How to install board and batten around obstacles

I want to install board and batten in my bedroom but I have an obstacle in the form of an access door to the plumbing in my bathtub that's in the way and I'm not sure how to work around this. Any ideas?

Here's what I'd like to do:

This is the design I'm going for

And this is the door that's on a very small 3"1" wall.

 

You would just install down to the framing that goes around the door, there really is no other option.

 

Your inspiration photo is showing what is called "picture frame molding" not board-and-batten. Typically a frame to match the other walls as much as possible would be installed above the small door. For example if the adjacent wall has a frame that is 12 inches down from the ceiling and 36 inches up from the floor, your molding at the door would start at 12 inches down and end about 6 or 8 inches above the door or at the same as the bottom of the matching frame on the adjacent wall.
If there is room for a full frame above the door, make a smaller one below that and above the door frame to match the bottom frame on adjacent wall (again ending the small bottom frame above the door at the same distance as between the frames).

In all cases the width of the frame above the door should be the same as the outside dimension of the door frame.

Think of the door frame as just another "panel" of picture frame (except that it goes all the way to the floor.)

 

Thank you for telling me the correct term. All of the tutorials I found online are calling it either board and batten or wainscoting. What is the difference between each of the three?

I was thinking I'd use 1x3's for the boxes/frames. Would this be the correct size?

 

Usually an internet search for each will show examples.

Picture frame uses molding.

Picture frame

Wainscoting is at the lower part of a wall.


It can be beadboard or


picture framed or


uses boards like 1X3s to frame the "panels" (Mission style or American flat panel).

Board & batten is wide boards mounted vertically with thinner boards (1.5 to 3 inches) covering the seams.


Board & Batten wall

 

If the example picture is what you want then doing that shot wall to match will take some figuring.
Also if this is an access door that is seldom or ever used then you may want to hide it in a false panel that is held in by a couple small screws.
Rge current framing / trim and door need to be removed back to the plaster
This would involve matching in the baseboard and your picture frame.
More work but it can be done so it is almost invisible.

Also usually on picture framing moldings are use to give a fancier finished look but it is up to what you like.
Personnaly I like simple clean line but I would get some material and lay it out on the floor to see if it is the seffect you want.

 

How you do it really depends on the style you are after. As mentioned, the photo you posted is not called "board and batten". It looks more like a panel molding was applied to a flat wall to give the "appearance" of wainscoting. Like poor man's wainscoting.

Richer wainscoting will actually be frames overlaid onto the wall to give you more depth between the rails / stiles and the recessed panels + panel moulding in the centers.

So *if* you wanted to completely hide your access panel, you would need to do the latter. You would completely remove your existing access panel and trim. You would add your frames onto the wall, dividing the spaces up however you like. You would then add 1/4" veneer plywood to the wall, in the center of those frames. Then you would trim the perimeters with a panel moulding.

So what would happen on the wall with your access panel, is that you'd make the center panel removable. It wouldn't be the same size it is now, it would likely be larger, to keep the frame (the rails and stiles) on that wall symetrical, and similar in appearance to all the other walls.

Instead of nailing the panel moulding to the frame perimeter like you would on all the other walls, for your access panel you would fasten it only to the 1/4" veneer plywood. And then using earth magnets, or roller catches, you would fix that panel into the frame so that it is removable. I've even worked on projects where the center panel is thick, built and hinged like a door with a magnetic push/latch but that's pretty complicated to do, and even harder to explain.

1x3 would be a little thin IMO. They are typically 4". Once panel moulding is applied its about 3 1/2" between mouldings. But the design is kind of up to you. But it looks like your house is built with the Craftsman style, so a more plain square design with less fancy mouldings would probably look better than a Colonial one.

 

Thank you everyone for your replies!

Okay, board and batten is not what I want to do. Now that I looked up picture frame mouldings, this is what I had in my mind. I will be getting rid of that horrid pink color and painting it a deep blue/green. The picture frames will be painted white. Something like this:

And forget the 1x3's I mentioned, I looked it up and read that either panel moulding or base cap mouldings work well for this. I too prefer clean lines so it won't be anything too ornate.

As for the access door, @manden mentioned removing it if I don't use it often (which I don't). How exactly would I hide it in a false panel? Do you mean I would essentially remove what's there now, and create a new opening that appears to be a picture frame? The only way I can think to do this would be to cut a piece of plywood to size, and install drywall on top of it, add hinges, paint it to match and then add a picture frame to it. Would this work?

@xsleeper said to add plywood to the centers of the picture frames but this is not what I want to do. I just want to add the frames alone but thanks for the idea.

 

You are partially correct
It is a short wall so first you have to figure out how to make your frames match.
Or do you just want a plain wall without a door
Hard to tell how this is put together just from the picture.
But you do not need a door you just need a panel to cover up the hole.
Then a couple small screws hold it in place and just remove the screws.
when you need access.
Could use smooth one side plywood.
So you cut a 45 on the upper piece or hide the seam under the upper frames lower molding so the only seam you can see is on the outside of that picture frame.
Then match the baseboard and attach that to the removable panel.
Then the panel slips in and you hold it in place with a couple screws at the bottom.
No need for screws higher up.
Hope I doid a decent job explaining

I did this at the cottage to get at my shower plumbing.
It is right beside and above the vanity top and no one has ever noticed it.
Used the 45 degree cut and the wall is wainscotting vertical T&G,

 

You can also just remove the door and patch the hole with drywall. Apply your panel moulding wherever you want.

If you ever need to get to the plumbing again, just bust it out. Drywall is cheap.

 

@manden what exactly do you mean by a 45 degree cut? Cut a bevel on the plywood? Sorry I'm just not understanding that part!

@XSleeper good point! I might do just that. Thanks!

 

Google scarf joint. That's what is meant by an overlapping 45 degree joint.

 

So you have a wall panel that goes from floor to ceiling.
You are making an upper panel (this is fixed) and a lower panel ( this is removable and hidden)
So you make a horizontal 45 degree cut across the wall pane where you want the top of the removable panel to be located.
Then the upper panel is fixed to the wall with the point of the 45 pointing down and away from the wall.
The lower panel then slip up and under the upper panel. It's 45 point is against the wall.
This holds the lower panel in so a couple screws down by the floor lock it in.
Hope this is a better description.

 

Thanks to XSleeper for cleaning up my post.

Adriane your Upvotes of manden's posts have moved them to the top of the thread due to a glitch in the site programming. If you remove the upvotes, the posts will appear in the correct order. The glitch is supposedly being worked on but in the meantime threads are becoming confusing.