Shiplap is a great way to add clean lines and some subtle (or not-so-subtle) texture to a wall or ceiling. For the cleanest look, use boards that are long enough to span the entire distance of the wall you are installing on. However, this isn’t always possible. If you have to have seams in the shiplap, how do you stagger shiplap for a cleaner professional look? Avoid these common mistakes when installing shiplap. (Psst… you should also avoid these tips when laying vinyl flooring, hard wood flooring, etc.) Also check out my other posts on installing shiplap as an accent wall, installing shiplap on a ceiling, and installing vinyl flooring.
Avoid “H” Shapes
When laying the boards, make sure that the seams are ALSO staggered every other row. If the seam lands in the same place as 2 rows previous, you will end up with a “H” shape. This is a great way to ruin the appearance of your wall/ceiling.
HOW TO AVOID – separate repeating rows by at least 2-3 rows. You can always repeat the staggered design, just make sure there is at least 2-3 rows in between the seams lining up.
Avoid the staircase look
This “staircase” look happens when you always use the piece cut from the end of the previous row. The worst part: you won’t notice the staircase design until you are about 3-4 rows in. While this is tempting because you think you’re saving material, the final look won’t look uniform across the area, and frankly, just looks bad. When you purchase your shiplap material, it’s best to purchase 10% more than the square footage you measured for, as even the best planned project will still have a small amount of waste.
HOW TO AVOID – If you only have a piece from the end of a previous row, set it aside. To start the next row, cut a new board in half or in thirds. Use this to start the next row, instead of using the smaller piece cut from the end of the previous row.
Avoid short end pieces
Having end pieces that are really short can ruin the flow of the design from one side to the next. Again, this just looks bad, and while its tempting to use every piece possible to save on material costs, this tiny end piece will stick out like a sore thumb. As a general rule of thumb, end pieces should be no less than 1/4 to 1/6 of the total length of a board (depending on the total length of the board). Just don’t use the really small pieces, scrap these. Again, when buying materials, buy 10% more than the amount of square footage you measured to allow for small amounts of material waste.
HOW TO AVOID – If you get to the end of a row, and the end piece will be too small, remove the row, cut a couple feet off the first board of the row, and then relay the row. A good rule of thumb is to avoid an end piece less than 1/4 to 1/6 of the total board length (depending on the total length of the board). If it happens on the first row – cut the FIRST board down by a couple feet
Follow these tips to avoid common mistakes, and get a better look when staggering shiplap. Again, it’s ok to repeat a pattern when staggering shiplap, just make sure there is 2-3 rows between a repeated pattern. The above picture has 4 rows that are repeated. When finished, this shiplap design would look continuous and staggered appropriately.
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Happy DIY’ing!
