Shiplap · accent walls
Accent wall shiplap calculator
One wall, one weekend, one very specific number of boards. Measure the wall behind your TV (or the bedroom wall you keep screenshotting) and get the row count, board count and shopping list in the time it takes to find your tape measure.
- TV wall ready
- Outlet & window deductions
- Instant shopping list
Your wall in three answers
The wall behind your TV, corner to corner.
Floor to ceiling on the accent wall.
How long the boards are at the store. Longer boards mean fewer joints.
No calculate button — the numbers follow your typing.
Accent wall preview
Final row needs cutting, leftover width: 4.63 in
12 ft × 8 ft = 96 sq ft total.
What you need
10% waste includedBoard rows
18rows
5.38 in face each
Total linear
216 ft
96 sq ft covered
Boards to buy
30boards
about 10 packs of 3 · exact fit
30 boards needed with cutting waste. Each board covers 5.38 in once the reveal is taken off.
18 rows, 216 ft of board, 30 boards to buy.
Your shopping list
30 boards (about 10 packs) · 96 sq ft · 10% waste built in
- 1
Buy 30 8ft 1x6 shiplap boards (about 10 packs of 3)
- 2
Buy 1 box of 1.5-inch 18-gauge brad nails
- 3
Buy 2 tubes of Liquid Nails construction adhesive
30 boards needed with waste, and 10 packs of 3 covers it exactly. Always round up — a second trip costs more than a spare board.
What will it cost?
Pop in the shelf price. 30 boards (about 10 packs of 3) at the store.
- Shiplap boards30 × $12.98 each
$389.40
- Brad nails1 box × $9.98
$9.98
- Construction adhesive2 tubes × $6.48
$12.96
Project total
Fixings: $22.94 · $4.30 per sq ft
$412.34
Excludes paint, caulk, primer and tools. Prices are estimates you can edit above.
Accent walls are a different job to a whole room
You only get one wall, so the details show. Plan for them before you buy.
- 1
Measure wall to wall, floor to ceiling
Take three heights — left edge, centre, right edge — and use the tallest. Accent walls follow old framing and are rarely the same height across 12 ft.
- 2
Find the TV bracket spot first
Decide where the bracket goes, then add solid blocking between studs at that height. Adding blocking after the boards are up means drilling through your new wall.
- 3
Plan the outlets
Cutouts are the one thing a calculator cannot do for you. Drop the outlet cover, mark the box on the board, and cut 1/8 in wide — you can always caulk a small gap, not a big one.
What actually makes an accent wall look expensive
None of it is in the board count, all of it is in the last 10% of the job.
- Take the baseboard and any trim off before the first board. Reinstall on top of the shiplap for a built-in look.
- Run the boards right up to the ceiling. A 1 in gap at the top reads as unfinished, not as a design choice.
- Paint the wall behind the boards a dark version of the board colour. Any shadow gap then looks intentional.
- Stagger the end joints by at least 16 in between rows — lined-up joints are the fastest way to spot a DIY wall.
- Caulk the ceiling line with paintable caulk, not silicone. Silicone will not take paint and it will drive you mad.
Questions people actually ask
Accent wall questions, including the one about hanging a 65-inch TV on 5/8 in boards.
How many boards for a TV accent wall?
A 12 ft by 8 ft accent wall in 1x6 shiplap comes out at 18 rows and 30 boards including 10% waste. If your wall stops at a chair rail instead of the ceiling, measure to the rail — you will buy noticeably less.
Can I hang a TV on a shiplap wall?
Yes, but do not trust the shiplap. Run a 2x6 or a piece of 3/4 in plywood between studs where the bracket goes, then fix through the boards into that blocking. A TV bracket pulls out, not down, so the boards alone are not enough.
Should the boards run behind the TV horizontally or vertically?
Horizontal is the classic look and it is what this calculator covers. Vertical boards make a small room feel taller, but they need more cuts and often a furring layer. If you go vertical, still measure length and height and treat the board width as your row width.
Do I need to remove baseboard before installing shiplap?
Yes, and the outlet covers too. Pull the baseboard, fit the boards down to the floor, then reinstall the baseboard on top. That is how you get a clean line instead of a caulk-and-hope edge.
What if my accent wall has a fireplace or a window?
Add the total window and door area in the advanced options and the board count adjusts. Fireplaces are harder: measure the wall as one rectangle, then subtract the fireplace face. Always round up — a fireplace wall has more cuts than a plain one.