How to Cut Chair Rails at Angles
Chair rail is essentially floor trim that's raised partway up the wall instead of sitting on the floor. As with floor trim, the corners of the chair rail are generally cut at angles to fit in the corners, using a miter saw. You can use prefinished trim to save yourself the time and trouble of finishing it after it's on the wall. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Level
- Pencil
- Prefinished chair rail
- Miter saw
- Finishing nail gun
- Safety goggles
Instructions
-
-
1
Measure up from the floor to the height where you want the chair rail to be. Thirty to 40 inches is typical. Use a level and pencil to mark a horizontal line across all the walls at that height.
-
2
Measure the first line from end to end. Transfer the measurement to a piece of chair rail, using two marks along the tops of the piece.
-
-
3
Stand the chair rail on its bottom edge on your miter saw, with the back of the trim against the back fence of the saw so it's in the position it will be on the wall. Move it to one side until one mark is under the blade. Swivel the blade 45 degrees inward, toward the middle of the trim. Cut it.
-
4
Scoot the chair rail so the second pencil mark is located under the blade. Turn the miter to be 45 degrees inward again, which will be the opposite direction from the first one. Cut it.
-
5
Cut the rails for the rest of the walls in the same manner.
-
6
Hold the first piece of trim against the wall, under the horizontal line, and secure it there with your finish nailer, shooting two nails --- up and down --- every 2 feet or so. Repeat for each rail on each wall, letting the mitered ends butt in the corners.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Always wear safety goggles when using a miter saw.
