Board and batten protection / installation questions – GreenBuildingAdvisor

I have been building a workshop for the past 4 years (plus a couple years of site prep).  4500 sq ft … 16 ft ceilings … standing seam metal roof … I have put every nail in myself.

Before it rots away, I need to get siding on it.  The outside is about 6000 sq ft.

I looked at vinyl … about $2 sq ft … pain because I would need to start at one end … go across with a few rows … then move to the end again  … plus I would put PVC trim on corners and such.

I looked at LP and other types of manufactured siding … $$$$$$

Looked at metal board and batten .. $3 sq ft … maybe I could do this.

Then I looked at Board and Batten (or ship lap board … same price).  About $1.50 sq ft … looks like reasonable to put up.

Now, if I go with board and batten, I have a few questions:

1) The lumber mill said the most important thing is air moving behind the wood.  So Furring strips?  If so do I need a lattice of them to leave a gap or ?  Do they need to be pressure treat or ???

2) Do I need to protect the wood?  I know some people say just leave it.  I am worried about it rotting.  Maybe a dip tank so all sides get coated?  Treat with what?

3) How to butt pieces?  Some say to end them all at one point and put a Z flashing .. some say just butt them … I was thinking a 45 on the ends so water does not run back behind the boards.

4) How do you buck out the windows?  if you put Tyvek on the building and wrap it into the windows, what do you do to get the windows out 2 1/2 ” (3/4 back furring … 3/4 cross furring … 1″ boards)?

5) Board and batten or ship lap … board and batten holds water behind the battens but ship lap holds water at the overlaps.

6) anything else I should be thinking about?

Thanks …. Mike