Absolute marks and a field measurement record
Board & Batten Calculation Report
Use a labeled drawing and piece list to mark the wall, then record what you remeasured on site. Prepare your own project’s printout in the calculator so the selected layout, measurements, and materials stay together.
Before you mark
Start with the right wall, the right zero, and the current plan.
Match the wall label and measured boundaries to the printed drawing. Check the actual batten face and finished stopping points, then pull each absolute mark from the same wall-left zero. Keep a changed measurement distinct from a local fitting note: one requires recalculation, while the other belongs beside the affected piece.
Worked layout
Read a full-height Board & Batten plan
Example measurements
- Wall width
- 120 in
- Batten face
- 2½ in
- Finished batten length
- 96 in
Layout result
- Layout height
- 8 ft
- Battens
- 7
- Clear gap
- ≈1 ft 5 1/16 in
Prepare your project
Use the selected plans to create one printout.
- Open the worked example with your measurements, or continue a saved project. Confirm which alternative is selected for each part of the project.
- Finish the wall and opening measurements, review the installed pieces, and assign actual material profiles. Keep existing pieces and spare material separate from new installed demand.
- Choose Export → Print / Save PDF in the workbench. The prepared project output includes the selected plans, measurement references, drawings, marks, piece lists, and applicable material or field-check notes.
- Select US Letter or A4 in the output preview. Check the project name, input revision, units, and unresolved conditions before printing. Prepare a new output after changing the design.
The same Export menu provides a piece CSV and the complete project file. Use the project file to keep an editable backup; a printed worksheet records the version you take to the wall.
What to record during the second measuring pass
Write the date, wall label, planned dimension, actual reading, and resulting action on your printout or separate site sheet. Use this checklist once for each wall. A second set of numbers without references cannot explain which edge was measured.
| Check | Record on site | What to do with a difference |
|---|---|---|
| Wall and zero | Wall label, left stop, and lower boundary | Identify the same physical reference used by the drawing before transferring any mark. |
| Wall width | Readings near the lower and upper batten stops | Update the measured layout if the controlling span changed; record taper as a fitting condition. |
| Batten face | Actual visible face of the selected stock | A different face changes the clear gaps and all later positions. Recalculate before marking. |
| Vertical stops | Top and bottom stop for each full or interrupted piece | Distinguish batten length from a complete assembly that includes rails or baseboard. |
| Opening boundary | Outside casing position, width, height, and separate clearance | Relocate the opening in the plan when the finish changes; inspect notched and short pieces again. |
| Control marks | First, middle, last, and opening-adjacent positions | Measure from wall zero each time. Do not hide a mismatch by moving only the last batten. |
| Material and fit | Profile, usable stock, end detail, and dry-fit observation | Resolve stock conflicts or local fitting before using a repeated cut length. |
Keep window pieces and wall returns identifiable
An opening can turn one batten line into separate upper and lower pieces, or leave a connected notched shape where it crosses only part of the face. The theoretical batten count is therefore not always the installed-piece count. Match every surviving piece to its wall and opening before grouping cuts of equal length.
A return wall starts from its own zero. Do not carry the first wall’s tape coordinate around a corner, or assume two corner battens are one shared physical piece. Check the actual corner construction and each wall’s first and last marks.
Open the window and return-wall example →Distinguish a layout change from a stock or fitting decision
A changed wall width, batten face, or casing boundary changes the calculated layout. Correct those inputs and prepare new marks. A bowed surface, tapered end, or difficult fastening location needs a specific fitting or installation decision rather than an unexplained change to every gap.
Check the longest required piece against usable stock after kerf and end trimming. Confirm the material profile, spare allowance, and any existing pieces. A total length alone cannot show that a long piece fits, and an unresolved seam cannot be treated as an approved cut.
Calculation Methods explains the spacing relationship. The opening guide helps choose continuous alignment or independently centered sections. Neither a software check nor this worksheet inspects the physical wall or selects backing, fasteners, or utility work.
Calculation report questions
Where do I print my own project?
Open it in the calculator or continue it from My Plans, select the alternatives you intend to build, and choose Export → Print / Save PDF. The prepared output captures the selected plans together.
Does this public page save my site notes?
No. Use the field checklist to annotate your printout or a separate site record. This page does not store worksheet entries or restore a personal report from its URL.
Does a valid calculation approve the installation?
No. It describes the entered geometry. Real dimensions, wall condition, hidden services, backing, fastening, and product requirements need on-site checks.
What happens when I edit the plan after preparing output?
The prepared output is a captured version. Close it and prepare a fresh output after changes; compare the printed input revision so earlier sheets are not mixed with the new plan.