INSTALLATION NOTES:

 Recommend Tools:  Pencil, Measuring Tape, Hammer, Electric Drill, Electric Screw Driver, Skill Saw, Jig Saw, Biscuit Jointer, Level, Room Leveling Devise such as a Water Level or a Laser, Chalk Line, Electronic Stud Finder.

 Miscellaneous Materials:  Shingle Points, Carpenters Glue, Construction Mastic, Biscuit Splines,2 Screws, Finish Nails, Caulk and Putty.

 Step 1 (Leveling the Room and Determining the High Point of the Finished Floor)

     Start by finding out the High Point of your finished floor in the room or connecting rooms.   IMPORTANT, you would most likely want to start off at this height.  Starting off on the height of the high point off the finished floor will lessen the amount of scribing (cutting) of the bottom edge of the wainscot panels.  Start by setting up your Water Level or Room Leveling Laser Devise.  Go to each end point, and center of each wainscot wall section and mark a light pencil line approximately 30 above the finished floor,                                                                          see illustration    RAISEWALL_SAMPLE_LAYOUT_GRAPH.pdf These pencil marks will be known as a Bench Mark.  Using your layout floor plan, go around to all your pencil marked location at this Bench Mark and measure the height of these points off the finished floor, and record them on your layout floor plan.  Compare these measurements, the least dimension will be your High Point of your finished floor.   AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION, if when comparing these location heights.  If some of the measurements are greater than 1 than the determined high point of the finished floor, consider locating a new point that is the average or near average between these 2 measurements. 

NOTE, by select the average finish floor height will incur more scribing (cutting) of the bottom panel to maintain your finished height.  Because you might have selected the average floor height, in this situation, will leave you with a bottom rail dimension of 3 1/2 to approximately 4 5/8 +/-.  If you do not have a floor condition that is greater then 1 from the highest measurement to the lowest measurement, you will have a bottom style of 3 to approximately 4 , based on the use of 5 base moulding.  Both above methods are recommended.  It all depends on how level your finished floor condition is and your choice. 

    After deciding on your Bench Mark location.  Measure up from your pencil line to your height that you had specified to be your wainscot height, either 32 or 36, and draw a light pencil line.  This will become your Actual Wainscot Working Height see illustration.    RAISEWALL REGULAR WALL MEASURING DETAIL.pdf  At this Bench Mark Height and the new Actual Wainscot Working Height, measure the distance between them.  Now go around to all the other previous pencil marked locations (bench marks) and lightly draw a pencil mark above them with this new measurement for the Actual Wainscot Working Height.  After re-marking a pencil mark for the actual wainscot working height at all locations, take your Chalk Line and snap a line between each point.  This will be your reference line to install your wainscot panels top edge to.  Using your Stud Finder, locate with a light pencil line the center of the wall studs.   Now that you had snapped chalk lines at all locations, you are ready for your wainscot panel installation.

Step 2 (Regular and Non Regular Wainscot Panel Sections)

    Now you are ready to start the Dry Fitting Process.  This process allows you to make adjustments when abutting to your existing conditions to maintain a level panel application.  Start by grouping and laying out your wainscot wall sections per your rooms layout floor plan.  Start with wainscot wall section A.  If your wainscot wall section is of a large measured run, it may be comprised of several factory marked section wainscot panels to make up this wall measurement.  They will be marked A-1, A-2, A-3 ect.. and properly sized to fit.  If your wainscot wall dimension is a short run, the wainscot wall section will be comprised of only 1 panel.  Dont get nervous, if you had measured and added up your total wainscot wall section as being bigger then your overall wall section.  Raisewall Panel Systems reserves the right to increase the extreme right hand style (vertical frame dimension) by at least 2, for reasons of re- cutting, mitering into a return wall, or that you had specified that you have a special existing field condition, such as scribing (cutting) into a masonry wall, with out notice.  Raisewall Panel Systems is designed to maintain from your finished wall dimension a 3 style condition (vertical frame member). 

    Using the 1^st Panel in the wainscot wall section, place it up against the wall in its intended location.  Scribe (cut) the bottom edge of the panel if the top edge of the wainscot panel rises above the top of the chalk line that represents the Actual Wainscot Working Height.  Use Shingle Points to adjust the height to meet the chalk line of the actual wainscot working height.   Look at the panel, do you need to scribe the left hand side a bit to insure a tighter fit to your existing condition?  If you would need to make a scribe (cut) mark the panel and do this now.  If you had scribed (cut) the panel at its left hand side.  Replace the panel in its intended location, and re-do the Shingle Points to match the actual wainscot working height.  Once the panel is in its proper location, transfer the pencil marked stud lines onto the panel.  Transfer the stud lines to approximately 1 down from the top edge of the panel and about 2 up from the bottom edge of the panel.  Drill a clearance hole at these locations for a 2 Screws.  If your 1^st wainscot wall panel is jointing into another consecutive panel within your wainscot wall section, mark with a pencil line the centers of your 3 top and bottom Rails on the right side of the panel.  Use your Biscuit Jointer to provide a spline dato to receive a biscuit spline to the next panel.   While the 1^st panel is down away from the wall, apply Construction Mastic to the back side of the panel, being careful to stay within 3+ when applying the mastic at all 4 edges.  Once completed, apply the panel to the wall for its intended location.  Using the 2 Screws insert them into the pre-drill holes for fastening to the studs.  Re- Shingle Point the panel to meet the chalk line of the actual wainscot working height.  Once acceptable and level, fasten the 2 screws to the studs, thus fastening your panel to the wall.  For adjoining sequenced panels in the same consecutive wainscot wall section, use the same procedure above.  Remember to Biscuit Joint, insert Biscuit Spline at the adjoining joints and apply Carpenters Glue at the entire length of the joint and wipe clean with a damp rag. 

 Step 3 (Stair Wall Wainscot)

    Installing the stair wall wainscoting is very similar to above.  There is no Bench Mark or Leveling conditions here, you have automatically stated this on your order form, see illustration.   RAISEWALL STAIR MESURING DETAIL.pdf  Simple start usually from the bottom up to meet your adjoining wainscot walls, on the main floor.  Dry fit the wainscot panel in place 1^st,  by resting it on the stair stringer, see illustration   RAISEWALL_STRINGER_END_CUTS.pdf Your regular wainscot panel will adjoin at point D to your stair panel at the bottom, lower floor.   At the top of the stairs, your regular wainscot will finish up at point E.  Simple slide your stair wainscot panel to meet these points.  IMPORTANT, while doing the steps in step #2, be sure to slide your Biscuit Jointer up and down on the panel edge to increase the length of the spline dato.  This will insure the irregular placement and fit of your Busicuit Spline at an angle.  Once done complete step 2 and fasten to the wall.  Its all that simple!  You are now ready for mouldings.   Apply mouldings.  For a more professional finish, caulk the length of the mouldings tight to the panel, and putty the nail holes.  It is also advisable to scuff sand with 220 Grit Sand Paper to level off any burrs incurred during installation and putting.  Now you are ready for finish paint!