Are you looking to update your bathroom and add some interest and character? Board and batten is a great way to do that! One of my favorite wall treatments to this day is the board and batten with beadboard details that I did in my bathroom renovation, and I’m sharing it with you guys today. New to DIY? Not a problem. I’m going to show you exactly how to do this and if I can do it, so can you!
I installed this board and batten above my brand new concrete vanity countertop, behind my gorgeous new mirror and just before I installed my amazing new bathroom fan. This bathroom was one of my favorite projects! But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let’s talk about the board and batten with beadboard project!
What are the best materials to use for installing Board & Batten in a Bathroom?
First, let’s talk about materials. I used PVC everything for this: the large and small trim, the beadboard, and the batten pieces. In a bathroom where moisture is a real issue, wood, MDF, or anything like that is going to warp and not look very good over time.
PVC is a bit more pricey but for a bathroom project, it’s worth it. It won’t warp or absorb water, and it will last forever.
Planning Your Board & Batten Wall:
I decided to start with a large piece of trim at the top, some vertical pieces of beadboard underneath it, and then a smaller piece of trim to finish it off. This creates a really nice border, and then the batten pieces go vertically underneath it.
If you’d like to save this tutorial for later, pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!
How To Make a DIY Board and Batten Wall
Start with the large piece of trim that will be the top of your DIY board and batten wall. Decide on the height of your wall, and then start installing!
Use a level to make sure you get this top board straight, or your entire project will be off. No pressure. I used my brad nail gun for this.
Once the large piece of trim is on, you can install the smaller vertical pieces of beadboard underneath. The length of these is going to be personal preference, and whatever you decide will be fine! The beadboard fits together with a tongue and groove design, and nails keep it in place on the wall.
Then, install the smaller piece of trim underneath the beadboard. Everything should be straight at this point, so just get it as close to the bottom of the beadboard as you can and nail it on.
My instructions so far have been for how to do this project on a straight wall. My wall, however, has a bit of a jog that I have to go around, and the corner is slightly wonky, less than a 90-degree angle.
Irritating, right? But a good teaching moment!
I’m going to show you a method for putting trim around a corner that works every single time and doesn’t require an angle finder or fancy math.
The first thing you are going to do is take the top piece and put it flat against the wall, facing you. And then take another piece the same size and put it directly underneath the first one, perpendicular to it and following the angle of the corner you are trying to go around.
Then, you want to mark a line on the top board where the bottom board sits under it, one line on either side of the board.
Then, take a straight edge and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the next.
That diagonal line is your angle! You just need to line your miter saw blade up with that line, and that’s the angle you’re going to cut all three pieces needed for going around a corner at an angle.
Once you’ve got the one side done and have your top, beadboard, and bottom pieces on, you can use that angle to mark the boards with a diagonal line for the other side of the corner.
At the end of the day don’t stress! This is really a “do your best and caulk the rest” kind of situation, and as long as you’re close it won’t really matter.
Once the beadboard and trim was done, I finally got those batten strips on the wall! I just love how this totally transforms a space.
You will have to decide based on your preference and wall length how far apart you want your battens to be. Measure and mark your wall, and then get installing.
Pro tip: If your batten do not land on a stud (which they likely won’t most of the time) it’s okay! Just slightly angle your nail gun side to side each time you shoot a nail in. It will create a “criss-cross” behind the board and into the drywall which will keep them tight on the wall!
How to Make Your Wall Look Professionally Done
Once that is done, it’s time to caulk the entire thing. Every single seam and edge needs to be finished off with caulk! It will make everything look so professional and perfect, and hide any slight imperfections or gaps.
It’s also important in a bathroom to ensure that everything is sealed up nicely. Moisture is the enemy, and we don’t want it getting behind anything on the walls.
Then, I filled all the nail holes and sanded them down before painting. For the bathroom, I used bondo to fill my holes. However, regular wood filler would be fine too.
Then it was time to paint! I chose a nice warm beige color, it’s a custom mix but extremely close to “Aged Beige” by Behr.
One fun little detail I added was some towel hooks in the top trim board in one section of my beadboard and board and batten wall. These hooks were originally purchased for an entryway project, but I really didn’t like them there!
I think they are perfect for this space though. I installed them and painted them the same color as the beadboard. This was a nice little break from sanding and painting!
Replicate the look in your own bathroom
I get asked often about the specifics of the trim size, and the spacing I used here in order to replicate this exact design. Please note, my ceilings are 8 foot.
Here are the trim and spacing details:
- Top trim: .75 x 3.5 in PVC trim
- Beadboard: cut in 5.75 in pieces
- Bottom trim: .75 x 2.5 in PVC trim
- Batten strips : .75 x 1.5 in PVC trim
Need help planning the spacing between your batten strips? Check out this board and batten calculator – it’s really great resource!
Easy wall treatments are a great way to upgrade a space!
And there you go! Once it’s all caulked and painted, this DIY board and batten looks so sharp and professional.
I’m so glad I decided to make this beautiful character wall in my bathroom. Tag me @diy.ourhome with your board and batten success stories, I would love to see them!