Hi all,

I've got a couple of tricky gaps to fill and am all out of ideas as to
how to proceed. Any suggestions gratefully received...

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other. I've stuck a thin rod
under the skirting and it goes back about one inch if that's relevant.
The passageway floor is concrete with vinyl tiles on top. Woodlice have
taken up residence behind this gap, so I'd like to eliminate it (and
their access to the house's interior) with a suitable filler that can be
painted afterwards along with the skirting.

Gap no. 2 is in the corners of the plaster coving I've just put up. Never
was much cop with mitres, they've always been my downfall, so have gaps
between 2mm to 8mm in the corners where the miters don't quite join up
correctly. Obviously there's an inch or two's void behind these corners
which I'm guessing needs to be filled up with expanding foam or something
to form a backstop for the filler I'm asking you to recommend for this
application. But that's only a guess. You lot are the experts. Rescue me!

"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message ...

Hi all,

I've got a couple of tricky gaps to fill and am all out of ideas as to
how to proceed. Any suggestions gratefully received...

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other. I've stuck a thin rod
under the skirting and it goes back about one inch if that's relevant.
The passageway floor is concrete with vinyl tiles on top. Woodlice have
taken up residence behind this gap, so I'd like to eliminate it (and
their access to the house's interior) with a suitable filler that can be
painted afterwards along with the skirting.

Gap no. 2 is in the corners of the plaster coving I've just put up. Never
was much cop with mitres, they've always been my downfall, so have gaps
between 2mm to 8mm in the corners where the miters don't quite join up
correctly. Obviously there's an inch or two's void behind these corners
which I'm guessing needs to be filled up with expanding foam or something
to form a backstop for the filler I'm asking you to recommend for this
application. But that's only a guess. You lot are the experts. Rescue me!

Gap \1 - squirt expanding foam into gap - let it go off for a day or two,
trim back with a sharp knife and fill to surface with Pollyfiller of
similar.

Gap \2 probably could be done the same way

AWEM

On 14/11/13 16:13, Cursitor Doom wrote:
Hi all,

I've got a couple of tricky gaps to fill and am all out of ideas as to
how to proceed. Any suggestions gratefully received...

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other. I've stuck a thin rod
under the skirting and it goes back about one inch if that's relevant.
The passageway floor is concrete with vinyl tiles on top. Woodlice have
taken up residence behind this gap, so I'd like to eliminate it (and
their access to the house's interior) with a suitable filler that can be
painted afterwards along with the skirting.

polystyrene followed by a skim coat of decorators caulk.


Gap no. 2 is in the corners of the plaster coving I've just put up. Never
was much cop with mitres, they've always been my downfall, so have gaps
between 2mm to 8mm in the corners where the miters don't quite join up
correctly. Obviously there's an inch or two's void behind these corners
which I'm guessing needs to be filled up with expanding foam or something
to form a backstop for the filler I'm asking you to recommend for this
application. But that's only a guess. You lot are the experts. Rescue me!

As above but leave out the polystyrene



--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On 14/11/2013 16:33, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 14/11/13 16:13, Cursitor Doom wrote:
Hi all,

I've got a couple of tricky gaps to fill and am all out of ideas as to
how to proceed. Any suggestions gratefully received...

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other. I've stuck a thin rod
under the skirting and it goes back about one inch if that's relevant.
The passageway floor is concrete with vinyl tiles on top. Woodlice have
taken up residence behind this gap, so I'd like to eliminate it (and
their access to the house's interior) with a suitable filler that can be
painted afterwards along with the skirting.

polystyrene followed by a skim coat of decorators caulk.


Gap no. 2 is in the corners of the plaster coving I've just put up. Never
was much cop with mitres, they've always been my downfall, so have gaps
between 2mm to 8mm in the corners where the miters don't quite join up
correctly. Obviously there's an inch or two's void behind these corners
which I'm guessing needs to be filled up with expanding foam or something
to form a backstop for the filler I'm asking you to recommend for this
application. But that's only a guess. You lot are the experts. Rescue me!

As above but leave out the polystyrene



A handy tip for filling odd gaps is to use foam pipe insulation. You can
get it into all kinds of awkward gaps and it holds itself in position
enough to take filler over it

On Thursday, 14 November 2013 16:40:09 UTC, stuart noble wrote:

A handy tip for filling odd gaps is to use foam pipe insulation. You can
get it into all kinds of awkward gaps and it holds itself in position
enough to take filler over it

+1

If you've not used expanding foam before I'd be very wary of using it in this situation - there's a risk you will end up with a load of the stuff bursting out all over the place that will be about fifty times the volume of what you are trying to fill!

In article , Andrew Mawson
writes
"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message ...

Hi all,

I've got a couple of tricky gaps to fill and am all out of ideas as to
how to proceed. Any suggestions gratefully received...

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other. I've stuck a thin rod
under the skirting and it goes back about one inch if that's relevant.
The passageway floor is concrete with vinyl tiles on top. Woodlice have
taken up residence behind this gap, so I'd like to eliminate it (and
their access to the house's interior) with a suitable filler that can be
painted afterwards along with the skirting.

Gap no. 2 is in the corners of the plaster coving I've just put up. Never
was much cop with mitres, they've always been my downfall, so have gaps
between 2mm to 8mm in the corners where the miters don't quite join up
correctly. Obviously there's an inch or two's void behind these corners
which I'm guessing needs to be filled up with expanding foam or something
to form a backstop for the filler I'm asking you to recommend for this
application. But that's only a guess. You lot are the experts. Rescue me!

Gap \1 - squirt expanding foam into gap - let it go off for a day or two,
trim back with a sharp knife and fill to surface with Pollyfiller of
similar.

That'll work although I'd caution to go at it very gently with the foam
(foam gun, not cheap can) only to fill the gap between the bottom of the
skirting and the floor, you don't want to be filling the whole void (see
comments about damp below).

I'd use a thin layer of caulk over the cut surface rather than polyfilla
as the former is flexible and the second is not. It can be smoothed over
with a filling knife.

Also, further caution, woodlice prefer damp conditions and their
presence may indicate a damp problem behind the skirting oh joy!.

Gap \2 probably could be done the same way

Yes, again the foam doesn't need to fill the whole void.

--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

Murmansk wrote:
If you've not used expanding foam before I'd be very wary of using it in this situation -

there's a risk you will end up with a load of the stuff bursting out all over the place that wil

be about fifty times the volume of what you are trying to fill!

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ymbj/someone-else.shtml

Bill

Cursitor Doom scribbled...


Hi all,

I've got a couple of tricky gaps to fill and am all out of ideas as to
how to proceed. Any suggestions gratefully received...

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other. I've stuck a thin rod
under the skirting and it goes back about one inch if that's relevant.
The passageway floor is concrete with vinyl tiles on top. Woodlice have
taken up residence behind this gap, so I'd like to eliminate it (and
their access to the house's interior) with a suitable filler that can be
painted afterwards along with the skirting.

Gap no. 2 is in the corners of the plaster coving I've just put up. Never
was much cop with mitres, they've always been my downfall, so have gaps
between 2mm to 8mm in the corners where the miters don't quite join up
correctly. Obviously there's an inch or two's void behind these corners
which I'm guessing needs to be filled up with expanding foam or something
to form a backstop for the filler I'm asking you to recommend for this
application. But that's only a guess. You lot are the experts. Rescue me!


I've got a couple of sqr yards of scrap external wall foam insulation
sheeting. It's ideal for filling up these kinds of holes - even used it
to fill up large holes in plasterboard. Glue it in with a bit of
filler, sand it back when it dry and use more filler to finish off.

On Thu, 14 Nov 2013 20:27:33 +0000, Bill Wright wrote:

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/ymbj/someone-else.shtml


Given the nature of this stuff, I'd wouldn't be the least surprised if
incidents such as this happen on a daily basis, with even worse outcomes.

Cursitor Doom wrote:

Gap no.1 is under the skirting board at the end of a passageway which is
about a metre in width. It's practically non-existent at one end, but
gradually increases to around 12mm at the other.

Are you saying that the gap is 1m long and tapering between 0 and 12mm, or
are you saying that it's much longer - eg the length of the passageway?

It seems to me that filling the gap (for stopping draughts and/or keeping
the woodlice out) might be only part of the problem; do you also intend to
do something to make the shirting board - floor junction look ok? Might it
not just be better to remove the board, make a new one that fits the whole
space, and refit it?

Or cut a piece of eg 3mm MDF to the size of the existing board plus gap and
glue it to the front of the existing board making it look as if a slightly
thicker skirting that fits all the way down to the ground has been fitted?

That would of course need the tapering gap filled first, or it would break
if someone kicked it.


--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to replacing "aaa" by "284".

On Fri, 15 Nov 2013 18:11:20 +0000, Jeremy Nicoll - news posts wrote:


It seems to me that filling the gap (for stopping draughts and/or
keeping the woodlice out) might be only part of the problem; do you also
intend to do something to make the shirting board - floor junction look
ok? Might it not just be better to remove the board, make a new one
that fits the whole space, and refit it?

Not that simple, I'm afraid. Some style guru has fitted those things that
look like narrow, vertical floorboards up from the top of the skirting to
the dado rail.

Or cut a piece of eg 3mm MDF to the size of the existing board plus gap
and glue it to the front of the existing board making it look as if a
slightly thicker skirting that fits all the way down to the ground has
been fitted?

I like your thinking. Ingenious, that.

That would of course need the tapering gap filled first, or it would
break if someone kicked it.

I've since squirted that expanding foam stuff into it, so it's suitably
protected. Should have worn the gloves, though. That muck is MURDER to
get off, plus it gave me a nasty and stingy rash for 12 hours following
my complete failure to follow the safety instructions. But as a child of
the 60s, I don't bother with safety. That's for poofs.