How to Build a Wainscoted Wall

If your dining room or home office reminds you too much of a workplace break room, it could be time to transform it with this simple woodworking project.

It's Easier to Make Than It Looks:

At first glance, this panel design may look too complex for your average do-it-yourselfer, but it’s not. The panels are made from three horizontal 1×6 bands that run around the room, with narrower vertical boards spaced every 30 in. or so. The panels are the wall itself. Once you nail on filler pieces and trim, the project takes on a traditional wainscot panel look.

The Layout Plan:

In this article, we’ll show you how to plan your layout and cut, fit and finish the wood for any room in your house. We’ll also show you how to make clean, tight joints using a plate joiner. If you haven’t used this tool before, don’t be intimidated. Although this tool can perform complex joinery, its only purpose here is to cut slots in two adjoining pieces to accept a glued “biscuit” that will then bond the pieces permanently. A plate joiner (also called a biscuit joiner) is a worthwhile investment. You’ll marvel at how simple it is to set up and operate.

Wood Choice Options:

Because we planned to paint the wainscot panels rather than stain them, we decided to use moderately priced poplar. This hardwood is easy to cut, nail and sand. You can build the project from any wood you choose and then stain it to your liking, but if you stain it, be sure to hand-pick each board carefully to match the grain and tone. Also, buy long boards that will run full length from wall to wall to avoid unsightly butt joints that could shift over time and develop a crack.

Figure A: Wainscot Details © Family Handyman figure a wainscot details

To make clean, smooth joints, cut slots with a plate joiner and slip in biscuits to keep the stiles and rails perfectly aligned.

First, remove the baseboard and patch any holes. If you plan to repaint the room, do it now, at least above the wainscot area. Here are our pro recommended painting techniques. You’ll be able to easily touch it up after completing the project.

You’ll also have to adapt your window and door molding now to accommodate the 1-1/2-in.-thick profile that your walls will take on as you build the panels (Figure A).We changed out all the window and door molding in the room. We used 3/4-in. x 4-in. boards and then nailed a Princeton stop molding on edge to the entire perimeter to build the trim out 1-1/2 in. from the wall.

It’s possible to complete this project in sections in your shop or garage and carry them in as you go, but we had some tricky hallways and corners that made it difficult to get longer sections into the room. We found it much easier to cut and assemble right in the room.