Wall Panelling
A common decorative feature seem in stately and period homes, wall panelling provides a unique and rich aesthetic when implemented correctly. Whilst less commonly seen in modern residential homes, as well as being installed in smaller proportions, interior wall panelling can still be used to great effect to transform the otherwise bare walls of a property.
What is wall panelling?
Interior wall panelling can refer to a number of different specific components, though they are all similar in their purpose and application. Also known as wainscotting, wall panelling is a type of second fix timber finish that is applied over the face of the finished wall surface. Historically, wall panelling was used extensively in wealthier homes, as it provided a rich and warm aesthetic, served to hide any imperfections in the wall finish behind, and provided additional insulation in a period when buildings were generally colder than in modern times. Wall panelling of this period was formed from hardwoods such as oak or walnut, which provided a more hardwearing surface finish than that of the delicate plaster behind.
Similarly to other traditional components such as picture rails and curtain pelmets, this decorative feature is seeing a resurgence in a simplified implementation in modern homes, due in part to its clean aesthetic and relative ease of installation. In fact, this is a component that many homeowners attempt themselves in order to revitalise the feel of their house, due to the ease of installation and relatively low cost of the materials required.
Wall panelling can refer to the traditional style of timber panels and decorative mouldings that form the distinctive aesthetic. It can also refer to modern internal moulded panels that are installed either as individual lengths or in sheets, typically made from modern materials such as MDF. In fact, this term can refer to any decorative arrangement on an internal wall, as there are an endless amount of combinations that can be made to create accent walls.
What are the criteria for the installation of wall panelling?
All of the standard carpentry criteria are applicable here, though an emphasis must be made on the importance of tight joints and flush components. Wall panelling is a feature component regardless of the style, and is meant to draw the eye towards it. As such, it's imperative that the components are installed level, plumb, and square, and that all margins around the panels are even. Any imperfection is going to be spotted straight away, and really detract from the overall aesthetic. Suitable fixings and adhesives must be used to secure all of the individual components that come together to form the total assembly.
How is wall panelling installed?
Traditional timber wainscotting
Historically, timber wainscotting was installed as a premium option in wealthier homes, and was made from real planed timber. The total component was formed from actual panels, stiles, and rails to create the distinct design. This approach to the assembly is not too dissimilar to the process of creating handmade panel doors. The functional components involved in the creation of interior wainscotting has influenced the purely decorative assembly of modern interior wall panelling, with the components imitating the design of the more traditional assembly. The specific design and assembly of historical wainscotting depends on several criteria, such as time period of installation, materials available, the wealth of the customer, geography, and assembly choice of the carpenter. Examples of historical wainscotting can be seen assembled on the lower portion of the wall, capped with the dado rail, as well as reaching from the floor to the ceiling, with many different specific designs on display. As such, there is not hard and fast rule for the assembly of timber wainscotting, though we can look at the general method of assembly shared across most designs, and how the common components come together.
The frame of the wainscotting is formed from rails and stiles, these of which are assembled with joinery techniques such as mortise and tenons or floating tenons. For lower wall panelling, a bottom and top rail form the bulk of the total assembly, connected intermittently with stiles. Traditionally, the inside edge of these components were grooved out to receive the thin edges of the raised panel held captive within the frame. This assembly was raised off of the ground with enough height to maintain a sensible amount of the bottom rail on display, once the skirting board was installed at floor level. The top rail was capped with the dado rail, to finish the top of the total assembly in a decorative fashion. For full wall panelling, stiles continue up from the central rail to a higher top rail, and the same grooves are routed to receive the captive raised panels. From here, any combination of decorative mouldings can be installed as desired.
Modern interior lower wall panelling
This style of panelling isn't necessarily assembled in the same way as the more traditional style that it aims to replicate, but follow the same general design. Once again, there are many combinations that can be assembled to creating unique aesthetics, but here is a general explanation of the assembly procedure.
Thin sheets of MDF are typically attached to the wall to serve as the basis for the installation. More MDF is ripped down to emulate the rails and the stiles of the traditional wainscot aesthetic. The MDF left on display once the rails and stiles are installed give the illusion of a captive panel, though additional moulding or raised panels can be installed to further emulate the historic design. Modern skirting and dado rails are then installed to finish the component, with any desired moulding being installed afterwards.
Modern interior sheet cladding
Interior cladding is a fairly dated aesthetic in general, but can be implemented in some instances to create a modern feature finish. Whether installing individual cladding boards or sheets of shaped MDF that look like cladding, the process and criteria are more or less the same.
The first step here is to mark out the area that is receiving the cladding in the direction that the boards will be installed. Typically the cladding is going to be installed vertically, though sometimes it's installed horizontally. In order to space the cladding out correctly we need to find the centre point of the installation. If we start from one end of the room and just let loose, the very last piece is likely to be a rip. We want to avoid this uneven spacing, by working outwards from the middle so that both ends feature an identical rip. If the cladding is going to be installed onto masonry, we may need to counter batten the wall first to provide better fixings for us during the installation. If the wall is dry lined then we can fix the boards with adhesive and brad nails like we would any other moulding. 400mm centres will work best here for the spacings of the battens if required. We can start fixing the lengths in place starting from the middle of the room ensuring that the centre of our first board is installed directly in the centre of the room. This works going either vertically or horizontally across the wall. Install the cladding, applying adhesive to the back as we go. The joins of MDF sheets can be glued to prevent misalignment over time. Timber cladding should not be glued, as the expansion and shrinkage of the timber can split the lengths if glued. Vertical joins in MDF sheets can be sanded to hide the join. As we reach the end of the wall, the last pieces can be scribed in to create a tight fit down the wall.
To scribe these last boards in is as follows. Use a tape measure and measure the distance from the wall to the perfectly vertical edge of the fixed cladding, down the whole length of the board, taking note of the longest measurement. Be as accurate as possible in finding the largest distance, as this ensures minimum adjustment of the scribed board. Cut the last board down to the largest width, consistently down its length, with a small allowance of about 1mm. This tolerance will allow for minimal fine tuning and will allow the final rip to easily fit into place. Any remaining gap will be very small, and this will always be caulked anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Take the consistent width offcut, and place it on the face of the existing panelling, and push it into the wall. Use a level or laser to align this rip, so that it is in contact with the wall at the shortest point, and perfectly plumb. Use nails or screw to temporarily pin this board in place. Take a compass and set the distance so that the lead of the pencil just kisses the furthest point of the board to the wall. Run the compass down the length of the board to mark the scribe, and cut to the line. With the compass set this way, we’re taking nothing off of the rip at the longest point, which is already cut to the width of the longest point. The resulting rip should be perfect provided the board was perfectly plumb and the scribe was accurate. Some small adjustments may be needed in order to get the panel in, but as long as accuracy has been maintained, there won't be any major requirements for large adjustments.