Skirting boards became popular sometime within the 18th century and to this day still hold appeal for a lot of people. Used to add to the decor of a home, there’s something truly elegant about this finish. Made out of a variety of materials and available in many colors, these additions are sure to fit and complement the interior of any home. Immediately, and with a very simple procedure, upgrade the beauty and value of your abode.
Get Creative
Although you can purchase pre-made skirting boards, the option is also open to you to design exactly what you prefer. Work closely with the professionals and let your creative sense free. Made with high-quality and water-resistant MDF, the shape, color, and texture can all be made specific to your wants. With options ranging from simple, grooved, stepped, and more, choosing skirting board can be quite a task but if you have a clear vision in mind for a certain room or stairs, the process can move along seamlessly. Want to cover pesky wires? No problem, select your rebate option in the check-out process. It’s that easy.
Let Your Home Speak to You
Professionals will caution you to look carefully at your home before selecting a type of skirting board. Some homes have styles and themes built-in and whatever you add should complement that for a proper flow of the aesthetics. How a Colonial-type home is outfitted should not be the same as a Spanish or contemporary style home. Modern style homes are much easier to dress as there are many skirt options that can be freely adapted to the room for a clean and classic look.
Also, consider the size of the room. Adding wide-width skirting boards to a small room will only serve to make the room smaller. If attention to these details proves a bit too meticulous, refer to your contractor who should be able to shed some light on the matter.
Take into consideration the material your walls and floors are made of. A stone or brick design, due to the more irregular associated shapes are not well suited for skirting boards. And that’s fine because, on their own, such walls are stunning. If, however, your walls and floors are plaster or wood, then definitely upgrade their appearance with this inclusion.
Try a DIY
In addition to the corners and along the length of walls, skirts can be added to staircases. This process is simple enough that it can be a DIY project completed in no time. You will need a handful of tools to include a pencil, circular saw, staircase stringers, measuring tape, sandpaper, a power drill, a 1 by 12-inch piece of wood, hammer, nails, and of course, your skirt board pieces. Ensure you wear protective equipment to include face shields or goggles, gloves, and even knee pads. Undertaking this project with friends is a nifty way to strengthen friendships and save money. But if you don’t think this job is for you and would prefer to avoid manual labor, the task can be professionally completed on delivery.
Enjoy the Benefits
Skirting boards are not only for good looks, though this is a great perk. They help prevent the destruction of your walls. Unprotected walls get banged up from bumps with furniture, contact with vacuum cleaners, toys, tools, you name it. While complete protection of every inch of your walls won’t be possible with this inclusion, the base of your walls will be safeguarded.
When it comes to building and finishing, the job isn’t always done flawlessly. The lower portion of the walls can suffer because it is more difficult to maneuver that area for sanding, and painting. In a new home especially, leaving such ugliness exposed is greatly unappealing. You may try to cover it up with rugs or furniture and will succeed to some extent but for full coverage that will tie together the theme and feel of the room, there’s only one option. What about that unsightly gap from the wall to the floor? For an immediately pleasant solution, invest in high-quality skirting boards.
Small changes can have huge impacts. Compare the look of a normal plain wall with a skirted wall and judge which draws and captivates the attention more. These can be made to be as simple or intricate as you desire. Having them fashioned with MDF instead of wood will drastically reduce the price. But in this case, the lower price does not translate into a sub-par choice. Make the decision today and see the difference for yourself.
