PDA

View Full Version : Finishing Walls with no Skirting Boards















aluminimum
5th October 2005, 08:49 AM
I'd like to remove my skirting boards and finish the walls so I do not have skirting on the finished walls. I want to achieve the look you see in art galleries and minimal houses. Does this technique have a specific name and how is it achieved.

Thanks

bennylaird
5th October 2005, 08:59 AM
Sorry I can't help but would like to add a similar question here.

How does one best attach skirting boards to a brick wall, concrete floor? Only ideas I have are drill holes and screw into spagetti or perhaps glue with hard as nails?

bitingmidge
5th October 2005, 09:27 AM
I'd like to remove my skirting boards and finish the walls so I do not have skirting on the finished walls. I want to achieve the look you see in art galleries and minimal houses. Does this technique have a specific name and how is it achieved.


The technique is called "so that's why they put skirting boards in houses".

Having been through my "lets' not use skirting boards" phase, I can tell you that they actually take quite a lot of abuse from brooms, vacuum cleaner heads, leads, and even feet. Be prepared to be surprised!

Depending on what material the walls are made of, it should be a simple matter of pulling them off with whatever impliment of destruction comes to hand, then plastering up the mess that's underneath.

Of course if your walls are a modern plasterboard material, be prepared for the sheeting to be 25mm or more short of the floor, and look out for the tapered edge that was designed to be plastered over. Do you really want to do this?
:D

It's not a difficult thing to do though!

Cheers,

P
:D :D :D

silentC
5th October 2005, 09:36 AM
I'd try to talk you out of it also. I lived in a house that had this set up and the walls all around the floor line were scuffed and knocked about from furniture, vacuum cleaners and general wear and tear.

There's an old saying that I'd like to introduce you to: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. ;)

Benny, do a search on that subject mate, there's plenty of waffle on it. Someone asked as recently as last week.

namtrak
5th October 2005, 09:50 AM
I would suspect that you would not be using gyprock as your wall lining if you want to achieve this look.

Why not run a small skirting or even quad around the base and paint it the same colour as the wall, would almost achieve the same effect.

namtrak
5th October 2005, 09:55 AM
Sorry I can't help but would like to add a similar question here.

How does one best attach skirting boards to a brick wall, concrete floor? Only ideas I have are drill holes and screw into spagetti or perhaps glue with hard as nails?

For one room here I drilled holes and screwed the skirting with spaghetti. For the rest of the house I just glued them with liquid nails and banged in some concrete nails (although I did need to countersink the nails to hide them), the second option was easier. All the skirting is still attached. I also ran a bead of no more gaps along the top of the skirting prior to painting them.

Cheers

Pulse
6th October 2005, 11:22 AM
100mm 3.75mm gal nails into spagetti works well too. Use a good hammer drill to go through both the skirting and the wall. put the spagetti in and trim with a chisel or knife, then belt in the nails. Reinforce with polyurethane adhesive if you want.. it allows a bit more movement than liquid nails


Cheers
Pulse

bennylaird
6th October 2005, 11:33 AM
Thanks Guys will give it a go. Might go with the contrete nails between the bricks and some liquid nails and see how I go and then the Spagetti if things dont go easy.

Nothing this weekend though, Wood Show, Bathurst and the Cricket will keep me busy.

Ashore
6th October 2005, 02:48 PM
Aluminium If you attach the walls to the floor where do you allow for expansion of the floor , If you have carpet then a small quad will be covered anyway


The trouble with life is there's no background music.

Russell

ausdesign
6th October 2005, 02:56 PM
bennylaird a lot of the time perps in brickwork aren't solid & the concrete nails or spag. won't hold. if this is the case timber wedges 'belted in' work a treat.

Metung
6th October 2005, 10:25 PM
Aluminimum, I'm with you - I like that look too. I was going to make a million dollars by inventing a plastic strip that is recessed into the bottom of the plasterboard and when painted, would have the effect you are talking about. It would also go some way to satisfying the wear and tear concerns posted. However, I think it has already been done but I don't know what the registererd product name is. If it hasn't, then go for it, I'm too old.

Barry_White
6th October 2005, 10:47 PM
Sorry I can't help but would like to add a similar question here.

How does one best attach skirting boards to a brick wall, concrete floor? Only ideas I have are drill holes and screw into spagetti or perhaps glue with hard as nails?

There are several ways.

As some have said with spagetti with nails.

Buildex make a screw called Tapcons which will go through the timber and screw into the bricks.

Ramset make Nylon Anchors that you drill through the timber into bricks push the nylon anchors in and drive the nails into the nylon anchors.

Glue it on with Maxbond, just push bricks up against it until the Maxbond goes of.

Nail it on with Concrete nails into the mortar joints.

The old way was to hammer timber wedges into the mortar joints and then nail the skirting on with standard nails.

seriph1
7th October 2005, 08:16 AM
National Gallery of Victoria has skirting boards painted the same colour as the walls

seriph1
7th October 2005, 08:18 AM
making your own skirt from 12mm pine or similar, that is simply square dressed and has a bevel at the top would probably achieve the look you want while still protecting the bottom of the wall

aluminimum
7th October 2005, 08:21 AM
Thanks guys, after the first two comments I was thinking of bailling out on the idea, then I thought of a really thin and shallow skirting board painted the same as the walls. I also fancy a thin strip of aluminium in a "L" shape to undercut the shadow gap, I just dont want the same old look!

seriph1
7th October 2005, 08:27 AM
aluminium won't hold the paint unless you powder coat it I guess - but then you'll have a problem with colour matching and lustre. Is this a very modern home?