Faux Oak Panelling Puzzle

[BradNaylor]

I've got the job of replacing the oak panelling in the hall of a large Victorian house. This week I've been ripping out the old stuff and discovered that it is not at all what it appears.

It turns out to be oak veneer on a backing paper glued to the wall in small rectangles. Overlaid on this are 'stiles' and 'rails' made from cork veneered with oak. Everything is very nicely jointed together and it looks for all the world like traditional panelling.

I'm intrigued by the whole thing. Has anyone ever come across this kind of stuff before and when does it date from? It is clearly not part of the original house as signs of a previous dado rail are visible underneath. My guess is that it is from the 1930's but I really have no idea.

Any offers?

Cheers
Brad

 

[Night Train]

I have exactly this in my house.

I have a Victorian house built in 1873. In the entrance hall there is oak panelling on one side, the other side missing from an earlier renovation. The panelling there is oak veneer squares, about 10" square, with 2"x1/4" 'framing' pinned and pasted to the wall up to dado height. It continues along the ground floor hall and up the first flight of stairs stopping at the landing. Then throughout the first floor hallway and up the stairs to the second floor it is all veneer as you have found. There is none on the second floor landing or hallway at all as it is servants quarters.

The veneer panelling on the first floor is predominantly on the extension built in the 1930's and the rest on the first floor seems to be of the same age so I think that you would be right in thinking that it is a 1930's thing.

The external corners in the hallways and landings are all curved with a 4" radius and on the ground floor all the 'framing' pieces following around the curve are cut from solid. I would have thought they would have been steam bent or laminated but, no, they are cut with the grain running on the diagonal to the corner of the wall to reduce the short grain areas.

 

[joiner_sim]

My nan has got this stuff in her house as well, looks good.

 

[AndyT]

Yes, I'm pretty sure it's 1930s. This picture is from a 3-volume 'Modern Practical Building' from before the war and is captioned "Elliot's ready-made panelling"

Andy