Installing Shiplap over Drywall

Due to the craze now days over shiplap walls, we thought it would only be fitting to do a quick little how to on installing shiplap.

Installing shiplap is not at all complicated if you know the basic steps and have the proper tools. Follow along as we go through the process of installing a shiplap wall!

I would say the most important step is finding the stud location. Even with a stud finder it can be a little complicated to locate the exact center of the stud. A suggestion, since you are covering the wall anyway, take a drywall keyhole saw and cut small horizontal cuts on both sides of the studs to make sure you can find exact center. Otherwise find the center of the stud with a stud finder. WARNING- Be mindful of electric wires, pipes or ductwork that may be behind the walls where you are cutting or shooting nails. The last thing anyone wants is to hit a water pipe and ruin the excitement of their new shiplap walls. I recommend finding the center of each stud at the bottom of the wall and again at the top of the wall. Once studs are found, take a straight edge and pencil mark vertical lines of center of the studs from top to bottom of wall.

Cut the boards to the appropriate length and start stacking them from the bottom. Generally you will want the groove side of the tongue and groove to be on the bottom touching the floor. There are many different fastening systems that you can use to attach your shiplap. Battery powered nail guns or pneumatic systems work fastest but if you dont mind taking the time you can always use finish nails and a hammer. If you do not have these mentioned power tools, you can always rent them from your local tool rental location at a reasonable cost. I would use a minimum of 2 inch nails if your shiplap is 3/4 thickness. I will link the tools I used in this tutorial below.

All wood is going to be crooked to some degree, there is no such thing as a perfectly straight tree! It is important to continually work from the same side, for instance if you start out at the bottom measuring from the left side, you will want to continue to measure from the left side on the entire wall all the way up. Line up all boards from the same side making them straight or plumb. This approach will allow all of the inconsistencies to be on one side and you can simply put a small trim piece to hide the variances.

You may have to rip the last board at the top in order to get it to fit. The best tool for this would be a table saw but if you take your time and clamp a straight edge to your piece needing cut, it can be accomplished using a circular saw. Also, if you talk to the friendly folks at your local lumber yard, many times they will cut your boards to the size needed.

Finally, apply the paint or stain you chose and set back to enjoy!

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Check out our other videos:
Drywall Nail Pops in Wall.

How to fix Nail Pops in a Texture Ceiling.

Here is a list of materials and tools used in the example.