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Board and batten spacing for a 10 ft wall

A 10 foot wall is 120 inches wide. This is a usual width for a bedroom wall behind the bed, or one wall of a small living room.

A bed is the usual center of the room, so people often care about one more thing: a gap or a batten that lines up with the middle of the bed or a headboard. The calculator can center a gap on a point you choose. Turn on the option "Center on a window, TV or mirror" and type the distance from the left edge.

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.

      10 ft wall, 1x3 battens, batten at each end

      Gaps from 6 to 20 inches. Marks are the center of the first two battens, measured from the left edge. Boards are for an 8 ft ceiling.

      BattensGapCenter to center1st center2nd centerBoards to buy
      717 1/16"19 9/16"1 1/4"1' 8 13/16"7 x 8 ft
      814 5/16"16 13/16"1 1/4"1' 6 1/16"8 x 8 ft
      912 3/16"14 11/16"1 1/4"1' 3 15/16"9 x 8 ft
      1010 9/16"13 1/16"1 1/4"1' 2 5/16"10 x 8 ft
      119 1/4"11 3/4"1 1/4"1' 1"11 x 8 ft
      128 3/16"10 11/16"1 1/4"11 15/16"12 x 8 ft
      137 5/16"9 13/16"1 1/4"11 1/16"13 x 8 ft
      146 9/16"9 1/16"1 1/4"10 5/16"14 x 8 ft

      The same 10 ft wall with other batten widths

      Each row picks the count that comes closest to a 12 inch gap.

      BattenWidthBattensGap
      1x21 1/2"1011 11/16"
      1x32 1/2"912 3/16"
      1x43 1/2"911 1/16"

      Counts that work on 10 ft

      The table lists the batten counts that give gaps from about 8 to 18 inches. The odd and even counts differ in one useful way. With a batten at each end, an odd count puts a batten at the exact center of the wall, and an even count puts a gap there. Pick the one that matches the thing in the middle of the room.

      Check the first marks

      The marks column shows where the first batten center sits. Use it to see if the first gap clears a door, an outlet or a light switch. Move the count up or down by one if it does not.

      Questions

      How many battens do I need on a 10 ft wall?

      For gaps near 12 inches with 1x3 battens, use 9 battens. For gaps near 17 inches, use 7. The table on this page shows the gap for each count.

      How do I put a batten in the center of a 10 ft wall?

      Use an odd number of battens with a batten at each end. The middle batten then sits at 60 inches from the left edge.

      Other layouts

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