Replacing skirting board

I wish to replace 95mm skirting board with 145mm skirting board. Some advice please -

  1. Once I have taken off the old stuff , I will need to back-fill the now exposed brick - do I have to plaster ? Alternatives ?

  1. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting - is this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

  2. Along one wall, I could lay a 4m length - is this wise i.e. warping, cupping etc ? Do I need to acclimatise the wood as one does when laying T&G flooring, for example ?

  1. And as to using a Mitre saw to get good joins...

Thanks - will start when the rains come !

-- Phil

Reply to
Phil
Loading thread data ...

Why? Plaster doesn't normally go down to the floor for lots of reasons. Since you are fitting taller skirting boards, there should be no filling in required, unless you have pulled the plaster off too.

Personally, I would screw it, or nail it if you are confident at doing that.

It is always good to acclimatise wood. You might consider cutting it all to the right lengths, and then painting it before fitting which can make things easier. There'll be some touching up to do after fitting of course. If you are going to need any filler between the skirting and the wall to hide any unevenness in the plaster, then this probably isn't worth doing.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

If there is a largish gap, or if it is uneven, drill, plug and screw in screws along where the base of the skirting will go, these can be adjusted so that the skirting sits flat against them.

I have glued it, and it would probably be fine, but I normally screw. Esp. on our walls as they are so uneven.

not as hard as it looks, internal corners are normally scribed and cut. I've used a cheap hand compound mitre saw from Screwfix for doing external ones (and some internal ones)

Reply to
chris French

No. Don't plaster to the bottom, or it will wick up any moisture or be cracked when the floorboards flex.

No. Use screws if possible. Then your expensive and labour intensive work cutting the boards isn't wasted when you need to remove the skirting to install flooring or chase out electrical runs etc. Nailing is a right pain, especially in hard brick or concrete block. Gluing doesn't handle warping or uneven surfaces well. Both nail and gluing will likely lead to destruction of the boards if removal is required.

It is best to. However, with enough screws, even a warped board will be held flat. It is better to use a complete length than attempt to butt join, which always looks pants.

Use a mitre saw for outside corners. Use mitre glue. This is a special superglue that you get a perfect external corner with. For inside corners, cut one board straight and scribe the other board to fit over it. You will have a much better join with smaller, more fillable gaps that give you some leeway on the exact board length, especially on the straight cut board.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

The skirting should have a solid backing in case you have carpet fitted. With voids behind it will cave in when the carpet is stretched

Sure it is. Gripfil is very flexible but you need to use it generously (one cartridge per 4m)

I'm guessing this has already been done.

Nah, let the board sit where it wants and fill the gaps. If it isn't fairly straight, take it back. There is no reason for quality skirting to distort. Shrink it will, but twist it shouldn't. Trying to counter the stress in a 4m board with fixings will only result in cracks.

Reply to
stuart noble

What are the walls made of? Plaster and lathe, lime plaster on brick, render/gypsum plaster on brick, plasterboard, or what?

This is quite important regarding what you may find underneath and how you attach the new board.

Well, it may, but it is not my preferred method at all!

Yes, it is a good idea. I would NOT "acclimatise" the timber, fix it down as soon as you get it in this case to minimise cupping. Leave it there (fixed) for a bit before decorating.

No, scribe them (internal corners) or mark out and cut with a panel saw (g.p. saw) (external corners).

Anyway, first, what are the walls made of?

________________________________________________________________ Sent via the PAXemail system at paxemail.com

Reply to
jerrybuilt

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.