DIY Network

Murphy's Law: Chair Rail Installation Murphy's Law: Chair Rail Installation From "DIY to the Rescue" episode DTTR-405F

Installed Chair Rail

Chair rails not only protect your walls, but they also add a nice look to bare walls to warm up the look of the room.

Materials:

Chair rail molding
Safety glasses
Miter saw
Pneumatic nailer
2 1/2" finish nails
Hammer
Nail set
Paintable caulk
Sand paper
Wood glue
Coping saw
Tape measure
Level

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Tips:

• In this two-part installation, once the first piece (backer board) is installed you'll need to re-measure the lengths of the decorative pieces. Be sure to place the nails on the backer board in far enough so that the decorative molding will cover.

  
  

• Determine the linier footage of the molding that you will need and add 10 percent to that to allow for waste.

Installation:

1. To determine the height of your chair rail, measure the height of the ceiling and divide it by three. The general rule is that the chair rail should be about 1/3 of the way up from the floor (between 32" and 36" for an 8' ceiling). You can also slide a chair up to the wall and mark where it will hit on the wall.

   
   

2. Once you have determined the height of your chair rail use your tape measure and mark the height in center of the wall.

   
   

3. Use your level to make a level line along the entire length of the room (figure A). Floors are not always level and by using the level to set your line will insure that your chair rail is straight and level.

   
   

4. Make a map of the room, then measure the lengths of your walls and write down the measurements in the appropriate spot on your map. This will create a list of the cuts you need to make, and makes it easier to match your cut piece of molding to the correct place on the wall. It will also allow you to use your material in the most efficient manner.

   
   

5. At your miter saw, mark the molding for your first piece. It's simpler to start with an inside corner and use a square cut into the wall as you'll be coping the inside corners for a more professional look. As you cut your pieces to fit in the various places, make sure to look at your cut list to determine the most efficient use of your materials to minimize the waste.

   
   

6. When all your pieces of molding are cut, begin installing them starting with an inside corner (figure B). Match each section location to the size map you created before. To mount your molding use a pneumatic nailer or hammer with 2 1/2" brads. Align the bottom of the molding with the level line you marked earlier. Place the brads into the molding one just above the other (figure C). To avoid splitting the molding, put the brads in the high parts of the molding. The wall or molding might not be perfectly straight; therefore it's normal to have to maneuver the molding to align it with your level line.

   
   

7. If the wall is longer then the length of the molding, then you'll need to miter the two pieces together. Use opposite 45 degree cuts at the ends that meet to create the miter. Make sure you position your seam on a wall stud so that the two ends can be nailed into the wood. In most cases, wall studs are spaced 16 inches on center.

   
   

8. For a more custom look, you can create a return on the ends of the chair rail where it meets a door or window frame. Start with a flush cut on the end of the molding that will meet the frame. Then, use the miter saw to a 45 degree cut away from where it will meet the end. From a piece of scrap molding, make an opposite 45 degree cut on a flush cut end of it. This will give you a small piece that will create the return on the end of the piece of molding (figure D) you will be mounting. Use wood glue to attach it to the end. Finally, mount the molding as usual.

   
   

9. When all of your chair rail molding is installed, use a nail set to recess the nail heads. Then, use a dab of paintable caulk to fill in the holes. For a smooth finished look, apply a bead of caulk on the edge of the molding where it meets the wall. Also, apply caulk in the corners to fill in any gaps.

Resources:

Molding
Ornamental Moldings
www.ornamentalmouldings.com

Hitachi Power Tools
www.hitachi.com

Porter Cable Power Tools
www.deltaportercable.com

Delta Power Tools
www.deltaportercable.com

Klein Tools
www.kleintools.com