# Skirting Board or Carpet First?



## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

As per thread title really.

We're doing up the porch, stairs & landing and also one of the spare rooms. All walls and ceiling to be re-skimmed, and then new carpets, skirting and architraves.

Obviously the skimming will be done first (and no doubt paint before any new carpet goes down). But when it comes to new skirting boards and carpet, which should I have done first? I assume skirting as I can use the current carpet thickness to guage how high up I'd be fitting it to the wall?

This was easier when we did all of down stairs as we laid laminate first, and then skirting on top of that :lol:


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## Harley Chops (Nov 8, 2019)

Hello

Architrave around the doors, followed by the skirting board (resting on top of the floor boards). The carpet fitters fit their gripper about 15mm away from the skirting, and then tap the edges of the carpet down between the gap to leave a tidy edge. Hope this helps


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## Ultra (Feb 25, 2006)

Skirting board.


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## Steveom2 (Jul 29, 2018)

Carpets are always last to go down


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## Chrisxtype (Aug 13, 2019)

As Harley Chops said, A carpenter should mitre external corners , and scribe internal corners,


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## Mikesphotaes (Jul 24, 2016)

Steveom2 said:


> Carpets are always last to go down


Exactly!


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## Juke_Fan (Jul 12, 2014)

Remember to give the paint on the skirting time to harden especially if using water based paint. I painted skirting a couple of days before a carpet was put down and the fitter manged to scrape some of the paint off as it had only formed a skin and hadn't fully set.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Ok, I thought carpets would be last, so nice to have that confirmed..

Second question then, do I need to leave the skirting board a few mm off the floor boards to allow space for the carpet to be tucked under?

Brother in Law will be helping fit the skirting, who has started his own woodwork business... (making horse jumps, kennels, pig stys and other equestruan and farmy type of equipment


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

when I fitted my skirting board I lifted it a few mm above the concrete floor by using some packing spacers when fixing it (spacers then removed once fixed).


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

RandomlySet said:


> Ok, I thought carpets would be last, so nice to have that confirmed..
> 
> Second question then, do I need to leave the skirting board a few mm off the floor boards to allow space for the carpet to be tucked under?
> 
> Brother in Law will be helping fit the skirting, who has started his own woodwork business... (making horse jumps, kennels, pig stys and other equestruan and farmy type of equipment


Paint everything first, then once cured have carpets laid.

If you're fixing skirting boards onto timber floors, just lay them on the timber and fit them. I'd also take the opportunity to make sure all your floorboards etc are well screwed down and no squeaks


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Andyblue said:


> Paint everything first, then once cured have carpets laid.
> 
> If you're fixing skirting boards onto timber floors, just lay them on the timber and fit them. I'd also take the opportunity to make sure all your floorboards etc are well screwed down and no squeaks


Yup, did that the other year (paint skirting and architraves)... Will paint all that prior to even making any cuts, and then touch up once fitted.

I also plan on screwing all floorboards down as this house creeks like a, well, creeky thing! Does my nut in TBH!


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

RandomlySet said:


> Yup, did that the other year (paint skirting and architraves)... Will paint all that prior to even making any cuts, and then touch up once fitted.
> 
> I also plan on screwing all floorboards down as this house creeks like a, well, creeky thing! Does my nut in TBH!


Ongoing job in our house that. Creaky floorboards do my head in:lol:


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## THE CHAMP (Aug 1, 2008)

As already said skirtings first but these need to be put in level if the floors are flat but are running up or down if you just follow the floor your skirtings will be out of level. So I would check the floors for level if they are out of level shim the skirtings to achive level then fix


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## chris chappell (Jun 6, 2007)

If floor out of level then find lowest point and scribe skirting to that to ensure it is level. If not level it will look a mess especially with a patterned wallpaper!!
Going back years everything was fitted according to a datum in the room to ensure all casings, architraves, plate rails, dado rails skirtings etc were level and at the correct spacing. Like everything else though things have changed and today’s ‘tradesmen’ wouldn’t know where to start. Quick and cheap as possible nowadays.


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## P2K (Jun 17, 2020)

My floors were level when I did my skirting boards so I put a 5mm allen key at each end then fitted the skirting board to the wall, checking with a spirit level too, to be safe.

We had thick underlay and a reasonably think pile carpet and when the carpet was fitted it looked a treat.


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## bluechimp (Dec 21, 2017)

RandomlySet said:


> Yup, did that the other year (paint skirting and architraves)... Will paint all that prior to even making any cuts, and then touch up once fitted.
> 
> I also plan on screwing all floorboards down as this house creeks like a, well, creeky thing! Does my nut in TBH!


Put a watered down PVA mixture in-between the joins and really work it in by forcing it with a paint brush then walk over it. This then sets and holds a bond between the boards. Whilst drying, add your additional screws or totally re-screw if nailed. Make sure you locate your joists and any noggins and pencil these lines across so you know where to screw. Also ensure there are no pipes or electrical cables underneath.

Hope you sort it mate.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Not sure how much floor boards cost (not that much in the grand scheme of things I'm sure), but I may just get the brother in law to rip it all up and start again.


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Wouldn’t rush to do that. Depending on age of property and more so boards, new timber just isn’t as good in terms of quality. Just screw them down.


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## Tykebike (Mar 27, 2016)

I was under the impression that screws are more likely to work loose than nails (especially ring nails) leading to loose and creaky floorboards.


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

If you need to take a board up easier if screwed than nailed. No matter how careful I am using a mini pry bar always damage a board when bailed


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

MDC250 said:


> If you need to take a board up easier if screwed than nailed. No matter how careful I am using a mini pry bar always damage a board when bailed


And newer chipboard floors are just a pain in the proverbial when you need to get under them for something. Give me a proper floorboard floor any day.


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

For sometime now chipboard floors have be stuck down. Nails just to hold the boards until the glue sets up.


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