Skirting: Finding levels

[milkman]

Hi I'm skirting some big open plan rooms. I'm using packers to level the boards along the runs and find the low points and its taking forever. I can't afford a laser level but is there anything I can do that would speed this up?
Also the skirtings use a second mini scotia type rail in front of the big boards, about 2" high. Some of the levels feel as though they are going to take a lot out of these.
Should I even be levelling the second boards? Thing is if I just follow the floor line that then that would create compound mitres at the corners which I think would be more of a nightmare.
I've already skirted the top floor of this (heavily loss making) job but wanted to see if I could speed up the second part as experince hasn't brought enlightenment in this case. : (
Any advice welcome.

Thanks
Marko

 

[hanser]

Hi Marko

Wouldn't try to 'level' the skirtings. Just let them sit on the floor, maybe take out one or two high/low spots on a long length. Don't mitre the inner corners, just scribe the profile to the edge of the butting board. External corners will need to be mitred.

Good luck

 

[Jacob]

Why are you levelling them? They should just follow the floor line. Drop them in place and if there are any major gaps you could consider scribing to fit. But if you are fitting this second board (picture?) this will presumably cover any gaps so the big boards won't even need scribing (as far as I understand what you are doing!). 'Levelling' doesn't come into it anywhere - the only issue is making it look a neat fit against the floor/wall. If the floor/wall aren't straight then ideally the skirting should follow the bends and dips.

 

[Roughcut]

Hi Marko, I would do the same as other members have said and follow the floor line.
The method i've used in the past is to use a piece of timber (or skirting board offcut) of around 18" long and rest this on the top of the skirting when it is placed in position.
Then kneel on the timber to press the skirting board down before nailing or drilling.

 

[Stormer1940]

The method i've used in the past is to use a piece of timber (or skirting board offcut) of around 18" long and rest this on the top of the skirting when it is placed in position.
Then kneel on the timber to press the skirting board down before nailing or drilling.

I use the same the method but with a piece o 4x2. Doesn't flex under your weight. Drill through skirting and into the wall with a masonry bit that is appropriate for your plug. I usually use brown. Counter sink, push plug into skirting, insert screw and use a hammer to tap plug through board into wall, screw board back to wall

If you are plugging the fixing hole you will want to make a hole for a plug before drilling through skirting.

If I have got what you are saying correctly Id fix the skirt and then scribe the second piece of timber you are putting along base of skirting.

 

[milkman]

Oh, thanks for this clearly I've got the wrong end of a fairly long stick but at least that makes it a lot easier and quicker.
I think when researching how to do this I must have seen something about finding low points and taken it to mean in the whole floor not just along the run of each board.

Hanser thanks yes I've been mitering returns and scribing corners so all is not completely lost.

Thanks everybody very useful advice, here's a pic of bits already done. The gap at the bottom is for carpeting.

IMG_0380-2.jpg by markuspalarkus, on Flickr

Thanks all, appreciated!

 

[Gaz]

Hi milkman,

I agree with the others, I always lay the skirting on the floor and scribe out the larger gaps, if the floor is really unlevel I would still follow it otherwise your skirting will look tapered at one end, hope it goes well, pics look great,

Gary

 

[o0dunk0o]

I've always worked to what looks right, doesn't matter if its level or square as long as it looks right :wink:

 

[Jacob]

Oh, thanks for this clearly I've got the wrong end of a fairly long stick but at least that makes it a lot easier and quicker.
I think when researching how to do this I must have seen something about finding low points and taken it to mean in the whole floor not just along the run of each board.

Hanser thanks yes I've been mitering returns and scribing corners so all is not completely lost.

Thanks everybody very useful advice, here's a pic of bits already done. The gap at the bottom is for carpeting.

IMG_0380-2.jpg by markuspalarkus, on Flickr

Thanks all, appreciated!

They've made it easy for you - the big board just needs fixing, no scribing required as the little board covers the gaps. The little board should bend enough to be able press it down onto some carpet depth spacers and also won't need scribing.
Quite clever really.

 

[Allylearm]

Back beveling the bottom edge of the skirting that rests on the floor aids fitting the bottom tight.

 

[o0dunk0o]

Back beveling the bottom edge of the skirting that rests on the floor aids fitting the bottom tight.

Unless the room is carpeted, then you leave a 10mm gap

 

[scholar]

I agree that you need to do what looks best to the eye - if the floor is badly sloping, probably go with the slope; if the floor is only moderately out of level, I would think it might look neater to put the skirting in level. (my real preference is to level the floor first, but that will not help your cost overrun!)

I reckon the additional moulding might not be original and was probably put in to hide some gaps - do you need to replace this? (if I have read correctly what you are doing?). I agree this will look pants if you have to scribe this very much.

An alternative to a laser (and better for levelling room to room and around corners) is a water level http://www.screwfix.com/p/water-level-k ... tid=745335 - a really good tool; you really need an assistant, and you can mark off a datum line all around in a jiffy. Just how the ancient egyptians did it!


cheers

 

[Jacob]

.....f the floor is only moderately out of level, I would think it might look neater to put the skirting in level. .....

Why? It'd only emphasise the slope in the floor. Skirtings/architraves are ways of trimming junctions between floors/walls/openings and the whole point is to follow what is there, rather than attempt to correct things and draw attention to the variations.

 

[scholar]

.....f the floor is only moderately out of level, I would think it might look neater to put the skirting in level. .....

Why? It'd only emphasise the slope in the floor. Skirtings/architraves are ways of trimming junctions between floors/walls/openings and the whole point is to follow what is there, rather than attempt to correct things and draw attention to the variations.

Well it is just my humble opinion and experience that in some cases it is best to level up the skirting so the whole room does not look wonky. For example the architraves will hopefully be vertical and to my eye it looks best if the skirting is square to that - likewise radiators and other fittings will be level (although I guess Jacob may fit them to follow the contours...). As I said, it does depend on the situation as you do not want heavily tapered skirtings (in this case the skirtings are nice and deep so they would accommodate some adjustment.

To say the whole point is to follow what is there is a bit of a non-point as the whole point originally would have been presumably to start with a broadly level floor... But I think the concensus is to do what looks best to the eye in the. circumstances - probably would be safest to get the client's agreement to whatever is done.

Cheers

 

[Allylearm]

Unless the room is carpeted, then you leave a 10mm gap[/quote]

Hope that was a joke, I thought this was a serious question of fitting skirting

 

[NLH]

Why have you left a gap under the skirting for carpet?

If I was the customer I'd think you've made a mistake, allways go to the floor, remember carpet and underlay is 20mm minnium

Good luck with the ground floor

 

[Jacob]

Why have you left a gap under the skirting for carpet?
....r

Well yes - I assumed it was in the brief, perhaps it ain't?

 

[pro-joiner]

Carpet fits between skirting boards not underneath them.

 

[milkman]

Just when you thought a question'd gone to sleep it wakes up again!

I reckon the additional moulding might not be original and was probably put in to hide some gaps - do you need to replace this? (if I have read correctly what you are doing?). I agree this will look pants if you have to scribe this very much.

Bizarrely this is new skirting! Its marketed as 'Edwardian Pallas' style from Agnews The extra strip is something I'd associate with retrofitting a floor to existing skirting. (for example some edwardians fitting carpet over their victorian parent’s floor but not wanting to remove the expensive skirting : ) )

Someone suggested levelling the main boards but running the small strip to the floor. I think that would exagerrate the discrepancy between floor and level line.

Why have you left a gap under the skirting for carpet?
If I was the customer I'd think you've made a mistake, allways go to the floor, remember carpet and underlay is 20mm minnium

Jacob’s right that was the brief from the carpet fitters and it looks fine with the carpet down. (no pix yet)
Downstairs is a hard floor so no gap there.

Unless the room is carpeted, then you leave a 10mm gap

Hope that was a joke, I thought this was a serious question of fitting skirting

Do you mean there should be no gap or that 10mm s isn’t enough?

In amongst the banter this is all really useful info folks thanks very much.

I really wish they'd covered 2nd fixing at college but there again it was bench joinery course so there you go. No one ever wants me to make bench joinery items but they all want this type of trimming job doing.

Marko

Ps if a client ever says "Ooh I got these from Agnews" you should leave… or maybe kill them, I was not impressed, very woolly softwood boards, difficult to do the copings. The small stuff is tulipwood though so not so bad.
The architrave packs were the same stuff and the plinth blocks were way too slim for the architrave. I think I'd prefer just simple mouldings by length rather than packs like this.

 

[AndyT]

Glad to hear you got it finished. For a quick look into high end work from Edwardian times, you might like to think about the amount of work in something like this:

Admittedly, that's not an average domestic skirting, but can you imagine the time needed to make and fix all those rebated and grooved parts, onto dovetailed slips, fixed to wood blocks set into the brickwork and a long groove in the floor!