Varnished skirting, not painted. So how do I seal the gaps?

[attractivebrunette]

Am fitting skirting but have decided not to paint it white. Yuck! Am going to varnish and stain the wood to keep everything au naturel.

So, how can I cover the gaps tween skirting and the walls? If I painted them white I assume I could use white caulk as it wouldn't show up as it would blend into the white of the skirting. The same goes for the skiting joins at right angles I assume. Cover the imperfections with white paint and caulk.

So what should I do if I'm not painting them? Can I still use caulk? Will it still look nice? Is it much harder to get a decent finish? Any pictures you can show me would be great.

 

[chessspy]

Hi, AB,
If you fill with one of the usual white filler products, that should match the wall, and the edge of the skirting adjacent to the wall is the 'cut in' line.
Will you stain and varnish the skirting first, before fitting? If so any filler surplus should just wipe off with a damp cloth.

 

[attractivebrunette]

Yes, stain and varnish first.. I'm not sure what you mean by the 'edge of the skirting adjacent to the wall' or 'cut in' line. I assume you mean that I can still use caulk even though I'm not painting them? The walls are warm peach. I assume the caulk with look ok?

 

[chessspy]

Hi, AB,
Hmm, warm peach (es)! my fave.
I don't know if you can get coloured fillers but the skirtings should fit snug against the wall unless the plastering is all over, and if it is you need to address that first.

 

[attractivebrunette]

But that's the problem...the walls aren't very straight and there are gaps tween skirting and walls, even though I've 'bowed' the skirting a bit and screwed them on tight. Just wondering how I fill the gaps and with what....

 

[chessspy]

Hi, AB,
Hmmm. I guess you'll have to put white in if there aren't any colours.
Perhaps someone else from the decorating side will know what's best.
I'm stumped.
sorry

 

[Min]

I am NOT a professional, just a DIYer, but in the past I have mixed a small amount of the coloured paint with the filler. This makes it blend in with the wall.

It needs to be a water-based filler. I've used ready mixed and dry powder filler and both work with a bit of paint mixed in.

Remember that when you live in a room you don't scrutinise it the way you do when you're decorating. You will notice the relatively dark skirting, not the paler filling behind it unless you make a complete mess of it. I bet if you go and scrutinise other skirtings you'll find all sorts of imperfections where they abutt the wall, that you'd never noticed before.

 

[robertoi]

If the wall is currently stripped of paper/ paint etc. You could always use a bit of fiishing plaster and skim down to the top of the skirting starting about 20-30cm above the top of it, building the plaster up thicker near the sirting top. THats whay I did on my very lumpy lounge wall.