How to Shiplap a Wall

Construction2style
by Construction2style
2 Materials
$500
6 Hours
Easy
1. Tools and Materials
First step to any home project is getting all of your tools and materials in order and space prepped. Here are a list of the tools and materials we used for this project:
  • Table saw
  • Jigsaw
  • Nail gunNails
  • MDF
  • Level
  • Measuring tape
  • Sandpaper
  • HANDy Pro Pail
  • Mini paint roller
  • 3″ paint brush
  • Primer
  • Paint
  • Caulk

2. Find & Mark Studs
Next, you’ll want to determine where the studs are. Lucky for us, this was all fresh drywall since we had just remodeled the entire space, so we knew exactly where to find the studs. But if you’re not sure, use a stud finder and mark off with a pencil where the studs are so you know exactly where to nail into the shiplap boards.

3. Measure & Cut
Once you have the studs marked off it’s time to get those babies hung! For our wall, we used 1×6 MDF boards, but you can use any board dimension and type you want to match the look you’re going for. Figure out where your starting point is and measure from wall to wall to determine the length to cut your boards. We also like to measure the boards as we’re hanging them up on the wall, doing a couple of boards at a time just in case the walls aren’t perfectly plumb.

4. Level
We started from the ceiling and worked our way down for this project because we wanted a full board at the top rather than a ripped down top board. To start off, you’ll want to make sure to hang your first board perfectly level.

5. Hang & Nail Boards
One by one, nail your boards up; ensuring you are hitting your marked off areas on the studs with a nail gun.

People have been known to put quarters in between their boards to give a little spacing to your shiplap look, but we just butted and nailed them right up against one another. We’ve also heard paint stir sticks work great if you like the space and those sound a little easier to put in between your boards when hanging and nailing. However, Jamie likes a very clean look to his projects so he prefers butting them up against one another to avoid any wavy un-level lines.
If you run into any electrical switches, the jigsaw comes in handy to cut around those boxes within the boards.

6. Paint Boards
When painting we love to use our because you will want a mini roller and a brush and the pro pail fits both. It has a magnetic strip on one side for the brush to hang on and its large enough for a roller to sit inside.

Since the shiplap will probably be a statement piece that people’s eyes will be drawn to, you’ll want to make sure it has a nice finish. No drips or air bubbles. We prefer to use a mini roller because we like to roll one board at a time. We don’t like to roll over two boards at once because you want to ensure the boards look like separate boards.

We prefer to paint our boards after we hang them. We’ve painted beforehand a few times but we always end up having to go back and touch up spots from moving and hanging once they’re up, so now we just leave it until we hang.

Before
Measure & Cut
Paint
Style
After
After
Suggested materials:
  • Shiplap   (Home Depot)
  • Handy Paint Pail   (Home Depot)
Frequently asked questions
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