I’ve got a possible basement remodel coming up here and the clients want wainscoting all around the finished basement. I’ve put up 3 1/4″ t & g beadboard before in remodel situations, but not in new construction. Not really new construction, but I’ll be framing new walls all around the concrete foundation wall perimeter so I have my choice of substrate for the wainscoting.
My main question is, can I skip bringing the drywall all the way down to the floor and use horizontal furring strips instead to back the wainscoting? I don’t know if this would be a code issue or not in terms of fire safety (Maybe it would require extra fire blocks in the stud bays?)
I’ll check with the city to see if there’s a local code issue, but I was hoping someone had some idea if there were good or bad reasons to do this.
A second part of the question is what people think about sheet wainscoting. I’ve never used it before and am wondering if it would make sense in a situation like this where it potentially would save some time and maybe material costs for an 800 sq ft basement.
Any advice on pros and cons of sheets of wainscoting would be greatly appreciated.
Paul
Replies
There's real nice sheet wainscotting and real thin crap stuff.
You might consider a plywood backing instead of skip sheathing. either or is fine IMO. Depends what you're looking for.
I used skip sheathing on this "3/4" sheet wainscotting" in the mudroom.
In the bathroom pic I used 2x4 and 1x4 skip sheathing under 3/4" knotty T&G real wainscotting (the walls were "really" out of plumb) which I back primed
You know, not to generalize, but the 29% of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a big one. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true.
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Andy,You have any action shots of the bath wainscoting being assembled? I'm thinking of doing the same thing in a bath I'm working on now, but was just going to run 2x4 blocking at the sole plate and 4' up. Think that's enough support for T&G?Thanks,
Steve
Steve...no. You need more to nail to than justthe top and bottom.
The biggest complaint about real T&G WS is that it separates with the seasons...even WITH back priming.The other thing about back priming besides the fact that it helps seal the wood from absorbing more moisture than necessary is that you will end up priming the "entire board". In doing so when it separates....if it does, at least any spaces will have paint on them and not look as dark being raw wood.
You need more nailers to help keep the wood more stable. I had nailers every 12". Its no biggie so.......
Have fun.
I lost most all my pic to a puter crash and no back up...ughhhhhhhhh.
If you look at that window...the jamb...you can see how out of plumb that back wall is...its even worse than whats in the picture. This house is 364 years old though so....thats another reason I added an addition onto the back of this place! It really helped this house a lot. It was like giving it a walker....lol
You know, not to generalize, but the 29% of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a big one. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true.
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Thanks Andy,I'll add the additional support and nail every 12". Did you face nail or come in through the tongue?And, who's the guy in the portrait? Duke Ellington?
No face nails except under the base and cap if you want.
Everythings through the tongue.
Yeh...my wife used to be an illustrator...water colors...thats one of hers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17BUSH.html?ex=1255665600en=890a96189e162076ei=5090
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Thanks for the reply Andy,
I've probably just seen the thin stuff before, as what I've seen in the past looks pretty apparent that it's sheet stock. But for this long of a stretch of wainscoting, it seems like it may be a more cost effective method for the HOs. I like using the planks, there's just something that feels right as you fit each piece into the next one...so we'll see what they say.Good looking pics of your work. What profile were you using at the wainscot cap? I couldn't tell from the pictures if it was a chair rail, or 2 different pieces of trim.Paul
I actually prefer the sheet beadboard, provided it's thick and has nice deep grooves. Like Andy said, the seasonal movement of the T&G wainscot bothers me.Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Remodelerator
By the way, I used the sheet products in part of a 1,000 sq. ft. basement I refinished this past winter...if you are looking for more examples of the sheet beadboard in situ:
View ImageJustin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Remodelerator
I think that the firing strips are okay but ripping 1/2" CDX would be better. Primer on the bottom edge and both sides will help it from sucking up moister.
As far as sheet wainscoting... Sheets look like sheets to me and the real thing, well looks like the real boards. (BTW. Vertical beadboard isn't the only style of wainscoting. I've done thousands of sq.ft. of it and it seems to me that vertical bead is on its way out of fashion lately.) Most important, can the HO tell the difference and do they care.
Best to you and yours, Chris.
Building as thou art paranoid never harmed anyone.
I did my bath with the pre-primed mdf sheet wainscotting. Backed it with 1/2" ply, kept it up a couple of inches so it would stay out of any water. Capped everything with base and trim. I used minimum nails, glued the sheets to the ply. Its been 4 yrs. and still looks like a million bucks, IIDSSM.
I recently bought some 4x8x 3/8 sheets of beaded ply from a lumber yard. Much different material than the paneling sold at Lowes. For an 800 sf basement I would certainly consider the ply.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Paul -
You could consider using primed WindsorOne beadboard - can't beat the price.
Jeff
Frame the stud walls as usual, but run your firestops at the height you want the top of the wainscotting to be. This would be typically 42-48" but could be higher in a tall room. Then run two more rows of blocking, at roughly 16" and 32" up from the sole plate. If the wainscotting runs much higher than 48", add a third row of blocking.
Now you can lay both your gyprock and the wainscotting on the same plane, without having to furr out the gyprock.
Dinosaur
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Here are some pics of 1X6 Cyprus T&G. All edges and ends are sealed. This is a small bath and the bead board is 84" AFF.
The commode wall.
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The shelf runs across this door head.
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The shelf stops at the transom.
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There is an 8" shelf at the shower wall.
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Here is the pedestal sink wall.
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Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood