DIY Board and Batten

6 Materials
$100
4 Hours
Medium
This is my third board and batten project and each time was a different and entertaining experience. And each time the end result was so much better than what I originally started with. This time though, I got my stuff together and worked smarter. Well, actually the first time I installed board and batten I had my dad do it for me so I worked real smart that time. The second time should have been easy but I ran into way too many issues that made me think I never wanted to do board and batten again. The third time was the charm though. For full details make sure to head over to my blog. https://www.lanternlanedesigns.com/diy-board-and-batten-under-100/
Start off by painting your walls white. I used Sherwin Williams Dover White in satin finish. I have also used paint in a semi gloss finish for these projects to mimic the look of wood (not sure if that fooled anyone though). You can also just use trim paint. I also did a rough outline with blue painters tape to plan out my grid.
Measure and paint your perimeter pieces. For me that was just the batten running against the ceiling and the batten running down the sides of the wall.  Since my trim was thin I was able to skip having a piece of trim running along the baseboard. I probably could have still put some trim there for looks but why go to the extra trouble?! I measured multiple times and made sure those pieces fit correctly and then painted them before I installed them.
Measure (and paint if you feel like being a go-getter) the remaining pieces. This part will be different for everyone. I installed the vertical pieces first and then added the horizontal pieces in. Some I painted before I installed and some I painted on the wall depending on my mood. Most of my cuts were pretty simple until I got to the stairs. I had to get creative when trying to figure out what angle the stairs are. I am sure there is a tool for this and I think I actually own it but I was too lazy to find it so I used paper instead. I cut a piece of paper to the exact width of my trim. I made sure to know exactly where that piece of trim was going to be and that my paper was level on the wall and had it overlap the trim of the stairs and creased the angle. I then traced the angle of my paper onto my batten so I knew where to cut.
Fill your nail holes and any spaces in between your battens. Spackle is an amazing thing. Even if your cuts are all wonky and things aren't lining up perfectly do not fret..just add some spackle. You might also need to caulk (or spackle) some gaps between your battens and the wall. I didn't have to do this step this time since my boards were thinner and were easier to nail into the walls and therefore creating less gaps (another plus of using lattice over MDF).
I went over everything with another fresh coat of paint and was done! Board and batten is my favorite DIY project. For the most part it is so easy to do and is pretty versatile. Adding this little bit of trim to my hallway has made such a big difference. Make sure to head over to my blog for the full tutorial. https://www.lanternlanedesigns.com/diy-board-and-batten-under-100/
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Jenna Lantern Lane Designs
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Susan QC Susan QC on Mar 27, 2019

    I love this look. I believe you did the vertical pieces first and then put the shorter horizontal pieces in between. Is that right? If so, would it matter if you did the opposite? I'm thinking about a wainscot on the bottom third of a wall and planned on the horizontal pieces going up first and then the shorter vertical ones. Does it make any difference in the finished look one way or the other?

  • Barbara Schnuerle Barbara Schnuerle on Mar 29, 2019

    Love your wall but want to ask about your kitchen cabinets. Am I seeing correctly, are only the doors on the cabinets painted? Thanks

  • Joni Kreiser Joni Kreiser on May 23, 2019

    To cut foam use an electric carving knife! I got mine at a resale shop for $3! Works great! Like cutting butter with a warm knife!

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  • Elena Musgraves Elena Musgraves on Apr 03, 2020

    Beautiful. Thanks for the tool tip on how to get the right angle for a cut. The paper idea is clever

  • Kathy Kathy on Nov 04, 2020

    wonderful job on the wall! I also love the woven bench Did you make it?

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