In this video, Brad Rodriguez from "Fix This Build" shares a DIY project where he installs wainscoting in his laundry room for a board-and-batten look. He begins by painting the room a blue-green color and applying white paint below the marked rail line. He then removes the current baseboards and installs new 5.5-inch baseboards. Brad also creates the vertical battens, priming and painting them before installation. To achieve a flush fit, he uses cardstock as a shim and caulks the gaps. Finally, he adds a shoe molding and applies a paintable caulk to the seams. The project transforms the room's look, and Brad expresses his satisfaction with the outcome.
1. The laundry room needed freshening up with new projects.
2. The new washer and dryer from Maytag were part of the renovation.
3. Brad Rodriguez used a 36-inch high rail for the wainscoting.
4. The general rule of thumb for low wainscoting is one-third of the wall height.
5. Brad painted the whole room a blue-green color.
6. He used a small 6-inch roller with a 3/8 inch nap for tight spots.
7. Brad used green painters tape to make a clean line for the transition between the blue and white.
8. He applied two coats of white paint to the lower section of the wall.
9. Brad removed the current baseboards and installed new 5.5-inch baseboards.
10. He used one sheet of 3/4 inch MDF for the trim boards.
11. Brad had the store rip one 18-inch section of the board at the store.
12. He ripped the small section down to become the long runs of the trim.
13. Brad used pocket holes and glue to join the boards.
14. He spackled the joints where the boards were joined together.
15. Brad applied spackle to the top edges of the MDF.
16. He primed all the MDF pieces with a foam roller.
17. Brad used Sketchup to model the room and plan the wainscoting.
18. He decided on five vertical battens for the wall.
19. Brad cut the vertical battens to 28 inches long and then adjusted them to fit during installation.
20. He used 2-inch Brad nails to attach the battens to the wall.
21. Brad used a spanning clamp as an extra hand to hold the top rail in place.
22. He attached the top rail to the wall using nails.
23. Brad used a cap board on the top rail for extra trim.
24. He attached the cap board with glue and Brad nails.
25. Brad used shoe molding on all the baseboards.
26. He attached the shoe molding with pin nails.
27. Brad caulked the seams between the trim and the walls with paintable caulk.
28. He spackled all the nail holes in the joints between the battens and the rails.
29. Brad sanded everything flush once it dried.
30. He applied two more coats of white paint to the trim boards to finish.