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Batten wall run

Bedroom back wall + kids bath · one Home Depot trip

Buy this

List covers both walls. 9 of the 1x4x8s lets the bedroom go 54″ and still leaves the bath. If the bedroom stays 40″, 8 is enough. Pine if you want it to take dings. MDF if you want cheaper and smoother.

Bedroom

13′1″ wide (unless a tight tape says 13′2″) · keep the 5″ base · 10 of 1x4

40″ tallBattens 30 3/4″
54″ tallBattens 44 3/4″
13′1″Gap ~13 9/16″
13′2″Gap ~13 11/16″

Nail both corner 1x4s first, measure what’s left, divide by 9, cut a scrap spacer. Don’t trust a guessed gap.

Bedroom elevation: 10 battens on a 13-foot wall

Kids bath

41″ wide · 40″ tall · 4 of 1x4 · 3 hooks

4 battens3.5″ each, corners first
9″ gapsExact. One bay per kid
Battens 30 3/4″If the base is ~5″ like the bedroom
Hooks ~36″On the rail, centered in each bay

41″ is a clean number: four 1x4s leave three 9″ bays. One hook in each, screwed into the 1x4 rail (not just drywall). About 36″ off the floor is preschool height. If the youngest can’t quite reach, leave the hooks and add a stool for now. Measure the bath baseboard. If it’s not ~5″, batten length is 40″ minus base minus 4.25″ (rail + cap).

Bath elevation: 41-inch wall, 4 battens, 9-inch gaps, 3 hooks on the rail

Install

  1. Snap a level line at the cap height (bedroom 40″ or 54″, bath 40″).
  2. Cut battens. Glue + nail the two corners first, then walk across with the spacer.
  3. Sit battens on the existing baseboard.
  4. 1x4 rail on top of the battens. Bedroom rail is spliced; put the joint over a batten. Bath rail is one 41″ piece.
  5. 1x2 cap on the rail, hanging forward a bit as a ledge.
  6. Bath only: center a hook in each 9″ bay and screw it into the rail.
  7. Caulk seams, fill nails, BIN the cut ends, paint wall color.

Bedroom outlet

4.25″ from one corner. If that’s to the plate edge, you’re fine (~3/4″ reveal). Don’t cover the plate. Pop it to paint. If 4.25″ is to the center, rip that one corner board to ~2.5″.

Already at home?

Level, stud finder, miter or circular saw. No brad nailer? Rent one in the tool aisle.