fitting skirtboard (laminate floor...)

ToAoB

I've laid down all the laminate floor - the floor is not exactly level over longer distance (but is roughly within its laminate laying 'tolerance'!). I am not keen on spending money on expansion gaps that could be used to cover the gaps.

How much gap should there be between the laminate and the bottom of the skirtings? 1mm? or let it rest on top of laminate?

As for the uneven gaps would it be best if I was to trim off the 'excess' from the bottom of the skirtings to allow roughly a nice fit?

Any advice are, of course, appreicated!

Mr_Proctalgia

Let your skirting rest on the laminate.

It is always neater to "scribe" the skirting so it follows the floor that way it looks really good when the skirting just rests on the laminate. If the gap isnt too uneven just run along the skirting with a pencil resting on the floor, this will transfer the levels of the floor onto the bottom of the skirting.

Hope this helps

robowen

The expansion gap is for the laminate to expand . You dont need to leave a gap under the skirting. The skirting should sit onto the laminate.
Hold the skirting in place, lay a pencil flat onto the laminate and mark the skirting with the pencil. Plane off the skirting to suit.
Or you could put the skirting in place, press down onto it with a long piece of wood at 90DG to the wall and secure the skirting.

rob

cloud_dog

Just to add to the 'gap' question, you need to leave approx 10mm space for expansion (as mentioned previosuly). You can either use your existing skirting board (if you've laid the flooring and are now laying skirting), and it is wide enough, or you can buy matching lamiante skirting board (which is approx 15mm wide at the bottom), although it's not particularly cheap.

For uneven bits to only way to do it is to scribe and cut.

cloud_dog

ToAoB

thanks all for the scribing advice - I got it now! I was thinking of using blocks of wood, one at each end of the skirting and pencil on a third block and scribe it out - guess this is just about the same thing!

I didnt want to use my existing skirtboard as it's been painted over about four times and in a very poor quality finish (14 metres of it) so I got new ones and will be painting it fresh!

calmgirl

Expansion gaps on lamminate flooring is a load of cobblers the temp needs to fluctuate by 25 -30 degrees in the room to make any diffrence at all this stuff came over from scandinavia where this is possible I have laid wood florring in about 30 houses some 10 years ago and the floor has never expanded. if the floor was to do anything it will SHRINK yes Shrink as the moisture eventuall goes out of it and this is only with the realy expensive stuff beacuse everything else is heat treated cardboard. Put your skiting over the top of the flooring. And as for the levelness of your floor dont worry. 10 mm gap around all edges that 40 mm if htat was the case your roof would fall of avery summer and your kitchen would buckle every time you cooked your food. what a load of cr*p

Malestrom

Blimey...how did you get the name 'calmgirl'?

robowen

calmgirl wrote:

Expansion gaps on lamminate flooring is a load of cobblers

I would agree with you to an extent.
The expansion gap is needed more on large open plan rooms as opposed to small lounge and kitchen areas. I've seen floors lift in very big rooms where the laminate has been laid to the walls. I'm talking of dining halls and conference rooms etc.
In most of our terraced / semis and detached houses the rooms are not big enough to warrant leaving such a big gap around the edges, and I never leave the recommended gap, probably about 5 mm overall.

rob

oysterman

calmgirl wrote:

Expansion gaps on lamminate flooring is a load of cobblers the temp needs to fluctuate by 25 -30 degrees in the room to make any diffrence at all this stuff came over from scandinavia where this is possible I have laid wood florring in about 30 houses some 10 years ago and the floor has never expanded. if the floor was to do anything it will SHRINK yes Shrink as the moisture eventuall goes out of it and this is only with the realy expensive stuff beacuse everything else is heat treated cardboard. Put your skiting over the top of the flooring. And as for the levelness of your floor dont worry. 10 mm gap around all edges that 40 mm if htat was the case your roof would fall of avery summer and your kitchen would buckle every time you cooked your food. what a load of cr*p

So do you leave any gap whatsoever?, i'm doing my girls bedroom. It's quite large 16'4'' by 9'6''.
The floorboards are a bit ropey so was thinking about putting 3mm hardboard down first, with a decent underlay, is all this worth wile or won't it make much difference.