Can I achieve a board and batten look on my stucco exterior by adding wood trim periodically without completely replacing the siding?
Asked by باران زارعی 
2 months ago
Last Updated: October 15, 2024
So, my house has a stucco exterior, and I’m thinking about giving it a board and batten look to spruce things up. I’m trying to keep costs in check, so I’m wondering if I could just add some wood trim every 12-16 inches over the stucco to achieve the desired effect. What do you think?
Yeah, you could use 1×12 barn board and cut each piece to 1-7/8 inches, the only issue is ensuring you hit a stud.
My father’s place had stucco siding with 1×2 trim spaced four feet apart, but I have never seen it utilized as battens. It would be challenging to find the studs.
You can make anything happen, even if it’s not the most conventional approach.
I covered my stucco with plank siding. I had to locate and mark the studs, as the stucco thickness was uneven. I used a string to find and shim the low areas. Interestingly, my house also had board and batten siding. The non-cedar battens rotted, while the cedar plywood boards split in rainy areas. I ended up removing it all.
This photo shows board and batten vinyl siding installed on a cinder block wall. I had to add wood lathe to provide a surface for nailing the siding. We redid the entire house, so the windows are ready for siding.
Hey there! I’ve had 2 hard coat stucco homes. The most important thing to watch out for with stucco is water getting in. I wouldn’t recommend drilling so many holes in the stucco, especially with wood on top that could rot.
If you still want to proceed, make sure you have a termite bond and that this DIY won’t void it, otherwise selling could be tough.