# Covering Wood Paneling with drywall



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I don't know your skill level but I would rough sand and skim coat before I would try to cover with 1/4".


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

If you're going to all the trouble to drywall over the paneling, why not do it right and take off the paneling and put up some 1/2" drywall? That piece of crown can be removed (gently) with a pry bar being careful not to dent or gouge that nice oak. Once that piece is off, the paneling should pop right off. Usually it was nailed with shorter ring shank paneling nails which usually come right out of the wall. Of course, on occasion a homeowner also GLUED the paneling to the plaster walls which then makes the removal more of a challenge.


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## jusduky (Feb 7, 2014)

*Pulling Paneling before drywalling*

Gymschu: Two questions: I get that I could get the one piece of crown molding off next to the wall but then somehow I need to cut the paneling where it goes behind the wall shelving unit. Taking all the rest of the crown molding and the entire shelving unit down seems like a daunting task. Question #2 the molding around the walk through has a casing that will have a 1/4" gap between the two. How do you solve that? Oh, I guess I have one more question. In pic #1 you can see the textured ceiling and a piece of plastic J moulding (so it was described to me) that would likely need to be removed that may create a problem trying to match up the ceiling with the new drywall. At least that's what my drywall guy was concerned with. Your thoughts, Thanks


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

No need to remove the shelving unit to remove the paneling from behind that area. Simply cut down the length of the paneling with a multi tool or sawzall. As for the gap of 1/4" where the casings will be, I will let a carpentry expert like Joe Caption address that. As for any gap near the ceiling/wall juncture, it would look nice continuing the crown moulding that is around the book shelves. If you didn't want to do that, you can use some quickset joint compound to fill larger gaps between wall and ceiling and then finish like you do with regular drywall joints.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Turn your pictures right up then i will look at them.


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## Queef (Jan 26, 2014)

Nothing wrong in my opinion if you go right over the top of it with 1/4". Of course, this isn't the way Holmes on Homes would do it, but it would save some work and still yield decent results. Having it butt up to the existing door trim will only be noticeable to someone with a trained eye. Don't forget to switches and plugs out a bit to accommodate.


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