Filling large gap under skirting?

[Doug71]

I went to look at a job today where the problem was a large gap between the bottom of the skirting board and the floor. The rooms with the problem are a large kitchen diner and the entrance hall. The gap is there because the floors were originally engineered Oak, it was taken up and the floors have been tiled, this has left a gap of between about 5-9mm under the skirting board.

The gap looks too big to fill with caulk and they don't really want any kind of obvious lath fixing to the skirting to cover the gap. The house is less than 2 years old so they are not keen on removing and fitting new skirting because of the redecorating and cost it might involve. There are of course also gaps under the casings and architraves.

Just wondered if anybody had any other ideas or had seen a product that would do the job, maybe some kind of flat plastic trim that would cover the gap (the skirting is white)? The gap is only vertical, the tiles go under the skirting so there is no width gap to cover.

TBH I'm stacked out with work so don't really want to do the job but they were a nice old couple and I would like to point them in the right direction if I can.

Thanks in advance, Doug

 

[doctor Bob]

Tell them to get a couple of setters, soon fill up with dirt and slobber.

 

[adidat]

Tricky one, foam joint filler rods then a decent mastic on top?

Adidat

 

[Doug B]

Dunno how well this will show up in the photo but I had a similar problem when I stripped out Oak flooring in a small hall way & tiled it, I planed up some thin sections of Pine routed an ogee detail on the top edge then glued & pined it to the existing skirting.
Looked really good when painted to match the skirting.

 

[Thingybob]

They used to make a strip cork that you can squeeze under skirting it couls be then painted on the edge , Came in strips about a mtr long about 10 or 20 in a box

 

[Cabinetman]

Well I waited to see if anybody had any good ideas, the only way to do it is as Doug said, anything else will look exactly what it is a bodge. I think you ought to tell them that they won’t be happy with it being filled and the only ways to do it are, 1 to overlap it, 2 take the skirting off and either lower it or glue a piece on the bottom true it up with a plane on the bench and then refit properly, scribing it to the floor. It’s probably one of those skirtings with another moulding on the reverse so probably just a lot easier to fit a new wider skirting all round. Ian

 

[adidat]

Well I waited to see if anybody had any good ideas, the only way to do it is as Doug said, anything else will look exactly what it is a bodge. I think you ought to tell them that they won’t be happy with it being filled and the only ways to do it are, 1 to overlap it, 2 take the skirting off and either lower it or glue a piece on the bottom true it up with a plane on the bench and then refit properly, scribing it to the floor. It’s probably one of those skirtings with another moulding on the reverse so probably just a lot easier to fit a new wider skirting all round. Ian

Under the parameters offered by the client that was my beat idea! I do agree doug b's soloultion was a nice tidy idea. But not in the rule book!!

Adidat

 

[Fergie 307]

Probably not appropriate in this case but can be useful. You can get plastic soffit board covers. Thin upvc in various profiles intended to fit straight over wooden boards. A friend used these over skirting in his study. He chose deep ones so they fit over the skirting with a big space above the skirting at the top, all computer wiring and so on fits in this space.I have used solid upvc skirting in a wet room where I wanted a traditional look but everything waterproof.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

A few years ago I installed new wainscot panelling to our bedroom walls; the floor is carpeted and I wanted a neat edge to the carpet so added a wooden strip leaving a gap for the carpet to tuck under. This cost very little indeed and the height of the strip is easily adjusted as is the size of the strip.

The strips are common softwood at 1" x 3/8" thick rounded at the top front; 1" pins secure it in position and if a gap to the floor needs covering then choose a strip for the widest gap plus enough to pin. Mitred corners throughout.

The strips add to the finish rather than look like a bodge job; a mini skirting in fact. Turn an ugly gap into something more pleasing? Could this be useful for you?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Chippysu]

My question was going to be what profile is the existing skirting and then suggest what Doug has said, routing a complimenting shape on the top of thin pine.

 

[baldkev]

As said above, prettymuch anything other than planting something on the face or taking off and refitting properly will be a bodge.
Toolstation sell white 10mm weather strip foam. You could possibly squish it in the gaps and true it up withthe face of the skirting which will help hide the gap, but it will probably be noticeable

 

[Doug71]

Thanks for all the ideas guys, I was optimistically hoping that someone might have had some magical solution that I was not aware of but not looking like it

They were not keen on the idea of adding a lath to the skirting as in DougB solution as it's all modern with clean lines although I might take a sample round to show them to see if it will swing it.

It would be nice if the skirting would just come off and drop down but without trying I don't know how easily it will come off and what mess it will leave, also there are a couple of built in units where the end panels have been scribed around the skirting so would leave a gap.

Removing skirting and putting a lath under is an option I hadn't considered but I guess it would probably work out about the same price to fit a new higher skirting

Whatever is done there will still be a gap under the casings and architraves to sort.

It's an example of one of those jobs that was not properly thought through at the start or the customer was not really made aware of the effect that tiling the floors would have. It would have been much easier for everyone if they had removed the skirtings at the same time as the Oak flooring, then tiled the floors, then fitted new skirtings while the rooms were empty and before they redecorated.

Thanks again for the advice, think I will be avoiding this one.

 

[deema]

I will throw an idea in. Add a lining on the front if the skirting with a quirk or some other detail at the top to hide the join. The liner can be say 6mm MDF moulded on the top and you can then scribe the bottom to the floor. End result will be a thicker skirting, with a little extra detail on the top edge. You can have it painted before it goes on to make finishing quicker and save your knees. Quick touch up of Brad nail holes.

Just seen this has already been mentioned!!

 

[RichardG]

I solved the same problem in a similar way to DougB although I used 3mm plywood and cut a strip that fitted from the floor to the bottom of the skirting moulding. When painted you hardly noticed it. My only mistake was not leaving a gap at the bottom so you can slip a newspaper under for painting.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Thanks for all the ideas guys, I was optimistically hoping that someone might have had some magical solution that I was not aware of but not looking like it

They were not keen on the idea of adding a lath to the skirting as in DougB solution as it's all modern with clean lines although I might take a sample round to show them to see if it will swing it.

It would be nice if the skirting would just come off and drop down but without trying I don't know how easily it will come off and what mess it will leave, also there are a couple of built in units where the end panels have been scribed around the skirting so would leave a gap.

Removing skirting and putting a lath under is an option I hadn't considered but I guess it would probably work out about the same price to fit a new higher skirting

Whatever is done there will still be a gap under the casings and architraves to sort.

It's an example of one of those jobs that was not properly thought through at the start or the customer was not really made aware of the effect that tiling the floors would have. It would have been much easier for everyone if they had removed the skirtings at the same time as the Oak flooring, then tiled the floors, then fitted new skirtings while the rooms were empty and before they redecorated.

Thanks again for the advice, think I will be avoiding this one.

It’s amazing how resistant to removing skirtings people are. I just did a similar job ripping up the old hall tiles and replacing with real stone. My wife was adamant that I couldn’t take the skirtings off. We had a big row about it. The stone was thicker than the tiles and she wanted me to just butt the tiles against the skirting. So the opposite problem you are dealing with. In the end I told her to go get a tiler in to do it or shut up and leave me to it. She gave up at that point and I did the job properly and removed the skirting, laid the floor and refitted the skirtings. Because I had to lift them a few mm no repainting was needed. Careful caulking was all that was needed. Anyway after the fact my wife agrees it was the right thing to do. It’s amazing how people effectively paint themselves into a corner by not considering the implications of short cuts.

 

[novocaine]

You could run the strip under the board and toenail with brads then fill and repaint. But what a parlarver.

 

[TheTiddles]

Skirting off, then refit, everything else is a bodge. Some people like bodges, if that’s your thing, just fill it with silicone and add a huge radius.

 

[Spectric]

Tiddles has the right idea, once something is wrong then either put it right or else you will just be hiding it and often it takes the same time to do a job right as it takes to bodge it.

 

[joshvegas]

I've done it with a pine slither, wher the sag in the floor would have required taking ALOT of material off the skirting right round the room. tap it in, trim flush, paint. job jobbed.

 

[Doug71]

I solved the same problem in a similar way to DougB although I used 3mm plywood and cut a strip that fitted from the floor to the bottom of the skirting moulding. When painted you hardly noticed it. My only mistake was not leaving a gap at the bottom so you can slip a newspaper under for painting.

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Am liking this idea, I have some 4mm Birch ply so will cut some down and show the customer, thank you for sharing it