Deco Sound supply professional and honest service.
Ever since the first time I saw a wood slat wall, I couldn't wait to add one to my home! I have seen many different styles (plain wood against a white wall, painted wood on a painted wall') and wanted to try something slightly different. I absolutely love black accent walls, like the one that I have in my master bedroom, but didn't want the entire wall black. That's when I decided on a black wall with stained wood slats!
My next obstacle was justifying the cost of a wood slat wall. I am big on budget friendly home renovations and this was no exception. The wall I wanted to install the slats on was rather large and the cost of wood started to add up. Therefore, I decided plywood was a cost effective alternative.
**This post contains affiliate links to products that I recommend. If you purchase something through an affiliate link, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. I really appreciate your support.**
Determine Amount and Type of Plywood
In order to determine how much plywood I would need, I had to do a little math (which oddly is one of my favorite parts of my projects). I wanted my slats and spacing to be the same width. For easy of planning, I decided on 1' wood slats and spaces. I divided the width of the wall by two and this was the total number of slats that I would need.
In order to account for waste from the saw blade cuts and to make sure I had a few extra slats, I purchased two pieces of 3/4' x 4' x 8' birch plywood. I chose to use birch plywood since I would be staining it. Any stain grade plywood would work.
Cut the Plywood
I had my local hardware store cut the plywood in half when I purchased it. This made it easier for me to handle.
Luckily, I had a little help from my husband when cutting the plywood. A second set of hands is super helpful when running plywood through a table saw! We cut both sheets of plywood into 1' slats.
Safety is obviously key when working with power tools. It is very important to keep your hands away from the saw blade and use a push stick or pushblock with the table saw. We were extra careful when we got to the last few slats on each piece of plywood.
Sand the Plywood
I started by sanding the cut edges of the plywood. I mainly wanted to get rid of the rough edges since I knew it would be nearly impossible to make them smooth. It was easiest to line all of the pieces up and sand them at once using my orbital sander.
As soon as the top and sides were sanded, I hand sanded the edges with a sanding sponge to smooth them out. I didn't bother sanding the face of the plywood that would be up against the wall.
Paint the Wall
Since most of the paint would be covered by the slats, I want concerned about the quality of paint. I used a cheap matte black paint and applied two quick coats to the accent wall. I allowed the paint to dry before installing the wood slats.
Stain the Plywood
Sometimes I wonder why I bother venturing away from my go-to products.. For the stain, I purchased a Golden Oak color thinking that I wanted a light stain. I tested a piece of the plywood in the room and ultimately decided it was too golden against our dark floors. Therefore, I went with my favorite stain, Special Walnut (which I should have chosen in the first place).
I started by lining up several slats on their side. I used a paint brush to apply stain to the two cut sides first. The brush did a much better job of getting stain in all of the cracks than a rag. These sides really sucked up the stain.
Once the sides were stained, I applied a light coat of stain to the front surfaces using a rag. I allowed the stain to dry overnight.
If I were smart, now is when I would have sealed the plywood'but I decided to wait until it was on the wall.
Cut the Slats to Length
Since no wall in my house is straight, I did not expect this wall to be an exception. Therefore, I only cut a handful of slats at a time. I cut the length of the wood slats using a miter saw. I installed those slats and then cut the next batch. This ensured that the slats weren't too long or short.
Install the Slats
I've found that it's easiest to install repeating trim work if I use a spacer. For the slat wall, I cut one of the slats slightly shorter than the rest and used it as a spacer. This would ensure that the wood slats and spacing were the same. The spacer was cut shorter than the slats so that it would be easier to remove once the slat was installed.
To secure the slats to the drywall, I used both construction adhesive and my finish nailer. I applied several small dots of construction adhesive to the wood slat and then nailed it to the wall, making sure the spacer was tight between the two slats. I put the nails in at a slight angle and alternated directions (left to right). Once the slat was secure, I removed the spacer and moved on to the next!
Cut around Any Outlets
I had one outlet and one blank cover plate on the accent wall. Luckily, the slats were spaced perfectly to where I only needed to cut one slat per plate cover. For these, I simply cut out enough of the slat to install the covers.
Seal the Wood Slats
As I said earlier, it would have been much easier to seal the slats before I installed them on the wall. Using a brush, I applied a quick coat of polyurethane with a satin finish to the front surface of each slat.
Air Out the Room
Just a fair warning'the stain from the slat wall did smell for quite a few days after installing it. I aired the room out, used an odor absorber, and made sure the smell was gone before I allowed my sons to sleep in this room. If you are not able to keep the room clear until the smell dissipates, I recommend allowing the stained wood slats to cure elsewhere before you install them.
Enjoy the Beauty of the Wood Slat Wall
The finished slat wall was quite satisfying'it made the room feel much more rich. I loved it so much that I decided to extend the slat wall to the area around my bay window! The slat wall and bay window treatment made my boys' bedroom look amazing!!
Now all I need to do is find another place to install a slat wall! I think I'm just a little obsessed'
For more projects and inspiration, follow me on Instagram and Pinterest'I'm always working on something new!
**Note: I am not a professional and do not claim to be an expert. Please be sure to always read instructions for all tools and products. Safety is very important and should be your top priority. Wear necessary protection when using tools (eye wear, hearing protection, gloves, etc.) and dust masks when sanding or cutting. Simply Aligned Home is not responsible for any injury or damage. All of my designs are not professionally designed and are for private use only.**
Want more information on wood slats for walls? Feel free to contact us.
Materials Used
Tools Used
Installing a DIY wood slat wall lends a refined air to a room. It's a mid-century modern look often found at high-end hotels or designer homes. A wood slat wall is the ideal focal point for a room: an accent wall that you'll have for years to come. Installing wood slats on a wall can be a bit time-consuming, but it isn't complicated at all. Plus, you have a couple of time-saving options.
One method, using dimensional lumber slats, is easier and faster but it's much more expensive. The other method, using sheet goods, is slower and requires a table saw, but costs are considerably pared down. Use this guide to learn how to DIY a wood slat wall for an eight foot stretch of wall. Add more wood and supplies as needed to cover the space you're working with.
Best Type of Wood to Make a Slat Wall
A wood slat wall is made of evenly spaced vertical strips of wood that extend from the floor to the ceiling. Each wood slat is from 1/2-inch to 2 inches wide. The width of the wood slats is your choice, depending on the final look you're hoping to achieve. Wood slats tend to be more on the narrow side.
For this project, you can use dimensional lumber, which is pre-cut, one-by-two wood strips, to accelerate the project and avoid using a table saw. Alternatively, you can use sheet goods. Sheet goods collectively refers to MDF, plywood, veneer wood, or other large-format (often 4 feet by 8 feet) wood or wood byproduct materials. Going with sheet goods will take more time and effort, but this is the most cost-effective way to complete this job.
Building With Dimensional Lumber
Dimensional lumber is one-by-two strips that have been precut for easy installation. Each one-by-two is actually 1-1/2 inches wide. To cover an 8-foot stretch of wall with a 3/4-inch space between boards would require 48 strips. While softwood strips are inexpensive, the slat wall can still be expensive when you need to buy 100 or 200 strips. Hardwood strips are three times more expensive than softwood but require less finishing work.
Tip
To give cheaper softwood slats a more premium look resembling hardwood, stain the wood with walnut, oak, mahogany, or another dark stain. Be sure to start with wood conditioner so the stain will evenly cover the wood rather than looking blotchy.
Building With Sheet Goods
Cutting a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood into strips is a more cost-effective approach, but it is also more time-intensive. One sheet of plywood yields around 90 to 92 strips, each 1/2 inch wide. One chief difference between using sheet goods and dimensional lumber is thickness. Before purchasing materials for this project, decide how thick you want the slats to be, then select the right size sheet goods for the job.
Dimensional Lumber Slats
Sheet Good Slats
Large sheets of plywood that you cut into slats
$40 to $60 per 8 linear feet
Requires table saw, plus miter or circular saw
Time-intensive
Thinner wood slats
Tips and Safety Before Beginning
Working with a table saw or circular saw is hazardous enough but even more so with repetitive cutting. Stay alert at all times. Keep your hands away from the blade by pushing from a distance or by using a push block or push stick. Large sheets can be difficult to push through a table saw, so do the cutting with an assistant to help hold the other end.
The wood slats should be spaced about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch apart from each other. To avoid a zebra-stripe effect, spaces between the slats should be less than the width of the slats. The color of the wall behind the slats plays an important role because this is the background for the slats. You may want to choose a dark background, such as matte-black, for a dramatic, modern look.
If you'd like slats that hug the wall closely, you'll want to use nominal 1/2-inch plywood (about 3/8 inch thick). With dimensional one-by-two lumber, the strips would be 3/4 inch thick. Use a cordless brad nail gun instead of dragging an extension cord behind you as you work. Check the thickness of the slats and make sure the nails are long enough to penetrate through the slats and into the wall.
Are you interested in learning more about timber walls slats? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Comments
0