I wish to replace 95mm skirting board with 145mm skirting board. Some
advice please -

1. Once I have taken off the old stuff , I will need to back-fill the
now exposed brick - do I have to plaster ? Alternatives ?

2. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting - is
this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

3. Along one wall, I could lay a 4m length - is this wise i.e.
warping, cupping etc ? Do I need to acclimatise the wood as one does
when laying T&G flooring, for example ?

4. And as to using a Mitre saw to get good joins...

Thanks - will start when the rains come !

--
Phil

In article ,
(Phil) writes:
I wish to replace 95mm skirting board with 145mm skirting board. Some
advice please -

1. Once I have taken off the old stuff , I will need to back-fill the
now exposed brick - do I have to plaster ? Alternatives ?

Why? Plaster doesn't normally go down to the floor for lots of
reasons. Since you are fitting taller skirting boards, there should
be no filling in required, unless you have pulled the plaster off too.

2. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting - is
this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

Personally, I would screw it, or nail it if you are confident at doing
that.

3. Along one wall, I could lay a 4m length - is this wise i.e.
warping, cupping etc ? Do I need to acclimatise the wood as one does
when laying T&G flooring, for example ?

It is always good to acclimatise wood. You might consider cutting it
all to the right lengths, and then painting it before fitting which
can make things easier. There'll be some touching up to do after
fitting of course. If you are going to need any filler between the
skirting and the wall to hide any unevenness in the plaster, then
this probably isn't worth doing.

4. And as to using a Mitre saw to get good joins...

Thanks - will start when the rains come !

--
Andrew Gabriel

In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes
In article ,
(Phil) writes:
I wish to replace 95mm skirting board with 145mm skirting board. Some
advice please -

1. Once I have taken off the old stuff , I will need to back-fill the
now exposed brick - do I have to plaster ? Alternatives ?

Why? Plaster doesn't normally go down to the floor for lots of
reasons. Since you are fitting taller skirting boards, there should
be no filling in required, unless you have pulled the plaster off too.


If there is a largish gap, or if it is uneven, drill, plug and screw in
screws along where the base of the skirting will go, these can be
adjusted so that the skirting sits flat against them.

2. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting - is
this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

Personally, I would screw it, or nail it if you are confident at doing
that.

I have glued it, and it would probably be fine, but I normally screw.
Esp. on our walls as they are so uneven.

4. And as to using a Mitre saw to get good joins...

not as hard as it looks, internal corners are normally scribed and cut.
I've used a cheap hand compound mitre saw from Screwfix for doing
external ones (and some internal ones)
--
Chris French, Leeds

1. Once I have taken off the old stuff , I will need to back-fill the
now exposed brick - do I have to plaster ? Alternatives ?

No. Don't plaster to the bottom, or it will wick up any moisture or be
cracked when the floorboards flex.

2. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting - is
this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

No. Use screws if possible. Then your expensive and labour intensive work
cutting the boards isn't wasted when you need to remove the skirting to
install flooring or chase out electrical runs etc. Nailing is a right pain,
especially in hard brick or concrete block. Gluing doesn't handle warping or
uneven surfaces well. Both nail and gluing will likely lead to destruction
of the boards if removal is required.

3. Along one wall, I could lay a 4m length - is this wise i.e.
warping, cupping etc ? Do I need to acclimatise the wood as one does
when laying T&G flooring, for example ?

It is best to. However, with enough screws, even a warped board will be held
flat. It is better to use a complete length than attempt to butt join, which
always looks pants.

4. And as to using a Mitre saw to get good joins...

Use a mitre saw for outside corners. Use mitre glue. This is a special
superglue that you get a perfect external corner with. For inside corners,
cut one board straight and scribe the other board to fit over it. You will
have a much better join with smaller, more fillable gaps that give you some
leeway on the exact board length, especially on the straight cut board.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote in message 3f375d34$0$15038
No. Don't plaster to the bottom, or it will wick up any moisture or be
cracked when the floorboards flex.

The skirting should have a solid backing in case you have carpet fitted.
With voids behind it will cave in when the carpet is stretched

2. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting - is
this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

Sure it is. Gripfil is very flexible but you need to use it generously (one
cartridge per 4m)

No. Use screws if possible. Then your expensive and labour intensive work
cutting the boards isn't wasted when you need to remove the skirting to
install flooring or chase out electrical runs etc.

I'm guessing this has already been done.

with enough screws, even a warped board will be held
flat.

Nah, let the board sit where it wants and fill the gaps. If it isn't fairly
straight, take it back. There is no reason for quality skirting to distort.
Shrink it will, but twist it shouldn't. Trying to counter the stress in a 4m
board with fixings will only result in cracks.

Phil wrote:
I wish to replace 95mm skirting board with 145mm skirting board.
Some advice please -

1. Once I have taken off the old stuff , I will need to back-
fill the now exposed brick-do I have to plaster? Alternatives?

What are the walls made of? Plaster and lathe, lime plaster on
brick, render/gypsum plaster on brick, plasterboard, or what?

This is quite important regarding what you may find underneath
and how you attach the new board.


2. I notice from postings that some people have glued skirting
- is this really going to work with 145mm stuff ?

Well, it may, but it is not my preferred method at all!


3. Along one wall, I could lay a 4m length - is this wise i.e.
warping, cupping etc ? Do I need to acclimatise the wood as one
does when laying T&G flooring, for example ?

Yes, it is a good idea. I would NOT "acclimatise" the timber,
fix it down as soon as you get it in this case to minimise
cupping. Leave it there (fixed) for a bit before decorating.


4. And as to using a Mitre saw to get good joins...

No, scribe them (internal corners) or mark out and cut with
a panel saw (g.p. saw) (external corners).

Anyway, first, what are the walls made of?


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