Installing wainscoting on a stairway

[Dan McLaughlin]

As anyone installed raised panel wainscoting on a stairway? Did you use Stair PanelSets or design/build your own? LOML wants to "explore" putting it on the stairs from the first to second floor. I'd probably want to do it in the 1st floor entryway as well as the second floor hall AND the stairway. It will probably be painted (the stained look just doesn't look right in our house - it's only about 30 years old) Thoughts and comments appreciated. Thanks

[Hal Flynt]

Dan,

I did that with raised panels 3 years ago and designed it. I also did the entire foyer as well. I had made a bunch of doors with raised panels using a rail and style bit and decided that this was just a really big door.

The panels were made from borg purchased 1 x 12 " "white wood" and the rails and styles were southern yellow pine. The run up the stairs was very straight forward with the transitions to level at the landings the only "tricky" part. I made lots of sketches and then just "drew it" on the wall with blue masking tape and kept adjusting it till it looked right.

I made the rails run the enire length (14+ feet as I recall) and made the styles with coped ends. First I installed the base rail with the transitioned landings and nailed them into place. I used a level and adjustable protractor to get the correct angle and cut the 1 x 12” to this angle and correct length, then raised the panels. The styles were all cut to the correct length and angle. (I made an MDF sled to this angle to push the coped ends through the router bit to cope and edge.) Next I installed the upright style that was to be at the bottom of the angled rail before the transition. (Mine had the pannel on the landing basically a retangle with a corner cut off to make the transition up). This is where LOML needs to help as I had the dickens of a time trying to keep panels in place and not sliding downhill while making sure everything fit right with about 5/16 “ spacing for panel expansion. Once I was satisfied with final fit, I installed the bottom style as mentioned above.

I glued (slow setting glue) the styles and tacked with a brad in the panel groove as I went up and floated each panel, checking for plumb as each style was installed. Then I put the top rail on with a little glue on each style again. This is a little tricky and near impossible without help. This main run took about 20 minute to assemble since the pieces were all cut and test fitted beforehand. I finished nailed the top rail at the studs and turned to the transitions where I hand fitted the panels and installed the end styles. For a cap I initially used some 1x 2’s. This year I am planning on making a new cap with a bull nose and ogee.

No clamps were used and everything has remained stable for 3 years now, I did push and pull each style into a tight position before taking into place and nailing the top rail down. I sealed them with shellac and left them natural for then and will probably paint them this year.