- 1). Determine what height you want your chair rail. The idea is to protect the wall from chairs being backed into it, so it should be about the same height as the back of a dining room chair, but it's really up to your tastes.
- 2). Measure the length along the first wall where you'll be fastening your chair rail. Add one eighth of an inch to the measurement.
- 3). Cut a piece of chair rail to the length you determined, including the extra eighth of an inch.
- 4). Hold the cut piece against the wall at the planned height. Be sure it's level with the floor. It should be slightly too long so that it bows outward into the middle a little. Applying a little pressure should make the piece flatten against the wall snuggly. If the corners of your room aren't square, so the corners of your trim are sticking out, cut a small angled piece off the back of the railing so that the piece will lay flat into the corner.
- 5). Nail the rail to the wall using your finish nail gun. If you don't have one you should rent it because it will make the job much easier. If not, a hammer will work. Use the nailset to counter sink the nails below the surface of the wood.
- 6). Choose a wall on either side of the railing you just installed. Measure it the same way you did from the previous wall, being sure to add one eighth of an inch.
- 7). Before cutting the new piece of trim, trace the profile of the trim on the back using a piece of scrap trim. The idea is to make the end of the rail fit into the rail that's already on the wall like a puzzle piece. This is called a coping joint.
- 8). Cut the shape out of the end of the rail, then cut the whole piece to the size calculated to fit with the first piece of trim.
- 9). Hold the new piece against the wall, snapping it into place as before, this time fitting the coped end into the existing railing. Level it, and nail it in place.
- 10
Repeat the above steps for each wall, going around the room until you meet the first piece of railing you put up on the other side.
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