How to install cheap and easy board and batten on a budget even if you are a beginner. Supply list and full tutorial with many helpful tips… and you don’t have to remove the baseboard!
Technically, this isn’t quite a traditional Board and Batten, and instead, it could be considered more of a budget Wainscoting. But to be honest, I am not worried about what we call it… I am just THRILLED with how it looks, and how inexpensive and easy it was to do.
I mean, what a difference, right?!
Since the U.S. was first settled, board and batten were used for outbuildings, such as barns and sheds. That’s why some areas of the country still call it “barn siding.” Batten strips were used over the seams of the panel boards, creating a siding that helped to stop the outside elements from entering through the joints, keeping farm animals warm through the harsh winters.
LP Corp
Table of Contents
What is the difference between board and batten and wainscoting?
Typically, wainscoting is installed on the lower ⅓ of the wall, like a skirt for the wall. This is also traditionally accomplished by adding a “skirt” of wood to the lower third of the wall to protect it from high-traffic areas or from dents and dings from things like dining room chairs.
Board and batten is a paneling style that is oftentimes installed to cover the full height of the wall, usually made up of a pattern of boards separated by strips of wood (battens) to add drama and texture to a room.
With all of that said, this project covers about the lower TWO-thirds of our wall, leaving the top third blank… not completely falling into either category. But I will say, I have noticed the typical “rules” of the board and batten style as well as wainscoting fly out the window as of late.
For a reference point, we’re going to go ahead and call this our inexpensive and easy board and batten on a budget, because our materials ran us under $50 and the drama to this bathroom is INCREDIBLE!
Board and batten is a siding and paneling style that uses narrow strips of wood placed over the joints of wide boards for a geometric, layered effect. Historically and traditionally, a wooden batten would be placed over a seam between the wide boards, creating a stronger and more energy-efficient siding.
The Spruce
Does board and batten make a room look smaller or larger?
Not only does a feature or full room wall treatment like board and batten, along with a statement color, create drama and contrast in a room, but it also makes a room feel larger.
Going into this project, I wasn’t CERTAIN if the dark color I chose would make the room feel smaller, but with the addition of this inexpensive board and batten on a budget and a moody color, the whole space actually feels much larger!
Supply List for Board and Batten on a Budget
Because we typically have most of the below supplies on hand, we only had to purchase the moulding for this project and paint for the room, if you’re new to DIY, the full and expansive list is below.
(you will need to measure your walls to determine how many, see instructions below)
(you will need to measure your walls to determine how many)
Nails (a is our tool of choice for this)
Paint Primer
Check out the paint we used and tips for painting a bathroom AND using a moody color in this blog post:
Board and Batten Dark Bathroom Makeover: Moody Transformation Part 1
Tools
Pencil
Level
(if you don’t have a saw at home, you could double and triple check your measurements at home, and ask your local home store to cut the PVC moulding and wood to size for you)
Paint Roller
Inexpensive Board and Batten on a Budget
- Measure your wall and mark out where you want your vertical boards to be. We spaced ours at 16″ to center, so on our wall, we made a mark at every 16 inches. This will also show how many you need, don’t forget to measure and account for adding the top horizontal piece when calculating how many boards you’ll use.
- Using for the boards, cut to the height you want. We cut ours to 5′ (along with the baseboard, the height of our boards on the wall is 5.5′).
- Once measured and cut, use and nails to attach to the wall. Make sure to level them as you go.
- Using more , place it horizontally across the top of the vertical boards you’ve already attached to the wall, and attach it with glue and nails.
- To create a little more effect on the wall, we added a 1×1 (less than an inch) board attached to the wall above the horizontal lattice strip.
- After all of the lattice and wood are secure, caulk all of the edges and fill nail holes with filler.
- Once dry, sand the filler, prime, and paint!
Bathroom Sources:
for the price
Mirror (similar)
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