Covering Bathroom Tile With Wainscoting

100 square feet of wainscoting
24 feet, top molding
24 feet, base molding
1/2" a/c plywood (1 sheet)
1 glass shelf
2 towel bars
1 gallon of paint
hammer drill with 1/8" bit
cordless screw-gun
power miter saw
caulking gun
air compressor with hoses
finish nail gun

To enhance the look of this 1970s-era bathroom, tongue-and-groove wainscoting was installed. In order to save time, the existing tile was left in place, and the wainscoting was simply installed over it. Following are the basic steps in the process.

1. Disconnect the water supply to the sink and carefully remove the sink. Also remove any vanity accessories from the area that will be covered by the wainscoting (figure A).

2. Cut the 1/2-inch plywood into 2-inch strips, then apply the strips over the tile. Drill thru the grout lines, and attach the strips to the studs in the wall using screws. These strips will be used to attach the bead board.

3. Attach the bead board pieces using the nail gun. Cut them to fit using a miter saw.

4. Install the baseboard and top molding using the nail gun.

5. Caulk all the seams (figure B), and touch up the paint.

6. With the new wainscoting installed, you can now paint the room.

Tip: You might prefer to paint the room before you start the installation in order to save trim-painting to the bead board.

7. Reinstall the sink.