How to Calculate Board &Batten

I am going to share the easy tool I use to calculate the perfect spacing between boards when installing board and batten or wainscoting.

A question I get asked often on my Instagram and TikTok accounts is how I calculate the spacing of the boards when I am installing board and batten. I have discovered an easy-to-use calculator online that does all the math for me. Below I will share how I use it.

If you would like to see detailed video on how to install board and batten, click here.

Step 1:

Measure the wall you plan to add the board and batten to. If you are doing a room with multiple walls, measure the wall you plan to start the board and batten on first. I recommend starting on the wall that will be the main focal point in the room.

Step 2:

Go to the website www.inchcalculator.com and choose ‘Construction Calculator’ at the top of the page. From the list of calculators, select ‘Wainscoting Layout Calculator’.

Step 3:

Enter the width of your wall in inches. Next you will enter the width of your Stiles in inches. The Stiles are the vertical boards you will be using. It is important that you actually measure the board. Do not go by the measurement you purchased, for example a 1” x 3” board. The actual width of a 1” x 3” board is 2.5”, not 3”. Next, you will enter the number of Panels you want. The Panels are the gaps or spaces between the boards. There is no right or wrong answer for this. I suggest playing around with different numbers and clicking ‘Calculate’ to see how they look. For my son’s bedroom I entered 8 for the number of Panels and thought the spacing looked too skinny so I tried 7 and then ultimately decided to go with 6 Panels.

Once you click ‘Calculate’ you will see an image of the board layout like the image below. For me, the Panel Width is the most important number I am seeking. This is the distance between each of my vertical boards. Using the Panel Width, I cut a scrap piece of wood to this measurement and then used the scrap piece of wood as my spacer to give me the perfect measurement between each board (see photos below).

As you will see in the photos below, I cut my scrap piece to 16 3/6” and used it as my spacer between each board to get the perfect layout for my board and batten wall.

I have two full length video tutorials showing how to install traditional board and batten and tall board and batten on my YouTube channel. Click here to visit my YouTube.