is beading for floors considered tacky?

glybera27

Hello
We are in the process of redoing the floors in our new house. All the rooms have quite complex skirting that is in 3 layers of MDF. The builder has suggested using beading in the rooms that currently have a carpet, and potentially redoing the skirting again (unless they can remove the skirting intact) in rooms where the wood is being changed. The beading also means he can do it quicker and we are keen to move in ASAP. 

I personally have no objection to beading as it's also a lot quicker to do.

Is beading considered tacky and bad looking? 

Thanks 

maisie_cat

When we did all ours in the last house we removed the skirting so that the expansion gap could be under the skirting.
My sister went for the beaded option and personally I thought it looked odd and lazy but that's just my preference.  Beading can't be much less work because the beading needs either gluing or pinning in place, the same as skirting.
I also detest with a vengeance MDF anything, including flooring and windowsills, we had problems with both because any moisture that gets in causes it to swell and look awful. We did one room with MDF skirting and it was affected by mopping so we did the rest in painted real wood.

glybera27

Thank you. Our skirting unfortunately matches the door frame and is a complex 3 layer patter. Our  builder could replicate this by redoing the skirting. Do you mean an option without skirting or beading? 

Doozergirl

Beading is a cheat because it is easier than replacing the skirting - whether that be the original or new. It isn't a look for a look's sake - anyone that knows, knows it's a cheap hack.  

Personally, we haven't had beading since our first flat 20 ofd years ago when we really didn't have much money and I didn't really have a clue what I was doing.  

If you're forking out on a floor then I don't see much wrong in spending a little extra to make it look right.  

rob7475

Personally, I hate beading and think it makes the job look amateur. If you must have it though, match it to the skirting colour as it will be a little less obvious.

TELLIT01

maisie_cat said:

Beading can't be much less work because the beading needs either gluing or pinning in place, the same as skirting.

Beading isn't much less work than removing skirting, and hoping not to damage it in the process, refitting, filling and retouching all the paintwork?  You have to be kidding.  Yes removing the skirtings will give a better finish, but with potentially a hell of a lot of additional work.  We live in a 1930s house and I can assure you the skirting isn't just pinned in place, it has dirty great nails going into wooden dowels which themselves were held in place by plastering over them.

Grenage

Couldn't your builder rent a jamb saw and undercut the skirting all the way around?