Also known as baseboards, skirting boards have been around for many, many years in different forms and typically serve two or three important purposes. First, a skirting board can be added to a room purely for decorative purposes. In old houses, for example, it’s common to find high skirting boards that feature mouldings and can even be quite intricate, making a decorative feature. That said, at its simplest level, a skirting board will simply be a plank of wood that has been nailed, screwed or glued to the wall. The second purpose of a skirting board is to protect the wall. Skirting boards will typically protect the walls from accidental knocks, as well as wear and tear from furniture and soiling and scuffs from mops and hoovers. In the third instance, skirting boards can be used as a really clever way of hiding uneven or rugged floor or wall edges.
If you’re taking on a wood flooring project, irrespective of whether it’s for a new-build or a renovation or redesign, you should give some thought to skirting boards. In order to help, we’ll go through the various options here:
Skirting boards and wood flooring in renovation or re-looking projects
If you’re in the throws of renovating a property or re-looking a room in your home, it may well be that you already have skirting boards in place. What this means, when you decide on how you will fit your new floor, is that you either have the choice of leaving the skirting boards in place, or removing them to enable the floor to be laid.
Particularly in older properties, many people are wary of removing skirting boards because more often than not, they take away a whole lot of the wall’s plaster with them. It is for this reason that most people decide to leave their skirting boards in place when they fit a new wooden floor.
If you decide to go this route, what you can do is run your flooring right up to each of your walls and then use a beading accessory to create a neat join between the floor and the skirting board. The important thing to bear in mind, whichever route you go is to make sure you leave enough of a gap between your flooring and the edge of your room to allow your floor to expand and contract.
Skirting boards and wood flooring in new-builds
If you’re planning wood flooring in a new-build situation, you’ll have significantly more flexibility, because you’ll be able to install your chosen skirting boards after you’ve fitted your floor. By working this way, you’ll be able to choose the style of flooring you’re wanting and also the style of skirting you’d like to finish off your look. Once again though, don’t forget to make sure that you leave an expansion gap all the way around your room to make sure that your floor has the space to expand and contract without getting damaged in the process.
FAQ
What are skirting boards and what are their purposes?
Also known as baseboards, skirting boards have been around for many years and typically serve two to three important purposes. First, they can be added to a room for decorative purposes. Second, skirting boards protect the walls from accidental knocks, furniture wear and tear, and soiling and scuffs from mops and vacuums. Thirdly, they can be used to cleverly hide uneven or rugged floor or wall edges.
Should I remove existing skirting boards when fitting new wood flooring?
In older properties, many people avoid removing skirting boards during renovation because they often take away a significant amount of the wall’s plaster with them. If you decide to leave your skirting boards in place, you can run your flooring up to each of your walls and then use a beading accessory to create a neat join between the floor and the skirting board.
What considerations should I make when fitting new wood flooring against existing skirting boards?
The key consideration is to leave enough of a gap between your flooring and the edge of your room to allow your floor to expand and contract. If you leave your skirting boards in place when you fit a new wooden floor, you can run your flooring up to each of your walls and then use a beading accessory to create a neat join between the floor and the skirting board.
How can I fit skirting boards in new-build situations?
In new-build situations, you have more flexibility because you can install your chosen skirting boards after you’ve fitted your floor. This way, you can choose the style of flooring you want and the style of skirting you’d like to finish off your look.
What should I remember when fitting skirting boards in a new-build?
Don’t forget to leave an expansion gap all around your room to ensure your floor has the space to expand and contract without getting damaged in the process.