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Board & BattenSpacing calculator
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How many boards do you need for board and batten?

The number of boards depends on the battens, the ceiling height and the length of board you buy. Battens run floor to ceiling, so each one is as long as the wall is high.

The tables below use 1x3 battens with gaps near 12 inches. The calculator above works for any size. It adds 1/8 inch for each saw cut.

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.

      Boards to buy by wall width (8 ft ceiling, 1x3 battens, gap nearest 12 inches)

      Battens only. Counts allow 1/8 inch per saw cut.

      Wall widthBattens8 ft boards10 ft boards12 ft boardsBest
      8 ft77777 x 8 ft
      10 ft99999 x 8 ft
      12 ft1111111111 x 8 ft
      14 ft1212121212 x 8 ft
      16 ft1414141414 x 8 ft

      Ceiling height changes the best board (12 ft wall, 11 battens)

      A batten as long as the wall is high. Waste is the share of bought wood that is not used.

      CeilingBatten lengthBest boardBoardsWaste
      8 ft8'8 ft110%
      9 ft9'10 ft1110%
      10 ft10'10 ft110%

      Match the board to the ceiling

      With an 8 foot ceiling, 8 foot boards fit with no waste, but only if your battens are 96 inches or less. If the wall is 97 inches high, an 8 foot board is too short and you need 10 foot boards. The second table shows what happens at 9 and 10 foot ceilings.

      Use the offcuts

      A 10 foot board cut for a 9 foot batten leaves a 1 foot piece. That is enough for short trim, a sill cap or test cuts. The waste column shows how much wood goes to offcuts. Waste is not always lost money if you have a use for the pieces.

      Buy one extra

      A bowed board or a bad cut costs one board. Add one to the count so you do not make a second trip.

      Questions

      How many 1x3 boards for a 12 ft wall?

      At a gap near 12 inches, a 12 foot wall takes about 11 battens. On an 8 foot ceiling that is 11 boards of 8 feet. The first table shows the count by length.

      Do rails add many boards?

      A rail runs the full width of the wall, so two rails on a 12 foot wall use two 12 foot boards. Turn on rails in the calculator to see the total.

      Other layouts

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