Fitting skirting boards

[Ooops]

I am hopefully going to fit skirting boards this weekend, being a bank holiday. Question is how do I do it? How do I get the 45 degree angles? Do I have to buy a specific mitre board? If there are gaps in the angles do I just use some sort of filler to fill them? What is the best method of fixing them to the wall? Can I use the same nails as fixing floor boards (not sure of the correct name for them but that was how they were fixed when I took them off)? Thanks

 

[kevin_robson]

Check my other posts for various problems/solutions. I'm sure others will help you also.

As for tools I spend £15 on a power mitre saw from b and q -and it was probably the best £15 I have ever spent. The one I got was only big enough to cut 4" skirting though so you might have to pay more if yours are bigger.

 

[DonKiddick]

You should definitely get a power mitre saw for this job. As Kevin says, a basic one is very cheap and is all you need.

Strictly speaking though, while external corners are mitred, internal corners should be scribed. This means running one length of skirting right into the corner, then drawing the profile onto the piece which is to meet it in the corner, and cutting it out to fit. This will prevent gaps appearing in the corner as the wood moves. Us pros do it this way when we're being paid by the hour.

The traditional way of fixing skirtings is to nail them into wooden wedges jammed into gaps in the brickwork. If you have wedges still intact then use these. If not then use a grab adhesive such as Gripfill or Pink Grip. Don't buy a solvent-free version as they take too long to set. As with most things in life, the smellier the better!


Cheers
Don

 

[DonKiddick]

Incidentally, don't even think about using expanding foam to fix skirtings. I was on a job last week where the builder had done just that and the next day they were bonded tight but all a good half inch off the wall as the foam had pushed them away as it expanded!

The customer had the cheek to ask me to redo them!

Cheers
Don

 

[GarethSullivan]

Incidentally, don't even think about using expanding foam to fix skirtings. I was on a job last week where the builder had done just that and the next day they were bonded tight but all a good half inch off the wall as the foam had pushed them away as it expanded!

The customer had the cheek to ask me to redo them!

What a t**t.... of course they're gonna come away from the wall, the bloke's obviously a cowboy! (A thick one at that)