Question on wall system used

[spookhaven]

We have decided to tear down our haunt yet again and change the entire thing to a mansion for the next two years. Since I don't get out to others was wondering all your thoughts on what you use for detailing of the walls. I would like to use drywall and go from there but am concerned it's not strong enough without plywood behind it if someone runs into it.

I am trying to cut some cost since we are using 10-12 foot walls (for true mansion ceiling heights) so want to stencil on the wall paper look instead of trying to find old victorian wall paper. I thought drywall would be better and more effective than plywood.

I am concerned about just using plywood that the detail and effect wouldn't be there vs smooth surface. Any tips for those of you that have done a mansion before?

[soultrkr]

Is the mansion suppose to be well kept like it was stuck in time or an old run down? if rundown you could use a little bit of paint and spackle to simulate wall cracks and iregularity or attach cheap wallpaper and hang tear it and steam it to get it to droop off of it.

[FEAR ASYLUM]

do not use just dry wall cause it will break in half period lol always use either plywood or leuon but doesnt have to be the thickest made either and 2x2 frames i am doing the same thing but we are making our own corpse walls with real bucky skulls and bones and not using foam good luck hope this helps

[Terrorknight]

I would stick with wood. Once you paint and detail it and put the mood lighting in no one will be able to tell what the walls are made of. Most people have tunnel vision when walking thru a haunt, so they will see the detail but not in the same way you will.

[freak 'n' stein]

For the longest time we had hallways upon hallways of flat black plywood walls. We finally decided this year to amp up the show some and added wallpaper in some halls and faux wooden panels in others. In the picture with the "organ" we made, you can see that wallpaper is handmade. I took butcher paper, red paint, and a flor de lis stencil I grabbed from lowe's to give the illusion of wallpaper. The lighting will be low so we didn't care to spend much on that paper and it beats a flat black wall. In another more detailed hallway we actually bought rolls of real wallpaper and had to rubber cement them to the walls cause it did NOT stick with the regular glue on the paper. I went back and aged the paper some and tore it in places. We hung pictures and stuff on walls.

[Jim Warfield]

If you stained the wallpaper yellow it would look like the nursing home my Grandmother died in in 1965.
You would have to stain it with ancient urine to accomplish the aroma, though.
Build thick, solid walls across from where you are trying to scare them, the rest of the walls can be thin if you keep the roudy drunks out and you are not "chasing forward".

[spookhaven]

Thanks everyone so far. My problem is I wanted to "over do it" and use plywood behind all of it and drywall some in whole or part depending on what we used for waynescoating.

I appreciate the photos and all of your opinions. I was also thinking we could layer and use many different materials. I'll keep you posted once I get the construction done and we start detailing.

Thanks again, any more suggestions out there?

[freak 'n' stein]

Spook, PLEASE post pics of the waynescoting...we wanted to do it but didn't find it feasible this year. BEST OF LUCK!!!

[RJ Productions]

Besides just ripping the wall paper, take pieces of a different wall paper, put it underneither and rip on top exposing the "old" wall paper. Break open holes and expose pieces of lathe. Buy lathe pieces or cut strips of wood and attach them behind the exposed hole.

Check out Larry's pictures of the Darkness, they utilize the technique to a tee!

I've attached a pic of our Dentist's Room.

[spookhaven]

Thanks guys. I will post some photos when we get to that point. I did get some waynescoating out of a house that we repossed. Amazing what you can find for your haunted house when I am suppose to be looking at selling the dump for the banks....LOL First thing I do anymore is look at all the junk and pick it out for the haunt.

I am going to do some painting of waynescoating as well. I'll get photos when I get to that point.

Thanks for all the tips. Appreciate it.

[Jim Warfield]

cheap wainscoating

can be made by ripping (with saw) wood grain paneling.