How to Install a Plank Wall – DIY Tutorial

Adding a DIY wood plank wall, also known as a shiplap wall, is an easy way to add a focal point to a room. Plank walls can be stained, whitewashed or painted and will completely change the look of a room.

This tutorial will give you step by step instructions on how to install a DIY wood accent wall.

I created a whitewash plank wall in my bathroom makeover and a black painted shiplap wall in my master bedroom makeover.

There are many different options when purchasing wood for a DIY plank wall, but to save money, I usually use 1/4″ plywood to create the look of a shiplap wall without the cost of thicker wood panels.

The steps in this post can be used to install a plywood plank wall, but the same process is used for prefinished planks or reclaimed wood.

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Supplies Needed to Install a Plank Wall

• Wood planks (different options described below)
• stud finder with metal detection
• Brad nail gun (I love my Ryobi Airstrike – one of my all-time favorite tools!)
• 2 inch, 18 gauge brad nails
• miter saw, table saw (or rip cut with a circular saw) and a jigsaw
• construction adhesive (optional)
• wood filler (optional)
• Outlet extender box (if your planks are thick)

Step by Step Tutorial

Follow this installation process to easily cover any wall in your home with wood planks.

1. Choose the wall plank material

There are SO many options when it comes to deciding on a material to use to create a plank wall. All home improvement stores now sell prefinished planks or interlocking shiplap, as well as unfinished boards that can easily be used to create your own plank wall.

Specialty companies have peel and stick wood plank walls (like Stikwood) or custom created stained wood or even vinyl boards to create a full shiplap wall.

You can also find reclaimed wood or barn wood to make a unique plank wall that reuses beautiful old wood instead of buying new.

I reused old beadboard from a torn down dairy barn to create the beadboard ceiling in our lake house bathroom. Although it’s not a wall, planking the ceiling is still a cool way to add wood to a room!

For my DIY plank walls, I decided to use the most budget-friendly option – 1/4″ plywood panels. Plywood is sold in grades and with different veneer species. For a plank wall, it’s best to choose a sanded plywood. If you’re planning to stain or whitewash the wood, a birch plywood might be the best option because it has more natural woodgrain.

Or, if you don’t want to install individual planks, you can also purchase shiplap wall panels which create the look of planks in far less time! Read a full tutorial on how to add shiplap paneling to update the look of a room.

2. Measure the wall and purchase wood

Measure the width and height of the wall to determine square footage. If you’re purchasing pre-cut planks, most manufacturers will list how much area each box of planks will cover. Add 10% to your calculations to account for cuts and scraps.

Plywood boards are sold in 4′ x 8′ sheets. Smaller sizes are also available, but not ideal for a planked wall because you’ll have so many seams across the wall.

Each 4′ x 8′ sheet will need to be ripped down into 6″ strips. (or less if you want thinner planks). In the past, my Home Depot will rip down a sheet of plywood into 12″ planks, but they won’t cut it any thinner. At home, I ripped down the last cut of each board to make it 6″. It might be worth asking your local store if they’ll do the cutting for you!

3. Stain or seal wood prior to installing

If you are planning to stain, whitewash or use a clearcoat finish over your paneling planks, I recommend doing so before installation. These materials are very thin, and it’s much easier to apply them when the plank is horizontal as opposed to vertical.

I used the paint technique to whitewash my plywood panels in the bathroom shiplap wall prior to installation. Here’s a full post on four different ways to whitewash wood. Any of these techniques could be used to create a plank wall with whitewash look.

For the plank wall in my master bedroom, I hung the boards first and then primed and painted them once they were on the wall.

(Note: If you paint the planks after installation, it will be difficult to paint in the gaps. So, if you want the thin edges of the boards to match the paint color, you’ll need to paint the planks separately before installation.)

4. Mark wall with level lines and stud lines

Use a level placed to the top of the wall to mark a level line across the top of the wall. You can also mark this level line with a chalk line, if you have access to that tool. Often (or at least in my house), ceilings aren’t 100% level, so this line will keep things horizonal.

Then, use a stud finder to mark the studs in the wall. If you’ll be nailing into a wall that has water access in it, I recommend using a stud finder with metal detection. This will alert you of any pipes in the wall. (I learned the hard way on this tip when installing a plank wall in a bathroom!)

I like to use a pencil to mark where the wall studs are, all the way down the wall. I’ve also used a piece of painter’s tape marked at the ceiling, but sometimes it can be hard to follow this all the down vertically by just eyeballing it.

5. Attach first row of planks to the wall

For the first row, start at the top, left hand corner of the wall. Install a full board even with the level line you marked. (Using a long first board helps to start with the straightest line.)

You may notice slight gaps between the wood plank and the ceiling, or none at all. In the end, these gaps will not be noticeable or can also be hidden with a piece of quarter round or a top trim board.

Use a brad nail gun with 2 inch nails to attach the plank to the wall, placing two nails into each stud. If you’re using 1/4 plywood, make sure your nail depth is set to a lower depth, as you don’t want the small finishing nail to go right through the thin wood!

You can choose to use construction adhesive like Liquid Nails on the back of each plank to help them adhere to the wall. Personally, I’ve found this isn’t really necessary (and creates a mess if you want to remove the planks later). Nailing two brad nails into every stud has worked fine on the plank walls I’ve installed. Those boards are holding strong and it’s been over 7 years!

6. Install remaining rows across entire wall

To install the next row, leave a small gap between the first row of boards. A nickel is the perfect thickness to use to space the planks. Actually, the nickname for this type of shiplap is nickel gap shiplap!

Continue installing the boards from left to right. If your wall is wider than 8 feet, you will need to cut the second piece in each row. Be sure to use a staggered pattern rather than having all the joints in the same place on the wall.

You may need to cut holes and notches for windows, electrical outlets or other fixtures. A jigsaw works great for these smaller cuts.

On the bottom row, you may need to rip that board down to fit. Also, this is where some gaps or differences may be present between the bottom of the wall and the floor. It’s easy to cover these gaps in the paneling with new baseboards!

7. (Optional) Fill in holes, prime and paint

If you’re planning to paint your plank wall, you can fill in nail holes and the places where the boards meet to create a cleaner look. Or, feel free to keep these visible for a more rustic look.

When I choose to stain or whitewash a plank wall, I leave the nail holes and joints visible. If I’m painting, I usually fill the holes and seams, but it’s definitely not necessary.

Lightly sand the wood filler after it dries for the smoothest finish.

At this point, it’s time to prime and then paint the wall. Primer is a necessary step to seal in the wood tannins that might otherwise bleed through lighter colored paint.

Use a shellac-based primer to ensure none of the wood or knots bleed through the paint. (This post on the best primer for furniture describes shellac primer in more detail.)

This wood plank accent wall project is such a DIY-friendly project that looks just like the shiplap or planked wall kits, but for far less!

Of course, you can also create a vertical plank feature wall in the same way!

Thanks for reading! I hope you found it helpful for your next project. Feel free to leave any comments or questions below.