How to cover timber panel walls?

Question

Hey guys so I’m sure this has probably been asked a bunch but I’m looking for some advice. I recently fully purchased my first house. It’s an older style Queenslander house and I’m up to finally getting my studio ready. It currently has the same type of timber panel walls as the rest of the house and it even has timber panel ceiling (which I really don’t like)

are there any suggestions on what I could use to either cover it up or fill it in before I paint over it? Some of the boards have bigger gaps than other and some are a couple mm more recessed than others so it’s quite uneven. I’m not looking to tear down the walls and replace them, just some suggestions on what to put over them or to fill them in.

Traveller · Answer

Hi @r1ta02,

I own a renovated Qlder, but have mostly done the opposite and used VJ style MDF panelling downstairs and in the renovated bathroom to keep the VJ look walls. However an early job I tackled was to repaint inside, and I first "gapped" the VJ joints with "no more gaps", which greatly improved the look of the walls and ceiling, and stopped a lot of dust coming from the roof. It was labour intensive. That is not the look you want in your studio, but might help in the other rooms. I also suggest you consider if the studio wall change you are making will be permanent, or a future owner might want to change the look back to VJ and that might alter your solution. I don't have any specific recommendation however. It is exciting having bought your first house. Good luck.

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @r1ta02,

I'd also like to extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community.

My suggestion would be to install plasterboard over the top of the existing wall panels. This will give you a flat finish with less plastering required than in @EricL's solution.

You can locate the studs using a studfinder and screw the plasterboard to them using plasterboard screws.

Check out How To Plasterboard a Stud Wall for an example of the process.

Once the plasterboard is installed, you will need to follow the Gyprock Jointing Guide to achieve a consistent, smooth finish across the face of the wall.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

r1ta02 · Answer

I’m not planning on doing the whole house. The rest of the house is set out to match and feel like a real Queenslander house. However it’s just the studio I’m looking at doing by it to as the panels sadly just don’t match the aesthetic/feel I’m going for