Functional chair rails protect walls in the dining room from getting marred.
Chair rails once served the purpose of protecting plaster walls from damage, but most homeowners now install chair rail molding in the dining room for decorative purposes only. If you install too low, the room may appear unbalanced and awkward; the top of the wall will loom. If you install the trim too high, you risk turning off future buyers, who will notice that something seems amiss. To avoid an aesthetic disaster, follow one of the three rules that carpenters use.
The One-Third Rule
Measure the height of the room and divide it by 3 to determine the proper chair rail height. For example, if your dining room stands 9 feet tall, you should install your chair rail 3 feet above the floor. Some homeowners prefer to go slightly higher, so practice with masking tape to discover your aesthetic preference. If the room is higher than 12 feet, do not follow this guideline, or your trim will seem oddly high. Carpenters refer to molding at eye level in the dining room as "plate rail."
The Functionality Rule
Measure the height of one of your dining room chairs from top to bottom and install the molding at that level, plus 1/2 inch. Although the average size of a chair varies by style, most dining chairs measure about 38 inches tall. If your guests shove their chairs back when they leave the dining table, you need your chair rail to serve a practical purpose. You want chairs to hit the chair rail, not the wall, to protect wallpaper, plaster or another expensive wall finish. Fixing damaged wallpaper requires more time and money than fixing damaged molding; simply sand your trim as needed.
The Basic Rule
You needn't take any special measurements to follow this rule: Install your chair rail 36 inches above the floor. This tried-and-true formula works well in any dining room because the eye expects to see chair rail molding at this standard, time-tested height.
Decorating
No matter how high you place your chair rail, the molding makes the ideal breaking point for different wall treatments. Homeowners typically put wainscoting or paint on the bottom portion, and paint or wallpaper on the upper portion. If you opt to put wainscoting below the molding, carpenters refer to the piece as a "cap" instead of a chair rail. To avoid visual dissonance, choose molding that matches the rest of the trim in the room. When reviewing wainscoting options, most homeowners opt for raised panels rather than bead-board in the dining room.
Tags: chair rail, dining room, your chair, your chair rail, chair rail molding