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What is the right way to handle putting wainscotting up where it will run across the bottom of windows? Does the bead board butt up against the bottom of the window trim or do you run the chair rail “down and around”.
– Don
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I usually run the bead board or wainscoting up to the bottom of the window stool and after that I apply the apron over the bead board. I stop the chair rail at the one side of the window caseing and then continue it on the other side. If the chair rail is thicker than the window caseing, I usually bevel it back 22.5 degrees from the thickness of the caseing.
*i If the chair rail is thicker than the window caseing ...Or, if the chair rail has a nice traditional profile and the window trim has a compatible flat section, you may be able to self-return the chair rail onto the window trim. Do not run it 'down-and-around.' Older period casings usually protruded more than those today for just this reason - interrupting chair rail, base and cap. It's fairly rare to see the wainscot height = window sill height.
*I have also replaced the apron with the chair rail below the stool.
*Here's how we'd do it in Williamsburg, VA: Use a backer for the chair rail. Rabbet the bottom of the backer to accept the wainscoting. The wainscoting can go up first. If it's only 1/4" or 5/16, run it flush to the underside of the stool, and scribe around the stool ends (preferable to add stool last, if it's not in place now). Apron should be same as window casing. Miter chair rail ends and glue in returns, holding back about 1" from where chair backing meets side casings of windows and doors.You'll love the look. Use 4-1/4" base, 4-1/2" or 4-1/4" x 5/8" chair backing and 3-1/4" casing for the best proportions. For an additional touch, use beaded base if you're using beaded chair back (WM-750 and LWM-957, respectively). WM-300 chair rail looks nice with this combination.Enjoy, Steve
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Thanks everyone for the info. I am new to this forum (and to home remodeling in general) so am having trouble with the terms "stool" and "apron".
- Don
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Don, the stool is the flat, level piece that runs across the inside of the bottom of the trimmed window. It's often referred to as a "sill", although technically, the sill is the sloped section that forms the base of the window assembly. The apron is the piece of trim that runs beneath the stool, typically trimmed to the width of the window plus the casing on either side. We had a lively discussion on aprons here a few months ago... try a search under "apron" in the archives.
Good luck, Steve
*It kind of depends where the wainscotting intersects the window. Seldom does it cut just under the stool. There are as many methods as there are situations. Ed. Williams
*IMO, Base and casing should be proportioned to the room, details and ceiling height. For a relatively small room with an 8' ceiling, 4 1/4" base and 3 1/4" casing might look fine. For a 10'-12' ceiling, these proportions need to be increased to at least 1 x 6 + base cap for the base and 4 1/2" for the casings. We see lots of 10-12" base in 19th century houses with high ceilings, where it looks fine in relation to relatively large rooms. If you look at a turn-of-the-century millwork catalog reprint (such as Mulliner Box & Planing Co.) you'll find that many of the typical moldings came in about 1" increments for just that reason.Since it's related to the topic of this thread, window size, lite site, sill/head height and wainscot height all should be considered as related to the proportions of the space in which they will be seen.
*Steve,If you hold the chair rail, mitered and returned, 1" back from the window casing, where do you stop the wainscoting? Dave
*Dave, in my post (3.), I mentioned a chair rail backer, which for wainscoting is typically 4-1/2" high by 5/8" thick, and has beaded edges. This back band runs the perimeter of the wall from casing to casing, and the chair rail is applied on top of it. I like to rabbet the underside of the backer to accept the top edge of the wainscotting, although the wainscoting could be butted to the underside of the back band. What I'm describing here is a typical interior trim detail in better homes around here.Sorry for any confusion... Steve
*Good points, Jeff. I was thinking 8' to 9' ceilings with room dimensions up to, say, 14'x 18'. Also, I see lots of base cap on 1 x 6 baseboard around here in older homes even with 8' ceilings, a nice look, especially when the base design meets plinths at bottoms of door casings. Scale is important... witness the big room with 2-1/4" casing and 3-1/4" base!Regards, Steve
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What is the right way to handle putting wainscotting up where it will run across the bottom of windows? Does the bead board butt up against the bottom of the window trim or do you run the chair rail "down and around".
- Don