Make sure your calculations are in line with the formula
Calculating total length is simple—exact spacing is not.
To save money, you can forgo installing the board entirely.
Board and batten won’t increase home value but can upgrade the aesthetic.
If you’re tired of bland, flat walls, board and batten is a great way to add depth and texture at a low cost. This classic siding style has become commonplace to decorate walls in hallways, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Wondering how to calculate board and batten spacing? This calculator lets you know how much of each you’ll need for your next project.
The table below shows how many battens you’ll need for each length of wall, according to common board and batten spacing. Remember that both the spacing between the battens, as well as the batten width are needed in order to calculate spacing. This table will help you estimate based on common sizes, but you’ll still need to manually calculate to reach an exact number of battens and spacing requirements. Let’s consider battens with 12-inch spacing, which is traditional. But keep in mind that you don’t have to follow this exactly, as aesthetics will ultimately play the larger role. Use this as a quick reference guide, and use our formula to get more precise for your project.
| Project length in feet | Number of 3-inch battens with 12-inch spacing |
|---|---|
| 10 | 8 |
| 15 | 12 |
| 20 | 16 |
| 25 | 20 |
| 30 | 24 |
| 40 | 32 |
Calculating board and batten spacing isn’t as simple as other projects, but homeowners who break out the calculator and measuring tape should be able to break it down. You will need a number of measurements in order to calculate the number of boards and battens by using this formula:
Number of batten panels = wall length / (batten width + board width)
Knowing the number of panels, however, is the last step. After all, you need to know how to space them. For example, if you space battens 10 inches apart, and each batten is 2 inches wide, then you have a total width of 12 inches. Since 12 inches is one foot, this makes measuring very easy.
However, if you choose to space your battens 10 inches apart but your battens are 1 inch wide, you can’t simply divide by 1 foot since the resulting total width of the board plus the batten is 11 inches, not 12. When you install a board and batten wall, it’s essential that you have even spacing for it to look right.
In order to find even spacing, use the formulas below in this order:
Remaining Width = Wall Width – (Batten Width x Number of Battens)
Now you have the total width of a batten plus the space in between. The number of spaces is then calculated with the following formula:
Number of Gaps = Number of Battens – 1
The final calculation is one you use to determine the exact spacing between battens. Use the following formula:
Exact Spacing = Remaining Width / Number of Gaps
Board is the depressed space between the raised sections of the batten. You can measure board requirements by finding the square footage of the wall section you’ll be using for your project.
You can save money by not installing board at all. If your drywall is in good condition, you can choose to only install the battens. Most homeowners—and guests—won’t be able to notice the difference as long as you match the finishing paint well.
It’s important to take into account your framing when measuring battens. It’s common to use the same battens for both horizontal framing and vertical piping the whole way around the project surface, so make sure to take this into account.
If you are using the same batten all around, double the width of one batten to account for framing on the top and bottom, and subtract that from the vertical battens. Don’t forget to subtract this for each horizontal section you add.
For exterior board and batten walls, discuss the project with a local siding pro. They’ll have the expertise and familiarity with materials that other contractors might not. For interior projects, talk to a top carpenter near you.
Board and batten siding will cost homeowners between $0.75 and $10 per square foot. This equates to around $1,200 to $16,000 for exterior walls. This is a large price range due to a few factors: height of the board and batten, material used, climate, and finishing.
Those looking to keep costs down can use vinyl instead of more expensive materials like wood and metal. If you’re able to do some of the prep work yourself, that will also go a long way in keeping costs down.
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