Easy Guide to Installing Chair Rails on a Wall

Chair rails along the wall can serve several functions. They can be useful in that they keep chairs with high backs from dinging or scratching up a wall. They can serve to be decorative in that they provide a great visual appeal as they separate the room into different sections (this is especially true if they are used to separate the wall where two different textures meet, such as wallpaper and paint). Or they can be used as a combination of the two. Installation can be a bit time consuming, but with patience and precision, is really not that difficult to do. The following instructions will help guide you in applying one in your home or office space.

First you need to gather your supplies. You need the following:

Enough chair rail for the job you are doing

Power miter Saw

Stud finder

Measuring tape

Pencil

Level

Drill and drill bits

Nail Set

Hammer and nails

Sandpaper

Paint Primer

Paint

Painters Tape (if painting after applied)

Paintbrush

Wood Putty

To begin your work you must first prime both sides of your chair rail and allow it to dry.

Determine where you would like your rail to go and measure and mark a straight line on the wall with your pencil. Use your level to make sure you have the same height going all the way around the room. You can do this by checking the drawn lines with your level running form one corner of the wall to the other. If it is uneven, erase your lines, measure again and redraw and test your lines.

Now you want to cut your rails to fit. Start with the longest section of the wall and try to have one continuous length of rail going. Where you cannot, you will need to make miter cuts to fit. Matching ends by miter cutting opposite slices on each end of rail and fitting them together will allow you to fill in the places where the original piece of rail does not reach (if your wall is longer than your rail). In the corners of each wall you will also need to use a miter cut. If your room has windows and your wall rail will run into them, be sure to create the tightest fit possible by making a straight square cut at the end of your rail where it will touch the window frames or casings.

Now you want to use your stud finder to determine where you will be nailing your railing into the wall. Use your pencil to mark the places on the rail where you will be drilling.

Put pilot holes into each marked place and then use your finish nails to secure the railing. Use your nail set to sink the nails below the surface and fill the holes created by doing so with wood putty.

Use your sandpaper to smooth any areas that need it. Apply painters tape above and below the rail and then paint the trim with one or two coats of paint. If you want to, you can paint the railing prior to installing it after the primer has dried and then touch it up where needed as the last step in installation.

You now have a creative and stylish railing to add detail and class to your room.