Easy Steps for Installing Shiplap

The Growing Trend of Shiplap

There is no doubt about it, stick on shiplap is growing in popularity. On Pinterest there are currently over 14 BILLION home designs, and a large number of them are featuring stick on panels (aka shiplap). So why are shiplap planks growing in popularity? First, they look fantastic and offer a huge number of creative opportunities for home decor (again, look to Pinterest). Second, shiplap is super easy to install! It's known as a peel and stick wood wall for a reason!

Installing Shiplap The Easy Way

Step One: Measuring You want to make sure you purchase the right amount of material. Measure the height and length of the wall that will have the material applied, and then multiply the measurements to determine how much wood you will need. For example, a 10x10 wall will require 100 square feet of shiplap. Typically the wood comes in sheets of 32 square feet, so if you end up with a little extra it's no big deal.

Step Two: Prepping the Wall and Wood: Make sure to adequitely prep the wall before applying the peel and stick panels. First, ensure you have safety goggles and a dust mask before beginning. Next, begin sanding and cutting both the wall it will be applied to and the panels themselves.

Step Three: Measure and "Rip": After measuring the sheets (remember: measure twice, cut once), "rip" them by cutting the sheets lengthwise. In order to get uniform boards, consider purchasing a chalk line and snapping it on the sheet to get perfectly uniform cuts.

Step Four: Back to Sanding: Now sand the cut edges with a sanding sponge (80 grit should do). This will remove the rough edges and get the planks ready for smooth application. If you want to accentuate the visible line between the boards after they are installed, be sure to give the edge a slight bevel while sanding.

Step Five: Paint the Boards: Before installing the boards, they need to be painted, this will ensure a nice even coat on all surfaces of the boards. Be sure to apply using a brush or paint roller and a high quality interior paint. Once painted, wait for the paint to dry completely.

Step Six: Sand Again. As the paint dried, it is likely that small bits of dust settled and were stuck to it. Use a light sandpaper (400 grit should do) to remove the tiny bits of dust that stuck the the paint. After sanding, brush or roll on a second coat of paint. Let the paint dry completely again.

Step Seven: Mark The Studs. Insert Dad joke here about marking yourself. Locate the vertical studs and snap a chalk line on each one. This will help you know where to nail each plank in.

Step Eight: Board it Up! Now the fun begins! Starting in the lower bottom corner (left or right, it doesn't matter), align the top edge of the board with the chalk line you created. Place two 2 inch nails into the board directly over the chalk line. Nail guns are preferred here but a hammer works fine. Continue this process row by row until the entire wall (or marked space) is covered with shiplap. As an important style note, start each new row with the leftover end from the board just cut on the row previous. This will give the wall a fantastic staggered look and prevents waste.

Step Nine: Use the Spacers: Use 1/8 inch spacers (or nickels) between the boards before nailing to create a consistent expansion gap. After nailing the second row, pull out the spacers and use them to create the next row.

And that's it! Just continue that process on and on until the wall is finished. As we said before, shiplap wall planks are only growing in popularity. The design options are so varied to create unique and beautiful wall aesthetics. And the installation is much more simple than many people expect!