How to Fit Skirting Boards

How to Fit a Skirting Board Using a Nail Gun

There are many reasons why you may need to install a new skirting board. The current skirting may be old-fashioned or damaged, you may have had new flooring fitted and needed to take the skirting off, or you may simply fancy a change.

Luckily, it is one of those DIY tasks you can easily do yourself. You just need the skirting, a 2^nd fix nail gun, and an eye for detail!

Here at Speedy, we have all the tools you need to fit a skirting board and a guide on how to get the job done below.

You will need to wear PPE, as with undertaking any DIY tasks. Wear eye protection when using nail guns, as well as work gloves and work boots. You need to wear a mask if sanding or drilling, too.

 

How to fit skirting boards: Step-by-step guide

Before you begin, measure your walls with measuring tape, think about how tall and thick you want the skirting to be, and then buy your skirting and cut it to size.

You will want to think about whether you want mitre joints or scribed joints for internal corners. Most professionals go for the latter, but you can read more about this in our guide on the different types of skirting board joints.

 

You will need:

• Pipe and cable detector
• Stud detector (optional)
• Adhesive (such as No More Nails)
• 2^nd fix nail gun
• Cloth
• Filler
• Sandpaper
• Caulk
• Paint

 

If you have plasterboard walls, or you have completely flat new-build walls, you may want to choose to just use adhesive. Using a nail gun sparingly will mean the skirting will hold until the adhesive sticks, though.

Nail guns are essential if your walls are slightly bowed, or if you’re attaching to masonry walls. You can alternatively use screws and a drill with a masonry drill bit, but nail guns are easier to manage and work with.

 

Step 1 – Prepare the wall

Your wall needs to be clean, dust-free, and free of any old adhesive. Hire a sander to smooth them if needed, and then vacuum or wipe the dust away.

You should also ensure any paint will finish below the skirting board and not leave a gap, as you’d have to use masking tape and a neat hand to tidy it up once fitted.

 

Step 2 – Check for cables and studs

If attaching to a masonry wall, check for electricity cables and pipes with a detector before fixing anything to the walls. Mark with a pencil if anything is detected.

If attaching to a stud wall, do the same with a stud detector to detect the vertical timber studs. Mark the centre position of the studs with a pencil and use these marked points to nail the skirting to the wall.

SPEEDY TOP TIP: Think about where your skirting will attach. Mark the wires where the skirting will go, then draw a pencil line above here so you can still see where wires are present after your skirting is attached.

Follow the instructions before using both of these tools.

 

Step 3 – Use adhesive

Apply a grab adhesive to the back of the skirting board, and then press the board firmly to the wall. You will have a couple of seconds to wriggle the skirting board into place if needed before the adhesive starts to stick.

Wipe away any excess adhesive ASAP with a dry cloth.

It is usually a good idea to apply adhesive in a zigzag across the entire length of the skirting with a cartridge gun, and then an additional blob at each corner.

Press firmly, and then block using a solid weight.

 

Step 4 – Nail gun the skirting

Once the skirting is in place and you’re happy with the positioning, use a nail gun to secure it. Otherwise, you will have to wait around 24 hours for the adhesive to set completely.

Use a 2^nd fix nail gun, as it will create cleaner holes which can be filled in and covered, compared to a 1^st fix.

Remember to avoid areas with cables and pipes. You don’t need many nails here; one 50mm from each end, and one in the centre, will likely be enough.

But think about what’s best for the length of skirting you’re using. You may have to spread them out in 500mm increments along the length of the skirting if you’ve used long sections.

 

Step 5 – Fill and sand the nail holes

A tiny bit of filler will work to fill in any holes or cover nail heads.

Wait until it dries, before sanding it flat and repeating if needed. Sand with sandpaper or a sanding block rather than an electric sander, so it is gentler and doesn’t take off any paint or damage the surface of the skirting.

You want the holes to be as unnoticeable as possible.

Filler can also be used to mask the joints of pieces of skirting, or in the corners, if they don’t quite look seamless.

 

Step 6 – Caulk

Hopefully, your skirting is pretty flush with the wall. But there will still be a slight gap between the wall and board, especially if your wall isn’t completely flat, so use some decorator caulk to fill in the gap above the skirting.

Have a damp cloth to run along the caulk afterwards, which will smoothen it out and neaten it all.

 

Step 7 – Paint

If your skirting is white, and the filler is white, you might not have to do this. But it can be worth painting all of the skirtings to ensure no marks or filler are obvious.

You may, of course, not want to stick to white either. Painting skirting the same colour as the walls can make the room look taller.

If you’re not using a nail gun, you may wish to do this before the skirting is installed and allow it to dry. You can also buy skirting that is already painted white, to save you a job.

 

 

How to fit a skirting board on an uneven wall

When fitting to uneven walls, you don’t want to put too much pressure on the skirting, which could cause it to warp.

Working with smaller pieces of skirting, rather than trying to fit along the whole length of the wall, will help. A nail gun will give your skirting boards a better, firmer grip too.

If you come across a hollow section, you may need some packing to fill it out. A small offcut of wood will do. Attach this to the wall, then attach the skirting to this.

On the other hand, if you come across a bulge in the wall, use a wall sander or chisel to try and flatten it as much as possible.

If neither of these is possible, you might want to try and purchase a thick skirting board, which you can then carve some material from the back of to fit around the bulges.

Use caulk to then tidy up the small gaps left at the top of the skirting.

 

How to fit skirting board covers

If you’re nervous about removing existing skirting, use skirting board covers.

These slot over your current skirting, meaning no removal is required – which could help if your walls aren’t in the best condition.

Most are just made from MDF, and you can use adhesive to attach them to the existing skirting boards. You may wish to sand your current skirting to create a rougher texture, allowing the new skirting covers to stick better.

 

READY FOR MORE DIY TIPS?

Thank you for reading our Speedy Hire blog on how to fit skirting boards.

We have a whole host of other DIY tips available, so whether you’re looking to remove the woodchip wallpaper in your spare room, or add panelling to your wall, trust Speedy to walk you through it.

You’ll find all the power tools and hire equipment you need to hire at Speedy. Open a Speedy account online or visit us in-store for access to our full range of hire products.

 

For more tips subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Find ideas on Instagram