How to Measure Wainscoting for a Staircase

Place one side of a carpenter’s square against the stringer at the bottom of the stairs. The stringer, also known as the skirt board, is a board that runs diagonally up the staircase. Mark the 90-degree angle on the wall with a pencil, and then repeat at the top of the stairs. Measure from one mark to the other with a measuring tape to determine the length of the stringer.

Measure the height of your first floor wainscoting, then subtract the height of the stringer at the bottom of the stairs. For example, if the vertical height of the stringer at the bottom step is 3 inches and the first floor wainscoting is 34 inches high, you will end up with a measurement of 31 inches. This will be the height of the wainscoting panel running up your staircase.

Place one end of a 2-foot level horizontally against the stringer at the top of the staircase so that the bubble is in the center of the vial, and then use a pencil to draw a straight line on the wall along the bottom of the level.

Hold the level vertically between the end of the pencil line and the stringer. Ensure that the bubble is in the center of the vial and draw a vertical line from the end of the horizontal line down to the stringer. Measure the two lines; the length of the horizontal line is the “run” measurement, and the length of the vertical line is the “rise.”