Easiest Ever DIY Board and Batten Wall Tutorial (2024)

FAQs

What's the cheapest way to do board and batten? ›

Using mdf board, which is lightweight and inexpensive. Using battens only 1/4 inch thick so the baseboards did not need to be removed. Skipping a horizontal line of board installed above the baseboards (as people include with some styles) Skipping nailing flat boards into the drywall under the battens.

If you're using thin, lightweight lumber, you won't need to stress about it. However, for everything else, it's a good idea to attach your boards to the studs wherever possible. If you can't find a wall stud, use wood glue/liquid nails and a nail that's long enough to secure the wood to the wall.

1 x 4 inch wood – for the battens and for the window trim. 1 x 2 inch wood – for a subtle ledge at the top of all the wood. We nailed two of these, one in front of the other, so that it sticks out a bit. You could use something wider to make a larger ledge for pictures or other things.

Formula: Exact Spacing = (Remaining Width - (Number of Spaces * Batten Width)) / Number of Spaces.

The cheapest way to do a DIY board and batten wall would be to use MDF purchased in 4′ x 8′ sheets, then have them ripped into perfectly straight boards for your lattice strips. You would need to know exactly how much you need, and what the thicknesses would be.

The biggest challenge to board and batten siding is budgetary, both in time and cost. Because of the careful installation technique and extra batten pieces to cover plank seams, board and batten siding requires additional materials and time at installation.

Measure wall width to determine the spacing of your battens or vertical slats. Most traditional batten is placed between 8” to 12” apart. The placement of our battens will be 8” apart. To determine the length of the battens for our 5' tall wall, we subtracted 5-1/2” for the baseboard and 3-1/2” for the top trim.

You want to FILL the holes and CAULK the gaps. Here are some tips on how to use the Filler and Caulk: Use a putty knife to help fill the holes.

In some areas, it's common to attach vertical 1x2 furring strips before installing board-and-batten siding. If your sheathing is not solid plywood or OSB, these strips are needed to provide a nailing surface. Attach strips around windows and doors, then lay out and attach horizontal strips every 16 inches.

For this style, a good rule of thumb is that the vertical boards should be in the range of ⅔ of the height of the wall. Tape it and adjust. If you want to add artwork or lighting, that may mean a bit lower.

Do you remove baseboard for board and batten? ›

You don't have to remove your baseboards. No complicated measuring here – using my method, depending on the length of your wall, your battens will be between approximately 8-16 inches apart.

For accent walls, I choose to buy Pre-Primed MDF to save time and supplies needed to sand and prime any raw wood (like common wood). [NOTE: MDF should NOT be used in wet areas like bathrooms, outside or in windows as MDF will morph when wet. Feel free to use Pine or a hardwood in these cases.]

The batten is placed over the board's seams. On the contrary, reverse board and batten gets its name because it is literally the opposite of board and batten. The boards are narrow and the batten that is installed on the boards is wider.

We weren't either, which is why it took us an entire day to decide on the "perfect" height. The standard height to install wainscoting is about 1/3 of the wall height, so if you have 9 foot ceilings that would be 36 inches. If you have 8 foot ceilings then that would be 32 inches.

DIY Board and Batten Siding Installation vs. Hiring a Professional. The cost to install board and batten siding yourself is between $0.75 and $10 per square foot.

Board and batten siding costs $5 to $13 per square foot installed on average, or $8,500 to $27,300 for a typical home, depending on the material. Board and batten vinyl siding costs $5 to $9 per square foot installed. Installing metal board and batten siding costs $6 to $16 per square foot.

No, since board and batten siding is made of wood and relatively complex to install, it's typically more expensive than horizontal vinyl siding. Board and batten can range anywhere between $5 and $12 per square foot while horizontal vinyl siding usually costs between $2 and $6 per square foot.

Inherently, some materials are simply superior compared to others. Vinyl and steel board and batten sidings, for example, are better in terms of durability and cost while wood is a great option aesthetic-wise.