How to Install Bead Board

Bead board gives a room a nice warm country feel. Remove base boards before starting a wall installation of bead board. Then re-install base boards on top of bead boards once the bead board installation is complete.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Nail gun with small brads
• Hammer
• Nail set
• Table saw

1. Align grooved edge of the starting bead board along the edge of a wall.

2. Shoot a small brad into the bottom of the tongue of the first board with a nail gun. Shoot the brad at a slight angle in toward the board. Shoot a second brad into the tongue at the halfway point, and a third brad into the tongue at the top.

3. Make sure all brads are set at or just below the surface of the tongue so they do not interfere when the grove of the next board that is inserted over them.

4. Insert the grove of the second board over the tongue of the first board, making sure it is set firmly in place. Nail the tongue of the second board the same way you did the first board, and continue across the wall.

5. Use a specially designed outside square corner bead when making 90-degree outside corners. Cut boards using a table saw when butting inside corners. Molding can be tacked or glued onto inside corners, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• If using a hammer instead of a nail gun, set the heads of your brads with a nail set to prevent them from interfering with the attachment of the next board.
• Set your nail gun to a low setting when starting, and adjust upwards as necessary to prevent damage to delicate boards.