Wainscoting can be a great addition to any home.
If you want to break up large wall spaces and make the home look more finished and complete, wainscoting is a perfect way to do it.
There are some things that you should keep in mind when painting wainscoting.
Painting of wainscoting needs to be done a certain way so that it holds up and adds the proper finished look to your home.
If you have some wainscoting in your home that needs to be painted, we have all the information you need to get it done properly.
What Type of Paint Should Be Used on Wainscoting?
It is best to use latex-type paint on wainscoting.
For many years, oil-based paints were considered superior because of the issue with brush strokes.
Oil-based paints tend to leave much fewer brush strokes than latex paints.
This helps the average person to get the paint to look great on the finished surface.
However, there are some major downsides to using oil-based paint.
For starters, the odor of oil-based paint is quite a bit stronger than that of latex.
In addition, the oil-based paint will start to turn yellowish over the years.
Of course, it is essential to make sure that you are using a premium, high-grade latex paint, but it is going to be the better choice over the long term.
Latex paint is self-leveling, and it makes it easier for those who are new to painting.
In addition, the latex paint is also going to be very easy to clean up.
You can simply use a rag with a bit of water, and the paint will come right up.
When you are working with oil-based paints, you will very likely need to use harsh chemicals.
With the newer higher quality paints, it will be just fine for you to use latex on your wainscoting.
It is important, however, to make sure that you use a higher quality paint.
A premium finish or trim type of paint will certainly make the project stand out.
Should I Prime Wainscoting Before I Paint It?
People always like to ask about whether or not priming is necessary.
Without a doubt, we can tell you that priming a surface prior to painting is never a bad idea.
When you prime, you are going to be setting up your home for a long-lasting finished and complete look.
If you don’t prime, you will be left with paint that can chip and can look uneven in certain areas.
There are many different types of primers out there.
Most wainscoting is not going to take all that much wear and tear through the years.
Typically, it is on the walls and won’t be touched by humans or children all that much.
Still, if you feel your wainscoting is in a high traffic area, make sure to choose your primer accordingly.
You should be fine with one coat of primer and two coats of finish paint.
This tends to be the best combination for making sure the project turns out well.
What Finish Is Best for Wainscoting?
As you are probably well aware, there are different types of finishes that will have a significant impact on how your finished wainscoting will come out.
For instance, a flat paint is going to be what you would typically use on the walls.
The flat finish does not have any kind of a shine to it and it also offers no other protection against fingerprints or hands that come into contact with the wall.
Up from the flat, you will notice there are finishes like satin and semi-gloss.
In addition, you can also choose the glossy finish.
When you think about the glossy finish, you have to consider a picture, one that is glossy compared to one that is matte.
This means that it will have almost a shiny look to it.
If your home is a bit more on the high end and the fixtures and furniture are also high end, the glossy finish tends to look quite good.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for something a bit more understated, you may want to go with a satin type of finish.
Most of this is going to come down to personal preference; however, it is essential to remember that the glossier paints do a better job of protecting the walls.
Can You Roll Paint on Wainscoting?
As we have mentioned, wainscoting is an area of the house that is going to stand out.
This is essentially like having very high-end trim throughout the entire home.
Typically speaking, when you paint trim, you are also going to want to use a brush to make sure that it gets covered properly.
The same is to be said for wainscoting, but there is an exception.
Depending on the style of your wainscoting, there are very likely some large open flat areas.
These areas can be rolled with a smaller six-inch roller.
The best steps for completing this include painting all of the areas that the roller can’t get, then coming back in with the roller and rolling everything out.
Once the large areas are rolled, then it is best to use the paintbrush yet again to clean up any areas where you may see that the roller or brush missed.
Be careful not to take the brush to the center areas of the larger panels.
This is where you will end up seeing large brush strokes in the paneling, and it will not look nearly as complete or finished.
Instead, put a little paint on an almost dry roller and touch up these spots.
Wainscoting may seem like it takes a while to paint, but it actually goes rather quickly.
Always tape off the area where the wainscoting blends into the wall.
This is where you will have to be careful that the paint is a good match, and the lines are clean between the two pieces.
If you don’t tape the area off, you will probably see where the paint blends in, and the line won’t look even.
Those who know what a good paint job looks like will be able to pick up on this imperfection almost immediately.
Take your time when painting wainscoting.
Truly, this is a feature of the house that will stand out and look beautiful when it is finished.
Should Wainscoting Be Painted the Same Color as the Wall?
Many people wonder if wainscoting should be the same color as the wall.
This is really going to depend on your personal style, but most people like to keep at least a few shades of color between the wall and the wainscoting.
If you purchased a home with true wainscoting throughout the living and dining room areas, this is a very expensive and high-end feature.
The feature should be highlighted in some way, and sometimes the best way to do this is to paint it properly.
Many people choose to do white on their wainscoting and then paint the wall a color a few shades darker.
The white wainscoting is quite popular as it tends to stand out and give a very clean look.
The white also allows for people to decorate the room with features and colors that stand out and not be so restricted by the one wall color.
The color of the wall can be very limiting when it comes to decorating the house’s interior.
Take into consideration your design plans for the room when you are choosing the proper wainscoting color.
What Is the Difference Between Beadboard and Wainscoting?
When you are researching how to paint wainscoting, you will probably come across some information about beadboard.
Companies like to combine their information for beadboard and wainscoting at times, but these are two different things.
Beadboard is more like paneling that goes halfway up the wall.
Wainscoting is made by using molding and trim and panels that are raised from the wall.
With wainscoting, you get a three-dimensional look that the beadboard does not provide.
One thing that is great about wainscoting is that it is a bit easier to paint than beadboard.
The beadboard tends to have lots of small gaps between the panels, and it takes quite a bit of brushwork.
With wainscoting, you can simply use the roller in combination with the brush to get the job done much more quickly.
Beadboard and wainscoting are both features that are going to add value to a home.
One of the things that people like about wainscoting a bit more than beadboard is that it can be painted and treated to look modern, or it can look more formal.
You can play with the look of wainscoting a bit more easily than you can with beadboard.
Does Wainscoting Need to Match Trim?
Although wainscoting can often be combined with the trim, it is not necessarily considered trim.
Some people will paint the wainscoting an entirely different color than the trim while others will paint it the same.
It really comes down to how much wainscoting you have in your home and the color scheme throughout your entire home.
For most people, adding a wall color, trim color, and a wainscoting color can make it so that there is just too much going on in the house.
However, sometimes painting the wainscoting and the trim in different colors will actually pay off with a much more attractive look.
You have to find out what works for you, and you also need to consider how much time the painting projects are going to take.
When you paint everything the same color, you can finish your painting work much more quickly than if you were to paint three or four different colors.
Although this may seem like no reason to choose one paint color over another, you will quickly learn that it can be.
Painting is time-consuming.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you feel a bit more equipped to get started painting your wainscoting.
Wainscoting is something that we love to paint.
When the finished product is complete, it can change the look of the space entirely.
This is one of those home improvement projects that has a major impact on the house without causing you too much trouble.
Freshly painted wainscoting will bring back the look of a room and truly make it stand out again.
While you are painting the wainscoting, we recommend you paint the trim as well.
Since there will be instances where trim and wainscoting blend into each other, this will leave you with a more complete look.
Take a look at some pictures of completed work to see what the finished product will look like.
This will help you make sure you make the best color selection.
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