Tongue and groove Wainscoting 5″ red oak
Have a wainscoting install that is being installed vertically, 42″ high, with 5″ tongue and groove 1/2″ red oak planks. Couple questions.
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To finish it out properly with window/door casing, I cant install more than 1/4″ material as a nailer (so the casing is slightly proud), and concerned that is not enough meat for nails. So planing to glue with PL premium as well. Do you think the PL premium and quarter inch MDF will be enough to hold it properly? Basboard and top rail will hit studs along length on install.
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I’ve read a lot about movement, so it’s important to leave a small gap by the floor, and also in the inside corners. Planning to let it acclimate for a week, and will leave gaps and put a cove molding on the inside corners, is there anything else I can do to avoid movement? Fortunately we are in Colorado so the humidity is pretty consistent, Due to the material being so insanely expensive, want to make sure I am doing everything i can!
Thanks for any advice!
Replies
Hi mporter,
I'm not clear from your description whether this is new construction or a retrofit over existing wall finish, or whether the t&g wainscot is to be installed on interior partition or exterior facing wall surfaces but here are a couple of recommendations for these different scenarios.
1.) New construction (open/exposed interior wall framing): Install at least 2 continuous horizontal bands of 2x4 blocking between and flush to the face of your wall studs, high and low, to provide a solid nail bed for the wainscot. PL premium in a zigzag pattern over these nailers will help resist movement.
2.) New construction (open/exposed exterior wall framing): Same as above, but you'll want to include an air barrier layer over the face of your exposed framing. If you use a membrane-type air barrier, you lose the opportunity to glue the wainscot to the framing, unless you install 1/4" tempered hardboard over the membrane (say, with ringshank siding nails); then you can adhere the wainscot to the hardboard and nail through it to your horizontal blocking.
3.) Existing interior wall (sheetrock or plaster finish): I don't believe the 1/4" MDF will provide adequate meat for attachment between studs so I'd recommend either removing the existing wall finish below 42" and installing solid flush blocking, or using an oscillating multi-tool, carefully cut a couple of 3-4" high channels through the wall finish and install rips of plywood that match the thickness of your existing wall finish to serve as continuous nailers.
4.) Existing exterior wall (sheetrock or plaster finish): The same as above, but paint the plywood rips and caulk the seams between the plywood and the existing wall finish to help maintain the continuity of the air barrier.
To address your legitimate concern about the projection of the casing beyond the wainscot, you have a few options:
* Install the casing directly over the wainscot and use rips of flush fillers to close the gap between the backside of the casing and your wall finish above 42". You'll use extension jambs to conceal the vertical edge of the wainscot. It's worth saying that this will be achieved more easily if the casing is to be painted.
* If the casing is stain-grade, you could use thicker (full 5/4" casing) and rabbet 1/2" out of the casing to slightly overlap the leading vertical edge of the wainscot.
The advantage to these 2 methods is that you end up with a heavier casing above the wainscot which can be helpful when landing a cap molding (if that's your intent).
Also, always a good idea to seal the backside of the wainscot material (to help resist movement, especially on exterior walls). I'm also known to over-glue everything so don't be shy with the PL Premium (and you'll use less fasteners).
Just a few quick thoughts here from Rhode Island. Good luck!