Mortar and Murder (38 page)

3. Measure the desired height of the wainscot and draw a level line the whole way around the room to mark the reference point for installation. If you’re doing a whole wall, or the whole room, repeat the process all the way up the wall to the ceiling.

4. Carefully lay out and mark on your walls where all the pieces that will form the wainscot (horizontal rails and vertical stiles) will go.

5. Use the table saw to rip all your stock ahead of time to the size you’ve determined you need. You’re essentially building a grid, so make sure the stiles fit snugly between the rails.

6. Use nails and construction adhesive to secure the top (horizontal) rail along the level line.

7. Secure all of the vertical stiles in place. Use the level to make sure that the corners are square.

8. Secure the bottom rail below the stiles.

9. Secure the top cap—the decorative piece that finishes off the wainscot. If you’re planning to panel the whole wall, skip this step and add more stiles on top of the top rail for the next section of your paneled wall.

10. Cut and secure the baseboard.

11. If you’re going all the way up the wall, cut and secure the crown molding to finish the wall.

12. Sand any saw marks and sharp edges.

13. Caulk joints.

14. Prime and paint.

 

If you’re limiting yourself to doing a wainscot, a fancy crown molding adds balance under the ceiling. You can spend money and effort on putting together a multi-tiered crown molding, or you can fake it: By adding a decorative trim piece or two to the bottom of the existing crown molding, if needed, and by adding a piece or two of decorative trim a couple of inches farther down the wall, and then painting the trim pieces and the wall between them the same color, you give the impression that the whole area is crown molding. Works like a charm!

FATAL FIXER-UPPER
SPACKLED AND SPOOKED
PLASTER AND POISON
MORTAR AND MURDER