Void behind skirting - how to fix?

[Amylou1107]

Hi,
We’ve recently removed an electric fire place.
The previous owner used trunking in place of skirting board (see photo) to run cables through.
We are going to remove trucking and cables (using an electrician!) and put skirting board back. However, I need to fill the gap left behind from the trunking so I can fix skirting board to something.

Suggestions on how to do this / what to use would be very helpful! Expanding foam? Infill boards?
Thanks!

 

[DAZB]

You could use the adhesive style expanding foam to bed in either a plywood strip of 12mm or 18mm plywood to suit or plasterboard if you prefer. Ideally screw it to the wall to stop it moving too far and once set will give a sound base to fit skirting to.

Soudal Adhesive Foam Hand-Held 750ml - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Suitable for use as an adhesive. Ideal for fixing large sheet materials, or as an expanding filler for large holes, gaps and cavities. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

 

[JohnD]

A very superior method is to screw wooden battens to the wall. The top one level with the top of the skirting, the bottom one about an inch above the floor. Pack or sink it at each screw so it is straight and matches the thickness of the plaster. Cut away any plaster in the way and reinstate the plaster flush with the top batten (no need for plaster below that) ready for decorating.

Your skirting board can be lightly fixed to the battens with small screws. If you are having stained or varnished skirting to mstch a wooden floor, use small brass screws.

In the gap between the battens you can, if you wish, run alarm, phone, LAN, aerial or speaker cables. But not mains electricity, which is not permitted.

Draughts will rise up from the floor in the gap. So pack the gap below the bottom batten with mineral wool or some other yielding material.

 

[foxhole]

You can foam fix your skirting directly to wall , no filling is required.

 

[RrogerD]

You can foam fix your skirting directly to wall , no filling is required.

Did you know that 'foam' is an anagram of the word 'bodge'.
I despair whenever I see the horrid stuff.

 

[foxhole]

Did you know that 'foam' is an anagram of the word 'bodge'.
I despair whenever I see the horrid stuff.

Never mind.

 

[DiyNutJob]

I reckon you can use plasterboard adhesive and do a dot and dab on the skirting board. Then fill any left over holes.

 

[blup]

Skirting will be taller than the gap, just pack out the gap and screw through the new skirting. It's the carpet that needs widening. The cable run is not in a prescribed zone afaik, so see what your sparky says.

Blup

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Did you know that 'foam' is an anagram of the word 'bodge'.
I despair whenever I see the horrid stuff.

You'll probably despair of any and every chamge in building pracvtice in the last century, then.

There are instances wher low expansion fixing foam is the only way you can get skirting board to fix to a wall - two instances I can think of are modern stud walling onto light metal framing where there is no fixing point for a nail or screw, whilst a second one is cement render "plastering" onto stone walls where it isn't always possible to get a reliable fixing into the underlying masonry (because you have 3in if render and fill). The "proper" traditional way is to hack the plaster back to the masonry at the base of the wall, make-up and fix a ladder frame ground ti the wall, replaster to the grounds, then fix the skorting. I can tell you that even in prestigious grade 1 buildings like the one I'm working on at present, that didn't always happen "back in the day"

 

[mrrusty]

Just luddites not appreciating modern adhesives. They glue airframes together now in aircraft!....I think a bit of foam adhesive is good enough for non-structural skirting