# Wainscoting paneling questions



## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

I'm putting up some wainscoting paneling (attached a picture to show what style I'm doing) and I had a couple of questions.

- We have textured walls. I'm attaching 1/8" MDF panels to the wall to make the paneling area smooth. We don't plan to move and I don't know if my wife will ever change her mind, so I'm thinking of putting the paneling up with brad nails into the studs WITHOUT liquid nails. Is that a mistake? I'm simply thinking about if we ever want to take it down, say in 15 years or something. I'm worried about the seams cracking though as the house moves and the panels move. Thoughts?

- At the bottom of the stairs, we have a rounded corner that I need to wrap around. I'm a bit stumped on how to accomplish this. For the chair molding itself, I can simply do a 45 degree angle and not worry about the bullnose sheetrock or I can do a hex cut (I believe they call it this) where I use 3 pieces to go around the corner. Either one I would also have to do with the MDF paneling. I'm leaning towards a 45 degree square corner with maybe a small molding piece on the corner of the MDF to give it strengh so that it doesn't break if the corner gets hit (since it won't be flush, they'll be gaps between the bullnose and the MDF and it's only 1/8" thick). I would love some ideas or thoughts on this one. 

Thanks!!


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

typically, the beauty of that style of wainscoting is that its super easy to do... and cheaper. the wall is left untouched and your just nailing some picture frames and a chair rail.

If you covering it all with MDF, Id up it to 1/2" and do a flat inlay with 1/8" (or a 1/2" raise panel inlay if you have the tools).

I think tha solves all of your problems... Alternatively try and scrape off the texture on the wall somehow... I cant really see the texture in the photos.

like this 










or like this (same as above but with a corner molding in the panel.)


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

bauerbach said:


> typically, the beauty of that style of wainscoting is that its super easy to do... and cheaper. the wall is left untouched and your just nailing some picture frames and a chair rail.
> 
> If you covering it all with MDF, Id up it to 1/2" and do a flat inlay with 1/8" (or a 1/2" raise panel inlay if you have the tools).
> 
> I think tha solves all of your problems... Alternatively try and scrape off the texture on the wall somehow... I cant really see the texture in the photos.


Thanks for the input. I've considered that, but in looking at samples with the textured wall as part of the paneling, it doesn't look as good or authentic to us. Traditionally, it's suppose to be wood which gives the flat appearance. I can't go higher than 1/8" because we already have really nice baseboards and if I go thicker it will create a overlap at the bottom. The 1/8" sits flush with the baseboards, so I don't have to remove them. On the panels themselves, the inlay style is personal preference, and my wife happens to like the version with the paneling tacked onto the wall and not inlayed, so I'm good on all that.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

Id pop the baseboards off and nail them back over the paneling either way.

I guess to your direct questions, if you glue it, you will not get the panels off without destroying the wall behind it. Maybe it just takes a layer of paint at best, or it takes drywall paper at worst. either way, your patching the wall to varying degrees of success. Nails are much easier to patch.

If you think the corner is a candidate for getting banged. you could put a piece of molding over it for protection. MDF is not real sturdy at any thickness. If you bang an exposed edge it will likely be damaged.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Yes, you can tack the paneling to the wall. However, you have to be very careful that the brads are not going to show.

What you see in the following two pictures is 1/4" plywood. It is neither tacked nor glued. the 1/4 round inside the framing is what holds it in place.

I would most definitely remove the baseboard. It will just not look correct unless it is outside.

George


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## chuckp27 (Jul 28, 2010)

GeorgeC said:


> Yes, you can tack the paneling to the wall. However, you have to be very careful that the brads are not going to show.
> 
> What you see in the following two pictures is 1/4" plywood. It is neither tacked nor glued. the 1/4 round inside the framing is what holds it in place.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the pics and advice. I think I'll try without liquid nails - I was just worried about movement and warping without glue. 

If I take the baseboards off and then put them back, they will never match up with the rest of the house - that creates yet another problem. How do you handle that?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

chuckp27 said:


> Thanks for the pics and advice. I think I'll try without liquid nails - I was just worried about movement and warping without glue.
> 
> If I take the baseboards off and then put them back, they will never match up with the rest of the house - that creates yet another problem. How do you handle that?


It does not matter that they do not match the rest of the house. They only need to match the room where they are.

The "baseboard" on the wainscoting I pictured is part of the wainscoting and matches nothing else in the house.

George


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

if it is the same profile, theres no reason it wouldnt match... the rooms dimensions will be shrunk by 1/8" on inside corners, and expanded by the same on outside corners... Hopefully this is mostly inside corners to deal with. But thats it.

MDF doesnt move either, so no worries there.


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