How to fill gap between skirting and wall?

[Russinating]

I've heard mixed opinions on whether to fill these gaps with caulk or wood filler. None of the walls in the room are anywhere near straight so there's a lot of gaps to fill and mixed coloured walls (albeit this is a small section) as pictured.

I won't be painting the skirting and I've got some beech varnish ready to go.

Advice welcome!

 

[Gilly]

I was ready to say caulk until you said you weren't painting. Are you varnishing?

 

[Maccapacca]

Caulk. At least you'll have the straight edge of the skirting to take your eye. If you fill it and try to blend it with the skirting it'll look horrid.

Try a bit and see.

 

[Russinating]

I was ready to say caulk until you said you weren't painting. Are you varnishing?

Yeah, varnishing.

If caulking, is there anything I can/should pack it with a bit so I'm not emptying entire tubes down the back?

 

[koolpc]

Put some card board behind to fill the gap. Caulk is the best thing i agree

 

[Firestar_3x]

I know it's too late however I would have built out the skirtingboard from the wall using a slim batton which could have been trimmed to fit the contours of the wall, this would mean flush straight fitting skirting with no gaps.

 

[Russinating]

All sorted, thanks. Used newspaper in the end packed behind the top, but wasn't as bad as I thought.

I'd love these kinds of jobs (skirting) if the room was vaguely straight.

 

[Maccapacca]

Looks fairly straight to me. Looks as though which is pretty normal the plaster is deeper at the bottom. When they skim down they don't apply the same pressure and the thickness increases.

Happens all the time. Imagine 800 flats where you have an argument with the plasterer who says it's normal and the carpenter who says he wants extra money for packing out.

 

[Maccapacca]

I'm going to hazard a guess that you didn't prime the backs of the skirting? May twist a bit if you didn't.