DIY Board and Batten Wall

DIY Board and Batten Wall

If you’re like me, the Fall season is a reminder that the end of the summer warmth is upon us and “Winter is Coming”. In preparation for hibernation this winter, I plan to renovate my bedroom over the course of the next few weeks. The first project I decided to tackle in the bedroom was creating an accent wall. Eventually, I also plan on updating the baseboards, furniture, window treatments and lighting in the room. Follow me on my bedroom renovation journey through my weekly blog posts.

When I started this project, the first thing I knew I wanted to work on was an interesting accent wall with color and dimension to liven up my gray walls. But I also wanted an accent wall project I could complete in a weekend because my 9-5 is keeping your girl BUSY! After scrolling through Pinterest, I narrowed down my list of options to a board and batten accent wall or peel and stick wallpaper. Since I wanted to create a more modern rustic design for the room, I decided to go with the board and batten wall.

Historically, the board and batten wall treatment was used primarily for exterior house siding but today, it is used on both exterior and interior walls to add three-dimensional architectural interest.  The board and batten wall is made with vertically installed boards and narrow battens fastened across the joint between boards. The design itself is easy to do and a cost-efficient way to add some dimension to a room.  The entire project cost me less than $100 worth of supplies. Check out the before and after pictures!

  • Before
  • After

Supplies:

Step 1: Measure, measure, measure…

I highly recommend that you measure and remeasure your walls before cutting or purchasing any supplies. While doing my research, I came across a number of resources about how to measure and prepare your walls. It requires a bit of math, so you’ll need pencil and paper to sketch out your wall. To start, measure the full height and width of your wall, you’ll likely need some help with this part. Shout out to my sister who indulged me and patiently measured and remeasure my wall. Next, determine how many vertical boards you want. Typically battens are spaced from 14” to 24” apart, so you can use that as a guide to decide on how many boards you want along your wall. Finally calculated the length of vertical boards needed.

For example, here’s the math and sketch I used for my wall:

Wall width: 158 inches and wall height: 103 inches

Total number of vertical batten boards = 7

To determine the height of each vertical batten board:

  • I plan to use MDF board @ 4” x 96” for the horizontal boards. Note the actual measured width of board is 3.5″ not 4″
  • Height of horizontal top and bottom = 2 horizontal boards @ 3.5” = 2 x 3.5 = 7”
  • I plan to use MDF board @ 3” x 96” for the vertical boards.
  • Height of vertical boards  = Height of wall – height of horizontal top and bottom boards, 103” – 7” = 96” i.e. the height of each vertical boards is 96”

Based on these calculations, for my wall, I needed to purchase 7 primed MDF board @ 3” x 96” for the vertical boards and 4 primed MDF board @ 4” x 96” for the top and bottom horizontal boards.

Step 2: Paint Walls

I suggest painting your walls and boards before applying them to the wall. I decided on primed MDF to make my life a little easier. Primed MDF is little more expensive but the time saved was well worth it. If you are looking to save a few more dollars, you can use non primed boards, but you’ll need to add another step for priming then painting (and sanding if necessary).

Step 3: Cut Boards

Measure the width of the top and bottom of your walls once more, mainly for reassurance that you measured it correctly the first time.  I planned to use 4” boards for the top and bottom boards of the walls. Cut your 4” MDF board to the desired width of wall. Since I don’t own a saw, I used my milter box to cut my boards. You can also get the boards cut at your local home improvement store.

Since the height of my vertical boards were 96” I didn’t need to make any cuts before attaching to wall. However, if the height between the top and bottom boards are less or greater than 96”, you will need to cut to the desired length.

Step 4: Attach and Secure Boards

Apply liquid nails to the back of you boards and attach the board to the top of wall. Once you’ve attached the top horizontal board, do the same for the bottom horizontal boards. Use a level to make sure your boards are applied straight. Finally, fastening boards to wall using your nailer or hammer. I started with a hammer, and quickly regretted it, but it works just as well.

When your top and bottom horizontal boards have been attached, measure the vertical distance between the top and bottom boards once more. I measured between each piece of board I attached just to make sure I didn’t make an error. Since the height of my vertical boards were 96” I didn’t need to make any cuts before attaching to wall. Using liquid nails, apply your first vertical board to wall, using a level to make sure it is straight. I started with the outer most boards first, then the center board and worked my way out. Attach using your nailer or hammer as you go.

Step 5: Fill holes, gaps, mistakes…

This was probably my least favorite part in the project. I had to get real up close and personal with the caulk. I pretty much caulked and filled all nail holes, uneven surfaces between board and wall, gaps, spaces between boards…everything. Caulk away and lightly sand when it’s dry for a smooth finish.

Step 6: Paint

Last step, but the best step. Give your boards and wall a second coat of paint and paint over any areas your caulked. Now step back and relax.

Here is the finished product, I’m so happy with how well the wall turned out. Very easy to do once, you’ve measured your space thoroughly and purchased all the supplies. Now time to finish the rest of the room. I plan to write a separate blog post once the bedroom renovation is complete.