Putting up skirting board

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by legit, Feb 13, 2005.

  1. legit

    legit New Member

    I plan on putting up new skirting board (a whole house) and so looked at a few topics here on screwfix. However there is one thing that puzzles me: why use this 'scribing' technique on internal corners? I was all set to cut a load of 45 degrees for every single corner with my compound mitre saw. What could be simpler: measure then mitre then glue??

    So here are my questions:

    1. Would cutting mitres on all corners be a mistake?
    2. Do I need to let the new boards rest for a while to prevent shrinkage when fitted?
    3. I've just sanded the floorboards back and they seem to be this nice yellowy pine. My skirting supplier says that he will supply me with 'redwood' - will this be a good match, given that I don't plan on gloss painting? I know nothing of different types of wood.
    4. Can I use the same techniques to put up architraving as skirting?

    Many thanks for responses.
     
  2. panlid

    panlid New Member

    legit if you live near me give me a call and ile come round and give you a price to do it. funny i dont remember alegit when i was at college for 4 years and all the years on sites brewing up and sweeping up, and all the nights my boss used to post me questions to work out before start of work next day. but never mind that im just going to tell you arnt i ?
     
  3. legit

    legit New Member

    SID, I couldn't afford you! Sorry about all that brewing and sweeping up, just hope there was no slopping out...

    Honestly I'm not trying to swindle your proffession - believe me I've already thrown plenty of money at the trades including plumber, plasterer, electrician and carpenter (door linings, joist supports and stair rails). There are still a few projects left to do but I'm now out of budget. cue worlds smallest violin ;)
     
  4. D.E.B.S

    D.E.B.S New Member

    a lot of people scribe even more when the corners are not square and especially when it is not going to be painted
     
  5. panlid

    panlid New Member

    sorry legit, i know a property developer who has made alot, im talking alot of money from doing it. trouble is he is the biggest cowboy and he even gets trades in and doesnt pay up properly and he is really smug about how easy it is. i pity the people who buy the houses. i am just fed up of all the new property ladder "tradesmen" out there.
     
  6. Dewy

    Dewy New Member

    You scribe internal corners because a mitre is likely to open up with expansion,contraction.
    You dont have this problem when scribing.
    You should mitre outside corners because of the same reason but they dont show a gap.
    Check the corner angle before cutting the mitre and split this angle in half to cut the mitres on your mitre saw.
    There are a number of tools for setting the mitres accurately.
    The Trend Anglefix @ £14.95 is made to set the correct angle for power or hand mitre saws.
     
  7. legit

    legit New Member

    Dewy, great advice. I think my skill with a jigsaw has now got to improve beyond recognition.
     
  8. panlid

    panlid New Member

    dewy i think youll find scribe joints open when drying out also. the reason for internal scribes is walls out of square. also when fitting skirts if you mitre internally then you have to almost drop wood in from top. this is because to get the wood in you have to put it in at angle which means you would have to cut it shorter. ive not explained that very well but another joiner who has done skirting should be able to understand. if in doubt try it. you will find the front edge of the mitre touches first when putting it in and it will appear to long.
     
  9. panlid

    panlid New Member

    by the way im talking about full lenghts wall to wall.
     
  10. bathstyle

    bathstyle Active Member

    I normally butt one end of the skirting against the wall then with the other end I cut at 45 deg, I then cut the 45 deg out with a jigsaw following the line that the 45 deg cut has given me.

    If the walls are out of square it doesn't matter like it would if you have 2 x 45 deg cuts in the internal.

    Hope someone gets what I mean?
     
  11. panlid

    panlid New Member

    yes bstyle, you scribe. with a jigsaw.mmmmmmm including the mould?
     
  12. bathstyle

    bathstyle Active Member

    Or coping saw if you're a DIYer but if you've got a very thin jigga blade you can do it fine
     
  13. panlid

    panlid New Member

    im a diyer then. i use jigsaw with down blade to do straight cut then do th mould with a coping saw.
     
  14. bathstyle

    bathstyle Active Member

    I used to use the coping now I use the new jigga (you know the bosch one;) )

    Not saying you're a diyer Sid just a tool that a diyer is more likely to have or buy if he needs it.
     
  15. panlid

    panlid New Member

    must admit on some jobs that didnt matter i have used a jiggy (the bosch one) not saying yours dont matter... you know what i mean :)

    also i have coping saw only for doing scribes. its about 15 years old and all rusty.
     
  16. bathstyle

    bathstyle Active Member

    I'm no expert on the subject.. I probably only do about 50 metres of the stuff a year!!
     
  17. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    dewy i think youll find scribe joints open when
    drying out also. the reason for internal scribes is
    walls out of square.
    also when fitting skirts if you
    mitre internally then you have to almost drop wood in
    from top. this is because to get the wood in you have
    to put it in at angle which means you would have to
    cut it shorter. ive not explained that very well but
    another joiner who has done skirting should be able
    to understand. if in doubt try it. you will find the
    front edge of the mitre touches first when putting it
    in and it will appear to long.

    Agree with the first bit, as to the rest, this will only apply if you have the two returns fitted already, and I would always fit round in a circle, and the longest bit last(if cut correctly) can be bent out and fitted in.

    Handyandy - really
     
  18. panlid

    panlid New Member

    handy do you mitre internal corners?
     
  19. plumface

    plumface New Member

    I cant copy and paste,or quote either but you talk absolute *** SID.
    Sid the joiner, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !
    Please tell us(including DEWY,who knows infinitateley more than you) you know better about scribing corners/joints.
    Please give us your contact details as i would really like to use your expertise in building a s*e house!

    [Edited by: Forum Moderator]
     
  20. D.E.B.S

    D.E.B.S New Member

    scribing is a more profesional way to fit skirting it has been used for many years. it will always give you a perfect joint (if you can do it ) and i would always use a coping saw to do the mould like sid especially on hard wood skirting :)
     

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