# CHAIR RAILS AND SUCH....



## Ariom (Oct 27, 2008)

Good morning all…Ariom here from Georgia! I am needing some feedback on chair rails and molding…or whatever it is called. See..I am a total novice, but that is not going to stop me from trying to attempt my project. Sorry if my post is long, but really needing some help! I have been told that CHAIR RAILING AND WOODWORK that I am interested in is OUT, basically out of style and people are not doing it anymore. So here we go with my question…..I am desperate! PLS HELP!!!

I am trying to come up with some money saving tips on how to paint our family room. Let me start by saying we have about 20 ft ceilings. We have already spent alot of money, and with the holidays approaching I was just trying to come up with another solution and avoid hiring someone to paint it for me. The higher part of the walls are fine, it is just the lower halves. It does need some new and fresh paint. But since we have just moved in not long ago, I cannot even match the color. So I was thinking that since we painted the fireplace wall and made it a focal point, would it be crazy to install chair railing and paint the lower half the same color as the focal wall? I hope I am making sense. I think it would look great…just don't know if chair railing could be used basically throughout the room. PLS HELP!!! Any ideas are appreciated. I wish I had a pic of the room to upload , it is only 2 walls I am mostly concerned about when height is involved. This family room has 3 different entries into other rooms, and all the entries are arched. I have alot of gorgeous crown molding and just wanted something different, than just sprucing up and giving it a new coat of paint. All feedback is appreciated!!!


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

Chair rails make a wonderful addition to any room. I have put chair in every room in the house. I have a firm philosophy that you simply cannot put too much wood into a home. Have you considered wainscoting? Chair is just a single piece of molding but wainscoting, especially given the height of your room, would make a dramatic statement. The nice thing about wainscoting is that you can make it any height and as complicated as you want so it leaves a lot of room for creativity.


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## Ariom (Oct 27, 2008)

Scott,

Thanks for taking the time to ease my pain here! : ) I have racking my brain..and as I have mentioned I asked this question on another board and most people just thought I was insane.

I love your idea of wainscoting! I am going to try it.

I always thought the more wood the better myself. I just started doubting myself too much.

Thanks again!


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## Catspaw (Dec 15, 2007)

I hope it's not out of style. I mould chair rail all the time. Sounds like chair rail and what not would be appropiate for the house….so…it should have it.


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## Zuki (Mar 28, 2007)

I echo Scott. Wainscoting coupled with chair rail would be the real cat's wiskers . . . sorry catspaw 

I believe that you can buy wainscoting in MDF, or you could do what we did and use packaged pine paneling. If you are not sure what I am talking about . . . its about 3" wide, 1/4" thick in 8ft lengths and t&g. We cut them in 4ft lengths and attached them to the walls. Our walls were strapped out so we used brads. You could use glue on gyprock.

I then made the wainscoting from regular pine board ripped with the table saw and shaped with a router.

Saved oodles of $$$$$$.


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

Anyone who says chair molding and/or wainscoting is out of style is either into contemporary stuff or has no experience restoring/remodeling period homes. People are doing it, loving it, and recouping the cost in equity every day. It's a relatively inexpensive way to give a room a classy facelift.

I second the 4×8 sheet/V-groove router bit option as a cost effective way to wrap a room. If your chair rail has a dado to sit on top of the 4×8 sheet, it captures the sheet nicely on top and the shoe does the same on the bottom. It's also a great way to set the rail height at 4', just snap a level line arond the room and use the shoe to hide the variation. You can index your router so that the grooves are perfectly spaced.


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## wooddon (Jul 11, 2007)

I have a bunch of it in my house and think it will never go out of style. Have seen some new houses with it.


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## Ariom (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks to all…and I do apologize for the delay in responding. I 2nd the motion..I am going forth with the wainscoting and think it will add gorgeous detailing. My home was built in 2002…and some of the rooms like formal dinning room has tons of detailing….was just curious if it could be added to a family room! Now I am secure with the choice and will post photos when complete.


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## Zuki (Mar 28, 2007)

In progress pics are great as well.


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## doyoulikegumwood (Jun 21, 2007)

i just wanted to add if you are unsure on how to do this norm has an epasode on wal panaling and he shows you just how to pull off a pro looking job with vaulted cellings i agree details like chair molding and wainscoting. should give the room more depth and oftin adds some real wight to room makeing it feel even larger.


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## ryno101 (May 14, 2008)

I'm with the rest… but if you want to keep it simple, you could just head to your nearest big box and pick up some 4×8 beadboard and top it with the chair rail…


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