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Remodeling Paint Home Repair

Keep As Is, Paint, or Remove Paneling

2 years ago

I have a quick question regarding the attached pictures of the light colored paneling and wainscoting in the hallways and kitchen of the home I have recently acquired. The kitchen and bathrooms have stained oak cabinets that are a little lighter in color of of the trim color. Plan is to remove the wallpaper in the hallway and kitchen areas and texture and paint to match the bedrooms that are a texture and paint finish. There has nothing been done to the home for updates and looks the same inside just as it was built in 1981, was the home of my mother. Home is in great shape, no children have lived in the home during these years other than a grandchild’s visit.

Here are the questions,

1.leave the paneling as is, or

paint with and/or without filling in the spaces in the paneling, or
completely removing the paneling, but this seems like a major cost with little return on the financial side. I can send a picture if needed for your review.

Please help me make the correct decision, wife says paint without filing in the spaces. The jury is still out for me but I said I would get the help needed to make the decision.

Thank You,

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Comments (5)

Fori
2 years ago
If your wife has an opinion and you don't, she wins. :)

I would paint the paneling (actually I kinda like it and probably would leave it as is if it was only the one room) but I would remove the wainscoting. I just don't like it and I don't think painting it would help.

The full-height paneling is fine painted (or not painted!).

The wainscoting is worth removing.

Don't try to fill the gaps before painting. It just doesn't work.
spainte2
2 years ago
I agree! I would remove the wainscoting a d either paint or leave the paneling.
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phyl345, Yes, I am very lucky. DH remembers more details than I'd like sometimes. I think he likes playing with my mind because he knows I certainly don't remember. Anyway he does all of our work, inside and out. He is currently framing out a basement for a neighbor as well as out DD and SIL. His hobby is woodworking but he learned construction from his father. Yes he remembers birthdays and anniversaries as well. Here is what we did in our other house. The paneling as well as the grooves were first primed with Gliddens Gripper (see he even remembers the name 30 yrs. later). Then the grooves were spackled using an 8" trowel. The joint compound was mixed...1 gallon compound with 2 TBSP Dawn dish detergent and enough water to make it the consistency of Cool Whip. This make the compound go on smoother and easier to work with. Using the 8" trowel covers a lot of the sections between the grooves and then it reequires less sanding if you are really careful about how you apply the compound. We had to size the walls then because we were wallpapering. The paper we used was very smooth, no texture and a tiny print, light colored background. It turned out great...no grooves visible. We were very happy with it. It sounds like a lot of work but it was worth it. You probably would not do the sizing if you are going to paint. Good luck with your project.
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You might also consider a 1/4" cove molding - the curve is inward instead of outward like a quarter round. It usually looks less noticeable. Just go to a local lumberyard and look at the choices. You may find that a 3/8" molding covers the gap better if your walls are uneven.
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I'm not a decorator nor do I play one anywhere, but I think that no matter what you do with it, the "ledge" is going to look kind of odd without the paneling there. Right now it seems to think it's a chair rail. I can't really tell from the unfortunately dark photos -- is that real paneling? Or is it just plywood? If it's the real thing, I suggest care when you remove it. I'll bet you can find a buyer for it, someone who's restoring a room that's had its original paneling stripped out. Like maybe someone else will do with your room someday. :-\
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Looks terrific! The hardwork was so worth the end result. 4 x 8 sheet paneling was so on trend in the 1960's and 1970's. I've seen many a beautiful old home just decimated of charm as people ripped out what was considered "dated" moldings and installed paneling with clamshell molding. UGH! Now we say, what were they thinking? I wonder if Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank flooring is the 4 x 8 sheet paneling our time.
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Jeff T.
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank You for the comments and suggestions. The wainscoting is also in the kitchen, and a small room adjoining the kitchen dining area with a back door entrance, this room has a built in desk and will make a nice study but I will probably remove the desk if removing the wainscoting, I assume the feeling would to be to also remove the wainscoting in those rooms. The entrance from the garage into the kitchen has full length paneling, the formal dining has paper on the walls I will see if I can add pictures of this area of the house.
Fori
2 years ago
It might work in the study. If you don't need to be "on trend", you can have some fun with it. More photos! :)

Is it a good quality paneling or just sheets? It photographs like nice quality.
cat_ky
2 years ago
Definitely remove the wainscotting. It does nothing for the house. The paneling, is good quality, its not the cheapie stuff that was once used. I actually like it like it is, but, if I would paint it, I would never fill in the grooves, just prime it and paint it. Even if you paint it, you may want to leave a wall or two here and there without any paint on.

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