Batten Spacing Calculator

Work out the even gap between battens for a board and batten wall. Enter your wall width, the width of your battens, and how many you want. The spacing and a live preview update as you type.

Batten spacing
Gap between battens432 mm

6 battens create 5 equal gaps across a 2400 mm wall.

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How to space battens evenly

The quick version: subtract the total width of all your battens from the wall width, then divide by the number of gaps. With a batten at each end of the wall, the number of gaps is one less than the number of battens.

For example, a 2400mm wall with six 40mm battens uses 240mm of batten, leaving 2160mm to share across five gaps. That gives an even gap of 432mm. Change any value above and the calculator redoes the maths and redraws the wall instantly.

Common wall widths

A quick reference using 40mm battens with one at each end. Your own batten width and count will change these numbers, so use the calculator for your exact wall.

Wall widthBattensEven gap
1800mm5400mm
2400mm6432mm
3000mm7453mm
3600mm8469mm

Plan the whole wall

Spacing is the first step. To plan the full layout, add horizontal rails, work out heights, and get a cut list of every strip to take to the timber merchant, open your design in the free planner. It handles multiple rows, dado rails, and cost estimates.

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Battens or panels?

Battens are vertical strips on a flat wall. If your design uses framed boxes instead, like shaker, picture frame, or wainscoting panels, the maths flips: you choose the gap and the calculator finds the panel width. Use the wall panel spacing calculator for those layouts.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you space battens evenly?

Take your wall width, subtract the combined width of all the battens, then divide by the number of gaps. With a batten at each end, the number of gaps is one less than the number of battens. The result is the even space to leave between each batten.

How many battens do I need for my wall?

It depends on the look you want. Wider gaps use fewer battens and suit larger walls, while a tighter, more traditional board and batten look uses more. Try a few counts in the calculator and watch the preview until the spacing looks right, then take the gap measurement to mark out your wall.

What width should the battens be?

Common board and batten battens are cut from MDF strips around 40 to 70mm wide, but there is no fixed rule. Thinner battens give a lighter, more modern grid, and wider battens read as more traditional. Enter whatever width you plan to buy and the calculator works out the spacing to match.

Do the end battens sit at the very edge of the wall?

This calculator assumes a batten at each end of the wall, with equal gaps between them. That is the most common board and batten arrangement. If you would rather start with a gap at the edges, plan the full wall in the free planner where you can set edge gaps directly.

Related guides

Board and batten spacing guideHow much does wall panelling cost?