Paneling and Trim - Wainscott on Stairs

My DIY project has come to a screeching halt. I sure hope someone here can provide some insight, some advice or guidance.

I would like to install wood plank wainscott along the perimter of my basement hallway (pretty basic) and then up the stairwall, the landing and second smaller stairwell of my two floor bungelow.

I am stumped as to how to handle the transition in elevation from the basement floor, up the stairs, around the landing and up the second flight of stairs. I have searched the internet for pictures of wainscott installation up stairs but found nothing.

I have no way of describing the layout to help the explanation. If anyone has the patience and familiarity with a project like this, I would surely appreciate any support you can give. You may wish to contact me off list privately to minimize the confusion and to provide a more personal approach to resolution.

Jenn

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Are you planning on step staggering the wainscotting or have the top an an angle with the handrail?

Thank you Chandler for your reply ...

Are you planning on step staggering the wainscotting or have the top an an angle with the handrail?

This is kinda what I mean by being stumped. I don't know what my options are, and in the case of your suggestion, do not quite know what they are or what would be most appropriate for my setting.

I have an idea what you might mean my step staggering ... bassically the tops of the wainscott planks follow the profile of the stairs giving it a jagged appearance? I am not using handrails, so uncertain as to what the other might look like.

With the rest of my project, the top of the wainscott is finished with an edging to give it a finished look. Considering that, is the staggering an option since it would have so many edges?

Jenn

which side of the stairs are you thinking about doing one or both?

Oh, and yeah, you will need handrails, sorry.

Wainscott on both sides of the stairway.
Not worried about handrails ... the house never had them, I'm not about to put them in now.

If you don't want to do it correctly and safely..why mess with it. Sand the walls, patch as required and paint.

Rails would be less work than putting in the wainscoting. From the looks, you could probably do 3 brackets, attach the rails..boom..done..and it would look professional.

I know yer in CAN, but if you ever planned to sell the place, that would be a big hit.

Ok, if it were me, I'd get the wainscot you want to use, notch to fit the stairs, attach to wall. Shoe mold to cover the gap at stair/riser joint. Snap a line from top to bottom at the height/angle needed. Cut the wainscot with a small/cordless/trim saw set to 1/4" depth, then attach a small chair rail or cap moulding. Then mount the handrails.


EDIT...sorry if I was abrupt...sometimes dealing with Gov employees does that..right?

Thanks GunGuy ... the last paragraph was what I was needing. The walls were originally just drywalled, and I could have done that again. However, the walls got a real beating from loaded hockey bags scraping, scuffing and banging against the walls while carrying them up and down. I'm hoping the wainscott will take a bit more abuse. (another reason can't have railings ... the stairway is narrow enough as it is.

Your last paragraph answered my confusion. Wainscott height at top of run, diagonally to the top of the wainscott plank at the base gives me the profile I think will be needed. I believe this will require two planks joined end to end to get the height along the run.

I'm not sure about the opposite wall. I'm not sure if the pics show it clearly, but the wall has a ledge that will prevent me from applying this concept.

Jenn

First you need to determine the height that you want the wainscott in the main part of the room- 36"-42 is normal, but we have done it as high as 72", depends on the look you want(for this example we'll use 36"). Make a couple of marks 36" up from the floor on each wall and draw a line. Next, at the stairs measure the height of the rise(for this example we'll use 7"), the distance for one tred to the next. At the bottom step draw a line on the wall that is inline with the first riser and intersects your 36" line. Now at the 5th step up from the bottom on the leading edge of the step measure up 29" and make a mark. Conect this mark with the intersecting line at the bottom. Continue this up to the top of the first run, At the top step, on the left side as you are going up the stairs, draw another line that is inline with that riser. This is where the angle will stop and run parrallel with the landing, continue this line around the corner till it meets the line that has been drawn in line with the 3rd riser from the top. Similar for the right side of the stairs. As far a the gaps at the risers and treads where the wainscott meets them, if you do not want to use 1/4 round or shoe mould, the other option would be to remove the treads and risers(number them), apply the wainscott , cut 2 times the material thickness off the treads a risers and replace them. As far as the landing goes use shoe mould there would be fine. Attach chair mould at the top and your done!

Stinson Wainscoting has custom panels available on special order. Don't know how much they cost, but their regular panels are only about $20 each.



http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g62/mithslew/home%20renos/stairs.jpg



Link to their site:

Stinson Wainscoting - Welcome! (http://www.wainscoting.com/)