I'm thinking of putting up a dado rail but have a few questions.

Firstly - I've seen pre-primed MDF versions or plain pine versions
(cheaper). Which are better? What kind of work would need to be done for
the pine ones before fitting? The tag said to seal it on all sides first -
what should I use to do this? We plan on using gloss paint as the final
coat. I assume the MDF would require less preparation - just fix to wall
and paint, whereas the pine would require sealing before fitting and then
painting afterwards.

Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but there is one
external corner which is curved. What is the best way of getting the dado
around the corner? At worst case, I could just stop the dado at each side
of the corner and just leave the curved part without the rail.

Thirdly - what is the best way of fixing it to the wall? Nails? Glue/No
more nails? The wall is brick and plaster, so I'm not sure if nailing would
be that easy.

Finally - what height is the most common? It's a 1930's semi's living room
where we'll be doing it. It has high ceilings and we have a wooden mantel
around the fireplace and I think it would be okay at that height - it kind
of seems right to do it at the same height as the mantel, although a little
lower may also be okay. I'm sure there must be a bit of a 'standard height'
out there somewhere!

Thanks

David

Use the MDF ones - to seal the pine properly it'll need a couple of
coats of undercoat, and may still warp.
I used 'grabs like nails' to put up picture rail in our 30's semi
(obviously at a different height to you!). We also have some curved
external corners - the orginial finish on the picture rail was to joint
it square & fill the wall out to meet the rail.

Phil.

David Hearn wrote:
I'm thinking of putting up a dado rail but have a few questions.

Firstly - I've seen pre-primed MDF versions or plain pine versions
(cheaper). Which are better? What kind of work would need to be done for
the pine ones before fitting? The tag said to seal it on all sides first -
what should I use to do this? We plan on using gloss paint as the final
coat. I assume the MDF would require less preparation - just fix to wall
and paint, whereas the pine would require sealing before fitting and then
painting afterwards.

Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but there is one
external corner which is curved. What is the best way of getting the dado
around the corner? At worst case, I could just stop the dado at each side
of the corner and just leave the curved part without the rail.

Thirdly - what is the best way of fixing it to the wall? Nails? Glue/No
more nails? The wall is brick and plaster, so I'm not sure if nailing would
be that easy.

Finally - what height is the most common? It's a 1930's semi's living room
where we'll be doing it. It has high ceilings and we have a wooden mantel
around the fireplace and I think it would be okay at that height - it kind
of seems right to do it at the same height as the mantel, although a little
lower may also be okay. I'm sure there must be a bit of a 'standard height'
out there somewhere!

Thanks

David


I have a 1900's flat... we have a wooden fireplace and mantel, the dado
rail has been run around the room and is tucked underneath the mantel,
this looks quite neat. On the curved wall the dado has been mitered and
the sticky out void bit has been filled, this does not look out of place
IMO.

In article , "David Hearn"
says...
I'm thinking of putting up a dado rail but have a few questions.

Firstly - I've seen pre-primed MDF versions or plain pine versions
(cheaper). Which are better? What kind of work would need to be done for
the pine ones before fitting? The tag said to seal it on all sides first -
what should I use to do this? We plan on using gloss paint as the final
coat. I assume the MDF would require less preparation - just fix to wall
and paint, whereas the pine would require sealing before fitting and then
painting afterwards.

Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but there is one
external corner which is curved. What is the best way of getting the dado
around the corner? At worst case, I could just stop the dado at each side
of the corner and just leave the curved part without the rail.

I've filled gaps in picture rails (where pipework had been removed)
by building up with polyfilla and hand shaping with a surform - a bit
laborious but can look good if you're careful. If you wanted to try
it I'd suggest cutting a template to match the dado from thin board,
so you can scrape it over the filler to get the inital profile right.
Or maybe you could cut lots of slots in the front of a piece of dado
so it will bend around the corner, fix it to the wall then fill the
gaps. I know this is bodgery, but as I said it can look good if it's
done well. Having lived in a house with curves and dado rail I know
how crap it can look if it's just mitred as if it was a square
corner.

"David Hearn" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of putting up a dado rail but have a few questions.

Firstly - I've seen pre-primed MDF versions or plain pine versions
(cheaper). Which are better? What kind of work would need to be done for
the pine ones before fitting? The tag said to seal it on all sides
first -
what should I use to do this? We plan on using gloss paint as the final
coat. I assume the MDF would require less preparation - just fix to wall
and paint, whereas the pine would require sealing before fitting and then
painting afterwards.

Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but there is one
external corner which is curved. What is the best way of getting the dado
around the corner? At worst case, I could just stop the dado at each side
of the corner and just leave the curved part without the rail.

Thirdly - what is the best way of fixing it to the wall? Nails? Glue/No
more nails? The wall is brick and plaster, so I'm not sure if nailing
would
be that easy.

Finally - what height is the most common? It's a 1930's semi's living
room
where we'll be doing it. It has high ceilings and we have a wooden mantel
around the fireplace and I think it would be okay at that height - it kind
of seems right to do it at the same height as the mantel, although a
little
lower may also be okay. I'm sure there must be a bit of a 'standard
height'
out there somewhere!

Thanks

David



SomeDado ( Richard Burbridge ) has a slot on the back, into which clips (
screwed to the wall ) can be pushed. Otherwise glue, or even mirror plates
( not recommended ). Beware trying to glue to an uneven wall. In the worst
case, if the dado is a bit gap where it joins the wall, fill with some
polyfilla.

Height is up to you, but 1/3 of the room height in a standard height room,
or the height of high back chairs, or 1 yard to the top of the dado, or the
same height as the windowsill. In the happiest circumstances, these are all
very much the same height.

Andy.

"Rob Morley" wrote
| Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but
| there is one external corner which is curved.
| Or maybe you could cut lots of slots in the front of a piece
| of dado so it will bend around the corner, fix it to the wall
| then fill the gaps. I know this is bodgery, but as I said it
| can look good if it's done well. Having lived in a house
| with curves and dado rail I know how crap it can look if it's
| just mitred as if it was a square corner.

It's an external corner, so the slots would be sawn in the back of the dado
rail (the slot is to permit compression not expansion) and would be almost
invisible from the front. Steam bending should complete the rest. This
assumes wood not MDF.

Owain

"andrewpreece" wrote in message ...
"David Hearn" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of putting up a dado rail but have a few questions.

Firstly - I've seen pre-primed MDF versions or plain pine versions
(cheaper). Which are better? What kind of work would need to be done for
the pine ones before fitting? The tag said to seal it on all sides
first -
what should I use to do this? We plan on using gloss paint as the final
coat. I assume the MDF would require less preparation - just fix to wall
and paint, whereas the pine would require sealing before fitting and then
painting afterwards.

Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but there is one
external corner which is curved. What is the best way of getting the dado
around the corner? At worst case, I could just stop the dado at each side
of the corner and just leave the curved part without the rail.

Thirdly - what is the best way of fixing it to the wall? Nails? Glue/No
more nails? The wall is brick and plaster, so I'm not sure if nailing
would
be that easy.

Finally - what height is the most common? It's a 1930's semi's living
room
where we'll be doing it. It has high ceilings and we have a wooden mantel
around the fireplace and I think it would be okay at that height - it kind
of seems right to do it at the same height as the mantel, although a
little
lower may also be okay. I'm sure there must be a bit of a 'standard
height'
out there somewhere!

Thanks

David

Pine best - MDF will eventually chip or wear and look crap. Easiest
fix is screws and plugs which will help pull it in to any bends. If
the radius is slow enough you might be able to bend it round - pulling
it in with screws and plugs, otherwise just stop it off - finish the
ends by scribing the profile as if mitred. Height usually about 30
inches - about chair back height.

cheers

Jacob

"andrewpreece" wrote in message ...
"David Hearn" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of putting up a dado rail but have a few questions.

Firstly - I've seen pre-primed MDF versions or plain pine versions
(cheaper). Which are better? What kind of work would need to be done for
the pine ones before fitting? The tag said to seal it on all sides
first -
what should I use to do this? We plan on using gloss paint as the final
coat. I assume the MDF would require less preparation - just fix to wall
and paint, whereas the pine would require sealing before fitting and then
painting afterwards.

Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but there is one
external corner which is curved. What is the best way of getting the dado
around the corner? At worst case, I could just stop the dado at each side
of the corner and just leave the curved part without the rail.

Thirdly - what is the best way of fixing it to the wall? Nails? Glue/No
more nails? The wall is brick and plaster, so I'm not sure if nailing
would
be that easy.

Finally - what height is the most common? It's a 1930's semi's living
room
where we'll be doing it. It has high ceilings and we have a wooden mantel
around the fireplace and I think it would be okay at that height - it kind
of seems right to do it at the same height as the mantel, although a
little
lower may also be okay. I'm sure there must be a bit of a 'standard
height'
out there somewhere!

Thanks

David

Pine best - MDF will eventually chip or wear and look crap. Easiest
fix is screws and plugs which will help pull it in to any bends. If
the radius is slow enough you might be able to bend it round - pulling
it in with screws and plugs, otherwise just stop it off - finish the
ends by scribing the profile as if mitred. Height usually about 30
inches - about chair back height.
No need to seal the back - just paint the visible bits. One universal
rule of trad joinery is that nothing unseen is ever painted - its
cheaper and allows the wood to "breathe".


cheers

Jacob

In article , "Owain"
says...
"Rob Morley" wrote
| Secondly - most of the corners in our room are corner, but
| there is one external corner which is curved.
| Or maybe you could cut lots of slots in the front of a piece
| of dado so it will bend around the corner, fix it to the wall
| then fill the gaps. I know this is bodgery, but as I said it
| can look good if it's done well. Having lived in a house
| with curves and dado rail I know how crap it can look if it's
| just mitred as if it was a square corner.

It's an external corner, so the slots would be sawn in the back of the dado
rail (the slot is to permit compression not expansion) and would be almost
invisible from the front. Steam bending should complete the rest. This
assumes wood not MDF.

No, I meant the front, and I was talking about MDF. You cut it back
until there's just a thin layer holding it together, which is easy to
glue to the wall, then use the profile that's left at the front as a
guide to building up the filler.

Precisely why all sides need to be sealed - especially with cheap
kiln-dried pine, you will get differential drying causing warping.
That's why the manufacturer's tell you to do it.

Either will 'chip or wear' wholly depending upon the finish you apply.
Pine can split when cutting, has knots, and is usually kiln dried so
will warp.....

"Phil" wrote in message roups.com...
Precisely why all sides need to be sealed - especially with cheap
kiln-dried pine, you will get differential drying causing warping.
That's why the manufacturer's tell you to do it.

They are wrong. If sealed all round the wood will still continue to
dry out but slightly more slowly, so it's a waste of time and primer.
You should never seal the unseen parts of trad joinery.

cheers

Jacob

They are not wrong - it's their business.
The key word is 'differential' drying - if you seal one surface by
painting it then you ought to seal the back too - same as 'balancing'
ply or veneer.

On 23 Feb 2005 02:04:26 -0800, (jacob)
wrote:

No need to seal the back - just paint the visible bits. One universal
rule of trad joinery is that nothing unseen is ever painted - its
cheaper and allows the wood to "breathe".

Hi,

IMVHO there is some value in treating and protecting the hidden end
grain of outdoor joinery, so it's less likely to suck up water and rot
spores into the timber at the first opportunity.

OK in an ideal world the timber would be finest quality and painted
every year without fail, but that doesn't always happen, and doesn't
help once problems start.

cheers,
Pete.