Okay, so I’ve been wanting to do this project for a while, and today I finally got around to it. It’s called “batten dancing birch timber,” and it’s basically creating this cool, textured wall feature using thin strips of birch plywood.

Getting Started

First things first, I headed to the local lumber yard. I picked out some nice sheets of birch plywood. I wanted something that looked pretty good, you know, not too many knots or imperfections, because it’s going to be super visible. I had the guys at the yard rip the plywood down into strips for me. I went with about 1.5-inch wide strips, because I thought that’d give me a good balance between detail and not being too fiddly to work with.

Prepping the Wood

Back home, I gave all the strips a quick sanding. I wanted to make sure there were no rough edges or splinters. This part was a little tedious, but it’s super important for a nice, clean finish. I also wiped them all down with a damp cloth to get rid of any dust.

Creating the “Dance”

• I started by deciding on a pattern. I didn’t want it to be perfectly uniform; I wanted it to have some movement, some “dance,” like the name suggests.
• I played around with different arrangements on the floor, just laying the strips out and seeing what looked good.
• I decided to go with a sort of staggered, wave-like pattern. It felt organic and interesting.

Mounting the Battens

Now for the tricky part. I used construction adhesive to attach the strips to the wall.

I applied small amount of glue to the back of each strip.

I carefully placed each strip on the wall, following my pre-planned design. I used a level to make sure they were straight (mostly!), and a spacer to keep the gaps between the strips consistent.

I had to work in small sections, because the adhesive sets pretty quickly.

I’d apply glue, position the strips, press them firmly, and then move on to the next section.

It’s a bit like putting together a giant, vertical puzzle.

Finishing Up

Once all the strips were up, I let the adhesive dry completely overnight. The next day, I went back and filled any small gaps or imperfections with wood filler. Then, I gave the whole thing a final, light sanding.

Finally, I applied a clear coat of sealant to protect the wood and give it a subtle sheen. I opted for a matte finish because I didn’t want it to be too glossy.

And that’s it! It took some time and effort, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. It adds so much character to the room, and it’s a really unique feature. Totally worth the effort!