Biscuit Join between Architrave and Skirting?

paperclap

Hi all,

I'm planning on fitting MDF architrave over the weekend.

For those that don't know (a lot of you probably do by now!), bungalow's walls, door linings, etc, aren't perfectly straight and true.

So when I come to fit the skirting board to the wall (using adhesive, plugs and screws), I'm going to presume things aren't going to go 100% to plan, and the faces of the architrave and skirting won't line up perfectly, as they should. In order that they line up, would a biscuit join be the best thing to do? I've never used biscuits before! I do have a router, so could buy the biscuit bit... though, the bits are £40! Not cheap.

One issue though, what is the approach used when fitting a length of skirting board between to doors (and subsequently, two outers of the architrave)? Could get a biscuit in one side, but obviously not the other!

Thanks in advance.

chris_n

Anything over about a metre you should be able to spring to get two biscuits in, you could also reduce the protrusion a little to make shorter lengths fit.

paperclap

Thanks, but it's the hallway where all the doors are. Two gaps in particular, of which are ~70cm and ~90cm.

GDB2222

How about a spacer and a screw at each end? Let the middle take care of itself. Then fill any gaps with caulk.

I do try to keep things simple, and you know that that will work.

plumb1_2

Only biscuits you are gonna need is for your brew.
id do the door arcs first, lightly pin them onto the frame, then measure and cut your skirting .

mi-key

I wouldnt bother with biscuits, they are really used for joining flat panels together on the edge. On your job you could do the same job with a couple of small dowels, and no need for an expensive bit. 

travis-powers

plumb1_2 said:

Only biscuits you are gonna need is for your brew.
id do the door arcs first, lightly pin them onto the frame, then measure and cut your skirting .

100% this, I’m 56 and have never used biscuits or similar for architrave and skirting, but I do glue my mitres on architrave and external skirting though.

paperclap

Thanks guys! Yeah, I think I may stray away from using biscuits after all. As you also need to be 100% spot on to get the biscuits spot on too! Where the join of the skirting and architrave meet, the wall shouldn’t really be so far out that there is any meaningful difference.

I’d planned to use wood glue (not mitre adhesive) for the external skirting corners and architrave mitres, as gives a novice like me a bit more time to finesse!

While I’ve got you all here…

Is grab adhesive necessary for skirting and architrave?

For my architraves… my walls aren’t flush to my door linings. So don’t want to pack out the architrave any more, to create an even larger gap! But, was thinking a very thin bead, or even a flew small blobs may help, merely to keep the length of architrave in place, while I faff around pinning it to the lining with panel pins and a hammer!

travis-powers

Wood glue is fine and any discrepancies with your architrave just use a packer till glue go off, no need for grab adhesive on architrave but I use a non solvent based on skirting

paperclap

What’s the reason behind using a non-solvent adhesive, over a solvent?

I have found that Gripfill (solvent version) skins quite quick, and you soon find yourself not being able to manoeuvre things!

travis-powers

As you mentioned gripfill skins over quite quickly and in my case ‘new builds’ don’t do well with dust, I’ve removed skirting where it hasn’t grabbed at all, another bonus with non solvent is you can use it as caulk.