Skirting - never again

[mike. buckley]

I thought it would be nice and easy, and a worthwhile exercise due to the bodge the previous owner has made of it. So, got B&Q to deliver a chunk of new skirting and started ripping off the old stuff. Unfortunately most of the plaster behind the skirting came with it, and he'd nailed the skirting into blocks of wood hammered between bricks. I could have coped with that but I can't believe just how uneven the walls are! It's a 1930's semi and I don't think it's ever seen a straight edge. In a 4' recess next to the chimney breast the wall bows so much that with the new skirting straight on the wall there's about an inch gap between the skirting and the wall in the middle of the wall. Arggghhhh.

That's this weekend taken care of then - it took me 2 hours last night just to do the straightest wall. It'd better look good when it's done!

[Mary Fisher]

That sounds to me like the original installation of skirting, it's exactly like our (1937) skirtings were when we removed them to do a proper job with laminate flooring. We thought it would be easier than sanding the boards ...

Instead of buying new skirting we - or rather Spouse - stripped the ancient and blubbling varnish and paint off the old stuff and replaced it - after re-plastering, removing the wood plugs and using modern plugs.

It really WAS worth all the work, it looks splendid now. Persevere!

Yes, that's another - but relatively minor - problem. I wouldn't swap our house for a modern one though.

It will, promise.

Mary

[Mike Mitchell]

Provided Mr Buckley doesn't bodge it to save time if he loses heart! (Don't do it, Mr Buckley!) A job like this can take ages to do the whole house but it is well worth the effort. However, I would use hidden fixings in order to remove the skirting easily for redecorating purposes. A relative's property in Hamburg has removable, real wood, skirting and architraves, and decorating is a doddle.

MM

[Christian McArdle]

Yes. Never use glue or nails for skirting board. You'll seriously regret it if you ever need to paint, change floor coverings, or do some electrical work. I tend to just use screws. I might even try using wood plugs in them next time, but don't actually mind the screwheads.

Christian.

[Mary Fisher]

You don't really notice them after all ... even if they're not hidden.

Mary

[RichardS]

One of the Trend "snappy" or other similar drill/coutersink and plug cutter sets is a very good investment for this kind of thing.

I have found that it is not difficult to cut plugs using a hand-held electric drill (mains or battery), despite received wisdom that they should only be attempted using a drill press...

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

[FrankG]

My 1936 semi is exactly the same.

Screw the skirting to the wall, if you are not painting it, use some nice brass screws after starting the hole with steel screws.

I would screw the skirting to the wall, build up plaster to fill hollows feather out to original plaster as much as you can, then sand when dry to feather the new plaster into the old. Much neater job than bowing skirting or sealer/caulk in gaps.

FrankG

[Steve Wilson]

could have coped with that but I can't believe just how uneven the walls are!

Wait till you see how uneven your B&Q skirting is when you come to fit it !!! I found it better to buy their MDF skirting. It costs twice as much, but is all useable - at least 50% in a pack of their softwood skirting has to go straight in the bin.

Cheers, Steve

[mike. buckley]

In message , FrankG writes

Much work on the one wall so far has resulted in a very thin smear of filler on top of the skirting. That's acceptable to me, it's never more than 1mm. Not sure what success I'd have screwing it to the wall given the general state of the plaster/brickwork beyond it. You really don't want to know what the bodger owner before me has done to this place.

The remaining skirting is fairly well hidden, but this is my 3rd house and I've learnt that if i don't do it properly it nags me for months afterwards - so i will be persevering!

[nightjar]

That was the standard installation method at one time. If they are original, you will probably find your door and window frames are fitted the same way.

That is the result of hand plastering, rather than using plasterboard. If it looks right, it is right. I have similar discrepancies on walls I had hand plastered a couple of years ago.

Colin Bignell

[Mary Fisher]

"nightjar .uk.com>"

The OP seems to think it was done by the previous owner, I think it's original too.

Mary

[Stuart]

I live in a Victorian flat and the skirtings were all held on by nails in to wooden wedges in spaces between the bricks as are the door surrounds .The picture rails and dados were similarly fixed . Stuart

[Mike Mitchell]

could have coped with that but I can't believe just how uneven the walls are!

Dunno about as much as 50%, but I know what you mean.I bought several packs to board part of the loft, and I thought at the time, good job I'm not using this for more visible work downstairs. It was okay for lofts, though.

MM

[Mike Mitchell]

As a matter of interest, since we've got everyone talking about their skirtings, mine in my 1950s ex-LA semi are fixed with nails straight thhough the plaster and into the breezeblock behind. Now, I don't know what the correct description for these nails is. They are about 2.5 inches in length, with a rectangular, tapered shaft, and the head is like an upside down L, i.e. a "hook" on one side.

MM

[Stuart]

Sounds like flooring nails -cant remember the correct term-cut brads or cut clasps or somesuch. They are found in old houses securing the fllorboards to the joists -secretly nailed through the tongue of the board Stuart

[Christian McArdle]

Or straight through the board in a very non-secret manner with straight edged boards, in all the Victorian houses round here...

Christian.

[John Laird]

They are flooring nails, sometimes known as brads, iirc. Occasionally found with a T-shaped head. I presume the head is designed to firmly hold the floor strips down. They look as if they are cut from sheet steel (on the cheap, no doubt).

[John Rouse]

In article , Christian McArdle writes

One of the biggest mistakes d-i-yers make (myself included I have to add) is to use screws instead of nails for things like skirtings and floorboards. Once they are gunged up and the screws have rusted they are almost impossible to remove. If the person following you expects nails, and uses the traditional methods to lift the boards or remove the skirtings considerable damage can result, whereas with nail fixings you can often re-use the existing holes.

Having said that, I refixed our skirtings by putting horizontal tanalised laths on the wall, and screwing the skirtings to them. Not only does this leave some ventilation space behind the skirting, it makes a nice firm edge for the bottom of the plaster.

J.

[T i m]

I though they were called 'cut' nails (because of the reason you gave (ie they were stamped out)) ?

All the best ..

T i m

[Michael McNeil]

Ine ye goode olde dayes, theye didn'te evene have ye rawlplugge chizzelle. Ye hade ane axe and a piece of offcutte ande ane hacking oute chizzelle callede ane plugginge chizzele.

Iffe ye stille have ye olde skirteinge ye wille notice ite ise rede woode notte white. Mayhape evene pitche pine (welle prettye nearlye.)