Skirting board splitting throughout stair well

NewtoDIY

I've noticed splitting in the stairwell skirting boards of our Victorian house and have no idea what is causing it:

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y443/diyuserneedshelp2013/IMG_20160127_124102_zpsl4yltpgq.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y443/diyuserneedshelp2013/IMG_20160127_124024_zpsnvzwkm7r.jpg

We do have heating on a lot but the humidity seems to be around 50% which is good. I've not noticed any new cracks on the outside of the property but am worried that this is a sign of movement. The splitting is noticeable throughout three floors of the house. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

tony6403

I think that if you remove the paint you will most likely find that the wood has not split.
It is normal for wood to expand and contract ( consider expansion gaps for wood flooring ) and paint cannot withstand this beyond a certain point.
Try a test area of , say , 300mm to see what lies beneath the paint.

wrightk

as above- expansion and contraction. This time of year is a nightmare for it,in my house too

Give everything a good sanding down and dig out the cracks. Repaint and consider using a bead of caulk along the skirting edge. Will give a nice tidy edge to the paintwork and also remain pretty flexible when things expand and contract

NewtoDIY

Thanks for those posts. I'm fairly certain they have split. On the top floor, an actual bit of skirting almost broke off and from the ground floor to first (in the photos), the gap at its widest is about 3mm-4mm. When I push it, I can easily seal the gap but it springs open of course.