Skirting board - tools and tips?

[Vormulac]

Hi guys,

As the only bloke in our circle of friends of a practical nature, I tend to get loaned out to the various wives to sort out their diy (stop sniggering at the back!). I have been called upon to install some skirting board this coming Friday, but that's one thing I've never done before, so can anyone give me any hints and tips on doing it? It's a Victorian house and it appears that the plaster only went down as far as the top of the old skirting, so I guess I'll have to fill in with something in order to make the new stuff plumb, and I very much doubt any of the corners are going to be 90 degrees.
This angle thing brings me to my next question, can anyone recommend a device/method to getting the required angle from the corner, and a suitable saw for cutting it. Having just moved house myself I really shouldn't be looking at spending any more money, but it might be an excuse to get a SCMS if people think that is really the best tool for the job.

Any and all thoughts very gratefully recieved!

V.

 

[Dibs-h]

Hi guys,

As the only bloke in our circle of friends of a practical nature, I tend to get loaned out to the various wives to sort out their diy (stop sniggering at the back!). I have been called upon to install some skirting board this coming Friday, but that's one thing I've never done before, so can anyone give me any hints and tips on doing it? It's a Victorian house and it appears that the plaster only went down as far as the top of the old skirting, so I guess I'll have to fill in with something in order to make the new stuff plumb, and I very much doubt any of the corners are going to be 90 degrees.
This angle thing brings me to my next question, can anyone recommend a device/method to getting the required angle from the corner, and a suitable saw for cutting it. Having just moved house myself I really shouldn't be looking at spending any more money, but it might be an excuse to get a SCMS if people think that is really the best tool for the job.

Any and all thoughts very gratefully recieved!

V.

V

Lesson #1 - never get loaned out to Wifey's mates. My 1 & only experience was replacing locks and having paid for them and given Wifey the receipts expecting to be re-imbursed by Wifey's friend. Imagine my annoyance at not having been re-imbursed for some months. Wifey's friend is a GP! Wifey's friend came up in the conversation one evening - along with words long the lines of "tight....". Wifey went slightly red and admitted that she had been "paid" the week after the job.

I paid for the materials, my labour & Wifey got paid and spent it! Been a few yrs now - never done it again!

Onto skirting - You do realise that internal corners are not mitred but coped? The following picture shows it - albeit on some other trim,

These lot sort of give you the idea for skirting

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/WOODW ... _BOARD.htm

These lot show how I do it - http://www.thediyworld.co.uk/fittiing_skirting2.html - 45 degree mitre cut and remove the element that's been cut on the "slope" - clear as mud! Hopefully the picture on the above link make it all clear.

You can use a coping saw - me, I'm a lazy buttocks, so use a Fein.

HIH

Dibs.

p.s. External corners are obviously mitred! :mrgreen: With a coped internal corner - doesn't matter much if it's not 90 degree.

 

[sw_edge]

Hi Vormulac,

There is a pretty good page of advice on the homebuilding website based in the uk, apologies for no link but I can't post them yet.....

I would just add that having completely replaced the skirting boards in the last two houses I have owned I would steer clear of softwood profiles from the big sheds, they tend to cup and cause you major headaches when cutting mitres/scribing. If you have to install cheap skirting then as much as I hate to say it I would go with MDF profiles, but only in rooms where you can guarantee they will stay dry, otherwise go to a decent timber merchant or have a look online for skirting specific suppliers.

As far as fixing them goes you'll probably want to steer clear of any further render/plastering, I would be tempted to fix a couple of horizontal battens against the wall to the depth of the plaster above and then fix the skirting over the top. In my experience any new plaster work you do at the bottom of the wall will likely crack when you start fixing over the top.

Hope at least some of this is of help.....

 

[Vormulac]

Hi guys,

I had read about coping the internal corners rather than using mitres, does it matter which pieces are coped/cut straight? Dibs, how do you cut those pieces with a Fein? I have the same thing by another name and think it's a fantastic tool, not sure how I'd emulate a coping saw with one though. Sw_edge, I'm inclined to agree with you, I'll be taking some batten with me for that reason, although she's already bought the replacement boards, so I don't know what I'm going to have to work with until I see it on the day.
Any thoughts about the angle/saw?

 

[xy mosian]

I agree with everything Dibs wrote. But I would suggest when coping if you cut the skirting so that the face corner is less than 90 degrees, youl will have less to remove if a trim is required. Obviousley keep the top surface square. I'm not talking 30 degrees here just 5-10 will do.
Personally I'd do the job by hand, you don't have to get off the floor quite so often.
xy

 

[Dibs-h]

Hi guys,

I had read about coping the internal corners rather than using mitres, does it matter which pieces are coped/cut straight? Dibs, how do you cut those pieces with a Fein? I have the same thing by another name and think it's a fantastic tool, not sure how I'd emulate a coping saw with one though. Sw_edge, I'm inclined to agree with you, I'll be taking some batten with me for that reason, although she's already bought the replacement boards, so I don't know what I'm going to have to work with until I see it on the day.
Any thoughts about the angle/saw?

I doesn't matter with pieces are coped and which are straight cut - I suppose one of each, might allow a single piece to be removed\replaced if need be, whereas if it had a straight at each end, you might be knackered. Although as it's not your house and you appear to be getting rented out - I'd say go with whatever is easy for you! :mrgreen:

On the coped end - you cut the mitre as shown

leaving you with

Take the Fein (or clone) and cut the hatched area off. I usually cut notches into the end every 1" or so, going just short of the line and then at 90 degrees to the length, along the line that separates the hatched area from the rest. If the profile is all fancy - I've used the Fein to nibble bits off as required.

You do need a SCMS to cut the mitres in the 1st place - although you could use a mitre box if the skirting isn't all that tall.

Dibs

 

[Vormulac]

Ah, using the Fein to 'nibble', that makes sense. I suspect the skirting is going to be 6" or 8" tall, so probably beyond the scope of a mitre box (not that my experience of using those has been remotely encouraging), I guess with a SCMS you lie the board flat and set the head to bevel at 45 degrees (or whatever the angle required happens to be). Would you use something like this to get the angle right? http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=31155
Sorry, these are really basic questions, I'm sure eyes are being rolled at this!

 

[Dibs-h]

Ah, using the Fein to 'nibble', that makes sense. I suspect the skirting is going to be 6" or 8" tall, so probably beyond the scope of a mitre box (not that my experience of using those has been remotely encouraging), I guess with a SCMS you lie the board flat and set the head to bevel at 45 degrees (or whatever the angle required happens to be). Would you use something like this to get the angle right? http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=31155
Sorry, these are really basic questions, I'm sure eyes are being rolled at this!

Yep - lay the board flat, set the head to 45 (or whatever degrees), watch the fingers and cut (the timber).

At a fiver - I'd say buy one. At 20 quid - I'd say skip it. It's only the external corners you need to do a mitre - and those are usually there if you have a chimney breast and even then very small lengths.

Dibs.

p.s. Hope you are getting paid for it - seriously! Would pay towards a SCMS. It's not like a quick 10 min favour. Fitting skirting is a few hours work!

 

[wobblycogs]

Having just completed fitting a country mile of 10" skirting in our place I have to agree with everything Dibs said.

We also had a gap behind the skirting where there was no plaster and I started out by fitting battens and then attaching the skirting to those. That lasted for a couple of rooms and then I just started whacking plaster on the wall to bring it up level first. You don't have to worry about the finish of the plaster because it's behind the skirting and it's so much faster than trying to batten it out. Before everyone looks at me sideways for saying battening is slow I have to point out that the house is a couple of hundred years old and the mortar has turned to sand. As soon as you touch a drill to a brick the brick falls out! Cue repointing etc etc.

Anyway, in your scribed corners run a bead of caulking press it home and wipe off the excess - gives a fantastic finish.

 

[Dibs-h]

Vormie

Forgot to ask - how are you expecting to fix the skirting to the wall? Is it to be painted or stained? I do hope it's softwood skirting and not some expensive oak or similar.

Reason I ask is that you may need some countersunk drill bits and the matching plug cutter - if you expect to screw them to the walls and "they" expect you to make good. I use the Trend TCT ones (have the full set) and it's not cheap.

Question - how much have you to fit? Got any good work pants with knee pads - don't underestimate this bit! :mrgreen:

Dibs

 

[Lardman]

Its no fun if there's no bay involved. Are you joining to any existing work ?

 

[barkwindjammer]

A good decorators cock is also handy
Stop sniggering at the back
on externals you can close the gap a little by 'burnishing' the edges with the back of a chisel-so you had better buy a set of those too :wink:

 

[Vormulac]

Hi guys, thanks for all the responses. It's not a massive amount, about half a large room's worth. I'm not getting paid, I would feel a bit odd charging friends for the work I do for them - I know, probably not very smart but that's just me I guess
It'll be softwood and it'll be painted, so I expect I'll just screw it to the wall and use a little caulk to take out any minor discrepancies. Now I need to find a cheap SCMS...

 

[clewlowm]

A good decorators cock is also handy
Stop sniggering at the back
on externals you can close the gap a little by 'burnishing' the edges with the back of a chisel-so you had better buy a set of those too :wink:

you mean caulk?

 

[Dibs-h]

Along with fixing their PC's. :wink:

Let's hope they at least invite you to dinner and say thank you.

SCMS - if you after a relatively cheap one one - the Macallister one from B&Q ain't half bad for a hobbiest and should be available at your local B&Q.

HIH

Dibs

 

[Vormulac]

Yeah, along with their pcs and networks, tv and video systems, wiring - I must like being the 'practical' one or something! LOL

Thanks Dibs, I'll check out the Macallister.

V.

 

[AndyT]

Some more on fixing - the original would have had wedge shaped wooden plugs hammered into the brickwork joints then sawn off to line up with each other. The skirting would then be nailed to these. In this sort of work nails beat screws because you can punch them below the surface and fill easily, and because if they ever do need to be removed, they can be levered off without destroying the wall.
So, if you still have the original plugs in place, you may as well nail to them.

 

[Vormulac]

I'll check to see if they're still there or whether they can be replaced, that would certainly make life easier!

 

[Mark A]

I did some skirting on our house not too long ago. I did what everyone else has said by cutting a 45 degree angle on my mitre saw, but then I cut along the flat bit of the profile with a handsaw because it's easier than using a coping saw. I also tried my jigsaw fitted with a small blade, with varying levels of success.

If a lot of skirting had to be fitted then perhaps a router jig could be made to match the profile? Might work on the bevelled skirting but maybe not the more intricate ones.

Mark

 

[Vormulac]

I don't know what profile I've got to do, hopefully it's a straightforward bevel top, but I doubt it.