Why Skirting Boards Are a Must Have

Beyond the Floor: Why Skirting Boards Are a Must Have

Setting the perfect foundation for your room's aesthetic, skirting boards are a crucial element in achieving a polished and professional finish for your flooring.  While underlay, pipe covers, and regular maintenance all play a part, it's the skirting boards that truly create a seamless transition between your walls and floor.

This DIY task is surprisingly straightforward, requiring only basic skills and a few tools.  You can expect to complete a large living room in one to two days, potentially saving up to £150 in labour costs by doing it yourself!

What Exactly Are Skirting Boards?

Skirting boards are essentially decorative wooden planks designed to cover the often-messy joint where your wall meets the floor, providing a clean and continuous look.  They are particularly well-suited for laminate flooring, engineered wood flooring, and solid wood flooring.

The Essential Purpose of Skirting Boards

Beyond their attractive appearance, skirting boards serve a vital functional purpose.  They ingeniously conceal the necessary expansion gap that must be left between the edge of your flooring and the wall.  This gap is crucial because flooring materials naturally expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity.

Additionally, skirting boards offer a practical benefit by protecting your walls from scuffs and marks caused by everyday wear and tear, such as vacuum cleaners or furniture.

Replacing Your Skirting Boards

Over time, skirting boards can show signs of wear.  Fortunately, replacing them is a simple process, and you'll find a wide variety of styles to complement your home's decor.

To remove worn or outdated skirting boards:

1. Insert the blade of a chisel between the wall and the skirting board.
2. Gently tap the edge of the chisel with a hammer.  This should create enough space to insert a crowbar.
3. Use a crowbar to lever the board out. To prevent dents in your plaster, slide a small piece of wood behind the crowbar as you apply pressure.

Installing Skirting Boards Like a Pro

Once your old skirting boards are removed, or if you're installing new ones, follow these steps for a clean and secure fit:

1. Begin with the longest wall that has internal corners.
2. Measure and mark the top edge of your skirting board against the wall, indicating where to cut.
3. If you have a vice, use it to securely hold the board while you saw.  Remember to angle your cuts to create a neat join in the corners.
4. For screw-fitting: Aim to align your masonry nails or screws with existing points in the wall if possible.  If not, fix nails every 600mm at the highest flat point on the skirting board.
5. For adhesive-fitting: Spread the adhesive evenly over the back of the skirting board.  Press it firmly into place and use wooden props to support it until the glue has fully set.

Skirting Boards and Your Flooring: The Right Fit

The way you install your skirting boards, specifically whether they touch the floor, depends entirely on your flooring type:

• Carpets: With carpets, the skirting boards should be fitted before the carpet is laid and should ideally sit directly on the subfloor.  The carpet will then be fitted snugly against the skirting boards, not underneath them.
• Laminate or Tiles: For laminate or tile flooring, a small expansion gap is required between the flooring and the wall.  Therefore, skirting boards for these types of floors should not touch the floor and should be installed after the flooring has been laid.  This allows for the necessary expansion and contraction of your floor.

Filling Gaps Underneath Your Skirting Boards

If you find small gaps between your skirting boards and the floor, don't worry!

• For smaller gaps, a sealant can be easily applied with an applicator gun for a clean and tidy finish.
• If you have gaps in your laminate flooring that aren't covered by skirting boards, colour-matching sealant is available to blend seamlessly with your floor.
• For areas prone to moisture, like kitchens and bathrooms, consider using waterproof sealant to protect your floors from water damage.

Skirting Boards for Every Home

At Wychwood Flooring, we offer a comprehensive range of flooring solutions, including high-quality skirting boards which come with certain flooring brands such as Quick-step.  Our Quick-step skirting boards, for example, are available in laminate and come in a diverse selection of styles, sizes, stains, and grains, perfectly complementing our extensive Quick-step flooring ranges.  We also offering a fitting services which includes replacing or adjusting skirting boards as well as prepping your sub-floor before your new flooring is fitted.  You don't have to always adjust your skirting boards, beading is also available, this fits over the laminate or wood flooring and attaches to the skirting board to give a pleasing finish.

Ready to give your floors the perfect finishing touch? Let us know if you have any questions about choosing the right skirting boards for your home!