Bungalow Paneling: Out With the Old, In With the New

Alright, its official, Paul and I decided to add some craftsman detail back to our family room with the addition of wainscoting.

Of course, after deciding this, we realized we had no idea how to capture the intricacies of quality a

nd legit wainscoting.  We 

started by surfing the Internet for styles we liked (see example to the left).  From there it was a toss up between bead-board or shadowbox--clearly, one of which would have been a much simpler install.

After testing a package of tounge-in groove bead board panels, we knew it was a no go. Measuring only 32 inches high, and 40 inches high with the addition of an 8 inch baseboard--they were simply too short.  Plus at about 2 inches wide per strip, you got a whole lot of busy going on in a room thats over 20 feet long.

So that left us with shadowbox wainscoting.  We started by taking a look at wood options.  For us, we knew we wanted to paint everything out white, so the grain didn't matter, too much. 

However, that being said, we wanted a quality piece of lumber that would paint out smoothly and lend itself to a more original feel for the bungalow.

We decided on birch and grabbed a couple of sample pieces before heading back to 1148 to map out a plan.  Using a chalk line, measuring tape and the sample pieces we were able to come up with a pretty good solution.

Time for prep, shopping and install!

PREP:

• Remove all baseboards, electrical boxes, etc. and give the area a good cleaning.  
  
• When you remove the baseboards, make sure to label the backs as to what went where, so that re-install is simple and smooth.
  
• Now is also a good time to prep the baseboards for paint by sanding and removing years of built up paint and stain and imperfections...(on an old house, be sure to test for lead paint before sanding)
  
• You'll want to look for old nails, screws or other items on the wall that would cause the plywood to - adhere incorrectly.
  
• Make sure you take solid measurments because quality wood isn't cheap and its not fun to overspend--as the old adage goes, measure twice, cut once.
  

SHOPPING LIST:

• 7 sheets birch plywood
  
• Chalk line (if you didn't already mark out your plans on the wall)
• 2 containers liquid nails
  
• 1 caulk gun
  
• 2 inch drywall screws
  
• Table Saw (if you don't already have one, you can always rent one!)
  
• Drill + the right kind of bit

Stay tuned next time for Install!!!

Cheers, 

LB