skirting and expansion joint

[Steven Campbell]

Is it an absolute must to have an expansion joint between flooring and skirting?

Normally a gap wouldn't bother me but the skirting is going on top of a varnished original floor and having a gap of a matchstick between the 2 is making it unsightly. The floor isn't particularly level anyway so there is already a natural gap in places.

Cheers

Steven.

[Codswallop]

I filled all the gaps between floorboards and skirting boards with decorators filler, to prevent draughts, and this has not caused any problems.

[The Medway Handyman]

I've never heard of that before. So what if the skirting did expand? It's about a sixteenth of an inch per foot width IIRC. Some expansion would be upwards (half presumably) and the rest would be so small even on a 6" skirting as to make no difference.

[No Joke]

Thanks all. I never bothered with a gap. What a hellish job it is when the walls aren't a true 90 degrees!!

Steven