# chair rail height wood paneling



## shdybrady (Aug 26, 2011)

I really dont know what this is called but I want to do wood on my walls up to a chair rail height. Then I want to finish it with a molding. This is pretty common thing it houses I know. I am debating between using paneling or possibly doing planks of wood, either out of lumber or possibly old pallets. 

I am toying around with ideas of possibly cutting squares out and revealing the paint underneath. I have seen its pretty common to for people to do the chair rail molding and then using some over molding to form squares under the molding. But they do that and just expose the paint in and outside the squares. 

Do you think it would look good to do the wood up the chair rail and then cut the squares out to expose the paint? Also I have a 1300-1400 square foot house. Its relatively small. Do you think it would make it look smaller?


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

Wood partially up the wall for a height of 3 or 4 feet is called wainscoating.....


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## shdybrady (Aug 26, 2011)

good to know. Do you know if would make the room to look smaller?


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

I wouldn't do it. Sounds like dust and cobweb collecters. I have wainscoat in almost every room and it's a pain enough to keep dusted.


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## shdybrady (Aug 26, 2011)

Really? I could see how that would happen. But I do think it might be worth it for the look.


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## Catalpa (Dec 18, 2011)

I think some of it would depend on the style of your house; wainscoting might look out of place in a modern style home. My house was built in the 20s and I installed wainscoting in my whole kitchen, and in the front foyer and back stairwell. It turned out great, works well with the style of the house, and I'm really happy with the look. If you check the November 2011 'Applesauce' entry in my blog you can see a bit of the kitchen. I painted it white, and did the walls above in a light yellow, the kitchen seems like sunshine all year. In the other areas I stained it the same as the woodwork, and it's very handsome.

It was pretty easy to do. I bought 4'x8' sheets of 1/4" plywood that was faced with beadboard styling. That was a lot easier to install that the individual boards of the old style wainscoting. I simply cut the sheets to fit how high I wanted it to be on the wall, put construction adhesive on the back, put them in place, and then nailed it. Where two sheets joined I used a thin strip of molding to cover the seam. I used a combination of two small moldings to create the chair rail for the top. Sanded, finished, and there it is! I really like how durable it is in high traffic areas, for instance where all the shoes and boots go, it can just be washed and won't get holes like drywall or plaster can. It is easy to wash, or just dust with a swiffer type thing to keep it clean.

My old farmhouse is probably over 2000 square feet, I've never really measured. If your house is small, I think the wainscoting would still look fine in solid sheets; I think if you try to do it in patchwork style it may be a little too busy and make the room feel smaller.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

It would look o.k. use white or lite finish to make the room appear larger...


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I just use it on 1 or 2 walls as accent walls. I like to cut the 8' sheets into 3 pieces, makes each 32" tall. I use boards also but run them through a planer to 1/4" to 3/8" thick. Thick boards make wainscote look clunky and heavy on the wall. White or light stain looks good with light walls. My rooms are small, I really like the look of wainscote...James


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Another look I like is a chair rail at about 32" and darker paint below, lighter above. Stain or paint the same as the trim around windows and doors. Tall wainscote or chair rail makes a room look smaller, short seems to make it look bigger, if not dark colored. I like 1/3rd below, 2/3rds of wall height above....James


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## shdybrady (Aug 26, 2011)

well the one thing I am debating between is my hardwoods are kind of on the lighter side. they look like a pine with a clear coat. Im not sure on what kind of wood they are but thats what the look like. So I dont know if I need to go the same color as that or go lighter. I think if I go darker it would like it would fit more in a luxury home. Our layout and frame of the house is a pretty cookie cutter house and was built in 2004. So I guess the whole look I am going for is a modern farm house. Since nothing really looks old about this place


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