Wood vs PVC beading for engineered wood flooring?

[mxo]

I’ve installed engineered wood flooring throughout the home. As the original skirting board has been kept, there’s a gap that needs to be covered by a trim/beading.

I need to decide whether to use PVC or wood beading. My concern is painting the PVC and it not blending with the skirting board, whether wood would be more aesthetic vs. PVC perhaps more durable? Note this isn’t in a bathroom.

For engineered wood flooring expansion gaps, is wood or PVC beading advisable?

 

[^woody^]

PVC trim, and foiled MDF looks worse than timber when it starts to get worn with inevitable knocks and dings, chemical staining and fading - and will never be retrievable. Plus, it tends never to blend in with either the skirting nor the flooring.

 

[aveatry]

Bit late now but the trick is to take off the skirting and put back over the floor so you dont need nasty looking beading. How have you finished around door frames. I might be inclined to go with white upvc beading if the skirt is white - you didn’t say.

 

[mxo]

Bit late now but the trick is to take off the skirting and put back over the floor so you dont need nasty looking beading. How have you finished around door frames. I might be inclined to go with white upvc beading if the skirt is white - you didn’t say.

It’s not all finished. It’s an old Victorian building though with original skirting, could removing the skirting cause damage? The skirting is white.

 

[chirpychippy]

You can buy Scotia Bead in Oak but it can be a bit of a faff to cut and pin or Oak Quadrant which imo is nicer than Scotia

Many moons ago I used neither, I find beading always looks like an after thought. I planted a miniature white skirting/Bead onto the white skirting, it blended better.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It’s not all finished. It’s an old Victorian building though with original skirting, could removing the skirting cause damage? The skirting is white.

You could trim the bottom edge of the skirting, with a multi-tool.

 

[aveatry]

You could trim the bottom edge of the skirting, with a multi-tool.

That will leave one hell of mess of the cut.

 

[aveatry]

It’s not all finished. It’s an old Victorian building though with original skirting, could removing the skirting cause damage? The skirting is white.

Yes the problem is that as you take off the skirt you may take away some of the plaster, sometimes the damage is below the new height of the skirt after the thickness of the new floor and its underlay. But in my opinion you spend all that money and effort on the beautiful floor and then spoil everything with beading. Also when taking off the skirt you can remove the bottom 2 inch of plaster to give yourself loads of room for laying the floor and ensure loads of expansion but I dont think engineered floor is prone to much

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That will leave one hell of mess of the cut.

No reason why it should, you just use a piece of the timber floor, as a guide, and slide it along.

 

[chirpychippy]

No reason why it should, you just use a piece of the timber floor, as a guide, and slide it along.

There is every reason why it would, multi tools aren't designed for accuracy, besides you'd probably burn the tool out.

The OP might be able to hire a Jambsaw from somewhere, that might work.

Or, cut along the top of the skirting with a sharp utility knife and lever the skirting off.

 

[aveatry]

No reason why it should, you just use a piece of the timber floor, as a guide, and slide it along.

It will be a messy uneven cut, absolutely brilliant tool for under cutting door frames for flooring but trying to cut a long perfectly straight line will be a night mare - I have one, have you used one before.

Any method like cutting the bottom off the skirting in place will then also leave you with a problem of getting the floor and underlay under it at both ends of the room.
Skirt off as best you can - expect damage to plaster possible damage to skirt. Think about replacing the skirt as well. If skirt comes off with no damage then take the opportunity while its off to sand it down on a bench to on the floor and re paint before you fix it back with an adheasive from a gun

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have one, have you used one before.

Yes, of course. I undercut a length of skirting, and no problem with accuracy of cut, or the tool over-heating.

 

[aveatry]

Which blade did you use - I really would not fancy doing it myself.

 

[opps]

You could trim the bottom edge of the skirting, with a multi-tool.

In a rectangular room, you would still need to remove 2 of the skirting boards (opposite side and one adjacent). That means that the OP would need to rip down those two lengths height wise.

Yeah, it could be done with a multi-tool but unless the timber is not very deep, the fixing cap on the end of the blade will result in the cut tapering downwards.

Festool sell super long blades (which will reduce the risk of down sloping cuts) but they are about £75 for 5. Their Vecturo multitool has a depth of cut guide, but the machine is pretty expensive. The depth guide will reduce the risk of cutting through any electrical cables.

In your case, was it reversible skirting? If so, you may have only been cutting through 5(?)mm of timber. Victorian skirting could vary from 18 to 22mm.

Without photos from the OP, it is hard to say but the really tall skirtings are often 2 part.