Fixing skirting board to brick wall?

jacoscar · 16 Dec 2020

Hello, what’s the best way to fix new skirting boards to a plastered brick wall?

Do I have to use screws and wall plugs or is there any quicker way? Happy to buy/rent some equipment if required

My old skirting boards were fixed using big nails directly into the wall, I guess at least that didn’t require drilling (I wonder how they did it... 60 years ago)

diy_fun_uk · 16 Dec 2020

Your options are:

1. Masonry nails.
2. Masonry screws (no need for plugs.)
3. Plugs and screws.
4. Grip adhesive.

Chosen option/s largely depend on soundness and straightness of the walls in question. For any runs that are near on perfectly straight with little/no bows and deviations in the wall, you can get away with grip adhesive. It's also good for any smaller sections you need to piece in. I tend to go with options 2 or 3 when doing skirting.

JP_ · 16 Dec 2020

After failing with 2 types of grip adhesive I've just the Everbuild pinkgrip foam that I use for plasterboard and insulation.
Sticks very well. Just follow the instructions and don't put on too much! give it 4 minutes to cure before pressing on, then hold it in place.
A bit time consuming, but does not require you to make holes in the skirting board, which is handy if you get the ready finished boards like me

jacoscar · 16 Dec 2020

The skirting board will go over a floating engineered wood floor, so I’ll paint them before fitting to avoid having to paint them once in place
I also cannot afford leaving a gap at the bottom (as it won’t be covered by a carpet)

The walls are not straight so I guess adhesive is out of the question

Masonry screws sound interesting as they don’t need a plug, but I guess I still need to drill a hole in the wall before screwing them in?

JohnD · 16 Dec 2020

jacoscar said:
what’s the best way

Option 5

Wooden battens screwed firmly to the wall into plasplugs

Skirting fixed lightly to the battens with small countersunk or raised screws.

It is an advantage to fix the battens prior to plastering so the plasterer can work down to them.

If not you can tidy the plaster to the battens

jacoscar · 16 Dec 2020

JohnD said:
Option 5

Wooden battens screwed firmly to the wall into plasplugs

Skirting fixed lightly to the battens with small countersunk or raised screws.

It is an advantage to fix the battens prior to plastering so the plasterer can work down to them.

If not you can tidy the plaster to the battens

I like the idea but would I need a rebated skirting board?

JohnD · 16 Dec 2020

No

You place the battens so the top lines up with the top of the skirting. If it is exposed you paint it. If it is flush with the plaster no need. The bottom batten is spaced off the floor by about an inch, or, if you want, one batten-depth so you can push in a loose one to block draughts.

If your house is old, the extra thickness will look in keeping

But you can chase out the wall for the battens if it has already been plastered right down to the floor, or cut away all plaster below skirting height.

From the age of your house I would have expected the original skirts to be fitted before plastering, so the battens can go straight in. You can pack them to be straight and match, about, the depth of the plaster.

Carpet fitters like a bit of a gap under the skirting so they can push the edge under and there is no cut edge or loose threads showing. The same with laminate or engineered flooring, it looks much better if it can be run under the skirting. The small screws can easily be removed if you need to adjust the height.

^woody^ · 16 Dec 2020

JohnD said:
Option 5

Wooden battens screwed firmly to the wall into plasplugs

What?

Knock all the plaster off, make a load of mess, and then have to replaster too, and then risk a batten fitting to the wall and not actually following the thickness of the plaster above it?

^woody^ · 16 Dec 2020

Glue it on. If need be, put a couple of screws though or bang a couple of nails in like it was before for 60 years or so.

JohnD · 16 Dec 2020

^woody^ said:
Knock all the plaster off

Why did you put plaster behind the 60 year old skirting?

^woody^ · 16 Dec 2020

JohnD said:
Why did you put plaster behind the 60 year old skirting?

I didn't. I've never been to the OP's house.

JohnD · 16 Dec 2020

Neither did I.

Why do you think I plan to hack off plaster that (probably) does not exist behind the old skirtings?

diy_fun_uk · 16 Dec 2020

JohnD said:
Option 5

Wooden battens screwed firmly to the wall into plasplugs
Skirting fixed lightly to the battens with small countersunk or raised screws.
It is an advantage to fix the battens prior to plastering so the plasterer can work down to them.
If not you can tidy the plaster to the battens

I was going to mention battens in my reply to the OP. We had them in a house built in the 30's i.e. they were pre-existing. And yes, I utilised them when re-skirting, although I had to make some of them good as they'd loosened over the decades ... and when the old skirtings were emmm ripped off

However, unless they're already there, and assuming the wall is sound to the ground, I wouldn't bother with all the hassle of fitting them. Too many easier options on the market these days. And assuming the OPs walls are done/dusted, as touched on by others, I definitely wouldn't bother retro-fitting to finished walls.

Glue 'em and screw 'em I say

diy_fun_uk · 16 Dec 2020

jacoscar said:
The skirting board will go over a floating engineered wood floor, so I’ll paint them before fitting to avoid having to paint them once in place
I also cannot afford leaving a gap at the bottom (as it won’t be covered by a carpet)

The walls are not straight so I guess adhesive is out of the question

Masonry screws sound interesting as they don’t need a plug, but I guess I still need to drill a hole in the wall before screwing them in?

Yes, small pilot hole required.

^woody^ · 16 Dec 2020

JohnD said:
Why do you think I plan to hack off plaster that (probably) does not exist behind the old skirtings?

Because I know houses.

I know that skirting goes on the face of plaster. Or if timber grounds are used (AKA your battens) these are fitted to the wall and the plaster is plastered flush up to them.

But the OP clearly states that he wants to fit skirtings to a plastered brick wall, which means the plaster is down to floor level, and to carry out your idea would mean hacking plaster off to fit the timber, and then making the plaster good. A totally unnecessary job.

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Fixing skirting board to brick wall?

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