DIY Board and Batten
Special thank you to my husband for writing this post for the blog! He was the one who did all of the labor here, so I thought it would be most helpful if he wrote the post. :-)
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HOW TO: Creating a simple and easy board and batten wall or entry way. Total supplies for this project were under 200$ and we purchased all of the supplies from Lowes.
Supplies:
1x2” MDF
1x3” MDF
1x4” MDF
1x6” MDF
Saw (I prefer Miter Saw, however other saws work just fine)
Framing Square
Level
Measuring Tape
Brad Nailer (1 5/8 Nails)
White Caulking
White Paint
Sandpaper (180 & 220 grit)
Paint Brush
Caulking tool (optional)
Stud finder (optional)
Chalk Line (Optional)
Steps to create a board and batten wall or entry:
Prep:
Measure the space that you will be installing the board and batten in. You will need to use this measurement to know how quantities of MDF and supplies to purchase for project.
Measure height of ceiling.
For this project I used a 2/3 height (B&B to Ceiling) ratio for the Board and Batten to give it a regal look.
Measure distance of wall.
With your measurements, lay out your spacing between boards (horizontally and vertically)
Using sketch pad will give you a great idea of design. Be sure to include electrical outlets and light switches.
*Tip - Electrical outlets and panels should be laid out on each stud behind the wall. If you space your boards to be 16 centered on each stud, this will also help you avoid covering outlets and needing to make additional custom cuts around outlets and switches.
Once you have your overall measurements, calculate your total amount board needed. (incorporate your sketch)
*Tip- Because we laid flooring and new baseboard, I was able to use existing baseboard as the bottom portion of the batten. If you are not replacing baseboard, make sure you check type of baseboard. MDF is approximately 1” thick. If your baseboard is smaller, the MDF may stick out and not be able to maintain a flush appearance. If you have shoe mold or other trim on top of square baseboard, you may be able to remove the top mold to ensure a flush mount. Another option is to cut out each section at the baseboard where the trim will meet to create a flush look. To do this you would need a reciprocating saw, dremel, or cutting tool to make flush and precise cuts into baseboard.
Prep B:
Remove any outlet / panel covers. If you have any areas that need to be sanded or touched up to ensure a flat even layout, touch those areas up now.
Install new baseboard, or ensure existing baseboard is ready to except flush mount MDF. If you are not using your baseboard as bottom piece, after step 6, you would want to follow same steps to install bottom piece of your Board and Batten.
Install:
Step 1: Cut your top (1x6) pieces. Remember measure twice, cut once!
Step 2: Measure from top of floor surface your desired height. (2/3 Ratio for me was 62”). Mark this point at several places down the wall. If you are using the stud finder, I would suggest marking this point at your studs. These will be solid anchor points to nail the MDF to. They should be centered ever 16-24”.
Step 3: I recommend checking these marking with the level for accuracy. If level, at this point you can use the optional chalk line to pop a line for the bottom edge of the 1x6” MDF.
Step 4: Using the markings, or chalk line, ensure that your MDF is level, and mount at studs with the brad nail gun. When running board by myself, I like to secure one end, move four feet down, adjust height with level, secure and continue down.
Step 5: With the top 1x6” board mounted, use the same marking strategy to mark the lower 1x4” mdf board. This board can be mounted using the same 2/3 ratio, or at any height desired. For this project I used a 14” spacing between the bottom of the 1x6” and top of the 1x4”.
Step 6: Using the same technique, mount the horizontal 1x4” board.
The baseboards will serve as your bottom. These should have been prepped in before step 1.
Step 7: Layout the 1x3” vertical boards.
*Tip – Measure your boards. Just because your board states it is 3” does not necessarily mean it is actual 3” width. Most of the MDF I found was actual stated size. There were options on the 6” with actual width measuring at 5.5”. Lumber will generally be .5” smaller than stated size.
I started my first board from the left hand side on a stud, and measured out 16”. Use the framing square to mark your cuts. You may also want to use the chalk line for a guide and the level to ensure all of your pieces are evenly spaced. You can go two ways at this point.
If you are confident in your measurements, you would want to measure 14.5” from the right end of your last board to mark the left side of your next board. From this mark, you could mark an additional 16” over down the wall. Each 16” would leave you 14.5” between to account for your 3” board. (You can adjust this for 24” spacing as well as various board sizes).
You may also measure as you go. Once you mark, level and install the first vertical 1x3”, you can measure the distance to the right to ensure your spacing stays the same. If you are doing this and using custom spacing, be mindful of any outlets or electric panels. Worst case scenario, if your spacing does lay over an outlet, you may need to cut around pieces to avoid covering the outlets. Be sure to leave relief room so that you are able to place cover back on outlet.
*You can check the evenness of your layout with a framing square. All of your corners should be at 90 degree. If you do not have a framing square you can measure the distance to diagonal corners. In one space, the distance from the two opposing diagonal corners should be exactly the same distance. This will ensure you have a level and squared (perpendicular / parallel) appearance.
Cap/ Top:
For the top, take the 1x2” MDF and face it down with the primed side facing the floor. Make sure that your pieces are flush against the wall prior to nailing them at an angle to your 1x6. You also want to ensure that you are nailing behind the 1” thickness of the 1x6” MDF. To ensure this, you can Premark a 1” line on the non-primed side of the MDF from the outer edge towards the middle. This outer edge will make contact with the wall. When you go to nail this piece in, you will just need to make sure you are nailing at a slight angle and ensuring that you are doing so between the wall and your 1” line. (You can use measuring tape / chalk line to mark this line)
Finishing:
With all of your boards in place, start caulking all of the edges where the boards meet the wall and form joints with other boards. You can use the optional caulking tool to help smooth out your caulking bead. You may also use caulking to cover in nail holes for a smooth finish.
Once your caulking is dry, you will want to sand nail holes, joints, and any uneven spots. I always start with the 180 grit on an orbital sander, however hand sanding works fine. Once you have the areas relatively smooth, move up to the 220 grit and go over the areas again. (You can also use additional higher count grit sandpaper for a smoother finish.)
Once all of your caulking is sanded down to your liking, you are able to paint. If you are not confident in your ability to cut in edges, feel free to use painters tape on the edges to prevent over paint.
Let each coat dry before applying the next. Depending on the quality of paint, it may take up to three coats of paint. We used a white Sherwin Williams paint/ primer and had adequate coverage in two coats.
I hope you found this post helpful to create your own DIY Board and Batten! Please email us with any questions you have. Happy to help with the process!
Follow me on Instagram for more inspiration, DIY, and organization hacks! www.instagram.com/livingsimplybydesign
-Justin & Brittany
