Board and Batten Spacing: How to Lay Out an Accent Wall

The trick to a board and batten wall that looks right is a spacing that comes out even, with a batten at each end of the wall. The method: pick a gap you like, work out how many battens that gives, round it to a whole number, then divide the leftover wall evenly. On a 12 ft wall with 1×3 battens and a 12 in target gap, that is 11 battens with a gap of 11.65 in, so the battens sit 14.15 in apart center to center.

The formula

With n battens there are n − 1 gaps. The wall width is the battens plus the gaps:

Work in inches. A true 1×2 board is 1.5 in wide, a 1×3 is 2.5 in, a 1×4 is 3.5 in and a 1×6 is 5.5 in.

Battens and gaps for common wall widths

With a target gap of 12 in (the gap you get on the wall will differ by a fraction of an inch):

Choosing the gap

The exact gap depends on the one you aim for. For a 12 ft wall with 1×3 battens:

Try the look before you decide. Tape up a few lengths of painter's tape or lay some battens on the wall at 10, 12 and 14 in and step back. A narrow gap looks more traditional and formal, and a wide one looks more modern. The board and batten calculator does this for any wall, batten and gap, and counts the boards to buy.

How to install

1. Prepare the wall. Remove the baseboard if the battens will run to the floor, or plan to put it back on top of them. Fill and sand the wall, and paint it first in the final color, so any gaps show the right color.
2. Mark the layout. Mark the first and last batten, and the exact gap. Use a laser or a level to draw plumb lines, and mark each batten edge on a story stick or a long board, then transfer the marks to the wall.
3. Cut a spacer. Cut a block to the exact gap, so each batten can be set against the one before it without measuring again.
4. Fix the battens. Use construction adhesive and a brad nailer, nailing into studs where you can. Check each batten with a level as you go.
5. Add rails. A horizontal top rail (and a bottom one) goes on after the battens, or before them, depending on the look you want, and ties the design together.
6. Finish. Fill the nail holes, caulk the edges, and paint in two coats.

Common mistakes

• Setting the spacing from the target gap, so that the last gap at the corner is a different width. Always work out the exact gap first.
• Not allowing for outlets and switches, which need extension rings so that the plates lie flat against the battens.
• Assuming the wall is square. Check the corners, and plan to cut the end battens slightly to fit.