types of wood. It’s also available in a range of colors to suit your style needs.
Steel Board and Batten: The Best Vertical Siding Option
Style and material meet perfection with steel board and batten. With increased durability over other siding materials and a stylish look that suits many home designs, this is a standout vertical siding option.
Download TruLog’s steel board and batten catalog to find a style that meets your design dreams.
