Carpentry and Woodworking - Chair Rail Advice Please

My wife and I are installing chair rail in the hall. We have 5 entry doors to bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. and one 3/4 door for the HVAC inside unit. We are going to do returns on the chair rail. Seems like I have heard somewhere to treat the 2/3 door like a part of the wall and just butt the chair rail into the casing around it - returns on either chai rail ends left and right of course. Is that correct or should I do returns on every chair rail terminsation regardless? I also had someone suggest just doing a 45 for terminations in the hall (not the rest of the house just the hall) with no returns. What is the norm? Please advise.

Thanks, 53singer

Welcome to the forums!

I'm not sure there is a norm, I've painted chair rail installed in most every way...... but I think it looks best when it butts up to the door/window casing. If the moulding is thicker than the casing, you might need to nip off the excess on a 45`

If the chair rail ends without butting into something, it looks best if it has a mitered return. Ending the chair rail with a 45` looks ok, just not as professional - IMHO.

I vote with Mark. If it does not butt on a molding, it needs a return.

Well I must admit being surprised. Being strictly "do-it-yourselfers" we were pleased when the chair rail we put up in the dining room looked so nice - cut and butted at a 90 up to the door casings and cut to a 90 at the window openings. However we were roundly criticized by frineds saying we should have done returns(which I had not even heard of prior to this) or at the least cut the 45 and left an open miter to the casing or opening. I wonder now if we should have butt cut the rails into the casings(which we did) but done returns at the window openings - there is no vertical molding or casing at the window openings to which the chair rail intersects or butts. In any event, thanks for taking the time to help. I sincerely appreicte it. We are learning.

53singer