Uneven gap between floor and skirting boards

[confused30000]

We recently had some LVT flooring laid in our new extension and today have had skirting boards fitted. Noticed that there are some inconsistent gaps between the floor and the skirting, I think where the floor isn't exactly level. A few pictures below if that helps illustrate (not sure how much you can tell from them). I just wondered, what would you do in this situation? Just leave as is (pretty much most of it will be behind furniture and so not noticeable) or look to fix it somehow?

 

[DiyNutJob]

You could use a bead of sealant. If the the skirting board is painted white, you could fill the gaps with white sealant flush with the board so that everything will look a single piece.

 

[conny]

Decorators caulk would be my choice. Sealants don't take paint very well, but caulk is designed to be painted over.
If they have used sealant, (as opposed to caulk), in the corners and that jointed section, I would scrape it out and use a flexible filler that you could sand down and blend in before painting. Caulk all the gaps below the skirting and, once painted, the gaps won't be noticeable.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Was the skirting fitted after the LVT?

 

[jacko555]

Don't pay and ask for a proper job.

Should not need caulk anywhere. , one should be scribed around the other.

They should be scribethat the bottom to match undulations in the floor, ditto cornerd.

Was is a handyman called Kettle that fitted these?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Sadly, I have to agree, but you shouldn't need to scribe the skirting to the floor - because the floor should have been flat in the first case. But that corner those corners looks awful, and what on earth was he doing with that joint in the skirting?

BTW if that had been Keitai we'd be up to page 7 by now...

...and Andy would have chimed in by now, too

 

[jacko555]

you shouldn't need to scribe the skirting to the floor - because the floor should have been flat in the first case

That is true, although what floors are truly flat? I recently had parquet laid over a 1920s suspended wooden floor. Entire ground floor.

They sanded the floorboards and overlaid with ply first. Over the longer lengths (7 meter rooms), scribing / sanding was necessary when fitting the skirts over the parquet to keep an even 1mm gap.

The guys were pretty anal about it and it took them far longer than expected (although fixed price).

Well chuffed with the result

 

[Deleted member 174758]

That is true, although what floors are truly flat?

The answer is none, but you can at least use plywood and SLC to get somewhere near before you start, the idea being to reduce any gaps to a more acceptable amounts as well as create a floor where the joints won't separate, creak or squeak. In the OP's case thst would probably have worked - the skirtings, however, are a different matter.

I recently had parquet laid over a 1920s suspended wooden floor. Entire ground floor.

Parquet? Well that's a different kettle of fish - for starters the glue used is often pretty thick and when you finish installing it the entire floor should get levelled with a girt great floor sander.

So if the necessary work is done on the sub-floor the need to scribe should be minimal

 

[Odds]

Sadly, I have to agree, but you shouldn't need to scribe the skirting to the floor - because the floor should have been flat in the first case. But that corner those corners looks awful, and what on earth was he doing with that joint in the skirting?

BTW if that had been Keitai we'd be up to page 7 by now...

...and Andy would have chimed in by now, too

Commie contractors on cannabis: never a straight line between 'em.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Hope whoever fitted that skirting didn't call themselves a carpenter- what a waste of timber. As others, that joint is rubbish (you can join lengths of skirting, it'll never be invisible unpainted cos of the change in grain but that's all you should see), the internal corners should have been scribed, the wandering gap could have been corrected by scribing.
Does lvt move about like laminate?- if yes you might be better off sanding and staining/sealing the timber, caulk would be fine to fill any gaps behind the boards but might not do so well down to a mobile floor surface.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Commie contractors on cannabis: never a straight line between 'em.

Doesn't explain the "mind the gap" skirtings. The joints look like he has shares in "Caulks'r'Us"

Does lvt move about like laminate?- if yes you might be better off sanding and staining/sealing the timber, caulk would be fine to fill any gaps behind the boards but might not do so well down to a mobile floor surface.

Providing the LVT is onto a solid, relatively flat surface it shouldn't move. People are talking about scribing, but does anyone seriously think that a guy who can't handle a scribed corner or a straight joint in skirting could do a 6 to 10 foot long scribe?

 

[Odds]

Doesn't explain the "mind the gap" skirtings. The joints look like he has shares in "Caulks'r'Us"

I know what you mean. That corner's enough to make a strong man cry over his cuppa.
You can almost hear him thinking; "it'll be right wi' a chair in front of it."

 

[cdbe]

You need to fit a quadrant. I think you've gathered it's crap but that and a bit of prep for the skirts before painting will improve matters.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Decorators caulk would be my choice. Sealants don't take paint very well, but caulk is designed to be painted over.

I am in the middle of replacing cracked caulk with polymer sealant. Works better than any "pro" job. The pro clown job only lasted 2-3 months. Mine will do better.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

You need to fit a quadrant. I think you've gathered it's crap but that and a bit of prep for the skirts before painting will improve matters.

Try and resist the quadrant trim (aka Scotia)- it tends to look cheap and shoddy when done properly, if it's done to the same standard as that skirting you'd be better leaving the gap