We removed a horrible Sixties fireplace that wrapped right around our chimney breast and a bit of the adjoining wall, we've now got a fireplace we like BUT there's an ugly gap in the skirting board where the old fireplace was fitted. The room still has the original Victorian skirting, it's quite a simple design with a flat section about 8 inches high topped off by a semicircular bit. I've been Googling everywhere to replace the missing section but no joy as most available skirting is either not high enough or it's totally the wrong shape. Ideas we've had so far include (a) nicking a length from behind a radiator (but then we'll have a gap there, albeit less visible) or (b) trying to replicate ourselves with some 8-inch wide plank and a bit of dowelling (might look a bit naff though). Has anyone got any better ideas please...?
Replacing missing bit of Victorian skirting
- Thread starter LizaD
- Start date
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Find a local woodyard. Take a sample of your skirting in. Ask if they can supply mouldings to fit.
What you are looking for, is an area where there are lots of people restoring old houses. In this case, if they all have the sense to go to a local yard, they will be able to make it, or know someone who can. A suitable sized plank is run through a machine called a Spindle Cutter. The reason for going to the local yard is that (with reasonable luck) the local builders will have knocked up hundreds or thousands of houses using the same timber mouldings, so there will be a reasonable market today in refurb work.
The yard can actually make you a single piece of it if you want, say 8ft long, but this will work out expensive as you will have to bear the overhead of setting up the machine and running a test piece through it. This cost is best spread over lots of customers than all loaded onto one.
Some joiners or hobbyists might be able to make you a piece using a router or special planes, but this would be very labour intensive.
If you do decide to buy some, get plenty and tuck it away in a dry loft or somewhere for future renovations. Skirting is always getting damaged when you have to take it off, e.g. for plumbing and wiring.
p.s. also look in local skips of people who are knocking a through-lounge from two rooms. They are usually foolish enough to throw away the old timber. Or there might be an Architectural Salvage yard in your town where you can make a handsome living from taking people's rubbish away and sellig it to other people as antiques.
What you are looking for, is an area where there are lots of people restoring old houses. In this case, if they all have the sense to go to a local yard, they will be able to make it, or know someone who can. A suitable sized plank is run through a machine called a Spindle Cutter. The reason for going to the local yard is that (with reasonable luck) the local builders will have knocked up hundreds or thousands of houses using the same timber mouldings, so there will be a reasonable market today in refurb work.
The yard can actually make you a single piece of it if you want, say 8ft long, but this will work out expensive as you will have to bear the overhead of setting up the machine and running a test piece through it. This cost is best spread over lots of customers than all loaded onto one.
Some joiners or hobbyists might be able to make you a piece using a router or special planes, but this would be very labour intensive.
If you do decide to buy some, get plenty and tuck it away in a dry loft or somewhere for future renovations. Skirting is always getting damaged when you have to take it off, e.g. for plumbing and wiring.
p.s. also look in local skips of people who are knocking a through-lounge from two rooms. They are usually foolish enough to throw away the old timber. Or there might be an Architectural Salvage yard in your town where you can make a handsome living from taking people's rubbish away and sellig it to other people as antiques.
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Have a look here http://www.championtimber.com/brochures/timber_and_mouldings.shtml
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