DIY – Installing Wall Panelling
Wood panelling is a popular choice for anyone looking to revamp their home and breathe new life into under-used rooms. The natural finish perfectly blends the outside world with the interiors of your home and, with a huge range of different styles to choose from, it’s clear to see why so many homeowners are adding this to their existing interior design style.
What a lot of people don’t realise is that you don’t need to call in the professionals to add this to your home, it’s a quick and easy DIY project that any homeowner can take on when they feel like a change. In this article, we’ll be taking you through an easy-to-follow guide on how you can add wood wall panelling to your home at an affordable price.
How To Panel A Wall At Home
Wood wall panelling can add a lot to your space, but don’t worry about spending a small fortune on someone to install it for you, you can do it yourself!
Before you get started, here are some of the materials that you’re going to need for the project:
- Your wall panels of choice
- Saw or cutter
- Spirit level
- Paint
- Hammer
- Pin
- Sandpaper
- Heavy duty glue
- A notebook and pen to keep a note of measurements and sizes
- Tape measure
- Calculator
- Decorators caulk
Step 1: Plan and measure
No project will run smoothly if you don’t spend some time planning it out beforehand. Before you start sanding down your walls and getting the heavy-duty glue onto your panels, you want to start with a good idea of what you want the end product to look like, you can get a lot of inspiration for this on places like Pinterest and Instagram. Also, think about what your budget is, how many panels you want to use, how the panels will blend in with the rest of your interior design, etc.
Then it’s time to start measuring your walls. You want to be as precise as you can, so make sure to double-check each of your measurements. These will help you decide how many panels you need, whether they need to be cut down, and how much space they will take up – and don’t forget about the extra top and base panels you’ll need!
Step 2: Cut panels to size
The measurements that you took in the previous step will determine how much or little you need to cut your panels to bring them to your desired size.
At this point, you could cut the panels down to size yourself if you do have a saw or cutter available. If not, you could ask home improvement stores to help you out, most will cut them for free.
Step 3: Sand down your walls
Use sandpaper, or an electric sander if you have one, to smooth your walls down ready for the wood wall panelling to be applied.
Take care to get rid of any unevenness, scratches, bumps, or lumps that could prevent you from being able to lay down the wall panelling perfectly.
Step 4: Apply panels to your walls
Now comes the exciting part where you can begin to apply the wall panels. The best way to go about this step is by starting with the base panels, followed by the top panel before you continue to add the rest.
During this step, it’s crucial that you use a spirit level to make sure everything is lined up and perfectly straight. There’s nothing worse than applying your last panel, only to look at the finished product and realise that nothing is straight.
Using nails or other adhesive options is the best to apply the panels but, if you would like some extra security and have peace of mind that your panels will stay exactly where they are, you can use some heavy-duty glue so nothing will budge. Wall panels can even be delivered in as little as two days to US customers!
Step 5: Look out for any gaps
Your wall panels are never going to be 100% perfect, so it’s normal to have a few gaps peeking through once you’ve applied them all. Not to worry though, you can easily use some decorator’s caulk to fill in any gaps and complete your wall.
Step 6: Decorate panels to your style
For some people, they may finish the project there and be happy with the finished product. The bare wood wall panelling with have a beautiful rustic finish but, if you want to do something a little different, use a coat of wall primer to prepare your wood panel for a coat of paint.
Whether you choose a bright red to make an impact, or something like a minimal off-white, we think your wall panels are going to look spectacular!
