Skirting boards are fitted using various methods, primarily adhesive or mechanical fixings, depending on the wall material and the desired finish, to create a seamless transition between the wall and the floor. This essential decorative and protective element enhances a room's aesthetic while guarding the lower walls against everyday wear and tear.
Essential Tools and Materials for Fitting Skirting Boards
Before you begin, gathering the right tools and materials is crucial for a smooth and successful installation.
Tools:
- Measuring Tape: For accurate measurements of walls and skirting lengths.
- Pencil: For marking cuts and drilling points.
- Saw: A mitre saw (manual or power) is ideal for precise angled cuts. A jigsaw or handsaw can also be used.
- Mitre Box: Essential for guiding manual saw cuts at perfect angles for corners.
- Spirit Level: To ensure boards are fitted perfectly straight.
- Caulking Gun: For applying adhesive or caulk.
- Drill (with appropriate bits): Necessary for solid walls and for pre-drilling skirting.
- Countersink Bit: To create recesses for screw heads if using mechanical fixings.
- Sandpaper: For smoothing edges and filled areas.
- Safety Gear: Eye protection, gloves, and hearing protection (if using power tools).
Materials:
- Skirting Boards: Choose your preferred profile and material (MDF, solid wood).
- Instant-Grab Adhesive: Ideal for plasterboard walls and some solid wall applications.
- Wood Screws and Wall Plugs: For securing skirting to solid walls.
- Nails (optional): Lost-head nails can be used with adhesive or into wooden studs.
- Wood Filler: To fill screw/nail holes and minor imperfections.
- Caulk (Decorators' Caulk): To seal gaps between the skirting and the wall or floor.
- Primer and Paint: For finishing the skirting boards.
Preparing Your Walls and Skirting Boards
Proper preparation is key to a professional-looking finish.
Wall Preparation
- Clear the Area: Remove any furniture or obstacles from the walls where skirting will be installed.
- Remove Old Skirting (if applicable): Carefully pry off old skirting, ensuring the wall surface remains as intact as possible.
- Clean and Smooth: Ensure the walls are clean, dry, and free from dust, debris, or loose plaster. Fill any large holes or cracks in the wall.
- Check for Straightness: Use a spirit level to check the walls for vertical straightness. Minor undulations can often be accommodated with caulk later.
Measuring and Cutting Skirting Boards
- Measure Accurately: Measure each wall section precisely. It's often best to cut one piece at a time to minimize errors.
- Plan Your Joins: Decide where joins will occur. For long walls, use a scarf joint (two 45-degree angled cuts overlapping) for a less noticeable seam.
- Corner Cuts:
- Internal Corners: Use either a 45-degree mitre cut on both pieces or, for a superior finish, scribe one piece into the other. Scribing involves cutting one board to the exact profile of the other, allowing for a perfect fit even if walls aren't perfectly square. Learn more about cutting skirting board corners.
- External Corners: Always use two 45-degree mitre cuts, which meet to form a 90-degree angle.
Skirting Board Fitting Methods
The method you choose largely depends on the type of wall you have.
| Wall Type | Recommended Method(s) | Key Fixings |
|---|---|---|
| Plasterboard | Adhesive | Instant-grab adhesive |
| Solid (Brick/Block) | Screws & Wall Plugs, or Strong Grab Adhesive (if suitable) | Wall plugs, screws, or high-strength instant-grab adhesive |
| Timber Frame | Nails or Screws into Studs, or Adhesive | Lost-head nails, wood screws |
1. Fitting Skirting Boards with Adhesive (Ideal for Plasterboard Walls)
This is often the quickest and cleanest method, especially for plasterboard walls.
- Apply Adhesive: Apply blobs or a continuous bead of instant-grab adhesive along the back of the skirting board. Focus on the top and bottom edges and a few points in the middle for even distribution.
- Press into Place: Carefully position the skirting board against the wall and press it firmly into place, ensuring the adhesive makes good contact. You may need to hold it for a few seconds to allow the adhesive to grip.
- Check Level: Use a spirit level to ensure the board is straight before the adhesive fully sets.
2. Fitting Skirting Boards to Solid Walls (Using Screws and Wall Plugs)
For solid walls like brick or concrete, mechanical fixings offer the most secure attachment. A drill will be necessary for this method.
- Mark Drilling Points: Hold the skirting board in position and use a pencil to mark where you want to drill pilot holes for screws. Aim for at least two fixing points per metre, top and bottom.
- Pre-Drill Skirting: Remove the skirting and use a wood drill bit to drill pilot holes through the marked points. If you want the screw heads concealed, use a countersink bit to create a recess for the screw heads.
- Transfer Marks to Wall: Place the skirting back against the wall, ensuring it's level, and use a pencil through the pre-drilled holes to mark the drilling points on the wall.
- Drill Wall Holes: Remove the skirting and, using a masonry drill bit appropriate for your wall plugs, drill holes into the wall at the marked points.
- Insert Wall Plugs: Push wall plugs into the drilled holes in the wall until they are flush with the surface.
- Screw Skirting: Position the skirting board back in place, align the holes, and drive screws through the skirting and into the wall plugs until the board is securely fastened.
3. Fitting Skirting Boards with Nails (into Timber Frames or with Adhesive)
Nails can be used, particularly if the walls are timber-framed (e.g., stud walls), allowing you to nail directly into the studs. For solid walls, nails are often used in conjunction with adhesive for added security.
- Mark Studs: Use a stud finder to locate timber studs behind the plasterboard.
- Nail into Place: Apply adhesive to the back of the skirting. Position the board and use lost-head nails, driven with a hammer or a nail gun, into the studs.
- Conceal Fixings: If using nails, tap them slightly below the surface using a nail punch. These will later be filled with wood filler.
Achieving Seamless Corners
The key to a professional finish lies in well-executed corners.
Internal Corners
- Mitre Cut: Cut two pieces of skirting at 45 degrees, ensuring they meet snugly to form a 90-degree internal corner.
- Scribe Cut (Coping): This is the preferred method for internal corners as it accommodates walls that aren't perfectly square. One piece is cut square, and the other is cut to match its profile, creating a tight, interlocking joint.
External Corners
- Mitre Cut: Always use a 45-degree mitre cut on both pieces for external corners. It's crucial that these cuts are precise to avoid unsightly gaps. Test fit before permanently fixing.
Finishing Touches for a Professional Look
Once all skirting boards are securely fitted, a few final steps will complete the installation.
- Fill Gaps: Use decorators' caulk to fill any small gaps between the top edge of the skirting board and the wall, and between the bottom edge and the floor. This creates a neat, sealed finish.
- Fill Fixings: If you used screws or nails, fill the holes with wood filler. Once dry, sand them smooth so they are flush with the skirting surface.
- Sand: Lightly sand any rough edges or areas where cuts were made to prepare for painting.
- Clean: Wipe down the skirting boards to remove any dust or debris.
- Prime and Paint: Apply a suitable wood primer, followed by two coats of your chosen paint, ensuring even coverage for a durable and attractive finish.
