Basic Board and Batten
January 11, 2011
Board and batten is all the rage in DIY land, and for very good reason. It’s a fantastic way to add architectural interest to your home and a project any homeowner can tackle. Board and batten adds clean lines, breaks up bare walls, and complements many styles of modern homes, and these days it’s de rigueur to install it yourself, and then blog about it.
I call my project basic board and batten because for me it was extremely simple to install, but that was because I had no corners to deal with, no strange angles to cut or windows to work around. Just a simple light switch to accommodate along a straight wall.
I’m going to install this same board and batten treatment in my son’s room, and in that space, I will run into all those issues named above, so I’ll be sure to do a follow up post addressing those more difficult cuts and installation when I tackle that project later this year.
For yesterday’s before and after project, I had the four supplies I needed to whip up this wall treatment rather quickly: 1) pre-primed MDF, 2) a compound miter saw, 3) a fast brad nailer/compressor, and 4) a handy husband helping me cut and nail boards on his extended lunch hour.
Installing Simple Board & Batten
My Supplies: 4 x 8” panel (1/8 inch thick); ½ x 3 ½” pre primed MDF boards for base and top; ¼ x 2 ¼ pre primed MDF boards for battens; ¼ x 2 ¼ strip for ledge; 11/16” cove molding; jigsaw; compound miter saw; brad nailer; Gorilla glue; spackle, caulk.
1) Remove your existing baseboards if their thickness will not accommodate the bottom of your battens (the vertical strips). Most existing baseboards will not allow for the battens to sit on top, which is why I replaced it (see below).
Before you shop for supplies, measure measure and remeasure your wall, starting at the baseboard and taking the width measurement every 18” or so until you reach the height where you want to stop on your wall. Decide how far apart you want your battens to be, it’s up to you, but 12” to 16” in distance works well, and map out a sketch to take with you to the home improvement store.
(Optional) If you have smooth walls, you can skip the addition of a smooth panel below. In this loft, the homeowners have ‘orange peel’ texture, so to provide contrast and a smooth wall below, I purchased a 4’ x 8’ flat panel at Lowes (the same boards used for our own picture frame wainscoting project) and attached it to the wall with construction adhesive and a few brad nails. Be sure to notch out any light switches or electrical outlets with a jigsaw.
2) Attach the new ½ inch thick baseboard below, and the same ½ inch x 3 ½ board above. (Ignore that skinny trim piece you see below next to the baseboard, that’s the cove molding that’s installed much later). You can see the panel had been notched to make room for the light fixture all the way to the left.
3) Now that your top board is set, map out the placement and distance of your battens, then cut those pieces with your compound miter saw. Use a level and brad nailer to secure them in place.
You’ll save more money for larger projects than this by cutting up one board of MDF at your home improvement store, but you’ll have to prime/paint them after they’re cut. For this simpler smaller project, I bought the individual boards at Lowes that are pre-primed on all sides.
4) To create the small shelf on top, run a strip of Gorilla glue, lay your ledge down, then again secure with a brad nailer.
At this time, I would like to pause to say, this is my definition of a romantic lunch date.
5) Attach your cove molding trim underneath the same way, with some Gorilla glue and a brad nailer. You can see it underneath the ledge here, I think it finishes the look nicely.
You can choose a thicker or deeper ledge, but in this case, I chose a more shallow shelf so the homeowner wouldn’t run into it coming out the adjacent bedroom door to the right, whack her arm, and curse my name. These things I think about. 
6) Fill all seams with caulk and patch any nail holes with spackle. Cover it all up with at least one coat of paint!
The hooks were attached later for added utility for this loft wall, and you can see the rest of the accessories in yesterday’s before and after post. For an even more detailed look at how we finished an entire room in the same wall treatment, check out this bedroom.
Want to see more great tutorials for board and batten? Check out this handy diagram over at This Old House. Also, pay a visit to Melissa, Karla, Kimba, Nester, Sarah, Chris, AnNicole, and Jen for more inspiration and great ‘How To’ posts. Did I miss anyone? If you’ve done your own DIY board and batten, be sure to list it in a comment for all to see!
Happy home improvement!
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Tags: board and batten
impressive project. I love that the hooks are the perfect height for children
I’d like to do this on a wall with one rounded edge. How would you stop?? I’d love to tackle this… HELP!
The construction adhesive and Gorilla Glue seem awful permanent- are they absolutely necessary? Could you get away with brad nailing on the studs? If you ever changed your mind it seems like it would be a bear to remove.
Hi Colleen!
Yep, you could get away without using the adhesive it you are concerned about it being permanent, however B&B is rather timeless so if you’re going to put it up, I say go for it and get up there nice and solid by using the adhesive. The Gorilla glue goes just on the surface of the top board, so it would attach to that, not the wall. But yes, you could get away with a whole bunch of brad nails and years down the road if you ever wanted to change it out, simply patch the holes.
April, you have two choices on a rounded wall. If you want to stop, create a clean edge on one side with a strip of trim. If you want to keep going, run your two panels together to form a corner, then add a trim piece over the top. I’d probably cut two battens in half lengthwise, then butt them up against each other. You’d cut the upper ‘shelf’ pieces at a 45 degree angle to make them come together on the top.
I am excited to try this in our keeping room! My concern is that all of the baseboards in our 7 yr old
house are stained a light oak.With an open floor plan do you think it would look odd to have a room with
all the baseboards painted white-due to the board and batten?
I really dig your blog, tons of eye candy and cool projects. Last weekend I installed a board and batten of my own on a somewhat useless hallway wall. Thanks for the great idea.
This is great….I want this in my laundry room…BUT, I have a tile base molding (matches the floor tiles) that’s 1/2″ thick (about 3″ high)…any suggestions on how to install this treatment without removing the tiles? Thanks!
I have a wall between my kids rooms that would be Per-fect for this! I do have a similar wainscoating board & batten wall in our drop zone, but then the kids bags, etc. wouldn’t clutter up that area quite so much. Thanks for turning on the light bulb!
you have the best ideas! oh, i´m so in a total renovating mood now!
thank you so much for sharing!
I am giving this a try in my laundry room.
I do have corners and stuff, no real tools other then hammer/nails/hand saws/drills. So I am wondering if it would be ok, to not miter the corners??
And could you do a 10″ board on the top for a shelf?? Any tips, I want to put baskets on the top shelf for storage.
THANKS for all the info, it has inspired me.
(even if I have had to put 3 coast of high gloss paint on the bottom parts of my walls).
Deb
I feel like I’ve already WON with this information-packed post! I am dying to do a board and batten look up our stairway. I also have a guest room with twin beds that I’d also love to do a high chair rail and use the stencil ideas you gave us as well for the top half. I am so happy to have stumbled upon your site!
That is the perfect color of khaki on your Basic Board and Batten project blog. Please share what paint color/brand your walls are? THanks so much and love your blogs Leslie E
I am new to your website and am obsessed. This being the week before Spring Break was a perfect time to find you. I am totally inspired. This is my question. I have a green highboy I want to pain horizontal stipes of black and cream on. From top to bottom going over drawers and all so think STRAIGHT STRAIGHT lines. Have you ever done this? Any tips? I have heard that to get it right I need to paint over the tape lines with clear glaze. Anything else I should know? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the sweet shout out. Beautiful post and great board and batten information. It looks great!!!!
You are amazing!!
xoxoxox
Jen
Hi Alison, the clear glaze or contrasting paint will work, see this article!
http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/11/how-to-paint-perfect-stripes-on-walls/
Kate
Love what you did with this wall! I referred back to this tutorial while I was doing my own version of board and batten. I especially appreciated that you gave specific directions about finishing the top. I haven’t done that part yet, because I haven’t found exactly what I want, but it was very helpful that you were specific with the parts you used. Thank you! Love your blog.
My board and batten (so far anyway):
http://pinktoesandpowertools.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/board-batten-post-5/
I’ve seen this so many places, but was never able to pin down what it was called or a tutorial until I stumbled across your blog. Thanks so much for the detailed photos. I’m itching to try it in our hallway! Fingers crossed it comes out looking even close to as good as yours. Thanks, again!
Just thought I would let you know that I had spotted your tutorial a while back and bookmarked it for our bathroom renovation we just completed!! It looks amazing and I get such great compliments on it!! Thank you for the tutorial! :) Here’s the link to our bathroom if you want to see how it turned out: http://kmanndesigns.com/blog/2011/04/18/bathroom-update
Nice job! You could also assemble the vertical boards and the top rails using pocket screws. You’ll have an easier time flushing up the boards to one another.
[...] Hmmm, how to make this interesting. Board and batten news in blogland isn’t exactly new. You’ve probably already read a gazillion posts about it. Like Karla or perhaps Centsational Girl. [...]
I am so excited to do this project my daughter is the one who saw your blog and I was about to hire someone. But I can totally do this myself. Do you have any suggestions on the shelf for long walls. I have 17′ to cover no interruptions straight wall?
Where did you get those perfect hooks? I’ve looked everywhere!
[...] Of course, crown molding is always a great option, but I was looking for something a little different. I also wanted a project that I could tackle on my own and board and batten fit the bill. There are a lot of great tutorials out there in blog land, but here is one that I particularly liked over at Centsational Girl. [...]
[...] and Batten seems to be really hot right now in decorating. There are several blogs with instructions on how to do it so I won’t go into a lot of great detail here except for [...]
I love the look of the board and batten so we did this in our office. The first couple people we showed it to asked, “what color are you going to paint it?” I was really confused by the question… I’ve only ever seen it painted white, and it’s painted in the same bright white that the rest of our trim is. But now that Every Single Person (more than a dozen) that’s seen it has asked the same question, I’m starting to get really paranoid!
Have you had anyone ask what color you’re going to paint the board and batten?
Hi Renee! That’s too funny, I’ve never had that question but it can be any color you choose. I believe most choose white to match the door trim, baseboard and crown molding that is typically white in most homes. :)
Kate
Hello, my husband just finished installing board and batten today on a living room wall and foyer wall. It looks great! It took several days as he used unprimed masonite, which had to be primed before it could be painted, and contact cement (go with the odorless variety), which had to dry before he could hang the wood. We painted it Benjamin Moore White Chocolate. Compared to the bright white of the primer it looks cream but goes great with our gold walls. It doesn’t match the white of the adjacent base boards but I’m ok with that. Adds so much character to the rooms, especially to the 2-story foyer wall. Great DIY project. :)
So great to read this Susan, glad you love your room!
xo
Kate
[...] do-able (read: affordable), for me any way. I’ve been watching posts about beadboard and board & batten, and obsessing over [...]