Skirting on laminate

Aruffell · 18 May 2016 at 14:51

We lifted our skirting off so that we'd get a nicer finish when we raised the floor and put laminate down. Now we've put it back on and there is an unven gap where the skirting lays on the laminate.

What's the best thing to use to make it look seamless?

White silicon?

Thanks,

Andy

Aruffell · 18 May 2016 at 14:52

Image of what I'm working with:

topgun06 · 18 May 2016 at 15:20

Have you considered installing some flooring scotia?

Banzai_Joe · 18 May 2016 at 15:28

topgun06 said:
Have you considered installing some flooring scotia?

Pretty sure he took the trouble of ripping the skirting off then re-applying after to avoid fixing the horrible looking scotia over the gaps required for expansion/contraction.

topgun06 · 18 May 2016 at 15:38

And if that's the case, then clear or white silicon should do the trick to avoid fixing the horrible looking scotia.

Felix · 18 May 2016 at 16:02

Leave it. Using silicon might stop the floor expanding and contracting.

Banzai_Joe · 18 May 2016 at 16:02

Aruffell, depending on your skill level, you could always try re-profiling the skirting.
I assume it sits nicely atone end then rises to ??mm above the flooring at hte other end?

Aruffell · 18 May 2016 at 16:37

Most of the rising is towards the middle.

Am I right in thinking that white silicone at the bottom and caulking on the top?

Thanks,

Andy

Mark A · 18 May 2016 at 17:17

Did you sand the bottoms of the skirting board down? There can be blobs of paint that will stop it sitting flush on the floor. The other trick is to force the skirting down as you drill and fix it to the wall. I kneel on a length of wood thats sitting on the top of the skirting as I drill and plug it to the wall so that its forced down.

I wouldn't use silicone though. No matter how neat you get it will never look as neat as a nice net line produced by the edge of the skirting meeting the floor. Plus the white silicone will pick up dust and dirt and look a mess in no time.

ash_91 · 18 May 2016 at 18:07

It needs scribing to the floor, don't silicone it, I've seen it done on a few jobs by proper mastic men and it looks crap.

Kennysevenfold · 18 May 2016 at 19:05

Caulk it. Using silicone will only cause problems when you go to paint it down the line as silicone is water proof and paint does not stick to it.

Adam · 18 May 2016 at 19:56

I asked my carpenter about this and he says it looks horrendous and not to bother. No one is going to notice the gaps, floors and walls are never 100% straight.

a1ex2001 · 18 May 2016 at 23:10

I'd try and forget about it! Anything else will be a lot of work or look crap!

Skiddley · 19 May 2016 at 08:50

Scribe the skirting to the floor, or leave it. Anything else is a bodge.

Usher · 19 May 2016 at 09:11

Felix said:
Leave it. Using silicon might stop the floor expanding and contracting.

The whole expansion/contraction theory is a load off greatly exagerated waffle, we laid parquet flooring in our hall 17 years ago, straight up tight to the skirting boards with no recommended 5mm expansion gap & it's remained solid ever since.
I did my Daughters hallway 4 years ago with 300mm square parquet tiles & once again they said you must leave a gap & put coving strips to cover it etc so once again it's remained solid with no movement.
The difference of course is that my flooring it glued down but they still say you must leave an expansion gap :rolleyes:

Felix · 19 May 2016 at 09:20

Usher said:
The whole expansion/contraction theory is a load off greatly exagerated waffle, we laid parquet flooring in our hall 17 years ago, straight up tight to the skirting boards with no recommended 5mm expansion gap & it's remained solid ever since.
I did my Daughters hallway 4 years ago with 300mm square parquet tiles & once again they said you must leave a gap & put coving strips to cover it etc so once again it's remained solid with no movement.
The difference of course is that my flooring it glued down but they still say you must leave an expansion gap

Probably depends on the quality of laminate or wood you put down.

Tackle_Berry · 19 May 2016 at 10:32

Usher said:
The whole expansion/contraction theory is a load off greatly exagerated waffle, we laid parquet flooring in our hall 17 years ago, straight up tight to the skirting boards with no recommended 5mm expansion gap & it's remained solid ever since.
I did my Daughters hallway 4 years ago with 300mm square parquet tiles & once again they said you must leave a gap & put coving strips to cover it etc so once again it's remained solid with no movement.
The difference of course is that my flooring it glued down but they still say you must leave an expansion gap

I was in the hardwood flooring business for around 10 years and seen dozens of jobs where the floor has expanded and pushed the boards up in the center of the room, also seen large areas of solid oak crack plaster and push out architraves.

Laminate in small areas hardly moves, again engineered floors in small areas like hallways do not expand much due to the overlapping of the ply layers in opposite directions however solid wood can expand lots even in a small area.

Some people can be lucky though and get away with it also parquet isn't as bad as solid boards. Also come's down to how much and how fast the temperature can change in the room and the humidity levels.

I would always leave the expansion.

koolpc · 19 May 2016 at 10:41

Floors do move. Any professional will always leave a gap for expansion.

As for ops 'issue' i would leave it alone.

Skiddley · 20 May 2016 at 11:13

As it happens - I have 80ft of skirting to lay over a concrete subfloor with karndean down next week. Presume no expansion gap needed?

Tackle_Berry · 20 May 2016 at 12:03

Skiddley said:
As it happens - I have 80ft of skirting to lay over a concrete subfloor with karndean down next week. Presume no expansion gap needed?

Nope, not needed on Karndean/Amtico or any hard vinyl tiles.