Advantages of Adding Wainscoting to Your Home

Whether you are looking for a way to freshen up your home, add unique style to your home, or add value to your home, a great way to do so is with wainscoting.

Whether you are looking for a way to freshen up your home, add unique style to your home, or add value to your home, a great way to do so is with wainscoting.  Wainscoting is timeless and classic but it can be used in a myriad of ways, regardless of architectural style or interior decor aesthetic.  A home’s exterior architecture is a first impression for anyone who visits.  While a home’s exterior architecture is incredibly important, the interior architecture of the home is important as well.  By installing wainscoting you can highlight architectural features of your home, add visual interest and depth and make a more beautiful home in which to live.

Many people are familiar with the term wainscoting but many also confuse it with beadboard.  While the two are similar, there is a difference. Apartment Therapy explains the difference between beadboard and wainscoting that helps put wainscoting into context or our discussion, “Wainscoting is a kind of wood paneling used for centuries as both decorative accents, insulation and to prevent (and cover up) water damage on walls. Originally riven oak boards would cover the entire wall, but in the 1700s panelling began to cover only the lower part of the wall. The key elements of any kind of wainscoting are the panel and the frame around that panel. This frame comprises four pieces: the top and bottom rails and the two side pieces (aka the stiles)… Beadboard is a row of narrow wood planks lined up vertically. In between each wood plank is a little indentation or ridge–also known as a “bead”. These days most ‘beadboard’ comes in long, monolithic sheets that are easy to install and imitate the look of narrow vertical planks.”

Wainscoting can be used as decorative paneling, many people are naturally drawn to the visual contrast and pattern that wainscoting provides.  Today there are many styles of wainscoting to suit a variety of interior decor and architectural styles.  Wainscoting can subtly enhance a room without intruding into existing space.  Wainscoting patterns include plain, paneled, or a variety of raised-wood trim patterns.

While wainscoting is beautiful and a great way to enhance the interior of any home, it serves more than a purely decorative purpose.  Wainscoting is used to cover existing damage to walls in a unique and appealing way.  Additionally, wainscoting can prevent damage from occurring in the first place from things like dents or scuffs from chairs, people or doorknobs.  It also provides insulation that improves a home’s energy efficiency. Wainscoting is easy to clean and simply needs to be wiped down to keep looking its best.  It is a wonderful addition to any home and can be installed relatively quickly by a handyman or contractor to add beauty and value to your home.