Q: Is there any difference in procedure between installing a picture rail and a chair rail?
A: Installing a picture rail is basically the same procedure as installing a chair rail. Picture rails are usually installed from 10 to 16 inches below the ceiling, depending on the height of the wall. Picture rails allow pictures, tapestries and other objects to be hung without hammering nails into the wall. They also serve as a decorative trim element. Most picture rails have a cove milled along the top edge that holds special hardware for supporting picture wire. Whether it’s intended to hang objects or only to serve as a design element, it should be securely screwed to the studs, with the screws countersunk, filled with putty and painted or stained to match the rail.
