Thread: Help!! Who Does Skirting Boards........

Try "Home Maintence and Repairs" in the Yellow Pages

Originally Posted by attie

Not meaning to be rude at all makka, sorry you took it that way. It's just that I've always made up my own skirting boards and architraves for every home I've built. It gives the client a choice to have something different.

Ah, I was just stating that your post was NOT rude. I didn't find it rude, there was nothing personal in it as far as I remember.

"How exactly are you being rude?" was meant that I was confused as to why you would think I would find it rude...........

Originally Posted by rod1949

Try "Home Maintence and Repairs" in the Yellow Pages

Rod, Thankyou!!!!

That is exactly what I was looking for. Although I did already find it a while ago.

LOL

Originally Posted by attie

I've always made up my own skirting boards and architraves for every home I've built. It gives the client a choice to have something different.

It doesn't take that long if you're getting your square dressed cheaper, but is it that much cheaper or are you just giving the client more options?
I made my own profile similar to a colonial mould with my power saw ages ago. That was before I had a router, and I had the material out of a demolition I did anyway so it cost me nothing but a bit of juice to run the saw and planer.

Of course if you're starting with a tree from your backyard and a chainsaw mill then you'd save heaps.

So, I gave up finding someone to do it for me, and took all ya'lls advice to do it myself.

Bought the skirting boards today...

Got 27m (5 lengths). Plus the guy threw in an extra one

MDF primed and ready to paint, cut and install.

Just need to find an appropriate cutting tool and I am on my way.

Originally Posted by Trav

I just replaced all the skirting baords in my house. I ended up buying pre-primed MDF skirts from bunnings. Installing is pretty easy - but can be a little fiddly as you try and get the right length and tight mitres on outside corners.

Big hint would be to paint them before installing. Cut, then dry fit, then paint then install. I wish I painted before I installed, but my wife assured me that we would be hiring painters. Now it appears that I am the hired painter...

Trav

Any tips for cutting nice fitting corners?

Originally Posted by makka619

...Any tips for cutting nice fitting corners?

Makita SCMS or a Jet Supersaw. (both still on my wish list )

Use a fine tooth blade when makeing cuts. This will give you a better finish

Originally Posted by makka619

So, I gave up finding someone to do it for me, and took all ya'lls advice to do it myself.

Bought the skirting boards today...

Got 27m (5 lengths). Plus the guy threw in an extra one

MDF primed and ready to paint, cut and install.

Just need to find an appropriate cutting tool and I am on my way.






Any tips for cutting nice fitting corners?

Makka619,

If the skirting has a shape to it, ie colonial etc, then you scribe the joints you DON'T mitre them. This means that you cut a 45 degree angle throught the thickness on the end of the skirting and on the line created by this cut you use a coping saw and follow the profile created slightly under cutting in the process, this will produce a very neat tight joint.

The first board to be installed is the one you see as you first enter the room. The board has just square cut ends. Then you scribe the adjacent boards into this one and so on.

Hope this helps. I'm sure someone will come up with a sketch or picture.

Originally Posted by rod1949

Makka619,

If the skirting has a shape to it, ie colonial etc, then you scribe the joints you DON'T mitre them. This means that you cut a 45 degree angle throught the thickness on the end of the skirting and on the line created by this cut you use a coping saw and follow the profile created slightly under cutting in the process, this will produce a very neat tight joint.

The first board to be installed is the one you see as you first enter the room. The board has just square cut ends. Then you scribe the adjacent boards into this one and so on.

Hope this helps. I'm sure someone will come up with a sketch or picture.

Thanks for the replies.

I looked up all the terms so I could understand the reply better. Anyway, it's not colonial, it is more like a bullnose, but instead of being rounded off at the top, it is a flat 45 degree angle. If that makes sense.

Just so were on the same page, this is scribe

http://www.sheridan-uk.com/wood/images/join3.jpg

and this is mitre

http://www.sheridan-uk.com/wood/images/join3.jpg

I looked up the terms and thats what I got. But from reading your reply (This means that you cut a 45 degree angle throught the thickness on the end of the skirting) it sounds as though you are saying that they are opposite (colonial is a 45 degree angle, mitre is flat cut.)

I am probably misinterpreting your post but I just wanted to clear this up. Are you saying that I don't do 45 degree cuts as in the pic of the Mitre for each one but straight cuts or the other way around.

Yes, I am confusing you and myself both.

I looked up the terms and thats what I got. But from reading your reply (This means that you cut a 45 degree angle throught the thickness on the end of the skirting)

[/quote]

Seems your on the right track. I just did a search for "Mitre Scribing" on this site which came up with a few threads, some of the threads had useful links.

Otherewise just mitre your joints and play around with them until they fit or fill em with putty.

Macca, I just went through installing Skirting boards myself. I read all of the posts on here about "scribing" etc, and it confused and scared me both at the same time. My wife selected the fanciest colonial pattern, and I think it is 190 mm high. All I did was use an electric compound mitre saw and cut them both on 45 degree angles, then whacked them together With a SMALL amount of no more gaps, then painted over, they have come up great (even if I do say so myself )

We primed ours before installing them, then painted them with the top coat once installed as I had to putty up the nail holes, then sand them smooth etc.

The other tricky part to this will be to see whether your room corners are square. If not it makes a big difference. I was lucky that I had rebuilt 2 of the walls so was fairly happy with the rooms squareness, if that is a word

Alex

It's not that hard scribing. AFAIC it's quicker, easier, and gives you a perfect joint, because you don't have to be as accurate with your measurements. There's a knack to holding the coping saw so you undercut a bit and leave a slightly acute angle at the face. It ends up nice and tight when you push it against the piece that you're working to.

Originally Posted by AlexJ66

Macca, I just went through installing Skirting boards myself. I read all of the posts on here about "scribing" etc, and it confused and scared me both at the same time. My wife selected the fanciest colonial pattern, and I think it is 190 mm high. All I did was use an electric compound mitre saw and cut them both on 45 degree angles, then whacked them together With a SMALL amount of no more gaps, then painted over, they have come up great (even if I do say so myself )

We primed ours before installing them, then painted them with the top coat once installed as I had to putty up the nail holes, then sand them smooth etc.

The other tricky part to this will be to see whether your room corners are square. If not it makes a big difference. I was lucky that I had rebuilt 2 of the walls so was fairly happy with the rooms squareness, if that is a word

Alex

Awesome, thanks.


Where can I get diagrams of scribing/mitreing? I have been reading other threads/ google. My head hurts.

Originally Posted by makka619

Where can I get diagrams of scribing/mitreing? I have been reading other threads/ google. My head hurts.

Have a look at this. I found it doing a search of this site, and it came from here.
Don't use the tracing method on page three. I'd use the mitre cut method on page four. I'd cut it from the top and not the bottom. I'd use a handsaw for the straight part. Undercut it a bit so theirs a slight acute angle at the front edge. When you push it hard against the abutting piece it should be nice and tight. But before you cut it, check that the piece that you're butting against is square from the floor. If it's not you can adjust your mitre cut to suit by checking the angle with a bevel.