Installing Beadboard
Bead board is a type of paneling which has a series of distinctive vertical beaded grooves.
Traditionally bead board is installed so that the grooves run vertically, creating a striped or paneled effect. Historically bead board was installed along a horizontal axis to protect walls from chairs. This is a look that was often found in farmhouses.
Bead board is milled with a tongue on one side and a groove on the other side so that the boards fit together flush and create a continuous beaded panel look.
Bead board comes in thicknesses of 3/8,” 1/2″,” to ¾.”
On this project we purchased out bead board and allowed it to acclimate to the jobsite a few days prior to installing.
Installing Bead Board:
1. LAYOUT: We used the window bottoms as a stopping point for the chair rail. Subtracting ¾” for the thickness of the chair rail gave us the top height of the bead board.
Photo above: Red laser line used as a layout on far wall. Photo below: Window trim but to allow chair rail nosing to fit under.
2. Always begin with a level line. We used a laser level and a 6’ level to mark a continuous line around the room. You can also snap chalk lines. Your level line should be at the height of the top of the where the bead board will hang. This is crucial to lining up your bead board paneling.
3. Use the measurements below for your specific kit. These are the lengths of the boards that will run from the floor to the chair rail molding.
For 32″ height, the measurement from the floor is 31-1/4″
For 36″ height, the measurement from the floor is 35-1/4″
For 42″ height, the measurement from the floor is 41-1/4″
4. After the lines are drawn, measure from the line to the floor in multiple spots to see if the floor is level. In our case it was not and we had to adjust our bead board lengths a few times.
5. Mark all of your studs at the top section of the wall. Make sure you can see your marks with the bead board in place.
6. To save time and work efficiently, we cut all of our bead board at one time and then installed it. To avoid any moisture from wicking into the end cuts we kept the bead board 3/4 “to 1” off the concrete basement floor. Baseboard will cover this gap.
7. Starting in a corner I used a level to hold my first piece of bead board plumb, with the top of the bead board touching my level line and scribe it to the corner. All cutting was done to the “groove” end of the bead board.
8. Once I had a good fit I secured the first board to the wall with construction adhesive and six penny finish nails. I nailed through the face of the wool at the very top [are covered by Scotia molding] and very bottom. [Into the 2×4 shoe plate.] I also blind nailed approximately three to four nails into the tongue and an angle. [Blind nailing means that the nails.
9. Use a jigsaw or table saw to cut the scribe line.
10. After the first board is installed use a zigzag motion to apply the bead board construction adhesive to the wall. Put the bead board in place and nail. Face nail into the studs as you pass them.
11. When you get to the end of a wall leave the second to last board loose until you scribe, cut and are ready to fit the last board. This will allow you to fold / hinge out the late two boards and them snap them into place. Once in place apply face nails into the last board corner stud and top and bottom of both bead boards.
12. It may become necessary to use a narrower piece of bead board paneling to finish your corners. This is best accomplished by using a table saw, but you can also use a circular saw to trim the bead board in a face down position.
13. Repeat the above step as you work from corner to corner around the room.
14. You may need to make some cuts for switch, outlet or window openings, for unlevel floors, and for wall endings. A jig saw is useful for many of these cuts.
15. Outside corners can be mitered or butted.
16. After installing bead board, you can choose decorative chair rail cap and molding trim to use around the top and also attach baseboard trim to the bottom to give your room a finished look.
17. Run the chair rail nosing on top of the bead board wainscoting you’ve set into place. Using finishing nails, nail from the top of the bull nose into the ends of the tongue and groove boards.
18. Apply a Scotia or cove molding underneath the bull nose, nail into the face of the tongue and groove boards. Counter sink the nails with a nail set in order to hide the nail heads, afterwards use caulk or wood filler to fill in the area where the nails were set.
