wainscoting wall panel boards

Hi fellows, just want to renovate my home by putting a floor to ceiling wainscoting wall panel. What kind of board do they use in Australia to achieve the looking in the photo ? Are those just MDF boards?

To me that is not true wainscotting. All they have used is a crown mould on the top and then some beading to make the square ( almost like a picture frame ) which is nailed and glued straight to the plasterboard. It serves its purpose though and gives the appearance of wainscotting but the best ones I have seen use a proper routered panel for each individual square. We did this for a client many years ago as part of an extensive reno in an upmarket house and the panels were made by the same cabinetmaker who did the kitchen. The panels on the walls were exactly the same profile as the kitchen doors and when it was all finished it looked pretty schmick. The above is just the cheaper version.
We may go down this route for our house soon. I can post up some of the photos I have downloaded from the net if you like.

Stewie

Thank you Stewie, some photos will be great.

Can I use MDF board to achieve the looks in the above picture?

Yes. Some I've seen use a 5mm MDF panel glued and pinned to the plasterboard then attach the beading to that. The crown moulding is rebated and hides the edge of the panels. A lot of wainscotting also has vertical battens that hide the joins between panels.

Stewie

Here is a hotel hallway with just beading and a capping mould to form the wainscotting and it looks OK. They have continued the theme on the doors as well which helps continuity.




Here's a few more shots showing continuing it up a set of stairs and a two panel high wall in a study.





And here are a few technical pointers





This last one is not as cheap as just the beading but the effect is nearly as good as the raised panel wainscotting which is very expensive. I like the vertical battens that delineate the panels and then a simple bead or panel mould as they have called it nailed to the batten.

Stewie

Thanks for all the photos Stewie.

The main reason why I want to use MDF is for the paint finish. I have a concept that the finish paint on MDF will look more smoothly and silky compare to standard gyprock wall finish. Is this true?

The face of MDF is pretty smooth but so can gyprock if it is sanded and painted well. You will spend a lot more time filling and sanding the beading, crown mould and skirting than you will the panel itself whether it is either MDF or plasterboard.

Stewie

HI Stewie,

Just plan to start the actual wainscoting job next month, excited!!!

I'm trying to do a full wall panelling instead of half wall as shown in those pics. At the moment I have a brick wall, do you need to put battens on the brick wall first so the MDF board goes on there can have a level surface?

Thanks!

Yes, that would be my preference. Any discrepancies in the brickwork can be removed by planing or packing the battens as necessary.
Good luck with it and post up some photos.

Stewie

Thanks Stewie, guess I'm on the right track.

what size of the batten I need to use?

Alan

I'd probably use 40 x 19mm. You will need to run another beading or pack out where your wainscotting meets any doorjambs.

Stewie

Do I need a laser level when setting out the batten and what distance should I keep in between each batten?

You don't need a laser level but a straight edge a couple of metres long to see where high points on your brickwork would be handy. Pack them out and/or plane the battens to suit. Studs are usually 450 -600mm so I'd err on the side of caution and make them 450mm but that also depends on how thick your mdf is as well.

Stewie

Okay thanks Stewie, will post some photos once started.

Hi Stewie,

I need to install some plasterboard on the timber frame wall, do I need to straighten the wall before install the plasterboard? I used a straight edge and find anout 2-3mm variationsns along the wall.

Plane the high points off or if there are dips, pack the timber out.

Stewie

Stewie, just wanted to check should I lay my battens at 450mm space horizontally or vertically?