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Looking for an easy, affordable way to spice up a wall? Try a Board and Batten (with a shelf) for just under $100!
We’ve all been there. Scrolling through Pinterest for hours, feeling hopeless that we’ll NEVER figure out what to do to that blank wall of ours.
This easy DIY project will look like you spent A LOT of money and time on it and is the best way to spice up a plain wall! Let me show you how ⬇️
This post is about the DIY Board And Batten Wall With Shelf.
DIY BOARD AND BATTEN WALL:
Board and Batten Materials:
- 1×4 Primed Pine
- Liquid Nails
- 1-½ in. Brad Nails
- Paintable Caulk
- Caulk Gun
- Sander/Sand Paper
- Frog Tape
- Paint (Sherwin Williams – Tricorn Black in Matte)
- Angle Paint Brush
- Paint Roller w/ Brush
Tools:
Wood Shelf Materials (Optional):
**Please note that the amount of boards will depend on the size of your wall. MDF boards can also be used with this project instead of wood (it’s less expensive!)
DIY BOARD & BATTEN WALL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Measure & Plan
First things first, measure your wall! Ours was 95” x 95”. If you have a radiator on the wall, measure that too.
Then decide how tall you’d like your battens. I wanted them to cover almost halfway of the wall (so everyone watching My YouTube Channel can see more than just a black wall!)
I created a digital drawing template for a better visual:
2. Buy Your Materials
Once you know your measurements and the amount of boards you need, it’s time to take a trip to Home Depot!
When shopping for the boards, find the straightest boards possible. It’ll help when you’re attaching them to your wall!
3. Cut The Wood
Mark your cuts with a pencil/sharpie on each plank, then use a Miter Saw to cut. Sand the edges lightly once cut.
Unfortunately when measuring the wall, the middle plank landed right on top of the outlet. We used a Jigsaw (or dremel) to cut a square in the plank and pulled the outlet through.
If your battens don’t land on top of your outlet, you can skip this step.
When cutting the shelf, I determined the best length was 37”. My original plan was to make the shelf the entire length of the wall…
But this was the longest I could make it (or else I wouldn’t be able to open my door!)
4. Remove Old Moulding & Install New Board
The old mouldings/trim in my office were quite old, so we removed them with a putty knife.
Take the 1×4 primed board and apply liquid nails to the back of it. Then, place it on the wall and nail it in with the brad nailer.
Don’t forget to level before securing with the nails!
5. Attach Vertical Boards (Battens) To The Wall
Next, we applied the vertical battens to the wall. To make it easier, lay the battens on the wall, level them, then outline the sides with a pencil BEFORE applying!
Apply liquid nails again to the back of each board (a little goes a long way with this stuff!) and secure with the brad nailer & nails. We started from the outside and worked our way towards the middle.
6. Attach Middle Board To Wall & Shelf Base (Optional)
Finally, we can attach our top board to the wall, again using liquid nails & the brad nailer.
We also cut some of the remaining wood into 3 small triangles for the wood shelf as brackets. This will make the shelf more sturdy in case you want to add some heavier decor pieces.
If you don’t plan on adding a wood shelf, you can skip to the next step!
7. Caulk & Sand
Apply some paintable caulk along the sides, corners, & top of the battens! This can be optional, but I highly suggest it if you want to look like a pro 😉
Don’t forget to fill in the holes with some caulk – you can also use wood filler for this step, but over time, wood filler may crack the wood.
Sand the areas that may need it with a sander or some sand paper. I used 220 grit!
8. Tape, Paint & Stain!
Tape along the edges of the wall as seen in the picture. Then it’s time for the fun part, painting! The paint I used was from Sherwin Williams in the color Tricorn Black.
I went with the matte finish; I didn’t want it to appear too glossy.
P.S. get ready for the best arm workout… I used this 3 inch paint roller & foam brush for the majority of the wall, which saved so much time! I also went in with my angle brush for the corners and top of the board.
Maybe make a playlist while you’re at it because it’s going to take several hours!
9. Remove Tape & Attach Wood Shelf
When the paint is still wet, remove your tape! I let the wall dry for 24 hours before applying the shelf.
On the next day, lay the shelf on the top batten (make sure it is in the middle!) and nail it in with the brad nailer. My husband did about 6 passes (2 on the left corner, 2 in the middle, and 2 on the right).
Then, I added my final touches & voila! You just completed a beautiful DIY board and batten wall with a shelf.
This post is about the DIY Board And Batten Wall With Shelf.
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