What to do with wainscoting and low windows?

[Randy Chapman]

Folks,

Long-term planning here. I'm looking at my dining room, which has a nice new "antique pine" laminate flooring, needing trim, new windows in need of trim (bare sheetrock, and just studs where one was taken out), etc, and LOML and I think that wainscoting (frame and raised panel style), chair rail and crown are the order of the day to fix it (after a complete re-sheetrock so I can insulate the walls, replace crappy wiring, blahblah).

I'm having one problem figuring this out, however. The windows are low --

28" off the floor. While height rules for chair rail and wainscoting are flexible, and the room is short (7'8" or so), that's too low for me. Just drawing on the wall confirms this. What I've not been able to find so far is a good reference -- eg, decent pictures or drawings -- showing the proper continuation of window molding and wainscoting profiles where it goes under the window.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

--randy

[Leon]

In our master bathroom I ran the wainscotings under against the bottom of the window sill and then added the typical lower window molding on top of the wainscoting and against the bottom of the window sill. Is that what you are asking about?

[bridger]

chair rail butts into window casing. wainscott fills in.

[Agki Strodon]

Not sure I understand. Are you asking what you should do to get a nice abutment of the wainscoting with the window apron below the stool? I didn't bother. I removed the apron and the trim (I hated it so I replaced it completely with molding I custom made), ran the wainscot 1/4" below the stool, and then replaced the trim and apron. Making the new molding wasn't too hard but I had to leave a lip the width of the wainscot (it was actually paneling above 30") so that when I put it back the panel edge was covered and the molding edge made a nice joint with the window frame.

Agkistrodon

[Sam Schmenk]

Each job is different. Did something similar to this. I found planing (using a jointer) the lower window moulding down a bit kept it from looking "protruding". Each job is different. Most likely you will need to rabbet some trim to get all pieces to overlap properly.

Bottom line: wainscoting first, trim after.

[Randy Chapman]

My problem is that the raised panels in the wainscoting will themselves be taller than the bottom of the window, so I cannot continue the same pattern under the windows as the rest of the wall. If I measure and mark correctly, I'll get a raised panel that ends right before the window, and might just use wider/shorter panels under... that might just do it. I'd like to see pics/drawings of how people have done this, though, to get an idea of if it's right.

thanks!

--randy

[Kazoo]

randy, i would say that is the preferred look of wainscot. alot of old houses have just that look, so if you center a panel in line with the window itself, it'll look as though it was meant to be there. you just need the stile to come down on either side of where the casing will be.

here is some bad ascii art for ya, complete with casing stool, an apron is optional with wainscot, but if it covers up a gap use it. i would replace any of the colonial casing with something more stout to give it amore convincing look. but don't take my word for it, go to an old house and see how "they" did it.

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