How to Install a DIY Board and Batten Wall

A DIY board and batten wall can add depth and visual interest to your interior that's unachievable with ordinary painted drywall. While there are many DIY accent walls across the internet labeled "board and batten," a true board and batten wall feature narrow vertical battens covering the seams between wider vertical boards.

Often associated with farmhouse style, board and batten walls look great in several home styles, like modern, minimalistic, and coastal. While this exterior siding style started as an effective rain-shedding solution for exterior walls, it has made its way into interiors as a purely decorative element.

Before You Begin

To better understand the difference between traditional board and batten and the interior iteration we've outlined in this tutorial, we've broken them down below:

• Traditional Method: Traditional board and batten consist of installing vertical panel boards, then covering each seam with thin battens. The only reason you would opt for this method over the drywall method is if you were starting on a stud wall with no drywall installed or if you planned to leave the board and batten wall raw or stained rather than painted. Of course, this method is also ideal on an exterior.
• Over-Drywall Method: This method is outlined in the steps below. It treats your drywall as the wide boards in the board and batten look, rather than requiring the actual installation of boards. This makes the project more accessible by cutting costs and labor significantly. Because of this, this method is the most common method for interior walls.

Board and Batten Size and Spacing

Because the over-drywall method doesn't rely on the width of actual board seams for batten placement, you can really place them wherever. While placing 1x3 battens on 10- to 12-inch centers will yield the most traditional board and batten look, playing with the spacing can yield a better look that's more tailored to your space. For example, if you want a thicker batten such as a 1x4, which has an actual width of 3-1/2 inches, you'll likely want a larger space in between battens.

This will be dependent on the size of your wall and the look you're after. In a tighter space, it often looks better to opt for closer battens. However, on a large wall, spacing the battens more will keep the wall from looking too busy. In the same vein, thinner battens will look better in a smaller space, while wider ones will work in larger spaces. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules, and you can always adjust according to your preference.

How to Determine Your Board and Batten Spacing

While a quick online search will yield several calculators for determining your board and batten spacing—the easiest way is to decide how many spaces you want between the battens, then add one to this number to determine the number of battens needed. Once you determine this, input these numbers into the formula below.

Wall length in inches-(batten width X total number of battens) ÷ total number of spaces = space between battens

For example, here is what the formula would look like for a 15-foot wall with 15 spaces and 16 battens measuring 2-1/2 inches each:

180 inches - (16 x 2.5 inches) ÷ 15 = 9.33 inches

This means the battens will have 9-1/3 inches between them. Always round your number to the nearest 16th inch.

If your results of the formula yield too large of spaces between the battens, simply increase the number of battens and spaces in the formula until it yields a space width that you like. Likewise, if the spaces are too small, decrease the number of battens and spaces. Just make sure to add or subtract the same number from the battens and spacing when changing the formula. The number of battens should always be one more than the number of spaces.

Board and Batten vs. Wainscoting

Many people use the terms "board and batten" and "wainscoting" interchangeably. The main differentiation is that wainscoting typically describes a type of trim and paneling system that covers part of the wall, most often the lower third. Additionally, wainscoting can be done in a variety of styles such as beaded paneling, flat paneling, and stile and rail, which closely resembles board and batten.

What Wood to Use for Board and Batten

Premium pine (pine with no knots) is a great, economical option for an interior board and batten feature wall. But, if you'd like to upgrade the wood and still plan on painting it, poplar is an excellent choice. While the tight, unique grain isn't known for staining, it accepts paint very well and is easy to work with, even for amateur carpenters. Additionally, poplar is more impact-resistant than many pine options.

Another popular option for the painted board and batten walls are MDF (medium-density fiberboard), which is very dimensionally stable and easy to work with. However, we don't recommend the use of MDF in areas with potential water exposure.