WALLS & STRUCTURE

Remove a dado or picture rail and make good

Take down an old dado or picture rail, then fill, sand and prime the wall for a smooth, ready-to-paint finish.

DR-01Prepare the roomMove furniture and pictures away from the wall you're working on. Lay dust sheets along the skirting and floor to catch debris. Put on safety glasses and gloves, and keep a bin bag or bucket handy for nails and offcuts of rail.
1 each · Dust sheet
1 pack · Bin bags
1 each · Safety glasses
1 pair · Work gloves
DR-02Work out what's behind the railRun a stud detector or a magnet along the wall to check for timber studs, metal studs, or solid masonry behind the plasterboard. Nail or screw heads spaced roughly every 400-600mm along the rail usually mean it's fixed into studs or masonry, not just plasterboard. A small 2-3mm test hole in an inconspicuous spot tells you more: timber dust means a timber stud or solid wall, fine grey swarf means a metal stud track. Cables and pipes can run almost anywhere, so use a detector but still treat every spot as live until proven otherwise. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns before you start, and if you're at all unsure, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit first.
1 each · Cable, pipe & stud detector
DR-03Lever off the railStarting at one end, ease a bolster chisel or flat scraper behind the rail, using a thin wood offcut as a padded lever point to protect the wall. Work along the length in short sections rather than prising hard in one spot. On solid brick or block, the rail is likely nailed into wall plugs - go slowly to avoid pulling out chunks of plaster. On a plasterboard wall over timber studs, nails or screws go straight into the studs and usually pull away cleanly. On a plasterboard wall over metal studs, the rail is often fixed with self-drilling screws into the metal track - undo these with a screwdriver or drill/driver rather than levering, as levering can tear the board. On dot-and-dab plasterboard, fixings may run through the board into the masonry behind, so ease it off gently to avoid pulling the board off its adhesive dabs. On lath and plaster, nails often go straight into the laths - work very slowly, as old laths crack easily and can bring plaster down with them.
1 each · Bolster chisel
1 each · Flat scraper
1 each · Thin wood offcut (lever pad)
1 each · Cordless drill/driver
DR-04Remove leftover fixingsPull out any remaining nails with pincers or the claw of a hammer, rocking gently rather than yanking. Unscrew any screws still in place. On solid masonry, dig out old wall plugs with a bradawl or thin screwdriver. On stud walls or dot-and-dab, if a screw won't turn, snip it off flush rather than forcing it and tearing the board.
1 each · Pincers
1 each · Claw hammer
1 each · Bradawl
DR-05Fill the fixing line and holesFill each nail or screw hole and the shallow groove left by the rail. On solid brick or block, use a standard multi-purpose filler, building up deep holes in thin layers. On plasterboard, whether over timber studs, metal studs, or dot-and-dab, use a flexible filler, as rigid filler can crack when the board flexes. On lath and plaster, use a plaster-specific filler and press it in gently - don't overwork it, as vigorous filling can crack old brittle plaster. If a lath has broken or plaster has come away in a patch, cut a small offcut of plasterboard to fit, tape the joints with scrim tape, then cover with one or two thin coats of filler.
1 tub · Multi-purpose filler
1 tub · Flexible decorator's filler
1 bag · Plaster-specific filler
1 each · Filling knife
1 each · Plasterboard offcut
1 roll · Scrim tape
DR-06Sand it smoothOnce the filler is fully dry (check the drying time on the tub), sand it back with fine abrasive paper on a sanding block until flush with the surrounding wall. Wipe away dust with a damp cloth before moving on.
1 pack · Fine sandpaper (120-180 grit)
1 each · Sanding block
1 each · Damp cloth
DR-07Seal the repairApply a mist coat (watered-down emulsion) or a proprietary filler primer over the patched area. Bare filler soaks up paint unevenly and can show through the final coat if it's skipped. Let it dry fully before decorating the wall.
1 litre · Emulsion paint (for mist coat)
1 each · Paintbrush or small roller
DR-08Tidy upBag up the old rail, nails and screws for disposal. Vacuum dust from the floor and skirting, then lift and shake out the dust sheets outside. Wash filling knives and brushes and put your tools away.
1 pack · Bin bags

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