# Bathroom panelling / wainscoting



## bobblezard (22 Jan 2021)

Hi, I'm planning on a bathroom refurb over the new few weeks as wanting to make good use of my annual leave in the current circumstances.
Planning to use mid-height T&G ) beaded board style wainscoting around three walls. 
Has anyone done this? I have a couple of queries, I'd prefer to do this with soft wood and will prime and undercoat well then paint with an exterior grade paint. But wonder if this will move too much and better off using primed MDF? Either way it will come from a big building/DIY concern at this stage.
My other question is whether anyone has top tips/strategies for dealing with internal and external corners. My plan at the moment is to make bespoke mouldings which should be ok I think but design or process tips gratefully received?
Many thanks in advance if anyone can share their experiences


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## Inspector (22 Jan 2021)

I trimmed out my basement/guest bathroom. I thought I was just going to do the door and baseboard trim per the rest of the house out of MDF. SWMBO had another idea. So it ended up being along the lines of an Arts and Craft / Mission style tall wainscotting. The MDF was all cut from 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" sheets and the edges rounded with a 1/8" round over bit in a trim router. Put up with a brad nailer and trim adhesive followed by some latex caulking to fill any gaps. It was all put on over the existing drywall/sheet rock. The 3/4" was used for the baseboards, trim around the door and horizontals around the room. The 1/2" pieces were placed in the inside and outside corners. The 3/8" pieces were used as "panel" separators. Each thickness placed to give layers if you will giving the impression of importance. It looks way better than if everything was done with the same thickness and widths of material. The colour is off, actually being a cloud white. If I were using bead board it would replace the 3/8" pieces. Nice thing about the different thicknesses is where the thinner meets the thicker, the step hides any undulations in the wall, the caulk filling any gaps. It the wood is all the same you have to deal with trying to get the pieces all on the same plane and smooth.













Pete


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## Doug71 (22 Jan 2021)

If you do go for the solid wood option make sure you paint the tongues of the boards with whatever colour top coat you are using before you put them on the wall. You will thank me when the boards dry out and there are gaps between them


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## Spectric (23 Jan 2021)

I would not use MDF in a bathroom, used it once, moisture resistant MDF panels with beaded profile and after a couple of years it had bulged in places and looked terrible. I have just paneled my current bathroom, only lower just over a third and used 6 inch Sapelle with a reed & bead profile, 22mm thick. Also put a profiled top edge and 4 inch shelf around the top, again in Sappele and profiled using cutters from Infinity.

Thats a nice looking job inspector pete.


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## TheTiddles (23 Jan 2021)

Inspector said:


> I trimmed out my basement/guest bathroom. I thought I was just going to do the door and baseboard trim per the rest of the house out of MDF. SWMBO had another idea. So it ended up being along the lines of an Arts and Craft / Mission style tall wainscotting. The MDF was all cut from 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" sheets and the edges rounded with a 1/8" round over bit in a trim router. Put up with a brad nailer and trim adhesive followed by some latex caulking to fill any gaps. It was all put on over the existing drywall/sheet rock. The 3/4" was used for the baseboards, trim around the door and horizontals around the room. The 1/2" pieces were placed in the inside and outside corners. The 3/8" pieces were used as "panel" separators. Each thickness placed to give layers if you will giving the impression of importance. It looks way better than if everything was done with the same thickness and widths of material. The colour is off, actually being a cloud white. If I were using bead board it would replace the 3/8" pieces. Nice thing about the different thicknesses is where the thinner meets the thicker, the step hides any undulations in the wall, the caulk filling any gaps. It the wood is all the same you have to deal with trying to get the pieces all on the same plane and smooth.
> 
> View attachment 101552
> View attachment 101553
> ...


I’m not normally one for these kind of things but that does look smart
Aidan


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## Inspector (23 Jan 2021)

Thanks. The bathroom is not used frequently for bathing or showering and the fan is run to remove the moist air when doing so. It's almost 4 years old, like the house and only needs minor re-caulking in a few places because the MDF dried and shrunk a little. I would have loved to use solid but the price of decent stuff is brutal and hard to justify when it gets painted. By posting the pictures I was hoping to convey to the OP that vertical and horizontal members look better when the thicknesses are not all the same. Still happy to accept the praise though.

Pete


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## Spectric (23 Jan 2021)

Yes I have realised what makes your paneling stand out, it is that the uprights don't finish flush and the proportions are spot on, must remember this for the future as it is to easy to just finish everything flush.


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## bobblezard (23 Jan 2021)

Pete - thanks that looks good, I guess the MDF lends itself very well to that style. I like the height of the panels. Very classy. I'm going for a continuous run of tongue and groove, our bathroom isn't very grand and there isn't a lot of open space to appreciate the form of panelling.
If I can avoid machining MDF I will do.

Thanks Doug, that's worth thinking about.


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## glenfield2 (24 Jan 2021)

Spectric said:


> I would not use MDF in a bathroom, used it once, moisture resistant MDF panels with beaded profile and after a couple of years it had bulged in places and looked terrible. I have just paneled my current bathroom, only lower just over a third and used 6 inch Sapelle with a reed & bead profile, 22mm thick. Also put a profiled top edge and 4 inch shelf around the top, again in Sappele and profiled using cutters from Infinity.
> 
> Thats a nice looking job inspector pete.


I’ve used the blue MDF for panelling in several bathrooms over the years and never had a problem. By contrast, softwood t&g is a nightmare of cupping and shrinking and knots which can bleed through even when pre treated.


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