I have beadboard wallpaper on the half-wall between my kitchen and eating area. I have a plain off-white color paper, with light gray "grooves". Although it is paintable, and very realistic looking.

It would also be possible to use a glaze after you basecoat in your main color, which would accentuate the grooves and make it more realistic looking (although I'd only do this if your seams are REALLY smooth or it'd accentuate the seams).

I absolutely love the look of it, and you cannot BEAT the price, that's for sure.

I also have paintable border in my living room, which I painted the same color as my walls. Then I glazed it two shades darker, wiped it down, and after drying it, I drybrushed it with an off-white. The depth and range of color is quite amazing, using that technique.

Whatever you decide; good luck!

Thanks, Fixeruppityest. I'm glad to know you love your beadboard wallpaper. I can see what you mean about the seams, too. That may be the way that I solve this problem. I had wanted something more formal, but it looks like to get it I have to re-mud that wall to smooth it out... three times, from what I'm reading, sanding in between and after. Yikes. Then start over with real wood this time I think, and maybe those little boxes on the wall... and all that measuring and sawing again, and caulking, and painting. I'm about worn out.

Your living room border sounds pretty.

Do you have pictures you could share please on both of these?

I've used the masonite type beadboard in a few places, in the past. Have gotten DH to cut the sheets in the grooves, and then caulked the two together. Maybe the fact that beadboard is busy with its stripes helps hide the joints? Doesn't help you, though, if you are going with a different style of wainscotting....

Maybe you could find someone to skim the walls?

I've always wanted wainscotting on the stairs, but now I'm rethinking it - sounds like a hard go.

Oceanna, I've been thinking a bit more about the wainscotting. Can you put a flat piece of thin moulding, vertically along the seams of the panels? Something not too thick (for fear that it would stick out from the baseboard)....even something that is meant for ceilings, or around doors etc? And if it is thin and narrow, maybe use liquid nails adhesive (so as to not split the moulding)? Seems like a hassle (and an expense) to redo all of your hard work....

Oh darn! I was hoping for a glowing report of how easy the job was so I'd have more confidence on the job I want to do. I was going to use real wood (vs. masonite), so I could stain it. Of course, with stain, you can't use caulk to fill in any bad cuts (learned that the hard way!).

Anyway, beadboard would be my choice, real or paper. I really like the look. I'm sure which ever you decide, it will look fabulous.

Can you post a photo of your wainscoting so far? with the angle showing the parts in question. And you aren't in MD are you?

Oh... I'm sorry it isn't working out as you envisioned it. I hate when that happens. I'm sure there is an economical solution, though. The wallpaper sounds okay. So does a nice skim coat over your walls. I haven't done it, but I've seen it done, and I don't think it would be very hard to DIY. Good luck and post pics when you can!

Lafonda, sorry, no glowing report. But my problem really is the masonite. The job wouldn't be tough using real wood and working in a room or hall. On the stairs there is a lot of careful measuring and checking and rechecking, and climbing the stairs 40 million times is all.

Chloe s mom, I was thinking about having some upright boards between panels of beadboard wallpapering... but I have to snoop the lumber store to see if they have what I'd want. Because of the chair rail, I can't do anything too thick. I was hoping to at least be able to leave the chair rail.

Cooperbailey, I need to charge my camera battery and hope that's the problem with the camera not working.

Creekylis, thanks. Me too. :(

This isn't my week. My son came over last night to tell me he's breaking up with his fiance. I feel so sorry for him but her behavior has left him no other choice. Her special order artist-made ring is almost finished at the jewler too.

So here is my current problem and it almost has me in tears. I put that darned masonite on with liquid nails. I started to try to get it off a few minutes ago and it's chipping up and flaking off in layers at best. HELP! How do I get it off there?

Oh, Oceanna.

~~ HUGS! ~~

This is going to be ok. I wish i could be of help to you, but post pictures here, and i'm sure people who know what to do will "talk" you through it.

Oh. My. Gosh. This is the job from he**. I will be doing this job for the rest of my life. I just called Lowe's and the guy called a friend of his to ask how to do this job, a guy who is a remodler. Then he called me back and said just a putty knife and keep chipping away. This is coming off in postage stamp sized layers. He said he feels for me and if he had to do this job he'd charge $3000-$4000. He said the guys should have told me to use contact cement, not Liquid Nails.

Sometimes we learn what NOT to do. Everyone, don't do what I did!

"So I would recommend if you have textured walls and you want to do the wainscoting you put flat board over them first. Or you'd better be a lot better at sanding them flat than I was"

I avoided that problem by doing what chloe_s_mom suggested... skim coating the wall. WAY easier than what you went through!

I emailed my DH to ask what to do. he said just pry off and pray. there is no trick to it. that is just liquid nails. It will wreak havoc on your drywall underneath.
Sorry :(

To clarify, what I had on the wall was (and still is on one) masonite strips, making up an Arts & Crafts, Mission style of wainscoting. So it's those strips I'm prying off, and they're really hurting the wallboard, leaving gouges.

Western, I'm going to get a chance to do that mudding. :/

Cooperbailey, thanks for asking him. I've been using a flat screw driver and a hammer and that's worked pretty well. Fortunately, some of the boards came off pretty intact, though a lot of them left residue on the wall as they layered into small pieces. Many have left gouges where the wall is sort of peeling. It looks very nasty.

I've completed the short wall. Next, the long wall. Then I get to sand the whole thing again, peeling the peely places I guess until I hit firmness. Then I get to mud/skim coat and sand the whole thing probably three times, letting it dry between coats. Gosh, I sure hope I can make it smooth and nice.

Then I will wallpaper it. OR, if I get it really smooth, then I could use thin moulding to do the little boxes on the wall. What do you think? I think of beadboard as less formal... darling in bathrooms, but maybe the other types of wainscoting are better for an entry staircase with my formal furniture? Or not? I did order the beadboard wallpaper, but I can use that any number of places, like the hallway, bathrooms, my bedroom, etc.

The life of a DIYer doesn't always run smoothly, but we always learn something, even if it's "don't try that again." Now I get to learn to mud walls.

Estreya, thanks for the hug! I could use it right about now. That and maybe Bengay? lol!

Oh, just got off the phone with my son and for right now he seems to be doing better than I expected. We'll see how it goes over the next days. The official breakup is still in front of him.

Another ~~HUG~~ Oceanna! I so do feel for you right now.

There is a little tool, called a pry bar (hook shape but flat, if that makes sense) that might be easier for you to use than a screwdriver. From the side, it looks kind of like an upside down J. But it will give you more leverage to pop that masonite up. (and less wear on your arms)

Use your hammer to tap the curved end under the masonite, and then pull the long end towards you. Makes pulling stuff like this up sooooo much easier.

I just looked on Amazon to find a picture of one. They are very handy to have around. :)

Good luck! Hang in there and don't hurt yourself!

Here is a link that might be useful: what a pry bar looks like

Do you have a photo of what you had done so we can think of a solution that you may have missed, sitting about 6 inches away with a screwdriver and hammer in hand?

Hmmm. Perhaps the most salient bit of information here is that you're saving $3000 - $4000 dollars by doing this job yourself. Once completed, i take this to mean that you may indulge liberally and selfishly in a manner that is not to exceed a cost of $3000 - $4000 dollars. You're motto for the remainder of 2009 can be, "I earned it. I'm buying it."

I know, if only the world were that ideal. And if only we could fold our arms and blink and have it be all done!

Keep us posted.