All About Skirting Boards and Architraves

Skirting boards and architraves are wooden casings around a room, doors, or some windows. The skirting board is the wooden board fitted around the room’s perimeter and is fixed where it meets the floor. Architrave, on the hand, is the thin wooden skirting fitted between the plaster around doors. They’re designed differently, and to get the best out of them, it’s best if you don’t try a DIY but leave the job to those who understand how to fix them. These terms are easily confusing because they’re similar and almost serve the same purpose. However, it’s still worth understanding their differences and characteristics. Join us here mdfskirtingworld.co.uk as we discuss skirting boards and architraves and their differences in case you have to work with them in the future. 

The Similarities between Skirting Boards & Architraves

Although skirting boards and architraves are designed as house decors, they differ in size. Here are the notable similarities between the two.

  • They’re wooden
  • Fitted as part of the decor
  • Masking weak or uneven plaster
  • Hide untidy joints 

Differences

You may not know what skirting boards and architraves are, yet your house has both. As a first-time homeowner or renovator, you could pay too much for decor because you were clueless. The terms aren’t familiar to everyone until you decide to enquire. Many online sites like mdfskirtingworld.co.uk are very helpful to renovation your house doors or windows as well know about skirting boards & architraves. Here are the major differences between them are as follow.

Skirting Boards

They run along the base of a room on the interior walls to form a junction between construction materials; the floor and plaster. Skirting boards protect the wall’s base from damages caused by shoes, furniture, and markings/ from pets or children. These boards are made from Moisture Resistant Medium Density Fibreboard (MR MDF) like pine. This is because they come into contact with moisture often. The design varies from Victorian to Colonial, depending on your wall’s profile.

Skirting boards are also used to mask uneven plaster at the bottom of your walls or dampness in older houses. Skirting boards can sit flat against obstructing contact between the wall and floor, depending on your style. They can also be round or curved. 

Architraves

Architraves are the thin wood that goes around door frames or windows. An architrave bridges the space between plaster and door or window frames to hide or disguise poorly finished walls. However, they don’t always have to hide or disguise anything but can be a form of internal decor.  

They’re made from the same material as skirting boards but thinner in this case or customized to suit the palace of use. Using architraves on doors or windows makes a room classier, even better when they’re in different styles or designs and modern style architraves also attainable.

Conclusion

Every industry has jargon that only people in that field understand, but you can always try to learn and understand to be in the know. Skirting boards and architraves are shaped boards that border the perimeter of a wall and floor in a room or the thin wood between the door and plaster. In this case, skirting boards and architraves can confuse anyone who knows nothing about construction.