Installing skirting boards to a brick wall

[ErrolFlynn]

I have some buggered (termite damage) skirting boards on the wall. I’ve never installed skirting before. The existing boards are timber with a bull-nose profile. The walls are brick. Old place – built 30 to 50 years ago. One small section of the wall doesn’t exist as yet – brickie is coming in next week.

I suspect I’ll be okay with mitre joints. I was thinking MDF only because it doesn’t warp. But I’m no expert. My concern is fixing it to the wall. I was thinking of using screws and rawlplugs to secure it (the minimum number possible). And if the wall wasn’t straight I’d use more screws and rawlplugs to pull it in. When happy with the appearance I was going to take it off, slap some glue on, then screw it back.

Am I off the rails with this? I'm not going to nail into brick - I'm not that good with a hammer.

Glue – what do people use for this sort of application?

[Hodgo]

I had to replace the skirting boards in my federation house after rising damp rectification

I used a product called "spaghetti" made by ramset

it comes in a small roll to be cut as you use it (goes a long way)

you drill thru the timber and into the masonry with a 5.5mm masonry bit to a depth of about 60mm, push the spaghetti in all the way, with draw slightly and cut with sidecutters, you then drive a 4mm bullet head nail thru the centre and punch in

it works really well, even taking up slight contours and has never become dislodged, I never bothered with any glue, just no gaps before painting

hope this helps

Hodgo

[Camelot]

How you have described sounds ok, if your using mechanical fixings there is no real need to glue, but if you want to then use a good quality construction adhesive. I would not use mdf because it swells if water gets to it and does not shrink back to it's original size.

[ErrolFlynn]

That's interesting. I dare say the spaghetti might be a long roll of what people buy as rawlplugs before they've been cut to 25mm, or whatever size they are. Thanks for that. It would certainly make the process of nailing so much easier (than punching some masonry-piercing nail into the brickwork).

The thing with rawlplugs (or any other similar type of device) is being able to get it where you want it. Particularly if there are a lot of such things. And the big thing is that generally, the hole of the rawlplug needs to be larger than the hole running through the piece that's being attached. Easy/tedious solution is to drill through the timber into the masonry, remove the timber, then widen the hole in the masonry to fit the rawlplug. Tedious. Your solution would avoid that.

[Hodgo]

That's interesting. I dare say the spaghetti might be a long roll of what people buy as rawlplugs before they've been cut to 25mm, or whatever size they are. Thanks for that. It would certainly make the process of nailing so much easier (than punching some masonry-piercing nail into the brickwork).

The thing with rawlplugs (or any other similar type of device) is being able to get it where you want it. Particularly if there are a lot of such things. And the big thing is that generally, the hole of the rawlplug needs to be larger than the hole running through the piece that's being attached. Easy/tedious solution is to drill through the timber into the masonry, remove the timber, then widen the hole in the masonry to fit the rawlplug. Tedious. Your solution would avoid that.

I started out on the rawl plug path and became totally frustrated with it until a carpenter buddy enlightened me to spaghetti

I have used it many times on architraves and skirting boards on 3 differebt houses I've owned with 100% success
you just have to make sure you are drilling into the brick rather than the joint, you can mark the wall above the skirting for the drill hole

its not shaped like the rawl plug profile, it actually a very tight "C" section

I always use galvanised nails just in case rust leeched thru the paint over time

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Just position the skirting, drill a hole through and into the brickwork, fit spag and drive in a nail.No need to remove the skirting after predrilling all the holes in the skirting to accurately fit rawl plugs.

If you're not confident in your judgement you can drill all the holes, remove the skirting and ensure they all go into brick, not mortar, then reposition and start fixing. I prefer to simply start at one end and work my way along, fixing as I go. This avoids any possible misalignments that may occur as the skirting is pulled in. (Or out.)

If the wall is so curved that the skirting needs to be pulled in a long way over a short length it's not the best method, but jobs like that are always a PITA and never come out looking good.

[jack620]

I agree with the spaghetti suggestion. That's what I used to attach hardwood skirts to brick walls in a reno. Skip the glue. It will only make any rectification later a nightmare.

I was thinking MDF only because it doesn’t warp.

No, but it will swell if it gets any moisture in it. I would only use it if I was sure there was no rising damp in the walls.

[rwbuild]

Exactly what Hodgo said but DO NOT USE MDF, use Ezitrim bullnose

[Hodgo]

Exactly what Hodgo said but DO NOT USE MDF, use Ezitrim bullnose

I used fingerjoint pine, for its lower cost and the fact I was painting it

[ErrolFlynn]

I would not use mdf because it swells if water gets to it and does not shrink back to it's original size.

That's good to know. Thanks. I was considering MDF because I thought it would be immune to the effects of moisture. Have to say, I don't really know what it is. It sounds as though it's not much different from chip board. Much obliged to you.

[ErrolFlynn]

I used fingerjoint pine, for its lower cost and the fact I was painting it

I assume Ezitrim is a trade name for a particular company's fingerjoint pine.

[tonzeyd]

Skirting at my place was attached purely with liquid nails, had been in place since we moved in so atleast 10 years old with no issues. We replaced our flooring about 7 years ago had to pull them off and surprisingly the plaster on the walls came off first. The skirting was reattached them to the walls using the same method, liquid nails along the skirting and brad nailed to the wall. Given that they will probably stay till the next owners decide its time to replace its plenty good for me.

If you wanted a more less "permanent" solution the spaghetti is the way to go, but is more time consuming to install.

[Hodgo]

I assume Ezitrim is a trade name for a particular company's fingerjoint pine.

I'm not sure about the trade name, I bought it from Crescent timber in Sydney

they have/had a good range of profiles for architraves and skirting boards

mine were 200mm skirting boards, I don't think I would rely on adhesive only to hold them to the wall

[david.elliott]

use it all the time with MR MDF skirting. MUST be MR. Just for fun I left an offcut outside for a few weeks last year in the rain. No discernable swell, although it was wet through...

[ErrolFlynn]

liquid nails along the skirting and brad nailed to the wall.

I take it that your wall (and the skirting) must have been good and straight. When you say 'brad' I guess you mean those very tiny nails and you used them to hold the skirting in place while the glue set. Were they removed afterwards or countersunk?

I've got a brick wall. I'd have trouble using glue alone unless I was able to brace the boards somehow, from the opposite side of the room, maybe.