Beautify Your Home with Wood Paneling

The problem associated with concrete wall is its evenness. Even flat-finished concrete walls are not attractive no matter how you paint it because looking at it from a distance, the defects of plastering is still very prominent. If you really want a very nice-looking wall free of imperfections, cover it with wood paneling.

Wall paneling comes in two choices—board paneling or sheet paneling. Whatever of the two choices you pick, one thing is beneficial—durability and ease of maintenance. Never mind if wood paneling costs you so much. It is still a good investment worth considering. Transform your existing wall into an exciting new environment.

Wall paneling requires too much carpentry works, but if you have complete tools wall paneling works come easily. Tools such as claw hammer, combination square, tape rule, carpenter’s level, plumb bob, back saw, fine-toothed hand saw, keyhole saw, coping saw, circular saw, auger brace, electric drill, miter box, caulking gun, sawhorse, pry bar, are all you need to get started.

Paneling terms

Here are the paneling terms that you should know about:

• Backing board – Kind of material, such as gypsum board or acoustic board, fastened to the wall studs to add rigidity to the panel and also for sound insulation and fire resistance purposes..
• Batten – small boards, about 1”x2” generally used over seams of wide boards.
• Blocking – short lengths of 2”x 4” installed horizontally between studs to serve as nailing base for the panels.
• Chalk line – Line used for marking a straight line across a distance.
• Countersinking – using a nailset to drive nails so their heads are slightly below the surface.
• Furring – strips of wood evenly spaced and nailed to a wall to provide a flat and plumb surface for paneling.
• Miter box – two pieces of material (usually molding) cut at an angle so their edges fit together without showing end grain.
• Molding – strips used for finishing and decorating. In paneling, molding can be used where paneling meets ceiling, floor, and openings, and as decoration on walls.
• Nominal lumber dimension – sizes used when buying lumber. Actual sizes are smaller.
• Plates, top, and bottom – horizontal 2 x 4s to which studs are attached, framing walls in a house.
• Scoring – marking with a sharp tool.
• Scribing – duplicating a wall’s uneven contour on the surface of a panel.
• Shimming – filling out an uneven space by inserting pieces of tapered wood, often shingles.
• Template – a pattern used as a guide to cut shapes accurately.
• Wainscot – a facing, usually wood, used on the lower part of a wall. Wall area above is finished in a different material; molding often separates the two treatments.

SOLID BOARD PANELING

Because of textures, subtle variations in color and grain, imperfections, and natural fragrance, solid board paneling is particularly warm and inviting. Solid board paneling is simply paneling made of solid boards. In some cases, it’s regular lumber—1 by 4s, 1 b 6s, and so forth. But most of the time, the boards used have milled edges to overlap or interlock. The three most common are square edge, tongue-and-groove, and shiplap, are used.

The thickness of paneling boards ranges from 3/8 inch to 7/8 inch. The most common thicknesses, though, are ½ inch and ¾ inch.

Board widths range from 3 to 12 inches; but remember that these are nominal, not actual sizes. A 1 by 4 is not 1 inch by 4 inches. Milling and surfacing the edges reduce the size of the boards to about ¾ inch by 3-1/2 inches (the actual width depends upon the milling).

No matter what the milling, boards may be rough or smooth. The grade of wood may be “clear” for a smooth, formal appearance or “knotty” for a rough, informal appearance.

Solid board species

Here in the Philippines, the most common species of solid boards are the Philippine Mahogany and narra. But in Western countries like the USA, they have so much species to choose from, such as birch, cherry, mahogany, maple, oak, pecan, rosewood, teak, and walnut (hardwoods). The softwoods come from evergreens, such as cedar, cypress, fir, hemlock, pine, redwood, and spruce.

Installation patterns of solid board panel

To deviate from the usual pattern of vertical installation, some other methods are used nowadays, such as horizontal, diagonal, herringbone, random width and thickness, board and batten, board on gap, board on board, and strip-facing patterns.

Points to remember when buying boards for paneling

Remember that the nominal size (the size you order) is larger than the actual size of the boards. Please see the following table:

Nominal size Actual size

1 by 2              ¾” by 1-1/2”

1 by 3              ¾” by 2-1/2”

1 by 4               ¾” x 3-1/2”

1 by 6              ¾” by 5-1/2”

1 by 8               ¾” by 7-1/4”

1 by 10              ¾” x 9-1/4”

1 by 12             ¾” x 11-1/4”

SHEET PANELING

Sheet paneling is a catchall term for wall paneling that comes in large panels—most commonly 4 by 8 feet. All sheet paneling products are machine-made. There are two main types of sheet panels—hardboard and plywood. Hardboard is made of compressed wood fibers and recycled solid particles. Plywood is made from thin layers called veneers that are sandwich and glued together.

But when you look at the wall you don’t see a plywood or hardboard. What you see is the surface in veneer, treated in any way by the manufacturers. Some surfaces are meant to be painted, some resemble real wood, and others are veneered with real wood that’s either pre-finished or meant to be finished by the buyer.

In the Philippines, some customers choose gypsum boards as sheet panels than hardboard or plywood because they are fire-resistant and very smooth and even surfaces. But, gypsum boards require metal furring instead of lumber.

Plywood paneling

There are many varieties of plywood in Western countries. In the Philippines, we use only two kinds—narra and Philippine Mahogany. The better plywood panels have surface veneers of real wood. The advantage of plywood over solid boards is that a plywood is less expensive and won’t warp.

Plywood comes in textures ranging from highly polished to roughly textured. The wood veneers are real to the touch, and many have the warm fragrance of wood. Standard plywood sheets are 4 by 8 feet, but you can get some special sizes of 4 by 9 or 4 by 10, but they are already much expensive than the standard sizes. The standard thickness of plywood for interior wall purposes is ¼ inch. Less than this thickness is not advisable because it is difficult to work with and less durable. Others prefer to use thicker than ¼”, say 3/8 or ½ inch, or even ¾” inch, depending on the purpose.

Hardboard paneling

Hardboard is tough, pliable, and some are water-resistant. Like the plywood sheet, it also sold in 4 by 8 feet standard size. The thicknesses are also same as with plywood. There are also hardboard types that are laminated with plastic laminates to make them water-resistant and ideal for bathrooms, especially tub and shower enclosures. There are also a special type of hardboard which is called perboard with drilled holes for hanging purposes. This type of a hardboard is also effective as storage wall.

Gypsum board paneling

Gypsum boards could be used both as a finish surface material and backing to a plywood sheet or hardboard. Regarding its sizes, they normally come in plywood sizes, but in some Western countries, they come in 4 by 16 feet.

OTHER SHEET PANELING MATERIALS

Each of the following unusual and somewhat specialized paneling materials fills a specific need. Though not designed as wall paneling, these materials can be used for that purpose under the right circumstances. You may consult your dealer regarding their information and installation techniques.

Particle board or chipboard

Made from particles of wood impregnated with glue and compressed into 4 by 8-foot sheets, particle board is quite heavy and yet less expensive. Unfinished panels have a speckled appearance and come in thicknesses of ½, 5/8, ¾, and 1 inch. Until recently, particle board was seldom used in paneling. But its recent use in finished furniture has stimulated experimentation. Because of its weight, particle board must be glued or bolted to the wall. This board is not recommended to be painted with water-based paint because they soak into the panels.

Fiberboard

Fiberboards are divided into two categories—medium density (MDF) and high density (HDF). The surface of the fiberboard is smooth and even. Fiberboard is heavier than a plywood of same size. The common uses of fiberboard is on top surfaces of tables, and as sound-absorbing material. They are also categorized as moisture resistant and non-moisture resistant.

Acoustical board

Like fiberboard, acoustical board is not durable. But is has sound-absorbing quality than fiberboard. They come in plywood sizes and sometimes in “tiles” in various sizes. Typically, a tile of acoustical board has small holes in regular or decorative patterns on the surface. It comes with a flange for stapling to furring or with a beveled edge for application with adhesive.