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Introduction
If you scratch or mar paneling, you usually can make a cosmetic repair in a few minutes with paste wax or a crayonlike touch-up stick. Don't try to spot-sand and refinish prefinished paneling; you risk doing more harm than good.
If a panel has suffered serious damage, you'll have to replace an entire 4x8-foot section. Finding a match among the myriad styles and finishes offered by manufacturers may be your biggest challenge.
If your paneling was glued directly to drywall, you may have to replace the drywall before putting your patch in place. If there's electrical wiring anywhere in the wall you're working on, shut off the power to the circuit before doing any cutting, sawing, or nailing. |
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1. Identify damaged panels
Identify and mark the edges of the panel that is damaged. |
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2. Remove baseboard
Pry off the baseboard and top molding by inserting a putty knife, then a pry bar. Pull nails with pliers. |
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3. Remove paneling from wall
Pull the panel off the wall. Start at the bottom, where there's usually no adhesive. Pull nails as they pop. |
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4. Protect adjacent panels
Continue prying the panel away from bottom to top. Use a wood block to protect adjacent panels. |
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5. Apply new adhesive
Remove all old adhesive with a scraper or chisel. Apply panel adhesive to studs with a caulking gun. |
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6. Apply new panel
Nail the panel loosely at the top and wedge out, as shown, until the adhesive gets tacky. |
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7. Secure new panel
Press the panel into place, tapping it against the studs, as shown, and nail edges with color-matched brads. |
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