Veneered Skirting: Installing Veneer Skirting Boards, White Oak And MDF Skirting Boards, Other Models

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

One of the main finishing elements is the skirting board, it is intended for decorating the area of abutment of the wall and floor in the place where the expansion gap is usually located. Skirting boards can be produced in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Veneered products are very popular on the market, the distinctive feature of which is ease of installation and aesthetic appearance.

Peculiarities

Unlike skirting boards made of solid wood, MDF veneered products include several layers . Wood is expensive and not everyone can afford it, so manufacturers have found an effective way to reduce the cost of production. In the manufacture of some products, most of the structure is made of inexpensive types of wood, for example, pine, and one of the expensive species is applied to the outer front part with a thin layer - this is veneer. It gives the surface an aesthetic appearance, protects against mechanical stress and moisture.

With all the advantages of such a solution, do not forget that the manufacture of veneered skirting boards requires strict adherence to all technological requirements .… If the skirting board was made incorrectly, then it begins to dry out, the veneer peels off and the appearance deteriorates. Any scuffs, bumps and other irregularities in the coating become the basis for recognizing the skirting board as defective.

Another feature of veneered products is its uniqueness . You shouldn't even try to find two products with the same pattern. The patterns and shades of veneers in different areas can vary significantly. This is the special originality of veneer skirting boards, which makes it related to many other natural materials.

Species overview

Modern industry offers several options for veneered MDF skirting boards. Depending on the technical features of the fastening, they can be mounted at an angle or pressed against the entire surface with the back wall.

Skirting boards have different heights . This parameter directly affects the aesthetics of the design of the floor covering. Even the most primitive texture and uncomplicated pattern of parquet or laminate flooring can look noble if supplemented with an inflated skirting board. In addition, such a solution allows you to cover the lower part of the wall and in this way protect it from mechanical damage, which very often occurs during cleaning.

Veneered skirting boards, with all the similarity of their standard sizes and shapes, may have an unequal number of channels for carrying out engineering communications in them. If you plan to run cables and cords under the skirting board, you need to immediately calculate how many of them are required, and only then select the optimal model.

Materials and colors

Most often, veneered MDF skirting boards are made from cheap spruce or pine, and the outer side is covered with veneer made from expensive types of wood. That is why it is quite difficult to visually distinguish such a product from an entirely made of solid wood - you can only notice the difference by carefully examining the end section of the product.

Modern veneer manufacturing technologies allow producing a variety of color options for skirting boards from traditional white and wenge to artificially aged models , - they are irreplaceable when decorating premises in the style of Provence, Shabby Chic and Art Deco.

When choosing a color, it is necessary to proceed from the shade of the flooring and internal doors … However, many interior designers advise not to focus their attention on this. Skirting boards, matched to any other interior compositions to which you want to draw attention (curtains, wallpaper or a sofa), have become a trend in recent seasons.

In addition, it is important to decide in advance exactly where the skirting board will be installed. So, in the corridor, it is better to give preference to models of dark shades, since in this area it is often quite dirty. In the bedroom and living room, you can put plinths of any color, because it is always clean there and the likelihood of staining the plinth is negligible.

How to choose?

When buying a skirting board, you should pay attention to a large number of very different nuances. You need to consider:

• product height;
• its color and texture;
• workmanship;
• skirting board attachment technique;
• the possibility of carrying out hidden wiring behind it.

The veneered skirting board must undergo final drying and processing before decorative finishing . However, some unscrupulous manufacturers neglect these steps. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the technical and operational parameters of the product. It is optimal that the veneer is made of water-resistant wood species (oak, beech, as well as fir and larch). These materials are easy to machine and do not absorb moisture. But linden and other soft hardwood veneer is not recommended, since it cracks and deforms as it naturally dries.

If you buy a skirting board to paint it, the texture and pattern of the wood does not really matter. However when buying, you should inspect each product for the presence of knots, since during installation they can quickly turn into through holes . This not only worsens the appearance of the structure, but also largely weakens the strength of the skirting board and can even lead to its breakage. In the best case, you will be forced to fill up the holes formed with putty, in the worst case, you will have to change the defective product for a new one. The best option would be products on which there are no knots at all, or they are present in a minimum amount on the back of the product.

Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of MDF skirting boards . They can not only have different textures and colors, but also take on different shapes and design features. Much more elegant solutions are offered these days than those that were present in stores a decade ago. The modern skirting board resembles a boot in its shape, while its lower part varies between 15-22 mm. There are also European standard products - a straight profile with a slight rounding in the upper part.

Installation steps

You can start fixing the plinth only after the ceiling lining with walls has been completely completed and the floor covering has been laid . Agree, even the most expensive skirting board will look very ridiculous, being nailed down with metal nails or twisted with self-tapping screws. Such fixation will negate the entire aesthetic effect, therefore, the installation of structures should be approached as responsibly as possible.

Preparatory work

First you need to decide on the required number of panels. To do this, measure the total length of all walls in the room. And if they are of considerable thickness, you should also add the length of the skirting board for facing the doorway. All the results obtained are summed up, and the width of the openings is subtracted from the calculated value.

Next, you need to divide the resulting amount by the length of a typical plinth (usually it is about 250 cm) and round it up. In this way, you can calculate how many skirting boards you need.

Tip: experienced finishers recommend increasing the required number of units of material by 10-15%, that is, purchasing a skirting board with a margin. This will help in the event that one of the plates is accidentally damaged during work or an error is made during the cutting / fitting process.

After measuring the room, mark and cut the veneered MDF profile into several cuts of the required size of straight sections. On flat surfaces, fitting in accordance with the dimensions is easy, but in all other situations, difficulties arise. That's why even before starting work, it is imperative to measure the value of the angle and take into account its appearance (external or internal) . To make a cut on the veneered panel at the required angle, take a hacksaw with frequent teeth or a miter box - these tools help to avoid the appearance of chips and cracks on the veneer.

After finishing the fit, you need to think about how you will attach the skirting board.

Plank mounting options

MDF plinth is installed using one of the following methods:

• rigidly, as tightly as possible, which is called "forever";
• so that at any time you can easily dismantle it.

The easiest way is to fix the skirting board with clips. The procedure in this case includes several stages of work.

• Clips are fixed in the wall and press it as tightly as possible to the flooring.
• On the wall, they indicate the place where you will fix the fasteners - a small hole is drilled in this place, a dowel is inserted into it, then the tile itself is attached. The step between the individual elements should be 45-50 cm. After all the clips are fixed, you can proceed to fixing the skirting board itself.
• If the floor surface is uneven, there is a hole in it, you can add an additional fixation point and try to fix the plinth by bending it slightly … Although this technique does not always work, fluctuations in the level of the flooring are sometimes so great that you have to resort to other methods of installation.

Laying the skirting board with self-tapping screws is practical and reliable . So that the fixation points are not striking, you need to take elongated and thin self-tapping screws - then the hat will be almost invisible, and the mount itself will turn out to be reliable and durable. On the skirting board, you need to draw a marking, between the holes, as well as between the holes and the edges of the panel, you must observe the step. In the marking points, screws are screwed to the wall, then the plinth is removed, and holes are formed according to the marks - and the dowels are screwed in there. The plinth is re-fixed to the wall and screwed in, this time completely.

Installation on finishing nails is similar to this technology, the only difference is that here, not self-tapping screws are used, but special nails with a wooden dowel … The advantages of this technique are undeniable - the attachment points are almost invisible from the outside. However, this method has its limitations. So, in plasterboard walls, as well as in partitions made of any other loose materials, it is impossible to fasten a wooden dowel - it simply will not hold, therefore, other installation methods should be provided.