Making and installing
frame-and-panel wainscot
is a tough and
challenging job, but it's
worth the effort. The
results are striking —
and are guaranteed to
enhance the reputation
of any builder who can
do it well. A knowledge
of historical
precedent and a bit of
common sense will
help you achieve a
pleasing layout, while
some skill with story
sticks and a scribing compass will make the installation
go smoothly and precisely.
Layout
If the layout of the wainscot isn't included in
the interior elevations, the first step is to make a
scaled sketch. Pay attention to proportion here.
The ancient Greeks thought that the most pleasing
proportions for any rectangle were a
width-to-length ratio of five to eight — the
"golden rectangle" seen in