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Beadboard
Popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries,
beadboard -- wall paneling with routed, parallel
vertical lines -- is making a major comeback
as a decorating trend. Beadboard can be used
in any room but is particularly appropriate
for hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry
rooms, and informal dining rooms. It is frequently
used as a ceiling material on porches and
in sunrooms, but it is especially attractive
when installed as wainscoting below a chair
rail. Beadboard can also be used to cover
damaged older walls and ceilings.
It can be stained or painted.
If you are
thinking of purchasing beadboard
for your
project, consider the following:
- Original beadboard was made from wood planks,
so this would be the best choice where authenticity
is the goal. Beadboard planks are manufactured
from a number of different woods that can
be stained or painted. These planks come
in thicknesses of 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 inches,
and the individual boards are 3 to 5 inches
wide. Solid wood planks will swell and shrink
with changes in humidity, but this can be
minimized by staining or painting before
the boards are installed.
- Beadboard plywood sheets are available in
4 foot widths. Usually these
are ¼ inch thick.
Care should be taken when working
with plywood,
as it can split along the grain
or across
bead lines.
- Medium density fiberboard (MDF) beadboard
sheets in 4 foot widths often
come pre-primed.
The advantage to MDF is that
is very stable.
It is, however, not the best
choice for high
moisture areas such as bathrooms.
MDF planks
that are manufactured two or
four beads wide
have the same problems with
moisture. Both
of these MDF products should
have all cuts
ends sealed.
- Engineered lumber is often the best choice
for rooms that will have their
beadboard
painted. It has the look of
standard lumber
and the stability of MDF. Its
dimensional
measurements stay consistent
from one board
to another, so it is extremely
easy to work
with.
Remember that the thinner the
beadboard stock,
the shallower the profile of
the beads will
be. If you paint thin beadboard,
the coats
of paint will fill the spaces
between the
beads, and you will not get as
attractive
a look as you would with a thicker
stock. |
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