Pressed tin is usually applied to ceilings, but it can be applied to walls too. Beverly DeJulio, host of HGTV's Homewise, adds a pressed-tin wainscoting to a dining room. Materials:
Pressed-tin panels
Putty knife
Hammer
Oil-based primer
Optional: oil-based primer and paint
Optional: 1/2" nap roller
Paintbrush
Electronic stud sensor
1" x 3" furring strips
Ledger board
Screws
Measuring tape
Chalk line
Drill with screwdriver bit
Cone-head nails
Awl
Heavy-duty leather work gloves
Tin snips
Protective goggles
Finish nails
Chair-rail molding
Wide-angled chisel
- Plan the pressed-tin wainscoting wall. Pressed-tin panels are available in 2' by 4' sheets of 6" or 12" plates.
- Remove the baseboard molding and set aside.
- Flatten the bottom edge of the tin with a putty knife and a hammer so the base molding will fit flat against the tin when it's replaced on the wall (figure A ).
- Paint the back of the pressed tin with oil-based primer to protect against moisture and act as a vapor barrier. If you're planning to paint the front of the wainscoting, prime the panels before installation.
- Furring strips are attached to the wall horizontally to correspond with the horizontal lines dividing the tin panels. Snap horizontal chalk lines to mark the position of the furring strips. Locate the wall studs with a stud sensor, and screw the furring strips to the wall and into the studs (figure B).
- Nail a ledger board along the top of the area to be covered to serve as a guideline for the top of the tin panels (figure C). It will be removed after the panels are installed.
- Tin panels are manufactured with one edge a bit wider than the other so the panels can be overlapped. Install the first panel with the wider edge on the right so the narrow edge on the left of the second panel can overlap the wide edge. After installation, seal the seams by tapping them with the head of a wide-angled chisel. To install the first panel, butt it up against the ledger board, poke a hole in the small raised circle at the corners of the squares with an awl (figure D), and secure the tin to the furring strips with cone-head nails (figure E).
- Install the second panel by overlapping its narrow edge over the wide edge of the first panel. When nailing at the joint between two panels, use the awl, then drill through the tin (figure F). The manufacturer recommends drilling when going through more than one layer of tin.
- Cut the panels, if necessary, to fit the end of the wall. Use tin snips and goggles, and make sure to wear heavy-duty leather work gloves.
- After installing all the panels, replace the base molding.
- Remove the ledger board from the top edge of the wainscoting, and install chair-rail molding. The chair rail molding must be wider than normal to cover the furring strips supporting the tin panels.
- If desired, finish the wainscoting with a top coat of paint.
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