Skirting boards and laminate flooring

JonnyT · 4 Aug 2017 at 11:41

Hello all, many thanks for your feedback. I'm not sure I can be doing with the hassles associated with undercutting the skirting etc. so scotia looks like it's the best solution.

I'm also leaning more and more towards painting the skirting white, whether eggshell or gloss, it's just a question of whether to do the dado rails and fire surround (as per my first picture) the same? Your thoughts again are appreciated.

toprock · 4 Aug 2017 at 14:32

Looking at original pic, i'd do the skirting and both rails in eggshell white. Would look terrible a mashup of colours.

The fireplace eggshell white, or for something more vintage shabby, Annie Sloan French Linen which gives a wonderful effect on any details, and highlight the fireplace.

ash_91 · 8 Aug 2017 at 08:55

Those skirts have been notched round the pipes, you will slide them out easily.

JonnyT · 16 Aug 2017 at 17:18

Sorry for the lack of response guys, was waylaid with a nasty flu-like bug last week

Well the 'plot thickens' somewhat... I had wondered why there was such a large step-down from the carpet in the lounge/diner to the lino in the kitchen in the doorway between the two, so decided to peel away the carpet and lo and behold, it looks like a solid (plank) wooden floor beneath the carpet. It's not in A1 condition, but I may be able to sand it down to a decent condition? What do you think?

touch · 16 Aug 2017 at 17:21

The pipes are routed under the floor in that room. Is the other room definitely concrete floor or has someone just been lazy with the pipe routing at some point?

edit: to answer the question: yes, it'll sand down fine.

JonnyT · 16 Aug 2017 at 17:36

touch said:
The pipes are routed under the floor in that room. Is the other room definitely concrete floor or has someone just been lazy with the pipe routing at some point?

edit: to answer the question: yes, it'll sand down fine.

Ha! yes I noticed that. I'm not entirely sure. The previous pictures showing the pipes in the skirting were routing into the dividing part-wall separating the lounge/diner (where there may have been dividing doors in a previous life...) so you may well be right about them being lazy and just chasing the pipes into the wall rather than via the floor too.

Scottland · 17 Aug 2017 at 11:28

Those floor board look fine to sand. I did my old conservatory on my knees with a rotary sander and it came up really well - but be prepared that it will mark easily as it's not particularly hard wood, usually at least.

Hire a floor sander though, don't do it like I did

As for the pipes, can they be pushed back to fit behind new skirting? Having done a bit of DIY and some bodges over the years, my current opinion is that it's worth spending a little extra time and money to do it right first time rather than a quick fix that haunts you down the line. If you want a quick fix, something like chalk paint might cover it without any need for sanding.

mjd · 17 Aug 2017 at 11:42

We had stripped boards in our last house when we first moved in. Aesthetically it was great, but the draft during the winter meant it had to go.

With regards to scotia, there is a huge fuss made over this stuff when it really is just a neat means to an end. Not everybody wants to remove the skirting to lay a floor which I can quite understand. Depending how the skirting has been fixed there is no guarantee it will come away cleanly without damaging the wall behind.

I have used scotia and removed skirting to lay floors and think both have their place.
The one thing I would say about scotia is dont fit it behind any semi-permanent furnishings, bookcases etc... this will mean you can get them tighter to the wall.