How to install wood panelling

First Steps
As the new panels will cover the bottom of the wall, check there are no signs of damp or rot around the existing skirting board or floor area. Call in a professional if you can't cure the problem yourself.

Tip: The softwood tongue and groove boards should be left in the room for at least 24 hours so the timber can acclimatise to the moisture level.
Lay the boards flat on the floor with the polythene wrapping removed.

Safety
Make sure there are no live wires or pipes buried in the wall where you are going to fix the boards. Use a pipe and cable detector and mark these areas on the wall before starting work.

How To Panel Around Pipes and Sockets
If you have wall-mounted pipes to hide, make sure you use horizontal battens that are thick enough to position the wainscot boards over the top of the pipes. Any valves should be left uncovered - or make a small cover that can be unscrewed in an emergency.

Electrical sockets look neater if you re-fix them to the boards rather than cut around them. You many need to buy surface-mounted socket boxes to make the socket flush with the boards.