Hello Keen amateur DIY person here. I am about to lay a laminate floor. Something I have done several times before successfully but I have always laid up to the floorboards (with an expansion gap) and covered the gap with trim. This time I want to run the floor under the skirting boards as it will be much neater. I live in a new build and the odds are that the skirting is glued to the skirting board. So, although the YouTube videos make removing skirting look easy, I assume that mine will pull chunks of plasterboard off and be a real mess (even after scoring the edge with a knife). Do my bright idea is to buy the Screwfix oscillating tool and cut a strip off the skirting in so that I can slide the laminate under. Using a piece of laminate, just like the when I cut under the door frames to run the laminate underneath. I can see that I may have to take the last skirting board off, to get the laminate under, or I've read about a few tricks, cutting of the joint, glueing, using tape to pull it home etc. This, however, is my question: How do I insert the spacers (and remove them afterwards) under the skirting if I am not going to remove the skirting? I can't imagine not using spacers as I won't otherwise keep it all straight. But I can't leave them in as they will make the expansion gap redundant. A friend suggested using spacers made of sausage and then adding maggots when I've finished, but I won't be going with that one...... Any advice very gratefully received.
I would think you may only pull of either the adhesive they've used , or possiblbly the top coat of plaster!
You can't is the bottom line, and I wouldn't use the multitool as you intend, it'll look like you have a rat problem chewing the bottoms of the skirting, and take you ages and cost a couple of blades in the process. I would at least try hammering a chisel down the back of the skirting first to see if it'll prise away, some adhesives they use in New homes are poor, or they may have fixed it against wet plaster and it never cured properly, you may be lucky. If you are adamant about using the multitool then I'd try cutting down from the top against the back of the skirting and wall, with a metal cutting blade through the pins and adhesive and see if you have luck that way, but I'd prepare yourself for probable replacement.
Use a multi tool & slide/work blade down between wall & back of skirting, less damage than using chisel, also thinner as well, & with right blade, you shouldn't have a problem. And for multitool blades look at Saxton Blades, excellent blades. http://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/ Once you get a multi tool you'll find endless uses for it.
Irrespective of whether you remove the skirting boards this might answer your original question. If you lay the first boards right into the void, lay the rest of the floor and cut the last board so that is exactly in line with the face of the opposite skirting. Then you can slide the whole floor halfway under this skirting which will mean an equivalent gap will open up under the first. It's not that easy but can be done - the difficulty is getting hold of the floor to move/prise it without damaging it. I have stood on non slip mating before and hotched myself forward on one occasion. Equally you can prise/lever in the threshold sometimes before it gets covered. It must be said I have only ever had to do this in relatively small rooms and where the client didn't want the skirting disturbed or Scotia beading used.
If you have a carpenter mate with a plunge saw this is the way to trim a skirting without removing it Alternatively buy an mini circular saw from our host or alternatives and use it to cut the laminate as well http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb689csw-500w-85mm-mini-circular-saw-230-240v/9591p
Many thanks for the great advice everybody. I think I am going to try taking off the skirting and see how easy it is. My neighbour says he did it and found loads of holes that, once filled, reduced the draughts significantly. I'll let you know how it goes. Either way, I will be getting a mini circular and an oscillating tool for my birthday! Cheers, all.
If you have any gap at all at the top of the skirting, try squeezing water down there and leave for half an hour. You might be lucky and the skirting will pull off by hand. This would be if it was stuck on with something like nonails which can soften when wet!
Best to take the skirting off. It's almost impossible to get the laminate under a gap cut into the skirting (see willieckerslike's post) Failry easy to get the flooring to move one way, but if you undercut the skirting all around the room, then the flooring has to move on two directions.. Take the skirting off.
Don't get me wrong, laying the floor before the skirting boards would always be my preferred choice but there are occasions when that isn't feasible so I have managed to work around the issue as described.