Beadboard sheets go up fastest: each 4x8 sheet is cut across into strips the height of the wainscot, so a sheet often gives two strips. Planks take longer but give a deeper, real-wood look.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the length of all the walls to cover and add them up.
- Choose the height. A third of the wall height is the classic proportion.
- Enter the width of the doorways, which get no paneling.
- Pick sheets or planks. For planks, measure the face of a board as it looks fitted to the next one.
Worked examples
A dining room
Length of wall to cover: 48 ft · Wainscot height: 36 in · Width of doorways to skip: 6 ft · Material: Beadboard panels (4 x 8 ft sheets)
- Beadboard sheets
- 7 sheets, 4 x 8 ft
- Tubes of panel adhesive
- 8
- Paneling nails, about
- 580
- Strips cut to height
- 11 strips
- Wall area covered
- 126 sq ft
- Cap or chair rail
- 42 linear ft
A bathroom with planks
Length of wall to cover: 24 ft · Wainscot height: 42 in · Width of doorways to skip: 3 ft · Material: Tongue-and-groove planks · Plank face width, as installed: 3.5 in · Plank length: 8 ft
- Planks
- 40 planks, 8 ft long
- Finish nails through the tongues, about
- 290
- Pieces cut to height
- 72 pieces
- Wall area covered
- 73.5 sq ft
- Cap or chair rail
- 21 linear ft
A hallway
Length of wall to cover: 30 ft · Wainscot height: 32 in · Width of doorways to skip: 6 ft · Material: Beadboard panels (4 x 8 ft sheets)
- Beadboard sheets
- 3 sheets, 4 x 8 ft
- Tubes of panel adhesive
- 4
- Paneling nails, about
- 300
- Strips cut to height
- 6 strips
- Wall area covered
- 64 sq ft
- Cap or chair rail
- 24 linear ft
Tall wainscoting
Length of wall to cover: 40 ft · Wainscot height: 60 in · Width of doorways to skip: 3 ft · Material: Beadboard panels (4 x 8 ft sheets)
- Beadboard sheets
- 11 sheets, 4 x 8 ft
- Tubes of panel adhesive
- 10
- Paneling nails, about
- 700
- Strips cut to height
- 10 strips
- Wall area covered
- 185 sq ft
- Cap or chair rail
- 37 linear ft
How tall should wainscoting be
The classic rule is about a third of the wall height, cap included. Bob Vila suggests about 32 inches for rooms with standard walls and 36 inches for taller ones. This Old House puts the common height at 32 to 36 inches, and classic wainscoting at 36 to 42 inches.
Fine Homebuilding ties it to the chair rail, typically 30 to 42 inches above the floor. Taller wainscoting, up to two-thirds of the wall, suits rooms with a plate rail or a tall ceiling.
Sheets or planks
Beadboard plywood comes in 4x8 sheets with grooves about 1.6 inches apart, which look like individual boards. The calculator cuts each sheet across into strips the height of the wainscot; at more than half a sheet's length, a sheet gives only one strip.
Tongue-and-groove planks lock together, so each one covers a little less than its full width. Count them by the face you see once two are fitted together.
Fastening it
- Sheets: a bead of panel adhesive around each strip and two zigzag beads in the middle; one cartridge lays about 30 ft of bead.
- Nail paneling every 4 inches around the edges and every 8 inches on the studs in between.
- Planks: nail through the tongue every 12 to 16 inches, so the next board hides the nail.
- Buy about 10 percent extra for mistakes and offcuts.
Common questions
How do I calculate how much wainscoting I need?
Add up the length of the walls, take off the doorways, and multiply by the height for the area. For sheets, count the strips each sheet gives at your height; for planks, divide the length by the face width. The calculator does both.
How high should wainscoting be?
About a third of the wall height: around 32 inches on standard walls and 36 inches on taller ones. Common heights run 32 to 36 inches.
How many sheets of beadboard do I need?
Each 4x8 sheet gives two strips for wainscoting up to half its length tall, and one strip for taller wainscoting. Divide the wall length by the sheet's width to count the strips, then halve it for two strips a sheet.
How far apart should I nail wainscoting?
Every 4 inches around the edges of a panel and every 8 inches on the studs in between; planks get a nail through the tongue every 12 to 16 inches.