DIY Inexpensive Shiplap Walls
Shiplap your walls, they said. It will be easy, they said.
I really can’t believe that I never shared our completed DIY inexpensive shiplap walls with you guys! This post is a little overdue, but better late than never, right?!
I know that Pinterest has blown up with tutorials of shiplap, so this isn’t really a tutorial as such. Rather, I thought I’d share our experience and what I wish we’d known before starting!!
I’ll be completely honest with you–this project was cheap, but it was NOT easy. We might be able to blame that on our 120 year old, COMPLETELY unlevel home. My husband has done way more complex projects than this, but for some reason this was the project that fought us the whole way.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE our walls more than anything, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Getting them completed,however, was a challenge.
They really helped tie in our shiplap fireplace and made it look like it belongs! Even people that had been to our house without a fireplace still can’t believe it wasn’t always there.
And I know that most people associate shiplap with farmhouse style, which I adore, but I also like touches of boho. I feel like shiplap works so well with that style and just gets me, ya know?!
Like many of our fellow shiplapers, we were on a strict budget and so we opted to rip sheets of inexpensive plywood into our “shiplap.” We also needed to use plywood because it was the thinnest option, and we didn’t want our shiplap sticking out over our trim. I chose a 6″ width, but 8″ is also common. Honestly, I love how the plywood looks, and I am super happy with our choice to go the less expensive route.
Our problems started when we had our local hardware store (which shall remain unnamed) rip the plywood for us. They acted like it was a huge inconvenience and they didn’t want to do it for us. When we got the boards home, they were all cut crooked and slightly different angles.
Let the frustration begin. Bum bum buuuuuuuum.
It’s funny now, but at the time we were NOT happy campers! When you couple that with ridiculously uneven walls (We’re talking a three inch difference in less than 4 feet of wall!) we thought that this was the one project we weren’t going to dig ourselves out of!
But bless my husband and father in law–they got it done. We used an air nailer to attach the boards to the wall, and we staggered them because I liked that effect. We also didn’t bother to fill in the nail holes, because I liked the more rustic look, but you certainly could if you prefer a smoother finish.
Someday (after the trauma scars have faded 🙂 ) we will get around to shiplaping up the staircase.
This room had the original plaster, but it was cracking and rough looking in lots of places, so I didn’t feel too bad about covering over it. Oh, shiplap. I love it so much and would totally do it again, but man was it a nightmare to get up! I hope you enjoyed our DIY inexpensive shiplap wall saga!!
I’m super curious–does anyone else have shiplap horror stories? Or are we the only ones that just couldn’t get it together? 😀
Jenni says
December 7, 2017 at 11:53 pmHi! I just found your blog searching for info and ideas for planking my fireplace wall – so happy I did! First off, you did an amazing job on the fireplace and the location is spot-on! Our 1920 home has the fireplace centered between two windows, just like yours, so it’s very fitting for the space and the age of the home.
My questions for you:
What thickness of plywood did you buy for the wall? Was it the same as the fireplace planks? What “type” of plywood? And lastly, exactly how did you attach the plywood planks to plaster with an air nailer, without shattering the plaster? All tutorials I’ve seen mention using a construction adhesive to glue the planks in place, but yours is the only one I’ve seen that isn’t planking over drywall. We have plaster everywhere in our house and in my experience, every time I put a hole in it, I end up with dust and crumbling bits of plaster forevermore. I’d hate to have my planked wall ruined by the aftermath….it’s my biggest hesitation going through with this project.
I look forward to any advice you can give! I’m your newest follower!
mdonahoe says
December 12, 2017 at 12:40 pmHi Jenni!!
Thank you for all the kind words!! Let me try and answer all your questions!!
First off, the plywood we used to plank our walls was 1/4″ thick. We went very thin because we had existing woodwork and trim and we didn’t want the planking sticking out past it. The “planks” we built the fireplace out of were actually 1×6’s, since we were actually building the fireplace, and not just planking over it. We used an air nailer, not adhesive. Personally, It didn’t cause any issues for us or the plaster. (or, more accurately, if it did, we have no idea because it is all hidden!) I’m sure the wall would not fair well if we ever removed the planks, but I think that would also be the case for drywall as well. 😉 And yes, I have also had our plaster crumble and dust when I try to nail something into it with a hammer. I wonder if the air nailer is better on the plaster because it is faster and more precise? I hope this answers all your questions and if you do this project, you’ll have to share photos of it!!!!!