Transition seamlessly blends wall and floor space
Skirting boards, often overlooked, play a significant role in interior design. They serve both decorative and functional purposes, framing rooms optically, protecting lower wall areas from dust, dirt, impacts, and friction, and even contributing to the room's atmosphere. In this article, we'll explore the key aspects to consider when choosing, measuring, and installing skirting boards for a harmonious, functional, and aesthetically pleasing room design.
Choosing the Right Skirting Board
The selection of skirting boards is crucial. Opt for boards whose material, height, and style complement your interior design and furnishings to create harmony and a finished look. Consider durability and purpose, as skirting boards protect walls from dirt and damage.
Accurate Measurement and Preparation
Precise measurement is essential when installing skirting boards. Add 5–10% extra to account for cutting errors or wastage. Before installation, let materials acclimatize to room temperature to prevent expansion or contraction issues.
Installation Methods
The installation method you choose will depend on your room's conditions and wall surfaces.
- Gluing is the easiest method for many materials. Apply glue in a wavy pattern on the entire length of the board to ensure a strong bond directly to the wall.
- Nailing or screwing is recommended for uneven walls. Use wall plugs and gradually tighten screws to pull the board flush without forcing it. Packing out hollow sections behind the skirting with offcuts ensures a firm fixing and helps hide wall imperfections.
- For mobile home skirting or exterior siding, use a support structure and starter strips, securing panels with nails while allowing expansion gaps.
Handling Wall Imperfections
Remove small bumps on walls or adjust the back of the skirting to accommodate bulges. Use packing where walls are hollow to avoid gaps. Fill small visible gaps between skirting and walls or mitres with suitable caulking to create a seamless finish.
Aesthetic Considerations
Coordinate skirting board colours with walls and ceilings to create a cohesive effect. For example, extending a plaster hue from skirting boards up to cornices can create a cozy, cohesive effect in rooms with high ceilings.
Enhancing Your Rooms with the Right Accessories
Special trims with cable channels allow for speaker or power cables to be routed invisibly behind the trim. Inner corners, outer corners, end caps, transition profiles, and hidden cable routing are accessories that can enhance the effect of baseboards. Flexible trims are useful for rooms with curves or uneven walls.
Material Choices
The choice of skirting board material depends on both the interior style and practical considerations. Options include wood, MDF, plastic, aluminum, and stainless steel. High-quality cutting tools and mounting sets are worth investing in for precise corners and perfect transitions.
By combining careful material choice, precise measurement, appropriate installation techniques, and attention to wall variability and finish, you ensure skirting boards contribute both functionally and visually to a harmonious and polished room design.
[1] Source [2] Source [3] Source [4] Source [5] Source
- To maintain the consistency of your home-and-garden and home-improvement lifestyle, consider choosing skirting boards whose material, height, and style match your home's interior design and furnishings.
- When enhancing your rooms with the right accessories, special trims with cable channels can provide a lifestyle solution for invisibly routing speaker or power cables behind the trim, contributing to a sleek and modern interior-design aesthetic.
