How to Put Up Knotty Pine Paneling

Installing Nailers

• 1

  Measure the height of the wall with a tape measure at the left end and use a pencil to mark the wall halfway between ceiling and floor. Measure the height at the right end and make a mark halfway up. Stretch a chalk line between the two marks and pop it to make a line across the wall.

• 2

  Fit an 8-foot piece of 1-by-4 horizontally along the wall with its top edge on the chalk line and the left end even with the left end of the wall. Drive a 1 5/8-inch treated deck screw through the 1-by-4 into each stud.

• 3

  Fit a second 1-by-4 end to end with the first and screw it in place. Add full length boards as far as possible. Measure and cut one to fit at the end of the wall and install it. Add horizontal boards in the same way at the ceiling and at the floor.

Cutting Paneling

• 4

  Measure the width of the wall and divide it by the width of the paneling plank face, minus the tongue. Cut that many pieces of paneling to length to match the height of the wall, using a miter saw.

• 5

  Trim the first plank to width on a table saw, to remove the tongue from the long edge so that the board has a flush edge.

• 6

  Stand the first board in position, with the cut edge flush with the left edge of the wall. Nail through the paneling plank into the three horizontal boards, two 1 1/2-inch pin nails in each board.

Installation

• 7

  Fit the second plank parallel to the first, slipping the tongue along its left edge into the groove along the right edge of the first board. Nail it in place as you did the first. Add full width boards in the same way as far as possible.

• 8

  Measure and cut one piece to width to fit at the end of the wall, making the cut on a table saw, from the groove edge of the board. Nail it in place.

• 9

  Cut one knotty pine 1-by-2 to fit at each end of the wall and nail it to the edge of the paneling, one nail every 8 inches.