Installing a skirting board is not difficult if you have the right equipment. The only tricky thing is cutting. Edges and areas around the corners of your walls are the most difficult ones to handle. There are different cuts that include straight cuts, and external and internal mitres.
So here are some mistakes that you should avoid at all costs. Only then you will be able to get that perfect and professional finishing.
1. Not paying attention to the quality of the skirting board
You might learn the best cutting skills but one thing that you might not notice is the board quality. If your skirting board is of bad quality, even the professional cuts won’t be able to save it. There will be rough edges. Moreover, it is highly likely that it breaks off even with the slightest hit.
Therefore, the first thing that you need to do is to get quality products. It is better that you choose some standard material. So for that, you can buy dado rail from mdfskirtingworld.co.uk.
Their skirting board is made of MDF which makes them different from others. Apart from the quality, its life is also much longer than other softwoods. Be sure to visit their website to learn more about their skirting boards and what they have to offer.
2. Ignoring the necessary tools
You need tools to do proper work. If you think that all you need is a regular cutter or anything to cut the skirting boards, you are wrong. Can you write without a pen or a pencil? No, right?
Similarly, you need a proper saw to cut the board precisely. In addition to the saw, you will need other tools too.
- The first thing that you need is a skirting board that you will cut.
- A hand saw or you can also use a chop saw
- Pencil and a ruler to draw lines. This will help you to have precise measurements and know where to cut.
- A hand plane to get the smooth cut and to get rid of rough edges.
- Sandpaper. It will also help you to finish the cutting smoothly.
- Mitre box that you will use for precise cuts at specific angles. So that there are no more mistakes in measurement.
- Coping saw. You will use it to get interior cuts or intricate exterior shapes.
- Tape measure. Again, for getting precise measurements.
Therefore, the most important thing while cutting is the right measurements. If you do precise measurements and draw a line there, you will have the perfect fitting. After that, you will only need to make the edges smooth.
3. Using alternatives
Although there are many alternatives to a saw, all those are not suitable for skirting boards. Therefore, if you are just a common man doing it for once, you won’t buy a saw. And why would you, when you are not going to use it again.
Therefore, even if you do not have all the tools, you should not depend on alternatives. The best option is to rent them. You can easily find some renting place where you can rent all kinds of things. Or you can contact someone who has these tools.
So instead of using alternatives and ruining the work, you should rent them.
4. Cutting external corners with a saw
It is highly likely that you will just grab the saw and cut the board. Yes, you will do that but not for external corners. So as we have mentioned before, you will need a mitre box too. This is where you will use it.
When cutting external corners, you will need to use a mitre saw, which will be easier to use. Or you can use the manual mitre box.
5. Leaving gaps
Leaving gaps in between the different pieces of skirting boards will make it look rough and messy. In addition to this, it will also increase the risk of them falling apart. Gaps can easily gather dirt and this will make the grip lose. Furthermore, things might get tangled with these gaps. You are passing by and a piece of your cloth gets in the gap. Thus, you will only end up wasting all the money and your efforts.
You are not a professional worker who handles wooden things. Therefore, it is highly likely that you will not get the perfect finishing and smooth cuts. But this does not mean that you cannot get the smoothness in your cuts.
Although it is your first time cutting, you can still make the perfect cuts. Likewise, to ensure smoothness, you will only need sandpaper and sandpaper is not something difficult to use.
So you should follow the cutting steps and use the right cutter or saw to cut it. And after you are done with that grab sandpaper and rub it against the sharp cuts. This will make it smooth which is not only essential for your safety but also to get a snug fit.
6. Not using any sealants
Although it is not necessary to use sealants but if you are an amateur, you will need that. So when you are joining two pieces of skirting board together, finish it off with some sealant. You can use a regular sealant to do the job. This will also get rid of any small gaps between the two pieces.
However, if you do not want to do that and there is another way of sealing the gaps. You can use regular glue or a hot gun to cover any gaps. Glues also work the same way. They will fill the holes and gaps and let you have the perfect finishing.
And if there are any protruding glue parts, you can cut them off with the help of a sharp cutter. Make sure to not damage anything around it. If the protruding glue is very small and you cannot use a cutter, you can simply rub it off with sandpaper.
