Skirting - To foam or not to foam

StephenS147

Hi all,

I'm wondering if it's okay to solely fix skirting to walls with expanding foam or should screws be used also at 500mm intervals on a masonry wall or in the case of studs at stud c/c?

I've read that it's the best method but how would I go about holding the skirting in place while the foam cures if I go with foam on its own?

listermint

I've never used foam myself for this , used mastik products like gripfilla etc to bond. I've tacked in place with a finishing gun.

Idioteque

Personally I've never been happy when I've just used heavy weights to keep pressure on, I mean you can make up for it with caulk but I generally prefer to stick a few screws in to pull it tight at ends and centre in addition to weights - granted you've to then fill etc. so I'm usually doing it with non-painted wooden boards before decorating.

1874

Unless expanding foam says otherwise, Ive never heard it used as an adhesive, gripfill or similar, tec-7
Did hold a length of skirting in place with a concrete blocks wrapped in old towel, while the adhesive was curing.


A screw in a skirting board would look a bit off to me, I think an oval nail if to a stud would be ok, for a masonry nail, I might drill a small hole so it doesn't crack the board.

awec

1874 wrote: »

Unless expanding foam says otherwise, Ive never heard it used as an adhesive, gripfill or similar, tec-7
Did hold a length of skirting in place with a concrete blocks wrapped in old towel, while the adhesive was curing.


A screw in a skirting board would look a bit off to me, I think an oval nail if to a stud would be ok, for a masonry nail, I might drill a small hole so it doesn't crack the board.

Yea definitely don't screw it, it'll look stupid.

You can screw and fill them for sure.
Best way of your walls are bendy

Calahonda52

awec wrote: »

Yea definitely don't screw it, it'll look stupid.

What is stupid about a screw?

awec

Calahonda52 wrote: »

What is stupid about a screw?

1. Makes them unnecessarily more difficult to take off in future.
2. You're going to have to fill larger holes that will be harder to hide.

1874

Calahonda52 wrote: »

What is stupid about a screw?

It doesnt look nice, Id say looks amateurish

tabby aspreme

Will the skirting be painted

1874

1874 wrote: »

It doesnt look nice, Id say looks amateurish

Your hardly leave them exposed .
Much easier to remove if needeed.

StephenS147

Thanks for your replies. When I was replacing other skirting that a builder had fixed to a masonry wall and the nails were broken. They snapped due to the moisture in the wall. We don't have damp issues but that's what happened since the wall will have some form of moisture in it. So, I screwed the small section with rawl plugs and with foam behind and it hasn't budged since but removing it in the future if need be will be a bit if a PIA.

I was thinking of foaming and screwing to hold it while it cures and then removing the screws (for ease of future removal) and fill the holes with a 2 part epoxy filler. If foam can be used as an alternative to traditional dot and dab on plasterboard I thought it would hold skirting pretty well and have read it does a pretty good job.

I've a foam gun so I have more control than a regular can. I was thinking of laying two small beads along the length. I've tested foaming two boards together and it's incredibly strong so I believe the method above would work okay (I hope).

Skirting will be painted. It's pre primed mdf due to less shrinkage happening compared to regular timber.

tabby aspreme

OP have you thought of using Polyurethane glue instead of foam, similar product but much stronger

StephenS147

tabby aspreme wrote: »

OP have you thought of using Polyurethane glue instead of foam, similar product but much stronger

Have you any products that would be suitable? Thanks.

tabby aspreme

StephenS147 wrote: »

Have you any products that would be suitable? Thanks.

Most hardware shops stock polyurethane glue, it's not the easiest stuff to work with and it's open work time varies from 5-30 minutes , practice gluing with a few small bits first. I would always use screws / paslode nails on skirting, except with the vinyl covered MDF, which can't be filled or plugged easily

DublinDilbert

The best method of attachment will depend on the wall construction, flatness. Often depending on how the skirting is cut minimal fixings will be required.

I normally use tec7 or similar with a couple of light fixings.

Partition wall: oval nails into the stud.

Dot and dab: usual rawl plugs and screws, if the bottom of the walk is missing I use an express nail with a rawl plug in the center. Or bond screw on some 2x1 and attach skirting to that.

StephenS147

I've done a test piece with foam on two pieces of timber and good luck trying to pull them apart.



I lightly dampened each side and sprayed on small bead of foam and let sit for 5 mins. As those construction adhesives can skin over rather quickly I thought I'd test how the foam behaves after the 5 mins. I then lightly clapped the timbers for an hour. Removed the clamp and the timbers are welded together. So my plan of action is to lay two small beads (top and bottom) of skirting and fix temporarily to the wall with a timber piece the height of the skirting to pull it in with one screw every 600-800 (depending on where there is a bow in the wall) and then remove the screws after the hour. Bit labour intensive but I think I may as well test it out.

The great thing about foam is that it'll move with any movement that occurs.

I watched Robin Clevetts video on using grab adhesive and you have to be quite quick before the adhesive skins over (and it can fail) which is why I was looking for an alternative with longer working time but sets quick.

It's a good watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16MgrG_vPnM

awec

Surely you don't want them to be impossible to remove without destroying them (and part of the wall) though?

StephenS147

awec wrote: »

Surely you don't want them to be impossible to remove without destroying them (and part of the wall) though?

In that Robin Clevett video some of the grab adhesives take the plasterboard right off. Some fail miserably too and pop right off the back of the MDF skirting which is what I'm using. It's the working time too where the adhesive can skin over and fail which has happened with other skirting done in the house by a builder. I went with 5 mins in my test but I'm sure that could be pushed to 10 which gives plenty of time to temporarily fix it. Plus it cures in an hour over some grab adhesives which can take 24 hours. I'll go with the risk and see. Perhaps I might go with one bead as it'll spread out once I screw it back with the timber piece above the skirting.

DublinDilbert

The place where the low expansion foams would be useful, would be where the bottom of the wall is damaged or not there, typically on block walls which are plastered or dot-dabed with board. Foam would work well here, provided you can hold the board level with the wall.

Lumen

Surely using these adhesives is going to create a monumental mess when the time comes to replace the skirting?

I have block walls and my skirting is held on with nails. A few seconds with a pry bar and they're off, cleanly (apart from a bit of plaster around some nails, which can be easily filled).

StephenS147

Silly me, foam can be cut. I'll try my test piece tomorrow.

I sure can't pry the two pieces apart even with wedging a chisel in between them.

So I'll get my long snap off olfa blade and cut in between the two and see. To do a tall skirting an old kitchen knife could work.

Lumen wrote: »

Surely using these adhesives is going to create a monumental mess when the time comes to replace the skirting?

I have block walls and my skirting is held on with nails. A few seconds with a pry bar and they're off, cleanly (apart from a bit of plaster around some nails, which can be easily filled).

How can you get a good fixing into existing block wall where they're nailed? Or do you have to fill the existing wall holes and refit, nailing into filler?

ShamNNspace

When fixing an old painted skirting that has been previously nailed to blockwork I allways pull the old nails out through the back of the skirting with a visegrip or cut them off leaving the front of the skirting undamaged. These days I use 50 x3.5 screws having predrilled the skirting these can be filled neatly, you can make the screwhole on the underside of that roundybit on the too of most moulded skirting boards the holes when sanded and filled will not be seen from a standing position. For pvc coated or say oak skirting I use screws sparingly in the same way and fill with wax filler (hafele do a nice set of wax in all different colours) I pin onto the timber studs and fill the same way on studded walls. Im not a big fan of foam or gripfill on skirting boards. They can create an awful mess when they're taken off, just my opinion from many years experience

StephenS147

ShamNNspace wrote: »

These days I use 50 x3.5 screws having predrilled the skirting these can be filled neatly..

How do you dig out all the filler without wreaking the head of the screw?

One method I was thinking of using was the trend plug cutter to plug the holes along with screws. So set the screw back so the plug could be drilled out later and plug it. I'm using 18mm MDF probably plenty of room to do this.

Trend SNAP/PC/A Snappy 4-Piece Countersink Drill Bit Set
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KWGHYVA

Lumen

StephenS147 wrote: »

How can you get a good fixing into existing block wall where they're nailed? Or do you have to fill the existing wall holes and refit, nailing into filler?

Nail in a different spot.

ShamNNspace

StephenS147 wrote: »

How do you dig out all the filler without wreaking the head of the screw?

One method I was thinking of using was the trend plug cutter to plug the holes along with screws. So set the screw back so the plug could be drilled out later and plug it. I'm using 18mm MDF probably plenty of room to do this.

Trend SNAP/PC/A Snappy 4-Piece Countersink Drill Bit Set
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KWGHYVA

Leave the head of the screw there break off the stem of the screw at the back of the skirting, back an forth with the vicegrip and itll break easily. The steel nails I grab with the vicegrip and pull them through the back of the skirting

StephenS147

ShamNNspace wrote: »

Leave the head of the screw there break off the stem of the screw at the back of the skirting

How do you get to that stage where the screw is pulled out of the rawl plug to break it?

ShamNNspace

Im probably putting you off here but another tip I use is put a screw around where a knot is in the wood if possible so its easily disguised. Those plugs are grand but make sure to put them in with the grain and match the wood as best you can if you use this method. I've seen the cure turn out worse than the disease in some places where those plugs are used (plugs too small, not with the grain, too much or wrong glue leaving an ugly black circle where the plugs have been used), this is only on finished work mind you, more scope if the plugs will be painted over

ShamNNspace

StephenS147 wrote: »

How do you get to that stage where the screw is pulled out of the rawl plug to break it?

The skirting would have to be completely off the wall, prise it off neatly

ShamNNspace

This is the lad I use to prise skirting off without damage

StephenS147

ShamNNspace wrote: »

Im probably putting you off here but another tip I use is put a screw around where a knot is in the wood if possible so its easily disguised. Those plugs are grand but make sure to put them in with the grain and match the wood as best you can if you use this method. I've seen the cure turn out worse than the disease in some places where those plugs are used (plugs too small, not with the grain, too much or wrong glue leaving an ugly black circle where the plugs have been used), this is only on finished work mind you, more scope if the plugs will be painted over

The skirting is going to be painted. It's pre primed MDF.

ShamNNspace wrote: »

This is the lad I use to prise skirting off without damage

Never had much luck pulling rawl plugs with the screws most of the way in. Pulls a lot of stuff with it.

---

If I had of known that this existed, then this is what I'd have done but it doesn't seem to be available many places. In NZ mainly as far as I can see.

I love the way he just bashes the skirting on like it's pub time. 😂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWKlC-CWWWs