Skirting Profiles

[DrPhill]

(Back to reality. )

I was a bit surprised today when my builder said he could only get torus and ogee(?) profiles off the shelf locally. I would, he said, have to get my preferred profile cut for me. I have done a little research and found places on the web that will provide various profiles - even pre-primed or pre-painted.

The house is early 1900's, and mainly has a profile similar to 'chamfered', though the chamfer reaches much further down the board (about half way).

So some questions, since I am once again out of my depth....

• 
  * What kind of set up would be needed to create a matching skirting profile? Am I likely to find that setup locally?
  * Is the price linked above extortionate?
  * Would it be feasible for me to cut a simpler profile (ie bullnose) with my (1/4") router and a bit of patience?

Part of me likes the idea of the ready primed timber since I will not need to mess about with spirit based paint (usually costs me a fortune in solvent and/or brushes). A problem with that route is that the job requires a 3m and a 5m run. Would I be likely to be able to source these lengths by another method? Or am I going to have to have a join whichever way I go. Thankfully the skirting will be painted so I can hide the join more easily.

Sorry, lots of questions. Any and all help gratefully received.

Phill
Oh, and what is the best way to mount the skirting? Screws and filler? Glue? Nails (I do not fancy that)?.

 

[Chrispy]

Any joinery firm should be able to run that for you, all you need is a spindle moulder and the motivation, yes it will cost more than ready made off the peg moulding but it should be better quality, Whats extortionate? primer is nearly always water based now so thats easy to do, router will make something but you will struggle to match the existing by the sound of it. I would find someone with a spindle moulder.

 

[carlb40]

I would say the price for the skirting you linked to is reasonable, given that it is finish painted all round.
However unless the walls a dead straight/ flat???? :lol: :lol: You will need to mechanically fix the skirting to the wall, which then requires touch up. Not good on a factory finish.

If your existing skirting has a 45 degree bevel, then a router table could be an option, but long lengths will be awkward. Another option could be a hand plane with a fence to keep things equal/ uniform.

As to fixing that depends on the walls? Stud walls i would no nail/ pin - hire a nail gun Solid brick/ block? I would drill and plug to the wall and plug the holes. Or if you want speed, just filler for the screw holes. :|

 

[chippy1970]

Howden s stock 2, 3 and 4" chamfered mdf skirting and champion timber stock taller stuff

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[blackrodd]

You don't give the sizes of the skirting that you require.
If all you need is a chamfer, I have machined this off top the planer, before now.
You would need 1 very good workmate to help keep the material in place, or get a costing of the spindle moulder at one of the smaller 1 or 2 men joinery shops.
The easiest would probably be to carefully plane some well supported timber with the (electric" hand held planer to a couple of pencil lines.
Should you go this route, go to the merchants yourself, if possible and select the soon to be skirting carefully.and don't forget the so called annular rings mostly try and straighten thereby giving you a finishing face to mould. HTH Regards Rodders

 

[AndyT]

I'm not a builder but I do live in an old house.

It would help if you posted a picture and told us the size, but if you don't want to spend loads and have the time to experiment, the simplest way to match existing skirting is to buy plain square edged timber and plane it to match. For decorative profiles you would need a few round moulding planes, but from the way you describe it, yours would only need a bench plane to make it.

For fixing, if you still have the original wooden plugs in your walls, I would use them and nail the new boards onto them. It's much easier to hide a punched down nail than a big screw head, in my experience.

 

[MMUK]

Travis Perkins stock a reversible bullnose/deep chamfer skirting. My local depot stocks 2", 3", 4" and 6" but I believe they can get 7" & 9" in to order.

 

[toolsntat]

Chamfers/ bevels are easily machined under a thicknesser using an angled cradle/bed :idea:

Andy

 

[DrPhill]

Wow, thanks all - plenty of useful information. Based on that my order of preference is:

• 
  * Investigate TP. We have one in town and maybe the profiles will be close enough. I am doing an entire room, so do not need an exact match. Just something that is in keeping with the rest of the house.
  * Order some online for a company similar to the one I linked.
  * Get someone local to make a matching profile.
  * Make my own period but not matching profile (small chamfer or bull nose)

You guys are very helpful, and I am learning a lot here.

Thanks

Phill

 

[Eric The Viking]

"West Somerset" is a bit vague, but there are quite a few yards in the area, or there were in my youth (Burnham/Highbridge/Bridgwater/Weston area). We've got a few up here, too, in Bristol.

I honestly wouldn't go online as you'll be struggling if there's a quality issue on delivery. Can you show us a picture or better, the end of a board showing the profile? It really doesn't sound too tough.

To give it context, The ground floor skirtings here are roughly 12" tall, of which the top five inches are moulding. I've had them done usually in two parts: the bottom 7" ending in a groove and ovolo, and the rest of the skirting above that (highly decorative). I think I last paid around £3/ft (minimum run was something like 50 ft), plus stock. I don't think there was a setup charge as one of our local merchants ("Bristol Timber", IIRC) keeps the cutters.

There's a T+G or just a rebate at the joint between the two sections (there's a quirk disguising it), and it's usually backed by blocks of thin MDF or ply about 2ft apart to keep it together. Scribing and mitres are both a right royal PITA.

E.

 

[blackrodd]

I have just re- read the post again, and i am not sure that there were many 100 year old houses having bevelled or chamfered or even splayed and rounded skirtings.
Back in the 1900's i would expect to see skirting 7" or 9" and an ogee or similar and made with a hand plane.
If you're not fussed then o.k. but it may be a good idea to get a dekko at any helpful, close by neighbours house and see what may still remain today. Regards rodders

 

[DrPhill]

Interesting point, Rodders, we are not historians and assumed that since the bulk of the skirting was a chamfer that this was the original skirting. The previous owners (or at least some of them) redecorated in a mix of '60s and GWR (I kid you not....).

The house was probably not 'typical' of its period, though. It was one half of a pair of semis built by the 'neighbours' for their two sons. It had a minton fireplace (long since ripped out to be replaced with a 60's DIY monstrosity. Itself now removed by us to join two rooms..... Anyway, I suspect that if the previous 'modifiers' had replaced the skirting they would have chosen 5" torus and cut it with a rusty chisel as they did in the lounge.

We are not attempting to recreate a replica of the original house, though. Just creating a simple, period-themed feel. So the 9ft ceilings will have plaster coving and a picture rail (rather than polystyrene coving and a dado rail). The simpler skirtings - probably in 7" like the bulk of the house will likely be chamfer. We have joined two rooms and I have an interesting puzzle joining the two oak woodblock floors - different patterns, different length blocks. I love puzzles. Thankfully we can rob some genuine oak blocks from under the stairs (later addition when the loft was converted to a bedroom/en suite).

Lots of fun.......

 

[blackrodd]

As a suggestion, regarding the oak block flooring and the two meeting floors, would a strip of oak or matching timber at about 7"wide, and laid where the wall has been removed, use this as a starter and finisher and cut the blocks into, and away from it. Or even set it as a threshold. Regards Rodders

 

[DrPhill]

Hey, Rodders, that is a cool idea - if I can source a suitable chunk of oak. It would simplify the problem immensely. We have yet to lift the carpet and examine the task in detail - the builders are still clomping around in their size 11's - they still need to line the chimney and put the hearth in so it will be a while before I consider this in detail. And I want to size the plaster with the carpet still down, maybe even get a coat of paint on.

I am hoping that I can cut varying lengths of block to blend one pattern into t'other - its the sort of geometric challenge that fascinates me. But if I think the challenge too great I could use your idea or a variation. I think each original floor has a border (single or double) of blocks laid parallel to the wall which would make the long strip a very simple option.

A lot depends on how many blocks we can rob from the area that is now an understairs cuppboard.

But thanks for the idea.

 

[DrPhill]

The skirting profile is 6+ inches measured from the carpet, so 7 inches nominal is probably close. Slightly less than an inch thick, with the top three inches being a flat taper down to something less than a half inch. Does that make sense? A picture would not add much, and I have no free piece to cut an end......

Such a simple profile makes internal corners a doddle without a mitre - two straight cuts will do it. Plenty of external corners though - so an excuse for my new toy. Even some 135 degree corners to test my accuracy. Luckily we are installing a woodburner too, so I have a use for my mistakes.

EDIT: PS Very West Somerset - I can walk from the door to Exmoor National Park in about ten minutes.

 

[blackrodd]

Off topic.
My maternal grandfather was born in Brompton Regis, Mother born in Lynton. Lovely part of the south west.
Motorbike in the summer, Suzuki Jimny in the winter! Regards Rodders

 

[carlb40]

The skirting profile is 6+ inches measured from the carpet, so 7 inches nominal is probably close. Slightly less than an inch thick, with the top three inches being a flat taper down to something less than a half inch. Does that make sense? A picture would not add much, and I have no free piece to cut an end......

Such a simple profile makes internal corners a doddle without a mitre - two straight cuts will do it. Plenty of external corners though - so an excuse for my new toy. Even some 135 degree corners to test my accuracy. Luckily we are installing a woodburner too, so I have a use for my mistakes.

EDIT: PS Very West Somerset - I can walk from the door to Exmoor National Park in about ten minutes.

Noooooooooo, any profiled skirting gets coped on internal corners. Mitred internal corners are for cowboys :lol:

 

[DrPhill]

Off topic.
My maternal grandfather was born in Brompton Regis, Mother born in Lynton. Lovely part of the south west.
Motorbike in the summer, Suzuki Jimny in the winter! Regards Rodders

Hey its my topic and I don't mind. My parents came down here before I was born. So did I. Been coming down ever since. Most of my working life was aimed at getting down here permanently. Done it now, and even got a good-fun part-time job developing software for Android. What are the chances of managing that? Never would have thought it possible, but just took the chances and got lucky. (where is that 'oh-so-smug' smiley when I need it)

 

[DrPhill]

As a suggestion, regarding the oak block flooring and the two meeting floors, would a strip of oak or matching timber at about 7"wide, and laid where the wall has been removed, use this as a starter and finisher and cut the blocks into, and away from it. Or even set it as a threshold. Regards Rodders

We have decide to go with this idea. Thanks Rodd.

Anybody have suggestions where I can get a suitable bit of oak in furthest west Somerset?

I need a piece 165 x 2100 x 18mm. I have the technology to shorten it, but would be hard pressed to make it narrower (pin on a batten and route against it). No way have I the tools or skills to thickness it.

All suggestion welcome.

Thanks

Phill

 

[carlb40]

As a suggestion, regarding the oak block flooring and the two meeting floors, would a strip of oak or matching timber at about 7"wide, and laid where the wall has been removed, use this as a starter and finisher and cut the blocks into, and away from it. Or even set it as a threshold. Regards Rodders

We have decide to go with this idea. Thanks Rodd.

Anybody have suggestions where I can get a suitable bit of oak in furthest west Somerset?

I need a piece 165 x 2100 x 18mm. I have the technology to shorten it, but would be hard pressed to make it narrower (pin on a batten and route against it). No way have I the tools or skills to thickness it.

All suggestion welcome.

Thanks

Phill

Phill where will you get your timber from? If it is a proper timber merchant, then they should be able to machine a piece to that size for you.