DOORS & JOINERY

Fit skirting board covers over old skirting

Fit slim MDF cover strips over tired old skirting, mitred at corners and glued and fixed to match the wall behind.

SC-01Clear the room and check the old skirtingMove furniture back from the walls and lay a dust sheet. Vacuum the skirting and wipe it with sugar soap to remove grease and dust so the adhesive sticks properly. Press along the old skirting - if it's crumbling, damp or loose, fix or replace those sections first, since a cover strip won't hide structural problems.
1 each · Dust sheet
1 bottle · Sugar soap
SC-02Work out what's behind the skirtingRun a stud detector or magnet along the wall just above the skirting to find timber studs (steady beam or a line of screw heads) or metal studs (magnet clicks onto screw heads, tool reads 'metal'). Tap the wall between hits - a dull thud usually means solid brick or block, a hollow sound means stud or dot-and-dab. Drill one small 3mm pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot: fine pale dust means plasterboard or masonry, timber shavings mean a wood stud, and bright metal swarf means a metal stud.
1 each · Stud detector
SC-03Check for cables and pipes before you drillCables and pipes can run in unexpected places, so use your detector but still treat the wall as live until you prove otherwise - detectors miss deep cables, armoured or metal conduit, and anything behind metal-backed board, and a metal stud frame can confuse cheap detectors. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling near sockets or switches.
SC-04Measure and cut the first lengthMeasure the longest straight run first and cut your cover strip to length, mitring internal and external corners as you learned before. Dry-fit each piece over the old skirting to check it sits flush top and bottom before you commit any adhesive.
1 each · MDF skirting cover strip, 2.4m length
SC-05Glue and fix the cover strip to the right wall typeApply grab adhesive in a zigzag along the back of the strip and press it firmly onto the old skirting, holding or wedging it for the time stated on the tube. While it cures, add a few mechanical fixings through the strip and old skirting into the wall for extra grip while the glue goes off - the fixing depends on what's behind: into a timber stud, use a 40mm wood screw straight into its centre; into a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud screw or hollow-wall toggle, never a plain wall plug or ordinary wood screw, as these strip straight through 0.5mm steel; into solid brick or block, drill 6mm and use a wall plug with a 40mm screw; through dot-and-dab plasterboard, use a fixing long enough to pass through the dab and bite into the masonry behind, not just the board; and through lath and plaster, avoid fixing into the lath itself and aim for solid masonry behind it to stop the lath cracking.
1 tube · Grab adhesive
10 each · Wood screws, 40mm
10 each · Metal-stud self-drilling screws
10 each · Wall plugs, 6mm
10 each · Masonry screws, 40mm
SC-06Fit the corners and end piecesCut and fit the mitred corner pieces, checking each joint closes tightly before gluing. At door openings and radiator pipes, cut the strip carefully around the obstruction so it sits flush against the wall, not just resting over the old skirting.
2 each · MDF skirting cover strip, 2.4m length
SC-07Fill and caulk the jointsFill any screw holes and gaps at mitres with a flexible decorator's filler, then run a thin bead of decorator's caulk along the top edge where the strip meets the wall and along any butt joints. Smooth with a wet finger and leave to dry fully before sanding.
1 tube · Decorator's caulk
1 tub · Flexible filler
SC-08Sand, prime and paintOnce the filler and caulk are dry, sand lightly with fine sandpaper to leave a smooth flush surface. Apply a coat of primer if the strip isn't pre-primed, then finish with two coats of skirting or trim paint, leaving each coat to dry fully.
1 pack · Fine sandpaper, 180 grit
1 tin · Wood primer
1 tin · Skirting/trim paint
SC-09Tidy upRemove any masking tape while the paint is still slightly tacky for a clean edge. Sweep up offcuts and sawdust, wipe down tools before storing them, and move furniture back once the paint is fully dry.
1 roll · Masking tape

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