As a retired joiner, I can say that your videos are rather accurate and informative. One small point. When marking the bottom of your skirting boards, where there is a bow in the floor. Use a proper carpenters pencil, with flat sides. Keep the flat side tight to the floor. The profile of the floor can then be marked accurately on to the skirts.
Thanks so much Tony - humbled to be getting praise from a retired joiner! I love that tip and will definitely do that next time. I always wondered by carpenters pencils were so flat and apparently cumbersome. They are the only ones I can't stash behind my ear!
Charlie that was the best video tuition on the cutting and fitting of floorboards I have ever seen. Thank you so much. You are really good at what you do
I loved the mini plane and how invaluable it proved and how infirmative the video was as regards uneven walls and especually flooring. The vertical cut in to the board cut to help it sink in to the dip in the floor was a simple but such a fantastic idea. Its small stuff like that, that blows us away. I saw you use expanding foam in skirting gaps in another video and this video expanded my knowledge quite a bit as to what's possible... I now feel I could do a good job of it myself. Great video. Thanks.
I bought a block plane for some trim and door work, and it's fast become one of my favourite tools. Aside from its effectiveness, using it is so much fun.
Enjoying the videos! I glued skirting board to a 9 meter by 4 meter games room converted from a cow shed. There were 10 internal mitres and 12 external mitres, because we elected to put plasterboard around the supporting pillars to retain as much space around the room as we could. Lengths of board were held in place while the adhesive set overnight, by using two paving blocks, one on top of each other, wrapped in tea towels, at several points along the lengths and pushing hard against the skirting - worked like a charm!
Hey, I actually bought a sheet of mdf and cut with a fence my own skirting, angles it off with a trim router. I used your little kerf tricks and cutting halfway into it to help with the angles in the walls/floors. Really glad I watched this vid, thanks for your efforts!
Great clear explanations Charlie, as ever. I've just been replacing the skirting boards in my house. The bottoms of the door architraves were finished with "Plinth Blocks". I reused some and made new ones where necessary. Very simple to make but also elegant and make the intersection of skirting board and architrave much easier and more professional looking.
Nice vid Charlie! I say MDF anyday! on modern homes. I only used timber on period houses but charged a fortune for the work given all the added difficulties, time and hassles which you expect on homes over 100 yrs old. This was my speciality putting back what others had ripped out over the years to so call 'modernising, I call it vandalism un-flushing doors stripping & refurbishing, servicing and refitting window boxes & sashes. I always bring the MDF indoors for week before I fit to counter the shrinkage. I glue the skirting using T REX power grip and as for the smaller pieces around nibs and corners I first glue the corner joints together using hot glue before fixing as a unit - work a treat. Expending foam around the floor/wall gaps works a treat.
Hi Charlie! I watched this video when it was published back in April. I was intersted because I installed skirting boards a few years ago using only grip adhesive which did work but was very awkard to get the aghesive to take hold and was more work than necessary. I have recently installed new skirting in our bedroom and this time as well as adhesive I decided to use those small screws you showed in the video. I used MDF primed and your method worked very well. Drilling pilot holes and then holes for the raw plugs was very straight forward. My only issue was that my drill was not able to recess the screws fully and I had to use a countersink bit. But that only meant some extra filling. My drill is getting on a bit and so are the batteries and MDF is very dense. would reccommend the screws to anyone doing this job. Keep up the good work.
Hi Charlie, I've learned a lot from your videos over the last couple of years in particular but this one really saved my bacon! We've been in this 1930s house for 10 years now and have been refreshing room by room over that period. Thanks for the clear advice as to how to deal with skirting installation (not to mention all the other tips your videos have covered). I especially found useful your suggestion of how to deal with a dip in the floor level. Our spare bedroom has a floor that wanders all over the place having clearly taken a battering from people less careful than us lifting and replacing floor boards. You really helped!
Another great useful vid Charlie, been through too much pain with knots in the wooden skirting, I only use MDF now and have fitted hundreds of feet of it in my own and 2 lads houses. Had very mixed results with glueing so I just screw to the wall and had no failures with that method (years ago builders just nailed into wood plugs). Someone else below commented on a 45 degree cut to expose an accurate scribe line. I’ve also seen a carpenter just clamp two boards together for the overall length and cut them using a handsaw creating a perfect join. Some old habits die hard before. Compliments on your scribe cuts they look very neat. Keep safe and well. Regards Mike
Hi Charlie. Great video and presentation. An idea for you is that when you have large gaps use " Soudal filler foam " first before you caulk. It does make the project time longer but the foam handles that slight movement which causes caulk to crack.Also you can find a flexible caulk for exactly this type of issue.
Y'see this is why I love your channel Charlie. I watched this ages ago knowing I'll be following your method one day. Cut to today and I'm fitting it. Thanks for the awesome videos and hints/tips!
Excellent video, thank you. The lost head screws tip is excellent and the dealing with bowing floor by adding a cut to the top 3/4s of the skirting is genius!!
Great quality video. I was surprised to not see the use of low expansion foam which I've used on window boards and skirting. It is the quickest method by far and has a super strong hold. I use a particular foam that is not just for filling but for adhesion as well. Also mentioned earlier. Cutting at 45 degrees gives you the perfect scribe and to cut out. MDF or smart board is my favoured choice. Sealed correctly is very long lasting.
I’m just about to install skirting board and laminate flooring into bedroom which has gaps in the wall where the skirting board will be fitted. The expanded foam tape should help me here. The plaster where the skirting needs to go looks cracked and loose so will need to repair before drilling or using adhesive. I like your idea on the lost head screws if I need to screw board in. Overall a very helpful video packed with useful information. You have saved me hours. Thank you
For wooden skirting boards that are "cupping" away from the flat of the wall, a relief cut (or two) can be made lengthways along the middle of the rear face of the board. Can be done with a router or even that small power saw you showed. Trial and error on a scrap board will tell you how deep to make that cut - it also helps flatten the board on the mitre saw when cutting the 45 degree cut for the subsequent coping cuts.
Hi charlie, Great video, just starting skirting my house throughout, 2 rooms in so far! I've opted for pre-primed MDF, which I sand and re-prime with BIN, then fix to the wall with nothing but foam. There's some great threads on the screwfix forums and having tried it, it really works very well indeed. I made some cramps with 2x3" and Irwin spreader clamps to hold it along the wall as the foam set and after 20 mins it's fixed and super solid. On wood filler I just use car body filler now as I'm sure it's exactly the same stuff as 2 pack wood filler and it's half the price! Re scribing, I've been hogging out the majority with a back cut on the mitre saw then using a flap disc on the angle grinder to shape. It's surprisingly good. Thanks again for the great video and good to know i'm not the only diy'er battling with skirting at the moment!
Excellent video Charlie as always, informative and easy to follow Instructions with great tips. I especially like the one where you part cut through the skirting to combat the sagging floor, nice one. Keep the videos coming I always look forward to the contents and comments you make, always honest and unbiased. Thank you
Thanks Mick, means a lot, mate. To be honest, if I was doing these vids in a vacuum without any comments I'd find it pretty tough. You guys are my checks and balances, constant source of great ideas and of course encouragement. Just when I'm flagging I get an amazing comment that reminds me why I'm doing this!
Brilliant Charlie, thank you. I wish I’d seen the tip on cutting the skirting to lower it to an uneven floor. I recently did our lounge and used MDF, it was great and as you found much easier than working with timber. After a tip from a friend, I used expanding foam to attach the skirting to the wall (just a thin bead) and used bricks or blocks (wrapped in cloth) to hold the skirting against the wall. The foam goes off enough in a few minutes to hold the skirting securely against the wall. A bead of caulk along the top and job done, they’ve been done for two years now without any movement 👍
Cutting through the top to lower the skirting board is an inspired thing to do! :). The planing line was handy too, though not on the same level. It took me a while to realise that when scribing, you only cut one end, vs 45% degree saw cuts, when you have to cut both ends, hence potentially a much better fit...Thank you! New extension skirting coming up as soon as the tiles and underfloor heating are down. French doors hung yesterday, no longer have an OSB plugged hole in the wall, kitchen might even get finished soon :)
Thank you brilliant video- followed it exactly step by step and for the first time ever we have perfect corners both internal and external angles on a detailed bit of skirting. Actually cant quite believe it, easy once you know how.
You showed and demonstrated every issue and problem you might encounter. But with great editing and detailed explanation you covered every Base. Thanks for the video I always have some or other problems with skirting and scribing thanks. 👍👍👍👍
The last few months I've converted a brick built workshop to an office. Did everything from building the stud walls, plasterboarding, insulation, filling, vapour barrier, fitting back boxes, fitting a vinyl plank flooring for the first time etc (left plastering and electrics to the pros). The final job is to fit skirting boards, something I've never done before. But watching your video has given me confidence to do it. Wish me luck :D
Great video, it really helped me with the pine skirting I bought recently. Out of the nine 4m boards I bought, three were just as warped as yours. 1. The first board twisted along it's entire length (like a corkscrew). This one was cut up and was used as small runs of a meter or less where the warping was less of an issue. 2. The second if laid flat bowed upwards at both ends massively. I ended up weighing down both ends and putting some folded towels under the middle to bend it the other direction then leaving it for a few days - this really helped straighten it out a LOT (I suppose you could do the opposite also - turn it over, towels under the ends and a weight in the middle). 3. The third was concave across it's height, similar to one in your video - it was impossible to keep it flat to the wall as either to top or bottom kicked out. After struggling for an hour or so, the only fix I had was to flip it and use the other design instead. This way the top and bottom of the board was flush with the wall and the middle bowed outwards, but since it's consistent along the length luckily it's not noticeable. If anyone buys pine skirting, first thing I'd suggest is inspect every board if you can before buying (I had ordered online), then once home (if they start to warp) inspect them again and group them together. If you're unlucky and have a load of concave boards it's better to find out early as it limits the side to you can use (unless you want big gaps). The warping on mine forced me to use the Torus side.
Thanks for this. The other suggestion I would have is leave them outside (or in the unheated garage, similar to where you bought them) until you need to use them, and mechanically fix them before they have a chance to warp. Only problem is they will shrink and leave gaps underneath.
Hi Charlie, every video you do is done in the real world, you tell it like it is, you are also straight talking and informative without being boring or over the top. Will have to send you a contribution as I find your videos invaluable!
Thanks mate. The editing sometimes (nearly always) runs into days, with DIY jobs ironically piling up around the house, so you have no idea how important comments like that are, for motivating me to keep producing this content 👍
Genius stuff, thanks. I do this kind of thing so seldom though (and being 71) I won’t be spending several hundred pounds on tools but will be relying on my dodgy saws etc. 😂 MDF skirting is my project this afternoon now that the flooring is down. Having dropped the skirting pieces in place before the radiators were put back on will make glueing impossible unless I can carefully encourage hot glue to drip down the back. Your video was great by the way and I love the fast presentation. No umm-ing and ah-ing but pushing the points thick and fast. Much appreciated . Subscribed .
Thanks very much! great video. I know the pain of fitting skirting to an old house with crumbling uneven walls and floors. Takes for ever and a day your tips are much appreciated.
My first experience a few years ago with skirting hit all the problems you described so it's a relief to see them present in this video along with solutions. Love the solution for the sagging floor section - genius. Due to the warped wood problems I encountered, I've committed to never using wood for skirting again, just too much hassle - chips in MDF can be filled and painted. I also used double-sided skirting which the carpet-fitters broke, despite me warning them of the type of skirting. So anyone tempted by double-sided, avoid like the plague.
Very nice video. As a keen and experienced DIY-er, it's good to see that others face the same issues too and the solutions are similar too. Thanks mate. 👍
Great video. One tip is to put a strip of wide masking tape (I use the wide green or yellow frog tape) down along the wall and put the skirting baord down on top of it. You can then tape paper around the outside of the room on top of this strip. Then when you paint you already have the floor masked off. Just run a knife round under the skirting when tour done and remove the masking tape.
You spoke at a good pace, not too fast, which is good for us DIY'ers. I had to pause the video to get a glimpse of that very useful mini spatula you used to fill the screw holes 'n gaps with and thanks for showing the products and where to get them. It's small things like that that matter to those of us that diy infrequently/ less. Great video.
Well done Charlie on yet another calm, no - music, no back to front baseball caps, no American accents but narrated with nice clear spoken English. As a professional woodworker , restorer/ conservator of antique furniture your single saw cut reminded me of the cabinet makers method of curving timber by ‘saw kerfing’ ; making numerous cuts from the back of the board to about 3/4 of the thickness. These cuts need to be made as close together as possible thus by removing material from the back allows the timber to gently flex. Keep them coming.
Hey Charlie, fantastic videos you have accumulated so thanks for sharing. Best method for gaps in skirting is expanding foam. You cut it flush then recess slightly where you can then use caulk but ideally I use ronseal white wood filler which I buy in cartridges so I can fill from a caulk gun in super quick time. Never ever had a gap reopened using this method. Reach out to me if you need any more details.
Hi Charlie, some very useful tips as usual. I agree about the unused Ogee (or Torus) moulding on these dual purpose skirtings, but it is possible, with a little searching, to buy without. Or, I know it will be more expensive, buy the deeper skirting and cut the unwanted moulding off. Yes, a bit of a faff, but you will at least get what you want. I also have an Irwin floorboard saw that I really like, apart from the upper teeth waving around in mid-air.
Top tips. Skirting better fitted in my bedroom than in any other room in the house after watching the video this morning! Great idea to use small-headed screws, and the single cut to counter the bowed floor was a gem. The only pet favourite tip I’d add is to paint skirting before fitting. I always find the filling, sanding down and touching up quicker and easier than cleaning up after my sloppy painting…
Thanks Gordon - pleased you found it useful. Yes I agree painting first is a good option even though you've got to touch it up where you've screwed it to the wall.
Charlie, i've fitted quite a few skirtings and found out the hard ( and expensive ) do's and dont's. Worked out the warped pine skirting so now always stick to mdf. Anyway, always learn soething off your videos and in this one the vertical cut for sagging floor was brilliant. Thanks.
Thanks Dave, I appreciate that! Yes, I'm ready to ditch the pine now. Problem is, now it's installed it looks pretty marvellous. I'm going to have to remind myself what a pain it was by rewatching this video, before I buy the next lot!
I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but this is genuinely one of the best videos I have ever seen on youtube. Fantastic info and nearly every tip is one that I will need to put into use on my own project but would not have known or figured out for myself - many thanks, Charlie - I am really looking forward to getting stuck in now.
Thanks Chris. Yes I was very worried by that splinter, save the hospitals were inundated with COVID so I couldn't have gone in there. Luckily after a week of pain I was typing away at my desk and it suddenly poked out from under my nail. Was such a relief pulling it out!
Thanks, Mark. I had no other choice, as I had a steel bar and tried jamming one end on the skirting and one end under the beam but I only got it down about 15mm!
So glad I watched this before fitting a skirting board. I'd have 45 degree'd the corners. Scribing is so much better. Especially in this old, wonky house! Thanks.
Charlie - your channel is amazing mate. Just come across it and absolutely loving it. Don't think I have ever seen a channel that has such genuinely positive comments and contributions. Kudos to you - you should be knighted with all that public praise! Sir Charlie DIYte 🙂
Thanks so much mate. Really means a lot to read that! It's not always easy doing this but the positivity in the comments has kept me motivated over the years 👊
Good one as always Charlie. We used fully painted MDF and it was great - sat in the house for weeks before being used, no warping and the Chippy did a fantastic job fitting it, looks great - MDF all the way and all glued e.g. no solvent instant grab worked a treat, no fixings other than temporary spacers holding up the sections.
Hat a fantastic video. It’s so comprehensive. I feel confident to put the skirting board myself. Though it shows you that a simple skirting has its complexities. I’m tired of being at the mercy of dodgy tradesmen....
It is...if you fancy the joint opening up when it gets knocked, and the topof the skirting looking stupid. He's already (correctly) shown how to join skirtings longtitudanally... i.e. 45 + 135 deg... then he makes a 90 deg cut in it! If there's a large gap between floor and bottom of skirting, you have to scribe it. That may mean scribing the piece it meets, too - but you should have checked the floors before you start.
I feel your bowed and twisted floors.... very similar to my own, should have poured self levelling compound, but hindsight is a great thing.... that cut for the bows to press down the skirting is quite genius... that splinter was nasty, again did the very same thing..... fair play with the DIY ... love the videos.... keep up the good work lad.....
Great Charlie, love your VERY detailed videos,so very well explained.Your videos are the first port of call if I'm unsure of any DIY projects.Fair play to you.Are you a trades man,or just a very good DIYr
Who wants to see a perfect floor board being fit against a perfect wall. This video shows huge problems and how to deal with them. Brilliant!
Thanks buddy 👍🏻
No nonsence, no embelishing, just accurate and good techinques used in the trade. Keep up the good work!
well apart from the Amazon selling pitch...
As a retired joiner, I can say that your videos are rather accurate and informative.
One small point.
When marking the bottom of your skirting boards, where there is a bow in the floor. Use a proper carpenters pencil, with flat sides. Keep the flat side tight to the floor. The profile of the floor can then be marked accurately on to the skirts.
Thanks so much Tony - humbled to be getting praise from a retired joiner! I love that tip and will definitely do that next time. I always wondered by carpenters pencils were so flat and apparently cumbersome. They are the only ones I can't stash behind my ear!
Charlie that was the best video tuition on the cutting and fitting of floorboards I have ever seen. Thank you so much. You are really good at what you do
Aw, thanks so much Steven. Just about to buy some skirting for the kitchen. Think I'll use MDF this time.
I love your positivity through all the hurdles you encountered 😂 Great video and very informative, thank you
Thanks, I appreciate that 👊
I loved the mini plane and how invaluable it proved and how infirmative the video was as regards uneven walls and especually flooring. The vertical cut in to the board cut to help it sink in to the dip in the floor was a simple but such a fantastic idea. Its small stuff like that, that blows us away.
I saw you use expanding foam in skirting gaps in another video and this video expanded my knowledge quite a bit as to what's possible... I now feel I could do a good job of it myself. Great video. Thanks.
I bought a block plane for some trim and door work, and it's fast become one of my favourite tools. Aside from its effectiveness, using it is so much fun.
Enjoying the videos! I glued skirting board to a 9 meter by 4 meter games room converted from a cow shed. There were 10 internal mitres and 12 external mitres, because we elected to put plasterboard around the supporting pillars to retain as much space around the room as we could. Lengths of board were held in place while the adhesive set overnight, by using two paving blocks, one on top of each other, wrapped in tea towels, at several points along the lengths and pushing hard against the skirting - worked like a charm!
Hey, I actually bought a sheet of mdf and cut with a fence my own skirting, angles it off with a trim router. I used your little kerf tricks and cutting halfway into it to help with the angles in the walls/floors. Really glad I watched this vid, thanks for your efforts!
Great clear explanations Charlie, as ever. I've just been replacing the skirting boards in my house. The bottoms of the door architraves were finished with "Plinth Blocks". I reused some and made new ones where necessary. Very simple to make but also elegant and make the intersection of skirting board and architrave much easier and more professional looking.
Thanks Martin. Yes I think there's a lot to be said for plinth blocks 👍🏻
Nice vid Charlie! I say MDF anyday! on modern homes. I only used timber on period houses but charged a fortune for the work given all the added difficulties, time and hassles which you expect on homes over 100 yrs old. This was my speciality putting back what others had ripped out over the years to so call 'modernising, I call it vandalism un-flushing doors stripping & refurbishing, servicing and refitting window boxes & sashes. I always bring the MDF indoors for week before I fit to counter the shrinkage. I glue the skirting using T REX power grip and as for the smaller pieces around nibs and corners I first glue the corner joints together using hot glue before fixing as a unit - work a treat. Expending foam around the floor/wall gaps works a treat.
Hi Charlie! I watched this video when it was published back in April. I was intersted because I installed skirting boards a few years ago using only grip adhesive which did work but was very awkard to get the aghesive to take hold and was more work than necessary. I have recently installed new skirting in our bedroom and this time as well as adhesive I decided to use those small screws you showed in the video. I used MDF primed and your method worked very well. Drilling pilot holes and then holes for the raw plugs was very straight forward. My only issue was that my drill was not able to recess the screws fully and I had to use a countersink bit. But that only meant some extra filling. My drill is getting on a bit and so are the batteries and MDF is very dense. would reccommend the screws to anyone doing this job. Keep up the good work.
A brilliant masterclass on skirting installation. Loved the single cut to depress into a dip. You make tricky stuff look relatively easy.
Thanks David, I really appreciate that 👊🏻
Hi Charlie, I've learned a lot from your videos over the last couple of years in particular but this one really saved my bacon! We've been in this 1930s house for 10 years now and have been refreshing room by room over that period. Thanks for the clear advice as to how to deal with skirting installation (not to mention all the other tips your videos have covered). I especially found useful your suggestion of how to deal with a dip in the floor level. Our spare bedroom has a floor that wanders all over the place having clearly taken a battering from people less careful than us lifting and replacing floor boards. You really helped!
So glad to hear you found this useful and thanks for letting me know - I really appreciate it. 👊
Another great useful vid Charlie, been through too much pain with knots in the wooden skirting, I only use MDF now and have fitted hundreds of feet of it in my own and 2 lads houses. Had very mixed results with glueing so I just screw to the wall and had no failures with that method (years ago builders just nailed into wood plugs). Someone else below commented on a 45 degree cut to expose an accurate scribe line. I’ve also seen a carpenter just clamp two boards together for the overall length and cut them using a handsaw creating a perfect join. Some old habits die hard before. Compliments on your scribe cuts they look very neat. Keep safe and well. Regards Mike
Thank you Charlie. Your ingenious tip at 17.20 has just saved me a LOT of head scratching!
Hi Charlie. Great video and presentation. An idea for you is that when you have large gaps use " Soudal filler foam " first before you caulk. It does make the project time longer but the foam handles that slight movement which causes caulk to crack.Also you can find a flexible caulk for exactly this type of issue.
Dude, you are a star! Keep doing these videos, even the most dubious beginners will learn how to do it saving a ton of money! Thanks.
I certainly will do, my friend. Thanks for the comment 👍
Y'see this is why I love your channel Charlie. I watched this ages ago knowing I'll be following your method one day. Cut to today and I'm fitting it. Thanks for the awesome videos and hints/tips!
Aw, thanks mate. How are you getting on?
Excellent video, thank you. The lost head screws tip is excellent and the dealing with bowing floor by adding a cut to the top 3/4s of the skirting is genius!!
Thanks James! 👍
You’ve released a number of unbiased and very useful vids, earnt my subscription by now for sure
A pleasure to watch a craftsman at work.
Love watching other DIYers being honest with their pain and regret. Great to learn from other people. Glad the splinter came out!
That's Josh. Yes the relief was massive when that splinter suddenly came to the surface!
Great quality video. I was surprised to not see the use of low expansion foam which I've used on window boards and skirting. It is the quickest method by far and has a super strong hold. I use a particular foam that is not just for filling but for adhesion as well.
Also mentioned earlier. Cutting at 45 degrees gives you the perfect scribe and to cut out.
MDF or smart board is my favoured choice. Sealed correctly is very long lasting.
Here is a link to the low expansion foam adhesive I prefer www.toolstation.com/insta-stik-multi-purpose-expanding-foam/p40173
Great video, wish this was available a couple of years ago when we paid someone to install skirting in our living room.
I’m just about to install skirting board and laminate flooring into bedroom which has gaps in the wall where the skirting board will be fitted. The expanded foam tape should help me here. The plaster where the skirting needs to go looks cracked and loose so will need to repair before drilling or using adhesive. I like your idea on the lost head screws if I need to screw board in. Overall a very helpful video packed with useful information. You have saved me hours. Thank you
Glad you found it useful. Good luck. A lot to do but it will be worth it. 👍
Great job Charlie. Also worth Noting always glue the joints especially in internal and external corners. Regular PVA is strong enough in pine.
For wooden skirting boards that are "cupping" away from the flat of the wall, a relief cut (or two) can be made lengthways along the middle of the rear face of the board. Can be done with a router or even that small power saw you showed. Trial and error on a scrap board will tell you how deep to make that cut - it also helps flatten the board on the mitre saw when cutting the 45 degree cut for the subsequent coping cuts.
Only video I’ve seen that addresses all these issues with skirting. Great video!!
Hi charlie,
Great video, just starting skirting my house throughout, 2 rooms in so far!
I've opted for pre-primed MDF, which I sand and re-prime with BIN, then fix to the wall with nothing but foam. There's some great threads on the screwfix forums and having tried it, it really works very well indeed. I made some cramps with 2x3" and Irwin spreader clamps to hold it along the wall as the foam set and after 20 mins it's fixed and super solid.
On wood filler I just use car body filler now as I'm sure it's exactly the same stuff as 2 pack wood filler and it's half the price!
Re scribing, I've been hogging out the majority with a back cut on the mitre saw then using a flap disc on the angle grinder to shape. It's surprisingly good.
Thanks again for the great video and good to know i'm not the only diy'er battling with skirting at the moment!
Thanks Bill. Yes, that sounds like the way forward. Nice work 👍
Excellent video Charlie as always, informative and easy to follow Instructions with great tips. I especially like the one where you part cut through the skirting to combat the sagging floor, nice one. Keep the videos coming I always look forward to the contents and comments you make, always honest and unbiased. Thank you
Thanks Mick, means a lot, mate. To be honest, if I was doing these vids in a vacuum without any comments I'd find it pretty tough. You guys are my checks and balances, constant source of great ideas and of course encouragement. Just when I'm flagging I get an amazing comment that reminds me why I'm doing this!
Great video this one. Especially the lost tite screws and the little cut to help bend the boards down over.
Brilliant Charlie, thank you. I wish I’d seen the tip on cutting the skirting to lower it to an uneven floor. I recently did our lounge and used MDF, it was great and as you found much easier than working with timber. After a tip from a friend, I used expanding foam to attach the skirting to the wall (just a thin bead) and used bricks or blocks (wrapped in cloth) to hold the skirting against the wall. The foam goes off enough in a few minutes to hold the skirting securely against the wall. A bead of caulk along the top and job done, they’ve been done for two years now without any movement 👍
Wish I had the gear, and the bottle - to go Kayak fishing in Cornwall
@@Elconbrioso Thanks for looking Peter 👍
Cutting through the top to lower the skirting board is an inspired thing to do! :). The planing line was handy too, though not on the same level. It took me a while to realise that when scribing, you only cut one end, vs 45% degree saw cuts, when you have to cut both ends, hence potentially a much better fit...Thank you! New extension skirting coming up as soon as the tiles and underfloor heating are down. French doors hung yesterday, no longer have an OSB plugged hole in the wall, kitchen might even get finished soon :)
Absolutely brilliant, Charlie, lots of really useful tips. Thank you!
Great video Charlie, Love the tip putting a slice in the skirting to reduce the gap, never would've thought of that
Thanks Don! 👍
Thanks as ever Charlie. A really neat solution to the sagging floor issue. Chapeau!
Thank you brilliant video- followed it exactly step by step and for the first time ever we have perfect corners both internal and external angles on a detailed bit of skirting. Actually cant quite believe it, easy once you know how.
excellent video as usual Charlie, this is a job I need to do in a few weeks time. very timely Thanks!
Im loving these videos Charlie.....so helpful, the tip to fix big gap is genius
As someone currently dealing with warped walls and boards I found this helpful. Thanks.
You're welcome Matthew. Thanks for the comment 👍
You showed and demonstrated every issue and problem you might encounter. But with great editing and detailed explanation you covered every Base. Thanks for the video I always have some or other problems with skirting and scribing thanks. 👍👍👍👍
You're very welcome - massive thanks for the comment 👍
The last few months I've converted a brick built workshop to an office. Did everything from building the stud walls, plasterboarding, insulation, filling, vapour barrier, fitting back boxes, fitting a vinyl plank flooring for the first time etc (left plastering and electrics to the pros).
The final job is to fit skirting boards, something I've never done before. But watching your video has given me confidence to do it. Wish me luck :D
Awesome work. I've got exactly the same situation at the bottom of the garden. D'you want to come and do mine? 😉
Great video, it really helped me with the pine skirting I bought recently. Out of the nine 4m boards I bought, three were just as warped as yours.
1. The first board twisted along it's entire length (like a corkscrew). This one was cut up and was used as small runs of a meter or less where the warping was less of an issue.
2. The second if laid flat bowed upwards at both ends massively. I ended up weighing down both ends and putting some folded towels under the middle to bend it the other direction then leaving it for a few days - this really helped straighten it out a LOT (I suppose you could do the opposite also - turn it over, towels under the ends and a weight in the middle).
3. The third was concave across it's height, similar to one in your video - it was impossible to keep it flat to the wall as either to top or bottom kicked out. After struggling for an hour or so, the only fix I had was to flip it and use the other design instead. This way the top and bottom of the board was flush with the wall and the middle bowed outwards, but since it's consistent along the length luckily it's not noticeable.
If anyone buys pine skirting, first thing I'd suggest is inspect every board if you can before buying (I had ordered online), then once home (if they start to warp) inspect them again and group them together. If you're unlucky and have a load of concave boards it's better to find out early as it limits the side to you can use (unless you want big gaps). The warping on mine forced me to use the Torus side.
Thanks for this. The other suggestion I would have is leave them outside (or in the unheated garage, similar to where you bought them) until you need to use them, and mechanically fix them before they have a chance to warp. Only problem is they will shrink and leave gaps underneath.
Great video mate. I’ve been doing joinery now for many many years and I’m still learning new stuff thanks Charlie
Mate.... I'm a time served chippie and I found this hilarious.
Hi Charlie, every video you do is done in the real world, you tell it like it is, you are also straight talking and informative without being boring or over the top. Will have to send you a contribution as I find your videos invaluable!
Thanks mate. The editing sometimes (nearly always) runs into days, with DIY jobs ironically piling up around the house, so you have no idea how important comments like that are, for motivating me to keep producing this content 👍
Genius stuff, thanks. I do this kind of thing so seldom though (and being 71) I won’t be spending several hundred pounds on tools but will be relying on my dodgy saws etc. 😂 MDF skirting is my project this afternoon now that the flooring is down. Having dropped the skirting pieces in place before the radiators were put back on will make glueing impossible unless I can carefully encourage hot glue to drip down the back. Your video was great by the way and I love the fast presentation. No umm-ing and ah-ing but pushing the points thick and fast. Much appreciated . Subscribed .
Thanks very much! great video. I know the pain of fitting skirting to an old house with crumbling uneven walls and floors. Takes for ever and a day your tips are much appreciated.
Thanks Chris. It's a pain but the end result should keep you motivated. 👊
My first experience a few years ago with skirting hit all the problems you described so it's a relief to see them present in this video along with solutions. Love the solution for the sagging floor section - genius. Due to the warped wood problems I encountered, I've committed to never using wood for skirting again, just too much hassle - chips in MDF can be filled and painted. I also used double-sided skirting which the carpet-fitters broke, despite me warning them of the type of skirting. So anyone tempted by double-sided, avoid like the plague.
Ditto with carpet fitters - rushed the job and slashed into my skirting board!!!
Would love to see you installing a pocket door! You make it all look so easy 😂 great work 👍🏻
Very nice video. As a keen and experienced DIY-er, it's good to see that others face the same issues too and the solutions are similar too. Thanks mate. 👍
Thanks Mahesh, I appreciate that, mate 👊🏻
Great video. One tip is to put a strip of wide masking tape (I use the wide green or yellow frog tape) down along the wall and put the skirting baord down on top of it. You can then tape paper around the outside of the room on top of this strip. Then when you paint you already have the floor masked off. Just run a knife round under the skirting when tour done and remove the masking tape.
You spoke at a good pace, not too fast, which is good for us DIY'ers. I had to pause the video to get a glimpse of that very useful mini spatula you used to fill the screw holes 'n gaps with and thanks for showing the products and where to get them. It's small things like that that matter to those of us that diy infrequently/ less. Great video.
You're very welcome. Thanks so much for the comment - always good to get feedback. Drop me a line if you need any other help 👍
Well done Charlie on yet another calm, no - music, no back to front baseball caps, no American accents but narrated with nice clear spoken English.
As a professional woodworker , restorer/ conservator of antique furniture your single saw cut reminded me of the cabinet makers method of curving timber by ‘saw kerfing’ ; making numerous cuts from the back of the board to about 3/4 of the thickness. These cuts need to be made as close together as possible thus by removing material from the back allows the timber to gently flex.
Keep them coming.
Thanks Andrew, I really appreciate that, particularly coming as it does from a professional woodworker. 👊
Hey Charlie, fantastic videos you have accumulated so thanks for sharing. Best method for gaps in skirting is expanding foam. You cut it flush then recess slightly where you can then use caulk but ideally I use ronseal white wood filler which I buy in cartridges so I can fill from a caulk gun in super quick time. Never ever had a gap reopened using this method. Reach out to me if you need any more details.
The final tip on the sagging floor was absolute gold! Thanks!!
Thanks, really appreciate the comment 👍
Fantastic DIY instructional - so to-the-point with nothing but essential, excellent information, and well delivered. Perfect.
Thanks mate, I really appreciate that 👊🏻
Hi Charlie, some very useful tips as usual. I agree about the unused Ogee (or Torus) moulding on these dual purpose skirtings, but it is possible, with a little searching, to buy without. Or, I know it will be more expensive, buy the deeper skirting and cut the unwanted moulding off. Yes, a bit of a faff, but you will at least get what you want. I also have an Irwin floorboard saw that I really like, apart from the upper teeth waving around in mid-air.
Some great tips..thanks for taking the time to make and post..
Top tips. Skirting better fitted in my bedroom than in any other room in the house after watching the video this morning! Great idea to use small-headed screws, and the single cut to counter the bowed floor was a gem. The only pet favourite tip I’d add is to paint skirting before fitting. I always find the filling, sanding down and touching up quicker and easier than cleaning up after my sloppy painting…
Thanks Gordon - pleased you found it useful. Yes I agree painting first is a good option even though you've got to touch it up where you've screwed it to the wall.
Wow! I love your videos. You address every possible scenario. Thank you for these absolutely in depth tutorials for us DIY-ers. Regards.
As per usual...Tip Top video .!!!
Straight to the point, and especially none of the usual RUclips faff.
Much appreciated
Charlie, i've fitted quite a few skirtings and found out the hard ( and expensive ) do's and dont's. Worked out the warped pine skirting so now always stick to mdf. Anyway, always learn soething off your videos and in this one the vertical cut for sagging floor was brilliant. Thanks.
Thanks Dave, I appreciate that! Yes, I'm ready to ditch the pine now. Problem is, now it's installed it looks pretty marvellous. I'm going to have to remind myself what a pain it was by rewatching this video, before I buy the next lot!
Thanks for the tip about cutting the skirting board to bend it down, will be using it in the future...
I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but this is genuinely one of the best videos I have ever seen on youtube. Fantastic info and nearly every tip is one that I will need to put into use on my own project but would not have known or figured out for myself - many thanks, Charlie - I am really looking forward to getting stuck in now.
Thanks so much for that, mate. Can't thank you enough. It's a hard slog putting these vids together but comments like this make it worth while 👊
Excellent workarounds Charlie. Especially that cut to force the boards down. And that splinter looked a beast!
Thanks Chris. Yes I was very worried by that splinter, save the hospitals were inundated with COVID so I couldn't have gone in there. Luckily after a week of pain I was typing away at my desk and it suddenly poked out from under my nail. Was such a relief pulling it out!
Excellent video, thanks. I specially liked the idea of making a cut in the skirting so that you could bend it to the dip in the floor - nice one!
Thanks, Mark. I had no other choice, as I had a steel bar and tried jamming one end on the skirting and one end under the beam but I only got it down about 15mm!
Yeah that is a great trick! My floors are all on the wonk old house etc so I’ll be using that trick for sure. Great video Charlie Thanks
brilliant tips wrt to using those small locktite screws and genius wrt to using a cut in the skirting to allow enough flex to push it down.
Thanks mate 👍
The tip at 17 mins is genius in its simplicity.
Thanks, I appreciate that 👍
Great video Charlie your instruction is clear and precise.
So glad I watched this before fitting a skirting board. I'd have 45 degree'd the corners. Scribing is so much better. Especially in this old, wonky house! Thanks.
Thanks for the comment Daniel. Glad you found it useful👍🏻
Usual standard of excellent videos. Thanks Charlie...
I bought those lost head screws. They are fantastic. Thanks Charlie.
Cheers Bobby. Glad you liked them. You'll find a multitude of uses for them 👍🏻
This video was really well put together. It was explained perfectly and gave extra information. 10/10
Thanks so much Kemar 👍
Fantastic thank you...I was able to make my skirting board fit a bowed floor thanks to this video.. great stuff Charlie very helpful..
Thanks for those tips Charlie. Hope you are all ok. Take care and be safe
Great video Charlie just took mine off and you have given me plenty of tips thank you
Im a home DIYer and I love those Irwin saws. 👌
They're good aren't they 👍
Charlie - your channel is amazing mate. Just come across it and absolutely loving it. Don't think I have ever seen a channel that has such genuinely positive comments and contributions. Kudos to you - you should be knighted with all that public praise! Sir Charlie DIYte 🙂
Thanks so much mate. Really means a lot to read that! It's not always easy doing this but the positivity in the comments has kept me motivated over the years 👊
Good one as always Charlie. We used fully painted MDF and it was great - sat in the house for weeks before being used, no warping and the Chippy did a fantastic job fitting it, looks great - MDF all the way and all glued e.g. no solvent instant grab worked a treat, no fixings other than temporary spacers holding up the sections.
Thanks mate. I'm with you on all that 👍
I hate MDF but this has changed my mind.
Hat a fantastic video. It’s so comprehensive. I feel confident to put the skirting board myself. Though it shows you that a simple skirting has its complexities. I’m tired of being at the mercy of dodgy tradesmen....
17:25 - that's really clever! A good tip, cheers Charlie
It is...if you fancy the joint opening up when it gets knocked, and the topof the skirting looking stupid. He's already (correctly) shown how to join skirtings longtitudanally... i.e. 45 + 135 deg... then he makes a 90 deg cut in it! If there's a large gap between floor and bottom of skirting, you have to scribe it. That may mean scribing the piece it meets, too - but you should have checked the floors before you start.
I’ve just bought my first home and have subscribed! Very useful video, thank you!
Thanks, I really appreciate that 👍🏻
Great guide thanks Charlie!
You're welcome. Thanks for the comment. 👍
I love that last tip on lowering the board to the dip in the floor
Thanks 👍
Great video. Just about do my own skirting, and I know the floor has a dip as well,great idea to cut down the skirting. Cheers.
Thanks Terry, and Dave who works for us in the old soft furnishings business would approve of your logo!
another great presentation - thanks for sharing your skills
Thanks, I really appreciate that 🙏👊
Cheers Charlie. Watched many of your videos now. The lost tite screws are a great idea. 💡👍
Thanks so much for watching so many of my vids. Really chuffed you've found them useful 🙏👍🏻
My often used comment when learning "New Skills" is, 'you don't know until you know". thank you for your explaining as you worked..
You're welcome. Thanks for the comment 👍
Brilliant as always!
thanks for this! I installed my skirting boards today and some of your tricks came in really handy as our walls are awefully wonky.
Glad to hear it Chrissy. Thanks for letting me know 👊
Tanx for the upload always enjoy watching your videos👍
Thanks 👍
thank you so much for this video. cannot wait for the next one!
I feel your bowed and twisted floors.... very similar to my own, should have poured self levelling compound, but hindsight is a great thing.... that cut for the bows to press down the skirting is quite genius... that splinter was nasty, again did the very same thing..... fair play with the DIY ... love the videos.... keep up the good work lad.....
Brilliant. Thorough and concise. You have earned a subscription sir.
Thanks Jeremy, I really appreciate the comment, and the subscription 👍
This is the one I've been looking for! Yay!
Hi Charlie, great tip about how to overcome a sagging floor. I’ve used instastick foam and those screws with good results.
Great Charlie, love your VERY detailed videos,so very well explained.Your videos are the first port of call if I'm unsure of any DIY projects.Fair play to you.Are you a trades man,or just a very good DIYr
This video was really helpful. Thank you Charlie for these helpful tips!
You're welcome. Thanks for the comment 🙏
Great tips, well explained.