Thread: Fixing skirts & architraves

12mm is a pretty thin architrave and more likely to split when nailing close to the edge. You could try a bullet head nail 30mm X 2.5 (probably too thick) close to the edge into the door jamb. If that splits then use a thinner nail. If the timber is hard and the nail bends, then put one of the nails in a drill and use it as a drill bit to pre drill the hole before nailing. Space them at about 300>400mm.
As for fixing to the brickwork there are several methods. You could use max bond, or a better but more expensive product called Sikaflex. You could drive a three inch nail through the architrave to mark the wall. I usually put three in for a standard door height, one in the middle and one near the top and bottom. When the wall is marked, remove the architrave and drill some 10>12mm holes and drive timber dowels in. Just cut a piece of timber and split the dowels with a chisel. They don’t have to be perfectly round, just slightly larger than the hole. Softwood is best so as not to split the bricks. Break/chisel/saw the dowels off flush with the wall. In the old days they’d use a plugging chisel to dig out the mortar between the brick beds, and drive a wide wedge in before installing the jamb and archs. The same wedge would be used for both.
Nowadays I’d just drill a 5.5mm hole through the architrave and into the brickwork. Insert a piece of spaghetti as far as you can. Then draw the spaghetti back out about 2mm before slicing it off with a chisel. Tap the spaghetti below the surface using a 75X3.75mm bullet head nail, tapping the pointy end (if it’s a galvanised nail, it holds even better). Spin the nail around and drive it home in the spaghetti. If you don’t have a nail punch, then use another three inch nail, held almost flat against the architrave with the head against the head of the nail in the architrave and give it a hit so it punches the nail under the surface. If you flatten the point of the nail by hitting it with a hammer, it works well as a punch as well and you can use it to punch the smaller nails in the door frame. You could use screws in the spaghetti if you want an even more solid fixing, or you could use glue as well. I just use nails and spaghetti, but if someone wants to pay extra then I’ll squirt on some max bond as well. Or you could just use use skirting nails which are a hardened masonry nail that you can drive through render and into the brick. I wouldn’t bother if they were extruded bricks as they are generally too hard to drive a nail into. It works well with dry pressed bricks, but it wouldn’t be as reliable as spaghetti so I’d definitely be applying some glue as well. As for the length of nail, it depends on how hard the bricks are/how thick the render, but I’d suggest trying a 30mm skirting nail to start with.
As for the skirting, it depends on how wide it is. For a narrow skirting, one nail in the middle at about 600>800mm centres, or wherever there's a gap and you want to draw the skirting in. If it's wider put one at the top and one at the bottom. You may be able to skew a nail down into the flooring to save fixing into the masonry, then you'd only need a nail at the top.

Thanks for the great info

you can use another unconventional method which is use plasterboard stud adhesive and put blobs along the length that will hold it in place for ever

A related question - I need to fix some 67mm mdf skirting to plastered brick walls. Can i do it without any nails? ie just adhesive? If so, what adhesive would you recommend? Preferably one that requires little or no clamping.

You could try 'liquid nail' or similar. Apply to skirt, push in place, remove and allow to stand for 10 min. Should now have a bead on both surfaces. When dryish, push back onto the wall.
Though I would recomend and occassional nail (with spagetti).
Cheers
TM

i did something similar recently where there was a brick wall behind the plaster. just used some cornice glue in blobs, pre-drilled and screw the occasional screw down through the timber into the floor. isnt going anywhere in a hurry.

Originally Posted by dexx

A related question - I need to fix some 67mm mdf skirting to plastered brick walls. Can i do it without any nails? ie just adhesive? If so, what adhesive would you recommend? Preferably one that requires little or no clamping.

I have the same thing: Plaster (Boarded though) brick walls, which I want to attach MDF skirting to.

But I really don't want to use a glue; I can just see it turning into a mess and not working.

Though... if it is recommended in this instance then I will go for it.

I was going to get one of those strong nail guns. Use some type of brick nails with the nail gun. Is this just a ridiculously awesome way of doing it?

My questions:

Is a nail gun recommended to do this job?

And what type of nails would best be used in a nail gun for mdf skirting on plaster boarded brick walls

Originally Posted by makka619

I was going to get one of those strong nail guns. Use some type of brick nails with the nail gun. Is this just a ridiculously awesome way of doing it?

I assume you are talking about a ramset gun (or hilti). They use small charges of different sizes and are use to penetrate concrete and steel. Yes, I think that would be overkill

Originally Posted by makka619

Is a nail gun recommended to do this job?

I must admit, I have used a standard air gun to shoot into the mortar on occassion, but this is very bad for the gun, as that is not what they were designed for.

Originally Posted by makka619

And what type of nails would best be used in a nail gun for mdf skirting on plaster boarded brick walls

I think the old rotary hammer drill and spagetti option, with hand nails and/ or some liquid nails is the constantly recurring theme.

Cheers,
TM

Originally Posted by TermiMonster

I assume you are talking about a ramset gun (or hilti). They use small charges of different sizes and are use to penetrate concrete and steel. Yes, I think that would be overkill


I must admit, I have used a standard air gun to shoot into the mortar on occassion, but this is very bad for the gun, as that is not what they were designed for.


I think the old rotary hammer drill and spagetti option, with hand nails and/ or some liquid nails is the constantly recurring theme.

Cheers,
TM

Thanks . Save $600 without the gun. lol.

Shall now investigate and educate myself on:

Rotary hammer drill
Spagetti
Hand nails
Liquid nails

Please can tell me just what it is that you call spagetti.

Ta Peter

Originally Posted by coedcae

Please can tell me just what it is that you call spagetti.

Ta Peter

Spagetti is a wall plug 2m long, so you can drill your hole to what ever depth and trim with a chisel or knife. Does this help? also saves thousands of plugs rolling around your tool box.

Ex Kiwi