How to Paint Shiplap Walls in 6 Steps and Get the Ultimate Farmhouse Feel

Before you start painting the shiplap, visit a paint store and select samples to take home with you. The changes in natural light throughout the day can have a huge impact on how a color actually looks on your shiplap, so you’ll want to make sure you like the color in your space in every light. The type of paint finish you pick also matters, particularly if you have children and pets that may end up making you clean the surface every now and then. 

Traditional shiplap walls are usually a shade of white with a low sheen, but they don’t have to be. If you want to go bold with an accent wall, dark blue, bright green, and even matte black are popular choices for shiplap. Paint pieces of scrap wood to create a large section as a sample to look at during different times of the day. Doing this will help you get the best idea of what your desired color will look like in that space. 

If you want to err on the safe side, pick a shade of white paint for your shiplap project; you won’t be disappointed.

Before you learn about the specifics of how to paint shiplap walls, you’ll have to embark on a little prep work. Take a rag or clean paintbrush and dust all surfaces, paying close attention to remove any cobwebs or dust in the spaces between the boards. If you’ve just installed the shiplap, it’s likely there’s sawdust and other debris on the walls that you’ll need to remove.

In addition to dusting the surface with an old paintbrush, take a vacuum to every square inch of the wall. Vacuuming walls is standard protocol for a professional paint job that ensures you have the cleanest and smoothest possible surface to work with.

Using a good quality wood filler to patch nail holes will go a long way toward making your project look amazing once you apply the final coat of paint. It often takes a couple of applications of wood filler followed by a swipe of sandpaper to make the surface truly flat. Your ultimate goal is for the nail hole to disappear; if you can still see a slight indentation after you’ve patched the hole once or even twice, you’ll need to do an additional pass to make it go away. 

If you didn’t install pre-primed shiplap, the first step of the painting process will be to prime the entire wall’s surface, starting with the outer edges and shiplap gaps. Use a 1- to 1.5-inch brush for this step, depending on how comfortable you are cutting in between boards. After you’ve covered the edges and gaps, use a roller to get the bulk of the paint onto the main panels to make the primer coat smooth and uniform. 

Work in full horizontal sections starting from the top, and paint from one end of the board to the other before moving on to the next piece of shiplap. This will ensure you maintain a wet edge that allows you to get a smooth transition between where you cut in and the rest of the board. Avoid drips and a heavy buildup of primer between the boards by applying two thin coats and keeping the brush and roller relatively dry, wiping excess primer on the rim of the paint bucket.

Once the primer has dried, take 100- to 150-grit sandpaper to the entire wall. Sand down any leftover roller and brush lines and smooth out raised wood grain that the primer has brought out. If you installed pre-primed shiplap, the process is the same: Prepare the surface by sanding and vacuuming. 

Once everything is dust-free, check for obvious cracks that you need to fill with caulking. Use a paintable caulk and take care to minimize mistakes by snipping a small opening in the caulking tube tip and having a wet rag available for cleanup or to wipe away excess material. 

Once your primer coat has dried, go back over the boards and apply your paint, using the same process as before: cutting in with a brush and painting large surfaces with a roller in thin coats. It’s likely that you’ll need at least two coats, so plan on waiting a day between them so the paint can cure.