How to Add a Wood Plank Wall to your Home

Today we are SO thrilled to welcome the amazing Jamie and Morgan from Construction2Style back, for their first post as part of our contributor team! Wahoo!! We know you loved them here  and here… and here and here… so we are so excited to have them here sharing regularly. Show them all that Remodelaholic love and give them a warm welcome back!

Ohhh we are so happy to share this project with our Remodelaholics! If you follow us on Instagram you have already seen all of the fun we had on this remodel. So we’re even more pumped to show you the full before and after of this bathroom design along with step by step details on this modern wood wall paneling and how you can add your own wood plank walls to your home in 5 simple steps.

This post contains affiliate links. Learn more and read our full disclosure policy here.

How To Install a DIY Wood Plank Wall
by construction2style

Before

As you can see, we did a complete overhaul upgrade of this bathroom. The one thing we knew we wanted within this design was the wood plank wall. We wanted to create a space to feel like a spa, a calm environment by bringing in earthy tones and textures.

The easiest way to bring warmth and depth into any space is by using wood materials. So we decided that we were going to create a large wood wall, centered right behind a beautiful free standing tub to create this experience. So let’s get started!

Materials:

If the video doesn’t load correctly, check it out over on our YouTube channel — and subscribe, pretty please!

The first step to any bathroom remodel as you know is demo. We completely gutted the entire room which you can read more about here.

Once we demo’d the entire space it was time to get the room back in order. That white wall right there was our blank canvas for the wood plank wall.

1. Choose Material

The first step is to choose your material. There are a ton of different types of wood and great options you can choose from, so it ultimately comes down to the look of the space you are wanting.

Some wood accent wall options to consider:

• Reclaimed Wood – this can be Pallet wood, or aged fence pickets, whatever you love the look of and remember that even reclaimed wood can be planed down to appear new and fresh if you don’t love the aged or rustic look that has that barn wood style..
• Shiplap – made popular by Joanna Gaines, Shiplap is now readily available at most lumber stores. At your local store they often carry white shiplap pre primed. If you are looking for a stained wood option for shiplap, you may have to create it like this tutorial shows you how to do.
• Slat walls are very popular and add a beautiful texture.
• Peel and Stick wood planks /options make install a breeze!

Our design plan stemmed from the Kohler Design Center, where they had beautiful clean and smooth wood panels within their showrooms. So to create this look for this project we used 4×8 sheets of maple veneer sheeting. We then we cut the sheets down into 4″ planks. From measuring the wall where the planks would be going we determined that we would need a little less than 2 sheets of material.

Tip: If you don’t have a table saw or circular saw with clamps, you can also get your material cut at Home Depot or your local hardware store if you’re a little nervous about getting your edges perfectly straight.

2. Finish Wood (Cut, Stain and Seal)

Once you have chosen the type of material and cut down your sheets, it’s time to stain. Again, choosing the color of the stain is dependent on the type of look you are going for.

For this project, we got a custom stain to match the rest of the trim and woodwork in the home. We then got two additional color stains, tinting one darker and one lighter than the original to create dimension within the design. We also custom built the vanities within this reno and matched them perfectly to the wood plank wall.

To make this project extra fast you could consider trying stain with sealer to get the finishing job done in two-three easy coats. We love this brand, or try this brand.

When applying, be sure to brush on with the grain to make sure the finish looks great. Also, I do recommend more than one coat (especially if this is in a bathroom). Between coats be sure to lightly sand with 220 grit or higher sandpaper, wiping with tack cloths to remove all dust before adding your second coat. Sanding between coats greatly improves the smooth factory finish look of any project.

3. Create Design

Once your wood planks are stained, sealed and dried it’s time to create your design layout. Depending on the space of your room will depend on the length to cut your panels. The key is to just ensure that no piece ever lines up with the one in the row directly above or below.

Wood Wall Paneling Pattern Ideas:

• Brick Pattern
• Herringbone
• Diagonal
• Horizontal
• Vertical
• Diamond

Also consider that using spacers on the seams can change the look of whatever design you choose. You may need to line the back with wood for this option.

One of the most classic designs is the brick pattern, which is what we chose. With this pattern each of the rows is offset by a half of the boards width. It’s a timeless layout that looks great in any room and with any material.

We also decided to create a niche within the plank wall, so of course there was a spot to set the ambiance with some candles or décor. We created the niche by removing the drywall and framing a rectangular piece back in, just high enough for perfect placement above the tub.

4. Measure and Cut

Once you have created your design layout it’s time to measure, cut and hang. We cut the boards as we were placing them up onto the walls, following our brick stacked pattern. To figure out our length to cut the boards, we measured the width of the wall and divided it by 3. Depending on the length of your wall you may need to divide it by more.

An easy way to make sure you cut the boards to an equal length every time is to set up a stop on your miter saw. Just be aware, the reason we trimmed boards as we went, is that not all walls are perfectly square, and cutting one at a time, helps to avoid gaps.

5. Install

Our favorite part, watching your design and project all come together.

Starting with a nice level line, we started installing the first row of wood just above the niche, gluing our first board into place with liquid nails. You can also add a couple finish nails with a pin nailer or just an old-fashioned hammer and nails.

Tip: **If using a hammer, be sure to use a nail set to avoid damaging the front of your beautifully finished boards.

Tip: to avoid large nail holes a pin nailer is a dream come true.

Because this row will be carrying some of the weight of the rows above, it might not be a bad idea to use a stud finder to add a couple nails to the studs. We then gradually moved up making sure each board was stalked half way over the board underneath.

If you don’t have a niche to worry about, we would have started at the top left hand corner. If starting at the top, ensure your ceiling is perfectly level. We started above the niche because we wanted a perfect piece just above the niche as we knew eyes would be drawn there. Wherever you start just continue your design, adding one plank at a time and one row at a time and working your way up or down.

When you get to the top or bottom of the wall, you may need to cut your boards in half to fill the gap. For this you would just use a table saw or a circular saw. (but I think a table saw would probably be easiest and safest for wood this narrow.)

After

And here it is! Our finished wood plank panel wall! What do you think? You got this, right?!

The bathroom is typically where you start and end your day, so it only makes sense that you would want a beautiful space with impeccable interior design to set your mood. We had so much fun with this project and not just the wood plank wall, so of course we can’t leave out all of the finishing details.

Can’t wait to see all of your wood plank accent wall project! And make sure to tag us at hashtag #imaremodelaholic for a chance to be featured!

Question and Answers:

What are wood planks on walls called?

This would depend on the orientation of the boards, if the whole wall or just half is covered.

Often if the whole wall is covered, we call in wood paneling. The planks themselves, can be called beadboard, v-groove, shiplap, slats, or just planks. It just depends on the style of the boards themselves.

If only the bottom half of the wall is covered, it might be generally considered wainscot or wainscoting. This is a decorative wall paneling for a portion of the wall. It protects walls from damage from chairs (why its sometimes also called a chair rail), or may be used to hide damage. There are dozens of types of wainscoting, but a popular kind is board and batten.

Is wood paneling cheaper than drywall?

The short answer is no. Often when installing wood paneling, drywall is placed beneath it anyway. When the walls are drywalled and seams are properly taped, this wall structure adds to the R-value or insulative value of the wall. It also creates the perfect place to add a decorative accent wood wall.

Unless you have unlimited access to free, planked and finished wood, drywall will be the cheaper alternative. But don’t let that steer you away from the beauty that a wood feature wall adds to a home.

How do you install wood planks on walls?

This tutorial above, explains generally how, but a few important first steps are

• First locate and mark the studs where you plan on installing the wood paneling. This helps you know where to nail.
• Mark with a level line a starting row. Make sure the first row you install is perfectly level, because all the other rows will work off of that.
• Add row by row form the starting line til the whole section you want covered is installed.

or try more than 40 other wainscoting styles

Related