I'm going to be installing some 6" wide t&g plank (5/8" thick) wainscot in a new addition on our home (no drywall yet, studs are exposed). I read that the "right" way to do this is to notch out my studs and install something like 1x4 nailing strips horizontally - one near the top and one near the bottom of the wainscot so that I have something to nail into behind the drywall.
I understand the concept, but some of the walls that are getting the wainscot are 2x6 exterior structural walls. Am I significantly weakening the studs by notching them out to accomodate the 1x4 nailing strips?
Notching the studs is a pain in the ass and doesn't really get you much for the effort.
Nail up some 3/4" ply directly onto the studs. That way you'll be able to nail the wainscotting anywhere you want. 5/8" plywood would also work. The drywall will above will sit on the plywood, and the chair rail will cover the seam.
If space is at a huge premium, and you absolutely can't give up that little bit of room width, nail blocking between the studs. You'll need to do that at the top rail height, and depending on the height of the wainscotting probably another horizontal band of blocking or two.
Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on your point of view), there will be code inspections and I think the code requires drywall beneath the wainscoting. If I understand you right, the first four feet of the wall would be plywood instead of drywall. I think it would work great, until the inspector comes knockin.
Sounds like the blocking is going to have to do. I'll check out the book in the reply below, too.
Since you didn't state where you are and I therefore don't know your code specifics I certainly should have mentioned to check with your inspector for verification. Just went back and read my reply and see I omitted that. Sorry.
Drywall is everywhere because it's the easiest and cheapest wall covering to put up. Not every wall needs to have a drywall covering. There are two areas in residential construction where one-hour fire resistive construction is required. One area is the wall separating an attached garage from the living area, and the other is enclosed usable space (walls and ceilings) under a stairway. That's pretty standard. YMMV
The detail I mentioned has passed inspections before, even if the drywall omission question comes up. The reasoning is as such:
Code requires wainscotting thinner than either 1/4" or 3/8" (don't recall which it is off the top of my head) to be on top of fire-resistive construction (ie. drywall or plaster). Since you're going with 5/8" thick stuff, You're covered on that one.
3/4" plywood is acceptable as fireblocking, so you're essentially fireblocking the entire wall. That is not the same as fire-resistive, but it gets the idea across.
Anyway, ask your building inspector. Even if you're 100% right but he gets a burr under his saddle, you're going to lose the battle.
Interesting thread. On my 1960's home, I have wood panelling on 1" furring strips over cinder blocks in my basement. No insulation. Does this mean that if I pull it off and put up newer, lighter panelling, I'll need drywall underneath to meet current code?
Not knowing "code", I was under the impression that drywall is universally used as an inexpensive material to fit the requirement for a fire inhibitor for the wall insulation. Not that other materials won't work too, just that drywall is more cost effective than other materials.
BTW, I recommend going with 1/4 or 3/8" plywood under the wainscoted area - then drywall above. The cap moulding would transition the difference in material thicknesses. Notching each stud at multiple heights would be a PIA.
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