Dado rails are a type of interior moulding that runs horizontally along interior walls. They originally served several different purposes, but these are nowadays more or less redundant. However, just because dado rails are no longer necessary for their original purpose, does not mean that they are not a practical choice with various aesthetic benefits.
Choose practical and economical design
In the past, the area of the wall underneath dado rails used to mask stains and marks caused by dirt or rising damp, as well as to protect the walls from being knocked by chairs, which is why dado rails were commonly referred to as chair rails.
While the chair rail era is long gone, dado rails still maintain a decorative effect. If you are looking for new ideas to decorate, dado rails are an inexpensive way to bring value and beauty to any room and can be highly practical too.
Tip: Consider dado rails for rooms with heavy or rough traffic, in particular for walls with wainscoting or tiling up to a specific height. Isowood’s designs allow for electrical wiring to be placed behind the skirting boards – an effective way to conceal wiring.
Isowood produce extruded skirting boards and dado rails, which come in standard 3 metre lengths, for the built environment market. Isowood products have a ‘wood like’ appearance and pose as a viable alternative to hardwood. Isowood is manufactured to a finished shape and colour; therefore, avoiding the use of chemically based stains, paints and solvents – which are typically used to treat hardwood products.
Make a bold aesthetic impact
These days dado rails are mostly used for their aesthetic impact. The use of different colours and decorating materials above and below the rails can create a strong visual effect within a room. Dado rails can be thin or wide, of simple or elaborate design, and in various styles, from classical to modern.
The rails are typically placed strategically at a height between 750mm and 1500mm from the floor. This variation can contribute greatly to giving the room a more dramatic appearance. Enhance this bold effect with the use of wallpaper and different or complementary paint colours on the separated wall areas.
Tip: Choose a higher dado rails installation for a bolder look and consider a seamless installation that allows dado rails to continue uninterrupted across a wall. Isowood’s extruded dado rails come in standard 3-metre lengths.
Opt for a green-friendly alternative
Dado rails are made from a variety of materials, including timber, medium density fibreboard (MDF), PVC, rubber or aluminium, depending on strength and other design requirements.
Isowood dado rails are manufactured from extruded expanded polystyrene (EPS) to a finished shape and colour in different styles, posing as a viable alternative to hardwood.
These versatile EPS dado rails are an eco-friendly alternative that avoids the use of chemically based stains, paints and solvents, which are typically used to treat hardwood products.
Tip: Choose dado rails designs that are extremely durable, waterproof, wiring-friendly, easy to install, and preferably recyclable.
Isowood produces extruded skirting boards and dado rails to a finished shape, colour and style. Click here to find out more about its dado rails.
