Most people are unaware of the point that the batten siding on their home is meant to save the felt underneath from the materials. The real watertightness of a home happens at the felt level, both on the roof and on the outside walls. There are three kind of wood siding, each with its own set of rules, board and lath and beveled siding. Each one needs its own unique installation.
Start at the bottom and work your way up to install a clapboard. Pin a sheet of siding as deep as possible on the home. Then, slowly attach the shake clapboard down over the bottom row, using the siding nails to secure the clapboard to the house. Make sure to drive the nails into the top half of the shingles. Attach the felt to the nearest height on the wall, being sure to overlap the previously installed shakes by about 1/3 the height of the shakes. Start the next row by covering about half of the row below with the overlapping clapboard and attaching it to the wall in the same way.
Repeat it until you get to the top of the wall. At the top, either use a 1 to 8 board to cover the newly installed side panels, or cut the thin edge of the side panel at a point where the side clapboard has been split in half. Add the last row and round it off with quarter inch board. To keep the rows straight, use a chalk line for each level.
Install Board And Batten Siding
Install the panel and molding type by tacking felt across the entire wall surface. Starting from the middle, work pinning 1 inch of 8 inch boards apart to allow extension to every area of the house. Follow this by sealing the 1/8 inch seams with slatted boards. Be generous in nailing the wide boards with galvanized siding nails and use ready made nails to install the molding over any seams that go down the sides of the house. Finish the edges with a single molding board that extends all the way to the corners. Do this on all sides of the house to create a board and molding look.