Fixing skirting boards

[Phil Pascoe]

If you get the chance to pick your own boards, be aware they cup away from the heart and get the required moulding and the heart on the outside - they will pull tight against any screws and the wall rather than cup away from it.
A delivery will be selected at random, you have to use the moulding you require regardless which side the heart is on.

 

[johnnyb]

doing this using mdf allows you to creep a bit closer to perfection.(plasterers are now the problem).



my house used a later bodge method. the wood plugs are put in the wall overlong then marked straight with string from the ends. sawn off skirting attached then plastering is finished to the skirts. backwards really. dry your plugs bone dry. my friend swears oak sap is best for this!

 

[vaj]

You're getting mixed messages because (a) different people do the job different ways, (b) some are more motivated than others to find a quickie solution, (c) because there are various solutions (or non solutions) in use and (d) because what will work for a period and/or in a given situation is not necessarily a reliable or universal fix.

Don't however underestimate the ability of the perceived quickie to trump doing the job right - just because it's commonly done whatever way doesn't mean it's reliable.

We for example in our local town have a three level bookshop built new about 15 years ago. It regularly drops quite large slabs of marble facing into the pavement. These it turns out were stuck on to a softwood timber frame using only quite widely spaced beads of so called construction adhesive.

Quite how some architect permitted this design and subsequently certified it is beyond comprehension - symptomatic I guess of these times where anybody waving a bit of paper is an 'expert'.

Find a copy of something like Newnes Practical Carpenter and Joiner Vol. 1 from the 1930s (?) and there's a whole chapter on good practice with skirting with a detailed discussion of the sorts of problems which can arise.

They didn't use adhesives but the trouble they went to is indicative of (a) the fact that labour was cheap then and (b) that viewed from the perspective of long term reliability there are a lot of potential problems in play.

 

[Barlow]

For the past 35 years I have used Gripfill solvent based adhesive to fix mainly mdf type skirtingwith excellent results. It is easy to use, grips immediately and copes with unevenness in the walls. It also tends to be cheaper than many of the ‘silly named products’.
One tip :- allow tubes to reach room temperature before using.

 

[lexfurther]

One option is to use construction adhesive in addition to nails or screws. Apply the adhesive to the back of the skirting board before securing it to the wall. This method can provide extra stability and reduce the need for numerous screws. Additionally, you might want to explore using finish nails or pin nails with a pneumatic nail gun. This can be a quicker method compared to traditional screws and rawl plugs. Remember that painting skirting boards is a fantastic way to finish the job and make it look polished. So, once you've attached the skirting, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint to complete the project.