How to Build Board and Batten Shutters
Yesterday, I shared the Lowe’s Exterior Makeover Reveal with you, and today I wanted to show you how we made the board and batten shutters.
We had the most amazing team of Lowe’s volunteers to help with the makeover!
They helped us build, sand, and stain the board and batten shutters for Grant and Beth’s house.
Steve, the assistant manager, was helping us make the shutters, and I put him on the spot and asked him if I could video him making one of the shutters.
Without any practice at all, Steve whipped out this 3 minute video tutorial with complete perfection! He nailed it in one take!
As soon as he finished, all of the volunteers erupted in applause! It was so fun! I told Steve he was giving Mike Holmes a run for his money and that he was better than most guys on HGTV!
You are going to love this video tutorial! Steve does such a great job! :) Please give him mad props because he deserves it.
Here is our supply list:
- 1×6 poplar boards
- 1×4 poplar boards
- compound miter saw
- wood glue
- nail gun and nails (1 1/4″, 18 gauge finish nails)
- tape measure
- sanding sponges
- stain (We used MinWax Dark Walnut.)
- rubber gloves and cloths for staining
- paint sticks to use as spacers between boards
Love this post! I’ve been wanting to make my own to look exactly like these but didn’t know how I would do it to look that perfect! My only question is what is the best way to attach them to the house? Thanks so much for the post!
Why is he glueing the wood as well as nailing it? How do I determine the crown side of the wood?
Love these! Thanks for sharing! I have pinned as a possible later project on our little cabin in the woods.
Blessing to your day!
Any suggestions on how to attach these shutters to Hard Plank siding?
I like the way the shutters + window box are made from the same material. It’s important to repeat design elements, don’t you think? We’re trying to do the same in our white kitchen’s wood island. ;-)
Fantastic video. He knows what he is doing, that’s for sure. Thanks!
So how can the Battons be 16 3/4 if the boards are 6” each and 3 across? That would make the Battons 6×3 =18, and so probably he meant to say 18 3/4 for the Battons? Or am I missing something? We’re trying to make and I am stumped on this part.
I can’t wait to be able to have new windows put in. After this video, I think that I may now want to put these shutters and window flower box on also. I love this idea. : )
Where did you get the window flower boxes that match the shutters?
How did you attach them to the brick?
Did you ever figure out how to attach to brick?
We predrilled holes in the brick and used masonry screws to attach the shutters to the brick.
Where did you place the screws on the shutters?
Through the horizontal boards.
So how do you mark where your predrilled holes are and all? We really need a tutorial on this part! 😬
How do you attach to siding?
You just use exterior screws. :)
I am wondering the same.
It’s teamwork! And that’s what friends are for. Thanks for your explanation on the video. I will take a risk to do it with my husband later.
have the poplar boards warped at all after they’ve seen weather?
Hi there, I really love the idea of using window boxes to the window. That’s one things that I will be doing in my next revamp. But how long should the screws be? I dont know if some 3 inch nails will be able to pin the box strongly, Any thoughts on this?
Cindy
Very nice shutters! We are thinking about building board and batten shutters for our house. I have a question, have you noticed the poplar ‘greening’? I’ve heard that when you stain poplar the wood tends to take on a green hue after some time, but I’ve never tested the theory…
Pretty! How did you attach the shutters to the house?
Hi I also was wondering how you attach them to your house?? Thank you!
In an above comment, she said they predrilled the holes and used masonry screws.
Do you remember what color stain was used?
It says Minwax dark walnut in the supply list
Board and Batten shutters are the last thing we have to make and install for our exterior makeover project. We have stalled ONE YEAR trying to figure out what wood to use and how to do this. This video is a blessing and to watch him whip a shutter out in minutes is AMAZING! What took us so long? I guess it was waiting on this video to assure us we can do this and FINISH!
Thank you SO much! We really needed this video and we appreciate you!
Thanks so much for this post, I plan to make a set of these for my living room. Watching this video really helped me. I learned a few things I didn’t know.
Would the lumber used here need to be treated so they wont rot later on?
I have a question that’s been bothering me. My husband has well, “collected” a lot of wood. Just regular wood. As far as I know, it’s not treated or anything. We have some in our barn and his grandma’s barn. I am DYING to do stuff like this with it, but he keeps telling me it’s not the right wood. I would LOVE to make these shutters, a porch swing, etc for outside. Why can’t I use it? Or can I? We don’t have a lot of money, so it would be great to be able to do updates like this for free with wood we already have!
By the way, those shutters look great!!
Thanks!
What color paint is on the house?
Dove White by Benjamin Moore
Dove White?!?
I’ve been remodeling the exterior of my house by myself for the past 6 weeks and have been following the Lowes makeover to a T.
I spent $1,000 on Valspar Reserve Exterior paint in Balanced Beige because that’s what you said was used in the original post for this makeover. Pllleeeaaassseee tell me it’s balanced beige and not dove white 😭😭😭😭😭😭
No! You are right! I am so sorry. We built the same board and batten shutters for our own house that we painted in DOVE WHITE. When I replied to your comment in my blog dashboard, it just shows the title and not the actual post, so I thought you were asking about the paint on my house. If I said Balanced Beige in the other exterior makeover, then that is what is was. But the homeowner did have it lightened a little. I need to go look up that older post. :)
How did you attach them to the brick?
We just predrilled a hold in the brick and used masonry screws to attach them to the brick. Thanks!
So the three vertical long boards are not attached to one another before attaching the short horizontal boards to them? Or did they do that part before the video? Just was confused as to if the three boards stay together soley because the batten boards get nailed across them. Any info would be appreciated!
No. The horizontal board is what holds the three vertical boards together. Thanks!
How did you hide the screws that embeds the panels to the wall?
The shutters are gorgeous and look so easy to make. How do you attach them to wood siding? Wouldn’t screws let water into the walls?
Do the shutters have to be sealed after they are stained so they don’t lose color in the weather?
We did not seal our shutters, but you can. It would help them last longer.
Isn’t the stain you list an interior stain? How does this weather outside?
How is the popular wood lasting? I am getting ready to build shutter but am debating what type of wood I should use. TIA!
My husband and I loved the remodel and are trying to replicate the shutters on our house. We’ve got them made but trying to figure out how to attach them.
Once you predrilled the holes in the mortar how did you line them up with the shutter? Also, what type of screws were used to attach them to the house and how did you mask them from being seen, as I assume they were screwed into the horizontal board?
I just wanted you to know I am making the same shutters. The video is so helpful. I do have a question do you screw the boards together or just the Badden?
This is my next project for my house. But I am not exactly sure about attaching the shutters to the exterior brick. Is there a more simple way than drilling holes into the mortar
Not that I know of. They need to be secured well so they don’t fall off easily.
This stain is a interior how will it do outside?
It has held up fine. I just visited their home a few weeks ago (3 years later) and they still look great. You could add a coat of polyurethane on the shutters if you wanted to help the stain last longer.
Urethane can be used as an exterior and interior seal for wood. Exterior varnish can also be used to seal exterior wood. Polyurethane is used to seal interior wood.
I’m interested in the window/flower boxes that seem to match the shutters as well. Is there a tutorial for that somewhere?