Sheetrock Problem …Wainscot Solution
A durable wainscot recently became a necessity in my 13 year old son’s room. Apparently, he is a very rambunctious sleeper and ended up knocking 2 HUGE holes in the sheetrock where his feet and knees tend to be.
Durable = metal and here on the homestead, we tend to use that stuff a bunch! Therefore, we decided to do a corrugated tin wainscot in his sleeping nook.
Wainscot a Wall
Step 1
For the first step, we removed all the trim that was in the way. Then we measured and marked the sheetrock that needed to be removed. We chose a 4 foot length. This is a good length for two reasons. For one, it spans the necessary distance where his feet and knees tend to go through the walls. Two, with the 12 foot lengths of tin, we waste nothing!
Step 2
In the second step we cut the sheetrock. My husband got in on this job pretty heavy and he went straight to the saws-all. It definitely makes quick work of sheetrock. However, if you don’t have one, you can cut sheetrock with a good box knife fairly easily.
Marking and cutting offending sheetrock A saws-all makes quick work of cutting the sheetrock
Step 3
In the third step we pulled off all of the sheetrock and any bad insulation. (It’s not a bad idea to replace any worn insulation when you have an opportunity.) This is where Logan (the sleep kicker) got in on the process. He used multiple huge trash bags to clean up all that mess.
Step 4
Next, once we got all of the mess cleaned out of the way, we had to install additional nailers (framework used to stabilize the sheetrock and for nailing off the trim). We put them on the bottom and the top of the work area. My husband cut them to length and attached them with 3 inch screws.
Step 5
During the fifth step in the process, we cut the tin to length and installed it. It is pretty easy to cut tin with a grinding wheel, as we show in the photographs. The installation is very straightforward. We used self tapping screws with a wide head to hold it all together, placing screws all along the top and bottom as well as a few in the middle across studs.
Step 6
Finally, the last part of the process to wainscot a wall is finishing with trim. We trimmed it all out with stained 1×4 furring strips on top, bottom and in the corners. This covers the sharp edges, consequently giving it a finished, well put together look.
Installing trim along edges Installing trim in corner Finished wainscot
I really love the way it turned out and my son thinks it’s soooo cool! Therefore, that’s a win for mom! Now, if he kicks through these walls, I’m going with 1/2 inch steel next time. *eyes rolling….
I would love to hear what you think about this project! Have you tried it or would you like to wainscot a wall? Let me hear from you!
And if you would like to see any of our other building projects, check these out:
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NEVER MISS A THING!!
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How is the metal wall holding up? We are considering a similar project in our living room. Any advice?
Really well actually. We have done it in two rooms at this point and it’s been great! It’s such a quick, easy project. My only tip is to plan out your trim work to cover edges of the aluminum. It may be necessary to route a ledge into the backside of it, depending on layout. Good luck!
The finish project pictures did not show up. 😔
Would like to see the final pictures. Also the furring boards are those the ones I see in the other pics that go horizontal under the drywall cut? They look like the furring boards are slightly receded, yes? I suspect for the metal to be flush with the drywall so when you finish off the borders, it will lay flat on wall and metal that join. Yes?
HI!, I’m not sure why the finished pics did not show up. When I looked, I could see them. But, to answer your question, the furring strips are actually the trim boards that we used on the seams and in the corners. Those horizontal boards are 2×4 lumber that we put in between the studs so that the open edges of drywall and metal would have something solid to adhere to. With the drywall cut away, the corrugated metal fits in its place quite well and the trim board that we used to cover the seam sits flatly against them.
When you’re put the trim on did you fill the grooves and with anything? I would be afraid of the dust ,dirt, small objects getting in the holes at the top of trim.
Actually, the trim, because we used 1×4 furring strips, covered the gaps.
What about the outlets? They won’t sit flush correct? We’re considering this but trying to figure out all the details first!
Hey there, they actually don’t sit poorly. It’s all about the placement of the outlet box. It can be placed more forward and the tin cut tightly around it. And you can use caulk if necessary to fill any gaps.
What color did you use for wall?
Well, it has been a variety (we change things up a lot!). Currently one of the walls is olive green and the rest are a cream color.
Did you paint the metal?
No. Not at all. We just put it in as is.
Hello, would it not work to put the metal in top of the Sheetrock? (Instead of removing It)
Can I ask, in what way did it not work? What was the problem you had?