Cover dated wall paneling with drywall to modernize your room’s design
It is possible to place drywall directly over paneling.
Ensure the paneling is secure before adding drywall.
You can glue or screw the drywall over the paneling.
You may need to adjust trim work and outlets after.
If you’re purchasing an older home, it may have some design elements you love that ooze charm and character. However, it may also have a few elements that give you pause about signing the mortgage papers. Dated wood paneling walls may be a part of those concerns. However, don’t let paneling be a deal breaker—cover it up instead. Can you put drywall over paneling? You can, and you may even be able to glue the drywall sheets in place rather than screw them in to simplify the work.
Before you can put drywall over paneling, you need to check the sturdiness of the installation of the paneling. If it’s loose or doesn’t feel securely attached to the wall studs, it may not support the added weight of the new drywall being placed over the paneling.
You can choose between different drywall thicknesses and dimensions. The most common thickness is 1/2 inch, but it can range between 1/4 and 3/4 inches.
A 4-by-8-foot sheet of drywall with 1/2-inch thickness weighs around 50 pounds. This can be enough to pull unsecured wood paneling away from the wall, ruining your drywall installation.
Before putting drywall over paneling, look for exposed edges. Try pulling on the paneling to see if any of it is loose. If so, repair the paneling to ensure it’s firmly attached to the wall materials or wall studs underneath.
The best way to secure drywall sheets in place is to screw them into the wall studs. If you plan to leave your wood paneling in place, you may need to find the wall studs.
Look at the wood paneling closely. You may see the nails holding the paneling against the wood studs, revealing their locations. Another option for locating the wall studs behind the paneling is to use an electronic stud finder.
Once you know where the studs are, you can screw the sheets of drywall directly into them, just like you would when installing drywall for a new construction project.
When the paneling is tight to the wall and has no loose spots, you can use construction adhesive to stick the drywall to the paneling. This may be easier than trying to track down the studs and screw the sheets into place.
Adhesive can be quite messy if you don’t have experience with it. Additionally, it costs more to use glue than it does to use screws for attaching drywall sheets
Adding drywall over the top of wood paneling changes the thickness of the wall. Even though this change is only a fraction of an inch, it does affect the trim work around doors and windows. It also affects electrical outlets and light switches.
Before installing the drywall sheets over the paneling, remove all trim work, adjust its size and thickness as needed, and reapply it after adding the drywall. You also may need to use extensions on power outlets and light switches to accommodate the additional thickness of the wall with the new drywall attached.
Placing drywall over paneling is one way to save money by avoiding the cost of removing a wall, which can range from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the type of wall and its location.
If you’re uncertain of what is behind your wall paneling, you may find a few different base materials, including:
Drywall
Plaster
Nothing, as the paneling is attached directly to wall studs
Removing the paneling and any materials behind it before adding drywall can drive up the wall removal cost. Covering the paneling with drywall will save you time and reduce the mess of demolition work.
Although putting drywall over paneling can be more convenient and cost-effective than removing the paneling, it’s still costly. The average drywall installation costs about $2,000, but a large job can cost several thousand dollars. A local drywall installer can give you an estimate for covering your paneling.
If you don’t want to incur the cost of hanging drywall over paneling, there are a few other options for how to cover paneling. Using wallpaper or applying paint can deliver a new look to dated paneling at a lower cost than hanging new drywall.
Job was done quick and professionally, they made sure to cover my furniture during the demolition and ensuring they were clean afterwards. Overall i am very satified with my project
BRN New Step LLCWe had leaks around the three dormers at the front of the house, and are very pleased with our experience with Gerry and his team. We requested and received a quote very promptly. Gerry is very friendly and professional and pleasant to work with. The work was done promptly and we are very...
All Season Roof Repair, LLCSTAY AWAY FROM THESE BROTHERS!! They have absolutely NO idea what they're doing. They demanded a same-day $5500 check from my 87 yr old mother to remediate mold from my parents' basement due to a leak. Against industry protocol, they required the check BEFORE testing could be done to...
Patriot RestorationDid good work but after speaking with some other companies that called me back, they over charged by 50+%. 3850.00 and the tech was done in 3 hours. Over 1000.00 an hour seems insane. It might have been another 100-200 worth of materials. They made it seem like they were doing a lot more...
ARS/Rescue Rooter of AtlantaThey came in after having our foundation repaired in the basement. They repaired the drywall, trim, painted the walls, put flooring down and replaced two doors. Everything looked great, We love the work and they are very dependable.
JGW RenovationsPedro's nephew and his coworker performed a drywall ceiling repair meticulously. They had pride in their work.
Medina Capital, Inc.Brian came over and installed our new tankless how water heater without any issues at all. We're very pleased and would recommend them to all.
Ridgeway Mechanical, Inc.Leon gave me a quote and a timeframe for repairing my drywall in bonus room. Preformed like a pro and would recommend him for drywall repair and replacement
Team was on time, worked hard and did a great job. Really happy with the final result! Definitely will recommend to my neighbors!
For the third time, we've brought PatchMaster Drywall in to do work on our home, and for the third time, we are extremely pleased. We moved to a new home in May, and we've been doing a number of small projects and making some repairs. In the process, I had moved two wall sconces in our powder...
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