How to Install Hardboard Wainscot Wall Panels

Set the hardboard wainscot wall panels in the room where you intend to install them 48 hours before the installation date to give them time to expand or contract according to the temperature and humidity in the room. This will prevent their doing so after installation and causing gaps or heaves between the panels.

Apply the finish of your choice to the panels. Painting or staining the panels before installation is easier since you won’t have to place masking tape on wall and trim edges to avoid getting stain or paint on the walls. Wait 24 hours after applying the finish before installing the panels to allow for drying time.

Measure the height of the panels with a tape measure. Place marks on the wall at the measured height with a piece of chalk. Use a straightedge to draw a line along the measured height with the chalk to serve as a guide for the top of the panels.

Remove any baseboard from the bottom of the wall with a prybar. Place the bar between the board and the wall, then pull the boards from the wall surface, taking care not to place too much pressure on the wall itself, to avoid creating gouges or holes. Set the baseboards aside for their replacement on the wainscoting panels.

Lay a bead of the paneling adhesive across the back of your first panel. Use a narrow S-shaped pattern on the rear, going back and forth down the panel to provide ample coverage with the adhesive. Place the panel against the wall in a corner, with the top of the panel touching the chalk line. Press the panel against the wall, and then run your hands up and down the panel length to spread out the adhesive.

Nail the panel to the wall with paneling nails and a hammer, placing the nails along the positions of the wall studs with a 6-inch space between each nail.

Repeat the placement process with the rest of the panels along the wall until you hit the edge of the wall where a partial panel is needed for coverage. Measure the space for the partial panel, and then cut a full-sized panel to fit using a table saw. Cut the panel face-side down, to keep the finish from chipping or scratching due to the saw blade.

Fit panels over wall outlets by removing the outlet cover with a flathead screwdriver and then measuring the location of the opening against the edge of the previous panel and the chalk line. Transfer the measurements to the panel that needs cutting, and then mark the outlet location with the chalk. Drill a starter hole through the panel along the inside edge of the drawn outlet cutout location, and then use the hole to position a jigsaw along the cutout line, using the saw blade to cut out the outlet space. Proceed with the panel placement as normal, aligning the cutout space with the outlet hole on the wall.

Replace the baseboards along the bottom of the panels, nailing them back in to place.