New skirting - is plastic worth considering?

Simon42

Simon42

Simon42

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I am going to change all the skirting (and architrave) as I decorate through the house as the skirting is currently small 75mm chamfered 70s style. I am not thinking of plastic door architraves as that wouldn't match the painted parts, but skirting seems viable.

I was originally thinking of MDF but see there's a lot of plastic products now some of which can hide cables which maybe useful in a few places where I cannot easily chase out new cable runs or go under the floor. I want the whole house consistent so want to get this right especially as I may need to purchase it all in one go to ensure availability.

So has anyone used one of the various plastic types of skirting and can help with how good it looks compared to MDF/wood and any other issues such as dealing with awkward angles/corners etc?
 
Lopéz said:
http://www.eurocell.co.uk/interior-...and-architraves/100mm-skirting-white-satin-5m
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation.

I see I can get a test kit with the internal and external corner pieces so I'll do that which saves a trip to the nearest supplier to have a look.

I've seen an MDF system today with a clever fixing system which is ideal for joints along walls to keep alignment perfect and allows removal. Too much choice compared to the days of just deciding between a handful of profiles!
 
Most of my house is glosswork, and it's a pain. The conservatory I had built a few years ago though has got the uPVC stuff, and it's excellent. It's a satin finish, so very unobstrusive, and looks just like the day it was put in. If I was to ever need to replace skirting in a house I'd either go for wood & varnish or uPVC, gloss paint these days just doesn't last.
 
Simon42 said:
Thanks for the recommendation.

I see I can get a test kit with the internal and external corner pieces so I'll do that which saves a trip to the nearest supplier to have a look.

I've seen an MDF system today with a clever fixing system which is ideal for joints along walls to keep alignment perfect and allows removal. Too much choice compared to the days of just deciding between a handful of profiles!
Click to expand...

Care to share the mdf system?
 
I got a sample of the Eurocell skirting and am not impressed.

The texture is a stick on finish and the samples I had all have an issue with this texture not stuck on properly all the way along (not just at the end):

4cEoeWZ.jpg


So when you add the corner fittings that are just smooth plastic this sticks out on both sides. The corner fittings are also not a perfect size match so don't look that good generally.
 
Puts paid to that idea then!

My missus dismissed pvc skirting out of hand when we replaced. I put mdf in instead. Very easy to work with but if you want a quality finished article there's no getting away from varnished wood fitted by a professional. Unfortunately our walls are over a hundred years old, and as such we need that much filler/caulk that varnished wood poses problems that gloss work hides.
 
I've just done one room in HDF skirting, really good quality. Pink grip to stick it on miles easier and cleaner than screwing or nailing. Plus it came in 5.4 meter lengths so no joins on any walls.
 
I'm in the process of fitting pine skirting to the smallest room in the house. It's a right PITA as the walls aren't straight, and you definitely need to mitre it, but onces it's all painted in satinwood I'm sure it will look great. I like the idea of PVC though as I can imagine it being much more durable around the house.
 
panthro said:
I like the idea of PVC though as I can imagine it being much more durable around the house.
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That's one of the reasons I was disappointed with the sample I got (as above) with the stick on texture.

If the textured finish gets damaged then there's no polishing it out or repainting. Maybe there are other plastic skirting options but I am now going to use HDF.
 
panthro said:
I'm in the process of fitting pine skirting to the smallest room in the house. It's a right PITA as the walls aren't straight, and you definitely need to mitre it, but onces it's all painted in satinwood I'm sure it will look great. I like the idea of PVC though as I can imagine it being much more durable around the house.
Click to expand...

Why use pine if your going to paint it? Very few walls are straight, that's what caulk is for.
 
robj20 said:
Why use pine if your going to paint it? Very few walls are straight, that's what caulk is for.
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I just liked the idea of solid wood, I could have used MDF but I don't particularly like it (call me a weirdo but I enjoy working with solid wood). Plus you can still see some of the grain even with 3 coats of paint. which I really like.

Yep I'll also be putting the caulk to good use soon.
 
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