Wainscoting is a facing applied to the lower part of an internal wall, typically to a height of 90 to 120 cm, executed in timber panelling, matchboarding, sheet material, tiles or plaster. The top edge is normally finished with a dado rail.
Why wainscot a wall?
The bottom metre of a wall takes the hardest use: chair backs, vacuum cleaners, shoes, mop water and removal boxes. Wainscoting absorbs all of that and is far easier to repair than a plaster finish.
It also serves two further purposes: it conceals uneven or failing old plaster along with services, and it divides the wall horizontally, so a tall room reads as less shaft-like.
Forms
- Framed panelling — stiles and rails with inset panels; the classic treatment in period townhouses.
- Beaded matchboarding — narrow vertical boards with a bead profile; typical of the late nineteenth century and widely used in rural interiors.
- Shiplap boarding — horizontal or vertical, with a shadow gap.
- Flat sheet with applied mouldings — foiled MDF with glued-on profiles; quick and crisp.
- Tiled wainscot — in kitchens, halls, porches and commercial premises.
Points to watch
- Height. Classically the top sits at about a third of the wall height; practically, at chair-back height, around 85 to 100 cm. Line it through with window sills or a door transom so the horizontals run on.
- Let timber acclimatise. Store the boards in the room where they will go, at normal use temperature, for at least a week before fixing. Otherwise they shrink afterwards and the joints open up.
- Coat every face. The back and the end grain included. A board finished on one side only takes up moisture unevenly and cups.
- Ventilate behind timber on an external wall. A sealed timber facing on a cold, damp wall is a recipe for mould. Fix to battens with an air gap of at least about 20 mm and allow air in at the bottom and out at the top.
- Level the battens. Start from the highest point of the floor and pack out the rest; old floors are rarely flat.
- Decide on the sockets first. Moving them afterwards means chasing out the wall.
Wainscoting checks before and during fixing
- Set the height: About a third of the wall height classically, or chair-back height of around 85 to 100 cm; line it through with window sills or a door transom.
- Let timber acclimatise: Store the boards in the room at normal use temperature for at least a week before fixing.
- Coat every face: Include the back and the end grain, otherwise the board takes up moisture unevenly and cups.
- Ventilate on an external wall: Fix to battens with an air gap of at least about 20 mm, air in at the bottom and out at the top.
- Level the battens: Start from the highest point of the floor and pack out the rest.
- Decide on the sockets first: Moving them afterwards means chasing out the wall.
Related terms
- Dado rail
- Matchboarding
- Panel
- Shiplap
- Skirting
- Paint carrier foil
Want to know more about building terms? Take a look at our knowledge base on fredsdiyplans.com.