JAMES AND MORRIS CAREY \ On the House Wood paneling is making a comeback

In the 1960s and '70s, home centers had an abundant supply of wall paneling. Retailers had to keep the shelves stocked to meet the ferocious demand of consumers looking for an easy-to-install and affordable means of dressing up barren walls.
During that era, hardwood flooring, short-pile carpeting and plaster or wallboard walls were out, and wall-to-wall shag carpeting and paneling were the rage.
Across the land, folks were covering stark walls with rich-looking wall paneling of varying wood species, styles and shades.
Decorating trends changed from paint to wood paneling of walnut, oak, pine and birch -- to name a few.
And, there are decisions other than species. Should the paneling be grooved, and if so, which pattern? What shade of stain, or should you use a natural finish?
For some, finishing the paneling defeated their reason for choosing wall paneling in the first place. This "set it and forget it" mentality fueled the synthetic "photo finish vinyl" counterpart to natural wood veneer paneling.
What consumers have discovered (as they have with vinyl siding) is that nothing is totally maintenance-free and when tastes and trends change, the vinyl finish cannot be successfully painted or papered over.
Out of favor in '80s, '90s
Before minivans and SUVs, the back end of the family station wagon or bed of a pickup truck served to transport sheets of wall paneling from the home center to the home. There, do-it-yourselfers undertook an interior face-lift that would change the look of their homes -- that is until the '80s and '90s, when they grew tired of raking their avocado green shag carpet and discovered that their paneling absorbed natural light, making the home dark and unpleasant.
Thus, home-improvement retailers experienced a drop in wall paneling sales.
However, the cash register was ringing in the paint and wallpaper department, as do-it-yourselfers sought ways to brighten their homes without removing the paneling.
Consumers traded hammers and panel adhesive for detergent and a scrub brush -- materials necessary to degloss the paneling and then cover it with paint or wallpaper.
It's back
What goes around comes around. Hardwood floor is more popular than ever, variegated shag carpeting is back, wallpaper is increasingly in use and homeowners again are singing the praises of natural wood finishes -- wall paneling included.
What's different today? It's not all about one finish or the other. Rather it's about a blend of finishes throughout the home. Some hardwood here, wall-to-wall carpeting there, and a clever combination of paint, wallpaper and paneling can go a long way to create the ideal space.
Attitudes about paneling quality have changed, too. Whereas synthetic wall paneling was once the rage due to its low cost, easy maintenance and abrasion-resistance, now discriminating do-it-yourselfers are being less cost-conscious and more-appearance aware as they opt for the rich look of natural veneers.
As with any finish building product, material is only half the battle. Proper installation is the other component that ensures a top-notch project.
Some how-to's
It seems as if just about everyone knew how to install wall paneling in the '70s and '80s. It appears, however, to have become a lost art as its popularity waned.
Now, that it's back in good graces among do-it-yourselfers, we offer the following wall paneling installation tips to make your paneling project easier.
A partial sheet of plywood or a couple of studs draped across a couple of sawhorses offers solid support and makes the job of sawing the paneling easier and safer. To prevent the material from splintering, use a fine-tool hand saw or circular-saw blade when trimming paneling.
If the paneling will run from floor to ceiling, leave a half-inch gap between the bottom of the paneling and the floor to allow for movement and expansion.
There are two means of fastening paneling -- paneling nails and-or adhesive. Use one or both.
Though an adhesive-installed paneling job (without nails) can be more attractive -- since no nail heads are exposed -- be prepared for substantial wallboard repair should you ever decide to remove the paneling.
Begin hanging the paneling in a corner and work your way around the room. Establish a vertical or plumb line about 47 inches (a standard sheet is 48 inches wide) out from the corner, which will allow you to "scribe" the material to the shape of the corner. Trim it using a saw. Matching trim can be installed at corners, the floor and ceiling to conceal less-than-perfect joints.
Using adhesive
When using panel adhesive, squeeze a generous amount in a serpentine pattern on the wall where the paneling will be installed. Hold the adhesive back a few inches from the perimeter so that it doesn't ooze into the joints. Allow the adhesive to sit for a few minutes until it becomes tacky. Put the first sheet of paneling into place, carefully aligning it with the plumb line. Press the entire sheet against the wall, firmly embedding it into the adhesive. Drive a couple of paneling nails at either corner of the two top corners to prevent the sheet from slipping.
Drive additional nails at 6-inch centers along the top and bottom edge of the paneling.
If you will also be nailing the paneling in the field, now would be the time to do it -- before the adhesive sets up.
With the first sheet of paneling firmly in place, butt the next sheet up against the first (leaving about a dime's width between panels for expansion) and repeat the process with each successive sheet. Install corner trim and baseboard using a miter saw and panel nails.
Hint: use a dark paint on the walls behind the joints to make the connections less obvious.
Make cutting out for electrical outlets and switches an easy job by ruling the edges of the box with chalk, and press the back of the panel against it before applying the adhesive. Drill a pilot hole and use a jigsaw to make cut outs for outlets. Use a utility knife with a sharp blade to score the line before cutting. This prevents splintering.
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