Replacing skirting boards.

[Iotrez]

Hi all,

I want to fit new skirting boards throughout the house.

I have taken the existing skirting boards out and there are alot of gaps left where there is no plaster, and where the plaster has fallen away. There are still plenty of flat areas though.

Is it normal to fit new skirting boards under these conditions?

Also, I'm not sure whether to use nails or adhesive to fit them.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[JohnD]

have you mostly got plaster behind the boards, or are they plugged to the brickwork?

(connected question - how high is the floor above ground level outside; what is the floor made of; how old is the house, what sort of damp-course have you got?)

 

[Tozzy]

Recently I fitted some new skirting in my bathroom. I thought it was going to be a really difficult job, but it turned out better than I expected . I practically had nothing to fix it to. I had the tiles which covered the tops of the groundings (damn tiler lol) with just the bare brickwork underneath. However, the brick work was about an inch away from where I was fixing my skirting so I could get away with not using a batten. You may need to use a batten though depending on the depth of the gap. If I were you, I'd use screws into a predrilled countersunk hole (to prevent splitting the skirting) because they will be a lot easier to fix to the wall rather than masonry nails. Adhesive could weaken over time. I'd only recommend using adhesive on short lengths of skirting. Just smear some wood filler over the top of the hole and sand down and no one will ever know they are there .

Oh and don't forget your mitred corners.

Good luck!