Skirting board removal - yes or no

Steevo

Registered User
Messages
53
Hi, I've recently moved into a new house andam in the process if getting kitchen tiles. I'm now trying to decide whether or not to remove the skirting boards and tile underneath them or just tile up to the skirting boards.
Its probably going to be a tough enough job to remove the skirting without damaging the walls and or skirting themselves.

Anyone got any thoughts on this??

Cheers
 
You will have to remove the skirting boards if you are tiling the floor. If you don't the skirting board size is dramticaly decreased and does not look well.

Just remember when you are removing them lable the back of each one so you know where to put it...
 
When putting down the floor in our new build, we removed the skirting board in the rooms where we were putting down hardwood floors but left them in place in rooms where we were tiling such as the bathroom. I was and still am happy with the finish and didn't find the the boads were reduced in size all that much.
I guess it's just personal preference, what do you have in the rest of the rooms?

addob
 
We tiled a bathroom floor a few years ago and didn't remove the tiles...no problem at all. Don't think it's worth the effort, esp if you damage a wall.
 
We tiled a bathroom floor a few years ago and didn't remove the tiles...no problem at all. Don't think it's worth the effort, esp if you damage a wall.
agree....I wouldn't bother either

plenty scotia's available to stick onto the bottom of teh skitings afterwards to hide any gaps
 
Thanks for all the replies.
As for the rest of the house, we removed the skirting and put plywood and then a solid floor down. When I say "we removed" I really mean the floor fitters removed. They did a great job and didnt even mark a wall or damage a board. I should have asked them to do the kitchen ones at the time.... Ah well.
 
Its not "right" to tile or floor up to skirting and then cover the gap with theses scotia beedings you see.

Its a by product of modern laziness and is just not right, whether one does not mind the look or not is personal preference, but if you want it too look professional and better finished you will renove skirting.

Thats what it is for, to skirt and hide the end of the floor finish.
 
Ok, so if we decided to remove the skirtings, is there any easy way to do this without damaging the walls or skirtings them selves?? I'm thinking of using a chisel and trying to pry the boards from the wall
 
I would highly recommend removing the skirting boards as the grout along where the board meets the tile will crack as the wood in the skirter expands etc. Neater finish too around the edges
 
Its not "right" to tile or floor up to skirting and then cover the gap with theses scotia beedings you see.

Its a by product of modern laziness and is just not right, whether one does not mind the look or not is personal preference, but if you want it too look professional and better finished you will renove skirting.

Thats what it is for, to skirt and hide the end of the floor finish.
I agree, but it really depends how much work you want to take on...

personally I don't think its worth it the hassle

Different story if the skirtings just popped off without damaging them or the wall, but they never do and you normally end up having to replace a few of them anyway
 
Cool. All i need to do now is persuade the other half that we dont need to remove them and then i've a weekend off.......
 
what about taking them off and using a tile/portion of tile (depending on their size) as the new skirting? this looks quite well, and is also much easier to keep clean.
 
I go with the last poster. There is a particular tile for skirting and it means when you mop the floor you don't damage/dirty the skirting. It also looks really good.

I was putting down quickstep and I really regretted not talking off the skirting boards in the first room. Second room I did it and it was really easy. Makes a much neater finish. If you damage the wall where you take away the skirting board you can always put a bit of that instant polyfilla on it, but in anycase skirting board will go back there and will hide any damage. If you damage the skirting board you can always get a new one it's not very expensive.
 
steevo
i wouldn't bother. i am a carpenter and would only remove skirtings to leave an expansion gap under them for wood floors. tiles dont require one.

Same pay! less work! faster! of course you dont!

I wonder would you do it in your own place though?

No offence, but the art of trades is being lost if "carpenters" are taking shortcuts and still calling them selves carpenters and not finishing things properly in the traditional sense.

But if thats what the clinet wants to save money, fine I guess, but it really should not be the standard way as it is these days.

The only thing to worry about is damaging the wall or tearing off shreds of painted plaster when removing them. Cutting into the gap with a Stnley at the top of the skirt and the wall finish helps prevent this tearing as you lever the skirt off. Especiall as if there is any sealer put into the top from the original skirt fitting.
 
Back
Top