If you love the look of barn wood, installing reclaimed wood to an accent wall will add so much rustic charm and character to your home! Reclaimed wood that is naturally aged and weathered offers such beauty in the variations of color and unique details, like nail holes and knotholes.

You may be wondering how to correctly measure your wall space to ensure you purchase the correct amount of wood. Don’t worry! We are here to help.

Below, we will walk you through everything you need to do to measure for your reclaimed wood wall and how to calculate square footage of the wall.

How to calculate square footage of wall:

To find the amount of wood you will need for your wall, you will need to first accurately measure the square footage of your wall space. Here are the step by step instructions to do just that.

1. Carefully measure the length and width of your wall in inches and write down the exact measurements.
2. Next, multiple the length (in inches) times width (in inches). Example: A 12 ft x 7 ft wall would be 144 inches x 84 inches = 12,096 sq inches.
3. Now divide by 144 to get the total square feet of your wall. Example: 12,096 sq inches / 144 = 84 sq feet of wall space.

How much wood do I need to buy for my reclaimed wood wall?

We always recommend purchasing a little bit more than you’re expecting to need so you don’t come up short. Coming up short will cost you more time and money in the long run and create delays in finishing your reclaimed wood wall. Here is how you determine the actual amount of wood you should order upfront.

1. We recommend adding 5% to your total to ensure you have enough wood for your accent wall.
2. Add both totals together.
3. Now round up to the nearest foot and you will have your recommended square footage of wood to purchase.

What if my wall has a door or window in it?

A wall with a door or window in it may require less wood. To factor this into the amount of wood you need to buy, calculate the space of the door or window that does not need to be covered in reclaimed wood by using the same steps as above. Now subtract that total from the total square footage of the entire wall.

What about leftover material?

If you use the calculations above you should have very little material leftover, even with the additional 5%. There may be some little pieces left than will be unusable, but by using the smaller pieces wisely you will have very left waste. For example, if you have a 60-inch board and cut it down to 48 inches, you will have a 12-inch piece of leftover. Instead of wasting that 12-inch piece, utilize it by placing it at the beginning or end or a row. This will greatly reduce the amount of wood you waste. If you do have extra wood left over, there are a lot of DIY projects you can do with your scraps! You can use them to frame a mirror or build a spice rack.

Also, keep in mind smaller jobs tend to have more edges, starts, and stops so you may have more cuts. Consider the cuts carefully as smaller jobs also mean you will have less wood, in general, to choose from.

Do you have any additional tips to help me in this process?

• Please be sure you write down your measurements exactly. Writing down 8 feet inside of 8 feet 4 inches will make a difference in your calculations and cause you to come up short.
• Remember that coming up short and ordering less wood than you need will be cheaper upfront but end up costing you more in the long run. It’s much better to order the correct amount of wood (including the 5% extra) right from the beginning.
• Expect to get the square footage you ordered. We do not put extra material in the box to allow for waste.

Also, remember that naturally aged and weathered wood contains so much variety. Embrace these variations for the beauty they contain and the authenticity they bring to your reclaimed wood wall. When the planks are placed next to each other to cover your accent wall, it is these variations

that will give the room the appeal or real barn wood look.

Still, need help? If you have questions or encounter any problems calculating your measurements, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you and want to make sure you get the beautiful accent wall you are dreaming about!

Written by: Heather.Becker