How do you attach skirting boards?

98-00

I want to fix wooden skirting boards to a plastered brick wall. Should I use plugs and screws or masonry nails?

blah

For wall like this, I used plugs and screws, then filler over the screws, and caulk along the top. Turned out well.

Vita nova

Another reason for using screws is that if you have to take up the skirting board in future, e.g. to put down a laminate floor or for insulated wallpaper etc. then it's a doddle with screws.

Tpcl20

How would you go about removing skirting that isn't plugs and screws, would it just be brute-forcing it with a crowbar? I'd love to do a job on the floors.

Tokyo

Tpcl20 wrote: »

How would you go about removing skirting that isn't plugs and screws, would it just be brute-forcing it with a crowbar? I'd love to do a job on the floors.

Pretty much. Hardest part will be getting started without damaging the skirting. I'd probably use a paint scraper or chisel to get it started, and a narrow pry bar, rather than simply going to down with the beefiest pry bar I have. Once you have an end to work with, with a bit of finesse you can pull the nails out of the brick or pull the nails through the skirting, whichever gives first. If the boards are painted, it's relatively easy to reuse them - fill and paint. If they are natural wood, it can be a bit more of a chore to cover up any damage.

Rows Grower

Tpcl20 wrote: »

How would you go about removing skirting that isn't plugs and screws, would it just be brute-forcing it with a crowbar? I'd love to do a job on the floors.

Not as nice a finish but way less hassle is you could just leave the skirting boards and finish the little gap on top of the new flooring with a quadrant edging.

98-00

Thanks for the advice.
I have removed screwed on skirting before but usual with a crowbar. The screw heads are usually covered and I can never see them. I filled any holes and the skirting was being binned.

awec

Vita nova wrote: »

Another reason for using screws is that if you have to take up the skirting board in future, e.g. to put down a laminate floor or for insulated wallpaper etc. then it's a doddle with screws.

That's only if you can find them and then get to them.

Vita nova

98-00 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.
I have removed screwed on skirting before but usual with a crowbar. The screw heads are usually covered and I can never see them. I filled any holes and the skirting was being binned.

awec wrote: »

That's only if you can find them and then get to them.

They are very easy to find with a strong magnet (assuming you're not using non-magnetic screws), even screws buried up to 10mm in the wood. It's best with a light but strong magnet, so much so that the buried screw may even support the magnet if you remove your hand.

As an aside, if you have an insulated plaster board wall with metal mushroom fasteners, then you can use the metal mushroom tops (under the skim coat) as a point to hang posters using a magnet, so no messy blue tac or pins.

LenWoods

blah wrote: »

For wall like this, I used plugs and screws, then filler over the screws, and caulk along the top. Turned out well.

Any excuse to get the Caulk out lol

I just used dabs of no more nails