Carpentry  /  January 20, 2022

Wainscoting & Board and Batten Walls Add Character to Your Home

Wainscoting & Board and Batten Walls Add Character

When installing wainscoting you can find many different options of what type to get for your home. There are three main types that you will encounter when looking at markets or on construction sites. These are board and batten, chair rail, and dado rails. Each of these options has its own applications and advantages.

Board & Batten

This is a really popular style that you will see used on most homes. Many times it is installed in high traffic areas such as hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, and other places where space is at a premium. It is also used as a transitional style when covering a wall that has no crown molding but you want to add some decorative elements.

The benefits of this piece are that it is easy to install and very customizable. You can choose from a wide array of materials and also more than one color on the same piece. It’s great for remodels because it doesn’t require any woodworking skills and it is available in almost any color system you can think of. The downside is that it doesn’t offer much visual interest because you will see the exact same pattern in many places throughout the home. Also, once installed it may not blend well with any rugs or other furniture pieces you may have in your home.

Chair Rail

This is another common style that you will see used in homes across America. It’s also a very versatile piece as it can be installed in more areas than just above the fireplace. The benefits of this piece are that it offers an excellent visual impact when installed and gives you a nice decorative line to put on your floor for your guests to walk across. It looks great in modern homes because the look is clean and well put together. The downside of this type is that it requires some carpentry skills and also requires a little more money to install because you will have to have thicker lumber than say board and batten or dado rails.

Dado Rails

Dado rails offer the highest visual impact out of all the other options and they really bring a sense of warmth to whatever room you place them in. They are also very easy to install because you don’t need any carpentry skills whatsoever. They are thinner than board and batten but are about the same thickness as chair rails so that’s something to consider if you want the clean lines of board and batten but like some more thickness.

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