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Board and batten spacing for a 16 ft wall

A 16 foot wall is 192 inches wide. This is a long hallway, a great room wall or the long wall of a mudroom.

Two things change on a wall this long. You need more battens, so the cut list grows. And horizontal rails are longer than the longest common board, so they need a joint.

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.

      16 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
      1018 9/16"21 1/16"1 1/4"1' 10 5/16"10 x 8 ft
      1116 7/16"18 15/16"1 1/4"1' 8 3/16"11 x 8 ft
      1214 3/4"17 1/4"1 1/4"1' 6 1/2"12 x 8 ft
      1313 5/16"15 13/16"1 1/4"1' 5 1/16"13 x 8 ft
      1412 1/16"14 9/16"1 1/4"1' 3 13/16"14 x 8 ft
      1511 1/16"13 9/16"1 1/4"1' 2 13/16"15 x 8 ft
      1610 1/8"12 5/8"1 1/4"1' 1 7/8"16 x 8 ft
      179 3/8"11 7/8"1 1/4"1' 1 1/8"17 x 8 ft
      188 5/8"11 1/8"1 1/4"1' 3/8"18 x 8 ft
      198"10 1/2"1 1/4"11 3/4"19 x 8 ft
      207 1/2"10"1 1/4"11 1/4"20 x 8 ft
      217"9 1/2"1 1/4"10 3/4"21 x 8 ft
      226 1/2"9"1 1/4"10 1/4"22 x 8 ft
      236 1/8"8 5/8"1 1/4"9 7/8"23 x 8 ft

      The same 16 ft wall with other batten widths

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

      BattenWidthBattensGap
      1x21 1/2"1512 1/8"
      1x32 1/2"1412 1/16"
      1x43 1/2"1312 3/16"

      Rails longer than a board

      The longest common board is 12 feet. A 16 foot rail needs two pieces. The calculator splices a rail into full-length boards and one short piece, and it counts those pieces in the boards to buy. Plan the joint so it falls on a batten, where it is hidden and has wood behind it. A joint in the open between battens is easy to see.

      Mark in two runs

      A 16 foot tape measure is hard to hold straight. Mark the first half from the left end, then measure the second half from the right end. Use the mark list for both. If the two runs do not meet at the same spot, you have a tape error. Find it before you cut.

      Keep the pace of the wall

      On a long wall, gaps of 14 to 18 inches keep the wall from looking busy. A count that is a little low looks better than one that is a little high.

      Questions

      How many battens do I need on a 16 ft wall?

      For gaps near 15 inches with 1x3 battens, use 12 battens. For gaps near 19 inches, use 10. The table on this page lists each count.

      How do I join a rail on a 16 ft wall?

      Cut the joint so it lands behind a batten, and glue and nail both ends to studs. The calculator shows how many pieces and boards the rails need.

      Other layouts

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