Skirting boards are an aesthetically pleasing and practical element of a home. They provide a barrier between the walls and the floor but also keep dirt, dust, and rat feces from collecting indoors. Most importantly, they add to the appearance of your home by creating a uniform appearance in every room. Skirting boards play an important role in preventing certain household accidents too.
What type of materials should be used for skirting boards?
A quality torus skirting board is built with wood or composite wood materials. They are sturdy enough to protect the walls from water damage while remaining pliable enough not to crack or splinter when scratched. They should not be made from particle boards, plywood, or other materials commonly seen in cheap skirting boards.
What type of joints should be used in composite wood skirting?
Composite boards come with a variety of types of joints. Wood toe-nail and tongue-and-groove are the most common. These features provide each board with minimal flexibility when making adjustments to the angle or length needed. Other joints include metal, plastic, and metal and plastic lags. Check your local sign laws to install the boards if you have any concerns about cutting holes in your home’s walls. What type of backing should be used for my composite wood skirting boards?
Beyond the wall, the skirting board must have a solid backing. Some composite boards have plywood nailed to the back with hidden nails, meaning you can’t see the nails from normal vantage points. Other boards have a backing made of plastic materials like fiberglass. These often have hinges that allow them to stay open when cleaning behind your walls.
What are our top-of-the-line tips for a successful installation?
- Nail or other fasteners at every seam for additional security and strength in the joints
- Measure and make sure your walls are flat before installing your skirting boards. This will result in minimal chipping or peeling around corners. Use a level to check and adjust the boards accordingly.
- Do not nail the back of your boards into the wall
- Do not overhang your skirting boards below your ceiling or above it by more than ⅓rd of their diagonal measurement. This will also increase the chances of chipping or peeling around corners on walls where light is hitting them if you have any light fixtures directly above your skirting boards.
Features people can have
1. Extremely lightweight –
The best feature of a good torus skirting board is that they are extremely light. Unfortunately, they are light in weight to the extent of not giving room for the air to circulate. Therefore, the skirting boards will not get proper airflow and can be prone to dampness.
2. Provide a barrier against household accidents –
The quality of the skirting board is determined by its strength and adherence to the wall and by reinforcing it with fiberglass or metal. These materials provide a barrier against water damage and give protection against any household accidents like falls, scrapes, or scratches on your walls.
3. Make your home look clean and appealing –
Quality skirting boards will provide your home with a uniform look. You can use it to match your flooring, add detail to your window, or even set off your beautiful floors. The skirting boards will also make your home look cleaner as they help keep clutter off your floor and make each area of the home look welcoming and clean.
4. They add beauty and value to a home –
If you are using quality skirting boards, there is no doubt that they will add beauty and value to your home. Many materials are available to give the skirting a vibrant look, including wood composite material that adds the beauty of wood but with the durability of synthetic material.
5. Save money –
Good skirting boards have so many benefits that it is the easiest way to save costs for many homeowners. They not only help control clutter and rodents, but they also assist in saving time on cleaning. They are low-cost, and you can install them easily with tools like an extension cord, thin nails, or tapered nails.
6. Protect your home and family members –
All these advantages of composite skirting boards indicate the key role they play in protecting our home from water damage, accidents, and rodents such as rats or mice. They also help keep your family members safe from falls, scrapes, burns, and other slips and falls. They are light in weight and have a minimal surface area, so they are unlikely to interfere with electrical wires.
7. Enhance the beauty of your home –
High-quality composite torus skirting board will make your home look more beautiful and appealing as it elevates the overall beauty of your home. You can use them to match a carpet color or flooring, add detail or even create a window effect by using them in between windows and neighboring walls. These boards are thus perfect for achieving the desired window treatment.
8. The right type of wood to choose
Decide the type of wood that you want the skirting boards to be made from. Traditional lumber is made with a symmetrical design, which can easily be flushed with the wall. However, other types of wood, like alder and maple, have an attractive shape and can be used as a shelf or decoration if needed.
9. Avoid skirting boards that are not made for composite decking –
It is very important to know the quality of the materials your composite decking material is made up of. The best material should be thick enough not to warp or crack in cold weather and durable enough to withstand high temperatures. You also need a tough material that can withstand out-of-balance loads and chips and cracks, which make up for the detrimental effects of moisture.
10. Avoid skirting boards so thin that you can see through them –
When it comes to skirting boards, a thin board is not what you want them to look like, as they will be prone to leakages. The best knotted composite skirting boards are about 1 ½” to 2″ thick to have a solid backing, and even better to have the back hollow for ventilation. The measurement refers to the thickness of the board from front to back.
