Paint grade wainscot materials

[Paul Di Biasio]

I am thinking about doing raised panel wainscoting in my dining room. MDF panels should be ok, but I am not sure what material I am going to use for the stile & rails.

Any comments?

[Jim Izat]

I've seen MDF used for the rails and stiles as well, but if you want to use hardwood the best bet is probably poplar. Reasonably hard, not partiularly heavy, and in the #1 common grade, as cheap as pine. You shouldn't have to buy FAS just cutting rail and stile stock.

My .02

Jim Izat

[Steve Clardy]

2 votes for Poplar

[Tony Laros]

I would go with MDF for the rails and stiles as well. Stable material and fairly easy to paint or spray.

[Jim Becker]

On cabinetry, I'd use poplar for the rails and stiles, but for wainscote, MDF is a great choice. Inexpensive and stable as someone else mentioned. For a wall-mounted application like this, you don't have the strength issues that arrise with doors and the like on cabinets.

[Hal Flynt]

I thought long and hard on the same issue and ended up using SYP.

I used some heavy Southern Yellow pine for the railes and styles. I like the grain that shows through when painted. It lets me know it's wood and SYP is relatively dense anyway.

For the raised panels I used 1 X 12" white wood since I couldn't find SYP in that width. So far (2 years now) all the dings have been to the base and don't really show anymore than the rest of my 3 piece SYP baseboards.

My router bits like the pine better than MDF. Poplar was another choice, but the supply wasn't available. Any wood is stonger than the sheet rock it covered.

JOMO

[Phil Phelps]

...using MDF panels, you'll be better off to fill them with joint compound and sand it clean. It will save you three coats of paint. And use a hardwood for the style and rails. Poplar or pine will do just fine. Use a good primer and sand with 220. I would spray Bin pigmented shellac. You can make it as smooth as glass. Bin is a geat primer/sealer.