See How It Stacks Up
Before installing paneling, stack it in the room where it’s to be used. Put boards between the layers of paneling to allow air to circulate. Leave the stack for at least 2 or 3 days a week or more is better to let the moisture in the paneling stabilize. This allows the paneling to shrink or expand to its final size beforeyou install it. If you don’t do this, you could be left with unsightly gaps if the paneling shrinks after installation, or fitting problems if it expands.

Keep the Shrinking from Showing
Before putting up new tongue-and-groove paneling, decide how you want to stain it. Then stain the tongue of each board accordingly. Later, if a piece of paneling shrinks a little, the tongue that shows will be the same color as the rest of the paneling and thus will be less obvious.

Cut Paneling Down to Size
After the paneling has been sitting for at least a couple of days, you can proceed with the installation. Measure the height of the room in several places. If the variation is small enough that the ceiling molding will cover it, you can cut all the pieces of paneling to one length at the same time. If not, you’ll have a more tedious job: cutting pieces individually to fit the different parts of the room.

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