How to do Board and Batten
I had learned how to do board and batten by helping Amanda in her mudroom! Even though this was my first time tackling the project, I was confident I could do it. Board and batten might seem intimidating, but it is a simply DIY if you just take it one section at a time!
Step 1: Determine Height & Spacing
Before purchasing my lumber, I needed to layout the height and batten spacing of the boards. I ultimately went with a height of 44” and spaced the vertical boards 10” apart.
I went with primed wood boards just to make my life a little easier! With this height and spacing, I needed:
- Four – 1 x 4 x 8
- Five – 1 x 3 x 8
- Two – 1 x 2 x 8
There are a couple pretty cool websites that will layout board and batten for you! Personally, I’m a pen & paper kind of girl, but if you’re interested, this is the one I’d recommend! It’s very user friendly, tells your exactly how far apart to space your boards and gives you the exact amount of lumber required. All you need to get started is your wall length!
Step 2: Cut Boards
I cut one wall at a time so that I could work around the toilet, sink and trim as I went.
Note: I opted to remove the existing baseboard trim and replace it with a 1×4 board. I didn’t want to end up with overhang of the vertical boards.
If you want to keep the existing trim, you can purchase a small quarter round trim and flip it upside down to avoid the over-hang look!
Step 3: Attach Boards to Wall
Okay install sounds easier than it was! If you are working with a larger space, this is significantly easier. Unfortunately, there was so much to work around and adjust for in the bathroom, I just had to take it one board at a time!
I first attached the boards to the wall using liquid nails. Then I used my nail gun and 1 ¾” nails to nail the boards into place.
I used an oscillating saw to notch the trim out where needed. Additionally, I had two places where the top board had overhang and I did not like the sharp corner of the boards. I used a palm sander to round the edges. This created a more finished look.
Step 4: Caulk Gaps & Holes
I used X caulk to fill in the nail holes and any gaps along the wall. Keep in mind walls are rarely perfectly straight, so gaps between the boards and the wall are totally normal! The caulk will take care of that!
Step 5: Paint
Once the caulk dried, I painted the wall & boards and am in love with how this board and batten accent wall turned out!
Looking for more Bathroom DIYs? Check out all of our DIYs here!
DIY Board & Batten Links
How to Do Board and Batten
Equipment
- Chop Saw
- Brad Nailer
- Palm Sander
- Oscillating Saw
materials
- 2 1 x 2 x 8
- 4 1 x 4 x 8
- 5 1 x 3 x 8
- 1 ¾” nails
- Liquid Nails
- Caulk
- Paint
Instructions
- Determine Height & Batten Spacing
- Cut Boards
- Attach Boards to Wall
- Caulk Gaps & Holes
- Paint