illustration by Amy Wike
Use a wood slat room divider to screen a reading nook or office, define the entry or layer a too-large living room. The wood slats separate space but allow light and views to pass through. Plus, it’s a surprisingly simple weekend DIY project, but with a big impact.
MEASURE
Take the height and width measurements for the room divider.
The project requires several vertical 2x4s for the “screen” (depending on how wide it is) and two 2×4 boards for the “frame” (that being the horizontal supports at the ceiling and floor).
For explanation purposes, we will use a size of 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide as an example. The vertical boards will be placed about every 6 inches, or equidistant from one another. This design could be tweaked to your taste, using different boards, spacing or finishes.
OPTION ONE
BUILD THE WALL AS A STANDALONE UNIT
Note: This method depends on finished dimensions—make sure it will fit through a door if being transported after construction!
Cut the wood to size: To ascertain the correct height of the vertical slats, take the full-height measurement of the wall, and subtract the thickness of the top and bottom frame piece, plus some extra allowance to maneuver the slats into place. So, if our full-height wall is 8 feet, or 96 inches tall, subtract 3 inches for the top and bottom 2x4s, as well as a ⅛-inch allowance. The final height for each vertical slat in this example would be 92⅞ inches.
The floor and ceiling supports will be cut to 6 feet. Mark a line with a pencil at every 6 inches on each board.
Construct the frame: Lay the 6-foot bottom frame piece on edge, line up the first slat so that it is flush with the end, and attach using 2-inch screws through the bottom, making sure to predrill any holes first. Continue with all of the slats, and then finish with the top board, always making sure the vertical boards line up with the pencil marks and frame edges.
Finish: Fill any holes, sand the wood and finish to the desired look, using paint or stain.
Install: Slide the wall into place, and attach it to the floor and ceiling using the appropriate hardware for your wall and floor construction.
OPTION TWO
INSTALL THE WALL IN PLACE
Note: This method allows each vertical slat to be cut to size, which is ideal for older homes that aren’t square.
Construct the frame: Start by building the outer edges of the frame, beginning with the floor board, then the wall board (attached to studs preferably), then the ceiling board, and outer edge board. Cut the vertical slats to size, and attach using pocket screws at top and bottom.
Finish: Fill any holes, sand and finish to the desired look, using paint or stain.
