Fit skirting board to a metal stud wall — HomeGraft

Fit new skirting board around a room, working out your wall type first so you use the right screws or fixings throughout.

SK-01Prepare the roomClear furniture and rugs back from the walls and roll out a dust sheet along the skirting line. If you're replacing old skirting, lever it off with a bolster and claw hammer, working from one end. Vacuum the floor edge and check the wall behind for damp or damage before you fit anything new.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Bolster chisel

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1 each · Claw hammer

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SK-02Work out what's behind each wallSkirting often crosses more than one wall type in the same room, so check as you go. Run a stud detector or a strong magnet along the wall at skirting height: regular clicks or magnet catches every 400-600mm mean a timber or metal stud wall, a dull solid knock right along means solid brick or block, and a hollow knock with a slight give under thumb pressure means dot-and-dab plasterboard on masonry. Lath and plaster (common pre-1930s) sounds hollow with a slight bounce, and a pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot will show thin wood laths behind the plaster. If you got clicks, drill a small pilot hole in scrap or a hidden area: timber dust means a timber stud, fine grey swarf means a metal stud.

1 each · Stud detector

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1 each · Strong magnet (optional alternative)

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SK-03Find cables, pipes and your stopcock before drillingCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, so use a cable and pipe detector along the whole fixing line even though skirting height feels low risk. Detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed board, or confused by a metal stud frame, so drill first holes gently and stop the moment resistance changes. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns before you start, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If in any doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling into that section of wall.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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SK-04Measure and cut the skirting lengthsMeasure each wall run and mark internal corners for a scribed joint and external corners for a 45° mitre. Cut with a mitre saw or mitre block, leaving lengths slightly long so you can trim to a tight fit. Dry-fit every piece around the room before fixing anything, checking mitres close with no visible gap.

1 metre · Skirting board

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1 each · Mitre saw or mitre block

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1 each · Coping saw

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1 each · Tape measure

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SK-05Fix skirting on a timber stud wallScrew or nail into the centre of each stud, roughly every 400-600mm along the run. Use a 40-50mm wood screw, or a lost-head nail long enough to pass through the skirting and 25-30mm into the timber. Run a bead of grab adhesive along the back of the board first for extra grip and to stop rattling.

20 each · Wood screws 40-50mm

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20 each · Lost-head nails 50mm

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1 tube · Grab adhesive

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SK-06Fix skirting on a metal stud wallNever use a plain wall plug or an ordinary wood screw in a metal stud, it strips straight through the 0.5mm steel. Use self-drilling metal-stud screws driven directly into the stud, or a metal-stud hollow-wall anchor between studs, and run a continuous bead of grab adhesive along the back of the board to carry most of the day-to-day load. Skirting itself is light so this combination holds well, but if you later fix anything heavier through the skirting (a heavy curtain bracket, a pipe cover), take that fixing through to a noggin or the masonry behind, not the skirting alone.

20 each · Self-drilling metal-stud screws

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10 each · Metal-stud hollow-wall anchor

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1 tube · Grab adhesive

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SK-07Fix skirting on solid brick or blockDrill with a masonry bit sized to your plug, typically 6mm, to a depth of 35-40mm. Insert a wall plug, then drive a 40-50mm screw through the skirting and plug into the masonry every 400-600mm. Add grab adhesive along the back of the board for a firmer, quieter fit.

20 each · Wall plugs 6mm (Rawlplug or similar)

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20 each · Screws 40-50mm

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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SK-08Fix skirting on dot-and-dab plasterboardStandard plugs and screws aren't enough here, they only grip the plasterboard and adhesive dabs, not the masonry behind. Use a long fixing, typically 60-75mm, that passes through the skirting and plasterboard and bites at least 30mm into the solid wall behind, checking the dab depth first with a pilot hole. Run a generous bead of grab adhesive along the back of the board too, as this carries much of the everyday load.

20 each · Long fixing screws 60-75mm with plugs

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1 tube · Grab adhesive

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SK-09Fix skirting to lath and plasterLath and plaster is brittle, and careless screwing can crack the plaster away from the laths. Locate the timber studs behind the laths with your detector and fix into those with 40-50mm screws, backed up by a continuous bead of grab adhesive along the board. Avoid heavy hammering, which can loosen or crack the surrounding plaster.

20 each · Wood screws 40-50mm

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1 tube · Grab adhesive

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SK-10Pin and glue the boards in placeWith adhesive already run along the back of each board, press it firmly into place against the wall and floor. Pin or screw home at each marked fixing point from the wall-specific step you followed. Wipe away any adhesive squeeze-out straight away with a damp cloth.

1 each · Damp cloth

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SK-11Fill, caulk and finishFill nail or screw holes and any mitre gaps with flexible decorator's filler, then sand smooth once dry. Run a thin bead of decorator's caulk along the top edge where skirting meets the wall, and along any wall-to-skirting gaps, smoothing with a wet finger. Leave everything to cure fully before painting.

1 tube · Flexible decorator's filler

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1 tube · Decorator's caulk

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1 sheet · Fine sandpaper

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SK-12Paint and tidy upPrime any bare wood, then apply two coats of skirting or trim paint once filler and caulk are fully dry. Refit any socket or switch plates you removed earlier, putting screws back in their original holes. Sweep up and remove the dust sheet once the paint is fully dry.

1 litre · Trim/skirting paint

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1 litre · Wood primer

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1 each · Paintbrush

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