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What can I use instead of a chair rail?
Chair Rail Alternatives Ribbon. Use ribbon as a chair rail alternative by adhering it with a thin coating of wallpaper glue. Paint Shades and Patterns. Fabric. Vinyl Appliqués. Decorative Buttons.
What material is used for chair rail?
Chair rails come in even more materials than standard moldings. To achieve a specific look, you may choose to opt for a specialty material, such as metal. However, most projects call for wood or composite moldings. If you plan to paint the chair rail or have it painted, standard wood such as pine and oak work well.
Are chair rails outdated?
Chair rails are still used today to create a more formal and traditional design. If that’s the look your sister wants, chair rails would be a good choice.
Can I use baseboard as chair rail?
If you think molding of a particular shape would look good as a chair rail, use it, even if it is labeled for use as a baseboard. Another option is to utilize a paint/wallpaper combination, with the wallpaper applied either above or below the chair rail. I have used this effect in several of the rooms I’ve decorated.
What is the difference between wainscoting and chair rail?
Wainscoting is usually a complete piece of paneling (usually wood). Panel molding reaches above the chair rail (typical chair rail height is approximately 32″ above the floor) and sometimes covers the entire wall.
How thick should a chair rail be?
The best width for chair rail molding will vary a bit, depending on the dimensions and the wall color of the room. Two to three inches is most common.
Should I keep my chair rail?
Of course, in rooms where the chair rail serves its classic function of protecting dining room walls, it should be installed where it will successfully protect the walls from being marred by the backs of dining room chairs.
How do you modernize a chair rail?
14 Chair Rail Moulding Ideas for Your Home Add Some White Space to Eccentric Wallpaper. Match Your Chair Rail with a Dark Wall Color. Add Multiple Layers of Chair Rail. Add Classic and Sophisticated Trim. Match Modern Minimalism with a Flat, Angular Design. Enhance Your Stairwell. Create a Bold Color Scheme.
Should you remove chair rail?
The chair rail is weak. It is not a dated look, this is just not executed well, especially considering the beautiful soffeted ceiling and the width of your crown moulding. If you don’t like that look, I would recommend removing the chair rail. No detail is better than bad detail.
What is the purpose of a chair rail?
Chair rail creates a decorative element in a room, but it also acts as a protective barrier from wear and tear in high traffic areas or spaces where furniture is moved around often. This trim is commonly used in dining rooms, breakfast nooks, living rooms and foyers.
Can I use casing instead of crown molding?
Casings. Another critical use for crown molding or its alternatives is casing areas near your windows and doors. The ugly space that runs along the length of your window or door frame can be easily made pretty by installing wallpaper or MDF strips.
What height is a chair rail?
It’s true that the average chair rail height will be around 32 inches. However, they can be positioned anywhere from 24 to 72 inches from the floor, depending on the height of the walls and the proportions you’re hoping to achieve.
What is another name for chair rail?
A dado rail, also known as a chair rail or surbase, is a type of moulding fixed horizontally to the wall around the perimeter of a room.
Which rooms should have wainscoting?
Living room/family room If you have large rooms and spaces, wainscoting can also make them more intimate in appearance. “It can help scale down a large room, and visually lower the ceiling in a very tall room,” according to Josie Abate at Ambience Design Group.
What angle do I cut trim on stairs?
Put on a pair of safety glasses, and cut a scrap piece of stair trim molding, of the same type that you plan to install. The scrap piece should be about 1 foot long. Cut the scrap piece at a simple 90-degree angle.
Can you glue chair rail?
Apply Loctite® Power Grab® Molding & Paneling Adhesive to the back of the chair rail and press into place. Power Grab has Instant Grab™ so it will stick to the wall with minimal bracing, greatly simplifying the job.
Can you put chair rail on only one wall?
A chair rail, also known as a dado rail, is a horizontal piece of trim that usually runs the perimeter of a room approx 36″ from the floor, but can also be awkwardly placed on a single wall (popular in the ’90s).
Do you caulk chair rail?
As with any woodwork, chair rails require a certain amount of maintenance. Most moldings are attached using nothing but nails and over time can become loose. Using caulk to seal the seams of chair rails can give them just the extra bit of flex they need to maintain their position for years to come.
Does chair rail add value?
Value! Of all the home improvements you can make, chair rail is one of the least demanding in terms of cost and labor. Studies have shown that installing moldings (like crown or chair rail) can have a positive impact on the selling price of a home.
How do you measure for a chair rail?
To determine the height of the 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 would hit the wall.
Should crown molding be the same size as baseboards?
A general rule of thumb for your baseboards is the 7 percent rule — they should equal 7 percent of the overall height of your room. Your crown molding should be scaled to be smaller than your baseboards and appropriate to the height of your ceilings.
Can you nail polyurethane Moulding?
Polyurethane Crown mouldings can be glued, nailed or both. It miter-cuts just like wood and also copes just like wood. Apply a continuous ¼” bead of premium polyurethane construction adhesive along the back edges of the crown moulding. Nail though moulding by using a finisher nailer or hammer.