Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle. Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a 3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle. Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a 3m length.

What do pros do?

They lay the strip on top of the floor and, using a spacer, draw a line
onn it , say 1cm above the floor, with a pencil.
Then they cut along that line.


Thanks.

Bill.



--
€œIt is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established
authorities are wrong.€�

ۥ Voltaire, The Age of Louis XIV

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle. Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a 3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.

It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood, then cut
with whatever is must appropriate (jigsaw, sander, rasp, surform,
scraper) to the line. It might take a couple of iterations but it's
possible to get a near-perfect fit if needed. If appropriate, it can be
made slightly easier to fine-tune if you put a bevel on the edge so that
only a narrow strip at the front of the wood is against the floor.
I treated myself to a Trend Easyscribe, but with care a compass will do
the same job, as will a washer.

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

In message , Chris J Dixon
writes
wrote:


It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood,

Shouldn't that be the largest gap, otherwise you won't reach the
timber? ;-)
Quite.
Having done this and carefully trimmed exactly to the line, consider
that you will be placing unsealed mdf/chipboard in intimate contact with
a floor which diligent wives are likely to dowse with water at regular
intervals:-)

No doubt someone will suggest a precautionary sealing tactic.

--
Tim Lamb

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

wrote:

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m
length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite
uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a
long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested
board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle.
Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various
points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough
measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get
best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or
skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of
the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick
seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but
accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for
best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven
surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a
3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.

It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood, then cut
with whatever is must appropriate (jigsaw, sander, rasp, surform,
scraper) to the line. It might take a couple of iterations but it's
possible to get a near-perfect fit if needed. If appropriate, it can be
made slightly easier to fine-tune if you put a bevel on the edge so that
only a narrow strip at the front of the wood is against the floor.
I treated myself to a Trend Easyscribe, but with care a compass will do
the same job, as will a washer.

How do you do that with a kickboard that won't fit under the kitchen
units uncut, when the floor in front of the units bears little relation
to the floor a couple of inches further back? The only way I can think
of is to use a narrower board temporarily screwed in place parallel to
the kitchen units above and transfer the marks with another scribing
process. The reason I ask is that I am just about to do this job.


--

Roger Hayter

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:

I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m
length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite
uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a
long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The
unmolested board was touching floor at each end and floating in air
in the middle. Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard
moved to various points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough
measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get
best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or
skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours
of the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The
trick seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs,
but accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable
for best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce
uneven surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have
helped over a 3m length.

What do pros do?

Normally you would scribe the board to the floor, and use a final bead
of silicone or some kind of profile strip to hide the cut edge and
disguise the level changes.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 10:26, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m
length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite
uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a
long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested
board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle.
Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various
points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough
measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get
best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or
skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of
the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick
seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but
accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for
best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven
surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a
3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.

It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood, then cut
with whatever is must appropriate (jigsaw, sander, rasp, surform,
scraper) to the line. It might take a couple of iterations but it's
possible to get a near-perfect fit if needed. If appropriate, it can be
made slightly easier to fine-tune if you put a bevel on the edge so that
only a narrow strip at the front of the wood is against the floor.
I treated myself to a Trend Easyscribe, but with care a compass will do
the same job, as will a washer.

How do you do that with a kickboard that won't fit under the kitchen
units uncut, when the floor in front of the units bears little relation
to the floor a couple of inches further back? The only way I can think
of is to use a narrower board temporarily screwed in place parallel to
the kitchen units above and transfer the marks with another scribing
process. The reason I ask is that I am just about to do this job.

In that case I would do the scribing onto a template, and transfer it to
the final board.

I find a roll of 2000 gauge lining paper makes for good supply of cheap
template material - its stiff enough to be handled a bit... so cut a
strip and pin in place on the kitchen units, scribe the floor onto it,
the take it and stick it on the back of the real kick board, and cut
along the line.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 11:31, John Rumm wrote:
On 10/09/2019 10:26, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m
length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite
uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a
long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested
board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle.
Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various
points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough
measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get
best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or
skirting board withÂ* completely faithful reproduction of the
contours of
the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick
seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but
accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for
best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven
surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a
3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.

It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood, then cut
with whatever is must appropriate (jigsaw, sander, rasp, surform,
scraper) to the line. It might take a couple of iterations but it's
possible to get a near-perfect fit if needed. If appropriate, it can be
made slightly easier to fine-tune if you put a bevel on the edge so that
only a narrow strip at the front of the wood is against the floor.
I treated myself to a Trend Easyscribe, but with care a compass will do
the same job, as will a washer.

How do you do that with a kickboard that won't fit under the kitchen
units uncut, when the floor in front of the units bears little relation
to the floor a couple of inches further back?Â*Â* The only way I can think
of is to use a narrower board temporarily screwed in place parallel to
the kitchen units above and transfer the marks with another scribing
process.Â* The reason I ask is that I am just about to do this job.

In that case I would do the scribing onto a template, and transfer it to
the final board.

I find a roll of 2000 gauge lining paper makes for good supply of cheap
template material - its stiff enough to be handled a bit... so cut a
strip and pin in place on the kitchen units, scribe the floor onto it,
the take it and stick it on the back of the real kick board, and cut
along the line.


Yup. Proper 'Binky' CAD CAM
Cardboard Aided Design and Cardboard Aided Manufacture.


--
"First, find out who are the people you can not criticise. They are your
oppressors."
- George Orwell

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 09:24, Chris J Dixon wrote:
wrote:


It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood,

Shouldn't that be the largest gap, otherwise you won't reach the
timber? ;-)

Chris

I believe the correct response is Doh! :-) Hopefully that's my only
mistake today

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 10:23, Tim Lamb wrote:
In message , Chris J Dixon
writes
wrote:


It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood,

Shouldn't that be the largest gap, otherwise you won't reach the
timber?Â*Â* ;-)
Quite.
Having done this and carefully trimmed exactly to the line, consider
that you will be placing unsealed mdf/chipboard in intimate contact with
a floor which diligent wives are likely to dowse with water at regular
intervals:-)

No doubt someone will suggest a precautionary sealing tactic.

Polyurethane varnish and (perhaps) a silicone bead if you're confident
that the strip won't need to be taken off

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 08:44, wrote:
On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m
length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite
uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a
long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The
unmolested board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in
the middle. Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved
to various points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough
measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get
best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or
skirting board withÂ* completely faithful reproduction of the contours
of the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The
trick seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs,
but accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable
for best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven
surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a
3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.

It's called "scribing". Put the timber in place, propped in places if
necessary, then find a small spacer that's the size of the smallest gap.
Rest a pencil on the top of the spacer and run the spacer along the
floor so that the pencil draws the floor profile on the wood, then cut
with whatever is must appropriate (jigsaw, sander, rasp, surform,
scraper) to the line.

I did similar using an opened out cardboard box as a template, I then
cut the card to check the fit at the floor and then transferred the
information to my kick-boards.

Don't forget to seal any raw chipboard edges as any water from mopping
floors etc. will make untreated chipboard to swell.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

In article ,
wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m
length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite
uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a
long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested
board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle.
Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various
points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough
measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get
best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or
skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of
the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick
seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but
accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for
best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven
surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a
3m length.

What do pros do?

Start by levelling the floor. Makes far more sense than trying to get
things to fit afterwards.

--
*I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Uneven floor/skirting and kickboards
 

On 10/09/2019 05:41, wrote:
I've just spent half a day ****ing around with the router to get a 3m length of kitchen unit kickboard fitting reasonably tidily on a quite uneven floor. The floor doesn't look that uneven, but when you put a long, straight edge on it, lumps and hollows everywhere. The unmolested board was touching floor at each end and floating in air in the middle. Trimming the ends, the touch points of the kickboard moved to various points along its length; trim those and same again.

So, my question is: is there a better way to do it than rough measurements, followed by many iterations of fine adjustment, to get best fit? Against a hard surface (which this was), a kickboard or skirting board with completely faithful reproduction of the contours of the floor can look naff, drawing the eye to the unevenness. The trick seems to be to go some way to accommodating the ups and downs, but accepting that gaps between floor and board might be unavoidable for best overall appearance.

I'm aware of bendy profile strips that can be used to reproduce uneven surfaces, but I don't think that one of these would have helped over a 3m length.

What do pros do?

Thanks.

Bill.


Sort the floor out.

Self levelling compound++