Removing part of a skirting board

KierNet

In an attempt to give myself some more room in my bedroom, I want to put my bed under my window. Sadly I have the shoe box, 6ft by 8ft...and my bed is just a bit too big to go where I want it.

The legs rest on the skirting board, so, I'm trying to find the best way to remove it. It only needs to be a little section if thats possible, or I could get rid of the 3/4ft that my bed would hide.

Any suggestions would be great!

My DIY skills are crap, so the easiest way possible please!

aliasojo

What happens if you want to move the room round again for whatever reason? You'll be left with damaged/no skirting there.

Not the best plan imo. Always better to leave the actual fixtures in place wherever possible.

How high is the skirting? Would it be possible to add height to the bed in order to clear the skirting? You get 'feet' to increase the height of beds for disabled people but they would obviously do the same job here too.

KierNet

aliasojo wrote: »

What happens if you want to move the room round again for whatever reason? You'll be left with damaged/no skirting there.

Not the best plan imo. Always better to leave the actual fixtures in place wherever possible.

How high is the skirting? Would it be possible to add height to the bed in order to clear the skirting? You get 'feet' to increase the height of beds for disabled people but they would obviously do the same job here too.

I very much doubt that I'll be moving it around again, I can either have the bed down the right hand side, or under the window, under the window would give me more room (at least I think!).

Its about 1.5"/2" high, its not possible to put anything under the bed due to the type of the bed. Its a metal frame. I think similar to this.

aliasojo

KierNet wrote: »

Its about 1.5"/2" high, its not possible to put anything under the bed due to the type of the bed. Its a metal frame. I think similar to this.

Loads of possibilities here as an example.....http://www.betterlifehealthcare.com/products.php?catID=8&subID=196

Maybe not the prettiest solution but less hassle than wrecking the skirting imo. The bed covers would hide them too.


Edit: Just realised that wont work due to the straight legs. Ignore me. We had a pine bed with chunky legs but tapered feet this worked for so I was thinking along those lines again.

Avoriaz

Presumably you think that removing the skirting will make enough difference to be worthwhile.

In that case you could use a wood chisel to carefully cut the skirting and remove two pieces of skirting exactly wide enough to accommodate the bed legs.

If you measure carefully and cut carefully you should be able to do a decent enough job without leaving damage visible when the bed is in place.

Keep the bits you remove as you could refit them and make good again if you change the bed position in future.

I did something similar when I wanted to fit a corner cabinet on a staircase turn. The ¾ inch extra made enough difference to be worthwhile.

When I sold the house I showed the buyers what I had done and left them the removed pieces to replace.

rrf494g

the whole board comes off using leverage (crow-bar) against plywood to avoid damaging plaster on wall. It will be fixed with nails, screws or adhesive. The board may break or splinter. Cut out the pieces you dont want, then re-fix remainder of skirting. Make good wall now exposed with plaster and sanding and paintwork.

- but this all sounds mad to me -

if the skirting is only 2" max high, and the picture of the metal framed bed is at all accurate, then I would sit the bed on 4 stout blocks of wood just over 2 " high, with cut-outs to allow the blocks to go hard against the wall, around the skirting. The blocks could be screwed into the skirting. This will not move if it's all as tight as you indicate.

good luck

KierNet

aliasojo wrote: »

Loads of possibilities here as an example.....http://www.betterlifehealthcare.com/products.php?catID=8&subID=196

Maybe not the prettiest solution but less hassle than wrecking the skirting imo. The bed covers would hide them too.


Edit: Just realised that wont work due to the straight legs. Ignore me. We had a pine bed with chunky legs but tapered feet this worked for so I was thinking along those lines again.

Wouldn't work as at the moment the legs sit ontop of the skirting board.

Avoriaz wrote: »

Presumably you think that removing the skirting will make enough difference to be worthwhile.

In that case you could use a wood chisel to carefully cut the skirting and remove two pieces of skirting exactly wide enough to accommodate the bed legs.

If you measure carefully and cut carefully you should be able to do a decent enough job without leaving damage visible when the bed is in place.

Keep the bits you remove as you could refit them and make good again if you change the bed position in future.

I did something similar when I wanted to fit a corner cabinet on a staircase turn. The ¾ inch extra made enough difference to be worthwhile.

When I sold the house I showed the buyers what I had done and left them the removed pieces to replace.

At the moment the bed sits on top of the skirting board, getting rid of them would allow it to fit in nicely.

Parents wont be moving, so they aren't too fussed about it from that point of view.

Just need to know the best way to take it apart, without ripping it all off.

ormus

far easier to remove it all and fit two new pieces either side of the bed legs.
you maybe lucky and get the two bits from the old skirtingboard.

i did this in one house,,, and left the bed there when i moved.

keystone

Fein Multimaster or one of the cheaper copies.

Cheers

Avoriaz

KierNet wrote: »

Wouldn't work as at the moment the legs sit ontop of the skirting board. At the moment the bed sits on top of the skirting board, getting rid of them would allow it to fit in nicely.

...

I'm not sure I understand that.

Do two legs of the bed sit on top of the skirting?

Are the other two legs also raised by the same amount or do you sleep at a jaunty angle?

I still think using a wood chisel to remove just enough skirting to allow the legs to sit on the floor right against the wall is the best option.

Unless I am being dumb and not understanding properly.

PS. Do you mean that the bed is exactly as long as the room and the feet at each end sit on the skirting at each end? In that case then use a chisel to remove four sections of skirting, each as wide as a bed leg.

keystone

Avoriaz wrote: »

I still think using a wood chisel to remove just enough skirting to allow the legs to sit on the floor right against the wall is the best option.

It is if you want to butcher the wood. Don't forget you'll be cutting across the grain and that never goes well with a chisel. What if they are MDF?

Do you mean that the bed is exactly as long as the room and the feet at each end sit on the skirting at each end?

Thats how I read it.

In that case then use a chisel to remove four sections of skirting, each as wide as a bed leg.

See above.

Cheers