What Is the Height of a Chair Rail Border?

Height

• A chair rail is of no use if it's significantly higher or lower than the backs of the chairs in your dining room or kitchen. Standard chairs have backs that are typically between 32 and 38 inches in height, though custom chairs and those that are of an unorthodox design can be different. Most chairs, however, fall within the 32- to 38-inch range. If you have a child's room in which small chairs are damaging the walls, set the chair rail's height to correspond with the children's chairs. If the children's chairs are only 26 inches tall, set the chair rail at that height and not any higher.

Installation

• If you're installing a chair rail in a room without one, you have the fortune of placing the rail at the exact height to suit your dining room chairs. Consider the length of time you plan to use the chairs prior to installing the chair rail. If you plan to purchase a new dining room suite, delay installing the chair rail until the new furniture is in place and you can measure the new chairs.

Style

• Though any strip of wood will serve to protect the walls from damage caused by the chairs, a stylish chair rail can add beauty and visual interest to the room. Chair rails are suitable to add a functional, yet decorative element to a room. Many people use molding that matches the room's crown molding or molding in place around the door and windows. Another, more intricate idea is to use a strip of carved wood. Many designers consider placing the chair rail one-third of the way up your wall to be pleasing to the eye. As such, an 8-foot ceiling means the chair rail should be 32 inches off the floor. Nine-foot ceilings should have the rail at 36 inches high, as long as it relates to the chair height.

Finishing

• Finishing the chair rail affords you considerable flexibility. Depending on the quality of the wood, you can either stain or paint it. It's ideal to match it to the other wood in the room so that it blends in and doesn't become a significant focal point. If you have oak trim in the room, use oak for the chair rail for the sake of consistency.