I'm committed to putting shiplap on one wall in each of three bedrooms (wife's decision, irreversible). This will be the wall behind the bed in each room.

Start at the top so that it's a full width piece there or at the bottom for ease of installation with likely a partial width piece at the top?

Material will be pre-finished (stained) white pine, 1/2 thick. 18 gauge brads or 16 gauge finish nails to attach? I have to buy a nailer either way. Leaning towards cordless as I have an air compressor but it's pretty loud and also don't particularly care to drag an air hose around.

Planning to use same or similar plank in the two corners in lieu of moulding. Not seeing regular wall planks in the same material/ finish so was thinking of ripping a piece of the shiplap to use for that purpose. Would have to come up with some kind of finish for the resulting exposed raw edges. What about trim pieces against the (popcorn) ceiling and bottom (carpet), same approach?

Everyone will offer a different plan of course
Mine would be to remove existing base and begin there, go up as far as possible
Vertical full width boards corners and one/two in the field between
Go back to top and nail a full width board at ceiling
I might use brass screws as fasteners/accents

Plan out what the spacing is and measure it out on the wall so that you end up with a full piece at the top.

Cut the first piece or two if necessary to make it course out correctly.

use a level every few pieces. small adjustments across a few gaps is better than 1 big adjustment at the end. not all boards are =

don't be surprised if your wall/ceilings aren't 100% straight.

trim piece on sides and top is cheap and easy way to cover gaps.

think through any additional power (new outlets, pendant lights, etc) before you start.. you're gonna cover up the drywall anyways so it'd be easier to plan for it now.

Install it vertically?

ktownag08 said:

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Divorce wife
Don't install shiplap
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Profit?!?!?

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When she gets 1/2 of everything? We are retired with a decent nest egg, so that would be quite a hit! Of course, my ongoing expenses would be much less, so there;s that!

Rattler12 said:

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Install it vertically?

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No, she doesn't care for that look. I would be good either way.

SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

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Pic of wall I did. I didn't go to ceiling. But did full pieces all the way up until top, then capped with trim. Far left edge I cut on a miter, to match angle of wall as it wasn't a perfect 90. Then just painted the edge. Did 18 gauge nails. Putty holes , wipe after dry then painted again

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Nice!

cjo03 said:

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use a level every few pieces. small adjustments across a few gaps is better than 1 big adjustment at the end. not all boards are =

don't be surprised if your wall/ceilings aren't 100% straight.

trim piece on sides and top is cheap and easy way to cover gaps.

think through any additional power (new outlets, pendant lights, etc) before you start.. you're gonna cover up the drywall anyways so it'd be easier to plan for it now.

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Good point about the ongoing use of the level. I absolutely do not expect walls and ceilings to be straight. The house was built in 1977 and has settled a bit in addition to whatever imperfections were there at the beginning.

Here is what i would do.

1. Remove the base and cut back the base on the two joining walls.
2. Measure the material and wall height to see how many pieces is will take. You can decide how to split the partial.
3. Measure the wall width to know how many lengths of material you need for the wall. You don't want a short piece.
3. Use a chalk line midway on the wall so you can measure to it while working. You might want more than one of the these.
4. Nail (and optionally glue with construction adhesive) the material to the drywall. Make sure you are not stair-stepping or repeating the pattern.
5. You will either have to scribe the top pieces or cover your gaps with a piece of trim.

For the trim on the side walls, you could rip a piece on the table saw with two 45 degree angles. You would then not have an exposed edge. You could make it as wide as you want. It would be on the wall at a 45 degree angle. If this look doesn't work, I would probably buy trim so i wouldn't have joints in that trim. You have to match the finish anyway.

GrimesCoAg95 said:

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Here is what i would do.

1. Remove the base and cut back the base on the two joining walls.
2. Measure the material and wall height to see how many pieces is will take. You can decide how to split the partial.
3. Measure the wall width to know how many lengths of material you need for the wall. You don't want a short piece.
3. Use a chalk line midway on the wall so you can measure to it while working. You might want more than one of the these.
Not sure the point of doing this versus checking each row with a level and adjusting as needed.
4. Nail (and optionally glue with construction adhesive) the material to the drywall. Make sure you are not stair-stepping or repeating the pattern.
Can you elaborate please? Not sure what you mean. What would be the recommended alignment from one row to the next?
5. You will either have to scribe the top pieces or cover your gaps with a piece of trim.

For the trim on the side walls, you could rip a piece on the table saw with two 45 degree angles. You would then not have an exposed edge. You could make it as wide as you want. It would be on the wall at a 45 degree angle. If this look doesn't work, I would probably buy trim so i wouldn't have joints in that trim. You have to match the finish anyway.

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Chalk lines let you work with a tape instead of a level. A level also works.

In point 4, I was assuming that the wall was longer than your boards. If you have joints just make sure they are not lined up or look like stairs. If your boards are as long as the wall, this is not necessary.

Okay, seems like a level would be easier for me.

We have not purchased the boards yet but they will be shorter than the wall which is a little over 12 feet wide.

Not shiplap here (tongue and groove pine plank ) but I went the trim all the way around look. I couldn't stand the unfinished edge. Pretty easy to do with just a couple 45 angle . Started at bottom full boards all the way up. Small gap hidden by the top trim piece so didn't have to rip and boards down.

hard to tell in the pic, but the ceiling is angled there where it stops at the top so thats where i stopped.

FightinTAC08 said:

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Not shiplap here (tongue and groove pine plank ) but I went the trim all the way around look. I couldn't stand the unfinished edge. Pretty easy to do with just a couple 45 angle . Started at bottom full boards all the way up. Small gap hidden by the top trim piece so didn't have to rip and boards down.

hard to tell in the pic, but the ceiling is angled there where it stops at the top so thats where i stopped.

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what's behind the secret door?

Sh*tlap... I feel like it's the 2010s version of the Mediterranean look but if you must, I'd start by drawing a level line around halfway up the wall and then check both ends to see if it's parallel with the ceiling. If so, start there and get moving. If not, I'd mark off X' down from the ceiling on both sides and make another line to sight off of.

I started at the bottom with pieces that I ripped down a bit on the table saw, which based on my calculations was to result in full width boards at the top row. Due to milling inconsistencies from board to board, I ended up ripping down the top boards as well but it worked out ok. I used the level on each board on every row and made small adjustments as necessary to get them level within reason. For me it just seemed easier and more straightforward to use the level vs measuring to a chalk line. This was all good until I got to the left end of the top row where the ceiling was not flat and left a gap of a quarter inch at the end of the last board.

Nice. Looks good

This is a shiplap project in a barn loft. That wood came out of the old Pearl Brewery in San Antonio. It's actually made slightly different from shiplap made today.

FightinTAC08 said:

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Attic access, nothing exciting. hiding the door was the requirement of wall. it holds the Christmas decorations and tree so i only have to get in there once a year.

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Does that piece just nestle in there?

Looks great!

yeah - I built a frame to attach the tongue and groove too. added some strong magnets to both sides at the top to give it a little extra grip. when i need in i stick a pry bar up underneath the bottom trim and pull it loose.