Faux Molding and Painting for Wood Paneling (under 30 cents/ft) With the Kid's Wednesday!

When we moved into our house (seen below), I figured I would have to remove all the wood paneling. 

I started to trying to tear it off and realized it was going to be a huge job! The paneling was glued and nailed to the wall and I would have been chipping it off FOREVER, and probably ruining the wall. 

(I think this picture is when we were doing a walk-through before we made an offer on the house).

As I was contemplating ideas of how to take the paneling off, my friend told me she had just painted hers. So I gave it a try!

It tuned out great, and the paneling added a "cottage vibe" in my opinion, but I couldn't stand the one thin strip of molding along the top. I had added "faux molding" to other rooms, but wondered how it would work with the paneling and grooves. 

So here is what I did (and as you can see by the pictures, am still doing in the basement). Faux molding on wall paneling costs around 30 cents /linear foot (if you already have a piece of small molding at the top, otherwise, by adding two pieces of molding,  it would probably cost around 80 cents to a dollar/ft) and makes such a statement!

Here's where we're starting. My sister started painting these downstairs walls about 3 yrs ago, and NOTHING has been done to them since!

Remove any nails, and start painting the trim. I was painting multiple pieces of trim in this picture, but I will be using the thinner, plain trim (about 1 inch high). You can purchase this same trim already primed...I would highly suggest doing this. It's still pretty inexpensive. Unfortunately, the store I was at, only had unpainted wood trim in this size. 

Now take some sort of measuring device. I usually use a certain kid's block for measuring my molding areas, but I think it got tossed, so I found a book that was the same thickness. Draw a line to where the molding will go (this is quicker than measuring with a ruler!)

Start spackling the groves in the wall paneling with spackle. Only go as far as the line you draw. I use basic wall spackle. You can get this at Walmart or any hardware store. 

This is the time consuming part. You'll need to re-spackle probably 3 times. When spackle dries, it shrinks a bit and leaves an indentation. Spakle until it's flat! 

*Helpful hint! After you spakle, go back and wipe off whatever spakle you don't need with a wet wipe. This will help when you go to sand. 

Wait for it to dry completely, then find all the able bodies in your house and make them sand off extra spackle until it's smooth! Yup, this is what we did for With the Kid's Wednesday! 

When you are done sanding, add the trim underneath your line. Nail it in, set the nails and spackle the nail holes. 

When you're finished, it should look something like this. 

Then paint a couple coats of paint. I think I need one more, but it will look so clean and much better when finished and the wall is painted!

I have done this in the living room upstairs and you can see the finish molding below.

Here is the living room before the paneling was painted and the faux molding was put up.

and here is the after. 

So, if you have wood paneling, or move in a house that has it. Just prime, paint and follow this tutorial on how to add some faux molding for around 30 cents/ft. It will look great!

--Katie


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