Installing a baseboard is one of the best things you can do to significantly change the look of a room. Not only does it give a more professional look, but it can also provide natural coverage to the spaces between the wall and floor that appear as the years pass in the home. Installing a skirting board is easy, quick and requires few tools. Go to step one and read all the instructions before you start assembling your skirting board.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Remove the Original Cover
Step 1. Get the tools
Before starting you will need to get the tools you need. Luckily you don't need that many! Grab a utility knife, putty knife, tape measure, nail gun, nails (long enough to pass the baseboard and squeeze into the wall), a frame box, or a table saw if you have one.
- You may also need paint, paint, putty, nail clippers and pencil to give your skirting board a more finished and professional look.
- Some will drill guide holes for nails if the baseboard is fragile or thin enough (as it could break). If you want to do this, remember to make them a little smaller than the nails you will use.
Step 2. Loosen the baseboard
If you are removing the old baseboard, use the utility knife to cut all the paint that is holding it to the wall. This will avoid removing paint from the wall.
Step 3. Pull off the cover
Use the putty knife and work on the cover to loosen it by pushing from behind and underneath. Be careful not to damage the wall or floor. Remove the cover completely using the putty knife and remove the nails as well.
Step 4. Prepare the wall
While you remove the cover you can sand and paint the wall. If they are in good condition, continue with the installation of the baseboard.
Step 5. Prepare the new skirting board
Before you cut the baseboard pieces to the right length you will need to prepare and finish them. Take the pieces of wood and rub them with sandpaper. Place them on an easel and trim them until they are the same color as the floor. A few coats of paint are usually enough.
Part 2 of 4: Cutting the Pieces
Step 1. Measure the room
Measure the area you will cover with the baseboard. Use the tape measure and measure the length of the walls. Write down the exact measurement, corner to corner. This will tell you how much wood to buy and how long the cut pieces should be.
- If you have external corners in the room you will need to cut the pieces slightly longer, about 2-4 cm. This is because the two pieces will need to be long enough to pass the corner and stick together.
- You may have a wall longer than a piece of baseboard, Don't worry, we will show you how to join two pieces with minimal seam.
Step 2. Cut the inside corners
For interior corners, the most common in a room, there are several options for cutting the baseboard. The best is to adjust one side of the skirting board which will settle if it is not a 45 ° angle and to adapt to the natural movements of the wood due to the years.
- To do this, cut one of the pieces of the skirting board so that it rests against the adjacent wall. Then cut the other piece at a 45 ° angle, with the back being the longest. Now take the piece cut earlier and cut the final part at a 45 ° angle in the opposite direction, carefully following the edge with the saw. Pass the sandpaper once the inside is removed, so you should have a normal front but hiding a gap behind. This way the pieces will fit together like a puzzle.
- If you can't or don't want to do this, or you are in a hurry or are not particularly interested you can simply make 45 ° angles. The long side, once cut, will be the back side and will be the same length as the wall.
Step 3. Cut the outside corners
For external corners, cut two pieces of skirting boards at 45 °. The back of the baseboard will be the length of the wall and will be the short part of the corner. Putting some glue where the pieces meet will help hold them in place.
Cut the outside corners diagonally. Sometimes the walls do not meet at 45 ° angles but at different inclinations. In this case, cut the baseboard at angles of 22.5 and make sure that the back of the center piece is equal to the length of the diagonal face
Step 4. Cut the seams
If you have a long piece that requires two pieces of skirting board don't just glue them together, but cut the two ends at 45 ° in opposite directions so that they overlap when put together. This will prevent visible cracks as the wood expands and contracts.
Part 3 of 4: Install the Baseboard and Indent
Step 1. Nail the baseboard
Once you have all the pieces in place you can start nailing the baseboard using the nail gun. Put nails in the center of the baseboard to avoid cracks. The distance between the nails depends on how tight you want it to be, but usually every 50cm is fine.
Make sure the nails are driven in straight and not at an angle. To do this, keep the nail gun on the floor
Step 2. Tap the nails
Tapping the nails flush will give a more professional look. Hold them steady with pliers and beat them all the way down.
Step 3. Choose and create the indent
The baseboard will end up in places like doors and corners. You will need to decide what these edges look like as they will stand out from the rest of the skirting board. There are several options:
- Consider a corner. The most common and easy method. Cut the last piece of baseboard at a 45 ° angle and then cut out a single piece of wood. Join them so as to make the skirting board retract towards the wall giving a more homogeneous appearance.
- Round up. Another option, but it requires more tools. Basically, cut the baseboard to the length you want and then use the saw and sandpaper to round the edge until you have the desired look.
- Consider rounding without indentation. In some cases you can forget about the re-entry and continue to put the skirting board making it continue in another room. However this is not ideal for all homes, only do it if it makes sense and if it is particularly beautiful.
Part 4 of 4: Finishing
Step 1. Cover the slots to give a more beautiful look
Once everything is installed, use silicone to cover crevices and corners. But be careful, if there are gaps between the baseboard and the base you may just have put the nails too far apart. An additional nail may suffice.
Step 2. Use a crayon to cover the nails
If you want, use a crayon to cover the holes created when you nailed the nails.
Step 3. Paint or varnish the baseboard
Once finished everything remains only to paint or varnish as you wish. It's easier when the base isn't finished either, but if it already is then it's best to finish the baseboard before mounting it. Once dry it's all over! Enjoy your new room!
Advice
- If you install a smaller skirting board than the previous one you may have a piece of wall that is not the same color as the rest of the floor.
- You will need to access the inside perimeter of the room. Move the furniture to the center as much as you can to get the space you need to work.
