Wainscotting Instructions

Rules Of Design To Consider Before Beginning

• 1

  Follow the rule of thirds when planning where to apply most wainscotting. Plan to apply wainscotting 3 feet high on a 9-foot wall. Two-thirds of the way up is ideal for a dining room with a plate rail along the top of the wainscotting.

• 2

  Create a uniform look of balance by keeping panels the same width when applying paneled wainscotting. Appeal to kit-makers that use special software to figure out panel dimensions that work for your room. Beadboard wainscotting slats are precut to a uniform width.

• 3

  Measure chair rails to top your wainscotting around the room. Do the same with shoe molding for where the bottom of the wainscotting and the floor will meet.

Applying Beadboard Wainscotting

• 4

  Cut wainscot boards to the desired length with a miter saw. Place a cut board vertically against the wall. Hold a long level against the wall horizontally against the top of the board. Draw a level layout line along the wall. Repeat around the length of the room.

• 5

  Begin installation at a corner in the wall. One that juts out is preferred, but you may start with an inside corner. Apply adhesive to the back of a wainscotting corner piece. Hold firmly in place while nailing it to the wall.

• 6

  Apply horizontal strips of adhesive to the wall and place the beadboard against the wall vertically, one piece at a time. Fit each tongue in the groove. Make sure the tops of the boards are aligned along the layout line.

• 7

  Nail each board plumb against the wall. Pound at least two nails, one at top and one at bottom. You may pound one in the middle if the board is a little bowed. Be sure to cut boards around outlets.

• 8

  Lay the measured chair rail on top edge of the wainscotting where it meets the layout line. Nail chair rail down into the vertical beadboard planks. Follow up by nailing long molding strips against beadboard directly underneath the chair rail. Complete steps for the length of the room. Follow same steps with the shoe molding along the bottom where the beadboard meets the floor.