Wainscoting Installation Service

The definition and history of wainscoting:

Wainscot is a decorative panel used to cover the surface of a wall. Usually wainscoting is applied only over the lower portion, but the word also describes the full covering of walls. Technically, even the cheap paneling that came to be associated with trailers and refurbished dens in the second half of the 19th century, is wainscoting.

The technique was originally used to cover stone walls and make them warmer to the touch. The term “boiserie” is sometimes used to describe panels of wainscoting that cover an entire room. These are often presented in a coffered pattern of recessed boxes. One may find this presentation in large formal rooms, law offices, or museums. 

The wainscot may consist of any type of material, but is traditionally wood. Pressed fiberboard wainscot panels can now supply interesting options for people on a budget. Modern, high-quality systems may be made in panels of an underlying synthetic or pressboard overlaid with a thin cellulose (wood) veneer. The veneer guarantees that the surface may be stained or painted and have the appearance of solid wood.

As with any decorative option, wainscoting may be quite plain or be elaborate. In America the bead and board design, with narrow vertical strips, and open rectangular patterns are the most common. At the top of the wainscoting a chair rail is installed and baseboard placed at the bottom for a total finished look.

Wainscoting Design Ideas

One can define and enhance the look of a room with well-selected wainscoting. Any plain room will immediately gain character and personality when wainscoting is added.

• Raised panel classic styles are associated with the elegance of a 17th century heritage
• Bead and board panels give a traditional, informal, country look
• American classic styles feature modest flat rectangular panels with slightly raised rails and stiles
• Cottage style combines both bead and board with flat panels
• Rustic wainscoting is made of distressed wood, suitable for lodges, country inns, or cabins
• Classic Modern styles minimize the architectural design but promote the beauty of the wood grain

Measuring & Installing Wainscot

Finishing professionals can help a person determine a look that will transform a room from ordinary to a tasteful focal point. Key questions are not only the style of the wainscot, but its height, the style of the top railing, and whether it should be painted or stained, and matched or contrasted with the rest of the room.

The installer will measure the room digitally. With this precise information, and the client’s selections in hand, the paneling and mouldings can all be cut off-site. This reduces the amount of time that must be set aside when the normal use of the room is interrupted, and significantly reduces the on-site mess. All the pieces will be installed carefully– gluing, nailing, or floating panels where needed to allow for expansion and contraction. Nail holes will be filled, and the final finish may be applied by the client or the professional.

There are few things which can change and enhance the look of a room as quickly as carefully selected and installed wainscoting.