"Faux" Shiplap...because the real thing costs too much.

For many of my DIY home improvement projects, I seek to find cheaper supply alternatives that are just as sturdy and visually appealing as the real thing. Some of these alternatives could require some extra steps or a little more elbow grease, but with a tight budget they can help me get projects done that I otherwise couldn't afford. One such alternative was using 3/8 in. plywood ripped into 5.5 in. strips in my master bedroom instead of costly shiplap boards. Of course keep in mind this was only a cheaper alternative when sheets of plywood were $18, and not $65 like they are now (Yikes.). When applied to an existing, somewhat flat, mostly straight wall (okay not so straight, my house is old), the plywood method looks exactly the same for a fraction of the cost. Another benefit of putting any kind of board over an existing wall other than visual appeal, is it helps cover up any imperfections on that wall. This could include impromptu children's wall art, lumpy wallpaper that wasn't as easy to hide with paint as you thought, or in my case- wavy drywall.

If you're wondering how to tackle this DIY, cheaper shiplap alternative, here are some basic steps and tips:

1. Measure the walls you'll be covering to determine roughly how many boards you will need. A good rule of thumb is to take your total figure (for me it was 6 4x8 boards) and add at least 10%. Since I couldn't add 60% of a board, I bought 7.
   

2. Head to your local home improvement store and find 4x8 3/8-in plywood. If you can find pre-sanded it tends to be easier to work with, and paint for only a slightly higher price. Don't panic if you can't find "3/8-in" plywood like I did at first. Sometimes it's called something weird like "11/32-in." Just make sure you're getting 3-ply boards (looks like three very thin boards glued together- because it is). Anything less will not cut straight, and anything more will leave too great of a space between the boards. NOTE: If you plan on cutting the boards yourself, skip the next step. You can also get thinner boards down to 1/8-in if you are using a table saw and can more easily control the board. Thin boards wiggle around too much in the huge vertical cutters at the store and many strips will come out wavy.
   

3. After purchasing the sheets of plywood, ask a store associate to cut them into strips for you. I like to do this when I first arrive at the store, then do the rest of my shopping as they are cutting. They are also quite appreciative if you either request cutting in small batches, or are able to leave the boards for them to cut when they are able, and pick them up later in the day. I do have a table saw at home, but until I am familiar with using it- I like all my limbs attached. And hey- they'll cut it for you for FREE! Win-win. For my master bedroom project I had them cut into 5.5-in. wide strips. This left me with a 3-in wide spare piece from each board that I was able to use in the narrow spaces along the ceilings. Always keep your scraps when working on a project- you never know when they will come in handy! When trying to decide what width to cut the boards, keep the height of your room in mind, and what look you are going for. If you have 12-ft ceilings and are going for the traditional, chunky farmhouse shiplap look, it may be better to go with 8-10 in wide boards.
   

4. Sand and use a bonding primer on all edges. I know what you're thinking..."This isn't that important, I can skip it and just start getting boards on the wall!" I know this because that's what I thought, and did. The sanding is easy enough to do as you cut the boards to length, and before you nail them on the wall. But who wants to sit there and prime 75+ boards and wait for them to dry? I didn't want to, but I wish I had...and here's why. No matter how well you sand the edges of the boards, after they are installed and have less than 1/8-in between each board, it is incredibly difficult to get those edges painted. Your paintbrush will get shredded. Putting too little paint on the brush doesn't get the job done, but putting too much paint leaves connecting drips in between your boards that you have to scrub out with your shredded paintbrush. Save yourself the headache and prime first!
   

5. Measure each board to size, cut to length, and start nailing boards in place using a steel ruler or a nickel as a spacer between boards. This is the best part- you can start seeing progress! As another cost-cutting measure, I attempted to nail the boards up by hand with finishing nails and a hammer. It did not go well. The nails do not secure the boards as well, and shiplap falling off the walls in the middle of the night sounds like a bad scene. I highly recommend using a nail gun (many home improvement stores have basic battery powered models for $150-200). Starting from the ceiling is generally best so any inconsistent boards are hidden along the bottom of the wall. In my case it was better to start from the floor as my floors are level, but my ceiling is quite uneven. With that being said, if you have an old house like me where none of the walls or trim is straight, be sure to measure each board individually. The board on the top of the wall will not necessarily be the same width as the one on the bottom. For boards that go around windows or doors, use a circular and jig-saw to cut the spaces out and have the board fit around the framing.
   

6. Use quarter-round trim in the corners of the room, and your trim of choice around windows and doors. I decided to use 2 and 3-in boards around my windows and doors to give the traditional farmhouse look. If you already have trim around the windows and doors, you can use quarter-round to hide the edges of the boards.
   

7. Paint all boards with a bonding primer to seal in any sap or existing ink/dye. A bonding primer will prevent any existing sap, stains, dyes or paints from bleeding through. No one wants to have the "Certified Lumber" stamp leaking through their fresh white paint. The primer I used is BIN 123 Bullseye Bonding Primer. This primer tends to be more runny than a traditional paint, and has a very strong smell. Be sure to use drop-cloths and ventilate your room well.
   

8. Paint all trim to desired color, then paint wall boards 2-3 coats. If you prefer to freehand paint the edges, it's always best to paint your trim first since it's generally a lighter color and easier to hide any mistakes. If you prefer painters tape it's better to do the trim last. Just make sure the paint you are taping to has had plenty of time to fully dry. If you are frustrated with paint leaking through tape and not getting clean lines, a good trick is to paint over the tape seam with the color of the wall first. Once that paint is dry, you can paint over with the trim color and peel off the tape while the paint is still wet. This makes it so any little gaps going under the tape are filled with the same wall color and not your trim color.
   

9. Finishing Touches! The last step of course is to move the furniture in, decorate, and admire your hard work!
   

10. Wine. You've earned it!