1: Information on Timber
Of the land surface of the world about one-fifth is covered by forests and there are thousands of different species of wood producing plants. These wood producing plants are mans heritage, something he has depended upon to live by throughout the centuries. It has been said that man is dependent on wood from the cradle to the grave The British standards institution lists over 300 different species, which can be used commercially but of these only a small proportion are in everyday use in carpentry and joinery. read more ….
2: Skirting Boards
Skirting Boards are also known as baseboards, skirting, mopboards as well as base moulding and floor moulding. They are generally a wooden board which is designed to co er the lower part of internal walls. This is usually to provide material to cover the gaps between the wall and the floor, and the floor and the wall – particularly with wooden floors. The simplest forms are a simple plank that is nailed, screwed or glued to the wall, however in older houses it can be made up of more mouldings and provide a decorative feature. Today, it is quite common to have simple rounded mouldings between the skirting board and the floor. We can also provide these where required. Plastic skirting boards are also available and we can provide these on request, and will soon become part of our standard range as the demand is increasing due to its nature of being environmentally friendly, and its ability to go years without any decay at all. (Even beyond MDF!) Radiators can be installed inside or in front of skirting boards, and these are called baseboard radiators.
3: Choosing the right Skirting Boards
Choosing skirting boards that will fit your house comes down to two choices:
* Price
* Finish
On balance, if you just need a neat and tidy finish, then MDF provides the easiest and neatest option for your skirting. However if you have an oak floor for example, it will be best to match it with oak skirting. Hint: Ash skirting can offer a slightly cheaper alternative to oak, but still give a great finish. Please call and ask for our advice and we’ll be happy to offer our opinion!
4:Choosing Your Skirting Profile
Choosing your profile is an equally wide choice. If you just need a simple neat looking finish, go with something that is standard such as ogee, torus or bevelled. However if you’re looking for something a bit more interesting to make your home stand out from the crowd. Try Jazz 1, 2 or 3 or our Modern ranges.
5: Appropriate fixings to fit your skirting boards to your wall
Masonry Walls:
For this type of wall you can use masonry nails or affix two screws with 600mm intervals. If you are replacing old skirting, you may also make use of holes that have been drilled previously.
Damp proofed walls:
When you have any form of damp proofing, you will definitely want to use skirting adhesive as sold on www.mdfskirtingboards.co.uk.
Studded Walls:
If you have walls with studs, they will usually be at 600mm or 400mm intervals. If you think this may be the case, use a stud detector to locate the studs and use the studs as your fixing points. You may then fix your skirting boards to these studs using two screws or nails. Adhesive may also be used if you are unsure of the procedure, but have a clean and solid surface to adhere to.
Plaster board / Plastered Walls
Again it is better to find the studs and fix to those, or alternatively use adhesive making sure there is a solid clean and dry surface to adhere to.
6: How to Mitre a Skirting Board
To mitre a skirting board, use a square or chop saw to cut a 45 degree angle on one adjoining board, and a 45 degree angle in the opposite direction on the second adjoining board so that they will fit together without a visible gap.
7: How To Fit Skirting Boards and Join Lengths
Fitting skirting boards easily requires preparation, the correct tools and a little patience! You will need :
- Skirting Boards
- Tube Adhesive or Fixings
- Saw / Cross saw for mitering
- Tape measure
- Square (if using a normal saw)
- Pencil for marking
Once you have the tools ready, make sure you measure accurately for the boards required for the wall in progress. Mark with a pencil the point to cut the boards if necessary. Using a cross-saw makes this more accurate and easier. If you need to use more than one length for a wall, you may want to cut a 45 degree angle on the end of the board making the joins less visible.
Once you have the boards the correct length, make sure the wall is clean and dry before applying a single line top and bottom of the rear of the skirting board before pushing firmly against the wall at the correct place. You will also need to glue the ends of the boards so that the joins fix together firmly.
8: Finishing off your Skirting Boards
You may use Decorators caulk to fill in any gaps and leave to dry. If you have used MDF / Pine skirting and are painting it make sure all holes are filled, smoothed out so that they will not show after painting.
If there are any knots you may want to use a knotting solution to protect them before applying an undercoat and a final coat, drying in between.
If you are using a hardwood and applying a lacquer, make sure any sealant matches the natural colour of the wood.
9:Choosing Architrave
More often than not, you will use the same profile for your architrave as your skirting. Years ago, it was standard to use 25mm architrave rather than 18mm which is used for skirting boards. However these days 18mm is routinely used for architrave as well as the skirting boards. The standard width is 69mm however we can provide skirting in 45 – 55 mm width in limited profiles, or 100mm in all profiles where required.