Even if you are a DIY newbie attempting to add skirting to walls for the first time, this section provides all you need to know about installing baseboards to a high professional quality. Continue reading.
1. How to Attach an MDF Skirting Board to the Wall
If you’re working with MDF baseboards and a plaster wall, you can typically use grip or decorator’s caulk to adhere them. How do you adhere an MDF skirting board to a wall? Apply glue to the back of the board at evenly spaced intervals and hold it in place while it cures. For added security, some tradies like to use nails and glue for skirting boards, but this isn’t always essential.
2. What Kind of Nails Should You Use For Skirting Boards
What nails for skirting board utilization are appropriate depends on the material of your wall. Masonry nails are required for brick and concrete walls. Nails with a lost head or brads shot from a nail gun can be used to construct timber wall frames. MDF skirting boards may not need nails instead of relying on glue.
3. What Is the Best Skirting Board Nail Gun
This is generally referred to as a “bradder” when attaching skirting boards such as square skirting board using a nail gun. This implies it uses a strip of thin nails to fire. You can use a straight bradder for most skirting board installations or an angled bradder if you need to get into tighter corners. Wear safety eyewear and ear protection whenever you use a nail gun for skirting boards, regardless of the type.
4. Should the Skirting Boards Be Able to Touch the Ground
Skirting boards must be flush with the floor when placed. If you’re putting skirting boards in new construction, the structure may sink over time, leaving a gap. If the space is less than 5mm wide, sealant can be used to close it. More significant gaps will necessitate the installation of new moldings.
5. How to Trim the Exterior Edges of Skirting Boards
Connecting skirting boards around corners is the most challenging component of skirting board installation for many individuals. Using a miter box affixed to a workbench is the simplest method. This allows you to cut the boards at the proper angle, which in most homes is 45 degrees. You should verify that the boards line up and leave a tiny lip on one side to make them simpler to join and learn how to cut skirting exterior board corners.
6. What Is the Best Way to Fix Holes In a Skirting Board
Even if you gauge your baseboards meticulously, there may be gaps between the boards or panels and the wall. Caulking done by hand or with a caulking gun can be used to fill them. This is also how you can conceal a skirting board joint. After cleaning the area, apply caulking down the length of the gap at a 45-degree angle. Any excess should be wiped away as soon as possible before it solidifies. Wait at least 2 hours after caulking before painting or staining the skirting boards.
7. How to Conceal a Skirting Board Joint
What is the best way to install skirting boards without displaying the joins? A few boards will probably have joints where one length of the wood runs out if you’re attempting to save money with your skirting board installation. Planning the connections in locations covered up, such as behind a table or decoration, is one technique to hide them from view. If the link is more visible, or if you want a smooth finish, you’ll need to learn how to patch gaps in the skirting board. Before painting, use the decorator’s caulk to smooth it out.
8. Cost of Installing a Skirting Board
The cost of skirting board installation is determined by the type and quantity of baseboard required and whether you employ a specialist or do it yourself. Even if you’re fixing baseboards yourself, you’ll likely need to budget for the tools and specialized equipment you’ll need. The skirting boards themselves should cost around:
- MDF ranges in price from $21 to $67. (140mm x 18mm x 5.4m)
- Pine costs $23. (138mm x 18mm x 2.7m)
- Meranti veneer is $39 per square foot (138mm x 18mm x 2.7m)
- Carpenters typically charge $50 per hour. However, this varies depending on the location and project.
Hopefully, this post has solved most of your skirting board installation questions. You may begin your project with complete confidence with the information provided above. However, you must get high-quality skirting boards for an excellent finish, such as square skirting board.
