Pinterest Wood Pallet Project - Here is the finished product. Looks even better in person!
Welcome to part 2 of my Pinterest wood pallet project. As you can see from the shot above, I finished it!
In part one I showed you how to find, transport and prep the wood pallet boards. Now it's time to install them on the wall.
Well, almost time. First we need to prep the wall. I know, you're anxious to just nail them up there. Trust me. You don't want to miss this step.
Pinterest Wood Pallet Project - Wall Prep
Wall, painted dark brown. You can see where the gap between the boards would be.
You need to paint the wall a dark color before you nail up the wood pallet boards.
Yes, most of the paint will be covered by the boards but these are not perfectly cut boards. The wall is going to show through wherever a board has a hole or a notch.
I painted my wall a dark chocolate brown. I happened to have this color left-over from the trim of the basement bathroom.
You could also use a complimentary color. Here's one pinterest shot where they are using baby blue.
About the only color you don't want is white. No… You can't skip… it will look stupid and amateur. It only takes a few minutes -- PAINT FIRST!
Board Selection for Wood Pallet Wall
Looks completely random right? Well, it's actually modified random.
I wanted the placement of the boards to look completely random - not as easy to achieve as you might think.
You would have to find and prep a lot of wood pallet boards to get any significant uniformity in your wall. It's totally cool if that's what you're going for, just realize it will take awhile.
I actually prefer what I called "modified random". Put two or three pieces together of similar color. Then switch colors, then do two or three of completely different colors.
In the end you want the give the impression that 'you hadn't a care in world' when you built the wall. It just happened to turn out awesome.
Don’t worry about boards that are not perfect. Just put them up and scatter the really bad ones throughout. It adds character to the wall and again reinforces your "laisseze-fair" attitude.
Installation
When I saw the wood pallet wall photo on my Pinterest page I knew it was going to be harder than it looked. And so far, it has been.
But now the fun part is starting. We're ready to install the boards.
You can probably get away with a chop saw but I highly recommend setting up a table saw.
I know it can seem like a lot of tools but once you have the essentials, there's really no project you can't do.
Cut the wood to size and then nail it to the wall. I recommend a brad nailer. I did not use any glue.
Be sure to note where any electrical lines may be and avoid nailing in those areas, even though by code they should be a couple of inches back from the front of the stud.
Use a level on the first board you install, the rest of the boards will go off of the first one as their reference point. I started in the middle of the shortest wall.
It's your project, but I would not recommend installing the boards vertically, unless you're doing a knee-wall style treatment. Go horizontal.
Wood Pallet Wall - Trimming the Edges
I did not bother trying to miter the edges of two adjoining boards. I cut them as flush as possible and then added a pieces of 90 degree trim.
I think the trim really pulls the whole look together. It takes something that looks rustic and somewhat haphazard and adds sophistication and intent.
Don't skip on the trim.
Here you can see the trimmed edges. And Cameron, promising not touch the wet paint.
Staggering Board Seams
If you have a longer section of wall to cover be sure to stagger the seams so they look naturally un-uniform.
I also had to use the miter saw to do some angled cuts where the stair railing slopes down.
Pinterest Wood Pallet Project Timeline
If you devote fully to it, you can knock this project out in two weekends. Mine stretched into three but only because I skipped a couple of Sundays to watch baseball instead. Go Nationals!
Weekend 1:
Friday Night - Convince wife / husband that nailing garbage wood to your wall IS a good idea.
Saturday - Procure and prep the wood pallet boards.
Sunday - Realize you need more wood pallet boards and get some more.
( The project you see here took about 1 and 1/2 car loads of wood pallets. )
Weekend 2:
Friday night after work - Prep the wall (paint it a dark color) and the worksite (setup tools and saws and stuff)
Saturday - Cut and install the boards
Sunday - Install the trim and cleanup
Wood Pallet Wall - Looks Awesome
I still have a few more decorating finishes to add but all in all I love it!
The project really did cost zero dollars. Of course I already had the tools thanks to my basement finishing project.
I've already thought about where I'm going next. Definitely doing the dartboard back stop with a similar treatment and probably some sort of shelving unit.
Have you ever created something out of wood pallet wood?
Let me know what you built in the comments below.
Cheers - Jason
More Resources:
- Find more basement decorating ideas.
- Do you need books about how to finish your basement?
- Don't pay full retail price for tools. Get basement finishing tools for 40% off?
Love the post! Lots of details and pictures that people will really appreciate!
Cheers,
Trent
Trent - Thanks for checking out the post. Glad you liked it. - Jason
Awesome post! Great to know about the Heat treated wood vs. Chemically treated wood. I have a half wall that has a bad hole and I wasn't sure how to fix it... you have inspired me to go for it! Thankx ( also added to my dictionary)
and Happy New Year!!! Whoop! 2018!!!
Laura
Hi Jason,
I just came across your posts and wanted to thank you for them (I really appreciate your sense of humor, too)! I acquired about 50 old pallets recently via Craig's list. ; ) Free. My Union Carpenter brother scoffed when I suggested I might make things from them, but I am thrifty and who listens to their siblings anyway?
So...I bought myself a jigsaw and some blades, as it was cheaper than a sawzall (sp?) and my table saw is still 5 1/2 hours from here in my dad's shop. : (
I'm building some patio furniture first, and will go from there. Shelves, tables and a bar for my basement.
Thanks again!
Darci - You're welcome, it was my pleasure. My next wood pallet project is going to be a backstop for my dartboard in the basement which I still have not hung up! - Jason
hey Jason, wall looks great man! a few things (questions). First off thanks for the tip on part 1 about the chemically treated wood, didn't think about it, but it makes great sense.
So one question, did you sand the wood at all? i just started my project and i had to do a lot of sanding to not get a hand full of splinters. Also do you suggest using a nail gun / compressor, i intend on do pilot holes and just drive a nail with the hammer. Lastly, I have a lot of new wood and doesnt have the character or age to, did you do any light painting or staining at all?
hey man, any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Fernando - Great questions, I definitely need to do a follow up post on some of these but here are the quick and dirty answers.
1. I did not sand the wood at all. I did wear gloves while working with it, definitely splinter possibilities.
2. It's faster to use an air gun but of course much more expensive, you can certainly get away with manual nailing, pilot holes are a good idea as these split easily, screws might also work and be faster.
3. I know what you mean, the last two pallets I found I couldn't use because they where to new. I'm actually letting those sit outside to get some age on them, but to finish this project I had to drive around until I found some old ones. Staining new ones wouldn't be that hard, but I'm not sure how they would blend with the natural aged finished boards.
I did not do any painting or staining of any kind. I'm lazy like that.
Good luck - send me a picture when you're done!
Cheers - Jason
ps. I wish my name was Fernando. Awesome!
Hi Jason,
I enjoyed reading your article when I was researching some ideas for our basement project. Dont know when we will start though as we have a 10 month old daughter. I enjoyed the way your kids helped, especially Cameron! I really like the way you have given it in pics. Seems easy, but I am sure it was a lot of hard work.
Sunita
Sunita - Thanks for coming by. At ten months it's definitely hard to get projects started. But around 2 years and up the kids want to do everything that you're doing. Of course they can't actually hold a saw or a nail gun but they can just play outside while you're working on a project and tag around with you asking a zillion funny questions. -Jason
Love your wall. Thanks for sharing step by step! I have one brick wall in my family room right behind the old wood burning stove. The room has brick floors as well and everything is dark. So, I was thinking of nailing some pallet boards on the brick wall and leaving it blond-ish. What sort of equipment and nails/screws do you think I would need for this? Thanks much.
Jason,
Very, very cool !
When you nailed the boards up, did you have nail into studs or did you not worry about it ?
Again, very cool.
David B
Thanks David - I tried to hit at least one stud with a nail at the top and bottom of the board but for the rest of the nails I didn't worry about it. Feels really solid. - Jason
Hi
i have a question about one of you steps.
you said that you have to 'Procure and prep the wood pallet boards'
what does that involve?
thanks so much for your help with that
claire
Hello Claire - By procure I just mean go out and find some wood pallets and get them back to your house. You can fit about 5 or 6 in a mini-van, check around grocery stores, office parks etc, usually they're in or near the trash if they don't want them anymore.
For prep I mean dismantling the pallet into individual boards. Depending on what you plan to make this may or may not be necessary. I cut the end of the boards with a sawzall, then pried off the nails in the middle with a mini-crow bar.
For me the entire process to find, transport and prep 6 pallets was about 3 hours, once I had my technique down. For my wood pallet wall project, I need 10 wooden pallets.
Hope that helps - Jason
Hi Jason,
Thanks for sharing this! I do have a question, what did you do with the center where the original nails are? Did you take the nails out and leave the holes or fill them, or did you just cut the nails on the back leaving the nails in place?
Thanks again,
Rara
Rara - Yup, good question. I removed almost all of the nails. I did not fill the holes, looks better with without filling. On the few that broke off I left them in or if I couldn't pop them out then I bent them and nailed them flush in the wood. You hardly notice the nail holes, they just seem to add even more character. Good Luck! - Jason
"Random dude" Hilarious! I love that picture, having wooden furniture is so nice, I love light oak :-)
Thanks for the post
hi Jason your tutorial was awesome and very inspiring. we are doing the same in my basement, unfortunately the walls are cinder block, making a real challenge for me. BUT i thought i would attatch furring strips first , then attatch the boards to the strips. what do you think??
I think that's a great idea! Use some concrete nails to secure the furring strips to the cinder block, then install your pallet wood. It should actually add some really nice depth. Send me a picture, I'd love to share it on the Site/Pinterest/Facebook page! - Jason ( Jason@ifinishedmybasement.com )
Thank you so much for the post. I am so excited to get my project going. I have been looking all over then internet to find better details on how to do a project like this. Thanks for all the detail in the steps & the light chuckles while reading it. I am tackling this project this week!
No problem Melissa, email me some pictures of your finished wall / project. - Jason (jason@ifinishedmybasement.com)
Jason...did you have to build around plugs or switches? I see from the photo that your garage door opener run on top of the board.
Sean
Sean - Yes, I had the double light switch to deal with. I installed the wood around it, then killed the power, unscrewed the switches and re-installed them flush with the wood. Not too bad. - Jason
Hey Jason, did you do anything in terms of cleaning and/or staining the wood before mounting it? I have some pallets that are pretty dirty. I was trying to find a way to clean them up a bit. I had also thought of staining them to make them a bit darker. But I do want to keep that natural rustic, worn look. Any suggestions?
Hi Lianne - Nope. Nothing. I suppose it they had dirt or mud on them I'd hit it with a hose for a few seconds. Mine was a garage wall so I really wanted a natural rustic look. For an interior wall I'm also considering white washing or stain to give it some uniformity and style. I think that's a great idea.
Good luck - send me a picture when you're finishing so I can add it to this post.
Jason
LOL you are by far the funniest.......enjoyed this tremendously...I'm aware it was not written to be totally hilarious but it was.....I'm a widow tho for all my married life my husband and I were do it yourselfers...we worked good together...I recently became interested in using pallets for projects...so that is why i read your site...thanks for info and the laffs...
Your work looks great, great advice for those wanting to do this.My wife and i currently Remodeled our living room in tounge and groove barn wood, and it turned out awesome! we also put up deck boards in one bathroom and are now putting up pallet wood in our second bath. Thanks again!
I actually finished a similar project about a month ago for my fiance's revamped furniture shop. Turned out amazing. I really like the trim on your wall. Ties everything in for the clean vs. rustic feel.
I did want to add a tip that may or may not help to future reclaim-wall-diyerse. I used a 1/4" underlayment plywood across the entire wall in combination with a brad nailer. Since my wall is in a publicly visited shop I needed some structural reassurance that it would not budge. Home Depot sells these sheets for $14/sheet.
Enjoyed your post immensely!
Really well done. Yesterday my wife mentioned it while at Home Depot and we found some really great HT palets on the way home. Two things. I think the idea of the 1/4" plywood first secured to studs is a great method. The brads won't just be in drywall and this cheap pallet wood can warp bigtime. Second, rather than white trim I am going to cut "corner mold" on a 45 degree angle on the table saw and try that first. I will post a pic. I think that might look even better. Thanks for both posts!
Hi Scott - I also considered 45 degree angles but then I was like "whoa" that's a ton of work to do that for each board and may be tricky to lined up perfectly. You are probably much more skilled than I with the ole miter cuts though, definitely email a picture if it works out. - Jason
I've been reading all the comments after noticing the suggestion of painting the wall underneath. Is it necessary to have an underlayment? I'm going to be working from a space with just studs as of now.
I love this!!!! I am going toconvince my husband to dothis to our bathroom!!!! I think it will look fantastic!!!!!!!!! thank you so much and please keep posting your projects!!!!!! or email them to me!!!!!!
Trisha - He'll need some "extra" convincing once he realizes he has to take apart those pallets but after that the project is really fun. Take some pictures, I'd love to share them on the blog. - Jason
Walls looks awesome. Def planning on doing this in one of the rooms of my house not sure which one yet. I am actually starting a shed project tomorrow morning using only pallets excited to see how it turns out. thanks for the article.
Looks great!!! Thanks for the details and the honesty!! The heat treat vs chemical tip was great!
Looks good. Do you recall how thick the boards were?
Hey Neil - Yes, the boards were about a 1/2 inch thick.
Hi Jason, awesome tutorial; your wall looks beautiful.
I have a question re: ever having to remove the pallet wall. As someone who has actually finished their wall, how much damage do you think will be done to the drywall if the pallets ever have to be removed. Like, would patching the holes work? Or are we talking completely new drywall install.
Thank you!
Andrea
Hi Andrea - As long as you're using small brad finishing nails it should won't be any problem to patch up the holes. You would just need a bit of spackle and you're back to regular drywall. Besides, why would ever want to remove such an awesome wood pallet wall! - Jason
Jason: How large was your wall? You said you used 6 pallets. Right?
Hi Joyce. Hmmm... how large... I guess it was about 6 feet wide by about 8 feet tall. So 48 square feet.
Nice work Jason.
Did you worry about nailing into studs or use and special nails to hold into the drywall?
Jason,
Just getting started on putting pallets on our bathroom walls. Do you suggest that we put some sort of clear coat on them for the bathroom? Also, I am having a hard time deciding if I should put the pallets vertical or horizontal. Thanks for you help. Loved your pics and reading all you questions and answers. Thanks again.
Hi Pam - Oooohhh, I'm so jealous - I would love that look in my bathroom. I think you should be fine without adding a clear coat, unless they're literally lining the shower wall. Hmmmm vertical alignment seems really busy to me. When I think of vertically striped wall paper - it's usually one rather wide stripe from top to bottom. (I should know, I use to sell wallpaper). Since these pallets are too short and the widths are inconsistent - I would guess that would look disorganized, but in a bad way, not a good way.
Hope that helps - Jason
ps. Send me a picture of your project if you have a chance, I'd love to see it. jason@ifinishedmybasement.com
Love your post. We will be installing a similar wall in our new tiny house. Laughed through half of your story :)
Thanks Athena - Good luck with your wall and tiny house. I love those! - Jason
I love this wall! We are thinking of doing something similar living room and I'm wondering if you have a wider photo that can show how you addressed that thing vertical area at the end of the stair wall. We aren't really sure how to address a similar area on our wall. Thanks!
Hi Amy - I covered each one with one with one large vertical pallet board. I thought about a bunch of short horizontal pieces but because it's only about 6" wide it just looked weird. I'll try to take a picture of it when the tomorrow if the light is decent. Good luck on your project! - Jason
My husband and I are tackling our newest pallet project, the living room ceiling!, and came across your posts...informative, slightly terrifying and definitely inspiring...I just have one question...how the hell did you get a Lucky 12 sign from the OBX, Lol ?! Lived there for ten years, know the owners well, still don't have a sign :-)
What! I love, love Lucky12. My very large family gets together every 2 years. We stay at a house called The Blue Marlin, just south of Lucky 12. The night we arrive we order about 10 pizzas and then have a few drinks when go to pick them up.
The sign... I bought it! At the tavern!
- Jason
Hey Jason!
Just wanted to throw up a couple of tips that might help. A lot of pallet wood is cut off square and of varying thicknesses. It is a bit more work but the end result is much more refined.
1. Sort the pallet wood by width and then subsort by thickness.
2. Mill all of the wood so there are 3 to 4 standard widths to work with.
3. Pick your thinnest acceptable piece and measure it.
4. Send the squared pieces through a planner.
5. Pick out a combination poly/stain and paint all front facing and edges with it. Let it sit for 2 days.
Though this will add a good 3 to 4 hours to a single wall, you still get the rustic look with a much better presentation. We pressure wash them before we treat them with stain to remove bacteria etc. A simple bleach water mix is perfect for this. This techique gives you the ability to use a mix of weathered and new pallet wood. And as you probably already know the new stuff is easier to work with :)
Great tips! Thank you. I think I might try this technique on a large basement wall this spring. I've been itching for a reason to get a good planner. - Jason
This is an awesome (and hilarious) post! Thank you! How is this holding up a few years later? Planning on doing this in a few weeks in our bedroom. TIA!
Hi Jason!
So, I think I have a board on Pinterest called Pallet Wood Ideas and of course "the wall" is one of many projects we have decided to tackle...
We have this small room that had a window removed due to an addition we did on the house a few years back, and we had a piece of drywall up where the window once was, but had no intentions of finishing with taping/mudding, cuz that too is a pain in the butt, especially when it's not done correctly...so you can imagine how "lovely" this room looks, painted blue with a window pimped out in drywall, that nobody wanted to finish, talk about or deal with. Then I got the bright idea to make that wall the accent-wall via pallets;)
And as you know, a crap-ton of manual labor involved...who knew it took so long to take those dang things apart?!?! But after using hammer, crowbar, and other tools/methods that seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time, deemed us to say, For the love of all that is Holy... For REALS?!?! Ain't nobody got time for that!!! Out came the sawzall...
And the wall began...and it's definitely worth mentioning it began in a room that is in a house that is over 100 years old...unfortunately, NOT a room in the addition...and we knew this room was not square when we installed the flooring, BUT it's not noticeable; however, what IS noticeable is when you are putting up a pallet wall...what a frustrating road block, especially AFTER we have spent HOURS prepping and installing.
I wish I could post a picture here, but I'll have to send it to your email, but I'll ask the question here in case some other person "Googles" help-I've-screwed-up-my-pallet-wall-after-endless-hours-of-preparation-by-installing-it-in-an-uneven-room-which-we-knew-it-was-uneven-but-holy-crap-it's-REALLY-noticeable-now! Which I googled a much condensed version of that and came across your blog...
So, question: what does one do when they've spent a crap-ton of time prepping and installing a pallet wall, starting in the middle of the wall and working up, and once they got to the ceiling the discrepancy is Crazy Town obvious from one corner to the next, like I've-gotta-tear-this-wall-down-and-start-all-over, obvious? And the hubs is NOT going to be pleased, if we have to tear-down-that-wall, BUT I'm here to tell you, one can make a really cool idea go to $h!^ if it's not done right...so your insight would be very much appreciated!!!
Hola Kelly - Well, there's one thing all carpenters do with non-square walls or most of other mess-ups... TRIM. You can use trim to fix a lot of mistakes. You may even be able to use trim to trick the eye into thinking everything square as a box concerning your wall. I'd have to see a picture to know for sure, but a couple pieces of crown molding might save you hours of tearing down and rebuilding your wall. - Jason
Awesome!!! Thank you for getting back with me, I sent some pics to your email;)
Cool to see that this site is still getting hits and you're still commenting 3 years later! I just started getting into making stuff out of pallets since there is literally 3 tons of used pallets behind my work. I'm in the process of making myself a computer desk out of pallets. Few mistakes here and there but now I know how to correct it for future builds; and it's just for me anyways so I'm not super concerned. Anyways, to my point.... As I read through the comments I saw one about how to age newer boards. I have a trick (not my trick mind you, but something I read from another crafty gentleman's website). Take some steel wool and let it sit in white vinegar for a few days. It will start to rust. Then steep it with tea bags. Wipe it on the boards and it will age them! I have not tried this process yet but I plan on it. Exact measurements weren't posted but the materials are cheap enough for trial and error.
Love the post and thanks for sharing The Great Wall of Jason with us!
Great job! We just removed the old barn boards off our barn the other day and decided to re use them as a feature wall in our basement. No colour variation as they are about 100 years old. All grey! Wider than pallet boards, but I hadn't thought of using pallets and we have quite a few of them around. I'm not really a blog reader but in researching our project, I came across yours and enjoyed it. Thanks!
Thanks for posting this! I hope you still check this comment board because the only question I am left with is specifically how you nailed the boards to the wall. I am going to be affixing my boards over drywall. I am curious whether you only shot nails into the studs or if you feel like it is okay to just shoot them into the drywall without the nail having a stud to land in. Maybe you did it one way but in hindsight think another nailing method would work better? I would love to hear how you did it before I start my project!
Jason says
Alright, I did see you kind of already answered my question earlier...
August 28, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Thanks David – I tried to hit at least one stud with a nail at the top and bottom of the board but for the rest of the nails I didn’t worry about it. Feels really solid. – Jason
However, I would just ask if you could be really specific about how you recommend nailing the boards! I.e. How many nails in one board; where on the board; what did you mean by "top and bottom of the board"; etc!
Hi Alex - Yes, I'm still here! I used a brad nailer and shot 2.5" nails both into drywall and into the studs. I marked off the stud locations on the floor and steps (because you'll be painting over and you mark on the walls). A few in the drywall is fine but you'll want at least two in a stud to support the weight of the board. You could also you a caulk gun with some glue - something like liquid nails would work just fine. Good luck! - Jason
Thanks Jason! My plan was to snap a chalk line on the drywall where the studs are, then hit at least a couple studs per board. I have seen some folks pre-plywood the whole wall in order to save the drywall but that seemed like it was a crazy amount of unnecessary work. I am glad to hear you are still happy with simply shooting many of the nails straight into the drywall.
Getting ready to do my first wood pallet wall on our pool deck. Nervous and anxious. The surface is a thin metal sheet and behind it is hallow, so think we need to glue it down. Already have pallets, need to paint and collect more. Thanks for your post. Curious, did you clean or do any special painting, staining or sealing to the wood?
Hey Tricia - Nope. Nothing special. Just cut it and installed in on the wall. If you're wall is going to be exposed to the outside you might consider sealing it with a water sealer once you're done. Good luck! - Jason
Love your humor. I'm hoping I have a smile on my face after doing my pallet wall. You give me hope.
Hope is not a strategy... but it is absolutely necessary to get started. Stay with it, you'll love your new pallet wall! - Jason
What is your opinion of Liquid nails or some other glue to adhere the wood to existing sheet rock wall? Seems easier then nailing?
Yes, I think liquid nails would work well. Not as fun as a nail gun in my opinion but still effective. That's just my opinion, not having used it personally I can't 100% say that would work. If it was me, I'd glue up 1 or 2 two boards and let them sit for a week then test the strength. Good luck! - Jason
If you use PL Premium the glue will still stick even if the rest of the house falls down ;-)
Did you stain the boards? What if anything did you do to prepare the boards? Also, how did you cut the middle section of the boards away from the pallet? Thanks
Hi Amber - I'm so lazy... I didn't prep, stain, glaze or even sand the boards. What you see I what I saw as pulled them out of the trash. To remove the middle support from the pallet I had to use a mini crowbar to prior out the nails. For the ends, I just used my sawzall to cut them. - Jason
I'm using stain as we speak...hose down the pallets with vinegar and water - let dry. Using MINIWAX, some boards with Early American and some with Special Walnut. I also strapped the walls with 1x4's so that I can nail into something more than drywall; lasts longer... ;)
Great writeup....good info.
Hi Sheldon - Sounds like you've got a great wood pallet project going. Would you mind emailing me a few pictures? I'd love to do another post and your staining technique is something people would be interested in seeing. Thanks - Jason (jason@ifinishedmybasement.com)
So I've heard that vinegar accelerates the weathered look but how long do you have to let it set and does it help if you leave it in the sun?
I've heard that too but I'm never tried it. I left some boards out in the sun and they turned grey in about a month. - Jason
I use reciprocating saw on the center of the pallets also. Use a 12" metal flush blade, have a system down to dismantle a pallet in about 5 minutes. I build all types of tables an stands with pallet wood. My next one is living room wall an stumbled upon your site. Most of my pallets come from a tile an brick retailer, most are hardwood pallets. Love the red oak I find! Going for the herringbone look on my wall. Wish me luck on this one... thanks for the tips! >!<
What size nail gun and nails did you use?
Hi Vicki - I used a Rigid Angled 2.5" Finish nailer. My exact one isn't for sale anymore on Amazon but here is a similar version - and at a really good price actually.
I'm wanting to do a pallet wall but concerned about dust and spiderwebs. Now that you've had them for a while, is this a problem since your boards aren't flush with one another?
Haven't seen any problem like this. Cleaning occasionally is the key. Take a vacuum and just suck out anything that's collected between the wood pallet boards. - Jason
So Jason since you originally posted your project, there are tools you can buy called pallet busters that speed the process of separating the boards from a pallet. I ordered one from Amazon and just busted up a pallet in under 5 minutes and if you're careful very few of the boards get damaged. They're a little pricey but if you plan on doing multiple pallet projects these tools save a ton of time and save your back!
Here's the one I bought. Its the cheapest one I could find that was still very strong. You do have to supply the handle though. http://amzn.to/2e65HgP
Awesome! Definitely getting one!
Hello, Jason. Just read your two-part blog & enjoyed every word of it... including the taking of a cerveza breather!
Mine will be a mother-in-law project. She'd like one of her living room walls done in this mode. So far, I've located the pallets (Meeks), and all I have to do now is all the elbow grease! I'll attempt the crowbar route as I've had some luck in the past on a few pallets, but may default to your "patented" method if progress is too slow.
Thanks for all the good suggestions. Blessings to you & your family. You're sure welcome to visit ours!
Hi Norm - What a great family you have! My brother-in-law was also in a family band - Steve and Annie Chapman! Good luck on the wall! - Jason
Was definitely thinking of doing this as an accent wall in the basement bathroom. It will go along with the rustic (wood, metal, grays, whites, and "hi i live on a farm in the middle of a metropolitan city") kind of feel we're planning for the basement. I've seen some people paint the wall dark and then place furring strips over the studs to nail the pallets to. Wondering if you think that would be better than straight to the wall or if it really matters at all. As far as pallet projects, I've made a shelf that fit's in the corner of the living room with a couple shelves on it to store the dog's stuff. Even attached a copper cutout of a dachshund on the front of it (pallets+copper+dachshund = major points from the wife!)
I think you can nail it straight to the wall, but be sure to mark the studs first and nail to those - don't rely on just nailing the pallet wood into the drywall. And yes, definitely paint the wall a dark color first. - Jason
I will say HI TEN! Not five! Awesome work, and very helpful details which all needed for sure! Amazing hand work Jason =) you should be proud like we are in you! =) I wish you were my neighbor =/ thinking to start that project on one wall in our lounge room and would be so nice to have someone close by if you get stuck in a problem!
I AM your neighbor Faith, your "online" neighbor! Thank you. - Jason
Hi Jason,
I have seen on the internet where people will screw boards into the studs, almost like an exterior stud, and then nail the pallet boards into them. Do you think this is necessary? I figured it might make things easier if anything. Also, how did you move the outlet out? Would you recommend any sort of sanitizing/cleaning of the boards prior to use on an interior wall?
Awesome blog and website!
Love this - especially the Lucky 12 sign!
Will be attempting a pallet wall on a wall in our breezeway that has a window in the center of the wall. I am wondering if I should pull the trim around the window, run the pallet boards up to the window casing and then reapply the trim around the window back over the pallets or just leave the trim on around the window and run the pallet boards up to the trim? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the awesome post!
Hi Brittany - Is the current window trim white? I would probably remove the trim, run the boards to the edge of the window and then reapply the trim - covering any gaps. The white trim should really "POP" against the multi-colored pallets boards. - Jason
Awesome project! I will be getting disassembled pallet boards for free. . .But I dont know if they are chemical or heat treated. If I am using them in a hallway in my home for flooring, what do you think about possibly using chemical boards if I coat them with lacquer? Maybe it would "seal in" the unsafe chemicals?
Hi Courtney - Personally, I'd agree with you. However I must disclaim that I'm not a scientist and therefore I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of lacquer in keeping out chemicals. If you're house is fairly well ventilated, and you don't lick your walls - you should be good to go. - Jason
Thanks for the play-by-play. I'm doing my 550sf basement ceiling with flush mounted lights. My hang up was whether or not I needed to stain the pallets. It does not look like you did and your project looks awesome!
Hi Jason I ran across your article and found inspiration from your post I am just starting to collect pallets but I had an idea of finishing my downstairs hallway and am also replacing my stair wekk walls. Just wanted to thank you for your posts and all of the information. I roped my son- n-law into helping with the pallet finding. This will be a winter project for me as of this year I turned 66 and have learned to use all the tools that were left to me even bought my own saw . I have finally finished all of my moldings in my home with oak molding and even did my own staining and used a nail gun for the first time. Ladies don't sit around wishing go to the hardware stores, ask tons of questions and start with a small project you will be amazed at what you can do! Thank you again Jason for your ideas and suggestions you are amazing. Hey is there anything else that you are doing?
Jason, thanks for this info. I too was a bit confused on the nailing to the wall directly thing ( wasn't clear to me in 1st few comments ). I think the sawzall will be fastest, I may drill a small hole and nail directly to the stud ( once I have put up chalk line) This is going to be in the livingroom where I just hung a set of french doors barn door style on tracks. BTW check out overstock.com for cheapest barndoor hardware I have found. Look up good directions on google, the ones in the box are poor. Thanks again, Bob E.
What was the stains you used on the pallet wood bud
Hey Colin - That's O'natural pallet wood...no stain. Try and grab a few different pallets if you're looking for a little variance in the color. Good luck! -Jqson
Oh my gosh, hilarious!!!
Did you have to treat the pallets for bugs?
Hey Chelsea - If they're heat treated then you should be good to go. Another option would be to seal it prior to install.
-Jason
Wow, I can't believe how long this has been trending! The humor in this post was great! It sould like the start of every project "sooo, I saw something on Pinterest "
I'm very curious, did the wall hold up? I was planning to seal the wood but if I can skip this step and the results are good I'm happy to eliminate the extra work!
I'm paneling around my kitchen island with some beautiful wood pallet boards.. also ready to do a wall.(.do you have to put up plywood to prep drywall) ?? I also built several fences and a chair and a picnic table out of pallets !
I am going to try to do a pallet wall. Couple things, what is best way to attach boards to thin drywall, its a 2015 modular home, I think 3/8 thick drywall. What type of nails? What type of nail gun if using nails...like what guage of nail? Brads or finish? Or drywall screws? Attach in studs only or studs and random spots?? Help!!! Thank you too!!
Hey Kevin - Glad you're giving some ol' pallets love. I would use 16 gauge finish nails in combination with liquid nail.
Note - this is going to be a disaster if you ever try to pull it down...will require you to put up new drywall. More than likely that'll be the next guy/gal's adventure.
Enjoy, Jason