Beading not fitted properly?

gcoopermax

Hi

We just had laminate flooring fitted in living room and we are FTBs so relatively naive in terms of renovating the house. But I get a feel that the finishing of the beading is not adequate. First of all, there are certain places where beading has not been placed and hence the gaps are visible between beading and floor - is this normal? Secondly (and this one is not the fitter's fault), the colour of the beading seems a bit off, should it be white so that it blends well with the skirting board? What is the general rule regarding the beading - should it match the skirting board or the flooring?

Alter_ego

There are no general rules, you choose what you like best. I hope you haven't paid yet.

marliepanda

Usually beading matches the floor colour. I have also never seen beading go around curves, I ripped all the beading out in my property but the beading never went round door arches.

The square area in the first picture would be the only 'suitable' area for beading IMO.

I used oak coloured silicone til fill in any areas of 'gaps' between floor and skirting that I didnt like.

OKay so I googled because, I'm bored. You can get white beading, but it seems less common than wood on wood, so you should have really asked for that, I'd google some pictures, I dont think it always looks that good, but, its your house.

Also look at the pictures of beading going around door arches like yours. That absolutely looks ropey, but again, my opinion only!

molerat

Colour - your choice and it was up to you to specify what you wanted. As to the fitting, yes, a complete cowboy job. Get them back to finish it properly.

marliepanda

molerat wrote: »

Colour - your choice and it was up to you to specify what you wanted. As to the fitting, yes, a complete cowboy job. Get them back to finish it properly.

What do you consider 'cowboy' about it?

On my boring google I saw many examples of it being fitted like in the OP's picture. with a flush finish to the wall.

The ones where it extended around the door arch looked ridiculous! http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s73.photobucket.com/user/huntr2/media/DSC03929.jpg.html this looks more cowboy that the OP's

spadoosh

molerat wrote: »

Colour - your choice and it was up to you to specify what you wanted. As to the fitting, yes, a complete cowboy job. Get them back to finish it properly.

Cowboy job? Theyve mitred the ends that meet the architraving! I suspect like most people they think trying to get the beading to go round the architrave looks shoddy.

@ the OP.

The finish of beading is never adequate. It always looks a mess because it doesnt look right. The best way to do beading on flooring is to not use it at all. Gaps hidden under skirting boards. But that costs time and money which is why people choose to go for the messier cheap fix of using the beading, you usually have to accept things like not going round architrave and inevitably the bead failing (they delaminate quickly, they warp).

Its a bit like woman getting a boob job and then being upset they dont look natural.

The top left photo is the only one you can really complain about, i can see why the fitter has taken that route, its easier and will look better than using even more ugly beading but it depends which you prefer, it sounds like consistency so just ask them to fit some round the corner, itll take about 3 minutes.


For waht its worth, its better to find out what you want before you get work done than finding out what you want after youve had it done. Just put a bit more effort in to researching your projects if you dont want to worry about being naive. Youre naive because you didnt bother to do your research, not because youre first time buyers.

csgohan4

I guess personal taste to be honest, I have beading around the corners with no gaps, looks nicer imho. Nothing a bit of Silicone wouldn't fix

gcoopermax

I used oak coloured silicone til fill in any areas of 'gaps' between floor and skirting that I didnt like.

Do you use a sealant like this?
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-wood-flooring-sealant-oak-310ml/50081
Otherwise can you please post a link?
Also, is this what you do to fill that gap?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er7TPoaWCVU

As to the fitting, yes, a complete cowboy job

Can you critique in more elaborate way so I know what more needs to be done. I don't have much experience in this area.

The best way to do beading on flooring is to not use it at all. Gaps hidden under skirting boards. But that costs time and money which is why people choose to go for the messier cheap fix of using the beading

How can you hide those gaps if you don't use the beading?

marliepanda

gcoopermax wrote: »

Do you use a sealant like this?
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-wood-flooring-sealant-oak-310ml/50081
Otherwise can you please post a link?
Also, is this what you do to fill that gap?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er7TPoaWCVU

How can you hide those gaps if you don't use the beading?

When fitted the floor should be fairly flush under the skirting. There is quite often a gap vertically between skirting and floor but that shouldnt be too noticeable. Its the gap horizontally which looks shoddy, but shouldnt be there with newly properly fitted flooring.

We did use that filler, I cant watch the video currently, but my dad basically put the filler down, waited, wet his finger and then squashed it into a flat surface finish. My Dad is not a professional, but he is cheap

spadoosh

gcoopermax wrote: »

Do you use a sealant like this?
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-wood-flooring-sealant-oak-310ml/50081
Otherwise can you please post a link?
Also, is this what you do to fill that gap?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er7TPoaWCVU


Can you critique in more elaborate way so I know what more needs to be done. I don't have much experience in this area.



How can you hide those gaps if you don't use the beading?

Remove skirting boards. Fit flooring. Put skirting boards back. Around the architrave, you'd remove the base of the architrave so that the flooring and underlay slots nicely underneath.

You might have a a couple of mm gap all the way round in which you would use decorators caulk to fill before painting your skirting boards to show a seamless join. Although you can typically get away with just having the gap as its hardly noticeable unless you have particularly uneven floors or a very sharp eye.

ProDave

If you were doing this properly, you would have the skirtings off, flooring laid up to walls (with apropriate expansion gap) and skirting re fitted or better still new skirting.

But then again if you were doing it properly you would have used real wood, not laminate.