Unlike many forms of wooden wall paneling, shiplap has “rabbets.” These are 90-degree grooves on both sides of each board that distinguish true shiplap from other panelings, such as wainscoting or beadboard. And while these grooves give shiplap its iconic and stylish look, they are also, to put it frankly, complete dust magnets. We spoke to shiplap aficionado Amanda Friemel, interior designer at Duet Design Group, about how to keep your shiplapped walls (mostly) dust-free. Friemel says she actually prefers this vertical look to the traditional, horizontal installation. “[Installing shiplap vertically] enlarges and heightens the room,” she says. “This accents any vertical lines in a space, so if you have any amazing industrial vertical windows, French doors or wood-burning fireplaces, you can follow the chimney lines and accent what your home already has.” Before putting up your shiplap, make sure to do your research to define what look would work best in your space. If you’re putting shiplap in your kitchen, for example, you might want to stick with horizontal boards to accent the natural lines of your countertops and cabinets. While dusting is enough in most cases, Friemel says there are times you might want to get a little more involved with your care. Namely, if your grooves and panels get a bit more grimy. “I have toddlers at home, and so I’m always finding handprints and things everywhere,” she says. “If I had shiplap in my home, I would use a toothpick and one of those straw cleaners that come with your reusable straws to clean it if there was anything that got gunky in there.” Friemel says there are a ton of other options, and some are nearly indistinguishable from true shiplap. “If you do peel-and-stick, they kind of flesh together and so the gap isn’t as wide and can’t collect dust as much, Friemel says. “Or if you do tongue-and-groove shiplap, those are made with materials that aren’t true wood and so it’s harder for the dust to collect on those materials.” So now that you know the dusty risks of shiplap, keep this intel in mind when picking paneling. But also … a little dust never hurt anyone.
