Skirting boards can add the final finishing touch to an interior and are definitely worth fitting if you’re embarking on a room decorating project. The boards help hide any uneven edges on the bottom of the walls and floor, cleverly cover up any tiny gaps and add an extra layer of protection at the bottom of the walls.
If you’re new to using skirting boards, or have never fitted them yourself before, we’ve got two practical step-by-step guides to guide you through the process. The first one is aimed at beginners, and the second at more experienced DIY-ers.
Method 1: Fitting skirting boards with nails and adhesive
According to the experts from Skirting4U Ltd, one of the easiest ways to fit a skirting board is to use a nail gun and adhesive. This method is more secure than just using adhesive and causes the least amount of damage to the boards. It also saves less time than trying to fit skirting boards using screws – making this method perfect for the budding DIY enthusiast!
Watch this video and follow the steps below:
Step 1
Get out a tape measure and measure the wall where the skirting boards will go.
Step 2
Mark out the length of your wall on a piece of skirting board, then use a circular saw to cut it to the right size.
Step 3
Place the skirting board next to the wall and double check that you’ve cut it to the right size. Push it up to the wall and make sure it will fit well.
Step 4
Apply adhesive to the back of the skirting board. Use a squiggly line of glue, rather than a straight line, to cover more areas of the board.
Step 5
Place the skirting board back up to the wall and put it in position. Press it against the wall, making sure it fits snugly all the way along.
Step 6
Check for any plugs, cables or other points of interest above the skirting board. It’s important to ensure you put nails either side of any areas like these, so the nails don’t damage cables or electrical fittings. If you’re at all unsure, switch off your electrical system before applying the nails.
Step 7
Use your nail gun to add nails at regular points along the skirting board. If you’re avoiding plugs and wires, it can be easier to start in the middle, space them out evenly and finish at each end.
Voila, hopefully you should now have a finished, secure and snug fitting skirting board to enjoy!
Method 2: Fitting skirting boards with screws
If you’re more experienced with DIY, then you may wish to have a go at fitting your skirting boards with screws. Here’s how to go about it:
Step 1
Measure the wall where the skirting board will go and cut the boards to the correct length.
Step 2
Measure about five or six equal points across the board where the screws will be fitted. For each point, find the middle between the top and bottom of the board and make a mark.
Step 3
Drill the holes in the board where you’ve marked them.
Step 4
Add counter sink holes, so the screws will fit beneath the board when finishing.
Step 5
Apply adhesive in a wriggly line on the back of the board, then put the board in position against the wall.
Step 6
Using the drill holes you’ve already made, drill into the wall.
Step 7
Fit your wall plugs into the holes.
Step 8
Screw the screws into the holes along the skirting board.
Step 9
Fill in the holes then paint the skirting board in a colour of your choice. For tips and tricks on decorating your skirting boards – as white is not the only colour! – check out our skirting board decorating post.
How to remove old skirting boards
If your home already has skirting boards, but you want to replace them with new boards, then you’ll need to remove them carefully to ensure you don’t unduly damage the plaster behind them. Here’s a video to help you master safely removing old skirting boards:
Top image credit: Shutterstock
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Very handy guides!! It really does make such a big difference in making a room look complete 🙂
We had to fit all our skirting boards in our home and we did the glue and then screwed them on!
This is a useful reference for future – I’m going to bookmark it, thanks!
It’s a great guide Rachel, really useful. We always do the screws method 😉
This is a really useful post. We’re getting new flooring soon and I’d love to replace the skirting boards too. But I had no idea how to do it. Doesn’t seem quite so scary after reading this.
Great advice Rachel – because of the walls, I usually end up having to do the less easy screw method.
One of those things that could be easily forgotten but makes a massive difference to the finish of the room! Loving this easy to follow practical guide!
I love good looking crisp white skirting, it completes the look of a home.
Such a useful post! And very timely as I need to refit some skiing boards after a bit of work. Thanks for sharing!
Soon useful. Love the use of video too! And it just goes to show, these things don’t need to be overly complicated.
A very handy DIY guide! I would have never thought to install a skirting board myself, but your guide is very concise and gives me the confidence that one day I might be able to!
This is such a helpful read! Great post.
Thank you for showing the detail on this. I’ve seen it done but never done it before myself. I’m currently toying with the idea of new skirting in my bedroom but I just know the walls will be damaged as they are removed…… ho hum.