DIY Wainscot: A Quick and Easy Way to Add Value

Whether you want to sell your home or just give it a facelift, you don’t need expensive renovations. A few inexpensive changes can go a long way. For example, consider a DIY wainscoting kit, or look into accent wall kits.

Traditional wainscot is the trim that runs along the bottom third of walls. However, some homes may just have an accent wall made of wainscoting. This architecturally appealing design accomplishes a lot of goals at once. It covers visible gaps between the floorboards and the walls or it can conceal and distract from unsightly drywall repairs. And of course, wainscot wall panels add a decorative touch.

Even though wainscot wall panels accomplish so much, they don’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, by using an Ekena Millwork wall panel kit, you can add a sense of character and style to any room, and you can do it at a fraction of the cost of hiring a designer.

What is a DIY Wainscoting Kit?

In the past, Traditional wainscoting required expensive materials, designers, and installation contractors. These days, you can get the same results with a DIY wainscot kit. Panel kits provide a simple and inexpensive way to add character to your home. Wainscot trim kits come with pre-measured wainscot panels, baseboard moulding, and chair rail. You can install the panels with construction glue and finishing nails.

Wainscot Wall Panels Can Upgrade Your Home’s Appearance

When you want to increase your home’s value, a simple change of appearance can make a big difference. Think about your home from a buyer’s perspective. Just like people, homes give first impressions, and those first impressions matter.

Wainscot wall paneling provides a strong first impression because it adds contrast. Being a different material from your walls, it adds interesting texture that draws the eye. You can add even more contrast by painting your wainscot and your walls two different colors.

Adding flat panel wainscoting all around the perimeter of a room can instantly make it feel more sophisticated. This simple addition will turn an ordinary living room into something elegant and luxurious with just a few hours of work.

Wainscot wall paneling provides an easy way to make contemporary homes feel more historic. You can also achieve a more rustic look by using natural colors, which can look beautiful against walls with white paint. Traditional style wainscot panels often times have contrasting colors. To modernize the wainscot style, you can paint the wall texture and the panels the same color.

Whatever look you want, wainscoting kits provide a simple way to achieve it. You can customize wainscot trim kits in whatever way works for you. Want a bold and eye-catching look? Then create a full accent wall and use intense colors. Want something more simple? A wainscot border with subtle colors will provide what you want.

An Expensive Look from a Budget-Friendly Wall Panel Kit

Because wainscot walls look so elegant, people assume that wainscoting must be expensive. In all fairness, it can be, especially if you hire a contractor. With this route, you pay for time, labor, and materials. Those prices can add up quickly.

If you use a wall panel kit, though, you can save a lot of money. Pre-cut panel kits come at a much lower cost than other wall paneling options. For example, most of the wainscot kits on this page cost less than $200. On the other hand, if you hire a contractor and use wooden wainscoting panels, you could spend over $2,500.

That said, even though your wainscot wall paneling kit will cost much less than the traditional route, the final result will still look expensive. Panel kits provide just as much elegance as other wainscot walls.

Flat Panel Wainscoting Kits Make Home Improvement Simple

Now, say that you’ve decided to install your wainscot wall panels yourself. You’ll definitely save a lot of money on contractor fees. Still, you should make sure that you choose the right materials. Some wainscot panels cost more time and money than others.

The fastest, simplest way to get started is with a DIY wainscoting kit. Since these kits come with pre-formed pieces, you can skip the cutting and mitering. You can also skip the priming, since the right kits have factory-primed panels. This way, you can paint your panels right away.

These days, you can find wainscot kits made from high-density urethane. This material works for wainscot trim and accent walls alike. It looks like traditional wooden wainscoting, but it’s more lightweight. Don’t worry about durability, though. Urethane offers plenty of that, too. In fact, urethane is about as dense as real pine wood. Because urethane is so lightweight, though, there’s no heavy lifting needed. Wainscot kits come with easy-to-follow instructions, too. Just follow each step in order, and you’ll transform your room fast.

Protect Your Walls with Wainscoting Panels

And of course, wainscot trim can help protect your walls. Wear and tear adds up over time, but wainscot can provide some protection for your drywall. It helps protect walls from dents and gouges, especially if you have children or pets because it provides a barrier between the drywall and any objects or people.

A Variety of Options for Wainscot Walls

A wainscot wall paneling kit can give you a lot of variety.  Whether you want to create a dramatic feature wall, hide an ugly beam, or just add some character to your walls, DIY wainscot provides a great solution. Again, you can customize your wainscot with whatever look you want. Wainscoting adds character to a room. It’s up to you to decide what that character will say.

On a practical level, you’ll find many shapes and sizes when you look for a DIY wainscoting kit. Need enough panels for a whole wall? Then look for accent wall kits. Want to add a simple trim to a hallway? A wainscot trim kit will work. Either way, you can find a pre-cut panel moulding kit that suits your needs.

Wainscot wall paneling is a very popular home improvement trend, and for good reason. With straightforward DIY kits, you can finish your wainscoting panels project in a weekend, and that project can add serious value to your home.Take a look at these wainscot panel kits to get started.

How Fretwork Can Transform a Room

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Home renovations come with many decisions to be made. You’re redoing the look of your home, which is a big deal. Adding a touch of new paint can truly breathe new air into the environment. Sometimes, however, you want to go beyond paint by adding an eye-catching centerpiece with increased texture. Crown moulding is often used to add extra detail to your ceilings. But what if you’re searching for something a little different?

Fretwork could be exactly what you’re looking for. This ornamental design can add sophistication and style in just a few easy steps.

What is fretwork?

Before getting into the details of application, let’s first talk about fretwork’s background. Fretwork is a decorative design that’s cut into a material such as wood which was traditionally done using a machine like a fretsaw or a jigsaw. The design has a steep history, with its use dating back many millenia. Records show Egyptian artisans used fretted inlays to decorate furniture as much as three thousand years ago and among the many precious treasures found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb were actually pieces adorned with this ornate technique.

Today, fretwork is used in multiple ways to add a touch of beauty to buildings and furniture alike. Some examples of places where you can most often find this work include:

  • At the top of doorways
  • On walls
  • Around windows and mirrors

Some examples of fretwork in the US bring to mind images of ornate trim around the top of residential porches on historic Victorian-style farmhouses and estates.  

Various styles of fretwork have evolved in different cultures and for a large part of its history, fretwork pieces were made by hand. In the not-so-distant past, contractors or woodworkers would need to be commissioned to complete the work, making for involved projects.

Today, the process is easier. Lasers can be used to cut pieces, reducing cost and increasing the availability of this style. In line with this development, one of the most common uses for fretwork now comes in the form of fretwork wall panels. Using simple DIY fretwork kits, you can now transform the look of your home in just one day, (or even a single afternoon!)

Fretwork is easy to install in any room 

Fretwork is now amazingly easy to add to your interior. You can do it all yourself! By using adhesive tape and small brad nails you can create the look you want.

Simple steps for laying fretwork:

  • Lay out your installation design on the floor or table
  • Rub your installation surface with sandpaper to make sure it’s smooth
  • Wipe your wall with a damp cloth to clean it
  • Mark your installation points on the wall with chalk or light pencil using a level
  • For a two-piece design, start in the center of the wall and work out
  • For a one-piece design, begin in one corner and work towards the other
  • Install the panels using a tiny bit of adhesive tape on the back, and brad nails

The tools you’ll need to complete your fretwork wall panel design include:

  • Level
  • Hammer or drill
  • Standards adhesive
  • Small brad nails
  • Chalk or pencil
  • Measuring tape
  • Utility knife

Like any DIY project, installing fretwork takes some patience, forethought and planning.

Some tips: Know that it’s likely you’ll have to cut some pieces a bit with a utility knife to make an exact fit in your design. By sanding down each edge you help ensure that you’ll have a tightly woven wall.

Also, make sure you paint your fretwork before installing it. Depending on the look you’re going for, you may want to actually paint it a contrasting color, compared with the wall. Some ideas include painting the wall area a bright color, and keeping your fretwork lighter, or vice versa.

Normally, you want each piece to line up directly against the others. For a different look, you can also leave a gap between each panel. Use a creative approach to find what you like best!

Where should you install them? Fretwork wall panels can look great in any room including your kitchen, living room, office space, bathroom, bedroom, or den.

It’s Available in Many Styles, Sizes, and Materials

Fretwork comes in as many looks as you can imagine. The sky truly is the limit!

Styles of Fretwork

There is a huge variety of styles and designs to choose from. Look at the lines already present in your furniture and flooring. Do you want to contrast it, or add to it? This can be a good starting point.

Sizes of Fretwork

Fretwork for walls also comes in a wide variety of sizes. If your room is quite large, consider going with an equally large panel design. For smaller areas, consider using smaller panels with a more intricate design. There are always exceptions to the rule, however, and choose what you think works best for your situation.  

Materials

The materials typically used to make fretwork these days include many different types of wood, PVC, and vinyl, to name just a few. Typically, it’s wise to use wood fretwork to add warmth and depth to walls in places like your living room or bedroom. These are rooms that don’t have a high moisture content. You don’t want to risk having your fretwork expand, shrink, or buckle. The beauty of wood is that you can enjoy it’s natural color or stain it for a particular look. Painting the wood is always an option, too.

For rooms like the bathroom, entry way, or kitchen, PVC or vinyl fretwork can work best. This type of fretwork tends to come in a solid color to add texture and balance. Each piece of fretwork is precision cut for an ideal and consistent look. You can count on it!

Choosing fretwork to improve and advance the look of your home is a great way to engage in a simple DIY transformation. At PCI Enterprises, we have a wide variety of fretwork to choose from.