Picture rail molding is a strip of decorative molding mounted on the wall at door frame height for rooms with a high ceiling, or in a room with 8-foot ceilings, positioned at a height of 66 inches above the floor. With a picture rail, all your famed pictures will hang from the same height on the wall, but the pictures themselves can be adjusted to hang higher or lower than the picture next to it by adjusting the ribbon or wire that is used to hang the picture. Here are 10 tips to help you install a picture rail with ease.
Gather your tools together. You will need a long piece of picture rail molding, picture rail hooks, a hammer, finishing head nails (or a nail gun) wood glue, caulking, a laser level, a miter box and saw, paint and paint brushes, and safety goggles.
Select your mounting point. Rooms with a high ceiling often install the picture rail level with the top of the door frame molding. If you have low ceilings or standard 8-foot ceilings, the typical location for a picture rail is 66 inches measured up from the floor. Note: If the wall where you want to place the picture rail needs painting, patching or cleaning, it will be easiest to do that before installing the picture rail.
Once you have decided how high the picture rail molding should be, use a laser level and measure, then mark, a straight line along the whole length of the wall where the molding will be installed.
Measure the length of the wall where you will install the picture rail molding and then measure the molding to the same length.
Cut your picture rail molding to the correct size; miter the ends if necessary. If you are going to install molding all around the circumference of the room, you will need a miter box and saw to cut the molding at a 45 degree angle to form a joint in the corners.
Before installing, paint or stain the picture rail molding. It will be easier to paint the molding before it is attached to the wall and after it is cut to the length you need. Most picture rail molding is painted the same color as the door frame molding and wood trim in the room but if you want the molding to fade into the wall, use a color the same as the wall color or a shade lighter for a muted effect. Let the paint dry completely before installing the picture rail.
Using wood glue and finishing nails, mount your molding on the wall. Place one long bead of wood glue on the back of the rail molding and then use the nail gun to secure the rail molding to the wall. For a secure attachment, position the nails along the molding so they go through the wall and into the wall studs (approximately 16 inches apart).
Caulk over the nail holes to hide the nail heads and then touch up the paint to hide the caulking.
Let the mounting glue set for 24 hours before hanging any pictures. While you are waiting for the glue to dry, place the picture rail hooks on the picture rail and decide where on the rail your pictures will look best.
Prepare your pictures for hanging by attaching a matching ribbon, gilted wire or invisible fishing wire to the back of your framed pictures. For a designer look, adjust the hanging ribbon so that the framed pictures hang at eye level.
