Here's How: Wainscoting Can Change Room Decor

James Dulley on Jan 23, 2025

Wainscoting Can Change Room Decor

Dear James: Our dining room drywall has been damaged over the years. Instead of repairing it, I want to install wainscoting. Is this a job for a typical DIY'er? -- Andy H.

Dear Andy: Installing wainscoting on a dining room wall is not a difficult do-it-yourself project, but it is not inexpensive either. Several companies make wainscoting kits for do-it-yourselfers, but it still costs from $6-$20 per square foot. This might sound like a lot, but it is much less than having a carpenter build it from scratch.

Traditional handmade wainscoting is built from solid pieces of wood that are carefully fit together. It consists of many vertical and horizontal pieces of wood that surround raised wood panels. You'll definitely need good-quality power saws to make the precise cuts.

These look great when they are freshly installed, but, due to humidity and temperature changes throughout the year, the wood expands and contracts. This can result in joints that do not fit well, and the wood may even crack or split. Proper storage and preparation of the wood can minimize these potential problems.

The newer types of wainscoting materials are often made of laminated engineered lumber covered with a high-grade wood veneer. You can choose from oak, cherry, maple and more that can be stained and finished just like solid wood. If you are planning to paint the wainscoting, select a lower-priced material that uses a durable synthetic veneer.

With an engineered laminated base, there is much less expansion and contraction of the pieces, so they should provide a true fit for many years. It also uses less of our natural hardwood forests, so it is better for the environment.

There are many local woodworking shops throughout the country that can set up their equipment to make the wainscoting pieces for you, but it will be very expensive. Two companies that make standard patterns of wainscoting designed for the do-it-yourselfer are Hyde Park Lumber Co. and New England Classic Interiors.

There is no need to do all the walls in a room. Just one or two will do for starters. In fact, it makes sense to start on the most plain wall that you have to get a feel for installing the wainscoting. Once you get a wall or two under your belt, you should have no problems tackling walls with windows and doors.

If you use the premade pieces from one of the two companies listed, the installation procedure should be quite simple; just follow their instructions. The individual pieces can be nailed and glued to your existing wall with little, if any, surface preparation.

Before starting your project, measure the wall carefully, and then measure it again. These dimensions will be used when making and selecting the individual wood pieces. Whichever company you choose, visit their website for guidelines in making your measurements.

When you start installing the wainscoting, use a level to make certain that the base rail is horizontal. If it is off, all of the panels will also be off. It will be very apparent at the walls because the edges will not be plumb.

Consider where your electrical outlets are located before you start attaching pieces. The outlets look best when they are in the flat area of a panel. This may require you to move them. Since the drywall will be covered anyway by the wainscoting, any damage to the drywall will be hidden.

Set your table saw at an angle of less than 90 degrees to back cut the stiles where they touch the wall. This allows them to rest tighter against the wall. The rear gap between the stile and the wall will be hidden.

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Send your questions to Here's How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45244 or visit www.dulley.com. To find out more about James Dulley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.