6-ft Board and Batten Wall: 1x3, 16-inch Gap Target

How this 6-foot layout works

The measured span is 72 inches, with an actual face width of 2.5 inches for each nominal 1x3 strip. The 16-inch target is a maximum edge-to-edge gap, not a center mark. This arrangement has 4 equal spaces and uses 12.5 inches of the span for the boards themselves.

There is a batten centered on the wall midpoint at 36 in (≈ 36″). Use that observation when checking how the pattern lines up behind furniture or beneath a centered picture. The first left edge is 0 in (≈ 0″); the last left edge is 69.5 in (≈ 69 1/2″). The last board's right edge lands at 72 in (≈ 72″), exactly the wall boundary.

Two useful alternatives before you cut

Removing the flush end boards and using equal outer gaps changes this same wall to 4 battens and 12.4 in (≈ 12 3/8″) clear gaps. The vertical material estimate then becomes 16 feet at the same cut height. This is a different boundary rule; do not mix the location table above with that alternative.

Keeping the current end rule but increasing the maximum target to 20 inches produces 5 battens and 14.875 in (≈ 14 7/8″) gaps. The board count does not change, so the actual spacing stays the same; the new target only relaxes the limit. Compare these dimensions with tape strips on the wall rather than judging the small diagram alone.

A cut-length and marking check

At a 48-inch cut height, the 5 pieces total 240 inches, or 20 linear feet. That figure includes only these vertical pieces. It excludes rails, backing, saw kerf, waste, and any existing boards outside the span. Check whether the stock lengths you can buy yield the required complete pieces. Short offcuts cannot be added together to make one continuous batten.

All positions are measured from the left boundary. Use the decimal marks if your measuring method supports them; the fractions are independent rounded tape marks. Do not repeatedly add the rounded 14 7/8-inch spacer value. Check outlet cover plates, window trim, and the width at more than one height before committing to this pattern. If the actual span differs from 72 inches, open this example in the main calculator and replace the width.

Other options for this wall width

• 6-ft wall · 1x2 battens12-inch target · flush end boards
• 6-ft wall · 1x4 battens18-inch target · flush end boards
• 6-ft wall · 1x2 battens24-inch target · equal edge gaps

Read the full method and installation pitfalls or browse all worked layouts.