Everyone knows that I am a fan of an effective wall treatment. However, I don’t know how many times I’ve enjoyed a wall decoration like I do the Fluted wall. It’s an actual work of passion. So, get comfortable since if you plan to make this wall treatment, you must be able to endure.
Fluting is a molding finish in which half-round or rounded molding sections are re-used repeatedly. Slat walls have overtaken the DIY market in the past few years. This is the refined version. Fluted furniture, walls, etc., can evoke boho, vintage, or more conventional like ours. It’s all in how the wall is styled and the hue you choose for the fences!
If you’d like to learn how this project worked out in real-time with tricks and tips, check out this IG Highlight reel!
It’s a surface you’re magnetized by and cannot resist rubbing your hands across it.
As I’ve mentioned that it’s not an extremely difficult process, it’s difficult, but it’s worth it!!
How to DIY a Fluted Wall Treatment
You’ll need the following
Half Round molding
Pin Nailer
Pin Nails
Measuring Tape
Miter Saw
Level
The Pull Saw (if you’re using Windows!)
Where can I buy the half-round molding
Finding half-round moldings is likely to be the most challenging component of this task. It’s not because it’s difficult to locate but because it’s all over the place! Home Depot only sells half-round trim on its website. They don’t have it on hand (at least in Nevada and Utah.) The online ordering process is effortless since it’s shipped directly to your doorstep.
Lowes has only half-round trim available in stores. They don’t have the option to buy the frame on the Internet. Ordering large quantities at the professional desk is possible, but I’d suggest checking!
As you all know, I’m a Home Depot girl through and through, but we needed rapid turnaround on our project, so I traveled to Vegas and cleared seven stores. You can choose your favorite based on your budget and turnaround time.
How much trim do I require to flute the wall?
This, my dears, is one of the questions that millionaires ask. It’s not a million, but certainly several thousand. The best thing about buying molding from a big retailer such as Home Depot or Lowes is that you can return the remaining pieces. If you’re trying to determine how much you’ll require, calculate the wall’s total width and multiply it by the length of the molding (ours was 11/16 inches). The only place it gets complicated is adding more footage to account for the ceiling’s height (our shelter measured 11” higher than the 8 inches length of the trim) and subtracting distance for doors and windows.
I’ll take all the geometry maths, but then this type? Nope. As I said earlier, I cleared seven stores. Some contained 30 pieces, and others had 100. The total I purchased was 442 pieces. We used around 400 of them and returned the remainder. For $3.92/work, the wall covering costs approximately $1700.
It’s no secret that I’m all about making things as cheap as possible, and I went through several scenarios. Purchasing total round pieces and cutting them in half or running sections of cut material by the mill, I thought about approaching the company that made the unique molding for our front door in the Merc. However, purchasing precut half rounds was the best and most cost-effective way to get the style I sought. If you have an alternative, please inform me, and I’ll change this article!!
How do I install a wall treatment with a fluted
One of the challenges we had to overcome in our walls made the treatment more than 500% better! The molding pieces were eight feet long. The ceiling’s height was a little more than 9′. To hide a seam but not have to putty, sand, and curse every dowel, We added a 4 inches horizontal piece of wood that ran throughout the room. This gave the mold something to sink into and allowed us to hide the seam.
In truth, they can overwhelm the space, don’t you consider?!
Since we had to make these up as we went and learned some valuable lessons throughout the process! Please forgive me that my pictures aren’t as logical as my directions.
Step 1: Adjust the horizontal trim piece’s height.
The first thing we did was put up the 4” horizontal piece. I set it up where any cut from this molding can be put in a different part within the area (underneath those windows!) With molding that costly, I wouldn’t waste it due to a measurement error. Naturally, every home is unique; however, I suggest taking measures down at least 4 inches to the highest point of your door’s casing.
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