Chair Rails

[Meanie]

I installed chair rails for my sister in her new rental home. All went well except two minor issues. In one room, with my Zircon I520 deep scan stud sensor, I cannot locate a stud to fasten a section of the rail and thus, there's a slight gap. On the other wall in another room, I'm dumbfounded at what's behind the wall. First, I'm uncertain if I found the stud since the sensor was a bit fuzzy. Second, when I shoot a nail in that area where I think it's a stud (BTW, I'm using 2" brad nails), the nail is curving backwards and exiting the front of the rail and not even penetrating the wall. The ends of the rail are near a window, door and/or room opening. Therefore, there should obviously be a stud, but the end of this same rail also curved back at me on one end but stuck at the window end.

Without shooting nails in the entire rail trying to find a stud and creating holes to fill, I'm uncertain of how I should attempt to fasten these small sections and only two options come to mind. One, try using a finish nail for the curving nail issue and create bigger holes to fill, though still uncertain of stud location or two, use adhesive.

What say the experts?

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'd go with adhesive, but a 2" brad should give you a little hold in the drywall until the adhesive cures.

[clare]

What's wrong with finding the studs before fastening the chair rail? a few small holes in the drywall, hidden by the chair rail, should be a total non-issue., assuming you cannot locate the studs with a common stud finder.

[Meanie]

True, nothing wrong with that. I was thinking not to put many holes in a rental home, even though they can be patched.

[DerbyDad03]

What does the lease say about modifying the property?

My daughter rents the upstairs of a fairly old house. There is a clause in the lease specifically prohibiting her from "making improvements" to the property.

[clare]

Gluing the chair rail will make a bigger mess to clean up if the chair rail has to come off. Do you have the landlord's permission to make the modification?

[Dan Espen]

The nail that won't go in may be hitting a metal plate there to protect some wiring.

[dpb]

+22

OP's askin' for trouble if keeps at it there.

Didn't read all the responses but the trick woulda' been to have made certain of the located studs in a to-be hidden area behind the rail _before_ actually applying any of the rail to the wall...

[Meanie]

Ahhh, enlightenment. Now that I recall, the sensor was displaying the AC symbol which I assumed it was the wire from the outlet just below. I tried sensing the stud near that outlet and that's where the nail curved. I didn't realize they put plates to protect it. Obviously, a good idea.

Thanks

[Meanie]

She received the OK from the landlord but I can't state specifics on the lease.

[Meanie]

If there's a metal plate to protect the wiring as Dan stated, then I'm left with no other option.

Landlord provided permission. My sister's no dummy. She clarifies these issues beforehand.

[tony944]

She received the OK from the landlord but I can't state specifics on the lease.

[dpb]

...

...

It's too late now, but in future if run into similar before you put up any of the rail you can probe with a nail behind the target area and depending on where the actual cable is running, sometimes you might get lucky and discover one or the other ends of the plate is above/below the needed target area. If, of course, you have the usual murphy's in town result they'll have centered that run directly in the middle of your desired location...