Yesterday we shared the results of our board-and-batten update for the Pinterest Challenge, and today we’re delivering the full step-by-step tutorial. It’s long — about 2,000 words — but this project is one of the most cost-effective, foolproof upgrades we’ve done. It only cost about $57 in materials (plus a tool we already wanted) and the work can be completed in short sessions over a few days, which is great for weekend or evening DIYers.
We’d been planning to add molding to our hallway for a long time and now can’t believe we waited. The installation itself took a few hours spread across several days (including paint curing time), and the result added real presence to an otherwise forgettable passageway.
Planning Our Board & Batten
We gathered ideas from several tutorials and blended approaches to suit our home. There are many valid ways to install board and batten — the best choice depends on the look you want and the condition of your walls.
Key choices we made upfront:
- No separate “board” panels. Our drywall is smooth, so we used the existing wall as the flat backdrop and installed only the vertical battens. Once painted, the finish looked continuous and polished.
- Kept existing baseboards. By selecting battens that were thinner than our baseboards, we avoided removing the trim. If you prefer a different aesthetic, you can replace baseboards as some tutorials recommend.
We also created two videos covering the build and finishing steps. Below we break down the entire process — measuring, cutting, fastening, leveling, spacing, filling, caulking, priming and painting — with tips that helped keep everything straight and flush.
And here’s the finish video covering nail-hole filling, caulk techniques and painting tips:
Measuring & Shopping For Materials
We started by measuring the hallway and sketching a plan on graph paper to estimate how many boards and battens we’d need. This made the shopping list and cuts easier to calculate.
We already owned some supplies, so we only bought a handful of items. The main purchased pieces were lattice strips for battens and 1×3 pine for the top rail. We also invested in a brad nail gun, which made the build much faster.
Tools & Supplies Needed
Here’s a full list of what we used:
- Pneumatic or airless brad nail gun (or rent one)
- Pre-primed lattice strips (we used 12 ft lengths)
- 1 x 3″ pine boards (top rail)
- 1 x 2″ pine boards (optional top ledge)
- Measuring tape
- Laser level (optional)
- Bubble level
- Stud finder
- Miter saw or service to pre-cut boards
- Spackle or lightweight joint compound
- Paintable white caulk and caulk gun
- Sandpaper or palm sander
- Primer
- White paint (durable trim paint in satin works well)
- Paint brush, roller, and other painting supplies
Tip: buy wood about a week before installation and let it acclimate in your home to reduce the chance of warping or cracking.
Installing The Top Rail
We used 1×3 pine boards for the top rail. After the wood acclimated, we cut lengths to fit the runs of wall and decided on the overall height. We initially tried a higher placement but settled on a traditional 40″ above the floor, which kept the ceiling feeling taller and the proportions correct for our eight-foot rooms.
We used a laser level to mark a consistent 40″ guideline around the hallway, then located studs with a stud finder so our nails could hit solid backing. With the top rail held to the guideline, we secured it using the brad nail gun. We avoided glue to make future removal easier, but the boards are light and the nail attachments, plus caulk, are very secure.
Adding The Vertical Battens
For the vertical battens we used pre-primed lattice strips because they’re affordable, thin enough to sit above existing baseboards, and lightweight. Thicker 1×2 battens would have protruded past our baseboards and trim, which didn’t suit our narrow hallway.
We placed battens on 16″ centers to align with stud spacing and used a scrap 1×3 as a spacer to quickly reproduce consistent spacing. The lattice is light, so tape held pieces while we used a level to ensure plumb, then nailed them in place.
Within an hour or so the battens were all cut and installed. We considered adding a top ledge but decided against it because it narrowed the walkway and created sharp corners at head height. With that decision we wrapped the construction phase.
Prepare For Painting
The next day we filled nail holes with spackle (joint compound is another good option) and used paintable white caulk to seal gaps between the wood and wall where needed. Because our walls aren’t perfectly flat, caulk smoothed transitions and gave a finished, professional look.
After the spackle dried we sanded the filled areas smooth with a palm sander to prepare for primer.
Prime & Paint
We primed all boards with a stain-blocking primer to ensure stable coverage and then painted the trim with a durable satin paint. We used Benjamin Moore Advance in Decorator’s White for the rails and battens and a soft gray (Moonshine by Benjamin Moore) for the wall above. The trim paint is especially durable and stands up well to hallway wear.
Sherry cut in around the top rails by hand to avoid taping freshly painted trim. After edging, a roller finished the walls. Once the paint fully cured the result felt cohesive and much more intentional than the plain hallway we started with.
We’re thrilled with how the hallway turned out. The molding immediately elevated the space and added architectural interest; now we’re planning what to hang above the board-and-batten to complete the look.
Total Project Cost
Here’s the budget breakdown. Because we already had paint and basic supplies, our only purchases were the lattice and pine boards. If the nail gun hadn’t been an additional purchase, the project materials alone totaled just $57.
- Four 12′ pieces of lattice — $32
- Two 8′ pieces and two 6′ pieces of 1×3 pine — $25
Time-wise we spread the work across five to six days, including shopping and paint curing. With uninterrupted time and an experienced helper, the project could be completed in three days: build and fill day, sand/prime/paint trim day, and wall-paint day. Renting a nail gun is an option if you don’t want to buy one.
We loved the quick transformation and the relatively small investment required. Now we’re choosing artwork and considering the next project — maybe some crown molding. We repeated this treatment in our new house with a fancier variation that you can find in a separate tutorial.
If you want to see the paint colors and items we used throughout our house, check our shop page for details on specific pieces and colors we referenced.
