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About this Project
A chair rail can do a lot more than protect your walls from jostled chairs. A well-designed chair rail is an attractive accent and provides a clean dividing line so you can paint the upper part of a wall and wallpaper the lower. But this project’s most attractive feature may be its simplicity.
We’ll show you how to install a chair rail made from two simple boards and two moldings.
Soft Pine For Simple CuttingSince we planned to paint our chair rail, we used pine moldings and clear boards. They’re also available in oak.
We used a safe, simple, $35 hand-powered miter box, since soft pine boards and moldings cut easily. If you’re working with oak or a large room, rent or buy a power miter saw for more accuracy.
You can hand-nail all the boards and moldings, but we chose to hand-nail only the 1x4 horizontal rails. We used a small air-powered brad nailer to secure everything else. With brad nailing, there’s less chance of splitting wood or leaving ugly hammer marks.
Decorative chair rails look best about one-third of the way up a wall. If in doubt, place a few strips at varying heights to get a feel for the right proportion.
TipIf you live in an old house with slanted floors, use a 4-ft. level to draw lines around the room, making sure that by the time you come full circle, the starting and ending heights are the same.
The Rails Form the StructureMake marks equal distances above the floor in all the corners of a room (Photo 1) as well as next to all door and window casings. Connect these marks using white chalk in a chalk box, then locate and mark the studs. First install the horizontal 1x4s (the actual dimensions are 3/4 in. x 3-1/2 in.). Cut the rails to length, hold them in place, and then predrill small holes based on the stud marks on the wall. Align the top edge with the chalk line, then nail the rails using 8d finish nails. You can use simple square cuts where they meet at inside corners (Photo 4).
Your outside corners will look neatest if you miter them. Align one board with the chalk line and trace along the wall to mark the back where it intersects the corner. Use your miter saw to cut the angle, leaving the board about 1/8 in. too long, then temporarily tack it in place (Photo 3). Use a small test piece with a 45-degree angle to see if the other mitered 1x4 will meet it right. If it won’t, use your miter saw, sanding block or belt sander to adjust both miters until they fit.
TipIf your miters don’t meet perfectly, don’t panic. Moldings will cover gaps along the top and bottom edges and you can use putty (within reason!) to fill gaps before painting.
Next, cut the 3/4-in. x 2-in. top rails and nail them to the 1x4 rails. Test-fit the ends of the boards on the inside corners (Photo 4), then cut to fit. If several layers of drywall compound hold the boards out from the wall, sand or plane the board edges until they fit tight. At the outside corners, again use miters and “test pieces” to get a tight fit.
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