DIY Board and Batten to the rescue: ORC Week 2

Wow, time sure flies fast!

I was only able to install a ceiling light last week for my entryway makeover, and here we are at the second week of the One Room Challenge!

What makes a house into a home?

Do you ever stare at the walls of your house and wonder what’s missing?

Well, that was me, and I knew I wanted to add some character to our home.

Board and Batten wall

People often say that your builder-grade home is just a blank canvas and you should go the custom route.

While I can agree with that, I also know that hiring a pro to customize your space might be a bit pricey.

What do you do when pros are out of your budget yet you can’t stop thinking about your custom home?

Right! You DIY!

Accent Wall

Paneling, board and batten, wainscotting – possibilities are endless!

I set my mind on board and batten wall for this ORC makeover.

After watching a few tutorials and reading a few blogs on how to install board and batten, I tried it out in my pantry.

I’m glad I did, afterwards, I felt more comfortable doing a bigger feature wall in my entryway for everyone to see.

Supplies for Board and Batten wall

Several popular designs kept popping up on my feed, so I finally figured out what I liked and went shopping:

  • 5 1x4x8ft
  • 2 1x6x8ft(in my case I should’ve went with 10ft board)
  • 11/16 cove molding
  • 2in brad nails
  • wood glue
  • wood filler

Once I had my supplies, I gathered all the needed tools for the project.

Tools

How to install board and batten

Here are some tips and tricks I learned while working on board and batten wall in my entryway.

  • Spacing

    You want your bords to be spaced evenly, so I suggest using this board and batten calculator. It helps you to figure out exactly where to put your boards and gives you a visual as well.

    Simply put the width of your wall, the size of your boards, and how many boards you’re using.
    You’ll get all the measurements within seconds.

  • Baseboards

    One of the common problems that you can encounter while installing board and batten is the different thickness of your boards and existing baseboards.

    You can remove your baseboard, or add a piece of decorative trim (cove or chair rail might work) to make a better transition from baseboards to the battens.

  • Uneven walls

    I have a knockdown texture on my walls and this time around I decided to keep it.
    I tried to skim-coat my walls in the pantry, but the whole process takes a long time, since you need to wait for each coat to dry.

    If you have a heavy texture I’d suggest to smooth your walls first, otherwise, be ready to use wood shims to even out your boards if needed.

  • Pick straight boards

    You’ll be surprised how many warped boards I’ve seen at the store, so please make sure you get the best lumber for your project.

  • No liquid nails

    If you ever change your mind and want to redo your room down the road, I’d skip liquid nails and opt for brad nails and caulk.

    If you use liquid nails, you’d damage your drywall trying to pull boards out, so try to think ahead and save yourself some time and money.

  • Finishing touches

    Do not rush and take your time to fill in all the nail holes with a wood putty and smooth it out.
    Use paintable caulk where battens meet the wall or between the batten and cove molding to finish things off and create a clean edge.

I’m so glad I took on this project and finally added my custom details to our home.

Even though this wall is not finished yet, it already looks so much better.

Next on the agenda for this entryway makeover is a painting party.

Stay tuned for next week’s update and be sure to check out other creative transformations on the One Room Challenge blog.

I hope this little makeover inspires you and you’ll be ready to tackle your next DIY!

Hugs,

Hanna

*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.`

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