Shiplap Plank Wall DIY How to for Cheap

For years now I have day dreamed of having an old farmhouse with a shiplap plank wall. The wrap around porches, the character and history and the SHIPLAP. Don’t get me wrong, I love our home and that we are making it ours, step by step. But often times it means getting creative. Something I don’t usually mind and often times look forward to.

We have to do remodels and updates in stages as time and money allow. Most improvements I have tackled myself. One of the most simple and inexpensive ways to update a space is with paint.

My Favorite White Paint

I recently discovered my new favorite brand and line of paint and that is Behr Marquee brand found at Home Depot. It has amazing coverage and I found my new go to white in this line. “Cameo White”. In my opinion, it is the most perfect shade of white. This color was on my wood paneling in the living room first (blog post soon about that transformation) and I instantly fell in love.

I have become a bit of paint snob after painting furniture for 4 years and this line lives up to its name. Coverage, durability and ease of use is important to me. We ended up using the same paint in our master bedroom on the shiplap and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. It brightens up the room and even when my dogs fling mud on the walls, I can clean it off with ease.

When we decided to install shiplap, we knew we needed to do it on a very tight budget. I originally considered using plywood but while in the lumber aisle of Home Depot, we spotted something very similar. Its the 5mm utility board. Those ran about $6 less per sheet. Many will say that Home Depot will cut the wood for you, but we were informed that their saw doesn’t always cut in exact measurements. I may or may not have OCD and there was no way I could live with uneven boards.

Marking the Studs for Installing the Shiplap Plank Wall

I began the process by locating the studs. A large level was used to mark those studs all the way up the wall from top to bottom. Using the level guarantees that you remain on the stud while marking them. We used a table saw to cut the panels into 8″ boards.

When we brought the wood inside we had to decide how we wanted the pieces to lay. I decided to do a staggered look. Long piece first then short piece and then on the next row up, the opposite. I say start at the top because if you ended up having to saw a smaller board, the odd size will be at the bottom of the wall therefore less noticeable and easier to conceal.

You can opt to remove your baseboards, but I left mine on due to cost cutting. We used a battery powered nail gun and used 1 1/2 inch nails. Make sure you start your board and end your board on a stud to guarantee no end pieces end up lifting up. We used an oscillating multi tool with a wood blade to cut the holes for the outlets and on corners around the door frame and windows.

Trimming Shiplap Planks Around Outlets

There is a different of opinion in spaces between boards. I decided to go with 1/4 inch gap. Many use a penny or nickel to determine their space. If you decide to go with a larger gap between boards, I recommend painting the wall prior to installing. To hide the seams and nail holes, you can do so using caulk. Just make sure to sand it down after dried and prior to painting. I left mine as I wanted more of an aged feel.

One of the best things about using the utility board is they come already primed. Because of this, paint application took much less time than I imagined. As mentioned before, we used the Behr Marquee brand paint in “Cameo White”.

Painting The Shiplap

All four bedroom walls received a shiplap install. The reason I decided to do this is because we have cathedral ceilings in our master and shiplap added that missing “detail” that sometimes comes with a higher ceiling.

So there you have it! Including nails and boards we spent around $300 total to shiplap our entire bedroom. Not too bad considering the amount of wall space!

Completed Shiplap Plank Wall Project DIY for Cheap

Have you added a shiplap plank wall to your home? Would love to hear how you installed yours!

If you’re a fan of this project, come check out how I painted these stair spindles the easy way!

Thanks for stopping by! It always means so much to me to have you here.

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