Easy DIY Board and Batten Wall

Looking to add a touch of charm and elegance to your home without breaking the bank? A DIY board and batten wall is the perfect project to transform a plain room into something eye-catching and stylish.

This easy-to-follow guide will walk you through the process of creating a beautiful accent wall with minimal tools and effort. Whether you’re a seasoned DIYer or new to home projects, this guide will help you achieve a stunning board and batten look that adds depth and character to any space.

Let’s get started!

DIY Board and Batten Walls - Entryway BEFORE

The Entryway Before Photos

After we replaced our flooring with new porcelain wood-like tiles, we had to replace all of the baseboards too.

All of the trim was damaged when we demo’d each room. But it’s the perfect time to do this board and batten DIY!

DIY Board and Batten Wall Materials

Measuring the Distance in-between the boards

I did the math a couple of time and physically measured with the wall to make sure my math was correct. It was not.

Since the boards are not exactly three inches wide (I don’t fully understand the variations in the wood), I adjusted how far apart the boards will be as a dry run before actually installing them.

We purchase 6 ft. 1×3″ common wood boards, but they were not all exactly 6 ft. either. We also used two 1×2 common wood boards on each end of the wall.

We used a miter saw to cut them all exactly the same length, just a little under 6 ft.

The baseboard and the top vertical trim are both 1×4 common boards, which were cut to the length of the entire wall.

DIY Board and Batten Wall – Boards Installed

We did this part twice. Our walls are not straight and we don’t have enough studs to simply use a nail gun to attached the boards into the wall. Zack took everything down, then drilled a pilot hole in each board at the top and bottom, then anchored each board to the wall.

When the boards were ready to be put back on, then we used wood glue to adhered the board as flush with the wall as we could get it, then drilled in the screws to secure the anchors. Once they were in, we covered the pilot holes with spackle.

DIY Board and Batten Wall – Boards Painted

We painted the boards the same color as the walls. This is to give the entryway a little bit of texture, but not be too intimidating with the grey trim.

We also added the 1×2″ board horizontally across the top to act as a ledge and to give it another dimension.

Once the paint was dry, I used the 220 fine grit sand paper to remove any bumps or imperfections. Then a second layer of paint was put on.

Finally, we added caulk around the edge of each board.