Door / skirting board trimmer

[BucksDad]

We had a kitchen extension five years ago and my wife is unhappy with the tiles we chose and instead wants to put LVT down on top.

the one she likes is loose lay so will need expansion gap and of course we’d prefer not to take up the existing skirtings and kitchen kick plates (painted kitchen as well so would be a nightmare to re-finish and match)

I’ve just come across these door / skirting trimmer saws. Do they work well? Any brands you’d recommend (will have to hire obviously)

 

[Terry - Somerset]

You may find it easier to use glue down which needs no expansion gap and can be cut (I am told) with precision to leave the existing skirting in place.

If you have no choice but to use click LVT, bear in mind most machines will have a minimum cutting height (~8mm) likely to be more than the thickness of LVT (~5mm).

The approach being used by builders in our house currently being renovated is:

• a multitool to trim the bottom of door frames and architraves using the LVT as a depth guide
• old skirtings removed - floating floor cannot be fitted without removing skirting on at least one side
• new skirting painted (my job!) before fixing and approx 25mm higher than that removed to obscure any possible plaster damage.

 

[BucksDad]

Thanks for the info Terry. Thankfully the click LVT my wife likes is 8mm so the 8mm min height would be perfect.

And yes, I’ve realised the skirtings in half of the room can just come off and replaced as they’re just white and of no consequence to re-do.

I’m eyeing up the Virutex trimmer which looks like it will do the job.

Do you get a good finish with the multi tool? Seems hard to get a straight line with them and hard to avoid scorching

 

[Inspector]

You use a piece of scrap floor pushed against what you want to cut. Lay the multi tool/oscillating saw blade on it and feed into the door jambs. With a sharp blade you get a nice straight line.

Pete

 

[TomTheToolMan]

Kick plates are normally just clipped on. Cant you just remove and trim the top and refit

 

[BucksDad]

Kick plates are normally just clipped on. Cant you just remove and trim the top and refit

I used kick plates but It’s a wooden kitchen with planted skirting. I think they are glued and screwed

Hopefully we will find a glue down which works

 

[ChaiLatte]

A couple of thoughts:

If the trimming saw does happen to be higher than the new flooring, an option might be to install a suitable underlay (e.g. builder's paper) to make up the height difference.

Look for some colour-matched (to the plinth/skirting/floor) sealer - Mapei make a good range - to address any gaps.

In the picture of the kitchen you show, a saw would not go into the corner so you will need a multitool in addition to the saw.

 

[eribaMotters]

Have you looked at the LVT from Howdens? We specified it on our new build bungalow and it has now been down since about last June on a concrete underfloor heated slab. The strips in the herringbone design [longer planks available] we chose are 610 x 125 x 6. I think it can be laid up to 90m2 without expansion gaps. Ours runs continuously though out the house into every room except bedrooms. At one point it is 12m long.

Colin

 

[Br5d]

You could use a biscuit joiner, set the height and off you go!

 

[Nelsun]

Can't say I'd fancy using a multitool for the entire length of an on-show wall as one tiny hiccup and it's swear jar time. For the corners it'd be about the only tool for the job though. Using a length of whatever as a fence, a new wide blade and taking an initial shallow gentle pass along it will get you a clean edge along the face. Once that cut line is established [pat yourself on the back and thank the gods] you can have at it until your through - just take care to keep the tip of the blade inside your initial cut line. Oh, and don't do it when you've somewhere else to be!