What is this and how can I remove it?

First off, could somebody please tell me the official name for this thing here (the wood that goes around a room and is normally from floor to 2.5ft - 3ft high):
http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...15520334_n.jpg

Also, are they generally attached over the top of the wall or actually a part of the wall. This picture isn't from my house as I'm away at the moment, but my house is a victorian house in which this item seems to be a part of the wall. I want to remove it but I'm worried it's just going to leave me with a 3ft high hole all the way around the room.

 

It could be chair rail...or a cap for wainscoting. Can't really tell if the wall below is the same as the wall above?

Normally they are just nailed to the studs over top of the plaster or sheetrock. Could be a big repair after removal if it was a newer install and someone used adhesive as well as nails or if the walls were ever re-plastered with it in place.

 

Welcome to the forums!! If I may be so bold, why would you want to remove the chair rail which is indigenous to a Victorian house? Part of the beauty of the period. If it was not original, then it may be out of place, but I'd post a few actual pictures so we can see what you see. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...your-post.html

 

No, it's wood from floor to top. It's shaped and carved out. The top is dado rail-shaped, and between the top and floor is shaped into square panels. It's a really old house and a few houses I've been to in my city also have them. The wall seems to be crazy old (not sure if they're original walls from the time of build) but they're made from plaster backed with very thin slats of wood and chicken wire. It might sound a bit odd but and I'm sorry if it does, but I'm not amazingly knowledgable with old walls.

 

@Chandler.
I'll be sure to post some actual pictures of the wall on this thread when I get home. I'm actually abroad right now so they won't appear until around 6th November.

 

Several things you can try to investigate:

See if there is an electrical outlet on that wall (usually is) and take the cover off. If lucky, you can see the construction technique used to install it. Would suggest turning off the breaker before poking around.

You can also pull the baseboard and see of you can get a finger under it. Should be a 1/2" or so gap at the bottom near the floor. See if you can wiggle it in any way. If it is loose, or moves, then there is wall material under it.

And last, you can pull the casing trim at a door opening and look at the cross section. You can poke around there without doing much damage. Scribe a line where the casing is. You can dig and gouge to answer your questions without damage as long as you do not go outside the line where the casing goes.

 

Okay, thanks guys.
I must say I'm impressed with getting three replies within minutes.
I have done a search and somehow, even though I had searched 'Chair Rail' before, it turns out it is a chair rail.
Unfortunately, I think my dislike of these is due to the lack of care the house has received in the past. Nobody has even tried to give this house the TLC is deserves and now these chair rails look out of place.
An example of how awfully kept this house is, in the basement kitchen there's an amazing brick wall with a built in brick oven. For some reason, the previous owner installed a giant water heater right in front of it then decided to cover that by building an entire wall from some god-awful green wood. So not only did we lose the brick wall but the wood wall was built one meter out, so we also lost about 10sq meters of space.
Thanks again.

 

And you do have wainscoting...thats what the wood and panels are below. You will normally see a chair rail used as a cap in living areas like dining rooms.....whereas if the wainscote was in a bathroom or utility area it would just be a small cap of trimwork to cover the upper edge.

 

You're absolutely right Gunguy.
I've pretty much decided it's staying now, but it needs a good sanding and repainting I think.

 

Good decision IMO. Not only from the design and historical aspect...but to the amount of work involved to repair after removal.

 

I agree with Gunguy, when he saidI would, however, remove the built-up paint with a chemical stripper, rather than by sanding. Less dust, including less lead dust which, considering the age of your house, is almost certain to be present. An opportunity to safely encapsulate and dispose of the removed material. Last but not least, less likelihood of damaging the wainscoting and other trim. Might even be able to return it to a clear-finish condition, if that's something you'd like.

 

Yeah, Lead paint had crossed my mind actually. Although being new to DIY I wasn't really sure of the best way to deal with it, or even how to find out if it is lead paint.
Is there a specific thread in this forum for posting current projects? You know, like for people to throw hints and generally just have a look at what your doing? Or would you recommend a good site which does that?
I have a plethora of strange things in the house which, with some work, could look damn fine and could possible turn out to be quite interesting hidden gems. But of course I would need an audience to guide me along the way and throw suggestions at me.