I have some 1/2" thick cherry tongue and groove planks that are all
cut to 36" length and various widths. I want to install them in the
kitchen nook area of my home as wainscoting (floor up to 36" high).
I currently have drywall (floor to ceiling) with cherry baseboard and
chair rail.

My plan is to cut out 36" high of drywall, install 2x4 runners
horizontally between the existing studs near 6" and 30" height to give
me something to nail the T&G cherry to. Then reinstall the chair rail
and baseboard.

How would you install the 2x4 runners? I was thinking flat faced
outward, toe nailed. Or I could stagger them a bit and come in with a
nail straight through the stud and into the end.

I also planned to seal the area by shoving foam or insulation up
between the drywall to prevent air leakage since the T&G won't be air
tight and we run the A/C quite a bit being in Florida. There is a
fire break (2x4) running horizontally about 48" high. Do I even need a
seal with the firebreak there?

On Sep 5, 12:29 pm, wrote:
I have some 1/2" thick cherry tongue and groove planks that are all
cut to 36" length and various widths. I want to install them in the
kitchen nook area of my home as wainscoting (floor up to 36" high).
I currently have drywall (floor to ceiling) with cherry baseboard and
chair rail.

My plan is to cut out 36" high of drywall, install 2x4 runners
horizontally between the existing studs near 6" and 30" height to give
me something to nail the T&G cherry to. Then reinstall the chair rail
and baseboard.

How would you install the 2x4 runners? I was thinking flat faced
outward, toe nailed. Or I could stagger them a bit and come in with a
nail straight through the stud and into the end.

I also planned to seal the area by shoving foam or insulation up
between the drywall to prevent air leakage since the T&G won't be air
tight and we run the A/C quite a bit being in Florida. There is a
fire break (2x4) running horizontally about 48" high. Do I even need a
seal with the firebreak there?

If your aim is to have the T&G come flush with the drywall and have
the chairrail and baseboard capping the seems, this sounds right.
With the staggared center approach you will onle be able to get the
nails on one side of each board so you will have to toe nail other
side at least once anyway to prevent the board from rotating on the
nail axis. Flat would give you a wider nailer for the T&G in case you
encounter a knot you can move the nail. Insulation is already in the
exterior wall, but add more if you want to, cant hurt.

wrote:
I have some 1/2" thick cherry tongue and groove planks that are all
cut to 36" length and various widths. I want to install them in the
kitchen nook area of my home as wainscoting (floor up to 36" high).
I currently have drywall (floor to ceiling) with cherry baseboard and
chair rail.

My plan is to cut out 36" high of drywall, install 2x4 runners
horizontally between the existing studs near 6" and 30" height to give
me something to nail the T&G cherry to. Then reinstall the chair rail
and baseboard.

How would you install the 2x4 runners? I was thinking flat faced
outward, toe nailed. Or I could stagger them a bit and come in with a
nail straight through the stud and into the end.

I also planned to seal the area by shoving foam or insulation up
between the drywall to prevent air leakage since the T&G won't be air
tight and we run the A/C quite a bit being in Florida. There is a
fire break (2x4) running horizontally about 48" high. Do I even need a
seal with the firebreak there?

Mostly what Rick H said w/ a few modifications...

Face out for the nailers is fine but I'd suggest three instead of just
two. Your idea of staggering to nail through the studs is fine -- 16d
will work well for that. I don't see Rick's problem of why would need
to toenail one end except for the ends/corners that you don't have
access to both sides of the stud from--simply offset them enough to have
enough to nail into -- even the full width won't hurt anything.

It sounds like you're talking about putting up square-edged boards for
the wainscot -- I would recommend against that and recommend you buy a
tongue and groove router set and make a T&G on them. You could add the
v-bevel for a classier look if you liked. If not T&G, at least use a
shiplap joint, again w/ the 45-deg v-edge will look much cleaner.

That will also solve you concern about air infiltration almost
completely on it's own by eliminating the gap into the wall cavity. If,
as it sounds, this is an interior wall, the insulation won't make any
difference and fiberglass insulation is essentially worthless against
air movement, anyway. If you do want to ensure no air loss into the
wall, put a sheet of plastic up before hanging the wainscot (although if
you use the joint instead of just butting them, there won't be a
significant leak path, anyway).

--

On Sep 5, 3:35 pm, RickH wrote:
On Sep 5, 12:29 pm, wrote:





I have some 1/2" thick cherry tongue and groove planks that are all
cut to 36" length and various widths. I want to install them in the
kitchen nook area of my home as wainscoting (floor up to 36" high).
I currently have drywall (floor to ceiling) with cherry baseboard and
chair rail.

My plan is to cut out 36" high of drywall, install 2x4 runners
horizontally between the existing studs near 6" and 30" height to give
me something to nail the T&G cherry to. Then reinstall the chair rail
and baseboard.

How would you install the 2x4 runners? I was thinking flat faced
outward, toe nailed. Or I could stagger them a bit and come in with a
nail straight through the stud and into the end.

I also planned to seal the area by shoving foam or insulation up
between the drywall to prevent air leakage since the T&G won't be air
tight and we run the A/C quite a bit being in Florida. There is a
fire break (2x4) running horizontally about 48" high. Do I even need a
seal with the firebreak there?

If your aim is to have the T&G come flush with the drywall and have
the chairrail and baseboard capping the seems, this sounds right.
With the staggared center approach you will onle be able to get the
nails on one side of each board so you will have to toe nail other
side at least once anyway to prevent the board from rotating on the
nail axis. Flat would give you a wider nailer for the T&G in case you
encounter a knot you can move the nail. Insulation is already in the
exterior wall, but add more if you want to, cant hurt.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

To clarify, this is an interior wall with no insulation.

dpb wrote:
wrote:
I have some 1/2" thick cherry tongue and groove planks that are all
cut to 36" length and various widths. I want to install them in the
kitchen nook area of my home as wainscoting (floor up to 36" high).
I currently have drywall (floor to ceiling) with cherry baseboard and
chair rail.

My plan is to cut out 36" high of drywall, install 2x4 runners
horizontally between the existing studs near 6" and 30" height to give
me something to nail the T&G cherry to. Then reinstall the chair rail
and baseboard.

How would you install the 2x4 runners? I was thinking flat faced
outward, toe nailed. Or I could stagger them a bit and come in with a
nail straight through the stud and into the end.

I also planned to seal the area by shoving foam or insulation up
between the drywall to prevent air leakage since the T&G won't be air
tight and we run the A/C quite a bit being in Florida. There is a
fire break (2x4) running horizontally about 48" high. Do I even need a
seal with the firebreak there?

Mostly what Rick H said w/ a few modifications...

Face out for the nailers is fine but I'd suggest three instead of just
two. Your idea of staggering to nail through the studs is fine -- 16d
will work well for that. I don't see Rick's problem of why would need
to toenail one end except for the ends/corners that you don't have
access to both sides of the stud from--simply offset them enough to have
enough to nail into -- even the full width won't hurt anything.

It sounds like you're talking about putting up square-edged boards for
the wainscot -- ...

OK, I don't know how I managed to miss the T&G in the original post --
sorry...

You won't have any significant air movement and ignore the rest of my
blathering on about it...

If it doesn't already have the 45-deg chamfer, though, I'd surely
suggest considering it strongly--really dresses up and makes any gap
that otherwise might show disappear.

--

dpb wrote:
....
Face out for the nailers is fine but I'd suggest three instead of just
two. Your idea of staggering to nail through the studs is fine -- 16d
will work well for that. I don't see Rick's problem of why would need
to toenail one end except for the ends/corners that you don't have
access to both sides of the stud from--simply offset them enough to have
enough to nail into -- even the full width won't hurt anything.
....

Actually, there's a simple trick to doing this without the
stagger/offset-- you can leave them inline and still nail through the
stud into the end--just angle the nail from the top and bottom of the
one and you'll still catch the other with plenty of bite w/ a 16...

--

Is this wood or MDF? Take a look at this wainscoting site for ideas.

wrote:
I have some 1/2" thick cherry tongue and groove planks that are all
cut to 36" length and various widths. I want to install them in the
kitchen nook area of my home as wainscoting (floor up to 36" high).
I currently have drywall (floor to ceiling) with cherry baseboard and
chair rail.

My plan is to cut out 36" high of drywall, install 2x4 runners
horizontally between the existing studs near 6" and 30" height to give
me something to nail the T&G cherry to. Then reinstall the chair rail
and baseboard.

How would you install the 2x4 runners? I was thinking flat faced
outward, toe nailed. Or I could stagger them a bit and come in with a
nail straight through the stud and into the end.

I also planned to seal the area by shoving foam or insulation up
between the drywall to prevent air leakage since the T&G won't be air
tight and we run the A/C quite a bit being in Florida. There is a
fire break (2x4) running horizontally about 48" high. Do I even need a
seal with the firebreak there?

Don't worry about a seal. And before you go wild with nails, consider
using a construction adhesive. You'll be amazed at how much neater and
faster the job goes. Put your 'runners' flat and half under the
bottom edge of the cut out drywall and at the bottom of the opening to
permit installing baseboard and chair rail. Use adhesive and nails as
appropriate to anchor the runners. Using an air powered finish nailer
on the trim is definitely the best option. The tiny hole left by the
head of the nail is near invisible and easily filled . HTH

Joe