Chair rail moldings are commonly used to divide walls horizontally, normally at about three feet above the floor and the molding often wraps around the entire perimeter of the room for a finished look. People  use this type of molding as a decorative element for adding a great deal of charm to any room and to give the room a feeling of continuity by tying the entire space together.

Originally. this molding was put in place to serve the purpose of stopping high-backed dining chairs from coming into contact with the walls. Today it is used more for aesthetic purposes as homeowners have rediscovered the beauty and charm it adds to a home. You can find this molding in a wide variety of styles and by far the most popular material used to make it is wood.

A chair rail could be mounted higher than normal to create a dramatic effect. Wide molding that is mounted at eye level could make a great ledge on which to place collectibles or photos. A great way to make the room appear to have a raised panel look is to install moldings in a series of rectangular frames that run up the entire height of the wall. By painting them in a color different than the wall, you will have created a very dramatic look.

You can easily find chair rail molding at most do-it-yourself stores and it is not that difficult to mount it yourself if you have a bit of patience and a few common tools such as a miter box, a power saw and a hammer.  The molding normally comes in pre-cut pieces so it may be necessary to sand the backside of the pieces so that they are somewhat smooth in order to get a good, tight fight when nailing it  to the walls.

Once you have the molding up you will need to fill the nail holes and any gaps you may have created with some wood putty that is sandable – be sure to smooth the surfaces with some fine grit sandpaper. For any wide gaps you should fill them with a bit of paintable caulk. Once finished with all of the steps, you need to only prime and paint the wood the color of your choice.  If you do not feel comfortable with all of the measuring and cutting you can easily hire a general handyman do install the moldings for you.

Another creative idea would be to use a similar concept of wood chair rail moldings, but instead of wood, use tile.  Bathrooms that are finished with tile often can enjoy a modern look and finish by utilizing horizontal tile placement and then using drywall board above the top ledge.  I did this for my own bathroom remodel and the one thing I really like about this choice is that since the drywall can be painted differently very easily, I can get an entirely different look for my bathroom by only choosing a different paint color or  new painting techniques.

Chair rail molding prices vary greatly, depending on the type of wood or even tile used and of course also depending on  how ornate it is. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay around $25 per eight foot section of basic wood molding.  Between the versatility of chair rail moldings and the low cost of the materials, that’s a lot of value for a homeowner looking to add their own unique touch to their home.

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