Remove or not?

[kedi7uk]

Hi - quick question...... I'm getting ready to replace skirting -

The skirting area is bare brick/breeze with some gripfill for packing so will def need to screw and glue - do I need to remove rads before fixing skirting or is it possible to fix without?

Thanks

 

[KenGMac]

Several things come to mind.

1/. What filler are you to use at the gap between the brick / breeze and the top of the skirting? Decorators caulk is a favorite, it can be painted. however, do NOT smear it onto the brick / Breeze block, it will adhere and be extremely difficult to remove ! ! !

2/. If you can get the skirting slipped down behind the rads, when they are in position, that may be OK, but. there will still be the gap as in one above, you will not be able to caulk the gap. Having said that, if the skirtings come up far enough, and the top joint is "masked" by the bottom of the Rad then it should not be too much of an eyesore? but not if you look down the length of the rad

3/. As for screwing, the position of the screws will depend entirely on the overall "shape" of the walls, Bricklayers are good but it is very difficult to achieve a true true line to which the skirting will be a perfect match too.
If you have a gap between the skirting and the wall, one or more screws will be needed to "pull" the skirting back into line with the wall, where the brick / breeze is not truly straight

 

[kedi7uk]

Thanks for your reply Ken

1/. What filler are you to use at the gap between the brick / breeze and the top of the skirting? Decorators caulk is a favorite, it can be painted. however, do NOT smear it onto the brick / Breeze block, it will adhere and be extremely difficult to remove ! ! !

The skirting will come above the original skirting line by abt an inch - thanks for suggestion I'll use caulk to fill any top gap.

2/. If you can get the skirting slipped down behind the rads, when they are in position, that may be OK, but. there will still be the gap as in one above, you will not be able to caulk the gap. Having said that, if the skirtings come up far enough, and the top joint is "masked" by the bottom of the Rad then it should not be too much of an eyesore? but not if you look down the length of the rad

No chance of slipping skirting down - windowsill comes abt 1/2 inch over back of rad (wavy bit) - would it be better for me to cut skirting around the rad and just caulk the bits I can see?

3/. As for screwing, the position of the screws will depend entirely on the overall "shape" of the walls, Bricklayers are good but it is very difficult to achieve a true true line to which the skirting will be a perfect match too.
If you have a gap between the skirting and the wall, one or more screws will be needed to "pull" the skirting back into line with the wall, where the brick / breeze is not truly straight

Sounds like I should screw top and bottom - alternating? - top will be against plastered wall (very neat and looks level) bottom will be against brick/breeze so not screwed so tight - does that sound OK?

I've got myself a screwdigger and plug-cutter, a coping saw, countersink wood screws, brown plugs, masonry bit and yellow gripfill.... anything else I need before starting?

Thanks

 

[Monkeh]

Real gripfill, red plugs, and a smaller bit.

 

[kedi7uk]

Hi Monkeh -

Real gripfill, red plugs, and a smaller bit.

I'm a little confused - I got brown plugs after reading this forum - what would the red plugs be for? and what do you mean by smaller bit?

I've got a tube of Green Gripfill too is that the one you mean?

Tks

 

[Monkeh]

Brown plugs and matching screws are more meaty than you'll need for skirting, imo. Hence the red plugs and a smaller (5.5mm) bit.

And yes, I mean the green one. The solvent based one. Solvent-free just doesn't perform.

 

[foamit]

Kedi
you will find that red plugs used with a 6 mm bit will be best for use upto a size 8 screw (new metric size 4mm), obviouse length to suit wall.
Brown plugs normaly used with anything bigger ie 10 & 12 screws

 

[Monkeh]

Contrary to popular advice, red plugs should be used with 5.5mm bits. Yes, even the ones marked 6mm. You'll get a much better fit. Just tap it gently in with a small hammer if it's tight.

 

[gregers]

Brown plugs and matching screws are more meaty than you'll need for skirting, imo. Hence the red plugs and a smaller (5.5mm) bit.

And yes, I mean the green one. The solvent based one. Solvent-free just doesn't perform.

the decorators at my work use the solvent free as a chalk,think thats probably the best use of it.

 

[KenGMac]

Wow all these answers to the fixing problem, i am impressed.

A couple of things.

1/. i [wrongly] assumed that you had entire walls of either breeze or Plaster. your reply, implies that indeed the walls are pilastered, but there is a small area of Breeze below the plaster line? If so be careful that this "gap" is not large enough to if when hit by the toe of a shoe, or the vacuum cleaner the skirting you are about to fix buckles back and into the gap. if the gap that is showing Breeze is more than about one third of the overall height of the new skirtings then the gap needs to be filled, this to stop the skirting being displaced as above, also, if you screw into a relatively "Un-Supported" area of the skirting that is not in actual contact with the plaster, the gap where you see the Breeze will allow the skirting to be deformed grossly out of shape. Glad that bit is over, now for the confusing bit?

2/. How to get the skirting in behind the Rad, given it can not be slid down from the top
A/. possibly most "elegant" solution, cut a piece of skirting to the exact size between the center lines of the Rads pipes, place in position, fix and leave.
B/. Cut the other two bits of skirting from corner to the fixed bit of skirting at the Rad, the pipes will in effect "hide" the joint

3/. Depending on the dimensions of the room, you can "feed" a length of the new skirting in behind the rad pipes and get a joint somewhere in the middle / or near the opposing rad pipe, fix and leave, the rest of the cut to the opposing corner can be fed in from the other side of the radiator.
Drawback of this solution is how do you get the glue on to the back of the first bit you feed in? bend it and hope that you obtain a good enough area of glue to hold it on.

Best bet is option one. the joints ar "masked" by the rad pipes themselves?

Hope all this is making some sort of sense?

You also mention that you are going to screw and plug the skirting? be cautious, you will need a fairly robust [thick] skirting to allow you to do this, the more you remove the less strength left in the skirting, more prone to splitting.