Where to Put Wainscoting in the Home

For a Home Improvement Project Consider Wainscoting on the Walls

Aug 18, 2009

In order to protect the walls from damage, consider adding wainscoting to a few rooms. Not only is it appealing, it can stop marks, scratches and scrapes to the wall.

Originally dating back to the 1300s, wainscoting was used by the Dutch to protect walls from the rigor of every day living. In those days sharp tools, boot spurs and other objects made of metal and wood could take a toll on a wall in a hurry.

Today wainscoting makes a nice addition to several different rooms in the home. Appealing to the eye, wainscoting can protect walls from dirty boots, dirty hand prints and bumps into the wall while moving items like furniture. Here are some tips on where to put wainscoting in a home next time a home improvement project is on the list.

Entryways

In formal entrances use wainscoting that is made in panels. This will give an alluring sophisticated look while still protecting the walls. In less formal places, use bead board or plywood to protect from umbrellas, backpacks, bags and shoes.

Hallways

Wainscoting makes a lot of sense in narrow hallways. As people carry bags and packages, it can be quite easy to bump into the walls unknowingly.

Staircases

Staircases are notorious for having their walls banged up. Wainscoting on the walls along the stairway will protect the walls from moving furniture up and down the stairs.

Dining Rooms

Wainscoting can actually be quite sophisticated in dining areas. Apart from the decorative paneled designs, certain wainscoting is even grooved to hold plates in a decorative manner. Also be sure that the wainscoting rises past the chair height around the dining table. There has been many a guest over the course of history that has pushed back from the dinner table only to bang into the wall and leave a mark.

Bathrooms

If tiling isn’t in the cards, consider using wainscoting. There are moisture resistant wainscoting products that will not warp. This can be an excellent way to guard the dry wall from both moisture and water damage.

Recreation Rooms

Much like the functional capacity of the wainscoting found in dining areas that hold plates, wainscoting with a thick rail can be added to recreation rooms. Guests can place drinks or bite sized snacks upon the rail. This is especially nice around a pool table or ping pong table where the guests need to keep the playing area clean.

A Child’s Room

While the children will probably not notice or care what is on the walls behind their latest posters and pictures of their favorite musical groups, sports stars or other icons, wainscoting can be exceptionally easy to clean. Also, it protects the walls from any roughhousing the might occur. It’s much harder to accidentally put a whole in a section of wainscoting then it is a piece of dry wall.

The copyright of the article Where to Put Wainscoting in the Home in Interior Decorating is owned by Armand Famiglietti. Permission to republish Where to Put Wainscoting in the Home in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.