Tutorial: Board and Batten Grid Wall

 

 

 

 

 

Paint color of choice – (We used Behr Broadway Black) 

 

Palm sander – If you are using rechargeable tools, we recommend having an extra charger or extra battery and charger!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This type of grid wall takes a little planning at the beginning, but when you take a little time to plan it out, it comes together easily! Start by measuring the length and height of the wall you will be transforming. 

 

Make sure to write your calculations and draw a rough layout on paper, it will help to make sure your measurements are correct before nailing anything to the wall.

Before calculating measurements of the wood, you’ll want to decide what size boards to use because this will determine the size of the grid lines.

 

We used 1×2’s on our grid wall, and I wouldn’t go larger than 1×3’s, purely based on aesthetics. We held up scrap wood we had and found that 1×4’s can tend to look too wide. Ours is a small accent wall, but if you’re doing a large wall, I would recommend sizing up to a 1×3.

 

The key to creating a gorgeous grid wall is to create squares with the grids. Since most wall widths aren’t completely even with the wall height, it will take a little calculation. Ideally, the squares should be 24″ or less. We decided on approx 24” square openings in our grid.

If your height or width is an even number in feet, just divide by two to see how many squares you’ll have in each direction. For example, our wall height is 8′, so that number divided by two is four, thus we have four squares in height.

For uneven numbers, you’ll have to adjust your calculations slightly… our wall was 6.25′ wide, so we divided by two to get 3.125. It’s closest to three, so that is the number of squares in width for our wall.

Ready for the formula?!

Start with your wall width, and now divide that by the number of vertical boards (# of squares you just calculated + 1). Multiply the number of boards by the width of the boards you’re using. Now subtract the product of the width of the boards from the total width of the wall. Divide the difference (the leftover width of the wall space) by the number of squares, and that will be the width between each of the vertical boards. Whew, got it?!

Let me give you an example…

Our wall is 75″ wide, and we have divided it into 3 squares. With 3 squares, we need 4 vertical boards for our wall. Each 1×2 board is actually 1.5″ wide (don’t ask me why this is the case – I believe it’s from saw blade width, but EVERY 1×2 is only 1.5″ wide, 1×3’s are actually 2.5″ wide, etc). So for us, we multiply 4 (boards) X 1.5″ (board width) to get 6″ of wall space that the boards will cover. We subtract 6″ from 75″ (our actual wall width) to get 69″ of wall left to cover. We divide that 69″ into our 3 squares (so 69 divided by 3) to get 23″ between each vertical board!

Then repeat the process for the wall height, too, making sure to take into account the height of the baseboard as well.

Install the Frame

The first boards we install are the exterior frame pieces, including the baseboard. If you’re replacing the baseboard, now it the time to do so! You want it to all line up correctly.

Cut the lengths needed for the exterior border frame and using a palm sander, sand off any rough edges of the wood. Use wood glue on the back of the boards for extra support as you install. Hold in place and nail with a finish nailer.

 

 

We like to install the vertical pieces using a 4 ft level to make sure the lines are straight. Don’t be surprised if when installing, you find that the walls or the ceiling aren’t exactly straight (this is actually really common). No matter, you want the grid to be straight, so using a level is really important. 

Measure from your first vertical board using the measurement in your calculations. Mark the top and bottom of where the board should be, place wood glue on the back of the board and hold in place with a level while using a finish nailer to secure it to the wall.

Install Horizontal Pieces

For the horizontal pieces, you’ll need to cut each board to size. Once the vertical boards are in place, measure the space between them again before cutting the horizontal pieces… measure twice, cut once!

It’s also really helpful to cut two extra pieces of wood to use as vertical spacers for quick measurements and install. Using the length of spacing that you calculated for your square height, cut two boards to size.

Starting at the bottom, use the spacers to measure from your board or baseboard (we ended up adding a horizontal piece right above/touching the baseboard because I just like how it looked, but you don’t have to). Within the square you’re making, place a spacer against each of the vertical boards and set your new horizontal piece above it to install. (Otherwise, measure the height and use a level to make sure the board is even).

Attach to the wall using wood glue and a finish nailer until you’ve filled each space and have your squares complete.

Fill Nail Holes & Caulk

Okay, now that the math is out of the way and boards are installed, we’ve got a big portion of this grid wall complete but we’re still not in the clear. There is a lot of caulking and spackling to do with a grid wall. You will need to caulk inside and outside every square in the grid, along with the seams where your horizontal pieces meet your vertical pieces, and where your grid frame meets the ceiling (thankfully I skipped that since ours doesn’t touch the ceiling). Then, make sure to fill in all the nail holes with some light spackling paste and sand smooth with a palm sander or sanding bar before painting. 

I like this product for spackling because it goes on pink and dries white so you know when it’s ready to sand.

Paint

Now you’re ready for paint and this is where it really comes together! We went with an eggshell finish which seems to stand up to children’s hands and weathers a busy household well. You could choose a bold color (like our black wall… I love it!), or even keep it simply classic with white.

 

Start with a paintbrush to get all of the edges and interior corners well covered, and then give it two good coats with a mini roller.

 

To finish off our wall, we installed black switches and outlet plugs so that they’d blend in, as well as a black Nest learning thermostat, and we love it!

 

 

What DIY projects are you currently working on? Share in a comment below!