Wood Panels: The Forgotten Wall Covering

Wood panels are the perfect mix of visually interesting and classically elegant. You may hear a lot about different drywall techniques and wallpaper, but wood panels are too often the forgotten, beautiful stepchild. Panels can be installed only for the bottom third of your walls, also called wainscoting, or it can be a full wall covering. Public areas, such as the living room, dining room, entryways, and hallways, are the most common places for wood panels.

Faux Wood Panels
There many ways to manufacture wood panels. Natural wood is becoming less and less popular as better and cheaper alternatives continue to hit the market. Laminate panels are one alternative that imitates wood. It is lighter and easier to clean than wood, but extra care should be taken. If the laminate gets scratched, it is difficult to repair. Wood veneer is a layered faux wood. The top layer gets a meticulously created wood graining process to make it look like the real thing. The sub-layers get less cosmetic treatment but help the structural integrity of the installation—the thicker the layers the more expensive the veneer. Veneer panels should be cleaned with furniture polish.

Decorative Wood Panels
Decorative panels have been around for centuries. It's not hard to see or understand why this wall covering is associated with the Old World, but that doesn't need to make it dated. Decorative panels remain a popular and viable home improvement installation. For more contemporary decorating styles, a geometric panels design can help the panels feel like it belongs in your home.

The best decorative panels often work as a contrast to the wall covering above it. This means if you have a darker, solid-colored wall, consider lighter colored panels. If you have a white or light-colored wall, consider a darker wood finish.

Full Wall Panels
Wainscoting acts as a wall accent to make your wall's appearance more dynamic and to enhance the effect of the panels and the wall above it. Full wall panels does the job all on its own. You should pay extra attention to the decorative style of the panels when choosing this route. Full wood panels can create some absolutely striking walls, but you need to match the panels to the height of the wall and the wall hangings you want on top of the panels. Most full wall panels come in two or three paneled vertical sections. You can choose a greater number of smaller sections, but be careful how small you make the pattern. Too small and you may as well install wall tiling.

Installation Tips
+ Panels can range from $5 per square foot to over $20. If you're having budget problems, consider lowering your panel height to reduce total surface area.

+ Many areas require certain fire resistant ratings for panels sub-surfaces. Many panel materials are not naturally fire resistant.

+ For DIY, a tongue and groove configuration will simplify installation.