Fit skirting board to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall — HomeGraft

Remove old skirting, identify each wall's construction, then fix and finish new skirting board neatly around the whole room.

SK-01Measure up and buy materialsMeasure the full perimeter of the room and add 10% for wastage and mitre cuts. Note any radiator pipes, sockets or door thresholds that need notching around. Buy skirting to match your existing profile, plus filler, caulk and paint, and keep a mix of fixings on hand because different walls in the same room often need different ones.

10 each · Skirting board (2.4m length)

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1 tube · Decorators caulk

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1 tub · Wood filler

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SK-02Find your stopcock and check for cables and pipes before drillingBefore you drill or nail into any wall, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. Use a cable and pipe detector along every fixing line, but still expect something to be there — detectors miss deep cables, cables in metal conduit, and anything behind metal-backed plasterboard, and a metal stud frame can confuse a cheap detector further. If you have any doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn the water off at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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SK-03Strip out the old skirtingScore along the top edge with a knife to break the paint seal, then work a flat bar or bolster behind the board and lever it away from the wall in short sections. Pull or punch through any old nails rather than yanking the board off whole, which can pull plaster off with it. Check what turns up behind — old skirting sometimes hides cables or pipes that were run along the floor void.

1 each · Flat bar / bolster

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SK-04Prep the wall and floor lineScrape off old adhesive lumps and pull or punch in any leftover nail stubs. Vacuum dust from the wall base and check the plaster is sound — on dot-and-dab, press along the bottom of the board to check it isn't loose or drummy where the dabs have failed. Fix any loose plasterboard now, before the new skirting goes up and hides the problem.

1 each · Filling knife

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SK-05Work out what each wall is made ofTap the wall as you move along it. A dull, solid knock is brick, block, or a dot-and-dab wall over a dab. A hollow drum sound between regular intervals (usually 400mm or 600mm apart) is a stud wall. Run a magnet or stud detector along the wall to find the line of screw heads holding the plasterboard on — timber studs give a scattered, occasional signal, metal studs give a strong, continuous line along the track. If you're still unsure, drill a small pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot: fine pale dust means timber behind, shiny metal swarf means a metal stud, and no resistance at all past the plasterboard skin means dot-and-dab or a stud bay with nothing behind it.

SK-06Fix skirting to a solid brick or block wallDrill with a 6mm masonry bit to a depth of 45mm, angling the drill level and steady. Insert a 6mm wall plug and drive a 50mm countersunk wood screw through the skirting into it, spacing fixings roughly every 400-500mm. This is the most reliable wall type for skirting — the fixing goes straight into solid material with no void behind it.

20 each · Wall plugs (6mm)

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20 each · Countersunk wood screws (50mm)

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SK-07Fix skirting to dot-and-dab plasterboardTap along the wall to find the solid dabs behind the 12.5mm plasterboard skin — a dull thud, not a hollow ring — and centre your fixings on them. Drill through the plasterboard and the dab void (typically 20-40mm) into the masonry behind, then use a 60mm wall plug and a 70-80mm screw so it bites properly into solid material, not just the plasterboard. Where you can't line up with a dab, skip the screw and rely on grab adhesive instead — never rely on a screw into plasterboard alone, it will pull straight out.

15 each · Wall plugs (long, 60mm)

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15 each · Screws (70-80mm)

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SK-08Fix skirting to plasterboard on timber studsOnce you've found the stud centres from step SK-05, mark them at skirting height and drive a 40mm wood screw straight into the centre of each stud through the board. Avoid the edges of the stud, where the screw can miss or split it. Between studs, where there's no timber, use a hollow-wall fixing rated for the load rather than leaving a gap unfixed.

15 each · Wood screws (40mm)

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SK-09Fix skirting to plasterboard on metal studsNever use a plain wall plug or an ordinary wood screw on a metal stud — it strips straight through the thin steel and holds nothing. Into the metal track itself, use a self-drilling metal-stud screw, which cuts its own thread into the steel. Between studs, where there's only plasterboard, use a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for a light load. Skirting is light enough for these fixings, but never rely on a metal stud alone for anything heavier that could pull away from the wall — that needs a timber noggin or a fixing back to solid masonry instead.

10 each · Self-drilling metal-stud screws

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10 each · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchors

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SK-10Fix skirting to a lath and plaster wallLath and plaster is old and brittle, and it cracks easily under hammering or heavy screwing. Predrill a small pilot hole before driving any screw, and aim for the timber laths rather than the gaps between them. Where the plaster feels soft or crumbly, favour grab adhesive as the main fixing and use screws only lightly, as a backup while the glue cures.

10 each · Wood screws (35mm)

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SK-11Glue the skirting for extra holdApply grab adhesive in a zigzag line along the back of each length before fixing it, on every wall type. This spreads the load, stops rattling, and covers you where a screw fixing has to be sparse, such as between studs or dab lines. Press the board firmly to the wall and hold it with masking tape or light pins until the adhesive grips, usually within a few minutes.

3 tube · Grab adhesive

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SK-12Cut, mitre and fix each length in turnWork around the room one wall at a time, cutting internal and external mitres as you go and offering each length up before fixing it permanently. Pin the mitred corners together with 40mm panel pins once they're aligned, then drive your wall fixings from step SK-06 to SK-10 depending on that wall's construction. Keep a slight gap at the floor for uneven flooring — a scribed or slightly loose fit at the bottom is normal and gets covered by caulk later.

30 each · Panel pins (40mm)

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SK-13Fill and caulkFill all nail and pin holes and any mitre gaps with wood filler, then sand flush once dry. Run a bead of decorators caulk along the top edge where the skirting meets the wall, and along the bottom where it meets the floor, smoothing it with a wet finger. This hides small gaps and stops dust and draughts collecting behind the board.

1 sheet · Sandpaper (fine)

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SK-14Paint and tidy upPrime any bare wood and filler patches, then apply two coats of your chosen finish, cutting in neatly at the top edge. Once dry, vacuum the floor and skirting line to clear dust and offcuts, and check every length is firmly fixed with no movement when pressed. Dispose of old skirting and offcuts through your usual household waste route.

1 litre · Undercoat/primer

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1 litre · Skirting paint (satin)

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