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We have recently moved into our home which was built in the early 1950s and found there is much work to be done. We decided to start with a fun project to get us motivated and what better way than to add some features and paint! The entire project took us roughly 3 weekends to complete as this extends the entire length from our front door to our dining/living area.
Materials
- Paint: Porters 2L French Green eggshell finish
- 9mm MDF Panel Standard 2440 x 1220mm (to cut for boards)
- Trim: Tas Oak Moulding Scotia
- Powerfit 32mm c1 series electro galvanised nails
- Gap filler
- Sandpaper
- Paint roller
- Paint brush
- Painters tape
Tools
- Nail gun
- Level
- Tape measure
- Mitre Saw
- Circular saw
- PPE: Safety goggles and ear plugs
- Pencil
Steps
Step 1
First and foremost, prep the wall by filling any holes or sanding back trouble spots and then clean the area. This will ensure no dirt or grime is left on the walls and will leave a smooth finish.
Step 2
Time to measure
Decide the height and spacing of the battens. A common height for the battens is around 2/3 of the wall height, but you can adjust it to your preference.
Use a measuring tape, level, and pencil to mark the desired height of the battens on the wall. Ensure that the marks are level.
We used a handy calculator to help with getting the exact even spacing, there are tons of sites online, but we used Slat Gap.
Step 3
Make the cuts
Cut the MDF to the length and width for your desired look. We decided to have our battens be 100mm wide and a total height of 1330mm. We wanted to make sure that it didn't interfere with the light switches.
The length of each board was roughly 1060mm, however, there were some adjustments to be made due to our uneven walls. The top horizontal batten was measured to fit the length of the wall, this occasionally meant using more than one board.
On the right hand side of the entrance door we decided to add in coat hooks and a shelf so we extended the height to a total of 1910m.
We used a circular saw for the longer cuts and mitre saw for the short.
Don't forget your PPE for this step.
Step 4
Install horizontal battens
Attach the horizontal battens to the wall, we used a nail gun but you can use a hammer and nails, although this increases the size of your gaps to fill later. Ensure they are level and aligned with the marked height of the battens. You can use a stud finder to nail them into the wall studs for added stability.
Step 5
Install vertical battens
Align your vertical battens against the pre-spaced marks on your wall. We made sure to double-check the spacing along the way.
Secure the battens to the wall using a nail gun or hammer and nails.
Step 6
Install trim
Cut and measure your trim to fit along the top of your horizontal batten. Use a nail gun or liquid nails to attach.
Step 7
Make it smooth
Fill any nail holes or gaps between the boards with gap filler. Allow it to dry and then sand the patched areas until smooth.
Give your boards and trim a light sand to prep for painting. We used 240 grit.
Step 8
Paint away
Use painters tape on any wall surface you don't want to get paint on.
Using the detail brush, do the inside corners first and then the roller brush to create a smooth finish.
LEARNING: I wish that we painted the trim before attaching and then touching up after nailing it. This would have prevented us from need to tape up the wall and need to cover and re-cover paint bleed from the tape.
Step 9
Enjoy your hard work
This was a really fun project that we absolutely love the outcome from. The next step is to replace the shelf with one that doesn't stick out so much, add a bench seat, and then onto relocating the electrical box and replacing with a nice side light window.
Before and after entryway:
Hello @Tinker_Bell
Thank you very much for sharing your board and batten feature wall project. What a fantastic transformation, it has really given your room a different look and feel. The colour and design of the panels give it such a rich character. I'll be saving this project in my bookmarks for sure.
Eric
