VJ panelling for hallway

[handyhubby8]

I am wanting to do VJ panelling in the hall way. Has this been attempted and are there any photos to see the end result. The hall way walls take in light from front door and getting a good painted finish with light reflection is hard. 

Thanks

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @handyhubby8. It's marvellous that you've joined us, and many thanks for your question on VJ panelling.

I love your thoughts on using VJ panelling in a hallway instead of just a singular feature wall. Were you planning on it being full height or stopping with a timber dado moulding at some point? The heritage look often seen entails capping the VJ with a dado rail at waist height. Though that doesn't mean you couldn't do a full height panel, and Google images show a few very nice examples.

Let me mention @ProjectPete, @craftyhopper, @Megarakawa, @EleventhCoastal and @Joe3333 to get their opinions.

Make sure you check out our VJ panelling projects for any room in the house for inspiration and the full range of Easycraft panels.

Mitchell

[handyhubby8]

Thanks Mitchell , for your reply. Checked Google images, thanks and I saw a few hallways completed in both full and half panels. 
I will be doing the full panels on both sides of entry hallway walls to solve a particularly annoying paint and reflection problem on painted walls that a professional painter could not fix.

I will measure area and go for the large panels and cut as required, as I have a higher and lower  section of wall to cover. 
I believe the panels lock together. If I had to cut a panel and then join , how does that locking system work?  I have not physically seen these panels before. 
I intend to paint these panels in a flat paint. Do you think I will still have the light reflection problem as with the original walls.
Thanks

[MitchellMc]

@handyhubby8,

Ideally, you'd start from one end of the wall and continue all the way to the other. Your last and/or first board can be cut to suit the overall length. The cut ends are butted up against the walls. The sheets are joined as per the image below. As these are 100mm wide "boards", you really wouldn't want to cut one and join it to a new board unless the cut is on a V joint. Otherwise, you'll have odd width boards. If something tricky is joining on, and you need to cut a board's width mid-wall, you could join the boards by applying construction adhesive on the wall behind them down the length of the join.

I'd like to hear more about this light reflection issue that is going on. What sheen is the current paint, and what seems to be the issue?

Mitchell

[handyhubby8]

The paint previously used has been a low sheen on the hallway wall. Light comes through the front door side glass panels and the paint finish then looks uneven, patchy and is not smooth. Several repaints and sands have not improved the finish. I have used a Matt / flat paint with no success. I feel too many Coates of paint on the wall previously has caused this issue. Heavy sanding may be an option but I think the Panels will be easier now and more decorative . Hoping this will solve the  bad wall finish with the cover up . I will paint panels in Matt / Flat paint to finish. 

[handyhubby8]

Hi Mitchell, 

With regards to the VJ panelling I am going to install , how is the corner of the wall finished where the panel ends? In the hallway I have a flat wall that runs for a section then ends. Will the panel ending on that corner look ok or look unfinished and obvious that it’s a panel. Each  panel end has a snap in groove , I believe. I am not panel around the corner where the wall ends. 

Thanks

[Brad]

I would cut it slightly long and then fill the edge before sanding it back to make the end flush.

[handyhubby8]

Thanks for that tip. 

[ProjectPete]

You need to leave an expansion gap around the panels (top and bottom and where the sides butt up to a wall). 

Filling these gaps somewhat defeats the purpose of then in the first place but if you doninsist on doing it as some people do, use a high quality, highly flexible filler. Note - while this type of filler will allow for thermal movement moreso that cheaper less flexible fillers, there's a risk that over time the filler will crack where it meets the panel so you'll need to patch/paint when the time comes.

An alternative is to cover expansion gaps with timber or aluminium trims depending on the style/profile you like.

Some installs I've done showing the points I've made above.

 

 

 

[ProjectPete]