Construction · wainscoting layout
Board and batten spacing.
Enter the wall, the batten width and the panel width you want. Get the panel count that lands closest, equal panel widths, and every batten mark from the corner. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent.
Walls and battens
Layout marks
Formula and limits
Method: plain geometry, no lookup tables. For wall length L, batten width S and N panels: with end battens, panel width = (L - (N + 1) x S) / N; without end battens, panel width = (L - (N - 1) x S) / N. The calculator tries panel counts around L / (target + S) and ranks them by how close the panel width is to your target. Marks are rounded to the nearest 1/16 inch, so a run of many marks can drift by up to 1/32 inch per mark from the exact value; measure from the corner each time rather than adding widths.
Boundary: this is a layout aid. It does not know about out-of-square corners, baseboard, trim returns, outlets or your wall's actual finished dimensions. Measure the wall yourself, dry-fit before nailing, and check any structural or fire-related requirement with your local authority. Sample values are examples, not recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
How is the panel width calculated?
Subtract the total batten width from the wall length and divide by the number of panels. End battens add one batten to the count.
How are the marks measured?
From the left corner, in fractional inches to 1/16. Each batten lists its left edge, centerline and right edge.
What about windows, doors and outlets?
List them as width @ start. The result names the battens that overlap each one so you can shift or split the layout deliberately.