DIY Home Décor
How to fit skirting boards
Skirting boards are not only decorative but also practical, they are used to hide the junction between wall and floor, which will help keep out draughts and also protect the bottom of the wall from marks and scuffs.
We have a quick guide into fitting a skirting board, whether you have to replace an old one or have to fit one in a home which doesn’t have one. Tools which you need for this are as follows:
Pencil
Mitre saw or mitre box
Coping saw
Tape measure
Hammer
Silicone gun
Skirting board
Screws
Instant grab adhesive
Decorator’s caulk
Nails
Screws
Drill
Wood filler
To start with you need to measure the area where you will be fitting the skirting board, add 20 per cent onto the total figure as a contingency for cuts. You should also measure up, cut and fit any pieces of board that can go in ‘square-edged’ on both ends using a Mitre saw to get it straight.
When working from an internal corner the next board you have to use needs to be ‘scribed’. This is because it has to slot into the board you have just fitted. All you need to do to achieve this is cut a 45 degree angle in the board using a mitre saw or mitre box, then using a coping saw cut away the waste section of the mitre and you’ll be left with the profile of the skirting board.
Boards that meet on an external corner need to be are mitred at 45 degrees to form a neat joint, you need to measure to the corner and then mark this length on the back of the board to be cut. Then place the board face out into the mitre saw, line the saw up with the mark you made. Follow instructions again to create the opposite side of the mitre, but remember to cut the 45- degree angle in the opposite direction so the boards will meet.
Wen fixing to the wall do this as you cut, but fit mitred external corners in pairs so you can adjust them to fit together accurately, you can do this using an instant grab- type adhesive. Place blobs of adhesive or run a couple of beads along the back of the board, then press the board firmly to the wall, making sure there is good contact. Then wipe excess adhesive away before it dries and leaves a mark.
If you have any gaps between the wall and the top of the skirting boar (which can easily happen with walls which are not plumb), then you can fill them with decorators chalk, finishing with a damp cloth for a neat line.
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