How to Install Bead Board & Mouldings

Homeowners of yesteryear installed beadboard on their walls as wainscoting, to protect the lower half of the walls against rising moisture and foot traffic damage, according to a beadboard article at the Bob Vila website. These days, homeowners like beadboard because it is decorative, easy to install and wipes clean. Usually, you will install beadboard and moulding together. The tops and bottom edges of the vertical, butted-together strips that characterize beadboard look raw if installed without moulding. Most people add moulding at the top and bottom of a section of beadboard to cover these edges and create a more finished final appearance.

• 1

  Draw a layout line around the room. First, determine where you want the top of your beadboard to rest. If you are installing it as wainscoting, you will want to draw your line between 32 and 36 inches from the floor. Use a long level as you draw the line, to make sure that the line stays even.

• 2

  Cut all your beadboard to the desired length. Often, you can ask the home improvement store employees to pre-cut your beadboard.

• 3

  Count your room's corners. Take out two corner pieces for each corner; you will need two for each corner since you will have to glue two together to make one corner piece. These corner pieces are usually included with beadboard paneling, and have pre-mitered edges. Unite your corner pieces with your paneling adhesive and set the constructed pieces out to dry.

• 4

  Add a line of adhesive around the back edges of one of your completed corner pieces. Place the piece inside one of your room's corners. Nail the piece to the wall using two 4d nails in each tongue. Put a nail at the top, and put one at the bottom. Do this for all your room's corners.

• 5

  Cover a section of wall next to one of your installed corner pieces, using paneling adhesive. Apply horizontal stripes of glue to the wall that extend about one to two feet from your corner piece.

• 6

  Slip a beadboard panel's groove underneath your corner piece's tongue, which will "click" into place. Make sure the newly-installed beadboard piece lines up with your layout line. Add a 4d nail at the top and bottom of your installed beadboard piece. Continue around the room using this installation method. Whenever you run out of glued wall, apply another foot or two of adhesive onto the wall.

• 7

  Create moulding corner pieces for all your room's corners. Cut the outside corners of your chair rail and baseboards using your miter saw at 45 degree angles. Cope your mouldings' inside corners. Cope corners by cutting one corner flat, so its end will sit directly against the wall. Then, cut the second piece so it will butt up against the first piece, to match the first piece's façade. Use a router or a jigsaw to make coped ends.

• 8

  Attach your chair rail moulding to the top edge of your wainscoting, using 4d nails, and starting with your corner pieces. Install your baseboard moulding similarly.