Skirting urgent help needed

anna.bloom

Had some skirting put in the whole of the downstairs.

It was done by the same people who laid the laminate flooring. But it really looks awful.

The walls are not straight, and i knew I would have to fill the gaps at the top with caulk. But most of the joints between the two bits of skirting dont look right.

My question is, are you expected to fill these joints and sand down, or should they be butting together perfectly when fitted?

THank you

eco-friendly_2

Even if the walls aren't straight if properly scribed the joints should be tight.

eco-friendly_2

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ormus

fill and wipe off with a damp cloth. no need to sand em down then.

absent_dad

Hi

It is quite common in older houses to have to fill in the tops of skirting but no nails and pinning should have eliminate most of this.

The joints I presume are the corners. No they should be tight. Many people use 45 degree cuts to join them which is a mistake as no room I have ever done is a perfect 90 degrees, as soon as you start to fix it tight to the walls they pull apart and leave huge gaps.

There is a trick to it where if you are say putting up torus skirting you cut down 45 degree as normal through main part then take out a coping saw and cut through the moulding to take the profile. The other skirting you just leave as normal and run it up from wall to wall so only 1 of the joints you cut. This way you will get a perfect join no matter what the angle of your walls.

Sounds like they knew how to lay floors but chanced their arm with the skirting.

Sorry

DVardysShadow

absent_dad wrote: »

...

The joints I presume are the corners. No they should be tight. Many people use 45 degree cuts to join them which is a mistake as no room I have ever done is a perfect 90 degrees, as soon as you start to fix it tight to the walls they pull apart and leave huge gaps.

Agree for internal corners. But for external corners, 45 degree cuts is OK, because with these corners, the 2 pieces will pull together rather than apart.

absent_dad

Agree for internal corners. But for external corners, 45 degree cuts is OK, because with these corners, the 2 pieces will pull together rather than apart.

Sorry yes you would only use the method i described on the internal angles however, for external corners you would do a mitre cut, again it is unlikely to be a 90 degree wall so cutting them at 45 degrees and expecting them to fit you are asking a lot, maybe 1 in 10. When you put them together they may look good but as soon as you start tightening the skirting down at the other end the gap will start to appear.

You can do it by 'eye' but is easier to have an angle finder, it looks like 2 rulers pivoted at one end, slap it on the outside of the corner, this will give you the exact angle of the corner, maybe it's 80 degrees in which case you half this so each cut is 40 degrees (I add a little on so when it pulls tight the 'tip' of the mitre cut compresses tight). A little sand to get rid of the burrs and away you go.

But to answer the question, there should be no reason why you have gaps on the mitre joints on inside or outside corners

anna.bloom

Thank you so much for your replies.

Some mitre joints are ok, some have big gaps in. I need to pay this chap, so dont know what to do.

Gaps along the top im sure are to be expected and i will fill those with caulk, but the mitre joints, i dont know if someone can re-do this? or whether I should just try and fill them in.

The other thing, is that he didnt use screws every where. In some places I think he just used wood glue.

Should this be a concern also?

Thank you

ormus

no its not a big concern. ive stuck all my new skirtings with no nails. just need to use the odd screw, if the wall is very bendy!

re the mitre corners, a chippy would do em properly. laminate floor laying is a fairly unskilled job. semi skilled at best.
so the chances of a floor layer doing a really good job on the skirting
is pretty small.

pipsta

anna.bloom wrote: »

Thank you so much for your replies.

Some mitre joints are ok, some have big gaps in. I need to pay this chap, so dont know what to do.

Gaps along the top im sure are to be expected and i will fill those with caulk, but the mitre joints, i dont know if someone can re-do this? or whether I should just try and fill them in.

The other thing, is that he didnt use screws every where. In some places I think he just used wood glue.



Should this be a concern also?

Thank you

You dont use wood glue (PVA) to stick skirting board. Slightest bit of damp and they will come away.

Should be no more nails, screws or bloody big nails:)

missprice

anna.bloom wrote: »

Thank you so much for your replies.

Some mitre joints are ok, some have big gaps in. I need to pay this chap, so dont know what to do.

Gaps along the top im sure are to be expected and i will fill those with caulk, but the mitre joints, i dont know if someone can re-do this? or whether I should just try and fill them in.

The other thing, is that he didnt use screws every where. In some places I think he just used wood glue.

Should this be a concern also?

Thank you

dont pay him yet
ask him to make it right first

as for the glue
no nails is fantastic stuff and really worked well for me
agree re mitre saw
it was my first time using it and i made some mistakes but still am proud that this dizzy blonde could do it

so iwhen you dont pay him and he wont fix it, have a go yourself
then take off his fee whatever it cost you to put it right