Fall ORC: week 6- Chair Rail Molding
Welcome to week 6! Normally I would be showing you the reveal, but this time around we are given an extra week to get pictures done and will show the full reveal on week 7. This past week we finally got around to the molding. Originally we planned on a chair rail with picture molding below, however due to time constraints (I didn't think about the 2 weekends that were out for working before signing up for this challenge), we decided to do chair rail only for now, eventually we will add the picture molding and possibly crown...
I know there are quite a few chair rail tutorials out there but here is how we did it. The tools and materials we used were:
a table saw
a nail gun with compressor
finishing nails
laser level
fast drying caulk with caulking gun
sponge
wood filler (in white)
fine sand paper
semi gloss white paint (I used the paint the builder used for our indoor trim work so it matched but Valspar's White Dove matched nearly perfectly and is what I painted the wall below the chair rail)...
We ended up needing 7 strips of molding (I was a rebel and picked a door and window casing instead of traditional chair rail). I wanted a chunky type trim with a "ledge" to it. We began by adding trim to the walls where we could use an entire piece without cutting it. We cut one side at a 45 degree angle to fit into the corner and then measured how much we needed for the rest of the wall and cut into a new strip...
Where we had to connect 2 pieces, we always joined them at a 45 degree angle to give it a more finished and professional look. Here's the end of 1 of the whole pieces used and where we needed to add more from another piece to fill the wall...
Once all of the trim is up, I used this caulk along the top and bottom of the chair rail as well as where 2 pieces of trim met...
Place it in the caulking gun and run it along the seams (I couldn't stop laughing during this picture because just before it was taken the caulk went crazy on me and Alex was making fun of me... never boring during a project)...
Only do a small area, and then wipe down with a sponge, pressing it into the seams (or with your finger first and then using the sponge to clean off the excess, like grout)...
Better but now it's time to fill those nail holes...
I found some white wood filler which makes it easier since the trim was going white afterwards...
I used my fingers again to press a small amount into each nail hole. You don't want to go overboard with it because it will cause a harder clean up. This is what it looks like afterwards...
Once it dries, take your sandpaper (don't use a sanding block, it doesn't work as well, trust me), and sand each area you put the wood filler. Also even though it makes for a prettier picture, I would advise on waiting until after the trim work is complete to get a manicure. Not sure what I was thinking but I had my nails done the morning before I did this...
Once all sanding is done, use a cloth to wipe off all the dust. Then you're set to paint. I used a semi gloss for some contrast against the walls which are in an eggshell...
I was afraid I would still want to do the picture molding right away thinking the chair rail wasn't enough, but I love the character it has brought to the room that it didn't have before. I'm not usually a big fan of chair rail only but I think because I used a thick and chunkier piece than traditional chair rail, it works for my picky taste.
Now to clean up the tools, stage, and photograph... And no I still don't have my dining chairs, I'm still hoping for an ORC miracle but I'm thinking I may have to do a reveal take 2 once they come in, come December. I did however find a bench for the entry (did you see the peek of it at the top of the post?). The color matches our dining table perfectly! I'll share more of it next week along with all sources.
To see the other rooms racing to the finish line, visit Linda at Calling it Home.
If you want a refresher of my room over the past few weeks visit these posts:
Meg
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