Skirting

[Sunshine12]

We've moved into a late Victorian house, high ceilings, large windows etc. All needs decorating.

The current skirting is 6 inch & quite plain. Has a slight detail at the top very similar to standard ogee. It's not the original skirting.

I want to make more of a feature with woodwork & ideally 9 inch would look better with the high ceilings. Instead of replacing all of the skirting, is there anything I could use to extend them & add more detail?

I'm thinking a 2 inch dado rail or some thing similar, beading etc. Or would it look naff?

Any suggestions would be great. I've looked at buying new mdf Victorian profile skirtings 9" cheapest I could find was about £7 per linearmetre

As opposed to about £1 pm for adding dado or something similar.

Thanks in advance

 

[foxhole]

Quite common to make up high skirting from more than one piece.Ensure a tight fit to stop it looking like it's added on.

 

[Sunshine12]

Quite common to make up high skirting from more than one piece.Ensure a tight fit to stop it looking like it's added on.

Is it? That's good to hear! What would you reocmmend? Dado?

 

[JohnD]

try to befriend your neighbours. Some of them, in similar houses, will still have the original skirting, maybe also architrave and doors. You might find some in a skip, where an ignorant vandal is busy devaluing his home. If you can find a local chapter of the Victorian Society they will have been through all this and may know local suppliers.

Front halls and reception rooms tend to have the biggest and fanciest joinery and plasterwork, followed by the main bedroom. Back rooms and small bedrooms may have been very plain, possibly not even having picture rails.

I've seen repro skirting made up to match from MDF and a router, in small quantities.

 

[Sunshine12]

Thanks John, but I have an entire house to do & am trying to find a quick simple (and cheap) solution!

I appreciate that you can get great replicas & have things bespoke & made to match but I don't have the funds for such

Could someone please point me in the right direction, what should I be using on top of the skirting? Dado, beading, picture rail, architrave??

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Instead of replacing all of the skirting, is there anything I could use to extend them & add more detail?

You came to the right place!
https://burnleyhouse.wordpress.com/2017/07/14/the-lounge-and-how-to-improve-torus-skirting/
https://burnleyhouse.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/how-to-make-your-own-mouldings/
https://burnleyhouse.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/new-kitchen-door-completed/

what should I be using on top of the skirting? Dado, beading, picture rail, architrave??

Any and all. Whatever you can find that looks good and in proportion with the existing Torus profile. In another room I have found that my Torus is thick enough that I can fit some cheap scotia (normally sold for laminate flooring) along the top of it and it enhances the profile quite simply but nicely.

 

[Sunshine12]

Bingo Gerry!

 

[JP_]

I have old skirting, some water damaged from old (hopefully) leaks.

Thinking of ripping out the worse of it and hiding the rest under plastic. Will help keep mould under control too - easy to wipe down with bleach, and wont absorb water:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-...hash=item3f8557b005:m:m7hWa27DevNcG1e2nqHhtKQ

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Here's how my scotia on Torus turned out: