Chair Rail, Baseboards and Crown Molding. How THEY make or break your remodeling project!

Is your current living space outdated, dull, or just plain ugly? If you want the look of a lavish resort or 5 star hotel in your very own home it can be as simple as adding a few design elements to your current space using decorative molding like chair rails, baseboards and crown molding.
Today we’re looking at how you can transform a 200 square foot room into an exquisite space that’s sure to make you the envy of the entire neighborhood for under $1000. It won’t cost a fortune and most of the work done is simple enough for a first time renovator. Not only that but it’s sure to help increase the value of any home and add some additional appeal which is important if you’re trying to sell in this down market.

Using Trim to Accent Your Personal Style

You can use the trim in your living space to help show off your own personal style and creativity. Whether you prefer country décor or a modern feel you can find trim elements that will reflect your own tastes.
When you take on a project like this it’s important to coordinate. It’s important to decide if you will be able to find matching trim when you select your chair rail, baseboards or crown molding. Always plan ahead so you don’t get stuck with materials you can’t find a suitable match for.

Decorative Molding

There are many different types of decorative moldings to choose from. In this renovation project we’ll be focusing on a chair rail, crown molding and baseboards with quarter round to help improve the look and feel of our living space.

Chair Rail

Also known as a dado, a chair rail is a piece of decorative molding that’s mounted horizontally around the perimeter of a room. Like the name implies, a chair rail is used to help prevent your wall from being scuffed up or damaged when the back of a chair hits it. Chair rails are often used to trim out decorative wainscoting in a room. Wainscoting is a decorative panel, usually about 30 to 36 inches tall that’s used to help protect the bottom of the wall.

Chair Rail Ideas

  • Use with Wainscoting – You can use your chair rail to help trim wainscoting panels on your wall. These panels come in a variety of different sizes, colors and decorative styles. Using wainscoting gives your chair rail a professional, finished look.
  • Standalone Chair Rail – A chair rail improves the look of a room even when nothing else is added to the wall. It also helps to protect your wall against any dings which is great for your dining room if it’s in a tight space.
  • Two-Tone – You could also give the appearance of wainscoting by painting the wall above and below the chair rail a different color. Try painting the bottom of the wall white with a white chair rail and paint the top of the wall gray or beige. This really makes your walls pop and showcases the chair rail beautifully without the added costs of wainscoting.

Chair Rail Costs

Quality chair rail moldings can run between $2 to $10 or more per linear foot. In our example we’ll be using Salinas Chair Rail which costs $28 for 8 linear feet which is $3.50 per linear foot.
Our example room will be 200 square feet (20 feet by 10 feet). Since it’s impossible to use 100% of our materials on a construction project we can determine how many 8 foot pieces we need per wall to determine how many we will need total and how much it’s going to cost.
On a 20 foot wall we will need 3 pieces that are 8 feet long. On a 10 foot wall we will need 2 pieces that are 8 feet long. In total we would need 10 pieces that are 8 feet long to do a 20 by 10 foot space. Since the pieces are $28 each the chair rails will cost us about $280.

Chair Rail Installation

  • Determine the Proper Height – The easiest way to determine exactly how high your chair rail will need to be is to place one of your own dining room chairs against the wall and measure from the floor to the point where the chair touches the wall. In our example, our chair rail is 3 inches tall. We would then subtract 1.5 inches (half the total height) from our measurement in order to center the chair rail on the point where the chair would touch the wall.
  • Snap a Chalk Line – Measure from the floor up and make a mark at the height you determined in the last step at each side of the room. Next pull out a chalk line and line up each side of the chalk line to the marks you just made. Hold each side of the chalk line tight (takes 2 people) to create some tension and then pull the line back to snap it against the wall.
  • Find the Studs – Nailing the chair rail directly into the drywall or plaster isn’t going to work. You have to find the studs in the wall to nail the chair rail into. The easiest way to do this is to buy an inexpensive electric stud finder from the hardware store (About $10). Make a mark on the chalk line every time you find a stud.
  • Cut the Chair Rail to Length – In our example our longest wall is 20 feet and our chair rail is 8 feet. Since we would need 3 pieces of 8 foot chair rail to cover 20 feet we simply cut each piece to be 1/3 of the total length. This would be 80 inches each. You will need a miter saw to cut a 45 degree angle where the pieces connect along the wall and in the corners. This is known as a scarf joint.
  • Securing the Chair Rail – Line your chair rail up with the chalk line you made in the previous step and hammer brad nails in at every stud to secure the chair rail to the wall.

Baseboards

Baseboards are the trim that runs along your flooring where the floor meets the wall. They can vary in height from about 3 to 18 inches. They come in a variety of decorative styles and finishes. Replacing tacky, dated baseboards is one of the easiest ways to make your home look more modern. They are also fairly inexpensive considering what a dramatic improvement they can make in any space.

Baseboard Costs

Baseboards can cost anywhere from a $1 to $10 or more per linear foot depending on the type of baseboard you decide to go with. In our example we’re going to go with a basic white primed colonial baseboard which costs about $13 for an 8 foot piece.
Since our baseboards are going to be as long as our chair rail we can use the same calculations as above to determine how many 8 foot pieces we need, which happens to be 10 pieces. At $13 each our baseboards for this project will only cost us about $130.
Total cost so far: $410

Quarter Round Molding

Quarter round molding is exactly like the name describes it. It’s literally one quarter segment of round stock. One side of the molding is a 90 degree angle while the other side is rounded. The side of the quarter round with the 90 degree cut butts up against your baseboard to help provide a fancier, more finished look.
Quarter round molding only costs about $4 for an 8 foot piece. Since we need 10 pieces to complete our 20 by 10 foot room, the quarter round will cost us an additional $40. This is completely optional though. Some baseboards already include decorative patterns which resemble quarter round molding. It all depends on your own personal preferences.
Total cost so far: $450

Baseboard Installation

The installation of the baseboards is very similar to the installation of the chair rail. The biggest difference is that you won’t have to line up the baseboards on the wall. They will all sit flat on the floor.

  • Cut the Baseboards to Length – Determine how many pieces of baseboard will be needed for each of your walls. Like above we can say we need 3 pieces for our 20 foot walls and 2 pieces of our 10 foot walls. The 20 foot wall pieces will need to be 80 inches (240 inches divided by 3). The 10 foot wall pieces can be 60 inches each (5 feet). You can use a scarf joint (45 degree cut) to marry the baseboards together.
  • Find the Studs – You may need to find the studs or you may already know where they are if you found them during the chair rail installation process. Only nail your baseboards into the wall where you know there are studs behind the drywall or plaster.
  • Secure the Baseboards – Just like the chair rails you can secure the baseboards to the wall using brad nails at every stud.

You can install the quarter round molding in exactly the same way. The only difference is with the quarter round you don’t have to worry about finding a stud. You can nail the quarter round molding directly into the baseboard at any point as long as the baseboard has been secured firmly to the wall.

Crown Molding

Crown molding is definitely a defining style element in any living space. They’re one of those things that can really transform your house into a home and give your rooms an upscale look for an affordable price. Like other types of decorative molding, crown molding also comes in many different styles and finishes. If you’d like to have an ornate trim anywhere in your room you should definitely pick an ornate crown molding.

Crown Molding Costs

Crown molding can cost you anywhere from $2 to $10 or more per linear foot just like the other decorative. In our example we’re going to use Focal Point Dentil Crown Molding which costs about $17 for an 8 foot piece.
Since all of the decorative molding we’ve selected for this project has been in 8 foot pieces it makes the math a lot easier to do when purchasing the supplies. Again we will need 10 pieces total to cover our 20 by 10 foot living space. At $17 a piece our crown molding will only cost us about $170.
Total cost so far: $620

Crown Molding Installation

By now you should be an expert at installing decorative molding in your home assuming you’ve already completed the chair rail and baseboards with quarter round. Once you master the scarf joint everything after that comes a whole lot easier. The biggest difference with installing crown molding is you will probably need a couple ladders and a few extra sets of hands to install it.

  • Cut Your Crown Molding to Length – Like we determined above in the previous installation examples we will need a total of 10 pieces of crown molding for our 20 by 10 foot space. Total we will need 3 pieces that are 80 inches long for each 20 foot wall and 2 pieces that are 60 inches long for each 10 foot wall. Scarf joints (opposing 45 degree cuts) will once again be used to join multiple pieces of crown molding as well as 45 degree cuts for the corners.
  • Find the Studs – Since your crown molding will be hanging from the ceiling it’s important to find studs to nail it into. You may already have an idea of where they are if you’ve completed the previous chair rail or baseboard installation. If not you can use an electronic stud finder to easily locate the studs.
  • Secure the Crown Molding – Of course this is going to be the trickiest part of the entire project. This is why we suggest saving the crown molding for last. By the time you reach crown molding installation you should already have some decorative trim installation experience under your belt. Using two ladders you and a helper can lift the crown molding into place a secure it to the wall and ceiling at every stud. Nail the molding at the top and bottom where it meets the wall and ceiling. Don’t nail it in the middle if your crown molding bows out away from the wall.

Cutting Crown Molding

Here are a few tips that can help make cutting crown molding or any other decorative trim pieces easier.

  • Cut from the Back – When you lay down your molding on the miter saw you should always have it with the backside facing up. This will help produce a much cleaner edge, especially on molding that’s been covered with painted paper.
  • Account for Blade Width – If you drop the blade down right on your marked measurement your finished product will be slightly shorter than you need it to be. The width of the blade needs to be taken into account when you make the cut. You should be lining up the edge of the blade on your mark and not the middle of the blade.
  • Protect Your Molding – Putting down a soft cloth under the spots where your moldings will rest on the miter saw can help prevent any unnecessary chipping or damage to your molding during the cutting process. A rag or a towel will do the trick. Just don’t let it get close enough to get caught in the blade.

Door Molding

If you plan on replacing all of the decorative molding in your living space you will probably need to replace the door molding as well. You should replace the molding that attaches to the wall around the door at the very least. You could always paint the molding in the door jamb to match your new door molding or replace it if you’re feeling frisky.

Door Molding Costs

The nice thing about door molding is that you can buy it in huge 16 foot pieces that are long enough to trim the entire door without worrying about how many different pieces of trim you’re going to need. These can cost from $50 to $100 or more depending on style and finish.
In this example we’re going to say that our room just has a single door which happens to be an entryway. We’ll use 16 foot piece of Focal Point Window/Door Trim which costs about $75.
This molding will only trim the edge where the door meets the wall on the inside. If you’d like to replace your door jamb as well it could easily run you another $50 to $100. If you’re on a budget just paint the old door jamb to match the new trim. No one will notice the difference as door jambs are mostly plain and flat without any decorative details.
Total cost so far: $695

Door Molding Installation

I won’t go into a long drawn out explanation on this one. It’s really as simple as cutting your trim to length and creating a 45 degree angle to join the side trim pieces with the top trim piece. After you’ve cut your trim to length you can attach it to the wall at any point around the door as the door frame is like one big stud that wraps around the door.

Window Trim

Window trim is basically the same as your door molding. When you pick out your door molding you should be picking up some extra trim to put around all of the windows in your room. Just like your door you will probably only need to replace the trim that attaches to the wall. Depending on what type of windows you have and how they are mounted you may need additional trim in the window opening much like a door jamb.

Window Trim Costs

Just like door moldings, window trim is pretty much exactly the same thing. Windows even require about the same amount of materials as a door does. Doors are typically much larger than a standard window but on a door you don’t need to trim the bottom like you would with a window. This means a 16 foot piece of decorative trim would work just as well trimming your door as it would any standard size window.
In this example we’re going to assume our room has 2 standard size windows. We’ll use the same trim as we did on the door to keep everything coordinated. Two extra pieces of trim at $75 each will cost us an additional $150 to complete our window trim.
Total cost so far: $845

A New Coat of Paint

If you’re going to completely replace and upgrade all of the trim in your living space you might as well give it a new paint job while you’re at it. This is of course completely optional as it will cost you some additional time and money. If you’re already happy with the paint colors you have, you can forget about painting again. If not, a new coat of paint can really tie your room transformation together.

Cost of Paint

A good quality paint plus primer is probably going to cost you about $30 per gallon. To cover the walls of a 20 by 10 foot room you will need at last 3 gallons of paint. This means you will be spending about $90 total just for the paint. You can easily add another $40 for supplies like rollers, drop clothes and brushes bring your painting supplies total to about $130.
Total cost so far: $975

Project Grand Total

  • $280 – Chair Rail
  • $130 – Baseboards
  • $40 – Quarter Round
  • $170 – Crown Molding
  • $75 – Door Molding
  • $150 – Window Trim
  • $130 – Painting Supplies
  • $20 – Misc Supplies and Tools (Stud finder, Nails, etc)

GRAND TOTAL OF JUST $995!
This is a fairly simple project to complete even if you’ve never done a bit of renovation in your life. For two people this project would only take about a weekend or two depending on how much time you put in every day and how fast you work. The difference between a room with plain white walls and no decorative trim and a room completely decked out with crown molding, baseboards and chair rails is like night and day.
You could easily quadruple your investment undertaking this project in value added to your home. If you own an older home and want to make it look modern, this is definitely the fastest way to make that happen. Nothing is more appealing or impressive to home buyers than clean white trim with decorative molding like chair rails and baseboards.