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How to Make Wainscot Panels

Wainscot panels are a beautiful way to augment the appearance of a room. There are a variety of wainscot panel designs. Wainscot panels are attached to interior walls and are approximately 30 inches tall. They are typically topped with a chair rail and provide a method to have two separate colors on the wall. The upper wall can be one color and the Wainscot panels can be a different color.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 feet by 8 feet White backer-board
  • Table saw
  • Tape measure
  • Chair rail
  • Small nails or nail gun
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure 30 inches from the long side of the 4 feet by 8 feet backer-board. Backer-board is thin (1/8 inch thick) composite board used for a variety of applications. The measurement should be so that when cut, there is a 30 inch by 8 foot section. Cut the chair rail to an 8-foot section.

    • 2

      Position the backer-board on the bottom half of the wall. If there is floor molding, the backer-board can rest on the top of the molding. If not, position it all the way to the floor. Use small nails or the nail gun to attach the backer-board to the wall.

    • 3

      Position the chair rail to sit on top of the backer-board and secure it to the wall with nails. Repeat this for the entire wall to be modified.