It’s week 3 of the New Year New Room Refresh Challenge, and I’ve started installing the board and batten wall molding. If you’re just now tuning in, you can check out my inspiration for this bathroom makeover here and see my design mood boards here. I’m not yet done, but the board and batten in this one corner of the bathroom is already looking so good! I just love the way molding elevates a space. It always adds so much character and interest!
This particular type of molding project is very beginner-friendly. I’m certainly not an expert. So trust me, if I can do this, you can too! With board and batten, there are zero mitered corners, just straight cuts and some simple math to determine your layout.
A couple of tips before we get to the easy math formula:
1.) I recommend starting with the most inconspicuous wall in your space and actually penciling your pattern on the wall to determine your layout. Personally, I find this SO helpful, however I am a very visual person. And for me, paper or digital plans just don’t always do the trick. I like to stand in the space and “play” with the molding against the wall, tracing the boards to get a good idea of what it will look like before installing. If you’re a visual person like me, I highly recommend starting a molding project by drawing your plans this way.
2.) Get yourself a cordless nail gun. It’s a game changer! I bought this one a few years ago, and I love it!
Now on to the math, which is very straightforward.
To determine your vertical board placement:
You will take the Overall Width of your Wall subtract (the Board Width multiplied by the Number of Vertical Boards) then divide by the Number of Spaces Between Vertical Boards.
So, in my case, the width of my wall is 65.5 inches. I’m using 1x3s for this project, so the board width is 2.5 inches. (Because 1x3s aren’t 3 inches wide, they’re 2.5 inches wide.) And there are 5 vertical boards and 4 open spaces between each vertical board. *(The number of boards is determined by your personal preference.) I decided I wanted to create vertical rectangles to play off the rectangular inset on the top half of the door which is how I determined the number of boards I wanted to use.
Using the formula above with my measurements:
65.5 – (2.5 x 5) / 4 = 13.25
So the space between each of the vertical boards is 13.25 inches.
To determine the horizontal placement:
You take the Overall Height subtract (the Board Width multiplied by the Number of Horizontal Boards) then divide by the Number of Spaces Between Horizontal Boards.
So in my case, because I only wanted the molding on the bottom half of the wall, I started by installing one horizontal board 60 inches from the top of the baseboard.
Using the formula with my measurements:
60 – (2.5 x 3) / 3 = 17.5
So the space between each of the horizontal boards is 17.5 inches.
Once you have your vertical and horizontal measurements, you’re ready to start cutting your boards and installing. *(I recommend measuring for each piece and then cutting your wood, rather than cutting all of your pieces to the same measurement because it’s rare that walls and/or base moldings are completely square. So each piece may need to be cut at a slightly different measurement.)
All you will need to attach your boards to the wall is a level (big fan of a mini-level!) and a nail gun (or a hammer and some finish nails).
Don’t stress about making perfect cuts! That’s what caulk was made for. 😉
I decided to add a 1×2 to the top, and I love that added detail! I can’t wait to finish this molding project! Still deciding what color to paint it……stay tuned!
Be sure to check out how all of the other New Year New Room Refresh Challenge participants are doing this week!
Casa Watkins Living // Our Fifth House // Iris Nacole // My Eclectic Nest // This is Our Bliss // House of Hipsters // Once Upon a 1912
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