# Frame and Panel Wainscoting



## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

*Research and Resources*



Those of you who follow the blog on twitter know that I have taken a couple of weekends off from the slant front desk to complete work on a home improvement project that has been on my to-do list for most of the year. At the beginning of this year I laid hardwood floors throughout the house and have been steadily (but slowly) working on the trim work.

In our formal living & dinning my wife and I decided to put up frame and panel wainscoting. Wainscoting in its traditional definition is actually a tongue and groove paneling or "beadboard" look but the term gets used now for just about any type of wood paneling that covers the lower third up through two thirds of a wall (in some cases).

I still have one more weekend of work to complete my project but I wanted to use this weeks post to provide a few resources that I used during my research and design phase. I know a lot of hobbyist woodworkers get started by performing home improvement projects like this very one around the house; it is certainly how I got started!



The first resource I used was episode 613 of the New Yankee Workshop 'Wall Paneling'. Norm's no nonsense approach is great. He goes through a number of different configurations from beadboard, to raised panel, to full wall paneling.



The next resource I used was an article out of Fine Homebuilding (August/September 2004 issue) A Simple Approach to Raised-Panel Wainscot, by Gary Striegler Gary also has a no-nonsense approach, using a pocket screwed frame that is then attached to the wall, panels that are milled smaller than the frames and attached separately, next a mitered border covers the gap between the panel and frame. Norm uses a very similar approach is his video, and this is the approach I ultimately took, although I used flat rather than raised panels.

The final resource I took advantage of was Google Image's. Searching for images of what others have done or what professional shops are offering gave me a lot of ideas. I recommend you always take a look through Google images for any woodworking project you are considering you might find an idea you had not considered before!

*share yours…*
If you have installed wall paneling or know of an internet resource describing how to install wall paneling leave a comment pointing to it for everyone else.

*Original Source*


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

DavidHarms said:


> *Research and Resources*
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That really looks nice. Is it safe to assume that you are using MDO as the the panel material? This is a project I have yet to tackle.


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## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *Research and Resources*
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Thanks Doug, they are 1/4" mdf panels.


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## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

*The Making*

This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:






*Full Article*


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Nice work, and and even nicer piece of music!! I love the cello!! Great job, David!!


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## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Thanks Matt, yea Yo-Yo Ma is a true artist in every respect.


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## dustyal (Nov 19, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Excellent production of both project and video.


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Great project, video and music. I could never live with that outlet messing up the symmetry of the work. I think I would have to move it or make it go away. The wainscoting does add a lot of style to a room.


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## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


redryder, I struggled with the same thing, the plug is in the middle of the circuit run, so even if i removed the plug and turned it into a junction box by code it still has to be accessible, other option was to call and electrician and have the plug removed and the line rerun to outlets after it in the circuit. So, i differed to the boss (my wife) and she was happy with this solution, and as the saying goes "when momma's happy, every one is happy"


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## donjohn24 (Oct 15, 2010)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Very interesting to watch the job progression, and the excellent result.

If we're talking about cello pieces, I have to say that one of my favourites was the Bach minuet included in the 70's film Electric Dreams.

see/hear it here:


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## tdv (Dec 29, 2009)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


You've made a real nice job of that David & nicely painted too made the room much more elegant in fact quite in keeping with a little chamber music
Happy Christmas
Trevor


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## rando1 (May 24, 2010)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Great Job, I love it! and I love the music choice as well! great job, thanks for sharing.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

DavidHarms said:


> *The Making*
> 
> This is a photo progression of the wainscot project in our formal living / dining area:
> 
> ...


Oh yeah! Bach's Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 - Love that piece

Thanks for adding such great music to your slideshow and thanks for sharing the project.


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## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

*Its Finished - Free to return to the shop!*

The final wall of the formals along with the study are complete! Now, its time to get back to the shop and start working on this project list! Woo Hoo!!






*Original Source*


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *Its Finished - Free to return to the shop!*
> 
> The final wall of the formals along with the study are complete! Now, its time to get back to the shop and start working on this project list! Woo Hoo!!
> 
> ...


That looks great David!! Very impressive!!


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## DavidHarms (Feb 25, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *Its Finished - Free to return to the shop!*
> 
> The final wall of the formals along with the study are complete! Now, its time to get back to the shop and start working on this project list! Woo Hoo!!
> 
> ...


Thanks Matt, now I just need a Lolling Settee and a set of Lolling chairs to go with it


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

DavidHarms said:


> *Its Finished - Free to return to the shop!*
> 
> The final wall of the formals along with the study are complete! Now, its time to get back to the shop and start working on this project list! Woo Hoo!!
> 
> ...


Great work Dave. That's someting to be proud of for years to come.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

DavidHarms said:


> *Its Finished - Free to return to the shop!*
> 
> The final wall of the formals along with the study are complete! Now, its time to get back to the shop and start working on this project list! Woo Hoo!!
> 
> ...


Great design, really adds value to the rooms. Wainscotting i on my bucket list. Hope mine turns out as well as yours.


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