Sometimes I get an idea stuck in my head and I cannot rest until it has been completed! Well that is how this project came to be and it made the biggest difference in this space. It accentuated the arch in the ceiling and really draws the eye up making it feel so much more grand in here. I was able to pull this project off in ONE DAY and that is because this is a fairly straight forward beginner DIY.
Materials for Batten Wall:
- (6) 10ft 1×4 MDF Primed Boards
- (9) 8ft 1×4 MDF Primed Boards
- ***(you can do smaller or wider boards depending on your space and the amount you will need depends on the spacing of your battens along with the height of your walls)
- Wood Filler
- Caulk and baby wipes
- Brad Nailer and 2″ 18g brad nails
- Miter Saw
- Level
- Tape Measure
- Paint
Step 1:
Depending on your preference, you can either remove your existing baseboard and add a 1×4, or do what I did. I chose to attach a 1×4 board directly on top of the existing baseboard since everywhere else in the room had the more ornate molding baseboards.
The main thing is you need the battens to be the same thickness as the bottom board, so if you have 3/4″ square baseboards you can just run your battens directly into those if you choose.
Step 2:
Make your border. Install a board on both sides and across the top. If you are dealing with a square wall this is pretty straight forward. I unfortunately had a peak at mine so every board required an angle cut.
One thing to know is that if you have a batten that doesn’t fall on a stud you will need to secure the board by angling your brad nails in alternating patterns as you shoot them in. This will create a lock in the drywall. If you shoot them straight it will easily be pried off.
Step 3:
Determine your desired distance between battens. Their are a few ways to calculate this but I found this really cool online calculator that makes it super easy!
All you need is to measure the entire length of your wall and enter the actual width of your battens (1×4’s are actually 3.5″) along with the approximate amount of vertical boards you want. It will than calculatre the spacing for you! I chose to use 11 vertical boards and my spacing was about 9 1/8″ between each board.
Step 4:
Install all of your battens. I always work my way towards the center just in case the spacing is slightly off I can have the oddspace be in the center. It never is that off but it is the safer way in my opinion.
I had these floating shelves already in place so I decided to do the battens around them since the shelves were never going to be removed.
Step 5:
Once they are all secure and up, it is on to the finish work. My least favorite of all projects.n. First you will need to make sure all of the brad nails are in deep enough to be able to fill them with wood putty. Do so with a nail sinking tool. Than you can wood fill all the seams and nail holes. Once dry, sand with a 220 grit sanding block.
After wipe down everything with a tack cloth. Last step is to caulk all of the seams. This makes all the difference! Using a baby wipe to smooth makes this job much easier.
Step 6:
Once the caulk forms a “skin” usually about 30 minutes you are ready to prime and paint. I chose to go with a bright white and it took 2 coats.
Once dry you are done!
I plan to add battery operated sconces on either side of the TV. The shelves and TV really pop now and it made this space feel much more complete.
Side Note:
I was asked by a few about the floating shelves. The floating shelves I had made probably about 8 years ago and you can follow this tutorial to know how I built them.
You will just adjust the size of the pine wood to get chunkier looking shelves. In order to mount them you need to get a 2×4 and cut it down about 6″ shorter than the length of the shelf. You also will cut down small blocks of 2×4’s that are 2″ shorter than the depth of your shelf. These will be secured to the long 2×4 to create a “cleat” for the hollow shelf to rest on. You can reference the picture above.
I evenly spaced the small 2×4 blocks across my long 2×4 approximately every foot, with one at the very end of each side. Next I secured the long 2×4 (with all of the small blocks already attached) directly to the studs in the wall where I wanted the shelf to sit. By creating this support to be smaller than the shelf, it allowed for some wiggle room to adjust the shelf side to side to get it centered on the wall once it was slid over the support.
Once in place you can take a small screw and secure the top of the shelf into a 2×4 support so it will stay put.
Total Cost:
- 1×4 Boards: $157
- Caulk: $11
- Wood Filler: $8
- Paint: FREE from a prior project!
Total — $176!
One Comment
Pingback: