How To Install Shiplap In A Bathroom

How To Install Shiplap In A Bathroom

Are you already tired of seeing wall after wall being covered with shiplap?  Brace yourself because here comes one more! :)

Truth is, since I first started planning this bathroom makeover, like two years ago, I knew that I wanted to have a featured shiplap wall in here. You can see a good amount of bathrooms I gathered inspiration from, when I shared this post right here.

It took me awhile and perhaps I'm one of the few that still likes this treatment. For me it works in small applications. I've only installed it in my office, above the bench, using thin plywood.
Here in the bathroom I already installed it on the ceiling, I love how it brings the eye all the way up the room. Those pine shiplap planks were installed to stay there, they were glued and double nailed to fight gravity and the test of time.

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For the wall... I installed the shiplap thinking on... Maybe, I'll get tired of it later one, so I know how to remove it.

And that's why I first installed the vanity, I didn't want the shiplap behind it.

So, in case you are one of the few, still interested in shiplap, here is how it went for me:

The materials and tools you'll need:

• Pac Trim 0.375 in. x 6.000 in. x 8 ft. Primed MDF Shiplap
• RYOBI Cordless 15-Gauge AirStrike Angled Nailer
• 2-1/2in. 15 Gauge Angled Brad Nails
• Stud Finder
• Level
• Liquid Nails
• Circular Saw
• Jig Saw
• Paint Supplies

Directions:

For the walls I used MDF material.  Even though it's not what I recommend for bathrooms for being a soft material that damages easily when water touches it, I used it because of the size being more what I needed for my space and because it's not going to be in direct contact with water.
I like that the planks come already primed and the finish is very smooth. It's a better finish, compare to the pine shiplap boards I used for the ceiling. I didn't sand these MDF boards and that's a big bonus.
The thickness of the planks I bought were half inch, but I can't find them any longer. Instead, they have the .375 inch that you see in the link below.

MARK THE STUD LOCATIONS

The first task is to find and mark the location of the studs on the wall.

I used a stud finder to find and mark the center of each stud. Then, using a level  I drew the lines all along each stud, you can also use a chalk line to mark these lines were the nails need to be driven.

Measure, Cut and Install the planks

Start at the bottom, and make sure that first plank is level.

For my application, the first area that I had to work with was the area behind the toilet. Having a few water pipes running behind that sheetrock made me extra careful on installing the shiplap boards there. Besides that, I also had to work around the molding profiles on the vanity.
So, in order to concentrate on the cuts and the fitting of each plank, I made what I call a dry-fit, cutting and installing the planks with tape on the wall.

The profiles of the vanity trim were transfered to the back of the planks to be cut with a jig saw. For the outlet, drill a hole so the jig saw blade can get in. The water pipe circle was easily done with a 1" hole saw.

Once all the set up looked good, I started the real installation.  I had to open again one of those holes on the wall to make sure I didn't hit any pipe!

Contrary to the ceiling installation where I drove the nails on the face of the planks, here on the wall I decided to do it on the little lip at the top of each plank. I didn't want to patch nail holes.

However, for the lower part of the plank to stay secure and in place, I added a fine line of liquid nails along side that lower lip, in order to attach it to the lower board.  If I had excess liquid nail on the crevice, I cleared it off with Q-tips.

The installation continued over the vanity, trimming the boards with a jig saw or circular saw.

My Ryobi cordless angled nailer equipped with 2-1/2 nails was again the tool for this job. Making sure those nails where hitting each stud right in the middle.

This room has a slanted ceiling, the area or the walls that go up beyond the 8', have a different stud layout than the one below the 8' mark.

Also, make sure those nails go below level, otherwise your next plank is not going to sit flat.

THE SLANTED WALL

There must be a few ways to find the angles for this kind of application, I used a ruler, a level, scrap pieces of material and I still don't know how I did it!

However, once you measure, cut and know that first angled cut fits like a dream, don't install it just yet!

Go first and lay it on the floor, bring the other planks that go above it and trace that same diagonal line onto those next boards until you can cover whatever wall is left.

THE LITTLE WALL

Shiplap was also installed onto this small - crooked wall.

And I payed close attention to that corner, where the only way to make those small planks to fit perfectly was by scribing them.

Scribing was an easy way to draw those crooked lines on the wall onto the planks, so each time I had a perfect fit in that corner.

As you see in the picture below, I used a pencil to transfer the profile line onto each piece.

I used my Ryobi miter saw to make the cuts and here again, I used brad nails on the top lip and liquid nails on the lower one. In some spots I even used wood shims because that wall was so uneven!

Before adding the wooden transition piece on that corner, I gave those MDF ends, two coats of primer and paint.

And this is how that corner looks now:

And this way, with the newly installed toilet.

THE DOOR WALL

Finally, the small wall where the entrance door is located, was also covered (or almost, as you see below) with shiplap. Though, the door got its trim first.

I started by installing that first plank that brought the first line above the vanity. Then, I continued all the way down, following the profile of the vanity. Once again, I didn't install any of those small pieces until they were all cut and fitted.

On my last post I explained how I closed the gap between the vanity and the wall.

CAULK & PAINT

All the corner gaps were filled with silicon caulk... Around the vanity and wall and ceiling corners. That's one job that Mr. RLC always helps me with. 👍

For the planks I used BM White Dove in a semi gloss finish. I should've painted the planks prior to installation as I did with the ceiling, but things got in the way and I didn't do it. So, I had to start by giving each and every gap two coats of paint with a small paint brush, waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next.

Then, the planks were painted with a roller. Oh, and I loved using aluminum foil as a pan liner. Two pieces of foil put together with painters tape. It stayed in place, didn't get damage and once finished no need to wash it! It was a better experience than using a plastic bag.

So, here are some final shots:

Oh, and can you believe this wall above the door is still missing the planks?! When I placed the order, I got confused thinking these were the same length as the ones I used on the ceiling (12-feet), but nope. these were only 8-feet.  So, the material was not enough to fill this entire wall and when I went to order some more they were out of stock.😞

I search high and low for them and found them on e-bay, ordered them and the following day got an email telling me they would arrive at least in 6 to 8 weeks.

Last week I logged on to Home Depot again to see if they were available, but I found the thinner version that I linked above. Well, I ordered those and cancelled the e-bay order. I don't think the difference of thickness in the planks it's gonna be that big of a problem up there.

As of right now, that shipment is in transit.

Anyway, I love it!  And I'll be happy to live with this amount of shiplap for a very loooong time!! ;)

So, just for fun, are you done with shiplap? Have you installed it in your home?

This is how the bathroom looks now:

The following are the links to the projects done in this bathroom:

• Bathroom Reveal
• Tiling the Shower
• From Bathtub to Walk-in Shower
• The fake window
• The Mirrors
• How to Install Real Shiplap
• The Vanity Area
• Under the Eaves Storage Shelves
• How to Plank a Ceiling - ShipLap Ceiling
• Floor-Level Shower Install
• The Lighting Plan
• Fixing Trouble Areas - Plumbing
• The Shower Extension
• Getting to the other side of the bathroom
• Bathroom Demo - Part 2
• Bathroom Demo - Part 1
• The master bathroom plan
• Vintage Modern Master Bathroom Mood Board

Here's how I easily change the look of the shower .

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How To Install Shiplap In A Bathroom

Source: https://www.remodelandolacasa.com/2018/09/wllshp.html

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