Do you mean Hardie Board? Why not clapboard?

Smart choice. We have Maibec Nantucket cedar shingles. Look great but when the sun hits them we get constant popping sound. Saw where there was a class action suit not too long ago. Building a garage and don’t want to make the same mistake. Did you go with board & batten?

Thanks for explaining the reason for 16” spacing. Many of the homes in my area (Pacific Northwest) have board and batten siding. Most are James Hardie cement fiberboards and 2.5”x0.75” battens. I see all finishes - smooth, cedarmill, and stucco boards with smooth or rustic battens. Most have batten spacing of 16” and there is a smaller proportion of 12” and 24”. There are new homes being built near me with board and batten and I asked the builder this week what most buyers are requesting and he said there is an increasing number of requests for 24” to create more of a modern farmhouse look. Seeing different batten spacing all on one street was helpful and the wider spacing did look more modern but didn’t lack visual interest (partially because there were other architectural features). I know this is an older post but thought I would add this observation for others who are researching batten spacing. My husband and I like the wider spacing (16”-24”), but can also see why 12” would look nice and be the right choice for certain houses and styles.

Just a thought: Ideally, studs are installed with "16" centers" -- the center of each stud is 16" away from the adjacent studs. That means you should be able to nail a piece of 4'x8' plywood or particle board, etc., to the studs of your home with the two (4') side edges of each panel overlapping half a stud and also be able to secure each panel to two more studs evenly spaced in between. So, if your home is wrapped in 4'x8' panels and your vertical batten boards are 8" apart, the vertical boards should cover every seam between the panels and can be securely nailed to two other studs, minimizing the likelihood of any warping that might otherwise loosen the vertical boards that are nailed to the panels but not nailed into a stud.