Hardwood Dado Rails

Traditionally about a third of the wall height, which lands near 90cm from the floor in most houses. Hold a length against the wall with the furniture in place before fixing anything — the right height answers to the room and the skirting below it more than to any rule.

Run the rail parallel to the string, measuring the same vertical height above the nosing of each tread so the line stays true to the stairs rather than to the floor below. The mitres where the raking rail meets the level runs are compound cuts: take the angle off the actual pitch with a sliding bevel and cut a test piece before committing a full length.

External corners are mitred at 45 degrees; internal corners are best scribed, cutting the second length to the profile of the first so an out-of-square wall cannot open the joint. Join lengths along a straight run with a 45 degree scarf rather than a butt joint — it stays invisible when the timber moves.

Painting the rail the same colour as the wall makes a room feel taller and the rail read as texture rather than a divider. Picking it out in the skirting colour emphasises the split and suits a period scheme with a darker lower wall. Neither is wrong; the deciding factor is usually ceiling height.

Matching skirting boards and panel moulding are available in every profile.