Wainscoting can be used to cover the bottom part of interior walls, usually to about 3 feet above the floor, about as high as a chair rail. It was once a practical installation, but today its purpose is largely decorative. Wood is the traditional material for wainscoting, but today many materials are used.
History
The practice of lining interior walls with wooden panels began in the late Middle Ages and became very popular during the Renaissance. It was an attempt to make living areas more comfortable. Stone walls are cold, and they can pull dampness from the ground up into the building. Covering walls with thick wood made them warmer and drier.
Early wainscoting was tall, often covering the lower three-quarters of the wall. Oak was the wood most frequently used for the purpose. For several centuries in England, wainscot oak referred to the beautiful quarter-sawn oak surfaces that were typical of wainscoting.
Buildings were drier by Victorian period, but wainscoting was still installed in many places. Often, it was placed in heavily used areas, where it protected plastered, papered or painted walls. Wainscoting was more durable and easier to clean than the wallpaper or painted surfaces of the period.
Wainscoting Elements
Traditional wooden wainscot has seven elements. Originally, wainscoting was always built on-site, requiring a master carpenter's services.
A rail, usually quite wide and flat, is the bottom piece in a wainscot. Sometimes a baseboard is added to the bottom rail, or an additional piece of molding covers the place where the wainscot meets the floor.
A panel or series of panels fills the central section of wainscot. Each panel is square or rectangular, divided from the next by a narrow vertical piece called a stile. Narrow horizontal rails can be used to divide a panel from the ones above and below. Usually moldings are installed, giving a beveled look to the edge of each panel.
A second wide horizontal rail is the top piece in a wainscot. Often, it is finished off with a narrow piece of molding called a wainscot cap. Sometimes it is finished off with a chair rail instead.
Raised Panel Wainscoting
A raised panel wainscot, popular in England throughout the Stuart and Georgian periods, was the earliest style to be developed. Each panel is pushed out into the room slightly, so that it is in front of the styles and rails. The beveled edge created by molding is very noticeable. Raised panel wainscoting is the most formal wainscot style even today.
Flat Panel Wainscoting
Recessed panel, or flat panel, wainscot was developed during the 19th century in North America. The panels are placed a little deeper than the rails and styles, giving a recessed appearance. No molding is used, so the panel edges are very obvious. These panels were used in Mission-style buildings and were often placed in Craftsman houses.
Beadboard Wainscoting
During the Victorian period, wainscot made of beadboard was very popular, especially for informal areas or beach houses. It was usually installed with the beaded lines running vertically. The rails and styles were quite narrow and inconspicuous. Today, beadboard wainscoting is often used to create a casual or country mood.
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