tiles or skirting boards first?

[SkyHook]

I am getting a room built by a builder.

He is completing everything, apart from the floor tiles. I am going to try laying them myself.

I dont know whether to let him attach the skirting boards, then tile up to them - or tell him to leave them until I have done the tiling.

Any advice for this novice greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

[emptybucketman]

Skirting on after the tiling. A better finish and the skirting won't sit in water after mopping the floor.

[silentC]

Conversely, I put my skirting in first, because I have areas of carpet adjacent, and would otherwise have had to rip the skirting down to get the same height throughout. The skirting is painted first and so is protected from any small amount of water that might sit on it after mopping.

Doing it this way meant that the finish carpentry was completed, all rooms thoroughly cleaned, the ceiling and walls painted, then the floor coverings laid. You really don't want carpenters back in once you have cleaned up all the saw dust to lay the tiles/paint the walls and ceiling.

You will also have gaps under the skirting if you lay it over the tiles, as you will be doing very well to lay them all perfectly flat - plus you will have the grout gaps. This needs to be sealed after the fact and then your skirting has to be cut in to the tiles. Much easier to paint the skirting before tiling.

Those are my reasons for doing it that way.

[manoftalent]

skirting placed first , then tiled up too ....for an added feature, quad between the skirting and tile ....can be small 12 mm or big 25mm , but it does make a heck of a difference as no dirt can hide in the crevice between tile and skirting .....

[SkyHook]

Skirting on after the tiling. A better finish and the skirting won't sit in water after mopping the floor.

Well, the others seem to agree to do the opposite. I must say that the argument about the floor tiles not being level won me.

I will go with skirting down first. But that leaves the problem of wet timber after washing the floor. As I live in a bachelor pad, there is a very easy solution to that problem - DONT WASH THE FLOOR

[silentC]

If you're painting the skirting, then use an oil-based enamel (same colour as the walls but in a semi-gloss) and you wont have a problem with the small amount of water that will get on it.

[emptybucketman]

If that's your cleaning regime then make sure you use grey grout

[RPMT]

skirting should always sit on top of the tile. if you have to rip the skirting down to suit so be it!... the joint between the skirting board and the tile will allways look messy/cracked joints if the tile is brought up to the skirting unless of course you silicone/caulk this area. and if your cuts towards the walls are imperfect then the skirting will hide these

[SkyHook]

skirting should always sit on top of the tile. if you have to rip the skirting down to suit so be it!... the joint between the skirting board and the tile will allways look messy/cracked joints if the tile is brought up to the skirting unless of course you silicone/caulk this area. and if your cuts towards the walls are imperfect then the skirting will hide these

Well, thanks for all the advice everyone.

I guess I'll have to make the decision at the time. My gut feeling is "skirting last" - then it can easily be removed if it ever needs to be. The silicone/caulk is a good tip.

Mark

[silentC]

the joint between the skirting board and the tile will allways look messy/cracked joints if the tile is brought up to the skirting unless of course you silicone/caulk this area.

Funny that mine doesn't. Perhaps it depends on how good the tiler is.

I've done it both ways and prefer skirting first for finish, so there you go. Also looks better at doorways because the grout line follows the perimeter rather than disappearing under the skirting.

Have fun making up your mind Mark.

[patty]

Im with Silent and man of talent on this one, any houses I have been involved in and that is plenty the skirting always goes down first, then the tiles are laid! if the tiles are perfectly flat you shouldnt have a problem with putting the skirting down but if they differ slightly in height which you wont see with the human eye, but go to put down a length of skitring and it "rides up in spots around the edges you will have small gaps here and there!

[RPMT]

so would you place your timber floor down after you had placed your skirting?

if you have dips and gaps between the skirting then the tiling hasnt been done right.

just my personal opinion

[peter_sm]

I would do the flooring first and put the skirting board last. Polished floorboards - skirting is last.

When I laid our solid timber floating floors, I removed all skirting and then put new skirting boards on after. Looks much better than quad, which in my opinion looks like it is there to hide an irregular join.

When we put linoleum (not vinyl) in our bathroom, I put it down first and put the tiles on the walls afterwards, again to give a neat finished edge that does not have any chance of holding water. While standing up, you have no chance of seeing 1mm irregularities in tile edges if the cut edges are facing down. If you are standing, and you are near a wall, you will be able to see irregularities on any floor material.

The one time I see this being very different is with carpet. It is laid with the skirting board needing to already be in place to jam the edges and hold them down.

[RPMT]

exactly. carpet is the only flooring finish where the skirting goes on 1st

[Chumley]

This sounds like the old "which way up do I put my decking boards" type argument. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. The interesting part is that there are so many people who are so definite.

Do it whichever way makes more sense to you.

Cheers,
Adam