Wood panels?

[John]

I'm about to renovate a room a make it into a library. I want it to have "old english" -style wood panels. Where can I buy panels that I can apply myself?

[Joseph Meehan]

There are several approaches. If you want real look, you go to England and buy real, old panels. That is a little expensive and you may need to do some adjusting to the room or the panels.

You have have them made for you or build them yourself. This way they can match the room size. The quality of the results depends on the skill of who does the work and the quality of the materials. Price can vary from cheap to very expensive.

I suppose pre-made or semi-custom panels can be ordered.

So how are your woodworking skills? DIY can result in some really good high quality work if you have the skills and time. It also may be one of the least expensive options.

[John]

That's what I'm lookin after. Cost is ofcourse important. I'm also looking for plaster mouldings to another room - roof corners and ornament style..

[longshot]

may add some ideas... old panel doors can make very interesting wainscot

[Joseph Meehan]

I have never hunted for them, so my suggestions may not be good.

I would try at a big DIY source and check out the kitchen area. They may have something. Also check out kitchen remodel showrooms and see what they have. If you are in a large city I would expect there to be some sort of architectural supply houses and they may have something or be able to direct you to a source.

Where I live, I would contact some of our Amish sources and see if they could come up with what I want as custom work.

[m Ransley]

Look into Oak veneer plywood

[m Ransley]

With Oak veneer plywood that is only the start then you add different trim pieces to get it the way you want it to look. Then stain and finish.

You are better off looking at Foam molding, not plaster, they are copied in just abut any style and are easily instaled,light weight and ready for paint.

Veneer ply-trim pieces and foam molding are the way it is done today

[Lee & Cathi Thomas]

Try

I saw it on This Old House.

Cathi

[Steve Manes]

It depends on how ornate you want it. The simplest approach would be to fasten 1/4" hardwood plywood to the walls (construction adhesive and a few nails) then tack on some moulding to frame the panels and give it some detail. Try to hide the panel nails and seams behind the mouldings. The trick to getting a nice look is in the moulding design: base board, picture frame, chair rail, crown, cap mouldings, etc.

Steve Manes Brooklyn, NY

[Goedjn]

If it was a real library-room, all the available wall space would be covered with shelves, cabinets, and drawers, anyway, and you'd be asking about how to beef up the floors so that the building doesn't collapse.

But anyway, for it to look right, you really need to diagram the walls in question, with measurements, and have someone in your area who does custom cabinets or other woodwork do them to fit your specific walls. Anything else is just going to look like you glued a bunch of cabinet doors to your house.

The best you're likely to do is something like

boils down to gluing flat boards and molding to the wall to fake it. This doesn't really look BAD, but it doesn't look authentically rennaisance, either.

--Goedjn

[longshot]

then do your best & it will probably end up looking "rustic" :o)

[John]

Thank for the link. I do want it to look "rustic" or something like that but I haven't done much woodworking and will settle for a easier solution.

[John]

Any good links for foam moldings and such?

[John]

Good link. I wonder what they cost approximately. What is the ballpark figure on materials per square meter.