Gripfill MDF skirting fixing

[raine]

Not sure whether to put this in the carpentry or decorating forum.

I am replacing some old timber skirtings with MDF. I am planning to fix with Gripfill only, as behind the skirtings is just dot & dab plasterboard, with no timber.

I have one wall which isn't flat - slightly convex bend - which I need to fix the skirting to. Needs to bend about 15mm over a length of 800mm. I have tried to flatten the wall out a bit but I'm not too good at plastering and don't want to end up making the wall look worse!

I can bend the skirting into shape by pushing it against the wall, but my question is - how to get it to stay?

If I hold it in place with weights while the Gripfill goes off, is the Gripfill strong enough to hold the bent skirting in place permanently?

How long do I need to leave the weight against it while the Gripfill dries?

Should I consider an alternative such as Gorilla Glue for this section?

Thanks.

 

[foxhole]

I prefer foam adhesive as it goes off quickly and fills all voids, if you have timber floor then a scrap of timber screwed to floor will brace it in place , solid floor use a bucket of water.

 

[raine]

I prefer foam adhesive as it goes off quickly and fills all voids.

Can you recommend any brands please?

 

[foxhole]

They are all good even the cheap unbranded

 

[opps]

Should I consider an alternative such as Gorilla Glue for this section?

No sleight on you but Gorilla Glue?

Increasingly I hear people talking about Gorilla Glue, seemingly unaware that Gorilla make lots of very different types of glue.

In your case you would not want to use the polyurethane Gorilla glue as it would push the skirting away as the glue starts to foam.

I often use my hot melt glue gun to lock skirting boards into place until the gripfill has cured. The hot melt glue hardens in about 2 minutes. Where the skirting is being fitted to walls that bow outwards you may need a second pair of hands to push the other end of the board to the wall whilst waiting for the glue to harden.

However, based on Foxhole's remarks, I may try expanding foam one day. My only concern is that I always apply too much...

 

[foxhole]

No sleight on you but Gorilla Glue?

Increasingly I hear people talking about Gorilla Glue, seemingly unaware that Gorilla make lots of very different types of glue.

In your case you would not want to use the polyurethane Gorilla glue as it would push the skirting away as the glue starts to foam.

I often use my hot melt glue gun to lock skirting boards into place until the gripfill has cured. The hot melt glue hardens in about 2 minutes. Where the skirting is being fitted to walls that bow outwards you may need a second pair of hands to push the other end of the board to the wall whilst waiting for the glue to harden.

However, based on Foxhole's remarks, I may try expanding foam one day. My only concern is that I always apply too much...

Easily to remove surplus foam , just trim away foam with knife.
Have used gorilla glue on timber , foam provides very little if any expansion pressure.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I can bend the skirting into shape by pushing it against the wall, but my question is - how to get it to stay?

If I hold it in place with weights while the Gripfill goes off, is the Gripfill strong enough to hold the bent skirting in place permanently?

The trade tend to use 16ga or 18 ga pinners to achieve this little "trick" - holes are filled afterwards with something like Toupret wood filler. Even a few panel pins knocked in at an angle and punched-under will do the job (we used to use small oval head or lost head nails when Gun-o-prene, an early construction adhesive appeared). The main thing when using grip adhesives is to make sure that when you position the skirting you do the final positioning by sliding and pressing the material so that it breaks any skin on the adhesive. Same applies to all these adhesives. And yes, a grip adhesive is strong enough to hold the skirting onto the wall with a shallow curve - any pins or nails are only used to hold the timber in place whilst the grip adhesive goes off. Want a better grip adhesive than GripFil or Pink Grip? Try Evostik "Sticks Like" which is phenominally sticky (we used to get a German adhesive called "Stuk" which was very similar) - not cheap, but very good. For pre-finished timbers (e.g. clear-lacquered skirtings) I prefer GripFill Yellow which being water based is extremely easy to clean-up (just wipe down with a damp cloth before it has set) - downside is that it dries a lot slower than traditional green tube stuff

How long do I need to leave the weight against it while the Gripfill dries?

24 hours should do it

Should I consider an alternative such as Gorilla Glue for this section?

Only if you have bottomless pockets. Gorilla Glue? Ridiculously expensive for what is basically a fairly cheap to manufacture product. 25 or so years ago when I started using PU (polyurethane glue - which is what the original Goriulla Glue is) we used to buy-in H F Fuller industrial PU glue because there were so few makes on the market. It was still less than a third of the price of Gorilla, even bought in small quantities (which at the time meant 1 litre bottles). Don't know of any chippies I've worked with who'd buy Gorilla, either, unless it's a Sunday and nothing else is available at Wickes (sometimes the supplier of last choice). There are far cheaper (and just as good) alternatives such as Everbuild Lumberjack widely available these days (available in both 5 minute and 30 minute setting times - take those times with a pinch of salt in cooler weather, BTW). Similarly whilst Gorilla do other glues, you are still paying for all their marketing bull. Fine if you want to, but in real terms just a waste of money. Personally I wouldn't use anything to attach a skirting which has ant potential to expand as that is just another problem to sort out if/when it goes wrong

 

[opps]

Only if you have bottomless pockets. Gorilla Glue? Ridiculously expensive for what is basically a fairly cheap to manufacture product. 25 or so years ago when I started using PU (polyurethane glue - which is what the original Goriulla Glue is)

By all accounts, Gorilla Group were one of the first US firms to import PU glue in to the USA. That was as late as 2001.

My main gripe with every PU glue that I have used is the short shelf life once opened. I have never used more than 5 to 10% before the whole lot has gone hard in the tube or bottle.

 

[opps]

Have used gorilla glue on timber , foam provides very little if any expansion pressure.

I have had long panel mouldings push away. Sure, it was down to a lack of pins on my behalf but it wouldn't have happened if I had used PVA glue.

 

[foxhole]

I have had long panel mouldings push away. Sure, it was down to a lack of pins on my behalf but it wouldn't have happened if I had used PVA glue.

You have to allow expansion to stop before fitting.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Insta Stik

You may still need to screw and plug if the skirting is under tension on a bendy wall

https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Dow...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIeDhPuRktwCFUFi0wodGyoEKg