My spouse and I have just recently bought a new flat. It is tidy with tidy plastered walls the exact same laminate throughout– essentially it’s a blank canvas. All extremely good and tidy– however not really homely. It is a bit overwhelming for us, where do we start and how do we develop something that has some design or character?
As we have actually started to decorate we are realising that it is everything about good quality small touches that make the difference; lighting, door handles, taps and skirting boards. These things can easily be ignored for flashy photos and big items like sofas. Nevertheless, they are the littles your design that you truly discover and often touch too so the quality (or do not have thereof) can’t be missed.
Considering that we have never written a post on skirting boards I thought I would share what I have actually discovered with you today. Of all skirting boards do several things; they protect the wall from kicks, bumps and scratches, they tidy up untidy edgings and they add to the style of your room.
Architrave
You may have come across the term ‘Architrave’. It resembles a skirting board however not quite the same. It is the wood or moulding that is utilized to frame entrances. You must try to match up the shape of your architrave and skirting boards to develop a cohesive circulation.
Profiles
Skirting Boards and Architrave come in a variety of profiles. They can be an easy plank of wood or be formed and moulded into numerous designs and styles. There aren’t any standard terms for skirting board shapes however you can get an idea of the range of shapes available from any excellent skirting board seller.
Tools
A Mitre Saw
Similar to any DIY task, to get a good result you need to have the right tools. Skirting boards last a long time so you need to fit them right. If you can’t pay for to buy the right tools then obtain or hire them. If that is not possible then you are best paying a carpenter to do the job for you. To fit skirting boards well you require to be able to cut exact lengths of wood easily. Doing this with a hand saw is nearly impossible so you truly require a ‘mitre saw’. These tools have circular blades mounted in a manage that you can move up and down over a repaired plate. The repaired plate will have various accessories to assist you fix the wood in place before cutting and likewise so you can measure exact angles. Professional mitre saws are costly but can get a standard domestic variation for about ₤ 60.
Undoubtedly, this tool has the prospective to be dangerous if you do not operate it carefully. You must constantly read the manufacturers manual before you operate it. It is also a great concept to practice making some cuts on extra wood prior to you begin so you can be positive of obtaining tidy accurate cuts safely. Although the saw looks rather challenging, due to the fact that the blade is fixed in a housing and you can protect the wood before cutting, it is in fact much more secure than using a hand saw or axel mill. So use some care but do not be delayed.
Measurements
Precise measurements are necessary. You will require a good tape measure and a sharp pencil for defining the wood and flooring. It will be hard to measure accurate lengths on your own so a second individual to secure the procedure at one end while you operate at the other is ideal.
For an external corner, you should press your skirting board versus a wall and run your pencil along its edge at the corner and past the wall edge. Do the same on the other wall and where the lines cross is where your skirting boards require to be cut to. Procedure your boards carefully and then use the mitre saw to cut a 45-degree angle. For internal corners, the process can be more complicated and you may require to ‘scribe’ or utilize a ‘profile gauge’ to get a good fit. The video below is a detailed guide to the more complex strategies.
Scribing
This a technique for getting skirting boards to joint securely and nicely or fitting the skirting over imperfections in the flooring. It is better to understand this technique with imagery. The video below is just a number of minutes long and discusses the procedure just.
Fixings
If you have modern, flat plastered walls then you can often use wood glue to fix your skirting board to the walls. This is a simple and fast way to fit your carefully measured and cut skirting boards. Apply the glue to the reverse side of the boards in a zig-zag pattern, after fixing to the wall carefully wipe off any excess glue. You will need to hold the boards in place with weights or heavy furniture while the glue dries.
In some cases, you may not wish to use glue or your walls might be uneven making glueing impossible. In these cases, you will need to nail or screw the skirting boards into the wall. If you have stud walls then you should use a stud finder to work out where the wood supports are behind the plasterboard and connect your skirting boards to the wood rather than trying to nail or screw them to the plasterboard. It can be helpful to drill pilot holes into the skirting board planks before you place them against the wall and fix them in place. Note that if you use nails or screws you will need to fill or paint the boards afterwards to hide the fixings.
Finishing
You will need to use a wood filler to finish off the job. All your corners will probably need to be filled. No matter how carefully you measured and cut– imperfections in your floor, walls and the wood planks will mean there are gaps where the skirting board should meet. There will also probably be gaps at the top between the skirting board and wall and maybe between the floor and skirting too. It is best to carefully fill these gaps when you fit the boards. If you don’t the skirting will look messy and the gaps will accumulate dirt over time, which will which look terrible.
Post Sponsored by Your Local Glazier in Sheffield.