A dado rail, also known as a chair rail or surbase, is a type of moulding fixed horizontally to the wall around the perimeter of a room. Wall

The dado rail is traditionally part of the dado or

wainscot Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials. Panelling was developed in antiquity to make ro ...

and, although the purpose of the dado is mainly aesthetic, the dado rail may provide the wall with protection from furniture and other contact. Traditionally, the height of the dado rail is derived from the height of the

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

of a column of classical order, typically from the floor or about one-fifth the height of the room. Modern trends have been towards 36 inches or 900 mm,Trim Carpentry Techniques: Installing Doors, Windows, Base and Crown, Craig Savage, Taunton Press, 2002, , p.140 based on the assumption that its purpose is to protect the wall from chair backs. The term 'chair rail' is also used for this reason. Dado rails are also sometimes applied to a wall without the full dado treatment. The purpose of the rail in these cases may be protective, and it is common in environments where walls are subject to much wear and tear, such as shopping centres and hospitals. In such cases the height of the rail is often 1200 mm or even 1500 mm from the floor and serves a functional rather than aesthetic role.

References

External links

The Misused & Confused Chair Rail
by Brent Hull, December 3, 2010, at This Is Carpentry Ornaments Woodworking {{woodworking-stub