How to Panel & Trim Interior Walls
There are many materials that can be used to cover walls. Sheetrock is a common choice. Drywall is like sheetrock. Paneling is another option that is easier to install than sheetrock or drywall. Paneling is generally 1/4-inch thick and is made from either real or compressed wood. It lasts a long time and looks great with trim added. Molding can be added as trim to give the room a tasteful and finished look. Installation can be done by a professional, or by you. Save money doing it yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Claw hammer
- Pry bar
- Cordless drill
- Phillips head bit
- Tape measure
- Marking pencil
- Straight edge
- 4-foot wide by 8-foot long sheets of paneling
- Circular saw
- Finishing nails
- Molding, 8-foot long pieces
Instructions
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Remove all of the existing wall board using a cordless drill and Phillips head bit if the walls are sheet rocked or a claw hammer and pry bar if the walls have wood paneling or pine board on them. Tap in or counter sink any nails or screws that may protrude from the studs once the material on the walls is removed.
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Use a tape measure to find the height of the wall. Plan to use sheets of paneling that come 8-feet tall. Divide the height measurement by 8 to figure out how many sheets of paneling it will take to cover the height of the wall. Measure the width of all of the walls in the room. Add all of the width measurements together. Divide that number by 4 to figure out how many sheets wide the room will need. Use the width measurement for each wall divided by 2 to find the center point of each wall. Mark the center point vertically down the wall at that point with a straight edge and marking pencil.
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3
Measure, mark and cut the paneling to size. Use a straight edge and a marking pencil to create dark lines by running the pencil along the straight edge several times. Cut along the lines using a circular saw.
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Hold a piece of paneling that has been cut to be the height of the wall up to the wall so that the center of the paneling is centered with the center point of the width of the wall. Tap finishing nails through the paneling and into the studs in the wall behind it. Install the paneling on each wall in this way to have paneling that is installed in a symmetrical fashion.
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Use the width measurements of each wall to figure out how long each piece of molding should be. Plan to use molding that is 8-feet long. Divide the walls width by 8 to see how many pieces of molding per wall it will take.
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Use a circular saw to cut the molding to the length it needs to be. Choose to angle the ends and fit them together by cutting each end at a 45-degree angle or cut the molding straight across at the ends for easier installation.
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Use a hammer and finishing nails to tack the molding to the top edge of each wall in the room. Do the same along the bottom edge of the room with a kick board molding if desired.
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Tips & Warnings
Measure carefully to avoid mistakes.
Use care and caution while using a circular saw. Wear eye protection.
