We thought we would write a little info on adding a picture rail to your property. Many older properties still have the original picture rails in place, but some sadly have had them removed for whatever reason over the course of time. Well maybe it’s time to add a little more character to your home!

A great deal of people still think that picture rail is just added to a room as a decorative feature but in actual fact, there was actually a reason for why picture rail was originally added to rooms. Picture rail is a traditional way to avoid putting holes in old walls and allows pictures to lay flat or pitch out from the wall depending on taste. It is a molding that was used above head height to hang pictures and the rail would be located around the entire perimeter of the room, for hanging of your artworks. We can also say that picture rail is the architecturally authentic way to terminate a cove ceiling; it provides a termination line for the ceiling color.

Remodeling

If you live in a home that you would like to add a picture rail to that doesn’t already have one the you may want to carry out some remodeling and add a little character to your home. There may also be people who want to put back some features that may have been removed at some point over the years.You can either carry out the remodeling work yourself or get a contractor in to do it. Remodeling estimates can be done a number of ways depending on the size of your project and your preference. It is never easy and if you have ever talked with someone that is in the midst of a remodeling project, you will understand what I’m talking about. Many people may start a project but then say “Really and truly, I’ve decided it’s just not worth my time, aggravation and mess to do it myself, when a pro can get it done in a fraction of the time and make it look fantastic”. Just decide what is best for you and your circumstances.

Fitting

You will normally align the picture rail at the height of the top of the door frame. This looks great when run around the room and makes a great ‘freeze’ point to stop the paint at. With the walls painted another colour, it really make the ceiling stand out proud and looks every bit grand. Picture rail particularly looks grand in homes with larger ceilings. Paint the picture rail the same as the ceiling. The easiest way to fit the picture rail is to firstly set out a level datum line where you want to place the picture rail and then screw the picture rail to the wall with plugs. Countersink these and fill with filler afterwards. To ensure you keep the picture rail level all around the room, snap a chalk line to work  to.

Materials

You can get picture rail in plastic or wood but wood tends to be a bit cheaper than the plastic polymer type. Most hardware store keep it in stock and it is readily available to buy. Just measure up your room and order the stock accordingly, allowing for wastage and cuts etc. Invest in a mitre block to ensure you get your angled cuts nice and clean, particularly the external angles around bays or chimney breasts. Scribe the internals for the best fit.

Adding a picture rail to your home will greatly enhance the look of your property and give you a great new place to hang those cherished pictures.