How to Prepare Walls for Paneling

Like painting, wallpapering, and most other interior finishing approaches, a successful paneling job requires careful preparation of the surface to be covered. Read the following instructions carefully and complete the necessary preparations before you begin installing any paneling.

Removing molding and baseboards

First, you’ll need to remove all molding, baseboards, and “shoes” (usually oval-shaped strips on the baseboards). If you plan to reuse the molding material, be careful to avoid marring or splitting as you remove it. Since most molding is attached with finishing nails, you have a choice of two ways to remove it.

One method of removing molding is to hammer a thin, broad-bladed pry behind the molding and gently pry outward until the molding begins to give. Then move the bar over a few inches and repeat the process until the entire piece comes loose. Some nails will probably stay with the molding and others will pull through and remain sticking out of the wall. Using pliers, pull out the nails in the molding from the back side. Hammer in those nails remaining in the wall.

Another method to remove molding is to locate the nails and, using a nailset, drive each one all the way through the molding. After the molding is lifted off, pull out the nails. For hardwood moldings, this method is the best but be careful not to crack the molding.

How to locate and mark wall studs

You’ll have to locate the studs hidden within your present wall before you can attach the paneling. If you’re installing furring strips first, you’ll need to nail the strips to the studs through the wall’s surface. If paneling is installed on the wall without furring, panels or boards are nailed directly to the studs through the wall.

Vertical studs of 2 by 4s are normally spaced either 16 or 24 inches apart, center to center. They’re nailed at the top and bottom of the wall frame to 2 by 4 horizontal plates. At corners and around door and window frames, studs are usually doubled.

There are three methods for locating studs. As you find each one, mark it by snapping a chalk line.

• Measure in 16 and 24 inches from each end of the wall. At those points, knock on the wall several times with your knuckles or the heel of your hand and listen closely. You’ll hear either a solid thud or a hollow sound. A hollow sound indicates you should try again. After you find the first stud, measure over 16 or 24 inches (the same as the distance from the corner to the first stud) to locate the next one.
• A second method is to use a magnetic stud finder, an inexpensive little tool with a magnetized needle that fluctuates when it passes over a nail head. If your existing wall covering is nailed to studs, the stud finder can help you locate the studs. It won’t work on wall coverings attached with adhesives or where there’s other metal beneath the wall’s surface (like plaster over wire mesh).
• A third method is to probe into the wall about 2 inches above the floor using a long nail or drill. When you find a stud, measure 16 or 24 inches from that point to find the next stud.

Inspect the surface you are going to panel

It’s essential to check the wall surface carefully to see if it’s flat and plumb. If the surface of the wall is very bumpy or significantly out of plumb, you’ll need to add furring strips.

To check the surface for flatness, hold a long, straight 2 by 4 against the wall. (Don’t use too short a straightedge because it may not adequately reveal irregularities.) Check the entire surface of the wall.

Then see if the wall is plumb. The easiest method to find out is to hold a carpenter’s level against the wall. The level bubbles should be properly framed between the hairlines. If you don’t have a level, tack a plumb bob to the ceiling and while it is hanging still, measure the distance from the wall to the string in several points. Move the plumb bob and repeat the procedure several times more. A plumb wall will show no variations.

If the wall is flat and plumb and you’re using an adhesive, clean the wall with an ordinary household cleaner or a specialized wall cleaning product. Rinse the wall well and let it dry. Then use paneling adhesive to apply paneling directly to the surface.

If the wall is plumb but with little bumps or damage, you can nail paneling directly to the wall but you provide subsurface wooden studs or plates where you can nail it to.