Board and batten wall treatments are strips of wood or molding traditionally used to cover the seams of walls. Not only does it look beautiful, the custom factory work adds value to your home. It falls into the Wayne Scotting category. Wayne Scotting is a combination of decorative panels, trim, and moldings that extend halfway up a wall. Adding a board and batten accent wall is a very affordable upgrade and one of the most approachable DIY projects. Depending on the type, it can cost less than $100. We’ve added boards and battens to a few rooms in the house and are really happy with the visual interest it brings! Do you want to go all the way to the ceiling, or do you want to clear the space and paint over it? You can make various combinations!
For the best success with DIY boards and battens, start with a smooth wall texture
The walls of the original dining area used furling strips for the vertical wood strips and larger 1 x 3 furling strips for the horizontal top strips. If the wall is not smooth and has a heavy texture, you can stick plywood or MDF board on the surface to be covered first. But before we did that, we realized that our sad, whimsical original baseboard just wouldn’t do the trick. Must be installed. Before applying any wood treatment to the wall, use a stud finder to mark the studs with a pencil to see where the electricity is going in the wall to avoid nailing it down. Also, as always, follow instructions and use proper personal safety equipment and tools.
Extra trim can be used to make the existing baseboard look larger if the trim top is too narrow
I took a 1.5 inch piece of pine board trim and turned it upside down so that the thick edge of the molding met the bottom of the vertical board. This made the small trim look more substantial and modern. To glue, use construction glue or liquid nails to stick the trim piece to the wall. After the glue dries, apply a base coat of raw wood and let it dry.
I found it easier to add the top horizontal boards running the length of the wall before adding the vertical boards, using a miter saw in the corners if necessary. Make sure the entire top is level and secure with construction glue and nails (paintable caulk or wood filler works best to fill nail holes).
Once the top board is in place, measure and add the vertical batten boards in place and glue the boards together in the same manner as before.
The hardest part of building a board and batten wall is deciding how far up the wall you want it to go
Deciding how far to place each piece of wood requires some math. The boards and batten boards can be moved as close together or as far apart as you like. I generally feel that a width of 11-13 inches in the middle has the most classic look.
Once the board and battenwood are attached to the wall, fill in the nail holes and sand to make sure they are flush with the trim and smooth. to seal where the wood meets the wall so that there are no gaps. .
For raw wood, use an angled brush to paint all edges and tops of the board and battens with primer, then use a paint roller on the flat areas in between.
What are the best finishes for boards and battenwalls?
Once the walls are fully primed, they are ready for painting. Use the same technique of first cutting all edges with a brush and then with a roller. Optimal. This is a great wall treatment for so many areas of your home! Entrances, bathrooms, bedrooms and more.
This area of our home is painted with Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. I love how it looks clean, refreshing and interesting!
Your room will be bright and comfortable. Now that I think about it, this space is in an office area.
In our bedroom, the before-after is amazing!
And even our bathroom feels really bright and clean.
Bode and Battenwall treatments are a classic and timeless look that now come in so many modern variations that they are an affordable way to bring a lot of character to your home!
