My son has summoned me to his house to fit skirting boards in his kitchen. He has the boards which he says are about 7cm (just short of 3 inches) tall. They have to be attached either to wood or plaster. None of my DIY books covers skirting boards. I have a saw box for cutting the 45 degree angles so just need advice on the attachment. I don't have a powered nailer and I'm wondering if this provides an excuse to buy one; if so please recommend something I can get from the likes of Screwfix or B&Q. Would also appreciate advice on nail/screw/attachment size and their spacing.
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Skirting boards for beginners
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This YT video is pretty comprehensive, covering choice of materials (wood vs mdf), screw fix or sealant, scribing to an uneven floor, joining corners, and priming/painting. A mitre saw (boxed or powere) is also addressed. You don’t need a nail gun but this is an ideal excuse (sorry reason) to get a battery or mains mitre saw. The Makita ls1040 is a very good make/model and price atm at screw fix ( product number 336HG).
Thanks blup, that is a fantastic video! My son had a notion the job could be done in an afternoon but seeing the problems he had to solve with unlevel floors it could take days. I will look at the Makita LS1040.
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Second the excuse to get a mitre saw, but that Makita is just a chop saw, although a very decent buy I'm sure. Far better to get a sliding mitre saw as they are more versatile - you will make much nicer external angles with a powered saw than using a mitre box, and for internal ones watch a few vids about how to scribe the joint - it's actually far easier to scribe a neat joint than it is to try and cut an internal mitre. evolution kit is reckoned to be decent value https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolutio...iding-multi-material-mitre-saw-220-240v/383gf although I would be tempted to spend a bit more and get something a bit better - Makita/Bosch - this is mine and I've used it for years https://www.diy.com/departments/bos...MugbDtGijOb94oyi9ns63Lj4YnFqLFWJluVuHvzVsVRCA
Unless you are fixing to very bowed walls and need mechanical fixings, I would use either adhesive foam or a good grab adhesive depending on whether you are fixing to a smooth surface or a cratered one. Foam needs the skirt holding in place for a few minutes while the foam expands a bit - heavy tool box, concrete blocks, wood blocks temporarily screwed to the floorboard (watch for pipes) etc.
With a sliding mitre saw you have the ability to easily make the tweaks that make a neat job. For example, you might cut one external mitre, fix it, and then when you put a square against it find the top leans in 2mm. It's easy then with a sliding mitre with a laser guide to tweak the second mitre out of square by the same amount so it meets perfectly. With a sliding mitre, you cut skirts flat and lean the blade over for the bevel.
Best way - get some scraps and have some practice first
Unless you are fixing to very bowed walls and need mechanical fixings, I would use either adhesive foam or a good grab adhesive depending on whether you are fixing to a smooth surface or a cratered one. Foam needs the skirt holding in place for a few minutes while the foam expands a bit - heavy tool box, concrete blocks, wood blocks temporarily screwed to the floorboard (watch for pipes) etc.
With a sliding mitre saw you have the ability to easily make the tweaks that make a neat job. For example, you might cut one external mitre, fix it, and then when you put a square against it find the top leans in 2mm. It's easy then with a sliding mitre with a laser guide to tweak the second mitre out of square by the same amount so it meets perfectly. With a sliding mitre, you cut skirts flat and lean the blade over for the bevel.
Best way - get some scraps and have some practice first
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Thanks mrrusty. The first link doesn't work (the Screwfix site has 16 models of Evolution mitre saw plus refurbs so can't identify your model), but if I do go for one it will likely be your luxury Bosch option, which looks a thing of beauty. But I did some experiments with the mitre box yesterday and managed to cut some neat 45 degree cuts. Seeing the skirting board is only 7cm high (don't know if it's wood or MDF) I will see if I can get away with that. If not, there is a big Screwfix nearby (Cleckheaton) which will hopefully have a decent mitre saw in stock. No chance of being able to screw wood blocks to the floor and probably not many heavy objects around, so I will try screws first and keep adhesives as a last resort. I will not forget to take my Bosch GMS 120 detector, the most vital piece of equipment for anything involving screws!
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It was the evolution sliding mitre @ £99 - strange the link doesn't work. Re adhesives - if you're fixing to a smooth surface like plaster or PB, you can use ordinary grab adhesive - my goto is Geocell "The works" which has never let me down. Some of the cheaper ones are OK, but I find you have to take a bit more care to avoid dusty surfaces - the quick very drying ones can also start to skin over before you get the skirt on the wall, and then they don't stick properly.
Expanding foam adhesive used cautiously without over-doing the quantity needs virtually no holding in place before it goes off, so don't over-think the need for heavy weights. It's only if you are using loads to fill a big gap behind, you have to be very careful it doesn't push away
Screws for me are an absolute last resort because often there is nothing decent to screw to, and you end up with screw heads that need filling. Adhesives every time for me. I'll only use a screw if the wall is bowed and I need to bend the skirt, and even then only very few.
Expanding foam adhesive used cautiously without over-doing the quantity needs virtually no holding in place before it goes off, so don't over-think the need for heavy weights. It's only if you are using loads to fill a big gap behind, you have to be very careful it doesn't push away
Screws for me are an absolute last resort because often there is nothing decent to screw to, and you end up with screw heads that need filling. Adhesives every time for me. I'll only use a screw if the wall is bowed and I need to bend the skirt, and even then only very few.
Mrrusty you have convinced me to take a tube of Geocel with me. The kitchen was built as an extension by the previous owner and it has too many errors and eccentricities to list. A few months ago some of his amateur plumbing burst and flooded the place, requiring replastering. I am likely to meet problems fixing the skirting to the walls.
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