Raised Panel Wainscotting Formulas?

[Lewis Cobb]

I am digging around for some sort of rules of thumb that people use when designing raised panelled wainscotting but am not having much luck. I am wondering about any standard or pleasing ratios of width/height, width of rails, stiles, base etc. I have never done this before but am thinking about tackling it for a small powder room in our house.

The whole thing will be painted so I guess MDF panels with poplar or some other paint grade wood for the rails/stiles is the way to go.

If someone has some links, pointers, advice, pictures, or even a lecture I'd like to hear from them !

Thanks !
Lewis

[Tom Hargrove]

Lewis -

This subject has come up before. You may want to search the archives for information on the subject.

[Lewis Cobb]

Lewis -

This subject has come up before. You may want to search the archives for information on the subject.

I've been running searches but perhaps have not used the "magic" words yet - will keep trying - thanks.

[Ed Peters]

of a wainscoting project I undertook on my website. www.crookedlittletree.com under room treatments. Not painted but you may be able to determine if the scale is pleasing to your eye.

I have recently completed another room with wainscoting. The ceilings are 12' high with a standard crown molding (4+"), the wainscoting is 8' high with an 8" crown molding to top it off. It is broken into a raised panel on the bottom that is 36" tall and the upper panel is flat. There is a string of LED's inside the channel behind the crown that really makes it a jaw dropper. Should have pictures of this on the website this week or next.

Ed

[Lewis Cobb]

of a wainscoting project I undertook on my website. www.crookedlittletree.com under room treatments. Not painted but you may be able to determine if the scale is pleasing to your eye.

I have recently completed another room with wainscoting. The ceilings are 12' high with a standard crown molding (4+"), the wainscoting is 8' high with an 8" crown molding to top it off. It is broken into a raised panel on the bottom that is 36" tall and the upper panel is flat. There is a string of LED's inside the channel behind the crown that really makes it a jaw dropper. Should have pictures of this on the website this week or next.

Ed

Ed - Thanks for the post and the link. Beautiful work. I like the proportions that you chose for your panels in the waiscoting pictures. What widths do you typically use for rails and stiles?

Due to a wall flange toilet connection I have to go with a fairly wide base on my panels but it doesn't look bad from the mock-up I did in SketchUp. Here's a pic to show you a first crack. (This toilet does not show the wall connection - just a model I grabbed off the net). There's a 45 degree wall in the powder room as you will see in the pic. Not happy with the color of the vessel sink stand yet either but that's just in there for scale at the moment. Something darker with silver handles maybe.

Anyway, the panneling dimensions are - base is 8", the top rail is 4", the stiles are 3" and there's a 2 1/4 x 3/4 bull nose ledge on the top. Under the bullnose edge and against the floor are some 1.25" wide pieces with a 1/2" round over on them. Looks good in Sketchup. I will have to mock up a rough prototype first though before I "lock it in" in my mind

The 1 1/4" pieces are meant to hide the screws / nails that will fasten the "face frame" up to the wall at the stud locations. I'll fill the nail holes in them before priming and painting.

For the raised panels - I am thinking a simple rabbet behind each opening in the pocket-screwed face frames and the panels "float" in them. Not that there will be a lot of movement with the painted MDF. I'll paint the frames and the panels before installing them and then touch up afterwards. Total height from the floor to the top surface of the bullnose cap is 36".

Any critiques or suggestions, pass 'em along. Thanks again !

Lewis

[Mike Wilkins]

You may want to try the Fine Homebuilding magazine web site. I know there have been articles in the past dealing with wainscoting and materials used for them. I would think chair rail height is the norm, but you are only limited by the imagination.

[Lewis Cobb]

You may want to try the Fine Homebuilding magazine web site. I know there have been articles in the past dealing with wainscoting and materials used for them. I would think chair rail height is the norm, but you are only limited by the imagination.

Hi Mike - thanks for the tip - will check it out.
Lewis

[Duane Thomas]

FWIW, You may also want to take a look at this article by Gary Katz:
http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniq...ng_layout.html
It doesn't go into stile, rail and panel ratios or dimensions per se, but it does give some good tips on layout so you can avoid and of those weird spacing issues.
Duane

[phil harold]

FWIW, You may also want to take a look at this article by Gary Katz:
http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniq...ng_layout.html
It doesn't go into stile, rail and panel ratios or dimensions per se, but it does give some good tips on layout so you can avoid and of those weird spacing issues.
Duane

We all must stand in awe of the katz

I think there is no actual rules umless the wainscotting incorporates a chair rail then the chair hieght must be considered so the chairs do not damage the wall

what ever looks pleasin to your/customer's eye is the key

I hear 1/3, 2/5ths, window stool hieght, 6' and on and on...
width of panels should be comfotable some are as wide as the window unit or not.
Carpenters are relied on thier eye and making the best use of thier material available to them at the time.

have fun

[Lewis Cobb]

We all must stand in awe of the katz

I think there is no actual rules umless the wainscotting incorporates a chair rail then the chair hieght must be considered so the chairs do not damage the wall

what ever looks pleasin to your/customer's eye is the key

I hear 1/3, 2/5ths, window stool hieght, 6' and on and on...
width of panels should be comfotable some are as wide as the window unit or not.
Carpenters are relied on thier eye and making the best use of thier material available to them at the time.

have fun

Thanks for the input Phil. I have been playing off and on with some sketchup models of this wainscotting and you are absolutely correct - I came up with a design that I think is pleasing to the eye and then found an article from FWW - some of my ratios were bang on what was described in the article but a few were off a little.

Now if I can just get all the other 1/2 done projects completed, I can start this one !

Cheers,
Lewis