Shiplap adds so much to a space!
And, DIY faux shiplap is both an easy and budget-friendly way to achieve that shiplap look.
The clean lines and gaps between each shiplap board creates incredible texture and allows a space to really speak without being overwhelming. However, the cost of authentic shiplap often isn’t the most affordable. There is a more cost efficient method to creating that jaw-dropping shiplap wall look: faux shiplap.
I use DIY faux shiplap in all my houses and I put it all over the place!
Faux shiplap allows you to create the look and vibe of shiplap in your home at a fraction of the cost. One of the biggest reasons I prefer faux shiplap is that it provides even more charm and character in the movement of the wood compared to genuine shiplap.
To create a budget friendly DIY faux shiplap look in any space follow the instructions below.
Before and After
Before we jump in to it, let me show you a before and after of my Smoke House living room fireplace.
I used my faux shiplap process to update a dingy and outdated fireplace.
Supplies Needed
- ¼ inch 4 ft X 8 ft plywood sheet(s)
- 5/8 in. x 5/8 in. x 8 ft. PVC Composite White Quarter Round Moulding
- Circular saw
- Circular saw fence (DIY blog coming soon)
- Compressor
- Ridgid brad nailer
- Brad nails 18 gauge 2 inch
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Miter saw
- Contour Gauge
- Wood working clamps
- One nickel
- Caulk
- Paint (I used Behr Silky White in satin)
Photos of my DIY Faux Shiplap
Measure the Space
First things first, measure the wall or space that you wish to install faux shiplap. Measure from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with a tape measure.
Once you know the measurement of your space you will use that information to calculate how many pieces of plywood you need to purchase.
To figure this out you will take the surface area of wall you want to cover and divide that by the surface area of the sheet of plywood (32 square foot, 4 X 8 plywood sheet). A sheet of plywood is 32 square foot of wood.
As an example, if you are attempting to cover a 10 X 10 foot wall you would multiple those numbers together, 10 times 10 is 100, then you will divide that sum (100) by 32. 100 divided by 32 = 3.125.
The total of 3.125 lets you know that you would need to buy a total of 4 full sheets of plywood (round up to nearest whole number) to cover a 10 x 10 wall. Since you will always round up to the nearest whole number you will have pieces of plywood to spare.
Cut Plywood
One of my favorite motto’s to live by is “work smarter not harder” so as you move forward with this project keep that in mind.
When I rip plywood for a large faux shiplap space I will cut multiple boards at a time.
I would advise stacking and cutting up to 4 sheets of plywood at a time. This is a manageable amount to cut at a single time with a smaller circular saw like the one I have.
If you utilize the stacking method make sure each piece of plywood is stacked evenly and are square to one another.
Once you assure that each piece is square to one another clamp the four boards in place with wood working clamps. This step will assure the boards stay square throughout the cutting process.
To accomplish a shiplap look each plank should be cut to 6 inches wide.
In order to guarantee each plank is 6 inches wide you will need to accommodate the width of the blade (1/8 inch) in your measurement. Therefore, mark your plywood board to 6 1/8 inches to get a 6 inch wide board after you make a cut with an 1/8 inch blade.
When cutting your plywood board into planks make sure to cut them along the 8 foot length side. Basically, you want the longest plank possible.
While ripping your plywood into faux shiplap planks it’s important that you cut straight lines.
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to ensure that you cut a straight line each time is by building and using a DIY circular saw fence. Building a DIY circular saw fence is fast and easy and can be used for all your projects that require a straight cut. I will publish a post on how to build a DIY circular saw fence very soon (stay tuned).
Measure and mark your plywood board(s) with a carpenter pencil 6 1/8 inches wide on both ends of the shorter sides of the plywood board(s).
Place your custom DIY circular saw fence on those marks.
Clamp the circular saw fence to the plywood with wood working clamps to prevent movement of the fence while cutting.
Use the circular saw to cut along the circular saw fence.
Repeat this process until all boards are cut.
Don’t worry if you don’t own a miter saw or circular saw.
If you purchase your plywood from a big-box store, like Home Depot or Lowes, they typically will rip your plywood for you.
All you need to do is ask someone in the lumber section. Just make sure the cut along the long side of the plywood.
Also, you can rent tools from big-box stores as well.
Stores like Home Depot and Lowes usually have a tool rental section where you can rent tool for a day or more! Simply google “store name tool rental”, and you will find all the information you need.
Paint Faux Shiplap
I’ve painted my many faux shiplap projects in several different ways and the easiest and quickest way is to paint each plank before you install it to the wall.
In the past I used to paint the faux shiplap after I installed it to a wall and it’s a much more daunting process. Trust me, placing all your planks on sawhorses to paint at once pre-installation is life changing.
Also, by painting your boards before you install them you won’t have to battle globs of paint getting stuck in the cracks.
PRO TIP: Your life will be so much easier if you paint each faux shiplap plank before installation. Paint the front facing surface as well as the top and bottom of the long sides of each plank. This process will insure that every possible surface that can been seen while attached to a wall is covered in paint. I used BEHR Silky White in satin and a Gracco Sprayer. If you have a lot of surface area to paint you can save a ton of time by using a paint sprayer. If you don’t want to purchase a paint sprayer you can rent sprayers from Home Depot for a reasonable price.
Paint the entire wall that you plan to install faux shiplap in the same color – before you install your faux shiplap.
You will have nickel-sized gaps between each plank which allows a small amount of the wall underneath to show. These gaps are necessary to create the shiplap look.
I highly recommend painting the entire wall in the same color before you attach the faux shiplap planks.
I made the mistake of not doing this in my guest bathroom (which was a dark gray faux shiplap) and the white wall underneath was so noticeable. Yikes!
To fix my mistake I hand painted the small nickel-sized cracks between every single plank. It took forever!
PRO TIP: If you are painting your faux shiplap white or another light color then I recommend you use two coats of primer over the knots in your plywood. If you don’t, in a year or two they will show through and yellow. Icky.
Staining Faux Shiplap
You can also stain your DIY faux shiplap!
I know, I know – it sounds crazy! Just look at the photo above of the ugly raw plywood planks. How on earth could stained plywood look like stained shiplap?
I was also hesitant!
I had the idea to stain the plywood planks – just to see what would happen – in our primary bathroom remodel.
I figured, if it turned out poorly – which I assumed it would – then it wasn’t a great lost in cost. So, I went for it.
And, I loved it!
We stained faux shiplap with Minwax Natural Stain and installed it on the ceiling in our primary bathroom. That was two years ago and it’s held up so well!
Install Faux Shiplap
After the paint on the wall dries (the paint dries quickly) move on to installing the faux shiplap planks.
Start by installing the planks along the ceiling and work your way down to the floor.
The reason for this is the top of your project, along the ceiling, is more visible than the planks along the bottom of your project, the floor. If your wall is like most walls and is not perfectly square then the planks may not land perfectly straight at the bottom.
This imperfection is best to be as out of sight as possible right along the floor.
The first piece of faux shiplap installed will typically be a full plank, depending on wall size.
For example, if your wall is 10 foot in length the first plank installed would be a full 8 foot length plank. The second board would be cut down to a 2 foot length plank to cover the remainder of the wall.
Install each plank with as many brad nails as necessary to insure its secure to the wall.
Use a compressor and brad nailer to attach each faux shiplap plank.
You can cover each of these nail holes with caulk and paint if you would prefer a smoother look. For a more rustic look leave each nail hole exposed.
Between each row of faux shiplap use a nickel to create a realistic shiplap gap.
Place the nickel under the first row of planks and then place the second row of planks directly under the nickel.
Start the second row of faux shiplap with the leftover cut piece from the first row.
Going back to the example of covering a 10 foot wall in which we cut an 8 foot plank down to a 2 foot plank. The leftover of that cut is a 6 foot plank. That 6 foot plank is what we use to start the second row.
When installing faux shiplap it’s important to make sure to stagger the seams.
By using the leftover plank you are able to prevent waste and this insures your ability to stagger your seams. Ultimately, you want to prevent your seams lining up from row to row.
Continue this process to the bottom of the wall.
Install Quarter Round
After all faux shiplap boards are installed use quarter round to frame your wall.
Quarter round will help create a smooth finish and cover any unwanted gaps or imperfections.
This is what makes the project feel clean and professional.
It’s also super easy and fast to install!
I prefer to use 5/8 in. x 5/8 in. x 8 ft. PVC Composite White Quarter Round Moulding to frame the ceiling of my faux shiplap walls.
You can either install quarter round just along the ceiling or along the ceiling and down each side of the wall.
It’s completely up to you and your preference.
The following steps will help you cut quarter round to install along the ceiling only as well as how to cut and install quarter round along the ceiling and sides of each wall.
Ceiling Only
To cut the quarter round measure the length of the wall(s) along the ceiling.
If you have just one wall you will cut the quarter round ends square(90 degrees) with a miter saw. Then install the quarter round along the ceiling with a brad nailer.
If you have multiple walls covered in faux shiplap cut each quarter round end at a 45 degree angle with a miter saw.
Once you’ve made a 45 degree cut install the quarter round along the ceiling on each wall over the faux shiplap with a brad nailer.
Ceiling and Walls
To cut the quarter round measure the length of the wall along the ceiling and then measure from ceiling to floor on each wall.
Cut the quarter round ends where the pieces will meet at a 45 degree angle with a miter saw.
You will cut the piece that meets the floor or baseboard square (90 degrees).
Once you’ve made each cut install the quarter round along the ceiling as well as down each side with a brad nailer.
The top end of the wall quarter round will come together with the ceiling’s 45 degree cut and will create a clean 90 degree angle.
The bottom will meet up directly with either your baseboard or floor.
Complete this process on both sides of the wall and the ceiling.
Pro Tip: Paint each quarter round piece before installation. This will prevent over-painting on areas you wish not to paint. Paint the quarter round the same color as the faux shiplap.
Enjoy the Final Product
Don’t forget to fill in the nail holes on the quarter round (and the faux shiplap if that’s the look you’re going for).
Also, fill the cracks between the quarter round and the ceiling as well as the cracks where the quarter round may meet with caulk.
After you finish caulking everything run over the caulk with paint.
That’s it!
You’ve successfully created a budget-friendly and beautiful alternative to the beloved shiplap look and the best part is no one can ever tell the difference!
This photo is a comparison of real shiplap versus faux shiplap in my current home.
The only real difference between these two photos is the price tag.
Can you tell the difference?
The photo on the left is real shiplap purchased from a big-box store. The photo on the right is faux shiplap.
I hope you enjoyed this super easy and budget friendly DIY faux shiplap tutorial!
I’d love to hear how this project went for you in the comments below and remember to tag me on Instagram, @the.reno.gal, so I can enjoy your DIY faux shiplap projects as well!
If you enjoyed this DIY post, I recommend you check out this post too:
1.) HOW TO BUILD & INSTALL FARMHOUSE SHELVES
