Wainscot - Definition and Overview

Wainscot or wainscoting (pronounced with a long "ō", as in "oat") is wooden or other panelling applied to the lower 1.2 to 1.5 m of an interior wall, below the dado rail or chair rail and above the skirting board or baseboard. It is traditionally constructed from tongue-and-groove boards, though beadboard or decorative panels (such as a wooden door might have) are also common. Wainscoting may also refer to other materials used in a similar fashion.

Its original purpose was to cover the lower part of walls which, in houses constructed with poor or nonexistent damp-proof courses, are often affected by rising damp. In countries whose building regulations insist on adequate damp-proofing, its purpose is now generally decorative.

See also: moulding (decorative) or molding (decorative)