The Easiest Board and Batten Wall Tutorial You’ll Find!

Want to add some character to your space, without (or with!) a bold paint color? Whether you want a board and batten accent wall, or the whole room done, adding board and batten walls to your room can completely elevate your space. I’ll show you how to install board and batten walls without removing your molding, and how to accomplish this project in just one day!

• Active Time: 4 Hours for Me, but It Totally Depends on the Size of the Space
• Total Time: 8-10 Hours (allows for paint, wood filler, and caulk drying time)
• Cost: $150 (Not Counting Tools or Other Common Supplies)
• Help Needed?: No, but I always like having a second person around when making any long board cuts
• Difficulty Level: Advanced Beginner

Traditional board and batten was used to cover unfinished and uneven walls in the olden days. So, if you have drywall as walls, that essentially counts as your ‘board’. So, this tutorial assumes you have drywall on your walls, and we’ll be creating the ‘batten’.

Do I Need to Remove and Replace the Molding?

No! I had brand new 5″ molding in my new construction home, so the last thing I wanted to do when installing my board and batten walls was remove the molding.

So, I used 1/4″ sanded plywood. The top of my molding measured 1/4″ deep, so the 1/4″ plywood fits perfectly into the molding.

The 1/4″ plywood will not give you a huge depth to your board and batten wall, so if you’re looking for a dramatic board and batten look, this probably isn’t the tutorial for you. I wanted to add some character to the wall, so the 1/4″ still gave me the effect without having to replace my molding.

What Kind of Board and Batten Wall is This?

I feel like there’s so many different styles of board and batten walls out there right now. And, that’s great! You can really customize this wall treatment for your space’s personality.

But, it also makes it super confusing when trying to figure out how to install board and batten. There’s so many blog posts on the topic, but I had so much trouble finding how to decide on the design and what the spacing was.

So, let me show you exactly what board and batten wall I’m installing:

Wood Choices

I used 1/4″ plywood for my batten treatment.

I used 1″x2″x8 ft boards for my trim at the top, so there was a small ledge, but not one big enough to place things on.

Board Widths

My vertical boards were 2.5″ wide, and my horizontal boards were 3.5″ wide.

Board Spacing

Vertical Boards: I lined them up with studs, so they were 16″ apart.

Horizontal Boards: I wanted my treatment to go 2/3 of the way up the wall. I have 9′ ceilings, so my top horizontal board was set at 6′. (If you have 8′ ceilings, that means 5′ 3″). My trim piece was installed directly on top of that. Then, since I wanted the layer of squares above rectangles, my second horizontal board was set at 54.5″. There was no rhyme or reason to this–I really eyeballed what looked best, and this was the height that looked best with the 6′ board installed as the top.

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Supplies Needed

• 1 sheet 1/4″ Sanded Plywood (For My Size Space)
• 2 1″x2″x8 ft boards (primed if available) (For My Size Space)
• Measuring Tape & Pencil
• Studfinder
• Circular Saw or Table Saw*
• Miter saw (Not needed, but it’s certainly easier to make smaller cuts with than the circular saw)
• Impact Driver & Drill with 2.5″ wood screws
• Brad Nailer with 2″ Finishing Nails
• Eye Protection
• Wood Glue
• Wood Filler
• Spackle Knife
• 220 Grit Sanding Block
• Tack Cloth
• Paintable Wood Caulk
• Kilz Primer
• Sherwin Williams Emerald Paint in Extra White, Satin Finish
• Paint Roller, Angled Paint Brush & Roller Pan
• Painters Tape, if you use it to protect your edges
• Step stool
• Paper towels

*If you don’t have a saw or don’t want to buy one, you can always rent a table saw from your local hardware store. Home Depot and Lowes will also make wood cuts for you for free when purchasing the wood. So, if you know the exact measurements when you walk into the store, you can get them to make the cuts for you.

Before You Get Started

If you’re going to make your own spacing, or your own design, make sure you have this all nailed out before you start measuring and making supply and cut lists!

Let’s Get Started on Your Board and Batten Walls!

Step 1: Measure Your Space & Mark Studs

The most important step in this whole project is measuring your space. This will drive the length of your horizontal pieces. I measured the space 3 separate times to make sure I got the measurements precise.

Then I marked the all the studs using my studfinder and pencil. Don’t worry about how big of marks you make. You’ll be covering them with the batten strips and primer later.

Then count your studs–that’s how many vertical pieces you need, since we’re lining our vertical pieces up with the studs. For my space, it was 11 vertical lines on 3 walls.

Step 2: Make Your Horizontal & Vertical Cut List & Buy Your Supplies

Horizontal Cut List

Let’s start with your horizontal cut list for your board and batten walls–this is the easiest one. I had two horizontal lines in my board and batten. My walls were 61.5″, 32″ and 28.25″ wide. And, I needed 2 pieces for each wall.

Here’s where it gets a smidge tricky if you’re doing more than 1 wall. If you have two pieces that are going to be meeting in a corner, you need to subtract 1/4″ from one of the pieces, since there will be some overlap.

I subtracted 1/4″ from my shorter pieces. So, my wood cuts were 2 61.5″ pieces, 2 31.75″ pieces, and 2 28″ pieces. My horizontal boards were 3.5″ wide, so here’s your horizontal cut list:

• 2 pieces 61.5″(width of wall A ) x 3.5″ of 1/4″ plywood
• 2 pieces 31.75″ (width of wall B) x 3.5″ of 1/4″ plywood
• 2 pieces 28.25″ (width of wall C) x 3.5″ of 1/4″ plywood

Vertical Cut List

Your vertical cut list is a smidge trickier when you’re doing the squares and rectangles because you’ll need 2 sets of vertical boards. This first set of vertical boards will be the distance between the top horizontal board and the lower horizontal board (for me, that’s: 72″-54.5″= 17.5″). I had 11 studs, so that’s 11 of these. The second set of boards is the lower portion of the board and batten, from the molding to the lower horizontal board (for me, that’s 51″-5″=46″). So, here’s the vertical cut list:

• 11 pieces 17.5″ x 2.5″ of 1/4″ plywood
• 11 pieces 46″ x 2.5″ of 1/4″ plywood

Trim Cut List

For your 1″x2″ cut list, you just need the width of the walls. So, I needed :

• 1 61.5″ pieces for the back wall
• 1 26.75″ piece (28.25″ wall width- 1.5″ width of back 1″x2″)
• 1 20.5″ piece (32″ wall width-1.5″ width of back 1″x2″)

Making Your Own Cut List

To calculate your own cut list, try this easy method:

1/4″ plywood cut list:

• Total number of vertical pieces = number of studs
• Shorter Vertical Boards: (difference between top and lower horizontal boards) x 2.5″
• Longer Vertical Boards: (difference between lower horizontal board and molding) x 2.5″
• Total number of horizontal pieces = 2/wall
• Horizontal Board Cuts: width of each wall x 3.5″. If you have more than one wall and your horizontal pieces will meet in a corner, make sure you subtract 1/4″ from one side like I did above.

1″x2″ cut list:

• 1 piece/wall, cut to the width of the wall. If you have more than one wall and your 1″x2″ pieces will meet in a corner, make sure you subtract 1.5″ from one side like I did above.

Calculating Your Wood Needs

Once you have your cut list, you need to figure out how much wood that is.

The 1″x2″s are easiest. Just add the lengths together in inches and then divide by 12. This is how many feet you need. 1″x2″s usually come in 8 ft lengths.

The 1/4″ plywood is a little trickier. I ended up just drawing it out on a piece of paper, so I could easily see the numbers to add together to see how many 4 ft x 8 ft sheets I needed. I ended up just needing 1 for my cut list.

This was the trickiest part for me, so don’t stress if you have to double and triple check your math.

Once you’re set, head to the hardware store and pick up all your supplies!

Step 3: Make All Your Horizontal Wood Cuts

Ok, let’s start with your horizontal boards. Measure and cut your boards. I found it easiest to cut the longest length first (aka take my 4’x8′ ft board and cut it to 61.5″) with my circular saw (if you have a table saw, it’ll make your cuts much easier). Make sure you’re wearing eye protection! Then I took that 61.5″ by 4′ board and drew 2 lines 3.5″ wide and cut those boards.

Next I made the shorter cuts, following the same method.

Step 4: Sand Boards

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Even if you buy sanded plywood, you’ll need to sand down the cut sides of your boards until smooth. I just hand-sanded with whatever I had on hand (a 150-grit sanding block), but if you’re buying sandpaper just for this project, get something with a higher grit for finishing (220-240 grit).

Step 5: Install Horizontal Boards

Ok, now let’s install these first boards. I installed my longest boards first (61.5″). Using my measuring tape, I marked several spots along the wall (at stud locations) at 72″ height that I wanted the top of my board and batten to hit.

Then I put a little bit of wood glue on the back to help the board stick better to the wall. If you haven’t used wood glue before, you really want to use a small amount. If you have large globs, they’ll seep out the sides and you’ll have to clean it up with a damp paper towel.

Next, with your brad nailer, and having a friend hold the board up, with the top of it lining up to the 72″ marks you made, put 2 nails through the board into each stud. Make sure you’re wearing eye protection!

You’ll follow the same process for any other walls you are doing.

Once your top horizontal board is in place, follow the same process for the lower horizontal board.

Step 6: Measure Again for Vertical Boards for Board & Batten

Before I made my vertical board cuts, I measured the cuts I needed again, now that the horizontal boards were installed. I found that there were a few pieces I needed to trim a smidge because my cuts weren’t perfectly straight (thanks to my nerves and using a circular saw).

Step 7: Make All Your Vertical Wood Cuts

Once you’re confident in your cut list, make your vertical cuts and sand your pieces, following the same steps as steps 3 & 4.

Step 8: Install Vertical Boards

Following the same steps as Step 5, install your vertical boards on your marked studs, using your brad nailer. I did the top boards first and the bottom boards second, but there was no rhyme or reason for that.

With this step, it’s also important to check the distance between your boards as you’re installing them, to make sure you have an even look at the end. Installing them on studs will get you in the right general direction, but you should make sure they’re evenly spaced.

I measured them all out before I started installing. Then I installed the corner and outside end pieces first, before installing the middle pieces.

Because I had two shorter walls and my studs didn’t line up in the middle, I ended up putting my middle boards at the halfway point in the middle. It’s not a huge deal if the wood doesn’t hit a stud, since you’re also using wood glue and the 1/4″ plywood isn’t heavy.

Step 9: Cut Trim Pieces

Ok, now that the horizontal and vertical pieces are installed, it’s time for your trim pieces.

I used my miter saw to cut these pieces to the right lengths, but you can use a circular saw too if you don’t have a miter.

Step 10: Install Trim Pieces

I installed the longest piece first. And, I installed my trim pieces on top of the top horizontal board, not overlapping it. That’s a personal preference, so you choose what you want to do 🙂

Because a 1″x2″ is so thin, your biggest risk is you’ll split the board when installing it. So, I drilled pilot holes for my screws first, before screwing the boards in.

I marked the boards where the studs were on the wall. Then using my drill, I drilled 1 pilot hole through the board at each stud location. Then using my impact driver and 2.5″ wood screws, I slowly screwed the 1″X2″ in place.

I repeated this same process for each piece of 1″x2″.

Step 11: Apply Wood Filler

Once all your boards are up, the heavy lifting is done! Now it’s time to start the finishing work.

The first step in the finishing work is applying wood filler to cover all your nail holes and wood seams between the vertical and horizontal boards (we’ll hit the corners with caulk).

If you haven’t applied wood filler before, it’s super easy, and basically the same process as using drywall spackle! Using your spackle knife, spread wood filler over any seam or nail hole. Then scrape any excess away and let it dry according to package instructions.

Step 12: Sand & Tack Cloth

Once your wood filler has dried, sand down any excess wood filler until smooth. This is a great chance to also sand any rough edges on the sides of your boards too.

Once you’re done with sanding, run a tack cloth over everything to pick up any sawdust.

Step 13: Caulk

After that’s done, we’re going to caulk all the corners and any seams the wood filler didn’t touch. This will give you that custom, professional look once everything is painted.

If you haven’t used caulk before, here’s a quick run down:

1. Cut your caulk tube open at an angle.
2. Squeeze the tube to apply a small line of caulk where you need to. I typically apply about 6 inches at a time.
3. Next use your finger to smooth out the caulk and any remove excess.
4. Then use a wet paper towel or baby wipe to clean up any excess left on the wall. Repeat until you’ve filled in your whole gap.

Once you’re done, let the caulk dry according to package instructions.

Step 14: Prime Your Board & Batten Walls

Ok, we’re getting so close now! Time to prime your space. Make sure you use a good angled brush to get all the nooks and crannies before running over everything with a roller at the end, to minimize brush strokes.

Step 15: Paint Your Board & Batten Walls

And, last step: apply your paint! Again, you’re going to want to use a good angled brush to get all the nooks and crannies before using a roller over the space, to minimize brush strokes.

I needed 2 coats over the primer, since I was using a white.

And, Here’s the Finished Board and Batten Wall!

I’m so happy with how this turned out for my first attempt!

I really like how the board and batten walls elevate my entryway bench and shelf, from just a simple space to a custom, built-in look!

Yes, there a few jagged boards and a few places where things don’t line up perfectly. But, I’m sure I’m the only one who notices. And, now I know what to focus on for the next time I put board and batten walls up (I’m thinking my daughter’s room is next!)

I would definitely recommend adding board and batten walls to a place in your home–and don’t be afraid to mix it up from my look. Do only 1 horizontal board so you have long rectangles, or do 4 and make squares. You can customize this to whatever makes your space look best!

Have Questions? Looking for More One Room Challenge Fall 2022 Updates?

Check out our post ORC Fall 2022 Prep and ORC Fall 2022 Week 1!

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