Laminate Floor and Skirting Boards

lawred2

Hi,

Just about to get a laminate floor put down in a new house; however have been informed that the builder has fixed the skirting boards with no clearance off the concrete floor... Is that usual for builders to do?

Anyway; beading can look awful. Removing the skirting seems heavy handed and costly to me. We're paying enough for the bloody house. Can do a proper job in years to come when I'm replacing the laminate floor but for now; budget dictates that that is not an option.

What alternatives are there to beading? I've heard about cork expansion strips? Anyone got experience of those?

e.r

lawred2 wrote: »

Hi,

Just about to get a laminate floor put down in a new house; however have been informed that the builder has fixed the skirting boards with no clearance off the concrete floor... Is that usual for builders to do?

Anyway; beading can look awful. Removing the skirting seems heavy handed and costly to me. We're paying enough for the bloody house. Can do a proper job in years to come when I'm replacing the laminate floor but for now; budget dictates that that is not an option.

What alternatives are there to beading? I've heard about cork expansion strips? Anyone got experience of those?

If the skirting is painted white. The white beading looks the best.
Never heard of those cork strips, and if floor has to be cut flush to them, it would be very hard to get a decent finish as laminate chips very easly when cutting it.

bladespin

I remember hearing somewhere that you can get a skirt router (spelling), might be an option.

mickdw

Pull the skirting. Its no big deal at all.
I would put money on there being the minimum of fixings used.
Anything else is just a botch.

Kevin McCloud

mickdw wrote: »

Pull the skirting. Its no big deal at all.
I would put money on there being the minimum of fixings used.
Anything else is just a botch.

+1 just horse off the skirting, new bit of skirting wont break the bank anyway.

triggermortis

+1 on pulling the skirting off. I've done that before as well as used beading, and the skirting off method is a way better finish

agusta

its usual for builders that build housing estates to fit scirting board this way.if a builder that was dealing with you directly the builder will mostly do what you ask him reguarding scirting boards

slimjimmc

This trimming saw seems to be what you need if you want to avoid beads or refitting skirting. It might be worth the cost of hiring (available in Ireland) especially if you have a lot of skirting. Not sure how you would deal with internal corners though.
http://www.brandontoolhire.co.uk/en/woodworking-tools/548-door-trimming-saw.html

You might get away with an oscillating saw but I reckon it would be painfully slow and difficult to get a nice straight cut. Perhaps only feasible for a short section.

dodzy

Skirts off! That cutter, although a slick looking tool, will only be of use for door cutting. The skirting cut in situ will still leave you with an impossible fit once you get to the opposite side.

slimjimmc

dodzy wrote: »

Skirts off! That cutter, although a slick looking tool, will only be of use for door cutting. The skirting cut in situ will still leave you with an impossible fit once you get to the opposite side.

You're right, forgot about that.

lawred2

I had a feeling that removing the skirts would be the dominant opinion

I was someone's house just this weekend and they didn't remove the skirts but tacked on a piece of decorative shoe moulding... something like this



Painted in the same brilliant white as the baseboard.. I thought it looked great

dodzy

lawred2 wrote: »

I had a feeling that removing the skirts would be the dominant opinion

I was someone's house just this weekend and they didn't remove the skirts but tacked on a piece of decorative shoe moulding... something like this



Painted in the same brilliant white as the baseboard.. It looked brilliant

I'd always advocate removing the skirting where possible in advance of flooring. Looks much cleaner when done. The quadrant style beading and the mould pic that you included don't look nearly as good but everyone to their own !

lawred2

It looked much better than quarter round at least

Quarter round is terrible

The decorative shoe I saw over the weekend was finished to look part of the baseboard.. It looked very well. I thought anyway.

Calahonda52

lawred2 wrote: »

It looked much better than quarter round at least

Quarter round is terrible

The decorative shoe I saw over the weekend was finished to look part of the baseboard.. It looked very well. I thought anyway.

I agree, since builders started using no nails and all they other stuff taking off the skirting especially from from dry lined walls, is a non-runner.

In any event once all the furniture and other stuff gets put in, there is little enough skirting to look at except in hallways.

fatmax

ebay.co.uk/itm/SAMPLE-Plastic-Skirting-Board-Cover-Over-Golden-Oak-/251685185198?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item3a999b26ae