Board and Batten Wall: Tools and Materials
Before kicking off step one of installing your board and batten wall, here’s a list of tools and materials you’ll need to get the job done.
Materials
First, you’ll need the following materials:
- Primed MDF trim board – The amount you buy will depend on the size of your wall and your specific design.
- Latex paint and primer – The amount you use depends on the size of your wall. We matched Behr’s Secluded Woods interior paint color at Lowe’s with their Valspar Ultra Interior Paint + Primer (flat finish).
- Tip: if you’re using a sprayer, be sure to follow the paint manufacturer’s recommended amount of water to dilute the paint and allow it to freely flow/spray through the sprayer.
- DAP caulk – 1-2 containers
- DAP patch and paint – 1 small tub
- Painters plastic (essential if you are using a paint sprayer)
- Painters tape
- Also consider a super hip getup like this:
- Super glue
- 180 grit sandpaper (block or paper) – An orbital sander with 180 grit will work best to create smooth seams between the trim board cuts, but you can get away with using a sanding block if you’d prefer.
- Sanding block
- Orbital sander sandpaper
- 2 inch, 18 gauge brad nails for pneumatic nail gun
Tools
Next, you’ll need these tools:
- Pneumatic nail gun (if you already have an air compressor) – You don’t need a pneumatic nail gun, but it can be very helpful in quickly and accurately attaching the MDF boards to the wall.
- Air Compressor and Pneumatic Nail Gun Combo (if you don’t have an air compressor) – This will allow you to quickly attach the MDF boards to the wall. Here’s an air compressor/nail gun combo that could work really well. It’s somewhat pricey, but an air compressor can really come in handy for all sorts of other applications (pumping up tires, inflating toys or mattresses, etc.).
- Handheld HVLP paint sprayer – This is the one I used and it made the painting look fantastic.
- Tip: cover up as much surrounding area as possible with painter’s plastic because there will definitely be overspray.
- Orbital sander – An orbital sander is not 100% necessary but it will make sanding faster, easier, and more consistent (for this project and future projects).
- Miter saw – This allows you to cut clean 45 and 90 degree angles. If you don’t have a miter saw, you can use a circular saw or jigsaw but you will likely need to repair any imperfections between the pieces of MDF with caulk.
- Carpenter’s speed square – This will allow you to very quickly mark 45 and 90 degree lines on your wall.
- Caulk gun
- Shop vac
- Tape measure
- Puddy knife
- Utility knife
- Stud finder
- Straight edge – We used a 4-foot level but this could work really well because it has a handle..
Have what you need? Now check out the full installation guide: