Since the first day I started blogging, the most frequently asked question is “What kind of bead board do you use?” closely followed by “What kind of bead board should I use?” I know there are a bajillion products out there to give you the look of bead board, but the time has finally come for me to share how we hang our bead board walls.
We use a product called Ply Bead, which we can always find at Home Depot or Lowe’s in the same aisle with the plywood & MDF. It varies a little, but runs about $25 per sheet. It’s a big chunk to spend (we used 14 sheets in our living room) but lends more than just looking good. Since I live in a mobile home, it also gives me the additional bonuses of better insulation on my walls making my home more energy efficient, and it gives me sturdy walls to hang basically anything I’d like. (Dude… it’s HARD to hang stuff on flimsy mobile home drywall!)
Ply bead has a tongue and groove feature, where one side is recessed (like in the photo) and the other side has a lip. The top and bottom and simply straight, so it goes together in an interlocking fashion. Notice the gap in the wall? That’s what the wall behind those pesky strips in manufactured homes looks like. The great part of the strips is that it shows you exactly where the studs are, and a full sheet of drywall is the same width as a full sheet of ply bead, making it easier to figure out your layout. We install the ply bead right on top of the drywall.
We use screws in the corners of the ply bead to make sure it’s safe & secure. Notice how he pulled it up off the floor just a bit? That wall is about 102 inches tall, which is about 6 inches more than 8 ft. The sheets we use are 8 ft. tall, so we pull it up off the floor just a little, then cover up the difference by using shims beneath and covering it all up with 6 inch trim on the bottom (aka base boards) and 4 inch trim on top (aka crown molding.)
After putting the screws in the corners (which will be hidden by the trim), then we use a nail gun to use pin nails to secure it to the wall along the studs from top to bottom.
The second piece overlaps just a bit, to make the tongue and groove action do it’s magic. Then rinse and repeat with all of the screws and nails. To make holes for electrical outlets, we measure out where it needs to be, then cut it out by using a jigsaw.
Once it’s all hung, I use paintable caulk to seal up the corners & where the trim goes, then paint it all. Now here comes the “UGH!” moment… it’s all painted – from top to bottom – with a brush. I know, I know… it’s not fun, but painting it with a good brush will get in all of those nooks and crannies, but also helps to make it smooth and beautiful. There is a slightly rough texture to the ply bead, which is somewhat typical of any ply wood product. Painting it with a brush makes all that grain lay down smoothly and creates a beautiful result.
So… that’s how we install bead board walls. It may or may not work for you. We love this method (which is why we’ve used it in 90% of our home) – but if you have good smooth dry wall to start with, then I highly suggest using the bead board wall paper method, too.
Great post Gina,
I would like to put bead board in our home someday. My husband and I went to Lowe’s a couple of weeks ago to see what they had in stock. Still haven’t made up my mind as to where I want it, ceiling or wall. Enjoyed your post as to how you installed it. Thanks!
Can u put it in plastered walls the same way
It really is a remarkable transformation. Mobile home walls are quite bland and not all that sound proof. I’d imagine this helps with that as well.
I love that plywood bead board. We used it in our bathroom. It really is beautiful and I love the fact that it overlaps so you have no “seams”. We used it on the ceiling and as a wansecott.
Gina – Great post! It really transformed your walls into a cozy cotage feel. I love the overlap part. Will definitely try this product. Thanks for the great tutorial.
Judy
Looks awesome!!! Wanting to add this look over my mudroom desk area!
If we were not renting this house, I would be putting some up in my dinning room and one of my girls bedrooms. Someday! Great post!
Great post, Gina! I am convinced that you and your hubby can do anything!
Hugs friend!
Georgia
EEK! The room is looking wonderful! I love seeing Mr. SCC on the blog and bits of the room that we haven’t seen before.
We used the plybead on our front porch and loved it. You’re doing such a great job! Lisa~
So beautiful! I like how you used the trim to make lemonade out of lemons with too short panels.
Does anyone know how to add extra insulation to a mobile home? Please and thank you
We pulled out the old panelling on the inside, exposed the insulation which we pulled put and replaced the we put up thin drywall and used bead board over it. We used the bead board strips rather than thebig sheets. Easier to work with..
Thanks for sharing Lisa 🙂
Loved your mobile home and bead board tips! We also live in a mobile home, and I’m DYING to replace the current ugly mobile home walls with bead board! thanks again!!!!
Thanks for the detailed instructions We’ve owned dbl wide for 18 years. Haven’t lived there for almost 10 years but we’re moving back later this year. I can’t wait! I did a lot of updates while we lived there and I have many new ideas swirling around in my head for our return! This idea is definitely at the top of my list. Thanks
how would you do bead board if the walls are 12ft tall? What do you use to connect them?
Paint the beadboard first. Leave the edges, 2-4 inches depending on your brush or roller size, painting top to bottom, then hang the painted panels. Now fill in with caulking in gap and in screw holes, then let dry and paint edges. Does the beadboard make good insulation. We have a box window, with deep ledge, and the wall outside exposed is brick with insulation and up under the ledge is well insulated. However, we live in
Houston, Texas. In the winter when cold it is humid and windy. The bedroom always seems colder. I thought of putting beadboard up over the sheetrock. I wonder if beadboard painted with insulating paint would help.
Thanks for the great idea. Bonnie Byrne King, Houston, TX
Bonnie, it actually does help provide additional insulation. Good luck 🙂
Hanging board walls require great precision as even a small mistake or lack of detail reflects clearly in finishing. I understand drywall being working at a drywall company and your work is remarkable.
Thanks John!
You are awesome! I love this! Envious of your skills!
You are too sweet Kim 🙂
Pinning this to refer to. Beautiful! , the wing chair slipcover. Where did you buy it?
Thanks so much Kimberly! I actually made it 🙂 I did a series of posts on how to make slip covers. Here is a link to the first post, https://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/make-slipcovers-part-1.html
There are links at the bottom of the post for the rest of the posts in the series. I hope this helps 🙂
Thank you! Will pin to reference and if I ever see mine, will link to you once I resume blogging.
Love this!! Do you install this on the angled walls or only in the straight walled rooms? I am in a double wide also.
Thanks Fanny! We have done straight walls, but don’t see why you couldn’t install it on an angle. Good luck 🙂
I live in a 1999 palm harbor double wide. If I cover the vinyl wall boards with ply bead are you aware of there being any weight restrictions using this on top of the wall boards already in place?
Hey Cheryl,
We have pretty much covered all of ours and have never had a problem but I cannot tell you anything about specific restrictions. Good luck 🙂
I’m confused! Do you take the old funky mobile home walls off first, then put up the bead board? Do you put up a plaster wall first, and if so, over the funky walls…then the bead board?
We put the bead board directly over the mobile home walls Toni, it looks great and we love it!
HELP!!!!!!!!!! My home has cheap paper on walls plus those cheap looking strips to cover spacing between “crappy thin drywall”. Plus those what I call pretend manufactured home windows … ARG!!!! What is lowest priced way I can make it look good – like a real home?? P.S. I am handicapped with chronic arthritis of spine, hands and leg . I will have to do on my own!
Hi Nadine,
I am so sorry. We installed Bead Board to cover it all up and love it! You can paint using a really good primer and paint all in one. That is not an easy undertaking for anyone. Is there anyone who can help you?
Gina!
For applying bead board, do you have to take down the mobile home wall strips that are between each panel? Do you have to use joint compound to seal them, or simply lay the bead board over the crack where the wall strip used to be?
Yes Allie, you do need to remove the strips but no filler needed. Good luck!
Hey Gina,
Please forgive my ignorance. I am hanging my ply bead on my own. I have the screws in all four corners. You said “Pin Nails”? Now, I know I can pick those up at Home Depot or Lowes BUT with what kind of nail gun. Power tools are alot of fun but I don’t want to pick up the wrong one. I have been told you can hang the ply bead with staples to. Please Help! BTW you have inspired me so much on my renovation journey. Your home is absolutely beautiful!
Thank you for all you do!
Mary Lou
Thanks Mary Lou! You really need to ask a professional, every power tool is different and I wouldn’t want to give you bad information so I am not sure which nail gun to recommend. I haven’t tried staples. Good for you for trying to do your own renovations you are inspiring! I wish you all of the best!!!
Hello, great article and perfect timing for me to find it. I love the look of the Ply bead walls with the moldings. I’m about to close on a new 2019 mobile home and like everything about it, except the ugly walls with the batten strips. I have a few questions that may seem silly but I know nothing about the construction of mobile homes. So the battens are along the studs of the wall? So when you attach the Ply bead it gets nailed along the studs where the battens were? Are there other studs without battens, like every 16 inches like a stick built home? The Ply bead panels, do they butt up against each other or is there an overlap groove? Is so are they both nailed along that stud individually or do they overlap and get nailed together? Since the Ply bead adds a little thickness to the walls are your outlet and switch plates sunken in a little, or were the electrical boxes pulled out slightly and re-secured so the plates for the switches and outlets are still on top of the wall? Thank you again for any help! Frank
Hello just got some bead board to do my kitchen but my hubby is afraid the light switch and sockets (old mobile home style one piece things will be too far back of the panels. Did you encounter this problem and how did you solve it???
Hi Laurie,
We pulled them out and replaced with traditional house grade ones. Good luck 🙂
How did you do around door frames? Did you cover up where the trim went or but bigger trim to not look recessed? Thank you and we are renovating our mobile with bead board as well.