Refining a Room with Beadboard Wainscoting

Homeowners will need to determine the desired finished height of the installed finished beadboard. The 32-inch and 36-inch heights are the standards, and Installed beadboard from New England Classic many beadboard system manufacturers offer 40- and 44-inch finished heights, too. Depending on how a homeowner purchases the materials, the finished height can be adjusted by purchasing a taller or shorter bottom rail. “Consumers should be aware that cost can jump pretty significantly when going from the more standard 40-inch height to, say, 60 inches,” says Herb Mena of Elite Trimworks, Inc., wainscoting and molding manufacturers and distributors based out of Toronto, Canada. Made to Order Purchasing a customized beadboard wainscoting system has become a popular choice for the homeowner looking to refine a room’s look. Companies like New England Classic allow homeowners to purchase customized and sized wainscoting kits by submitting room measurements and desired configurations. The patented interlocking system featured in the company’s kits make installation much easier for the homeowner. “The kits come with a frame pack—which includes the base rail, top rail, caps and shoe moldings—and the 8-foot long panel sets,” says Duke. Assembling the product, he continues, is like “fitting together a jigsaw puzzle.” The free estimate and CAD drawing provided by the company also make budget choices and visualization of the finished install easier. If electing to go the pre-measured, ready-to-assemble route, homeowners should know the room dimensions and desired finished height; individual wall measurements, locations and heights of windows and doors; and the location and heights of other features such as wall outlets. Depending on the company, the kits can come completely ready to install or requiring some basic sizing and cutting. “Our standard kits are eight-feet-long,” says Mena, “so customers will need a table saw to fit and install.” A jigsaw may be required to cut out holes for outlets, too. Stretching the Buck Typically, the hardwood beadboard products sit on the costlier end of the wainscot spectrum. MDF and other engineered options are less expensive. Most wainscot kits or products are sold by the square foot—linear foot costs can be simply calculated by multiplying square foot costs by the height of the finished product. For example, the pre-primed, ready-to-paint beadboard kit sold by New England Classic costs $6.60 per square foot. For the three-foot high finished option, this price comes out to $20 per linear foot. That same company’s factory finished cherry option, by contrast, costs $19.10 per square foot or $57.30 per linear foot for the same height. Professional installation will increase the cost, and a homeowner needs to get an estimate based on a price per square or linear foot installed. Installation Considerations Installing beadboard wainscoting can be a rewarding challenge for the weekend warrior, depending on the products used. Ready-to-assemble kits like those For a complete look at how to install beadboard wainscoting, check out BobVila.com’s How To Video. offered by New England Classic will go up with far less fuss and will require minimal tools. “If [the homeowner] purchased pre-measured, pre-assembled wainscot kits, all they need is some adhesive, nails and a tape measure, and installation is a cinch,” says German. The key to installing a New England Classic system, says Duke, is getting the bottom rail right. “As long as you have the bottom rail level, everything just fits into place,” he says. Reading the installation manual before installing is vital to a successful job, he adds. For homeowners choosing to design, cut and install their own wainscoting, a little more patience, know-how and equipment will be required. For tools, a table saw, nail gun and miter saw are essential for cutting exact lengths of panel sheets and rails and to make the 45-degree cuts necessary on the corners of the room. As mentioned, a jigsaw will be needed to cut out the holes for outlets.

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