DIY - Installing a Chair Rail

My first chair rail installation went incredibly well. Not only was it not too difficult (there were only a few times where my head hurt from trying to figure out my angles) but I am also loving how it’s turned out and am contemplating adding a chair rail throughout our entire home. That’s excessive, I know, but it adds so much beautiful character that I can’t get enough of. Plus, the little details that someone can incorporate make it feel so custom and special that I just cannot get enough.

Chair Rail – It’s All in the Details

There are important details when it comes to the chair rail. In the instance of our home, the chair rail didn’t butt up against the existing molding around the doors and closets very nicely so I needed a solution for this. In addition, there is no molding around the windows so the chair rail couldn’t just end awkwardly. Oh, the other thing I stupidly did was made the chair rail the exact height as one of the light switches – I was going to frame it out with molding but only had a weekend to get the bulk of the work done in Sloane’s room so I would have run out of time figuring this out and needed a quicker solution. I decided to create little end caps for the chair rail to make the ends more intentional and complete. This was the hardest part, yet the most critical part of the entire chair rail operation.

Tools and Material You Need to Install Chair Rail

How to Install a Chair Rail

Thanks to this youtube video, I recently learned the difference between a miter cut and a bevel cut. If you don’t know the difference – I would suggest watching the video. It explains it really well. Effectively if you are joining molding in a corner, it will be a bevel cut. If you are framing something out with molding it will be a miter. Watch the video – they’ll do a better job of explaining it.

This article was written by Samantha from Signed Samantha.

Meet The Author

Samantha is a working mama who has always been looking to find that work/life balance.

On her website, you’ll find a daily dose of inspiration, coupled with a ton of sarcasm and a few laughs. Signed Samantha is a millennial mom who encompasses all things food, cocktails, entertaining, home decor, easy D.I.Ys, toddler activities, and everything in between.

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