While wood paneling became popular in the early 1980′s, it has again becomed faroured due to the massive increase in the styles and materials that you can now…


While wood paneling became popular in the early 1980′s, it has again become favoured due to the massive increase in the styles and materials that you can now buy your wood paneling in.  For many it is a convenient method of changing both the interior and exterior look of their homes without spending a great deal of money and as less people are selling their homes these days and are preferring to rather upgrade their homes, panelling is even more popular than before.

The most common use of wood paneling is for partitioning and for covering of large areas as the sheets generaly come in large sizes and are extremely light and easy to work with.  While wood panels are usually 4×8 foot in size some of the types, particularly beadboard comes in 3×7 feet.  They can be quickly cut to size and are usually have a thickness of between 1/8 inch and 3/8 inch.

Wood paneling comes in four different types and depending on what you are using them for and what overall look you want you will want to research more on which is best for your type of installation:-

1.  Tongue and Groove
2.  Overlap
3.  Shiplap Edges
4.  Plank Paneling

Tongue and grove is the most popular because it is easy to install and transport, but there are alternative wall panel options that you can look at including:-

Wood Vaneer Panels.

The veneer finish panels consist of three plies.  Pre-finished are the most expensive types and those with grains will achieve the best quality.

Vinyl Coated Panels.

Vinyl coated panels generally have a design that has been laminated into plywood.  They are easy to clean but scratch easily.  Although the overall look is often very similar to wood, they do require special cleaning agents in order to prevent damage.

BeadBoard Paneling.

Beadboard is a very popular decorative paneling option and is often used in wainscoting which is when paneling is placed on the lower half of walls.  This practice was extremely popular in colonial times and is still very popular today.

Bamboo Paneling

Due to its durability and the fact that it is highly sustainable and is harvested and produced in a range of countries around the world, it is growing in favour.  The rich colors make it a wonderul addition to walls, ceilings and floors and can even be used as an exterior cladding option which deals well with varied weather conditions.