Skirting board tips

Hi I've had a scan on t'internet for tips on replacing skirting board and wondered if you guys would give me your twopeneth

Thanks to anyone who replies.

I've taken the old skirting board off which is approx 5cm high and want to replace it with 10cm stuff.

The old board was held on via nails into the usual wooden plugs wedged into vertical mortar gaps at regular intervals. There is no plaster behind the boards so currently a gap of about 4cm between floorboards and current plaster.

My queries are

1) Whats the best way of attaching new stuff. Wooden plugs or mini battens as before, or plaster most of the gap and use no more nails type stuff, or a combination of the 2?

2) Should I be plastering most of the gap, mainly so I can use adhesive rather than plugs, leaving a space between floorboards and new plaster. I've seen some people mention that this may cause moisture to leach up the wall. Not sure how since its above damproof and its dry as a bone under the floor but I don't want to cause later problems. Can't really use adhesive unless I do this.

3) Corners- Do you guys mitre corners internal and external. Again I've seen suggestions to use straight ends butted together to form the corners rather than trying to mitre each end?

4) Assuming some sort of fixing, nails or screws. Screws feel more secure but would be more of a nightmare when or if I have to replace the boards again, hope not.

5) Last but not least, I want to fit a laminate floor, should this go under boards for a cleaner edge,no beading strip needed. However it would be a nightmare to lift the floor later if needed so would it be better to floor up to but not under new boards? BTW the gap under the floor is v v tight so getting under it is pretty difficult. Maybe I've answered my own question here :-)

Graham

Reply to
Graham.mead
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Have you serached this very group using Google Groups? There's lots to be found.

Gosh - tiny. Really 5cm?

'No more nails' if it's flatish and you're a pragmatist. Screws into rawl plugs, let into the sorface of the boards, covered with wooden caps if you're a perfectionist.

Once they are on there WILL bea gap between the top and the wall. Fill this with decorators caulk and paint to match the boards. You'd be surprised how big a gap you can get away with filling. And line everything up by eye so it looks right. Forget the spirit level for this job.

Err wouldn't have thought so - that's why we have skirting isn't it? To cover the gap left by the tricky bottom few cm that are difficult to plaster?

What is the cross section of the skirting? Anything other than rectangular section will look gash in extremis if butt joined. Otherwise it's up to you. Either way the majority of your corners will range from 87 deg to 93deg. Very few if any will be exactly 90o. In this case decorators caulk is your friend.

This is often cited as a reason for using screws... you simply undo them, as opposed to pulling the skirting off with a crow bar and wrecking the plaster. I personally think it's a false economy. The next time I need to replace skirting I'll happily rip it off the wall with a crow bar and patch up the holes for the time it will save.

Personally I found screws a pain. You have to drill the board in place, marking the wall exactly. Enlarge the wall hole with a masonry bit. Plug the hole. Rebate the skirting hole to fit the screwhead. Screw the board to the wall. Fill the hole.

As opposed to: Squeeze glue onto skirting. Stick skirting to wall. Fill gap with caulk.

No experience of laminate I'm afraid. From memory of friends houses the skirting is already on the wall when the laminate is laid. There is a sort of beading strip around the edge. I have heard of some laminates needing replacement after just a few years and if that meant ripping off the skirting as well that could be upsetting I imagine.

Hope that's of some help

Reply to
Fitz

Reply to
rat

I've done this for the whole bottom floor recently. Tips:

  1. Be careful when you buy the new skirting to make sure it's not too warped. Get some spare stuff.
  2. Buy/borrow a proper adjustable mitre saw for cutting corners. Make sure the blade isn't bent.
  3. Glue the new bits on with No More Nails. Much quicker and copes with all kinds of holes behind.
  4. Use caulk/flexible filler to fill the gaps.
  5. Paint them before they go on (if you're painting them). You might have to paint again once they're on.
  6. Put the laminate floor down later and quarter round beading. The skirtings are likely to last longer than the floor.

and of course the usual measure twice. cut once sorta thing.

C
Reply to
Charlie

Cheers everyone

"Have you serached this very group using Google Groups? There's lots to be found."

Yup did just that and as usual differing/clashing opinions, but everyone in this thread agrees! So thanks again

Reply to
Graham.mead

As you are using 10cm skirting I take it this is an old house ..Is it plain skirting with a seperate moulding atop.??...If so then I would fix battens to the wall vertically and fit the skirting to them and then fit the moulding on the top . If it is a complete skirting with a moulded upper edge then you will want it flush to the wall so you might be better making the wall good and then fixing the skirting to it with countersunk screws .

Inner corners can be butt jointed if the skirting is plain but if it is a shaped skirting this will not work so you either need to mitre it or scribe the corners ..Outer corners will need to be mitred either with plain skirting ( as end grain will show) or with moulded skirting .

As for the laminate floor then I think opinion suggests laying it with the skirting off and doing away with the neeed for any beading is best .

Stuart .

Reply to
Stuart

I agree with most of that - but *not* #6.

I think that beading used to cover an expansion gap looks exceedingly naff - and makes it obvious that the flooring is a retro-fit job. I *always* advocate removing the skirting. Since it is *already* off, it would be an extremely bad move to fit new skirting *before* doing the floor.

I would use Gripfill rather than No More Nails, but the effect is similar. If the walls are not quite flat, you may have to use the odd screw - or use a long bit of timber braced against the opposite wall to hold the skirting on until the glue sets.

I always mitre both internal and external corners despite some people's preference for scribing the internal ones. It's slightly tricky cutting a mitre on both ends of the same bit of wood, and getting the length exactly right - but it comes with practice.

Reply to
Set Square

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