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Board & BattenSpacing calculator
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Board and batten calculator with horizontal rails

Many board and batten designs add one or more horizontal rails. A rail across the top and a rail at the bottom frame the battens. A mid rail gives a two-tier look.

In this tool the first rail sits on the floor and the last rail sits at the ceiling. Extra rails are spaced evenly between them. One rail sits in the middle of the wall. If you want a chair-rail height or a picture-ledge height instead, use the batten marks and place that rail by hand.

Units
Wall width

Or type it in the feet box in one go, like 12'6 1/2.

Wall height

Or type it in the feet box in one go, like 8'2.

Batten width

A 1x3 board is 2 1/2 in wide, a 1x4 is 3 1/2 in.

I know

Gap between battens

 

 

Battens

 

 

Center to center

 

between marks

    Drawn to scale. Numbers match the mark list below.

    Marks from the left

    Measure from the left edge of the wall. Make a pencil mark at each center, then set each batten on its mark.

    #CenterLeft edge

    Cut list

      Boards to buy

      Board lengthBoardsWaste

      Center to center is the distance from the middle of one batten to the middle of the next. This tool counts battens and rails only. It does not count the wide boards or panels behind them. With no end battens, the gap at each end of the wall equals every other gap. Short offcuts from 10 and 12 foot boards work well for small trim pieces.

      Rail marks on an 8 ft high wall (1x4 rails, 3 1/2 inches wide)

      Centers measured up from the floor. The first rail sits on the floor and the last one at the ceiling.

      RailsGap between railsRail centers from the floor
      1one rail only4'
      289"1 3/4", 7' 10 1/4"
      342 3/4"1 3/4", 4', 7' 10 1/4"
      427 5/16"1 3/4", 2' 8 9/16", 5' 3 7/16", 7' 10 1/4"

      Boards to buy with and without rails (12 ft wall, 10 battens, 8 ft high)

      PlanLinear feetBest boardBoards
      Battens only808 ft10
      Battens + 2 rails10412 ft12

      Order of work

      Fix the rails first, then fit the battens between or over them. Mark the rail heights on the wall from the floor. Use a laser or a long level to keep each rail level across the wall. The floor is rarely flat, so measure from the same reference line at both ends.

      Rails are long boards

      A rail runs the full width of the wall. On a wall wider than your longest board, the calculator splices the rail and counts the pieces. Put the joint behind a batten.

      Questions

      How wide should a board and batten rail be?

      Many people use the same width as the battens, or one size up. A 1x4 rail with 1x3 battens is a common choice.

      How do I find rail heights?

      Enter the wall height, the number of rails and the rail width. The tool lists the center and bottom edge of each rail, measured up from the floor.

      Other layouts

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